It's a long, dead life!
by BDE
Summary: This story starts in 1663 with Carlisle being turned and will run through to present day. We are experiencing Twilight through the Volturi. Eleazar, Aro, and Carlisle are brothers. Mature scenes - Corporal Punishment (Spanking and other), Blood Guts and Gore, Sex, Rape, and all those other things that often offend, but its the Volturi, so what do you expect?
1. 1663, May - The Pastor's Boy

I do not own any of the Twilight characters - I am just borrowing them from Meyers. I will return them when I have finished but they will be a little bent out of shape, sorry!

 **AN:** So we start in 1663 with Carlisle being transformed into a vampire. We will meet the full cast of Twilight as we travel through the ages but I have, and I apologise for this, played fast and loose with Meyers characters. (With a few of my own chucked in for good measure.) Some are very out of character, I know some people don't like that.

This wont be for every one, I want to make that clear now - firstly, this story is long! starting in 1663 and ending in the present day. Secondly, if you are offended by fictional supernatural beings (including young teens, shock!) being knocked about, physically punished, having sex, swearing, etc etc, then please go and find something else to read. THIS IS NOT REAL and I am too old to be dealing with people spitting their dummy out with shitty reviews when they were forewarned and will simply delete.

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 **1663, May - The Pastor's Boy**

"We must be strong, for they are strong. We must be fierce, for they are fierce. Our will must not weaken in the face of evil, for They. Are. Evil!"

The Pastor led the meeting of the gathered town folk, whipping them into a frenzy. The good men of Spittle Feylds, which lay north east to the city of London, were circled around the pastor. He stood on his cart so all could hear him, see him and gaze in wonder at the man who stands for all men. The ground beneath the cart from where the pastor preached still held remnants of the pyre and scorched earth used to dispel an evil creature of witch craft only last week. The town folk were grateful for such a diligent pastor to lead their flock. Samuel Cullen had gained the trust of the small town through his many years of good service; first by assisting his father, Tobias Cullen, the old pastor who taught him the skills to win both the hearts and minds of the people. Not that his work was a ploy to do so, oh no, Samuel truly believed he was enacting gods wishes on earth.

"I call on you, my brothers, and sons of brothers, I call on you to take up arms, to defend our women, our children, and our children's children from the deadly creatures of the night who wish harm upon them, who wish to corrupt their minds, their very souls! I will do my duty for my lord above, who will join me?"

The town folk roared in response. The good pastor continued his 'call to arms', quite pleased with the reactions he elicited from the crowd... except one. One young man hadn't joined in the roaring chorus. The pastor appeared well aware of this one. Perhaps if the good pastor hadn't been so focused on this young man, he may have noticed that three such 'deadly creatures of the night' were observing the scene from the top of a high tree on the edge of the woodland.

Eleazar watched his father, who was clearly unhappy with Aro's choice.

"That one, the Pastors son? Why!" Basileus threw his youngest son an incredulous look; there was nothing special about the sullen looking boy stood to the side of the gathering.

Aro shrugged, "why not?" he replied, sounding thoroughly bored.

Basileus had already explained to Aro the reason for increasing their rank. Aro personally thought the whole escapade pointless; he did not need a little vampire brother to help him reconnect to his humanity - as far as Aro was concerned, he had no humanity, and nor did he want it, he was a vampire!

With Aro spending more and more time with Caius, who Basileus held directly responsible for corrupting his son's once good nature with an evil one, Basileus thought it time to bring in another vampire, a calm one, one who could perhaps replace Caius in time and one who could help Aro to remember who he was. Clearly Eleazar had failed, at least, that's how he felt. Eleazar couldn't understand why Basileus didn't just remove Caius, he hadn't asked though, it was not his place.

Basileus turned his gaze on his eldest son, "Will he be useful, El?"

Eleazar focused on the Pastors boy, he was a little further away than he would like. Eleazar's gift to sense the ability of others did often work with humans - he could work out what they would be capable of as vampires if they were turned - but the distance made it tricky. He could sense quite a few humans from where he perched on the branch below his father, but he wasn't getting much from the pastors boy.

"I do not sense a gift, my lord, though I can feel something, he has great control, patience, loyalty..."

"And in what way will that be useful!" Basileus spat, "Aro, choose another one!"

 _Great, clearly the wrong answer!_ Eleazar thought. Reproachfully and respectfully, as was his way, he continued, "We do not know if this one will be useful, my lord, we have never had one of his kind before."

Basileus smirked, _this pastors boy sounds just like Eleazar, I could cope with another one of him,_ he thought.

"He will countenance Caius if nothing else" Aro added, and far more quietly, "Is that not the point of this needless folly!"

Basileus heard, of course he heard.

Eleazar quickly interjected, always the peacemaker and hopeful to distract his father's attention from his brother's disrespect. "Perhaps that is his purpose, my lord, tempering Caius' effect at Volterra and, well..." Eleazar trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

"ME?!"

CRACK!

Aro's half shouted, angry reply earned him a hard slap across the back of his head from Basileus, and being a vampiric slap, it sounded like the heavens were thundering! Basileus was tiring of his son's complaints, having heard them incessantly on the journey to London from Volterra.

His sons fell silent, waiting for him to speak. He glanced over to the town gathering discussing the fate of vampire kind. _As if they have any say in the matter,_ he thought. The town folk hadn't paid much attention to the noises coming from the woodland, but they were stirring for their vampire hunt... it was time for them to move.

"You are right Eleazar, I will watch a while and take him tonight. You two will make your way back to the castle."

Aro didn't turn to face him, but nodded once in agreement, Eleazar was more concerned.

"My lord, there is a whole mob out there! We could help, allow us to stay!"

Calming now, Basileus felt pride in his son's worry and placed a loving hand on his shoulder, "The aim this evening is to claim an additional son, not to risk the two I already have, Eleazar. Go now. I'll not be far behind you."

Not waiting for a response, knowing they wouldn't defy him, Basileus dropped down from the high branch where he'd talked with his sons to land silently on the soft, damp ground. Within a moment, he was gone.

Eleazar turned to Aro, "You shouldn't keep antagonizing him brother."

Aro rubbed the sting from the back of his head, though if he had to admit it, his pride hurt far more. Not only did his father believe he needed to watch closely over him, but that he also needed others to do so for him! _Is saint Eleazar not enough?_ he thought to himself. _That father of mine enjoyed my supposed cruelty when it had suited him bringing down the Romanians, but now he wants to play happy families I need to be tempered! Cunt!_

Those thoughts would not leave Aro's mouth, they scared him enough being inside his head! He knew full well that Basileus could read his thoughts at will - and he didn't even need to be connected by touch as with Aro's gift. To be fair to the man he had never punished on thought alone, yet. That 'yet' was quite important Aro thought. But Eleazar was right, there was little to be gained from annoying their father - as his stinging head proved!

Eleazar had sat silently whilst his brother struggled internally with Basileus' decisions. Rather than the annoyance Aro felt, Eleazar was plagued with guilt; he should have been more forceful with his younger brother rather than watching passively as he became more and more twisted in his role as the Volturi leader. Eleazar hadn't realized Aro's hand was delicately placed on his wrist. The hiss his little brother made alerted him to it though - Aro had been 'listening' to Eleazar and what he heard, hurt.

The Volturi was supposed to be Aro's job, but it had evolved to become more than that, it was his life now, why couldn't his brother and father understand that! He was serving a duty to vampiric kind, a vital service, keeping them all in control and maintaining order. He didn't really blame Eleazar though, Eleazar was so different to Aro. Eleazar loved him, but he didn't understand what Aro did, or more importantly, the reasons he did it.

Aro dropped to the woodland floor, landing swiftly without making much sound and called back to Eleazar, "Come brother, you think too much."

Eleazar shook his head, his black hair grazing shoulders as he did so, he did love Aro, he just wanted his brother back. _Let us all hope this pastors son can help!_ With that final thought he joined Aro on the ground and the two took off running silently through the night towards their temporary castle lodgings.

Basileus pounced from roof top to tree branch, never missing a step, rounding on the town folk meeting. He couldn't help feel amused by their chattering as if they stood a chance against his kind. _All these plans to hunt us, to skewer us, to burn us - poor things should be pitted for their foolish thoughts really._

He came to a halt on the roof of small homestead. The gathering was taking place directly below - the men of the town stood in a circle around the good pastor standing on the back of his horse cart so all could see and hear his preaching. Looking around at the crowd, Basileus could see they were all clutching 'weapons' of one sort or another; a scythe here, an axe there, quite a few sharpened sticks. _My blessed food source,_ he thought, as he silently chuckled to himself.

Closer now, he could size up the boy Aro had chosen, the pastors son. He looked young compared to Aro and Eleazar, only early twenty's, if that, but his face was tired. _Living in these retched times would be the cause, no doubt._ But Basileus suspected more. He watched him closely. The good pastor drivelled on about evil forces, but the boy wasn't listening and appeared uninterested by the righteous outpourings of his father. Basileus smiled to himself. _This had better not be a sign of what I have to come from him,_ he thought, mockingly. _As if! No son of mine would dare._

Eleazar's senses were right though, the pastor's son certainly had a different air about him to the other town folk. It wasn't arrogance, the others had that in droves, it wasn't disobedience either, the boy was going to go ahead with his father's instructions along with the rest of the town, but he clearly didn't believe a word of what was being spouted at him. _So what is it then... Eleazar said he was loyal. Is it duty binding him to this irrational expedition?_

The pastor went on, though he seemed to have noticed his son and the lack of attention he showed. Basileus doubted the other men knew the reason for the pastor's voice raising an octave or two, or even that they noticed it had at all. Basileus knew though, he was pissed at his son and Basileus wanted to know why. Using his gift, he focused on the boy and followed his thoughts.

 _I'm so bored. Pastor Cullen, my father, the most tedious man alive! Look at him up there on his podium whipping his sheep up for a fight against the devil. How did I ever believe in this pig swill! Ridding the world of evil... you're the evil, old man!_ Carlisle's thoughts rolled around in his head fuelling his anger. He wanted nothing to with his father or any more of these missions. He had stupidly believed in his father's words and in the good work they were doing - ridding the land of evil.

 _Rebecca wasn't evil, and you, you bastard, you had her MURDERED!_ Carlisle's resentment bubbled beneath his calm exterior. He stared ahead with a hard, pensive look which seemed at odds with his youthful features. He was sure he looked attentive to his father's ramblings and was managing to fool his old man. It was only a few hours ago, just before they left their home to come to this very meeting in fact, that the good pastor had reminded Carlisle of the expectations he had of him:

Samuel had finished packing the few books he would need for the evening's meeting into his well-worn brown leather satchel. He set it on the sturdy table top and took a moment to sit at his desk. It had been a very long week - not a day had gone by without an argument with his son. He understood his son was upset with losing a friend, but that Rebecca girl was leading him astray and after what he had caught the pair doing, well, only witch craft could make his son blight his soul in such a way.

 _Carlisle is behaving like a spoiled brat! I've been far too lenient with him, I cannot put my son's mood swings ahead of god's work. This ends today._ His son would disagree with those thoughts - in no way or form was the pastor lenient, Carlisle had the scars to prove it.

Samuel knew time was getting on, he called out to his son, "Carlisle, we need to be leaving soon, we will have the whole town waiting on us!"

No response.

Shaking his weary head, for he was too tired to deal with his son's behaviour again today, he made to stand, the wooden chair scrapping noisily against the floor.

"Which do you want son, the axe or the scythe?"

From the other side of the wall a quiet, but determined voice spoke, "I won't be coming, so neither!"

Carlisle winced as he said the words. He had no idea why he was quite so brave at the moment, or stupid. Without thinking he leaned his back against the wall of the house, "Fuck!" That hurt. The bruising stretched from the nape of his neck reaching down to the top of his calves and were punctuated with the stripes or raw, red skin still trying to heal. Though his wounds were a week old, they were still painful to touch. _A horse whip will do that,_ Carlisle mused as he grimaced with the pain.

Cursing into the air as the pain subsided, Carlisle hadn't noticed his father come out side. It wasn't until Samuel had grabbed a fist full of Carlisle's collar that his son realized he was no longer alone. With as much force as he could muster the pastor landed a single sharp smack to his disrespectful son's bruised backside.

With his breath caught in his throat at the explosion of pain, Carlisle was spun around by the neck to face his father. Giving a squeeze to the fabric in his fist, Carlisle was rendered useless as he struggled to breathe.

"We have been through this son," Samuel began. "She was no good for you, she was an evil blight on this good earth and the things she made you do - only witch craft could be so powerful. Unless you are telling me Rebecca was not the one being led astray..."

 _Would he really accuse me of witch craft? Surely not, not his own son, will his vile imaginings know no end?!_

Watching Carlisle, Samuel saw his sons face change as the realisation of his words settled in his mind. Knowing he had his boy's full attention, the pastor released his hold.

Carlisle was incensed. He was ashamed and angry and heartbroken all at the same time. His father had deemed his girl a witch and had her burned at the stake. Now Carlisle couldn't claim Rebecca was the love of his live, but he was very fond of her, and enjoyed their time together. He valued her friendship and was stricken with guilt to be the cause of her demise. He was ashamed at the childish way his father still punished him and for how, even as a man of 23 years, he couldn't take a hiding without being brought to tears. His bruised body, now burning from fresh assault should have been warning enough to quell his temper, but instead the pain just added to the injustice of it all.

As the pastor made to go back into the house - he needed to collect his books and ready the carriage for their journey - Carlisle, in another moment of fleeting boldness, called out "We had sex father, there is nothing evil about it! You're the only evil in London!"

Samuel stopped mid step. Carlisle froze. It seemed like hours before the pastor reacted and Carlisle's bravery had up and left him - it was half way down the Thames by now, he was sure. Carlisle stood and watched as his father rounded on him. He wanted to run - why wouldn't his legs move? He wanted to apologise - why wouldn't his mouth work! _Damn it, he's going to kill you,_ Carlisle told himself. _Do something you fool!_

A resounding crack could be heard by the closest neighbours, though they would never guess the cause. No, Thomas Comptom and his family, like the rest of the town, well believed the good pastor was a man to be respected, kind hearted and good to all men. They would never guess that crack was sound of the good pastor slapping his son's face so hard with the back of his rough hand that the young man fell dazed to the ground!

Kneeling down to the pitiful boy at his feet, Samuel pulled Carlisle close to him by the front of his shirt.

"Do you want to say that again boy?"

Carlisle could feel the warmth from his father's stale breathe on his face, the mild heat on the glowing hand print to his left cheek intensified the pain. Thankfully, Carlisle's bravado decided to stay well out of this one, he shook his head and cast his eyes to the floor, muttering apologies as he did so.

Taking a few moments to glare at his son, Samuel wondered whether he had time to whip the boy before the meeting or not. _No, I cannot make the town folk wait for my errant son. I'll take care of his whipping when we return home._ As the pastor released his son's shirt and made to rise, he took one more look at the boy at his feet.

"Don't go getting any ideas tonight, you will respect me boy, and you will do well to set a good example at the meeting, too. Now get the cart ready whilst I fetch the tools."

And there he left him.

Carlisle got to his feet and dusted himself down, gently. Thinking of the meeting ahead, he felt a sudden sickness realising he would be attending with a burning backside and hand printed cheek. Being physically chastised was humiliating enough, though he knew many of his friends were subject to the same fate. But still, he was ashamed and that shame was quite literally printed on his face! _I'll play the devoted little pastors son you wish me to be, but I am leaving this place as soon as I have enough money to get out of here._

"Carlisle, Carlisle!" the hushed, hurried voice of his friend John brought Carlisle out of his memories.

"What?" Carlisle whispered back.

"You haven't been paying attention, he's noticed Carlisle! You were staring off in a world of your own every time he looked at you! You'd better come up with something good!"

Basileus heard the quiet exchange, and the 'fuck' that followed. Carlisle clearly looked uncomfortable he thought. And now he was really studying his movements and facial expressions, he knew why. Basileus' guess as to why the boy was sporting a perfect hand print on his cheek, and could not stand still, refraining from sitting altogether, weren't far from reality... he had been around a long time, he knew a well beaten young man when he saw one.

The meeting was drawing to a close and having educated the town folk on the deadly creatures of the night the pastor called his son to him at the cart whilst the men began to assemble into their mission groups.

"Where is your head boy?"

"Right here father, I am ready."

Carlisle was not ready to risk public humiliation, at least not any more of it, by bucking against his father again that day.

The pastor looked his son up and down, trying to decide whether his son was taking him for a fool once more...

One of the townsmen, William, broke the pastors thoughts, "Samuel, we need to get this search party moving if we are going to catch anything tonight! I don't fancy being stuck in the sewers all night!"

"Right you are Will," he called back, "Carlisle will lead the group, he has some redeeming to do!"

The pastor slapped Carlisle's bruised shoulder eliciting a guttural grunt in pained response. Samuel and William, along with a good few others laughed heartily at Carlisle's expense. Taking the axe offered to him by his father, and deciding against levelling it into the cruel old bastards head, Carlisle stalked off towards the entrance of the sewers with his group trailing behind.

Basileus could take out the whole group, easily. But a massacre was not needed that night. It was exactly that sort of attention brought on by reckless vampires that had required his intervention in the first place. No, instead he would go ahead of the little hunting party and with the speed this Carlisle was stalking, he would meet him before he entered the sewers and take him from there into the night. The others would assume Carlisle had already entered the tunnel network and no doubt go on in to try and catch up.

Bobbing his head to himself as he solidified his plans, Basileus pounced again through the crisp night air, from tree to tree and roof to roof. He was so graceful in his movements that you would be forgiven for believing he was actually at flight. With ease he moved ahead of Carlisle and as planned, settled at the entrance to the sewer tunnels before Carlisle had arrived.

Carlisle held his torch up above his head and looked into the tunnel head now flooded with the light from his flame and met the sewer opening in all its anti-glory. The stench assaulted his senses. Gagging, he covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his free hand.

"You don't have to go in there, friend."

The velvet tones of a strong voice floated into Carlisle's consciousness. Spinning quickly on his heel, Carlisle searched for the owner of the voice. He was clearly way ahead of his hunting party, he could barely make out their torches in the distance on the path he'd walked.

"Come to me, my son."

 _There it was again. Am I going mad?_ Fearing for his safety, and slightly his sanity, Carlisle spun around again, his torch held out defensively and with his free hand he unbuckled the axe from his belt and held it above his head, ready to strike.

"Why are you afraid son, I am reaching out to you, I can offer you so much more than the life you have, a chance to be free from mortal trappings, free from your fathers punitive glare. Come to me, my son, come to the woods, come, follow me." The voice was entrancing, it sounded hopeful and somehow, safe...

In an almost dream like state Carlisle dropped his torch to the ground and started walking towards to the tree line. A black figure waited for him there, welcoming him with wide open arms. He was a very tall man, looking to be in his forty's, maybe older, though his handsome face showed little age, just maturity. When Carlisle reached him, he spoke again.

"I am here to take you from this life Carlisle, you are destined for greater things that this, come with me."

The voice wasn't in Carlisle head - he saw the man's lips move and he heard him talk. Carlisle appeared hypnotised by the peculiar stranger and walked straight into Basileus' open arms and found himself enveloped in his floor length, heavy, black cloak.

As Carlisle looked up towards the enchanting stranger, Basileus looked down and smiled. It was then that Carlisle felt a sense of foreboding. Looking at this smiling man, he saw the brilliant white teeth shinning out of his mouth, and sweet cool breath chance upon his face. Those teeth, they looked, well, not quite like any teeth Carlisle had seen before - along with being brilliant white, they looked, sharp, some looked... pointed.

As the 'sewer group' approached the tunnel opening they noticed Carlisle's torch light lying a few meters away.

"Well he wouldn't have gone in there without a light, he may be green but he isn't stupid!"

A shriek of pain pierced the night air and disrupted the men's mutterings. The sound seemed to surround them. Man and boy alike took up their weapons, ready to defend themselves. Eyes darted from left to right, up and down, and then questioningly to each other... nothing. As quickly as the sound had interrupted them, it had disappeared.

Over at the tree line, Basileus, seeing the group approach the sewer tunnels knew his time was short - he didn't have time to play with this one. Whilst Carlisle was still trying to work out how he had ended up in this strong man's cloak, Basileus turned the boys head slightly and fixed his mouth on the soft, warm, pulsating throat.

"I'm not going to lie to you," he whispered. "This is really going to hurt."

The initial bite as Basileus allowed his teeth to penetrate Carlisle's skin stung like a bitch. Carlisle winced, but he braced himself, he could take it, he thought. And then came the venom. It was as though boiling poison had been forced through the new holes in his neck.

The shriek of pain would have embarrassed Carlisle if he had been aware of the sound he'd made. He wasn't aware though, he wasn't aware of anything right then - not that his cries were being muffled by the strangers hand across his mouth, nor that the man was holding him tightly to stop him from lashing out in pain. He didn't notice that he was being carried away from his home, from London, from everything he knew and through the woods at full vampiric speed. All he was aware of was pain. Burning pain that engulfed every single one of his senses.


	2. Brand New Vampire

**AN:** (Chapter resubmitted with style edits only)

"Here!"

Basileus dropped the flailing pastor's boy at the feet of his sons. He was feisty. Carlisle had been fighting him the whole journey back to the castle. The boy had done some damage to himself on the way; his knuckles were split and bloodied where he'd lashed out in pain against Basileus' marble hard torso. Basileus had to hold the boy tightly as he raced through the night air, far too fast for humans to see him - and he'd travelled pretty close to a few once Carlisle's screams had sated into muffled moans.

He could resist the blood, but chanced a look to his two sons to see their reactions. Both Aro and Eleazar stood close by, watching, waiting. They appeared unmoved by the fresh blood at their feet. Even with their many years of experience, he was proud of their restraint - he'd seen many would-be newborns finished off before they turned at the hands of nearby vampires. Of course there was no telling yet whether this one would make it through the transformation; some never reached a vampric state, they remained tortured souls of who they once were, the writhing and fitting only ending when some other poor mortal took pity and finished them off. The unwanted attention brought on their race by 'failed-turns' had kept the Volturi busy before the new laws were finally cemented across vampiric kind. Turning humans was just so damn risky.

 _This one's turning,_ Basileus thought to himself.

That hard pensive glare was melting away and boyish features of a beautiful young man started to shine through. _Eleazar and Aro are handsome, of course they are, they're mine, children of the gods ARE handsome,_ Basileus thought to himself. Carlisle looked very fair next to him and his sons. The three of them all sported dark, blackish hair, and even as vampires had retained their olive tone skin, though it had paled a significantly. Joining the ranks of the undead will do that. Carlisle's blond mop and white shining skin was in stark contrast. _He looks like Zeus!_ Basileus knew he would do well to keep that thought to himself. _Would Aro be jealous of that, would he be jealous of Carlisle? I really cannot deal with any more petulance, Eleazar had better be right about this one, I need things to calm down in Volterra - I'm getting too old for this shit! They look nervous, what are they worried about, we've done this before..._

"We will not be disturbed here, Beeston Castle hasn't been in residence since the civil war and the village is too far away to hear any noise from this one." Basileus gestured to the near-vampire at their feet.

Carlisle's transformation was nearing completion! It was a little quicker than Basileus had expected. Turing to his eldest, who was crouched over the boy now he lay still, he asked, "What are you so worried about son?"

Eleazar didn't respond.

Basileus grew concerned, this did not look good, has something happened on their way here? "Aro, what is going on with you two?"

"Nothing, father, nothing. Should I get him a feed ready, my lord?" Aro's obvious attempt at distraction was not fooling Basileus, but he didn't have time right now to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with his sons.

"I will fetch him a meal, you two had better deal with whatever has you so unnerved whilst I am gone." Aro and Eleazar looked at each other for a moment, and then to their father who was already walking out of the castle, "And clean him up!" he called back over his shoulder, and then dropped from view as he stepped out of the doorway and jumped across the ditch surrounding the high keep. They didn't hear him land, Basileus' graceful movements were often indeterminable to even their highly trained senses.

"Eleazar you need to calm down brother, you are unravelling!" Aro's usually calm and cheerful façade had dropped and he spat his words to his brother.

"Me!" Eleazar's incredulous tone was unmistakable. "You were the one who nearly turned that girl on the way here, you were the one who nearly exposed us to the damn humans, YOU were the one that punched ME in the face for trying to pull you to your damn senses!" Eleazar crossed the small hall and retrieved a bucket, he stalked back passed his brother and headed for the same exit their father had just used. "You're damn lucky we made it back here before him, you may be on a path of self-destruction but you are not taking me down with you!"

With that Eleazar jumped across the ditch and headed for the well, hoping it was still operational so he could clean up his new 'brother', _This one had better not be such a selfish, bull-headed brat,_ he thought, angrily - it was rare for Eleazar to be so pissed off.

Aro was left alone with his thoughts. His only companion now the raggedly dressed near-vampire. _What will become of you?_ Aro took a seat on the cold stone floor next to Carlisle, nudging him as he did so, eliciting a murmur from the weak voice. The pain was dissipating from Carlisle's body, Aro could see the end of the transformation nearing. _Are you to be the Saviour of my soul? You don't look like much - certainly no match for Caius. Though of course you are not to match Caius, or me, or even Marcus or Eleazar for that matter. "_ You are to balance us all," he announced to the silence in mock grandeur.

Aro studied the features developing on Carlisle's face, he looked soft, kind, - not your typical formidable vampire. _Jane and Alec look soft and kind!_ Aro scoffed at his own thoughts. The twins were certainly his most powerful and valued weapons back at Volterra, their childlike façade told nothing of the wanton destruction they could unleash. Perhaps he shouldn't dismiss Carlisle so quickly. _Basileus is going to hang me out to dry if I continue to buck against him... and if I keep pissing El off I will lose my only back-up!_ Aro loved Eleazar, he had chosen him to be turned in much the same way Carlisle had found his fate... Eleazar was supposed to temper Aro, he hadn't so much failed, neither Aro nor Basileus saw things that way, but he hadn't been enough. Aro knew the guilt Eleazar felt over this. Guilt wasn't a feeling Aro was too familiar with, he tended to always believe he was right!

He was being unfair to Eleazar though. Aro used his brother's guilt against him, making him agree to any wants or desires he had. It was an unusual case for Aro, generally vampires had to do as he instructed; there was no discussion on the matter. Even Marcus and Caius knew Aro held the crown in their leadership. Eleazar though, he didn't have to submit to Aro. He was as much Basileus' son as Aro was and the backing of Basileus, which held others accountable to the vampiric king, simply did not apply to Eleazar. Though Aro would like to believe he held a special place in their father's heart, he knew all too well that it was _their_ father's heart, and not his alone. _And now there will be another to share that with... another who is equal._ Though this did not please Aro as such, his ever inquisitive nature couldn't help but wonder how this whole thing was going to play out; Aro certainly enjoyed poking at the proverbial hornet's nest!

Eleazar was pleasantly surprised to find the well bringing up fresh water, well, fresh enough. The Cheshire castle had fallen into disrepair since the civil war, and Basileus was right, it was no longer in use since the Ranulf family handed over the lands to the royalist successors.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts; eyes closed, and a few wholly unnecessary calming breaths later he opened his eyes to properly survey their very temporary residence. _This place is pretty perfect actually._ Set high above the surrounding country side, from various points of the grounds you could clearly see in all directions; on one side, the Welsh Marches, the other, with Eleazar's perfect vampire eyesight he could damn near make out the middle shires. _Even if those foolhardy humans learn of our residence, we will see them in plenty of time to take our leave... there will be no need for any massacre's here_. That thought gave him some well needed relief.

Eleazar was a vampire and he fed from humans, but he would only feed when necessary, every month or so. He was not like his brother, or the other Volturi leaders for that matter - they fed for fun. Eleazar valued life, (all life) far too highly to enjoy unnecessary death. He was happy to feed from a decent sized stag if the opportunity presented itself and actually quite enjoyed animal predators too. Aro knew of Eleazar's strange feeding habits, he didn't approve and had long since convinced Eleazar to keep this shameful practice secret. Oddly he had learned that animals were just as satisfying a feed as humans from Basileus, and who would dare question him?!

Basileus was above and beyond vampire law... he set it, he did not have to live by it - much more a 'do as I say, not as I do' kind of man... or rather, Demi God. Of course, Eleazar couldn't defend his feeding choices through Basileus as there were precious few vampires who still believed he existed... the ancient creator and god of their kind had fallen into vampric mythology. The very idea that Basileus, son of Zeus, had ever walked this earth seemed ridiculous to your average modern vampire. All at Volterra knew. The leaders, the guards, and any passing vampire who called in on the vampire royalty, they could chance a look at the legend himself stalking the halls. Basileus did not hide away, if an outsider was to enter as far as the throne room to address the royal trio, he would be there, in all his glory. He believed it was good to stoke the myth now and again; one all knowing all seeing vampire that could swoop and destroy should vampric law be broken.

A low guttural growl emerging from the keep brought Eleazar from his thoughts. _Already? Oh fuck!_ With his full water bucket sloshing at the sudden movement, Eleazar made back to the hall to welcome his new brother into his vampire life. _Welcome, feel that burn, yeah, go decimate the village, no, you won't be sated, that burn will last you a good year! Don't worry, you have an eternity to get over the horrors you will enact in that time._ Eleazar rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, yes, there were horrors, but he never had appreciated the beauty of life before it was taken from him. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't happy with being a vampire... he was, he made peace with it long ago and being an almost indestructible immortal had its many plus points. But he knew what was coming for the pastors boy... his new brother - this next year was going to be raging hell for Carlisle.

Eleazar threw open the solid oak doors to the hall. A brief look of amusement crossed his brooding face at the scene before him. Carlisle had clearly made it through the transformation, he was now wrestling with Aro who appeared to have been taken off guard by the powerful newborn strength Carlisle now held. Carlisle's beautiful, god-like face contorted with rage, frustration, confusion. He was ready to take Aro's head off!

"For fuck sake El!" Aro called out, disbelieving his brothers clear amusement and apparent uselessness!

Eleazar quashed the chortle in his throat and taking his bucket of water, walked over to his, now two, brothers and quite unceremoniously dumped the full pale over their heads.

The small hall filled with tinkling laughter, Eleazar could barely contain himself from erupting into full belly laughs at the shocked look on his brothers faces. _Perhaps this isn't going to be as bad as I thought!?_

"Hello Carlisle, my name is Eleazar, this is Aro." Eleazar gestured to the dark heard vampire Carlisle held in a head lock. "You must have many questions, and you must be thirsty, we can help you both."

Eleazar's velvet voice floated through the air, the effect of calm on both irate vampires was magical. It wasn't a gift as such, more a skill he'd learned from their father. Eleazar helped Carlisle to stand. Aro stood with him and dusted down his sodden clothes whilst shooting daggers at Eleazar. They moved over to the discarded bench at the side of the room, Aro set it upright and the three sat together with Carlisle secure between them.

 _Let's get the basics covered._ Eleazar started to talk his new brother through the things he was sensing... waking into vampiric life was a full assault to the senses. He talked in cool, soothing tones, addressing each heightened sense in turn and explaining casually what he could now hear; the distant conversation of the villagers, the rumbling stream a few miles away, the incessant clicking and scratching from various insects surrounding them. He talked him through focusing his vision, now so highly altered that seeing a hand in front of his face was difficult,

Eleazar told him he needs to get used to filtering things out, "Filter out the dust in the air, you don't need to focus on that, see through the distractions and look at what you want to see." It sounds so odd to hear someone explaining how to listen, or how to see, but Eleazar knew well how disconcerting his new heightened senses were when he came round from the transformation. _If nothing else, focusing on your senses will distract you from wanting to attack us, little brother!_

Aro took the chance now Carlisle was calming to read through his thoughts. His new little brother was concentrating very hard on what Eleazar was saying, following his instructions and trying to quell the blood thirsty thoughts racing through his mind. There were other thoughts though, memories of his human life, the pastor, his friends, a girl... _Whoa! That was a clear memory! Juicy! Move on brother, those days will come again, though it may be a while before you can resist ripping her heart out at the pivotal point! Oh, she's already gone._ The memories of Rebecca's demise were as clear in Aro's mind as they were in Carlisle's, he could feel his brother growing restless, both in his mind and beneath his touch. Then they all smelled it. The reason for Carlisle's restlessness, not the girl, not that girl anyway. _Humans._ Basileus was home, and he'd brought a meal for them all.

"My Boys!"

Basileus' wide grin lit up the dank surroundings as he entered the hall. His arms spread wide, holding two waif like women in each. The women, very young women, looked so taken with Basileus and whatever yarn he'd spun to get them there, no doubt showing them a few party tricks on the way. They clung to him with gazing wonder. A gift of the gab was a standard vampire trait, but Basileus, son of Zeus no less, could have any audience fall under his command. And how he loved to command humans! Unlike the wider vampire society, Basileus had never been human so he had no reason not to enjoy his food in any way he wished... he understood those that struggled, however. He understood Eleazar's issues with 'wanton murder' as he called it, but he couldn't claim to feel the same.

"Humans don't seem to fret over a vegetable's loss of life when providing their sustenance," he would say with a smirk.

No, there was no love lost between Basileus and humans, or animals for that matter - food was food. He only concerned himself with either when there was a risk to his food source.

The Romanian's blatant disregard for protecting the food source had led to his first major intervention in vampiric society since his creation. The Volturi had been a genius idea, and for the most part, their world was a safer place for vampire and human alike now 'The Laws' were concrete and understood. Still, they were kept busy. The guard totalled around 30 members back in Volterra, with numerous outposts stationed across the globe. No coven, or out post for that matter, was allowed more than the sanctioned four members. The outposts were a pretty good way to keep valued guard members in line back in Volterra, too. Gifted guards knew too well they were far less likely to be dispatched than others, but the threat of being sent to an outpost for a decade or so would be enough, usually, to bring them back in line. There were other ways of course...

The giggling gaggle of young women Basileus had brought with him stilled as they took in the other three beautiful men before them. Two beautiful men rather, and one whose face had once again contorted in blind blood rage. Make that, two struggling men trying to contain the third who was chomping into the air, striking bright white teeth emerging slightly pointed, fang like. The women tried to retreat. They were met with Basileus' strong arms bringing them forward, their complaints turned to shrieks as they realized now what was to become of them - the crazed man was going to be their doom!

Basileus shushed them, and though their mouths still moved and their eyes wide with terror, no sound could be heard. Noticing their own silence they clutched at their own throats, scratching away, trying to release the cries held within. One pierced their skin, slightly, inadmissible to another human, but it was enough to alert a vampire. The blood in her throat rising to the surface a little more.

Carlisle's eyes blackened and a ferocious roar erupted from deep within him. Braking free from Aro and Eleazar's grasp, lunging towards the pretty young woman whose frantic scratching and now slight trickle of blood had allured him to her. Teeth moments from her neck, this wild newborn could almost taste the blood already. Chancing a look around to room to ensure this kill was his and there would be no competition, the newborn was met with grinning, he was being willed to make this kill, safe then. The women though, they looked terrified, they were terrified, of him! They reminded him of someone, he couldn't think who, but he was supposed to protect them, why were they so scared of him? _NO!_

The newborn dropped to the floor. _NO!_ What was happening to him? _NO!_ His head was screaming at him. _NO!_ What the hell had happened to him?

Carlisle grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he curled into a ball on the stone floor. Pulling tightly on his short blond locks, as if to pull the very thoughts from his mind. He saw a girl, he knew her, she was his friend, more than that... why was she burning?! She was bound to a tall log standing upright with fire lapping at her feet from the surrounding pyre. Why wasn't anyone helping her? Why wasn't _he_ helping her? He could remember the struggle as he tried to free himself from strong arms. Now head down in the dirt, he could taste it, someone turned his head so he was again facing the pyre. The screaming as the girl, Rebecca, that was her name, was engulfed in flames echoed around his head. Loosing grip on his hair the strength behind his pulling arms made them crash, one into his thigh, the other into the floor. The crack in the stone floor was accompanied by an almighty sound, like a thunder clap. The noise and slight pain in his fist forced Carlisle to open his eyes. Black shiny orbs scanned the room.

 _The women... they are terrified._ Silent horror plaguing their faces. One seemed to call to him, he could see her shock, and he could see she was scared - he knew she felt those things because of him. _Why do I want to rip her throat out?_ The men, all three of them looked at him curiously. _Why are they looking at me like that?_ Carlisle stayed close to the floor. He started to retreat, slowly. Without taking his eyes from the men he moved backwards crawling across the floor. Within a moment he hit a wall. _What the hell is going on, how in damnation did I get here?_ His wild eyes darted from one to another in the hall. Carlisle was out of ideas, he was out of space, and little did he know, but he was also out of time.

Basileus, Aro and Eleazar took in the scene before them. None of them, not even Basileus with his millennia's of experience had ever witnessed a newborn resist their first feed. Basileus was baffled. _Even those depressing ones who chose to be decapitated shortly after they discover what they now are... even those take their first feed._

"My lord, what is happening to him?" Eleazar questioned his father. He had seen humans fail to transform, and he had heard of newborns not taking well to their transformation - but he didn't understand this!

Aro's thoughts matched his brothers, "I've seen newborns rip each other apart to get their first kill, I have never seen one resist a feed for the taking," though Aro, being Aro was far more inquisitive than concerned.

They turned to their father. Basileus seemed pleased by Carlisle, "Eleazar you were right my boy, his self-control is outstanding." Basileus beamed in delight. "Though he needs to feed if he is to complete his transformation. Show him how it's done!" He tossed the two girls in his left arm over to his eldest sons, each crashing clumsily to the floor.

The poor things had little time to worry over injuries, Aro and Eleazar had already decided on which one they each should take. Eleazar, not one for playing with his food helped the skittish brunette to stand by taking her hand and guiding her up, he then flashed behind her, taking her neck with his right hand and running a calming stroke down her torso with his left. Tilting her head slightly, he allowed his teeth to sink deep into her neck and forced his paralyzing, deadly venom through the punctured wounds. She was dead before he had finished his meal, draining every last trace of blood from her veins and allowing her to hit the ground with a graceless thump.

Aro had allowed his meal to witness her companion's demise. He liked them scared. He told Eleazar it made their blood race. Eleazar told him that he was a lazy little scrotum and should suck the damn blood so there was no reason for it to race - no, Eleazar did not approve of Aro torturing his food.

Basileus interrupted before Aro could begin his usual torment, "Aro, get on with it."

Aro didn't miss the pointed glare from his father, not wishing to add to the drama of the evening any more (even Aro had his limits!) he grabbed his meal by a tangle of scruffy, dirty blond hair and dragged her to stand before him. Raising his hand higher, she now dangled slightly, twisting as she did so with her bare feet searching for the floor. Aro, ever the showman, thrust his hand into the fragile human torso and up into the chest cavity. Blood pumped out of the woman's mouth and Aro lapped at the plentiful fountain with gusto. As he withdrew his arm from the mangled insides of the poor retched woman, he dragged her heart out with him. Disregarding the remains of his meal on top of Eleazar's leftovers, he took the warm, bloodied heart in both hands. Locking eyes with Carlisle, he tore through the pulsing muscle with his fangs allowing the blood to coat his face as it was released from the organs chambers.

 _Evil fucker,_ Eleazar thought as he wiped stray droplets of blood from his chin.

Basileus shook his head, smiling slightly despite himself. Releasing the hold he had on the two remaining women he crossed the hall slowly towards his new, youngest son. Carlisle hissed and a low rumbling warning growl emitted from his throat. _Is that me?_ He was still struggling with his heightened senses and the battering his psyche was taking; his memories were so at odds with the scenes unfolding before him.

"Calm young one, there is much you do not understand I am sure, but we are here to help you. You need to trust us if you are to survive this night." _Or year,_ he thought, but decided against voicing that to the scared newborn. Basileus spoke sternly now, but simply, as if to a child "Do you know what we are... what you are?"

Carlisle gave a curt nod.

"Then you know you must feed, to complete the transformation you must feed on human blood." No reaction. Great. "You can either feed freely, or I will feed you, but either way you will feed soon, understood?"

Carlisle processed the information, but his response surprised Basileus almost as much as the gravelly hateful tone that delivered it.

"You are an abomination! Fuck yourself to hell vampire, I will not take a life!"


	3. First Feed

**First Feed**

"You are an abomination! Fuck yourself to hell vampire, I will not take a life!"

Aro and Eleazar exchanged shocked expressions, both containing their laughter, for to release it would do them no good at present; how they wished they could say such a thing to Basileus! Not that they didn't love and respect him, of course, they certainly did, but many adults regress a little around their parents - vampiric adults were no different. They wouldn't dare though. Not then at any rate. They had attempted similar verbal attacks in their history with Basileus but all attempts had ended sorely, literally for them.

Basileus crouched low and rested easily on his knees in front of the new vampire whilst Carlisle snapped at the air around him, warning the predator away. Basileus had grown tired of his new son's protestations already and grabbed the boy's throat with his strong left hand. Though he ground out his following rebuke with as much restraint as he could muster, anger dripped from each word.

"Listen hard and listen good boy, you will do well to watch your tongue in my presence, I gave you this immortal life, and I can just as easily take it away. If I tell you to feed, you will feed. Respect me or you will feel my wrath!" As he spoke he tapped along, (and not lightly!) to each syllable with his right hand on Carlisle's cheek.

"Bring the food!"

Basileus threw the order over his shoulder to his sons who easily retrieved and delivered the thrashing girls to their father. Without breaking eye contact with Carlisle, Basileus took the smaller one from Aro, bringing her wrist to his mouth he sucked the blood from her body and the girl collapsed to the floor. Aro threw her towards the growing pile of bodies. Taking the remaining girl from Eleazar, the tallest and plumpest of the original four, Basileus brought the young woman down to the ground and placed her between himself and Carlisle. With Aro and Eleazar now flanking his sides, Carlisle was trapped.

"Drink!" Basileus demanded, eyeing the young vampire sternly.

Now Carlisle wasn't stupid, he felt how strong this man was as he grabbed his face, and slapped his cheek. _And the other two with him obey his every word._ He could sense this wasn't the sort of man you wanted to piss off, but he still had no intention of killing the poor woman!

 _God my throat burns! Why am I craving this girl! She's no one to me, why do I feel these urges towards her, was the pastor right? Having sex with Rebecca had cost me my soul! Why not with any of the others! Why her? I need to get away from these people, I can't stand the smell of the sweet, sweet blood any longer, the scent of her blood, so alluring, NO!_

"Get away from me, you monsters, get away, you cannot make me take her!" Carlisle roared his words, but he was trapped and knew it.

Disappointed in his new charge, Basileus ran a well-manicured nail across the woman's throat. The scratchers and bruising by her own hands were visible too.

 _All that blood. NO!_ Carlisle's thoughts bounced back and forth between outrage and desire.

"This will be your last chance Carlisle, take her now and make me proud, or I will feed you… make no mistake, you will not like it if I feed you."

Basileus spoke nonchalantly, as though bored with the altercation. He was anything but bored, he wanted to feed his newborn so they could move past this fretful initial stage. Of course the whole first year with a newborn was one long headache, but after the boy had got through his first feed, his transformation would be secure and they could start to hash things out, vampire to vampire, well, demi-god to vampire.

Carlisle felt threatened. He pressed himself into the wall and felt movement in the stone work. _Can I really break through buildings now? Hmm…_ Pressing harder and harder the wall moved!

"Ah, ah, ah, little brother, you are stuck with us for the next year at least, and we won't be running across the country side to retrieve you when you break through the building!"

 _Eleazar_ , Carlisle thought, looking up to the man who spoke. _I'm sure that's what they called him. I liked him a moment ago, he was helpful, I felt like he was grounding me with his talk earlier. Maybe 'like' is too strong of a word. He was the most agreeable of the three, certainly. Now he's prevented my release, now he's a cunt._

Basileus ripped Carlisle from Eleazar's hands and forced him to the ground. Carlisle couldn't understand it. His new found strength had been a worthy challenge with the other two. _Why is this one so much stronger?_

"You are a fool Eleazar!" Basileus gestured to his new youngest as he spoke with his eldest, "You mistook self-control for sheer stubbornness!"

Basileus chuckled and his two sons joined in. Carlisle felt humiliated. This emotion stirred up more memories for him, more human memories. As he struggled beneath this monster he felt his mind drifting back, not too far, recent events, back to the day the town folk burned Rebecca…

"You watch you little brat, you watch your darling whore burn!"

Carlisle's face was pressed into the dirt, and his father's words coursed through his heart. Rebecca's screams for mercy were dying out, she was nearly gone, her torment nearly over.

 _I will not be so lucky,_ Carlisle said to himself, wishing he could join the girl and bring an end to his daily suffering. _I am so sorry Rebecca._

Being dragged to his feet by his father's hench men, all fight long dispelled having watched his friend burn, no... having been the reason for her death. Carlisle was emotionally spent. Barely capable of babbling as the two men did the pastors bidding and threw him into the back of the horse cart. He lay there in shock and horror at what he had witnessed. And he knew the night's injustices were far from over. His father had promised to whip the sin right out of him, and another hiding on top for bringing shame to their door.

He heard the pastors saying his prayers over the cremated remains of his lover. He heard the town folk thank him for removing another sinful being from their community. He heard the same moronic simpletons offer the man strength to 'do what must be done' with his own son in order to redeem his soul from the hateful little witch.

Meeting over, the pastor packed his belongings into his satchel and threw it into the back of the cart as he climbed up into his seat to ready his horse. Having not expected the need to defend himself from flying book bags, the satchel caught Carlisle off guard and split his lip clean open. He hissed at the sting, and then laughed. _That will be the gentlest touch I receive from the good pastors tonight,_ he figured. The cart quickly rattled into life as Samuel directed his steed in the way of their home. It wouldn't take long, and then the pastor would deal with his errant boy!

Basileus sat on Carlisle's back; he was flat out on the floor. Puling the boy's head back to stretch his neck, Eleazar brought the now dying girl and placed her under Carlisle's mouth. Refusing to open up like a good little boy, Basileus forced him with one hand cupping his forehead and the other his jaw as he prised them apart.

 _Carlisle's growling must have been heard in the village by now?_ Eleazar was growing nervous. _This isn't supposed to happen, and newborns should want to feed for fuck sake!_

Basileus brought his new son's mouth down to the pulsating throat of his meal. Blood pricked at the surface from the light slit he'd made with his nail earlier. Basileus pressed down, hard and Carlisle's tongue flickered over the blood.

At once, it was as though two warring factions had taken over his mind - the vampiric Carlisle longed for the sweet nourishing blood that would sate the damn burning and bring him temporary relief. But there was also the remnants of the human Carlisle, he wanted nothing to do with bringing this woman's demise - he didn't want her blood, he didn't want to feed, he would rather die than a live a life that required such destruction.

Carlisle resisted the pressure building on the back of his head with all his worth. His tongue was so far recoiled in his mouth he was choking on it! The pressure grew and grew, Carlisle could hear the fragile human body crushing into his face.

"DRINK DAMN IT!"

Basileus jumped back off Carlisle as the words erupted from his mouth. Carlisle took the chance to remove himself from the neck of the dead woman… he had killed her. He hadn't bit her, nor sucked at any blood. His marble hard face had crushed her windpipe and she'd suffocated.

Aro looked almost as angry as his father. He stalked over to the woman and checked her pulse, just to be sure. Yes, she was dead. Her threw her body over to the others, a little more forcefully this time and Carlisle watched as the wretched waifs head split in two and blood splattered across the stone floor. He didn't dare more. Only slightly raised from the flat out position Basileus had left him in. He turned away, unable to look at the blood. Whilst he glared daggers at the fragile stonework, Carlisle caught a familiar sound in the air... leather being pulled through loops… he knew that sound!

"You want to play boy, okay, we can play." Basileus spoke quietly but his words sent visible shivers through his older sons. "Fetch another one," he barked at his sons, who flashed immediately out of the room as the first resounding crack punctuated the evening air. Carlisle's howl from the strike filled the room and the newborn vampire's thoughts quickly turned to a raw human memory…

Arriving at their homestead Carlisle leapt out of the cart and stilled his father's horse. After unbuckling old Jethro from the cart he led the trusty steed towards the barn. He didn't turn around, but he knew his father was following close behind. In the mere minutes it had taken to settle Jethro in his stable Samuel had closed the gap between himself and the barn, and stood silhouetted in the door way, looking every bit the formidable father ready to deal with his boy, whip in hand.

Carlisle walked to the left side of the barn where the hay stacks lay. He had every intention of submitting to his father's punishment, truly he did. Not because he felt it in any way deserved, but because he knew how resistance played out… it rarely, no, it never worked in his favour. Carlisle was saving hard with every penny he could hide to have enough to leave his hellish life. He knew he didn't have enough yet, but right then, he would have risked it. Seeing that horse whip dangling dangerously in his father hand… yeah, he would risk it.

Turning to face the pastor, he slowly backed up to the dreaded bales as he spoke, "Father, please, can we not discuss this? If you would only listen to me, allow me to explain…"

His voice trembled and trailed off, the anger in his father's eyes appeared to be reaching new levels. Was his voice always so whiney? He couldn't help the hitching when he spoke - Carlisle was afraid. It tore him inside to admit that, but it was the truth no less. The pastor had always been a stern, unforgiving father, but something in those furious eyes told him this was going to be different.

Carlisle silently turned to the hay stacks and leaned himself across. He hadn't removed any clothing as he hadn't been instructed to. _This is a bad sign,_ he thought. _The only reason he would allow me to retain my clothing is if he believed they offered no protection!_

The swoosh of the whip being pulled back through the air caught Carlisle's attention and he braced himself, the whistle as the whip was brought forward sounded so innocent, and then the crack, the dreaded crack, as the whip landed across Carlisle's back and bit into his soft, unsuspecting flesh.

Despite his best efforts a piercing scream escaped Carlisle's mouth. The pastor was already furious with his son's reckless stupidity and now the ungrateful brat couldn't take a hiding like a man! The annoyance fuelled Samuels swinging arm, willing each strike to be more severe than the last.

And so the night drew on… the pastor tired and finally gave in, discarding the whip as he walked away from his battered, bleeding, and well punished son. Samuel was pleased with himself, sure that he had rid his son of the evils that whore tried to inflict on his boy.

Carlisle had blacked out in pain a few times, not that his father noticed, but he came around soon after the man ended his assault. He dare not move, though. Not until he was sure he was alone. When he heard the barn door swing close, extinguishing the little light it had allowed, Carlisle deemed movement a safe activity. His body burned. Even slight movement brought an intensity of pain strong enough to force him to vomit. His clothes were no more than rags. Kicking off what little remained on his body, he made his way over to Jethro's stable.

A large tin bath served as Jethro's water butt. _I need to share this with you tonight old friend,_ Carlisle thought to the trusty horse. As gently as he could manage, Carlisle lowered his body into the cool water. The welcomed relief was instantaneous. A loud hiss emitted from the pastor's boy's pursed lips as his backside hit the bottom of the tub. Using his arms on the sides of the tin tubs to help him, he managed to hold an almost floating position.

His exhaustion must have taken over, as the next thing he knew, Carlisle was being woken by Jethro's nudging muzzle. It was still dark out from what he could make out between the cracks surrounding the ill-fitting barn door. Stealing himself for the verbal barrage of abuse that would greet him if his father were still awake, Carlisle rose out of the horse tub. _I'll change your water in the morning old friend, thank you for your hospitality._ Carlisle fake-doffed his cape to the aging stallion as he gingerly, and dripping, left the barn.

Basileus held Carlisle by his left bicep and rained down strikes with his thick leather belt whilst delivering an equally forceful tongue lashing; something Carlisle would later learn Aro had affectionately termed 'a round of fucks'.

The pain!

Carlisle had recall of a belting, far too much recall as it happened. But being lectured in this way was new on him. Basileus sounded as though he cared about him… it was difficult to concentrate on his words when the bastard was setting his body to flames again with the unrelenting strokes, but the ones he did catch seemed _odd_ in the circumstances.

So what if he didn't feed he would die… why would he care? Why couldn't he stand by and lose him? What was this great plan he had for him?

 _So, if I don't feed, I'll die,_ Carlisle thought to himself. _So what? Why would you care about that? Why would you care if you 'lost' me?_ Carlisle stopped thinking just long enough to release anther pained wail before his thoughts took over once more. _You've only just met me! I've known people my whole life who wouldn't care if they never set eyes on me again... why do you care?_

Carlisle couldn't take any more. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, please just stop!" He repeated his apologies over and over, he begged for mercy repeatedly, though in all honesty he still wasn't sure why any of this was happening.

He understood what he needed to for the moment, though. _The freakishly big guy is in charge,_ Carlisle told himself. _Do as you are fucking told!_

"Will you feed?" Basileus didn't miss a strike as he asked his question, Carlisle's grunts were replying to those strikes, not to his words, "WILL YOU FEED?"

A round of impossible harsh strikes followed, "YES" came Carlisle's wailing reply.

With that, Basileus dropped his youngest son to the floor.

Aro returned, dragging a young man into the room, and Eleazar followed with another, slightly smaller and definitely more skittish.

"Do so then!" Basileus held Carlisle's shocked gaze and pointed at the humans. "Feed now or we can start over again" Basileus swung his belt threateningly out towards his new son.

Carlisle got to his feet, his ass burned like it had been set on fire, his legs too. The burning from his first intense vampric punishment was only surpassed by the burning in his throat.

He made his way to the humans the brothers held out before him. Taking a wrist from Eleazar's offering, he turned to face away from the pleas for mercy and frantic eyes of the man he was about to kill. Bringing the hand up to his mouth he could hear the blood rushing through his veins.

Carlisle was weak, he felt truly battered and broken. His thoughts were so confused and frustrated, the only thing he knew for sure was that he could resist no longer. Sinking his teeth deep into the pulsating wrist he sucked at the liquid hidden inside. Allowing his vampric senses to overtake his human nature, hungrily he bit in for more, more, more until the arm dropped away from the drained man and Carlisle licked greedily at the severed human hand until it disintegrated by the force of his feeding.

Aro cackled at the display. "Not to worry little brother, I have another one for you," he said, thrusting his human offering forward. "Go for the neck," he suggested. "It's not so easy to chew through."

Carlisle snatched the feed from Aro, taking no notice of the human's plight; he didn't hear his begging or notice the smell of the doomed man who had pissed himself in terror. Carlisle looked into those petrified human eyes and felt nothing but thirst. More laughter filled the night air as Carlisle dropped to his knees with the dying human whose throat, ripped wide open, was all but a few droplets dry of blood.

Carlisle looked up at Basileus with blood dripping from his chin and covering his chest. With the boy's eyes glowing ruby red, Basileus was sure his full transformation was complete. He offered a hand to his youngest to help him stand.

"Come son, it's time for us to take our leave, we have much to discuss on our way home."

Carlisle took his father's hand and rose to stand with him.

Aro and Eleazar made short work of igniting the old castle keep to hide the blood drained bodies and any evidence of a vampire having visited. The night was still dark, though soon the sun would rise and they would be confined to the woodland to disguise their passage through the land. Until that time, they could move freely. Basileus lead his three sons out of the castle grounds and they walked at a human pace along the deserted village lane as they headed for the coast.


	4. What Am I?

**What Am I?**

"Will you slow down!" Basileus called out to his new vampire son.

Carlisle had been resistant when Basileus had informed him they would be swimming from the north west of England to Spain. _'No man could swim that far,' he'd said - now he's flying through the bloody water - he'll be there a week before us at this rate!_

"Carlisle! STOP!" Basileus shouted, luckily his boy was just close enough to hear him!

Basileus caught up with Carlisle first, quickly followed by Aro and Eleazar. Crack! "Stop!" Crack! "Going!" Crack! "So!" Crack! "Fast!" strong slaps landed deftly across Carlisle's wet head.

The young man barely noticed, he was exhilarated, "I cannot stop! I cannot slow! This is amazing - we have swam for hours and miles and miles and I do not tire!"

Despite himself, Basileus smiled at his happy newborn, turning to his two older sons he joked, "I have a happy son at last, he will compliment 'moody' and 'angry' perfectly!"

'Moody' Eleazar huffed indignantly, 'angry' Aro splashed his father for the comment.

"Look, Carlisle, you are new to this life, and a newborn cannot be alone, ever! Until you reach vampire maturity you have to be accompanied at all time. You must stay with us, I do not want you landing in Spain alone! Do you understand?"

Carlisle back at his father in confusion.

"IF he makes it to full maturity" Aro said quietly to Eleazar, who in return rolled his eyes and thought, _Why can't you just be on-side for a while brother?_

Basileus shot Aro a tired look, he'd had well enough of his protestations on the way to England, he had no desire to hear them all the way back to Volterra too.

"I thought I'd made myself clear already Aro, but I am happy to remind you when we get to dry land if I must!"

That shut Aro up!

 _You will not punish me in front of the country bumpkin,_ Aro thought, shooting daggers at Carlisle, still grinning like a hapless idiot. Basileus heard his son's thoughts but decided it would be too difficult to whip Aro in water. _It will keep,_ he thought.

"Erm, what do you mean?" Carlisle asked to the three men before him.

"Ignore Aro, you will mature, Carlisle." Basileus confirmed.

Carlisle still appeared confused. "No, I mean, a vampire? A newborn? I, well I do not understand? Vampires aren't real!"

His questions shocked Basileus and Aro, but it was Eleazar who replied. "Carlisle, I can assure you they are. We are vampires… and now, so are you."

Carlisle was so shocked he stopped treading water and began to sink! Basileus dragged his boy back to the surface.

"Let us get to dry land and then we will discuss things properly." he said to the stricken young man.

"NO! Tell me now! What have you done to me!"

Basileus looked around; it was broad daylight, the four treaded water a mile off the coast of lands-end, the very tip of England's most southern point. Seeing no boats, and therefore no people, he decided to explain a few things to Carlisle quickly so they could get on.

"Calm down my boy, I am a vampire, well, actually I am the original vampire. I was created by the highest god of the Greeks many millenniums ago. These are my two sons, they are vampires too, and now, so are you - both a vampire and my son."

Basileus waited for Carlisle's response, hoping his words would do for time being. Unfortunately, they weren't.

Carlisle whipped his head around to flick the dripping hair from his face, but when he still looked confused. "But how did you turn me into a vampire, I do not understand?"

Releasing a tired sigh Basileus turned to Aro and Eleazar, "You two go on ahead, travel back to Volterra and make sure my suite is ready for our arrival, we will be along in good time."

"Are you sure my lord, we can wait? We may be able to help." Eleazar replied, Aro looked ready to swim off, he didn't want to help.

"I appreciate your concern son, but we shall both be fine. I will be expecting BOTH of you to be on hand when we return."

Eleazar smiled to his father and nudged Aro to react - he nodded curtly in response. Without looking back Aro swam away. Eleazar shrugged to his father, "Good day Carlisle, I will see you again soon." Eleazar left, swimming at full speed to catch up with his younger brother.

"Okay Carlisle, let us swim at a leisurely pace whilst we talk." Basileus prompted.

Carlisle felt wary, he couldn't tell where it was coming from, or why, but he felt apprehensive; it was nagging in the back of his mind that this man, no this vampire was a not to be messed with. He started to swim. It was hard to go slowly, but he managed to match Basileus' steady breast stroke.

Basileus soon broke the awkward silence, "tell me son, what do you know about vampires?"

Carlisle considered his question, he didn't want to cause offense. When he failed to answer, Basileus intruded on Carlisle's thoughts.

"You have no need to concern yourself with my sensibilities, Carlisle. With my long years on this earth I find little to take offense to."

Carlisle scanned the area ahead as he tried to decide what to say. He wasn't used to his heightened senses yet - the ripples in the water sounded like tidal waves coming towards him.

"Come on," Basileus pushed his boy.

"I used to hunt vampires, but I never believed they were real." Carlisle said in a small voice.

"Ha! No Carlisle, though I do believe you thought you were. The good pastor must have had you all whipped up into hysteria if you thought hunting vampires were truly possible. No my boy, tell me, have you ever heard of anyone catching a vampire?"

Carlisle thought about that. "No, no one that I know at any rate," he replied, and added sadly, "Plenty of witches though. He was not a 'good' pastor."

"Hmm, yes, I heard your thoughts back at the castle. 'Good' may not be the correct word to describe him…" Basileus noted the look of sorrow on Carlisle's face. Deciding to move the conversation along, he prodded the newborn further. "Tell me, what tricks were you using? What did your kind know of mine?"

"We know you are strong, and fast, and evil. But that you can be killed by a stake through the heart, and you are scared of the holy cross, because you are so evil." Carlisle looked away shyly.

Basileus smirked. "The only real way to kill a vampire is to take off their head. A stake through the heart would slow us down I guess, but finding a stake hard enough to penetrate a vampire's flesh by human force would be problematic." Basileus laughed heartily before Carlisle's clear annoyance stopped him. "I'm sorry my boy, but we are not evil, strong and fast certainly, but not evil. We have no need to fear your pagan cross…"

"We are not the pagans' sir!" Carlisle interrupted, angrily. "You are from the pagan gods! You said the Greeks! That's as pagan as they come!"

"Calm yourself boy," Basileus replied sternly. "I know my god is real, he has come to land and walked with me, I was born from him, what proof is there of your god?"

Carlisle looked flustered, his temper was rising with every word Basileus spoke. That wasn't what Basileus wanted, so he put his efforts into calming the newborn.

"Carlisle listen, this is not a topic we need to discuss today, we shall come back to this at a more suitable time. If you have any questions about vampires we should clear those before we come to land…"

Basileus allowed his words to hang in the air, he had no desire to be fighting newborns in the middle of the ocean. It felt like an age had passed before Carlisle finally asked a question.

"How?" he asked simply.

"How, what son?"

Carlisle expanded a little, "How did you turn me into a vampire?"

 _Aha!_ Basileus felt comfortable answering this one. "I bit you, and injected my venom into the bite and then fed you blood. Not all humans make it through the transformation. Turning humans into vampires is tricky, it is a skill and takes time to learn. Aro has turned many vampires in his time. Eleazar. too, has joined in with turning a few when we have had a large batch of humans ready for transformation."

"Am I a monster now?"

"No Carlisle, and neither am I. Some vampires are, but in my honest opinion, so are some humans, yes?"

Carlisle certainly agreed with that. "But I must kill people now?"

Basileus thought back to the scene Carlisle had created at the castle. And the great many scenes Eleazar had created on the same topic. "You must drink blood Carlisle, you will not die if you do not, but you will go insane with the hunger. Look, vampires are nourished by blood in the same way humans are by their food. That blood can come from any host that bleeds. Human, animal, vampire - all bleed, all are sources of nourishment for us. BUT, your first year, your newborn year, I am responsible for you and you will drink human blood in this year coming Carlisle. I haven't seen enough evidence as yet to risk animal blood as the sole source of nourishment in the first year. I will teach you to feed without killing the host. It's hard to learn to feed without injecting too much venom at the same time, and even harder to be able to stop drawing blood before the host is dry. But we can try."

Carlisle nodded to Basileus statement. He understood. He also still felt the hiding the man had given him back in the castle, and that was even with the relief of the cool, comforting ocean - he wasn't ready to argue his case on, well, on _anything_ right then.

They swam a little while longer before Carlisle had another question to ask. "You keep calling me a newborn, I am twenty-three-years-old. How old will be I when I am matured in vampire eyes?"

Basileus was pleased at how calm the boy seemed, incredibly calm for a newborn. "Well, we call the first year of a vampire life the newborn stage. That is, from the point at which the human was turned into a vampire until 12 months from that date."

Basileus paused hearing Carlisle think, _'A whole year?!'_ in horror. He had to stop himself from sniggering at the boy before he went on.

"This stage can be a dangerous stage for a vampire as newborns are ruled by their incredibly heightened emotions and senses, and they can be rash, very rash. Vampires 'feel' everything to a much greater degree than humans do, even after the first year, but newborns are like over grown toddlers compared to mature vampires!"

Again Basileus paused. _'Over grown toddlers?!'_ Carlisle thought, clearly disgusted at being thought of as such.

"Because of this," Basileus went on. "The risk of exposing us to humans is highest for newborns. We, that is the Volturi under my discretion, have instilled a number of laws to protect vampire kind, one of those is that a vampire is the responsibility of their creator until their newborn year in complete. You cannot be alone at all in this time."

Carlisle didn't like the sound of that, it sounded oppressive. He thought better than to comment on it, however. "Where are we going?" he asked instead.

"How is your geography?"

Carlisle shrugged in reply.

"Volterra," Basileus told him, knowing it would mean nothing to the boy. "It's a little north of the Rubicon and we should arrive there tomorrow evening, even at this speed."

"Why aren't we crossing on land then, surely passing through France would be far quicker?"

Basileus quietened. He wasn't ready to share that information yet. "I dislike France, I will tell you why when you are older."

"Will I get older then? You said you have been a vampire for millennia…"

Basileus smiled. "No Carlisle, you will not age in body, only in mind. You are immortal now, unless you have your head removed you will continue to live, forever."

Carlisle felt like the weight of the world had suddenly been dropped on his shoulders. _Forever! Forever is a very long time. Do I want to live forever? Seeing everyone I come to know pass and die?_

He needed distraction, quick! "My body won't age… but it feels human still, how can that be?"

Basileus thought a quick vampire biology lesson was needed. "You will feel the same to you, and to me you will feel the same, too. Vampires can touch and feel each other as a human would feel a human, but if a human were to feel your skin it would be hard, cold, indestructible."

Carlisle nodded along as they swam, taking in all the new information.

"Humans pose such little threat to our existence without their new tools of war," Basileus continued. "And even with them they cannot trap us to inflict these tools of war upon us. Vampires can hurt other vampires as easily as one man can hurt another. You still have blood in your veins but it is cold now. The venom running through your body makes it so."

Basileus took one look at his new son and knew what he'd said made absolutely no sense to the boy.

"Look at your arms, can you see how they sparkle?" Basileus asked. "That's the sunlight on your diamond skin, its the venom in your veins."

Carlisle stopped swimming for the moment and checked out his arms, pulling his sodden shirt sleeve up as high as they would go. How he hadn't noticed that he was shimmering in the sunlight was anyone's guess, but it came as a total, magical and mystical surprised to Carlisle.

"We cannot be seen in daylight by humans - they would recognize immediately that we are not human." Basileus stopped and pulled Carlisle around to face him. Gripping the young man's face in his hands he fixed the boy in place with his eyes. "That cannot happen Carlisle, it is our most sacred law, humans cannot know of vampiric existence."

Carlisle bobbed his head and said he understood.

 _No, not yet, you don't,_ Basileus thought before continuing with a lighter tone. "You can still cry, you can still eat human food if you wish - though only small meals that can be burned up by the venom in your guts, otherwise you have to vomit to release it from your stomach and the pain it will cause rotting inside you."

"Venom?" Carlisle repeated, mainly to himself.

"Your main source of venom is in your mouth, your saliva glands are now filled with venom and you can train these glands to release venom as and when you wish, if you so desire." Basileus could tell the boy was being bamboozled with information he couldn't quite process, but the beauty of being a vampire was that Carlisle couldn't forget what he was being told and it would make sense at a later date. "I will say," he added. "Most vampires do not but we Volturi's live very differently to other vampires."

"And what is the Volturi's? Is that your family name?"

"Sort of, yes. Aro and I had travelled the world before we built the castle at Volterra - we took our surname from the nearby village. The Volturi is so much more than that, though." Basileus cursed himself for explaining things so simply and missing the importance of the coven he had built. "To put it in human terms, the Volturi is the royal family of the vampiric world. It is the largest, and most powerful coven in existence. Coven that is a... well, it is like a family. Or it should be in my personal opinion. Aro, he is at the head of the coven…"

"Aro! Not you?" Carlisle interrupted.

"No, not me, I sit above the coven, I offer my counsel and I instruct the course. I set up the Volturi to manage the vampire world because things had gotten a little out of control and vampires needed proper governing."

 _A little out of control?_ Basileus thought, questioning his own words. _Things had got wildly out of control!_

"Aro heads the coven with Marcus and Caius," he said, getting back on track. "You will meet them when we arrive in Volterra, the three of them are the masters of the coven. We keep around 30 permanent guards, they live in the castle and perform various duties on the coven's behalf. There are usually another ten, to twenty newborns waiting to join the proper guard too. Aro keeps his own high guard, they live with him…"

Carlisle interrupted again, "Eleazar, he isn't a guard, no?"

Basileus laughed heartily. "No, Eleazar helps when he is needed but he doesn't feel suited to leadership. And besides, no son of mine would be a guard!" Basileus finished, he didn't want to bombard his new son with too much information, although he feared he already had.

Carlisle's next question came out quicker than he had expected, surprising himself! "Where will I live?"

Basileus noted his son sounded sad. "You will live with me, you are my son, it is my venom in your veins, you _are_ my son now. Eleazar lives above me, and Aro above him. We fill the south wing tower but there is plenty of space for us all."

Carlisle nodded to this news. _So I will be under another pastor then,_ he thought, resigned.

Basileus caught his sons thought and was hurt by the comparison. "No, you will not be under another pastor! I am nothing like Samuel Cullen!"

Carlisle was shocked to hear the force of Basileus' conviction.

"I'm sorry, I did not intend to offend you." Basileus was surprised, newborns rarely showed compassion, and he could tell Carlisle was genuine. _So far this boy is the calmest newborn I have met._ "Do you have any more questions, son?" he asked gently.

"What should I call you?"

"Whatever you feel appropriate."

Carlisle went back to his musing; he was trying to process all this new information but like his swimming, his thoughts were racing beyond his control. Basileus heard his boy's internal struggle and, deciding to help the young man through the process, nudged Carlisle to speed up swimming a little. Basileus was just as strong and fast as any newborn and kept up easily. He'd only pulled Carlisle back earlier in their swim so Aro and Eleazar wouldn't be left behind.

As the hours passed by and the evening drew closer, the late sun became dappled behind soft clouds as it travelled to its nightly rest. Basileus noted the fishing boats on Spain's north coast were already moored. _That makes things easier,_ he thought.

"Carlisle, we are coming to land, we will cross Spain on foot, how is your thirst, you should have had you fill back in Chester but if you need more blood I can find a host for you before we run into any humans…"

"I'm fine, I do not need any more blood!"

Carlisle spoke a little more boldly than Basileus expected. _He'd seemed so calmed as we talked earlier, rashness is to be expected from newborns, I must remember that. I was lucky with Eleazar, Aro was a handful though, I do hope we won't be returning to those dark days!_

Basileus was contemplating just what sort of son he'd created when Carlisle spoke up again, "I apologize, I seem to be unable to control myself. I feel so irritable. I am sorry."

Basileus smiled lightly at his new boy. "I think you are doing fine Carlisle. We have a long year ahead, and I will be there to help you learn control."

Carlisle had felt some of that learning already, and his backside still stung like a bitch from it! "Hmm… sounds great," he replied solemnly.

Basileus laughed lightly understanding his son's position.

"When we reach land we will start running, I want to get back to Volterra as soon as we can. It will give us chance to test your new speed too," Basileus told Carlisle, who was grinning from ear to ear at the idea.

"Can you keep up with me? You said 'newborns' are faster than other vampires…"

Basileus laughed again. "Yes, newborns are faster than other vampires, but I am not just another vampire! I am the creator of vampires, and none of you will ever out run me, my boy."

That sounded like a challenge to Carlisle and he looked to the ever approaching land, ready to take off as soon as his foot hit the ground. And that's exactly what he did! Before Basileus could stop his son, Carlisle started running.

"NO!" he called after his newborn, "STOP!"

Carlisle didn't stop though, he thought this was all part of the race and pushed himself harder to run faster. Basileus, realizing his son wouldn't slow down ran at his own full speed, something he rarely ever did. He was in front of Carlisle within a few moments and the younger vampire crashed into the solid wall of Basileus' chest, knocking himself straight back onto his ass.

"Whoa! How did you do that?!" Carlisle was in awe of his creator.

Basileus, however, was fuming, he looked around the mooring landscape for any trace of humans. Sensing they were truly, and luckily alone, he reached down and pulled Carlisle up to his feet. The younger vampire was soon dancing from foot to foot as Basileus planted a series of vampiric strength swots to his backside.

"What did I just tell you in the water? You cannot be alone! You damn fool!" Basileus released his shocked looking charge and began pacing in front of him.

"I am sorry my lord, I thought…"

Basileus cut him off, "I know what you _thought_."

Basileus came to a stop and placed his hands on his hips, facing away from Carlisle he said, "Listen to me, and listen well. You cannot be alone at all, not even for a moment until you have passed your first year. Whatever else you think, whatever else anyone tells you, you must remember this." Spinning on his heel he faced his new boy. "Do you understand me?"

Carlisle nodded, dumbfounded, he'd only gone a little way ahead, why was that so bad. It sounded like this newborn year, whatever it was, was going to be stifling.

Basileus walked to his son and placed a protective arm around him as his cloak covered them both and he guided Carlisle back in the direction they had come from. _Of course I had gone the wrong way,_ Carlisle berated himself. The silence was killing Carlisle, his mind raced erratically and he needed some distraction from it.

"Are you really the son of Zeus?" he asked tentatively. The pastor always felt one should be quiet until spoken to, which had never made any sense to Carlisle - how could anyone break the silence if everyone was quiet until spoken to?

"I am, well, I am one of them at any rate. Zeus, in the early days of the Olympians had many sons and daughters. He lost most of them in the final battle of the gods."

Carlisle clearly had zero knowledge of the Greek Gods. _Great,_ Basileus thought sarcastically.

"There was a war between the gods, my gods. Most of the them, the demi gods, and children of the gods died in the war. Both sides were devastated in the end. I will tell you more about that at another time." Basileus stopped talking, it still pained him to remember those days. _I'll tell him when I've got a few drinks inside me,_ he thought. He was already planning a big party to welcome his new son into the Volturi coven.

"Are there any others left? Or are you… alone?" That sounded so cold but Carlisle couldn't think of a better word.

"There is one, we haven't had much to do with each other in centuries now. Lykaios. He's my brother. Zeus created us at the same time and sent us out amongst the humans. You see, Zeus was never keen on humans, 'they make too much noise' he would say. He knew the other gods were already quite attached to them and he couldn't get rid of them all without a war in Olympus so he created Lykaios and me to keep the numbers down. I, as you now know, am a vampire - I feed on humans and in the beginning I couldn't resist the blood once I started and killed hundreds a day, just for something to do."

Basileus looked to his son to see how he was taking the news. He seemed okay, if a little perturbed. Basileus was content enough to continue.

"Lykaios is the original werewolf. He can transform into a huge wolf whenever he wishes. He is weaker than I am though. He cannot be killed, but one on one, I am stronger, faster, some would say cleverer… whatever."

Basileus didn't really like talking about it, but he knew he had to tell Carlisle. _Thank the gods he has perfect memory now so I won't have to go over this again,_ he thought.

"In the early days we worked together, Lykaios would rip humans to pieces after I had drank them dry of their blood. I turned humans into vampires to serve me, Lykaios did the same, creating a small pack of werewolves to serve him. They were to be the end of our relationship." Basileus' voice turned dark and Carlisle flinched in the elders arm as it tightened around his shoulders.

"You see, although werewolves were created to be human killers, they have little need to do so. They do not feed from humans as we do, and some of Lykaios number were questioning the logic of them killing humans at all. Lykaios ignored their grumblings until Helena came along. She was beautiful, and he fell head over heels for her."

Carlisle looked up in time to see Basileus smile at the memory of the young lady.

"Lykaios had planned to ask our father to grant Helena immortality so they could have an eternity together. He wanted her to become a werewolf like him - he planned that the two of them could rule their wolf pack and live out their days as a family and give up killing humans altogether."

Basileus groaned remembering the argument he had had with his brother over such plans.

"I can't say I was over the moon," he admitted. "A fair few of his little wolves were already causing trouble for my vampire offspring by trying to intercept their attempts to feed from humans. Imagine that! Werewolves protecting humans?!"

Basileus shook his head at the audacity of the situation, as he saw it. His short black hair shook with him and the last of the sea water dripped to his shoulders.

"It went against the very core of who they were supposed to be!" Anyway, he thought, settling himself. "I knew of Helena, but I hadn't shared Lykaios plan with my coven of vampires. I guess you can imagine what happened can't you?"

Carlisle looked up again. "Did one of your coven kill her?" he asked, suspecting he was right.

"Bang on the nail son. A young vampire called Alexis. He had no way of knowing this woman was Lykaios'. Not that this stopped Lykaios from ripping him to shreds when he found out."

Carlisle stopped in his tracks, stopping Basileus with him. "You said vampires were stronger than werewolves?" he asked his new father in puzzlement.

"I did. And they are, but a werewolves teeth and claws are one of the few substances on earth that can pierce a vampire's skin - they are a danger to us. One, even two or three any decent vampire worth his salt could bring down. But a pack… I wouldn't fancy your average vampire against a pack."

 _What a pleasant thought,_ Carlisle mused, rubbing at the sickening feeling in his stomach.

"Lykaios blamed me for not having control of my coven," Basileus continued. "He blamed me for not preventing the attack - in the end he blamed me for everything. We fought for weeks, day and night rolled into one and though we both ripped into each other in our attacks it became obvious that our bodies would heal just as quickly as we could tear them apart. In the end Zeus came to land to tear us apart."

Basileus winced at the memory of that day, the scars, both physical and psychological were still evident even all those millennia later. Carlisle saw the elder trace the faint line on his face, starting an inch above his right eye and continuing down an inch into his cheek. Carlisle was desperate to ask what could have caused such a lasting scar in the immortals flesh. _Lykaios or Zeus... or something else?_ he wondered, deciding to ask Eleazar when he got the chance.

"Zeus couldn't bear to kill either of us, so he ordered us to go our separate ways, permanently. We did. I got wind of Lykaios' wolves hunting my vampires and killing them in packs, so I created more and more vampires and sent them out to hunt those damn wolves right back."

Carlisle looked excited, all the action and adventure - Basileus was such an animated story teller. "And the vampires won?" Carlisle prompted.

"No, not really, neither of us 'won'." Basileus replied ominously. "I was very foolish. I am still paying the price for creating so many vampires and setting them free to pillage the human race. I had to go through the earth and kill off as many vampires as I could - they were taking over and depleting my food source. Then I heard of new covens setting up, bands of vampires grouping together and lording it over the rest - MY vampires!"

feeling himself growing agitated, Basileus took a few steadying breaths before he went on.

"And some other fools thought they could run the show. I decided to set up a coven of my own and take control of the vampiric world once and for all."

"That's when you set up the Volturi?" Carlisle assumed.

"It took a little longer than that, but yes," Basileus said. "I met Aro, first. He was human then. There was something about him. He looked like me, only younger, and smaller. He was giving prophesies near the oracle in Delphi. I knew such things were false, the gods didn't talk to men, no matter how much they worshiped them. But Aro, he was captivating, he seemed to just know what people were thinking. I decided to transform him into a vampire hoping his 'gift' as I saw it came through to the other side. I was so pleased with Aro's power when he awoke as a newborn."

Carlisle felt a pang of envy hearing Basileus boast proudly about Aro. "What is Aro's power?" he asked a little sullenly.

"Through simple contact he could read thoughts and with practice he learned to sift through the entire life of an individual to find the information we needed. He has certainly perfected the talent after all these years."

Carlisle nodded along feeling jealous of Aro's gift and relationship with Basileus. _Why am I jealous of a guy I don't even know, why should I care if he's close to his father?!_ Carlisle's thoughts were loud and Basileus heard the envy in them - he knew he could put Carlisle's jealously to rest with time, though it was a natural enough emotion for a vampire.

"So you and Aro started the coven?" Carlisle asked, wanting to distract himself.

"Not straight away. I dragged Aro around the world with me whilst I continued to take out vampires and werewolves alike. We had a good time just the two of us." Basileus conveniently left out any details of that time. "We spent ten years traveling a ring around the globe. When we returned we met Marcus."

 _I'm never going to remember all this!_ Carlisle thought, frustrated. _Theres too many names!_

Basileus smirked to himself knowing how wrong his boy was. "Marcus was hanging around Aro's old family vineyard," he continued. "He'd fallen in love with Aro's sister. At first Aro was incensed with rage over the idea, but we spent time with Marcus and I could see he would be useful to us when we formed our coven. His gift had proved to be very useful, it still is today."

"What is his gift?" Carlisle asked.

"He can sense the bonds between people, so we know who to attack or to threaten, very useful!" Basileus confirmed. "Instead of killing Marcus, we turned Aro's sister, Didyme. She loved Marcus as much as he loved her and we were soon on our way to creating a coven. I didn't want to be involved in the day to day running though. Aro, even then was a fabulous leader and Marcus was truly wise beyond his years, very level headed. I needed to find another vampire to level up the leaders."

 _I did that alright!_ Basileus said to himself. _Caius certainly 'levelled up' the Marcus and Aro!_

"It wasn't long before we met Caius and his wife, Athenodora."

 _More names!_ Carlisle cursed.

"They were a good match, the pair of them were evil bastards even then and they impressed me with the amount of werewolves they took down together. I explained my plans to Caius, to form a coven that would govern all vampire kind, he jumped at the chance!"

 _I should have taken that as a sign,_ Basileus muttered under his breath. As far as he could see, Caius was the reason for much of his current stress and Basileus made no qualms about blaming the young man in question.

"Caius has always struggled with deferring to Aro," Basileus said with a quick in his lip. "I had instructed the build of our castle in Volterra years before and knew it would be complete soon enough so we headed there, turning humans to vampires as we travelled. It didn't take long to build up enough vampires to form a defensive coven. Once we had the first batch of newborns trained we set about getting vampiric society in order."

"So the Volterra has ruled vampires ever since?" Carlisle asked.

"No, Volterra is the place, son. The Volturi is the name of the coven. It is my name, Aro's, Eleazar's, the other masters, the guards, everyone in our coven takes the surname of Volturi. It is a great honour in my mind."

Carlisle nodded as he considered the name change, _Carlisle Volturi… it is no worse than Cullen,_ he thought. He hated the pastor and Cullen was just a reminder of him. Basileus shook him from his thoughts as they picked up the pace, running was so easy now that Carlisle hardly noticed they were even moving!

"The Volturi eventually became the leading coven but we had a few battles to win first. The Romanian wars were first, we had to go to war with them many times before they were finally brought down. The coven leaders, Stefan and Vladimir evaded capture and they pop up now and then trying to raise new armies against us, they have yet to be successful though."

Basileus smiled broadly as he spoke, he actually liked Vladimir and Stefan and would have gladly taken them into the fold of the Volturi but the pair insisted on living an antiquated and unlawful life. Still, he had to admit, he enjoyed their regular uprisings – it added a little spice to life and gave his guards good practice in the field.

"The Egyptian coven were next," Basileus told the boy. "Amun's coven was one of the very oldest of the vampire world. He had a fairly peaceful coven but Amun reacted strongly to the new laws we put in place for vampire kind."

Before Carlisle could ask, Basileus went on to explain the particular law Amun had taken exception to.

"Covens, other than the Volturi of course, can only have a maximum of four members. Amun's coven was sitting at around fifteen permanent members. We were forced to go to war with them, Amun just couldn't be reasoned with. By the end of the battle they were down to five members. Aro took Demetri, Amun's famously talented tracker back to Volterra with him to join our coven. Demetri has proved most useful, however, he's caused no end of trouble for Aro."

Basileus laughed to himself thinking of all the drama Aro's high guard cause him, _Felix and Demetri especially,_ he thought.

The father-son duo had covered so much ground as they flashed through northern Spain that they could see the east coast in the distance. "Why didn't we travel through France?" Carlisle asked Basileus, again.

Basileus released a sigh, Carlisle couldn't tell if it was frustrated or sad.

"Lykaios lives in France, I think. I don't like to go there. It's not safe for vampires in France," he stated simply.

Carlisle could sense there was much more to it than that, but decided against pressing his new father for more details yet.

"We are near the coast, son. We need to cross the sea again."

Carlisle looked down at his clothes, they were only just drying out and now he was going for another swim! Looking at his clothes he realized what a mess he was in - blood splatters, mud, seaweed.

Basileus caught on to his sons thoughts. "Don't worry, we will have clothes made more fitting to your new station in life when we arrive in Volterra."

Carlisle grimaced. "I have no way to pay for that my lord," he said quietly, embarrassed.

Basileus boomed in laughter and slapped his hand to his son's back. "You need not worry about money ever again my boy - those days are far behind you."

 _No need to worry about money? That's the most fantastical thing he's said yet,_ Carlisle thought with a grin.

It wasn't long before they reached the water, and with Basileus swimming along easily at Carlisle's top speed, land, in turn was soon in sight again. Basileus considered the year he had ahead - he had so many plans and Carlisle was instrumental to it all. _I want Aro back to who he used to be, focusing on helping with Carlisle will draw him away from Caius and his sick influence over my son. If I am right about his relationship with his high guard that will help things along too… perhaps I should get Sulpicia in on the act…_

"Are we nearly there?" Carlisle's voice brought Basileus from his thoughts.

"Can you see the castle in the distance, the one on the hill top… that's home."

Carlisle was so excited - he swam even faster! Basileus easily caught up with him and they soon reached dry land. Carlisle didn't run this time. Though Basileus could see he was dying to.

"Don't stray from my side now Carlisle. Vampires patrol these areas, most of them are Volturi but you never know who you will meet and I won't risk you being taken out before your new life has even begun. We will walk the rest of the way. Understood?"

Carlisle nodded to his father and walked at a gentle human pace alongside him.

"When we get to the castle we will need to change, then I will introduce you to the coven. I think a celebration is in order to welcome you to your new life!"


	5. Welcome to the Family

**Welcome to the Family**

Basileus led Carlisle around the castle wall and to the trade gate at the side of the imposing building.

Carlisle looked up in awe at the magnificent home of the Volturi coven. "Am I really going to be living here?"

"Yes my boy. I will show you around once we have washed away our travels and change into some fresh clothes."

Basileus gently pushed his son forwards through the gate, closing it behind them. Walking in front of his son, Basileus lead them into the castle through the ground floor doorway. As they moved through the halls guards parted the way for Basileus and the newborn that followed him. Carlisle noted the effect Basileus had on the other vampires, they scurried around in his presence to make way for him, they greeted him with averted eyes and appeared to melt if he even acknowledged their existence! It wasn't fear, more like intense respect. The only thing Carlisle could liken it to was the time he saw a glimpse of the king passing through London.

Carlisle didn't realise that the guards were looking at him in the same way - he was part of Basileus' inner circle now, part of the highest order of the vampire world. It was unusual to see Basileus with a newborn and they caused quite a stir as they made their way to southern tower of the castle. Basileus shared the large tower rooms with his two sons, now three, and Aro's wife and high guard. Basileus opened the door to the tower, and once inside he opened the next door leading to his ground floor suite.

Carlisle wavered, looking up the winding staircase and wondering where it went.

Basileus answered his boy's thoughts. "The next floor up is Eleazar's and after that it's Aro's. I will take you up later to meet the rest of my family," he said easily. "Come," he called as he walked inside to the main room of his quarters.

The fire was blazing. _Sully must have been down to get the place ready for my return, bless that woman!_ Basileus thought.

Leaving Carlisle standing in the main chamber, Basileus headed through the archway to the bed chambers. Opening the spare chamber he could see a selection of clothing laid out on the bed. _Sulpicia Volturi, I love you!_ he thought happily.

Leaving the room for the moment, he went to the bathroom and pumped a bowl of water. The plumbing in the old building wasn't as great as it could be, but it was good enough for their needs without ripping up the guts of the castle to improve it. It was certainly better than humans like Carlisle would have ever seen. Filling the sink with water he looked into the mirror and saw the state he was in, the two days travel wore heavily on his clothing. After cleaning himself up he went to his own bed chamber and changed quickly into clean, simple clothes. His outfit resembled the guard uniform, but rather than black or grey his tunic was deep purple and edged in golden thread.

THUD!

Basileus had almost forgotten about Carlisle in the other room. Wondering what had caused the noise, he went in to check on him.

Carlisle was picking up some books that he'd knocked off the shelf. Half of Basileus' main living area was lined with books. _Some as old as time,_ Carlisle had thought. Carlisle was captivated, he loved to read. His reading material had been oppressively restricted during his human life with the pastor choosing suitable material for his son.

"I'm sorry, I was only looking, I knocked these off the shelf, I apologize." Carlisle stumbled over his apology as he placed the last of the books back in position.

"It's okay son, feel free to read what you wish… you can read, yes?" Basileus asked.

Carlisle felt offended. "Pft!" he tutted. "Of course I can fucking read!"

Basileus looked down his nose at his son, he was impressed so far with how calm he had been, he didn't expect it to last though and he wasn't going to let anything slide in the first year. _You had better get used to that now son,_ he thought. Basileus moved in very close, uncomfortably close if you'd have asked Carlisle.

"Mind your mouth and your tone in my presence. Got it?"

He sounded dangerous. Carlisle had no desire to piss him off. Adopting a submissive pose, Carlisle looked to the floor.

Basileus nodded to himself as he walked back the archway leading to the other rooms of the suite. "Come with me."

Carlisle felt nervous, but followed his new father to the inner hallway and over to the door he held open for him. "This is your room. Mine is here across the hall. That door there is the bathroom… clean yourself up and change, there are clothes laid out for you on your bed. I will be sending for the tailor as soon as your thirst is within your control."

Carlisle listened intently but didn't make to move. Basileus shoved him lightly towards the bathroom. "Go ahead, you have been a vampire for two days already and we haven't started celebrating yet!" he told his son with a smile.

Carlisle did as instructed and closed the door behind him.

Looking in the mirror he was shocked by his reflection. He was stunning! Filthy from traveling but really handsome! For a brief moment he thought awful for offering himself such an excessively positive appraisal, but damn, he looked good! He studied his new features, he was him still, but improved. Opening his mouth he checked his teeth. They looked so much sharper now, razor shape in places. He couldn't stop himself from touching them. They were as sharp as they looked, a tiny split in his finger appeared from where he'd ran them across his fangs. Watching as the blood pooled into a tiny droplet, he saw the wound heal in front of his very eyes!

Talking from the other room stopped Carlisle's self-examination. He couldn't quite make out what was being said so he opened the door a crack.

"I have sent out the order to meet in the throne room in an hour." It was Aro Carlisle had heard. And Basileus was answering him, "That's fine, have you arranged any alcohol?"

"Of course," Aro breezed.

"Wonderful, I want you to bring Sulpicia down here, and your young ones. He should meet them before we greet the wider coven don't you think?"

Aro huffed in response. "Is he safe?" he asked their father.

Basileus laughed. "He's the calmest newborn I have ever met son. Bring them down, he will be through in a moment."

 _Oh shit, I haven't even washed yet,_ Carlisle thought as he busily filled the bowl with water and scrubbed at the soap. His vampire speed amazed him and in what seemed like seconds he had washed and combed his hair, and he'd spent half the time admiring his new self in the mirror!

Leaving the large bathroom he slipped into his new bed chamber. He wasn't sure what the bed was for, _Basileus said vampires don't sleep,_ though he could think of plenty of things to do in a bed that didn't involve sleeping!

Carlisle's mind started wandering into dangerous territory - he didn't want to think about his last human conquest, it was too painful for him, even now. Taking his clothes up he changed quickly, they were a little too big for him though he remembered Basileus was arranging for a tailor to take his measurements when he was under control... whatever that meant.

 _This fabric, though,_ he thought as he played with the hem of his tunic. _This is so soft, and thick, this isn't cheap at all. And these are just spares!_

"Carlisle! Stop admiring yourself and get in here!"

Basileus booming voice shook him from Carlisle thoughts again. Pulling on new boots and lacing them up, Carlisle made his way back to the main room. When he walked through the arch he was greeted by a smiling Basileus who moved to put his arm around him and pulled him in close.

"Carlisle, son, you already know Aro and Eleazar," Basileus said as he pointed out his two older sons.

Carlisle smiled at them both. Eleazar seemed happy to see him, Aro looked bored but smiled politely in return. Aro took over the rest of the introductions, after Basileus had prompted him to do so.

"This is my dear wife Sulpicia..."

Sulpicia dived forward and took both of Carlisle's hands in her own. "Welcome to Volterra, brother," she said kindly. Looking him up and down she commented on his clothes. "They are a little big, they were the best I could find at such short notice, but you look fine, just fine!"

"Thank you," he replied, grateful for her warm welcome.

"Are they my clothes!" Aro asked looking at his brother's 'new' threads."

Sulpicia smiled coyly to her husband, "I have no idea, you have so many clothes, my love."

Sulpicia re-joined the two smallest vampires as Aro narrowed his eyes to her. Catching the look Basileus was throwing him, he thought it best to continue the introductions, "This is Felix," he said as he walked behind the seated boy and gripped onto his shoulder.

Felix smiled widely at the new coven member as Aro moved over to the next boy.

"And this is Demetri, he's our tracker, he can track anyone he's had even the most fleeting contact with to the ends of the earth!" Aro said proudly.

"Hey!" Felix interrupted. "You didn't say anything about my talents!" Everyone laughed at the mock-hurt to his tone.

"Forgive me Felix," Aro drawled. "Of course, Felix is very, very strong, strongest in the coven in fact."

Felix began to preen.

"He also has a big mouth and spends most his days restricted to this tower because he causes me trouble whenever he leaves it!" Crack! Aro slapped his eldest high guard across the back of his head, only hard enough to knock him forward slightly.

Aro gestured to the young vampires near his wife. "They are the twins, Jane and Alec, they are incredibly gifted young vampires and…"

"Little witches is what they are!" Felix interrupted Aro, who cracked him across the back of his head, again. Carlisle winced. _That was much harder than the first one he got,_ he thought to himself.

"So these are your children?" Carlisle asked Aro innocently.

Basileus was so pleased his son had asked that question, he wanted to know the answer himself and he planned to use the response in his efforts to return Aro to the man he once was. He watched the group of vampires before him intently. Sulpicia lit up at the question and placed proud, loving arms around the twins. Felix and Demetri looked shyly to each other, they wanted Aro to say yes, he could tell that much. Aro looked awkward, he sounded it too when he tried to formulate an answer.

"Well, vampires don't have children Carlisle, but these four are much younger than the rest of the guard and I do not feel comfortable leaving them to their own devices in the guard hall… they live in my quarters with Sulpicia and me so we can keep an eye on them… it also stops Caius getting his hands in them…"

Aro had run out of things to say. Basileus looked again around the expressions of his young vampires. They all looked a little crushed. Wanting to save their pain, Basileus drove the conversation forward.

"So, is everything ready for the celebrations?"

Felix and Demetri were nudging each other, clearly one of them was supposed to be speaking up.

"What is it lads?" Basileus asked the pair.

Demetri pushed his brother one last time, Felix broke and spoke up. "Well, we were just wondering if we can join in tonight?"

"NO!" Aro bellowed at his guards. "These things go on well into the next day, you four can come for an hour or something but then you are back here and in bed."

Carlisle looked confused, he turned to Basileus, "I thought you said we don't sleep?"

Basileus nodded, "Adult vampires do not sleep Carlisle. Young vampires need to rest regularly like human children do. Felix is only sixteen, Demetri fourteen, and the twins are twelve. Vampires don't age so they are trapped in their young bodies, and their young bodies have different needs to ours."

Basileus had spoken quietly to his son but everyone else had heard. Felix huffed from his seat in front of the fire.

"I am not a child," he stated darkly.

Aro walked to him from behind the sofa again and pulled him uncomfortably backwards so he could speak into his ear. Carlisle didn't catch what he said, but whatever it was it had the boy looking sheepish and being quiet very quickly.

"I want them there Aro, let them come until they tire, it's not often we welcome a new member to our family in this way."

Felix and Demetri were mouthing their thanks to Basileus with glee - Aro had to allow them to go now. This time Aro huffed.

"And can we drink?"

Aro looked exasperatedly over to his father, and threw his hands in the air. "I give up!" he said.

Eleazar laughed at the boys almost bouncing in their seats. "You have to keep pushing, don't you?" he said to them as he gave them a wink. Eleazar loved those boys, and they loved him - he often slipped them a drink or two at parties anyway.

"Eleazar, will you show Carlisle around the castle whilst I finish a few things around here." Eleazar nodded and told his father he would be happy to. "Do not leave the grounds!" he added sternly to his eldest son.

Eleazar ducked his head low, he knew the rules! Pointing a finger at his new son, Basileus told him, "Carlisle, you have to stay with Eleazar, if he has any trouble with you, you will be answering to me, understood?"

"Yes, my lord." Carlisle answered politely, a little embarrassed by the public rebuke.

Basileus waited for the two to leave before he instructed Aro's 'family'. Sully, my dear, thank you for readying my suite, I very much appreciate it. Could you take the young ones and get ready for the celebrations."

Aro rolled his eyes dramatically. Basileus caught it, though he waited for the others to be out of the room before he addressed him.

Hearing the door thud closed, Basileus turned to his middle son, but before he could speak Aro fired his own question at his father. "Why do you do that?"

Basileus wasn't sure what Aro was talking about. "Why do I do what Aro," he asked in reply as he took Felix' vacated seat.

"I said they couldn't go, and you just overruled me!"

"Well that is because you were being entirely unnecessarily miserable about the whole thing! Why shouldn't they be there, they are a part of this family and I want them there to welcome my new son."

Aro rolled his eyes again. "Family!" he almost spat. "We are a coven, a coven of vampires. They are gifted young vampires…"

Basileus cut his son off before he really pissed him off. "Aro, are you still maintaining those four little vampires live in your quarters because you value their gifts. Seriously?"

Aro was tired of these arguments about fucking family. "You are trying to live vicariously through me, and I have my own life!"

Basileus squared up to his son. "You don't have your own life, you have given it to the damn Volturi!"

Aro threw his hands in the air. "Yes Dad, the Volturi which YOU set up and forced me to sit me at the head of the table! YOU did this!"

Basileus shook his head, he wasn't having that. "I did not force you, you were more than willing! I want more for you than this."

Aro sighed again, bored of arguing about the same shit. "What if I am happy living this way? Have you ever thought about that?" he asked, wanting a genuine answer from the man.

Basileus replied, calmly, "I have, and the thought that you are actually happy to be turning into an evil cunt like that brother in arms of your fills my dead heart with horror! You can't see what you are becoming, I want more for you, I know what is best for you Aro!"

Aro didn't have a response for that, Sulpicia had commented more and more than he was enjoying certain sides of his work a little too much. He was spending more time with the sadistic Caius than he was the carefree Marcus. She moaned about that too.

Basileus saw Aro was finally listening to reason and pushed a little further. "You keep those young ones so close because you love them and stumbling through a response to Carlisle's simple, and reasonable question proved it: they are your children."

Aro tried to answer but he couldn't formulate a response.

Basileus rose from his seat and placed a loving hand on his sons shoulder. "You may be able to lie to yourself, but you have never been able to lie to me, son."

Shaking off his father's hand Aro made to leave. "I need to make sure everything is ready for tonight," he said as he left his father's quarters and headed for his own. _I need to tell my high guard they will be on a short leash tonight, and they had better not get any ideas about playing the fools because I will be watching!_


	6. Welcome to the Coven

**Welcome to the Coven**

The masters were already seated in their thrones when Basileus entered the great hall. Taking a good look around he noted almost all the guards were there; Basileus made it his duty to know each and every member of the coven. There were a few missing though. Sighing with disappointment he turned to the masters to find out where they were.

"And where are the others?" he asked curtly.

"What others my lord?" Aro asked, "my high guard will be along soon, don't worry," he added, annoyed that he'd had to bring them in the first place.

"No Aro, where are the other guards… Rai and Hanas… the Egyptian couple you picked up 6 months ago. They were here when I left for England!"

Caius sat forward with a sick grin on his face, Aro snickered; Caius had already told him of their fate down in his dungeon play room, he was disappointed to have missed out on the fun! "They were disloyal my lord, I had to dispatch them."

Basileus formed a tight smile, "if you want target practice Caius I suggest you arrange another mission to take out some of our actual enemies, rather than getting your sick kicks from dispatching members of MY coven!"

Caius looked mortified at such a public admonishment, he skulked bag into his chair and avoided Basileus' eye. _Damn sadistic coward!_ Basileus thought. Aro dropped his grin and looked away, too. _And you are getting as bad as him,_ Basileus thought angrily towards his son.

Basileus approached his son, placing a hand on either side of Aro's throne he leaned in dangerously closely - Aro felt trapped. "I want you to relax a little tonight and let Felix and Demetri spread their wings." He spoke with such a calm soothing voice but it was completely at odds with his body language.

Aro replied nonchalantly, "I do not know what you are talking about father." He started playing with the rings on his left hand, rolling them around his fingers as though he wasn't bothered at all.

"You keep telling me they are just good guards… if that is the case then I consider them under my remit whilst I am in the locale, and I say they can attend and they can drink and they can join in. If you feel differently, of course, I will listen to you. I wouldn't interfere with another man's children."

Basileus had never been quite so open about Aro's high guard before, he'd certainly never pushed his son into a corner over them. Aro felt anxious, it wasn't a feeling he was used to and it set him on edge - _I don't want to celebrate a new brother in the first god damn place, and now you are trying to come up with twisted plans for my high guard?!_

"Aro, you know I can hear your thoughts, yes?" Basileus asked, smile quickening. "If you care about them so much then just be honest with me and I will support you. If you choose not to be honest with me, because I am in no doubt that you care for those children a great deal, then I will treat them as a part of my guard. Understood?!"

Aro felt his temper flare. _How dare you back me into a corner like this! You are being so unreasonable!_ "Of course I care about them - they are very talented and they need to be treated differently to the rest of the guard because they are young. That is all." Aro folded his arms tried to look away from his father, but with the man so close that was hard to do.

Basileus released the arm rests and stood back at full height. "Okay Aro. Okay. They ARE just members of my guard then."

Aro's relief at being granted his personal space turned to horror at those words! Jumping up out of his seat to talk quietly to his father he began tripping over his words, "I, I didn't say that, that's not what I said!"

Basileus turned and rounded on his son, looking every bit the spawn of a god as he towered over him, he spoke calmly and quietly but there was something daring in his tone. "Oh yes it is son, you can put an end to their participation any time you wish, you just have to come to me and admit why you are doing so." Basileus rested a hand on Aro's shoulder and squeezed gently before leaving his son to greet the wives as they entered the throne room. Close behind them were Aro's high guard. Basileus wanted a quick word with them before the celebrations started, aldo.

"Athenodora, Didyme, and my dear Sulpicia, all looking particularly ravishing this evening," he crooned at the three ladies of the coven.

"It is good to have you back Basileus, I trust your journey was worth it?" Didyme asked her creator.

"Certainly was my dear, he's been looking around the castle with Eleazar, have you seen him?" he asked in return.

Athenodora butted in, never one to be left out of centre stage, "I have! And oh my is he handsome!"

Basileus laughed at the lady of darkness. "You had better not let Caius hear you saying that, he will be trying to dispatch my new son if he gets wind of it!"

Athenodora chanced a look at her husband, he seemed to be in deep conversation with Aro. "Oh never mind him, his bark is worse than his bite, my lord." She bowed her head lightly and went to take her place beside Caius.

Didyme and Sulpicia took their leave and followed Athenodora over to the thrones of their husbands. The guards bowed politely as the ladies of the coven passed across the elevated floor. Felix and Demetri went to follow Sulpicia but Basileus' strong arm blocked their path. He addressed them very quietly, and kindly. "I have talked with Aro, until you are told otherwise, feel free to join in with the festivities tonight."

All four heads of the high guard shot up to face Basileus. "Do you mean we can drink my lord?" Felix asked.

 _Of course you would ask that wouldn't you?_ Basileus thought to himself. "Yes Felix, you should all feel free to drink, eat, wrestle, play your tricks - enjoy the night. Until you are told otherwise. Do you understand?"

The twins looked very confused. "Even us?" Alec spoke up for the two of them.

"Yes, even you. I will tell you when you have to stop, until then, I want you to join in, okay."

Wide smiles spread across all four faces.

"And you will stop Aro from tearing us up for it?" Demetri asked hopefully.

"Is Aro really okay with this, he rarely allows Alec or me to even leave the throne floor my lord!" Jane really wanted to join in but she wasn't willing to go against Aro to do so.

"I am giving you my permission. You are taking your orders from me tonight, if he tries to stop you I want you to come to me." Basileus finished with that, and shooed them along and down the steps of the throne floor into the general mess of guards milling about.

Felix and Demetri made a beeline for the back of the room where the barrels of wine were held. Aro watched them, he knew what they were doing. _I am going to beat the pair of you senseless if you get drunk tonight,_ he thought to his eldest high guards, wishing they could hear him!

What Aro saw next made him choke on his own venom and jump to his feet! Leaning forwards at the tip of the raised throne floor Aro had a good view of his two youngest high guards accepting drinks from his eldest two. _What the hell are the twins doing down there!_ He went to walk down the steps but Basileus was in front of him in a moment offering him a goblet of wine.

"Drink up son, I think you are going to need it tonight!" he said with a smile.

"Why are you doing this?" Aro hissed angrily at his father.

"Doing what?" Basileus replied cheekily as he gulped down his full goblet in one.

"What have you told them? Why have you sent them straight to the wine? I know you are trying to get a rise out of me, it won't work." Aro's hushed, angry whispers were spoken so quickly no human could have made out the blur of words. His wife, only a few steps behind him heard it all.

Basileus looked his son up and down, "And this is you NOT rising to it? Tonight is going to be fun!" Basileus pushed his son back into his seat. "I have told them they are to join in until I tell them it is time to stop. I will tell them to stop as soon as you are honest with me, and more importantly, yourself. Or I will let them go on until they pass out… whichever comes first."

Aro's mouth hung open.

"You can stop this whenever you wish, Aro."

Shaking his head at Basileus Aro was pissed off, and he felt helpless. "You know how young they are. Forget about me, why would you do this to them?"

Basileus simply smiled at his son, "I believe this is in ALL of our best interests."

Aro took a deep breath. _Okay, if this is the way you want to play it,_ he thought, "I will go along with this, if you will admit you are wrong when it all blows up in your face!"

"My boy, that will be an easy covet to make because I am never wrong!"

Aro was about to respond but before he had chance Eleazar strolled into the throne room through the main doors at the head of the hall. Carlisle followed quickly behind him.

The guards on the main floor stood back and created a pathway for the two brothers to walk through. Carlisle looked around at the guards, he caught Felix and Demetri and their gleaming smiles, seeing someone he recognized helped settle his stomach a little. _There are so many vampires in here… I know I am one too but this in unnerving,_ he thought as he passed through the crowd. _The women, they are stunning, I have never looked upon such beautiful faces!_

The female guards were pushing their way to the front of the crowded guards to get a good look at Basileus' new son. They were impressed! Hurried whispers spread through the guards as the women made their bets on who could hook up with him first.

"My money's on Ashanti." Eleazar called out to the guards, they knew what he meant, though Carlisle didn't have a clue why they were all laughing.

Eleazar led his new brother up to the front of the steps and addressed the masters of the coven and their wives. "My lords and ladies, may I introduce Carlisle."

All six of them clapped and welcomed him up onto their stage. Though Caius and Aro didn't really have a care for the proceeding, they knew better than to be anything other than respectful towards Basileus' new ward.

"Carlisle my boy, come up here." Basileus called as he opened his arms to his new son.

Eleazar joined Aro and leaned into his brother's throne. "You know your guard are drinking down there right? Even the twins? Have you lost your mind brother?" Eleazar asked in shock.

"No, but he has!" Aro replied hatefully and gestured to Basileus with his chin.

"Oh, right then." Eleazar decided to not to get involved with this one, if Aro and Basileus were going against each other over his brother's high guard, then he wanted nothing to do with it.

Soon enough Basileus' booming voice was addressing the wider guard and asking them all to make his new dear son very welcome here in Volterra. Carlisle stood awkwardly at his father's side. He wasn't used to the spot light, and even with the increased confidence he'd felt since he was turned, Carlisle still wasn't keen on being showed off in this way. Though he had to admit, the pride Basileus spoke with gave him a warm sensation - no one had ever expressed such warmth of feeling about Carlisle before. When Basileus had finished his address the entire coven erupted in cheers and clapping. The noise was thunderous! Carlisle was reeling, he'd only been a vampire for two days, his entire world was turned upside down, he'd been ripped away from everything he knew… and it felt amazing!

Before long the masters and their wives were mingling with the guards on the main floor. Marcus and Didyme were sitting with the musicians - they were guards too, Marcus' favourite guards in fact. He enjoyed music and they would play for him regularly in his own quarters, now they set the room on alight in a blaze of energy with lyrical tunes.

The drink was flowing and Aro was knocking back far more than usual, and he was staying very close to his little guard members. Sulpicia too was making sure she was close to the twins. She had asked them to stop drinking but Basileus interrupted and made it clear they were to continue until he told them otherwise. Jane and Alec felt torn. They knew Aro and Sulpicia did not allow this, they feared Aro's response when they were in his quarters and Basileus wasn't there to defend their actions.

"Felix!" Aro called his eldest guard to him.

As the very drunk young vampire staggered over he knocked into two or three guards on the way, and with his great bulk they went flying into the middle of the dance floor. Aro shot daggers at Basileus who flashed to his son before Felix had made it there.

"What's wrong Aro?" he asked him with a smile, "ready to call it quits yet?" Basileus added as he knocked back another full goblet.

"Look at the state of him, why are you doing this?!" Aro asked his father, his tone far more aggressive than he would usually dare, the wine did that.

"You are doing this Aro, and you can end it." With that Basileus left his son to his own anger as Felix approached him.

"Felix, you need to stop now. You've had your fun, that's enough!"

Felix swayed about in front of his master before falling forwards to be caught by Aro.

"That's it, you are done!" Aro started to pull his young guard towards the thrones and the exit behind them leading to their quarters.

"No, no way, I'm not done until HE says I am done." Felix gestured to Basileus who was laughing at the state he was in.

 _Oh your head is going to be raging in the morning my boy,_ he thought, _and I am sorry to do this to you and your brothers and sister, but I truly believe you will be glad I did… in time._

"Felix, you can listen to him if you want, but remember, tomorrow you are mine again, and I will beat you bloody for the way you are behaving tonight!" Aro growled out his words to his guard.

"Ah ah ah!" Felix wagged his finger back and forth in Aro's face, "'Papa Vampire said you can't do that, HE said we can do whatever WE like tonight and you can't stop us!"

"He's my 'Papa Vampire', not yours, you damn idiot!" Aro's grip around Felix' arms tightened. _I am going to belt you for this boy, I don't care what he says,_ Aro thought to himself as he willed his hands to release their grip of Felix. "Fine, on your own head be it!" Aro left his staggering guard to find out what the other three were up to.

Carlisle, being a newborn, was far more receptive than mature vampires to the alcohol. His head was spinning already and he staggered as much as Felix! Seeing Eleazar sitting on the throne floor steps he decided that was a safe space to be in too and though in his head he sat down gracefully, in reality he virtually plunged at the floor with Eleazar left to catch him.

"Hey little brother, are you having a good time?"

Carlisle slung an arm around the kind man, "I really, really am!" he slurred into the elder vampire's ear.

"Have any of our female guards taken your fancy yet?"

Carlisle offered Eleazar a wobbly smile, "YES! All of them!" he said happily.

"Well just make sure you know which ones to avoid Carlisle… stay away from Ashanti, she's trouble! And do not go off with anybody's mates, I mean wives… we call them mates." Eleazar explained, trying to remember 'human terminology'.

"How about her?" Carlisle pointed out a permanent member of the guard, Corin.

Eleazar laughed. "You have selected perfectly brother, her name is Corin, and she is both unattached and by the looks of it, attracted to you. Go and talk to her, and try to stop staggering!"

Pushing his brother to his feet Eleazar smiled at the newborn Carlisle. _He's doing really well so far, I think I am going to like having him around._ Watching Carlisle as he made his way through the crowds of dancing guards and over to Corin, he saw his brother stumble a few times. He made it though. Eleazar howled in laughter as he saw the young woman leading his shocked brother out the front door of the throne room.

Basileus joined Eleazar just in time to see them leave. "Is that your doing?" he asked his eldest son.

Eleazar shrugged and faked innocence, "Father! I am offended! I am your good son remember?"

Basileus slapped his 'good son' lightly across the back of his head. "I am sure you are! If he isn't back within the hour you had better go find him!"

Eleazar screwed up his face. "Seriously? You think he'll last an hour?" he asked, and promptly fell about laughing at the very idea and it wasn't long before Basileus joined him.

Aro found his dear wife standing guard over the twins. He embraced her from behind and placed his mouth close to her ear. "My queen, how are they?" he asked, as calmly as possible so as not to alert her to his own feelings.

She spun around in his arms. "My love, what is going on with you and Basileus? I told the twins to stop and he told them to carry on! I don't understand?"

She was calm on the surface, she'd learned that trick from her husband. Aro could read her thoughts, however, with his hands holding her body close to him, she was anything but calm and willed her husband to put an end to the ridiculous situation.

Deciding honesty was the best policy under the circumstances Aro pulled her closer to keep their conversation secret. "Basileus is trying to force me into admitting our high guard are our children - he is being utterly absurd! I have explained they are gifted young guards and we treat them as such, but he seems to have it in his head that we are playing happy families with the four of them."

To Aro the whole situation was preposterous, and he expected his wife's agreement on the matter. _Basileus is right!_ As he read her thoughts he stood back, surprised at what he heard.

"Do you mean that?" he asked her gently, though with some confusion.

"You must do whatever you feel necessary, Aro," she said sadly and turned back around to keep an eye on her young guards, and hide the stray tear as it rolled down her cheek.

The twins were enjoying the show some of the other guards were putting on. It was common at the Volturi celebrations that vampires would display their gifts, even going up against each other to test out their resolve and power. Felix and Antonio were lying flat out on the floor facing each other off in an arm wrestle. Aro watched for a moment, knowing Felix would usually win, but in his currently inebriated state Aro was sure the boy would lose. Of course Aro was right. As Antonio smashed the younger guards hand into the floor Felix flew into a rage and lunged at the older vampire. Aro was tempted to let it play out but as soon as Antonio saw the master standing in the crowd he stood up straight and easily held the floundering Felix without hurting him. Aro nodded at the guard, happy with the respect he'd shown him and went to find Demetri.

 _Where the hell has he gone!_ Speaking to guards as he moved around the room, not a single one of them would tell him when they had last seen the young guard. Aro was tempted to use his gift to extract the information he needed, but he didn't want to rile Basileus up into thinking he cared. He smoothly made his way through the guard and accepted more and more wine as he went. He was wrecked - Aro should have been enjoying the festivities like everyone else, even Caius and Athenodora were swinging each other around the dance floor, but his head was taken up with worry over his high guard.

 _I need to get out of here, some fresh air will help,_ Aro thought as he made his way to the front double doors of their grand hall. As he was leaving Carlisle was re-entering with Corin hanging off his arm. The sight made Aro forget his cares for a moment.

"Carlisle!" he called out for his new brother who released his first vampire conquest and swaggered over to him.

Corin went straight to the gaggle of girls, all waiting with baited breath to hear about the new member of their coven. Ashanti looked thunderous, she had intended to get in with the new brother as soon as Basileus had announced his plans for creating a new son. She wanted to elevate her status and get out of the guard. Ashanti dreamed of being a lady of the coven! She knew Eleazar had thwarted her plans. _I saw you talking to him, warning him off me no doubt. You prize prick Eleazar. Just because we parted ways there's no reason to spoil everyone's fun!_ she thought as she glared her eyes at the tall, dark, handsome vampire… _okay, so I still want you, you bastard._ Ashanti let her thoughts trail off as Corin gave them the lowdown on Carlisle.

"So, he was a bit clumsy at first, but once we got going, oh my!"

The women hung onto every word as Corin gave them a moment by moment breakdown of just how well Carlisle had fucked her.

"Is he big?" Renata asked, that was her thing, _big!_ She had mated with Antonio a century ago but she never really stopped looking for an improvement, 'bigger' was the improvement she was looking for.

Corin considered her question. "Not as big as Eleazar…" she replied and the girls fell into hysterical laughter again. Ashanti scowled. Once Corin had finished her full breakdown, she ended with, "we are going to have a lot of fun with this one ladies!" The young vampiric women were loving this news, bouncing with excitement over the addition to their coven.

"Are they talking about me do you think?" Carlisle asked Aro innocently.

Aro couldn't help but laugh at his young brother's naivety. "I would imagine your dear Corin is supplying the rest of the girls with every gory detail of your little jaunt, brother."

Carlisle looked horrified. "WHAT!" he shouted, then added a little more quietly, "Why would she do that?" Carlisle felt offended, he would never 'kiss and tell' so to speak.

Aro continued to laugh at his newborn brother. "Carlisle, you aren't human anymore, vampires are much freer with their sex lives than humans, it's not a big deal… though I would suggest you always put in a good performance - its social suicide if you are 'crap in the sack'!" Slapping his brothers back good heartedly as he went to leave the great hall, he stopped for a moment to ask if Carlisle had seen Demetri on his escapades.

"Yes he almost interrupted us," Carlisle said sheepishly, "He said he's going to the dungeons, he had a girl with him, she looked crazy!"

Aro's eyes flew wide at what Carlisle told him. Basileus had been listening into his son's conversation, he was amused to begin with, but knew that last part was going to send Aro into a raging stupor. Aro flashed from the room and Basileus knew where his son was heading,

"Eleazar, keep your eye on things here, okay?"

Without waiting for a response from his confused son, Basileus flashed away at his own accelerated speed to catch up with Aro.

Aro arrived at the top of the spiral stair case for the dungeon in time to hear Demetri call out in pain. Anger turned to panic as he flew down the stairs to be greeted with one of the newborn guards riding Demetri with such force she was risking doing them both damage.

"GET UP NOW!" Aro's screamed order shocked both young vampires who scrambled to their feet whilst trying to re-dress at vampire speed. Aro looked at the embarrassed girl with disgust. "You will go back to the celebrations and go on with your evening."

The female vampire, Ashia, couldn't believe her luck, as she bowed and scraped on her way passed Aro, he reached out and blocked her with his arm. "If I ever hear of you near him again, I will throw you to the guards and they can all have their way with you before I rip your head from your shoulders." Aro spoke so sweetly you wouldn't guess he had threatened rape and destruction to the poor newborn guard.

"Yes master, of course master." Ashia replied. She knew Aro would go through with his threat if she disobeyed him, she'd been told enough stories by the older guard of such events taking place. Ashia swore to herself that she would resist Demetri in future as she scuttled up the winding staircase as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Demetri sighed, annoyed that Aro had ended his fun. He was too drunk to realize he should have been shame faced too. "You could have let us finish!" he said to his master.

CRACK!

Aro slapped his young guard so hard across the face that the boy crashed to the floor and skidded into the metal grated door of a newborn cell. Demetri curled into the foetal position and cradled his broken face in his drunk hands.

"I should have you whipped for this!" Aro screamed at his young guard. "GET UP!"

Aro closed the space between them and dragged Demetri to his feet, pulling him along back up the winding staircase.

"Basileus said…"

Aro shook the boy roughly enough to shut him up, "I could give a fuck what Basileus said!" he replied darkly.

"Is that so son?" Basileus was standing at the top of the stairs, he'd arrived just in time to hear Aro's retort, _fuck!_ Aro thought to himself. "You scared the crap out of that guard Aro." Basileus said as he casually walked along with his son, who was still dragging Demetri.

"It's my job isn't it? You set this coven up to keep vampires in line, I am keeping them in line!" Aro was tired of his father's games, "I would do a better job of it if you left me to get on with it!" That last part Aro had said quietly to himself.

Basileus head him, and whacked him across the back of the head for the remark. "Are you ready to end it then?"

"NO!" Aro shouted in reply as they arrived at the entrance to the great hall.

"Go on then Demetri, go and join in lad." Basileus said to the boy as he forced Aro to release his grasp.

Aro was rearing up and ready to argue but sudden screaming filled the air. Both vampires leaving their quarrel, they rushed to the scene of the noise, fighting their way through the crowd of guards. They were confronted with Jane and Alec standing opposite each other, both focusing their gifts on Afton. Afton was bouncing between Jane's blazing pain and Alec's anaesthetic fog, one moment screaming his lungs dry, the next falling back to the floor feeling nothing at all.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Aro roared over the raucous guard, all music ceased and everyone was now focused on their incredibly angry coven master.

Jane and Alec flashed to Sulpicia's side hoping for her protection.

Basileus spoke purposefully to his son, "Aro, they are just joining in with the guard games, leave them be."

Aro allowed himself to be dragged back to his throne by Basileus. The guard watched their master's display with confusion and just a little glee - vampire covens could become stagnant over time, any excitement was devoured with gaiety when it came along.

Forcing his son to sit Basileus towered over him again. Aro tried to look around him to check on his high guard. "What are you looking for?" Basileus asked him calmly as he ensured he blocked his boys view with his colossal body.

"You know what I am looking for, I need to make sure they are safe! You seem to be enjoying watching them kill themselves tonight, but I don't find it so funny!" Aro spat his words at his father, if Basileus didn't understand the stress his son was felling he would have happily knocked the fangs from his mouth for such blatant disrespect.

"Then put an end to it son." Basileus said kindly.

Aro felt anything but kind right now, and he planned to beat the shit of each of his high guard, first chance he got! "What good will this forced confession be to you? What's the point of it?" Aro spat his words again.

Basileus was trying to keep his cool, "You are getting dangerously close to being dragged out of this hall and getting the hiding of your life son!"

Aro sat up straighter feeling very uncomfortable with so many guards milling about to hear the threat.

Basileus didn't have any intention of doing such a thing, but he wanted Aro to get himself together quickly. "You won't be confessing to me, you will be doing it to yourself, and I will know if you are being false don't forget." Basileus tapped his temple as he spoke.

Aro knew his father's gift for reading thoughts was far greater than his own, Aro needed physical contact, Basileus just needed to focus on somebody to hear their thoughts. Aro calmed himself enough to contain the raging words he wanted to spew at his father. But only just.

Basileus was about to press Aro further when he felt the floor shake and the shattering sound of marble hard vampiric bodies slamming together. Felix and Antonio had challenged each other again, and this time Felix was winning. Souring high on the amount of wine he'd consumed, Felix wasn't registering the horrified vampires surrounding him as he tried to rip Antonio's head from his shoulder. It was part of the game in his mind. He didn't cease with his attempts to decapitate the Volturi guard until Caius and Marcus divided the two warring vampires.

Aro tried to get out of his throne, Basileus held him in place. "Say it!" he said to his struggling son. "You can end this now, or Caius will have to discipline Felix!"

Aro put every ounce of strength he had into breaking free of Basileus, it was no good though, he couldn't even begin to match his creator's power.

"You're already telling me the truth," Basileus eyed his son, clearly stressed at the idea of his young ones so debilitated, but he needed to hear Aro say it. "Though I would like to hear it enunciated more clearly."

Aro was becoming frantic, he could see Caius asking him what to do with Felix. _Get your fucking hands off my guard!_ Aro's thoughts were raging. He was angry, so angry right then - at Basileus for allowing it to happen, at his high guard for going along with it, even at Sulpicia for confusing him with thoughts of being a mother for god sake!

"Okay, I care about them! Is that what you want to hear? I care about them, I love them, and I want to protect them. Can you please end this now?" Aro's words had started with rage, but by the end he was pleading with his father to save his boy.

Basileus released Aro and watched as his son flew to Felix' rescue. "I will deal with him Caius, turn him over to me." Aro managed to hide the panic from his voice, he sounded as nonchalant as ever though god knows how.

"What?!" Caius looked incredulously to Aro. "He tried to kill a member of our guard. He will be punished…"

Basileus interrupted Caius to prevent him from saying something they would all regret."Caius turn him over and go back to your dancing, you don't want to trouble yourself with this, not tonight."

Caius shoved Felix to Aro, the boy landed in a heap on the floor at his master's feet. "He should be whipped in the morning if you aren't going to dispatch him, Aro."

Aro chose to ignore Caius. _You will not be whipping him brother, this is Basileus' fault,_ he thought.

The seriousness of what Felix had done was starting to overtake the alcohol in his system. _Oh fuck, he is going to kill me!_

"I will take him back to my quarters with me," Aro explained. "Felix will be disciplined for his actions against you Antonio. I warn you not to seek your own retribution."

Antonio nodded vigorously to the master of their coven. _No way am I fucking with Aro's pet,_ the bruin thought.

Sulpicia knew if Aro was taking charge again, then they could leave. She gathered the twins close to her and whispered between their ears, "Basileus has called an end to this absurd business, you are coming back to our quarters, now!"

Nodding to Aro as she walked passed, she headed straight for the safety of her tower and didn't stop until she and her youngest guards were safely in the top floor suite. Jane and Alec had resisted the whole way, in Sulpicia's anxious state to get them home she hardly noticed as she pulled the twins along at vampire speed.

Aro pulled Felix to his feet and sought out Demetri in the crowd of guards. "Demetri!" he called, not seeing where his boy was hiding. _If you have gone back to those dungeons I will rip your fucking cock clean off!_ Aro thought angrily. Luckily for Demetri he appeared at the front of the guards just before Aro could start to hunt him down.

"After you," he said to the panicked faced boy and gestured to the exit behind the thrones leading to their private tower.

Demetri passed his master, allowing as much space as possible between himself and the irate vampire who he would soon be alone with. _This is going to be terrible he said to himself,_ the fear of Aro seeking his vengeance for their humiliating behaviour sobered up Demetri far too quickly!

Aro was about to follow the young vampire, dragging Felix with him when Marcus' voice stopped him. "Aro, would you like us to call an end to the celebrations for tonight?"

It really pissed off Caius to hear Marcus asking Aro for instruction, as though he were the leader of them all!

"No brother," Aro replied. "I will be back shortly, we are welcoming Carlisle into our coven - I intend for this night to go on long into tomorrow." Aro looked around his guard who were all watching him closely. _What do you all want, instruction, permission perhaps?_ "My friends, go back to your wine, and start the music again, I will be back soon." The guard dispersed, most of them refilling their wine goblets. Aro could hear the musical instruments spring to life as he walked out of the great hall.

Basileus returned to Aro's throne and took the seat for himself. Eleazar soon joined his father, draping an arm carelessly over his shoulder. "Well that was interesting," Eleazar commented.

Basileus smiled broadly, watching Aro leave with his 'family'. "Ah son," he said as he took his boy's hand in his own. "That was interesting and encouraging!"

Eleazar looked at his father questioningly. "I think I will leave it at interesting for now, my lord."


	7. First Feast

**First Feast**

Aro threw his guards up the stairs before him. He stormed up behind them as they both scrambled to reach the top and get to safety. Together, the three burst into the main chamber of their top floor quarters.

Sulpicia was waiting by the fire side for her husband to return, she had already changed into her silk nightgown. The twins sat tiredly at her feet and looked fearfully to Aro. Sulpicia had already laid into them verbally about her disappointment. They felt crushed. They had argued that Basileus said it was okay - that hadn't washed with Sulpicia and she warned them that it wouldn't wash with Aro either.

"Sit down!" Aro ordered his two eldest guards.

They leapt into action and sat next to Jane and Alec on the floor, it seemed the most submissive position in the room. Demetri nudged his brother from his left, Alec did the same from his right side.

 _Great, so I am speaking up again, then!_ Felix thought to himself. He always had to play the part of 'big brother' when they were in trouble.

"Master, Basileus told us we had permission…"

Aro held up his hand to silence the boy. "Who's permission?" he asked dangerously.

"Well, his. He said it was up to him, not you." Felix really hadn't wanted to be the one to say that to their angry coven master.

Aro started pacing in frustration in front of his guard. He didn't dare look at them, thinking he might kill them if he did! "The only permission you need to seek in this coven is MINE, do you understand that!"

Demetri pulled lightly on Sulpicia's nightgown whilst their master was distracted with his pacing.

She looked down at the stressed boy leaning into her leg, "Oh no, if you think I am coming to your rescue you are sadly mistaken! If he doesn't discipline you all, I will."

Demetri's eyes flew wide open and his mouth hung in shock - Sulpicia rarely offered them up so easily to Aro's firm hand.

Aro quit his pacing and rounded on his high guard. They looked like small children, all sat there waiting for their father to erupt over their transgressions. He shook the imagery from his mind. He couldn't deal with those thoughts now - he wasn't yet convinced that they were his own or whether Basileus had put them there somehow. _Have more tricks up your sleeve than I know about, old man,_ he wondered. _Sulpicia wants them disciplined,_ Aro said to himself, _I want to beat their sorry hides for their actions tonight. Basileus may well beat me afterward but I am willing to take that if it means setting these straight about who is in charge around here._

"Each and every one of you should be thoroughly ashamed of your behaviour. You have dishonoured yourselves, and us." Aro gestured to his angry wife who was glaring at their guard as hard as he was.

Felix and Demetri looked ready to cry, Jane and Alec already were.

"You can suck up your tears, all of you! I will give you something to cry about!"

Aro dragged Alec to his feet, the boy resisted but Aro hardy noticed. Putting his foot up on the sofa, he swung Alec over his knee and began a tirade of swats to the boy's backside - his yelps soon turned to cries and after only a few more he was begging to be released. Aro didn't stop though. Sulpicia sat at the other end of the sofa, turning away to face the fire. She had spanked their high guard plenty of times but never more than the odd swat to get their attention, or with the older boys, a slap to the face to shut them up! Aro would always deal with their guards when he returned home to find out they had forced her into such a position. She lied for them sometimes, or at least played it down.

"Please master, please!" Alec called out between smacks.

Aro finally let him loose, "Sit there!"

Alec sat, his ass burned, but he sat.

Aro dragged Demetri up next - the tight smile he offered the boy told Demetri this was going to be hell! From the moment Aro had found him in the dungeon Demetri knew his ass was grass. He must have been told a hundred times not to fuck the newborns. It was dangerous, newborns are so strong, and Demetri was much smaller and younger than the rest of the guard anyway. Demetri knew it was dangerous, that's why he liked it.

Aro leaned into his boy's ear as Demetri dangled over his knee, "I would happily dismember you for your insolence today boy!"

Demetri gulped. _Shit, that sounds harsh!_ And then Demetri felt sudden, intense shame as Aro ripped the britches from his backside, exposing him to everyone in the room. He didn't have long to think of his embarrassment as Aro quickly set to unleashing his rapid assault. Aro didn't relent for a full five minutes - a lifetime in Demetri's opinion when that five minutes consisted of a furious vampire spanking your backside!

Demetri wailed with the pain from the very first strike. When Aro was done with him he ordered the boy to sit with Alec. He tried, he really did try. But it hurt too damn much! Demetri shot up onto his knees feeling sick with the pain. Aro roared in rage, grabbing Demetri roughly by his right arm he lifted the guard up just enough to expose his backside again and released another flurry of punishing swots.

"Now sit down!" he told the howling boy. He did this time. With wailing resumed.

Jane was backing up, that caught Aro's attention. "You aren't getting away with it!"

He took his princess of darkness from the floor and stood her up in front of him. Holding her left arm tightly in his left hand he spanked Jane where she stood as the deadly girl danced from foot to foot to try and avoid Aro's punishing hand. All too quickly if you'd have asked the boys, Jane was released to sit back on the floor. Demetri still hadn't brought himself under control and his sobs were the loudest in the room.

"Get up!" Aro spoke darkly to Felix.

Felix knew he would suffer far worse than the others, he always did. He was the oldest, and usually the most troublesome of Aro's high guard. Even though he was a great bear of a boy, Aro knew exactly how to handle him.

"GET UP!" Aro yelled at his young guard.

Felix pulled himself up to his feet. He glanced at his brother as he did so, _Demetri looks fucked, shit this is going to be bad!_

Aro unbuckled the belt around his waist. As he walked to the strong wooden table at the far side of the room. Felix followed, he knew the drill.

Before the boy had chance to lower himself Aro gripped him roughly by the scruff of his neck, "I am utterly disgusted with you, if you ever dare to address me again in the way you have tonight I will have you whipped in throne room until your blood runs dry."

Felix felt his stomach flip, the wine he'd drank down so greedily came back up now and filled his mouth.

Aro saw the boy was about to be sick. "Swallow it!" he ordered.

Felix didn't dare refuse, though doing so made him gag more.

Aro slammed the boy into the table before he had chance to change his mind. As he had with Demetri, he ripped the britches from the Felix's backside and began his belting. The boy's flesh cracked under the belt as Aro snapped it over and over against him. Paying no attention to his protestations, Aro didn't stop until the table collapsed beneath the boys struggles.

Standing back and panting with the exertion Aro fastened his belt back around the waist of his dress coat. Felix was a sobbing mess at his feet.

"GO TO BED!" Aro shouted to his high guard.

Felix dragged himself to his feet once more and limped quickly from the room, the other three were already well ahead of him.

Sulpicia watched her husband. "My love," she said as she stretched out her arms to him.

Aro joined her before the fire, sitting next to her and then pulling his dear wife into his lap. "I am sorry I was so harsh with them in your presence my queen."

Sulpicia shook her head gently and looked deeply into Aro's eyes. "It is your heart I fear for, my love. And your hide… Basileus will be very disappointed that you punished them."

Aro nodded to that. _Disappointed, that's one word for it,_ he thought. _Basileus will hang me out to dry._

"How did you convince him to put an end to it all, Aro?"

Aro started playing with his rings again, twisting them around his fingers, _I must stop doing this, it's killing my poker face!_ "I told him the truth my queen, it was the only way to get him to end it."

Sulpicia wanted more than that, she wanted the words. "But what did you say my love? Please Aro, I have a right to know..."

Aro sat up straighter and looked down as his wife. "A right?" he repeated her words back at her.

She'd overstepped her mark, eyes cast down she apologized to her husband, asking for his forgiveness.

Guilt spread through Aro's heart over his wife. _She does deserve to know what I said,_ he thought. "I agreed with Basileus that our guard are more than guards to me, I told him I care about them and that I want to protect them."

Sulpicia sat back up, lifting her head from her husband's chest to look into his eyes again. "And did you mean it Aro, really?"

Aro played with a loose curl of her hair, winding it around his finger. "I do, my queen. I love them very much. I know you do too, I heard your thoughts back there. I don't understand why all this is so important to Basileus though, what good has all this done?"

Sulpicia had her suspicions, but she kept them from her thoughts for the moment so Aro wouldn't hear. "Are you going back to the celebrations my love, I can stay here and mind the young ones," she offered genuinely.

Aro leaned back into the sofa. "No, no I don't want to be away from any of you. I should go and check on them. No doubt they hate me again now."

Sulpicia moved from his lap and Aro stood, brushing himself down he collected his wife's long discarded book from the floor and offered it to his queen. "Are you reading this again?" he asked with a smile.

"I love Shakespeare! Reading his works reminds me of our visit to England, do you remember? It's been fifty years."

Aro smiled in response, they hadn't taken a break from Volterra since then. "Of course I do, my queen."

Sulpicia sighed contentedly at her memories of their trip. "Besides, I have only read this one a few times," she said absentmindedly as she flicked through the tattered book to the page she was on.

Aro stroked his wife's face gently before leaving to check on his guard. As soon as he opened the door to the hall way leading to the bed chambers, he heard doors slamming shut and the sound of people rushing around, and four very distinct thuds - like little vampires jumping into their beds. _So you were listening,_ Aro thought, wondering if his guard knowing he loved them could have any adverse effects… He was unable to come up with any possible harm. _But still,_ _naughty little vampires!_

He went to the twin's door first. On opening, he saw what looked like two angels sleeping peacefully in their beds. _You must think I was born yesterday!_ he said to himself as he walked into their room, closing the door behind him.

Aro sat next to his youngest guard, Alec. "I know you are awake."

Alec opened one eye first and then the other, offering Aro a coy smile as he did so.

"Jane, you too my dear." He laughed lightly at the sigh Jane released at having been found out. "Were you listening?" Both nodded. "You know that is incredibly rude, yes?" Nods again. "How much did you hear?"

Alec and Jane shared a questioning look. _Daring each other to lie,_ Aro assumed correctly.

"I suggest you do not lie to me, I will know my little ones," he said as he tapped his temple.

"All of it, master," Jane spoke up. "Will Basileus really belt you for punishing us?" she asked.

"I believe so, yes." Aro said plainly. "That is not for you to worry about, though. Do you want to ask me anything?" Aro pressed.

Both shook their heads. Aro could see how tired they were and felt it better for them to sleep if they weren't feeling chatty. He stood, leaving Alec's bed and made for the door again. Just before he closed the door behind him he heard Alec whisper, "master," calling out for him.

Peaking his head back around the door frame, Jane asked, "Do you really love us? Both of you?"

The twins waited patiently to hear his response.

"Yes," Aro returned, mimicking their whispers. "Very much. Now go to sleep or you will feel how much I love you!" Aro raised his arm across his body and up towards his face, as though he was about to slap someone with the back of his hand. His threat was false but the two young vampires ducked down low under their blankets, just in case.

Aro stood outside Felix and Demetri's chamber door, listening, waiting to hear any movement from within. He could hear they were whispering to each other but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Flinging the door open he startled both boys into jumping a foot above their beds. He entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"When you are sent to bed for being naughty little vampires, I expect you to go straight to bed - not lurk around doorways listening in on private conversations."

Aro walked between their beds and around the room. Reaching the window he leaned into the sill and looked out at the bright moon lighting up the sky. Without looking back he asked, "I assume, like your partners in crime across the hallway, you heard everything?"

Turning to see their answer he caught both boys nod in agreement with his question.

"Master, we are sorry we got so out of hand tonight, all of us. It won't happen again." Felix spoke up.

"Damn right you are about that Felix, you for one, are very, VERY lucky I didn't thrash you where you stood with the way you talked to me. And Demetri you weren't any better!"

The two of them found their hands very interesting all of a sudden. Aro couldn't help but smile seeing that they imitated his nervous habit. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

Felix looked up. "We don't want Basileus to come down on you because of us."

Aro waved his boy's statement away with his hand. "Let me worry about him, don't concern yourself with Basileus, okay?" Both nodded again. "Do you want to ask me anything?" there was Aro's final prompt.

"You said you love us." Demetri stated, quietly.

Aro went and sat on the boy's bed. "I did," he replied.

"Do you mean it?" Demetri asked.

Aro learned back on his arms so he could see both young guards, and simply said, "I do."

Silence fell between the three of them. Aro watched his young guard, Felix seemed to have a question forming in his mind. _That boy is so transparent,_ Aro thought with a smirk.

"What is it Felix?" Aro finally asked him, the boy looked confused.

"Huh! Oh nothing, it doesn't matter."

Aro pressed further, "Speak, now, or I will come over there and read your mind, I don't have time for these games!" Aro wasn't as annoyed as he sounded, he was far more concerned that his admission could disturb the status quo in their coven.

"Does this change anything, master?" Felix eventually asked.

Aro really wasn't sure himself if he was being honest. "I don't know Felix. In these quarters, it could, I suppose it will. Outside of our private rooms though, no, definitely not. You are still my high guard and I expect you to act as such." Aro finished, the boys looked a little sad at that. _What did you expect,_ Aro asked himself. _What more could I offer than that really?_

"But you stopped Caius from punishing me in the throne room…" Felix trailed off. To him, that was things changing outside their quarters too.

"Felix, I have always intervened to prevent Caius from tearing off your limbs. He may have whipped you with the others, but I have always intervened."

Realization dawned on both Demetri and Felix, they may not have been privy to Aro claiming them for his own with Caius, but thinking back, Caius had never disciplined them like he had the rest of the guards.

"So what about in out quarters then, master?" Demetri asked Aro.

Aro mused over what could change. He wasn't sure what they wanted to hear and he wanted to make them happy. _I want to make them happy, hmm. I've never really thought about that before._

"Well you can relax the 'master' in our quarters for a start. Other than that, let us just see how things develop." Aro sounded final, he was never one to overplay his hand and the two young guards knew him well enough to know when to stop pushing. Eyeing them both for a moment, Aro stood from Demetri's bed. "Sleep!" he ordered, and left the room.

Aro allowed his high guard to sleep until just before dawn, then he had to wake them. He knew Ashanti would be bringing in a human party at sunrise - it was her commission to do so as a way to end their celebrations with a feast. Aro had already changed, he was waiting, watching the fire as he often did, for the rest of his household to join him.

"If you miss this feed you will be waiting another month!" he called out in no particular direction.

Sulpicia was first to join him, struggling with the clasp on her jewelled bracelet.

"Allow me, my queen." Aro took the bracelet from her hands and delicately closed the clasp around her wrist. "I bought you this not long after we mated," he said softly.

Sulpicia simply smiled at her husband, and placed her hand on his cheek, allowing him access to the thoughts running through her head. Memories flooded Aro's mind of when they first met and he'd courted her, and their first night together as vampires. Then to when each of their high guard joined them and moved into their quarters.

"My queen, please, let us not get ahead of ourselves, the order of things MAY change in these private rooms, but outside of our sanctuary it most definitely cannot." Aro spoke as kindly as he could but his dear wife's face still fell.

"I will go and hurry them along, my love," she said to him as she left to find her 'guard' and hide her sadness at Aro's declaration.

She returned a moment later with all four following behind her. "Felix is limping still," she told her husband.

"Good!" Aro stated a little too happily. All five of his household looked sad at hearing him say it. Aro quickly explained himself, "Caius will want you whipped Felix, you tried to kill Antonio last night. If you are limping he will know I have dealt with you and it may be enough to convince him to leave you to me."

Felix paled. "May be enough?!" he replied in shock.

Aro smiled slightly, Felix and Demetri had both been whipped before, it was one of the Volturi's lesser punishments for those they decided against dispatching - two guards would hold the offender up and one of the masters would whip them at his full strength and vampire speed, even with a vampires increased rate of healing, a few offenders were left with physical scars from the ordeal.

"You will apologize to Antonio for taking the games too far, and then leave me to deal with the Caius."

Aro was serious, Felix heard him - _don't antagonize Caius, got it._

"My queen," Aro said as he offered his wife his arm. She linked with him and the young guards followed them out of their suite into the castle halls and along to the throne room.

The rambunctious guests of the great hall the six had left seven hours ago were far more subdued on their return. The twins caught Eleazar's eye as they entered, he was sitting alone on the guard benches to the far side of the room. He beckoned them over, looking worse for wear with all he'd drank. They joined him happily once Aro had given them his approval.

"What happened?" he asked them as they sat either side of him. "Has he punished you?" Eleazar was sober enough now though his words slurred a little with his exertions of the evening.

The twins nodded.

"Bastard!" Eleazar said a tad too loudly, the twins hushed him for fear of alerting Aro. "Well he shouldn't have," he whispered to them more quietly. "I will be speaking with him about this, Basileus too."

The twins smiled at Eleazar and leaned into him as he put a protective arm around each of them, shooting a frosty glare to his brother and father.

Aro took his throne and pulled Sulpicia into his lap, the throne was large enough for them to sit side by side but he preferred to hold her tight. Felix and Demetri hung around his chair awkwardly.

"You can go to the guards," Aro called over his shoulder to them both. "Felix, you had better seek out Antonio," he finished pointedly. Both boys nodded and left the elevated area to face their coven mates.

Caius sauntered over to Aro, "I thought you were coming straight back?" he said accusingly.

"I got caught up dealing with them brother," Aro gestured to his high guard, now scattered around the room.

"Felix is still walking I see, I will whip him later, I have things to do after the feast so he'll have to wait for now," Caius said in a matter-of-fact way. He missed Aro tensing up at his words.

"I've dealt with him Caius," Aro said sharply.

Caius, still not noticing Aro was against him on whipping the guard, continued, "hardly! Look at him! You are getting soft in your old age brother!" He scoffed and went to walk away.

Aro grabbed his wrist to pull him back. "I said, I have dealt with him Caius. You aren't whipping him, no one is."

Aro heard his brother in arms thoughts, Caius was surprised - _what is going on with you, the insolent whelp was an embarrassment to himself and tried to kill a fellow guard, we cannot let this go, you would never let such a thing go Aro!_ "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Caius exclaimed aloud.

Moving Sulpicia out of his lap, Aro stood up, facing Caius off. Aro very rarely called rank - he usually managed things so he didn't have to - however, he was fully prepared to if necessary. "Felix is my high guard, and I say I have dealt with him. So that's the end of it."

Aro was menacing, Caius wasn't one to scare easily but he was perturbed in this face off. _Somethings happened, somethings changed,_ he thought. "Fine, protect your brat Aro, but you are breaking coven rules."

"It's MY coven, Caius, and MY rules - I can break them whenever I feel like it," Aro spat his reply loudly, leaving Caius in no doubt that things had changed.

Caius eyed Felix and Demetri dangerously. All the guards had seen Aro pull rank against Caius and Caius was furious at being humiliated in such a way. _I'll take your fucking guard down for this Aro,_ he thought bitterly. _I'll set my own coven up you can keep the fucking Volturi and when we do battle I will take your smug head off your fucking smug shoulders._

Basileus had been talking with Carlisle - his new son had caused a little too much trouble in his inebriated state and he was telling the newborn what he could expect when they returned to their quarters. Carlisle's stomach hit the floor but he bowed his head respectfully as his father left him to speak with Caius.

"Caius," Basileus called the young master over to him. Placing an arm around his shoulders and holding him uncomfortably tightly he spoke quietly to the man, he whispered, "I heard your thoughts..."

Caius started to panic and ramble his excuses, Basileus hushed him.

"You have such wonderfully grandiose ideas, but I fear, my boy, that they are above your station," Basileus said pointedly, and with a tone that offered a threat to his words.

"I understand my lord, forgive me, I have drank too much…"

Basileus cut him off again. "Yes, we all do silly things when we are drunk, take Felix for example…" Basileus let that hang there as he went to question Aro about what had kept him away so long.

"I do hope you haven't punished the young ones for your own actions, son."

Aro rolled his eyes and went to walk away, but Basileus spun him back around to face him - he wasn't finished yet.

"You are the one who tricked them!" Aro spat accusingly.

"I did not trick them, Aro." Basileus replied, "I am not a conjurer, I simply did what was required to save this family."

"Family!" Aro said as he went to walk away again. Before he'd made it a safe distance, Basileus had flashed around in front of him and grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt.

"Yes, Aro, family!" he ground out.

Aro looked around furtively. _Too many people watching!_ "Okay, okay, family," he whispered back.

Basileus was content with that for now. His plan was coming together - he could tell Aro's feelings were changing even if his son chose to continue lying to himself. "You will meet me in my chambers when the feast I finished."

Aro looked to his father incredulously. "You seriously intend to punish me for dealing with my own guard?" he said as quietly as he could with still being heard.

"Aw son," Basileus replied as he embraced his boy with a broad grin. "Punish is such a tame word for what I plan on doing to you!"

He said it so sweetly, and with such love, that Aro had to replay the words over in his mind to gather his father's true intent. When he twigged he started to fret. "What do you mean by that?!"

Basileus continued beaming, "I'm going to beat you black and blue boy. You were warned to leave them be."

Aro's face paled, much like Felix's had only half an hour before. Basileus slapped his sons face lightly and left him to stew in his fear.

Carlisle had watch Basileus and Aro's conversation and waited for Basileus to leave before he approached. "Aro, Aro!" he called, shaking his new big brother from his own thoughts.

"Forgive me Carlisle I, oh, it doesn't matter. Have you enjoyed the celebrations?" Aro needed a change of conversation - if nothing else, Carlisle could offer him that.

"I think I've enjoyed it too much," he replied, clearly nervous.

"Why?" Aro asked. "All was well when I left, with you anyway. What happened?"

"I have had sex with half the women in your guard!" Carlisle was pacing, his actions disturbed him, it was like they weren't his own. "I was drunk, I would never act in such a way sober! I was a good human, it seems I am an immoral vampire!" Carlisle looked set to send himself into a frantic melt down!

Aro interrupted him to attempt some rationality. "You weren't THAT good a human Carlisle, I read your thoughts whilst you were transforming… I saw a few ladies in your past!" Aro laughed at his brother's horror.

"Well only a few. And spread out over a few years, not half a room in one evening!"

Aro couldn't hold his laughter in any longer, Carlisle soon joined him, chuckling gently.

Getting serious again, Carlisle asked his brother about his main concern. "Aro, he said," he gestured nervously to Basileus. "He's going to 'deal' with me later... What does he mean, what is he going to do?"

Aro understood his brother's fear, he understood only too well. He placed a hand on the younger vampires shoulder. "I do not know brother, but safe to say, I believe most of our father's fury will be aimed at me today, and maybe for the foreseeable future too…"

Aro looked over to his, no, _their_ father just in time to see him look back at them with a furious glare. Aro knew that was for him - Carlisle had been a little foolish, he hadn't defied their creator like Aro had. Whatever Basileus was trying to do the order of things in Aro's 'family', Aro knew it did not bode well for his hide.

"I think, little brother, you are going to have the easiest newborn year in history. That bastard's going to be far too busy beating me to notice what you are up to."

That didn't make Carlisle feel any easier, oddly.

Ashanti threw open the great hall's front doors and sauntered in with a large group of humans following her - they were mesmerized by her presence and obeyed her every order. Didyme left Marcus to his musical guards and joined Ashanti. Once Ashanti had ordered her humans to group in the middle of the room, Didyme flooded the poor things with her gift. Didyme's gift of happiness was often enjoyed by the entire coven, except for Aro, who she sadly had no effect on. She could, if she chose, flood her victims with such a strength of happiness hormone that they fell into a euphoric state, it lasted hours on humans.

Didyme smiled contentedly at the pile of humans tripping out from her drug and turned to Ashanti, "How many did you find my dear?"

"Enough for one each, at least, my lady."

Ashanti bowed to Didyme as she backed away to join the guards. They all knew to wait their turn. There was an order to feeding in Volterra and the guards were last.

Basileus offered a smile to coven's siren. "You've done your duty well my dear."

If she could, Ashanti would have blushed. She hoped that such a great haul of humans would get her back in Basileus' good books. He'd found her and Carlisle at the back of the great hall being far too frisky for public view.

Renata leaned close to her friend. "You may have pleased him enough to be spared more humiliation, Ashanti. I still cannot believe he slapped your ass in front of everyone!"

Ashanti whispered back her reply, "I know, mortifying! I know it was Eleazar that gave us away. I will get even with him for this!"

Renata didn't like the sound of that. "Be careful…" before Renata could continue Basileus had ordered them all to shush and listen.

Walking to the human pile, Basileus picked out two humans, delivering one to Eleazar who was still sitting with the twins, the other to Carlisle standing with Aro.

"Not yet, son," he told his new boy, returning to the human haul.

Carlisle held tightly onto the human, he wanted to rip its throat out and drink down the blood he could smell, but he didn't want to kill the human. Aro had his hand on his brothers shoulder and 'heard' his conflicted thoughts.

"Brother, if you do not feed Basileus will make you… you are better off just getting on with it. I must say though, your restraint it amazing!"

Carlisle nodded to Aro - he still felt like scum but decided against warring with his new father in such a public setting.

Basileus soon delivered a human to Aro and Sulpicia and took one for himself too. Much to Caius' annoyance, he allowed them all to feast together. Basileus watched Carlisle, he saw the newborn try to resist, but Aro made him see sense and he eventually drank the human host dry. Once he was sure his sons, and dear Sulpicia of course, had feasted he gestured to Marcus and Caius to retrieve their own meals.

Marcus collected two happily; one for himself and one for Didyme. Marcus couldn't care less about position within the coven, it had always been obvious to him that Basileus lead this coven and he, Caius and Aro were just the daily masters of it. Of course Aro was above he and Caius - Aro was Basileus' son, he really couldn't understand why Caius struggled with the idea.

When the two masters and their wives had finished, Basileus went to release the guards to their feasting, but Aro stopped him.

"Not yet, my lord," he called to his father.

Basileus caught Aro's thoughts as he stood down and allowed his son to proceed… he wouldn't have done so if he hadn't read his thoughts mind you.

Caius looked confused. "What are you playing at Aro? Let them get on with it." He was still clearly pissed off with his coven mate.

"No Caius, there is an order to things, is there not?" Aro spoke smoothly with a patronising smile for his co master. "Felix, Demetri!" he called and his two boys walked forward with their heads bowed. Next Aro caught Jane and Alec's eye and called them forward too. "Go ahead!"

Hurried whispers filled the guard as the four of them looked around, unsure if this was some sort of test, or something? Eleazar nudged the twins forward from his seat but they still didn't approach the humans.

"What the hell are you playing at Aro!" Caius voiced the guards' thoughts, though far more forcefully than they were thinking.

Aro spoke darkly to Caius in return, "Something I should have done long ago, brother," he said, leaving the man in no doubt that things were changing around here.

Aro walked down the throne steps and plucked out two humans, he dragged their bodies around the pile and delivered one each to Felix and Demetri. "Enjoy" he said simply as they took his offerings, nervously. Returning to the pile he collected another two humans and took them to Jane and Alec. He winked at them as he dropped the bodies at their feet.

"I told you to feed!" he called over his shoulder as he returned to his throne.

Sulpicia stood up for her husband to take his chair, but he gently lowered her back down and stood beside her, hand in hand. They watched together as their high guard fed to their fill. Sulpicia was thanking him in her thoughts, he squeezed her hand to let her know he'd heard. When their young ones were finished Aro told the rest of the guard to find themselves a host. With a little more apprehension than usual, they devoured the rest of the bodies before them.

While the guards were busing, Aro crooked a finger at each of his high guard in turn and called them forwards. They approached the throne steps with trepidation, still wondering if perhaps they should have resisted the feeds they had been offered.

"Come up here," Aro told them, sounding very serious.

The four of them searched each other's faces as they approached him, not entirely sure who the serious tone was directed at. The twins stood either side of Sulpicia's knees and she smiled kindly at them as they did so. The older two went to Aro and stood in front of him. _Looking bloody gormless!_ Aro thought. He turned the two of them around to face the rest of the hall as the guards busied themselves fighting it out over the best feeds. Aro draped his arm around Felix and angled his guard so Caius could see him.

"Have you apologized to Antonio?" he asked Felix, rather loudly.

Oh fuck! Felix thought, his guts twisting. "Yes master," he said respectfully, praying to whatever god there was above that Aro was going to get him out of being whipped by Caius.

"Have I dealt with you for your transgressions?" Aro asked him sternly.

Felix really wasn't sure what was going on now, but he trusted this was all part of Aro's plan. "Yes master."

Aro clapped his guards shoulder. "See brother," he said to Caius. "Nothing to bother yourself with."

Caius scoffed. "Whatever you say, master!" He dripped with sarcasm.

They all knew Caius wasn't going to let it go. Felix gulped between the intimidating masters of the Volturi coven, wishing it was Marcus instead of Caius. _Marcus isn't vengeful, Marcus is nice, easy going even. He doesn't even seem bothered about any of this. Caius is such a miserable, evil bastard - he isn't going to let this go, he will whip me eventually,_ Felix thoughts were running away from him.

Aro gave him a jolt, having heard it all. "I suggest you don't give him a reason to then," he hissed just loud enough for Felix to hear.

The boy nodded, knowing full well staying out of trouble was impossible for him at the best of times, let alone with Caius watching his every move.

"Was that part of your plan?" Eleazar asked their father, he and Carlisle joining Basileus at the side of the throne floor.

"Nope, that was Aro's doing."

Eleazar laughed lightly. "So you were right then, about Aro I mean, and…"

Basileus cut him off with a wave of his hand. The great hall was falling quiet as everyone had fed and he didn't want to discuss such sensitive matters in public. "I will talk to you later. I _need_ to talk to you later in fact. When everyone leaves I want you two to go to my quarters, I will bring Aro."

Eleazar nodded and waited for the proceedings to finish. Carlisle looked ready to throw up that blood he'd just drank.

"If we are all finished, my friends," Aro called out, quietening the last of the rabble. "I need these bodies taking to the courtyard for burning and then you can take the rest of the day off, all guarding duties are cancelled, in honour of my new brother."

The guards whooped and applauded at that. They would happily remove the bodies and disperse around the castle grounds to enjoy a very rare, full day off.

Demetri was soon digging Felix in the ribs again. _No way, I am not asking to 'go and play' after last night brother you can do your own dirty work!_ he thought back at Demetri, shaking his head to his brothers pleading face. Before Demetri had chance to build up the nerve, Aro shocked the four of them.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Pushing his eldest guards forwards he gestured to the twins. "And take them with you."

"Stay together, please." Sulpicia added, quietly.

Aro watched as his guard left through the arched, open doorway to the front of the great hall. He laughed with Sulpicia as they repeatedly looked back to them for reassurance.

Caius was becoming incensed! "Are you going to explain to the rest of us what is so funny about letting him off the hook for his behaviour!?"

Breaking away from his laughter with his wife, Aro turned back to Caius. "What are you talking about now?" he asked, sounded thoroughly bored. "They were drunk, it wasn't a big deal so let us not make it one. If you want to whip them you will have to whip the entire guard."

Caius saw his chance. "Then I will, happily."

Aro shook his head and laughed at Caius, which just angered him more. "I am sure you would, too. But, Caius, no, just no. Leave my guard alone, they are for me to deal with."

Caius jumped to his feet to respond, knocking Athenodora out of the way as he did so.

Aro was quick to do the same and squared up to Caius. "You will leave my guard alone, and if I think you are being unfair with the rest of the guards, I will take them, too. You will not win on this Caius, so I suggest you back off."

The two coven masters had never gone against each other before, Aro would always seek to find middle ground and they would agree on the matter of course to take. Not this time. Aro was deadly serious. Marcus would frequently act as a mediator between the two but he sensed this time it wouldn't be right. Aro meant what he said, he wasn't being flippant, he would take Caius down if he had to. Marcus felt the bond between them fracture, only slightly, but he felt it all the same. It took a while for Caius to back down, eventually he turned and left the throne room with his wife trailing after him.

"I am going back to our quarters to read, my love. Spend some time with your new brother."

Aro smiled to his mate and nodded in response, but wasn't relishing the next part of his day - facing his father. Marcus and Didyme took their leave with Sulpicia, leaving the three brothers the creator.

"With me!" Basileus called as he led them out at a human pace back to his quarters…


	8. Brotherly Love

**Brotherly Love**

Basileus closed the door to his main chamber once his three sons were assembled inside. "Well that was quite an interesting party…" he said to himself.

"Interesting and encouraging, my lord," Eleazar reminded the man of his earlier words.

"Shut up, El!" Basileus replied, pushing his eldest son further into the room. "Sit!"

All three younger men dove towards the fireside sofa, all clamouring to get the furthest away from their creator. Basileus sat on the sofa opposite.

"There is not enough space for the three of you there. Aro, sit here, son." Basileus patted the seat next to him.

Cursing his luck, Aro stood and joined his formidable father. Basileus watched for his son to settle and then brought his hand down hard on his closest thigh.

"Let's get started shall we!" he breezed as though he'd simply tapped his leg.

Aro was convinced the bastard had broken his bone and had to bite hard into his hand to prevent himself whimpering.

"You have spent your first night at Volterra shacking up with half my guard!" Basileus shot accusingly to Carlisle. "And you encouraged him Eleazar! I am speechless!" Basileus stilled his tirade for now but stood up and started pacing.

"I would guess he won't stay speechless for long," Aro whispered to his brothers, breaking the tension between the three of them and causing an eruption of giggles from his brothers.

"ARO!" Basileus caught it, and bellowed at his son, who at least had the good grace to look sheepish. Not that it prevented Basileus from cracking him across disrespectful mouth.

 _Okay, I deserved that I suppose,_ he thought as he straightened his jaw.

"You would never guess Felix wasn't your son by birth. Aro - you have such similar traits!"

Aro rolled his eyes to his father's words. _Enough about the family dynamics, please!_

Turning back to face the other two vampires, Basileus asked Eleazar to explain himself.

"To be fair, my lord, I did explain which females were for the taking," he replied.

Carlisle nodded to that. "He did, my lord, I just, well I don't know what happened. Everything is a blur, after Corin…"

Basileus shook his head, he looked ready to blow smoke out of his flaring nostrils! He pressed on, "And what about the display you put on beside the wine barrels? You would have been fucking in the throne room if I hadn't stopped you both!"

"I still cannot believe you spanked her in the great hall in front of everybody," Carlisle said, still suffering from the surprise he had felt at the time.

Basileus rounded on his son, pulling him up just shy of his chair by his throat. "That was nothing, I gave her a few smacks to set her straight. Ashanti knows she was damn lucky to get off so lightly with me, and you are damn lucky I didn't do the same to you!"

Aro decided to try and save the newborn some shame. _He looks mortified enough by his 'immoral' behaviour._ "Aw, come on, we're all defenceless against Ashanti," Aro quipped.

"All?" Eleazar questioned his brother with a raised eyebrow - that was news to him!

Aro would have blushed if he could. He'd fucked as many of the guards as anyone else, but he was clever about it. He wouldn't want Sulpicia to get wind of his exploits. "Well, you know how it is… once or twice… its Ashanti!"

Eleazar was so shocked he laughed. Aro's revelation healed Carlisle's battered psyche enough for him to join in, too. Aro just smirked at the two off them, he knew he'd have to explain himself to them later.

"Do you think this is funny?!" Basileus slapped each one of his sons to shut them up. Pointing to Carlisle he told the other two, "He's been passed around the damn guard like a common fucking whore!"

 _I_ 'm fucked anyway, I might as save Carlisle some grief! Aro stood up to face his father off. "So what? He enjoyed it, they enjoyed it, who cares?"

"I CARE!" Basileus boomed back at his middle boy. "I expect some decorum going forward," he added for Carlisle's benefit, who nodded vigorously in response. _I'm never drinking again,_ he thought solemnly, as so many had before him.

"Pft!" Aro was ready with a reply for that. "I don't remember you employing much decorum when we went from orgy to orgy through ancient Greece. Quite the opposite in fact." Aro offered a sly smile with his words, he couldn't help himself from smiling truth be known.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Eleazar was impressed his brother stood his ground against their father's roar. Carlisle wasn't, he simultaneously thought Aro was stupid, and felt guilty that Aro was now in hot water for coming to his defence.

Aro wasn't standing for long. Basileus knocked him off his feet when he whipped the back of his strong, broad hand across his boys face. Aro steeled himself as he fell to the floor - he'd known what he had coming since he'd spoken to his father in the throne room, but at least his brothers would get out unscathed now.

"El take him around the castle. Keep him out of trouble." The 'him', of course, was Carlisle who allowed himself to be pulled from his chair and out of the room by Eleazar, shooting an apologetic look to Aro who was only just getting up from the floor.

Eleazar closed the door behind them, but they still heard the resounding crack and following thud.

"That would be our father beating the crap out of our brother," Eleazar confirmed to Carlisle.

"How bad will it be?" Carlisle shook as asked the question, his beatings from the pastor were still entrenched in his mind. "Eleazar, in my human life, my father, he…"

"I know Carlisle" Eleazar interrupted his brother, hoping to save him some pain. "Basileus and Aro both read your thoughts, they told me what the pastor did to you. I know what you are thinking, but Basileus isn't like the pastor, Carlisle. He's harsh when he feels he has to be…" he added, "Very harsh," as they heard another wince inducing crack coming from the room behind them. "But no one will fight your corner like Basileus will. He wants the best for us all."

Carlisle didn't look convinced.

"Aro disagrees with Basileus about what is best for him right now. Basileus is right, I believe, but Aro is resisting the inevitable. I will tell you all about it when I'm sure we are in private, okay?"

Carlisle agreed to wait, but he had other questions. "But why did Aro push him like that?" he asked, still not sure what had gone on.

Hearing more bangs and thuds, Eleazar started walking away from their father's door. "My guess is that Aro knew he had it coming, so he sped things along to save you from getting it too."

Carlisle understood that even less! "But why would he care what I had coming, he's hardly even spoken to me yet."

Eleazar stopped and looked his new little brother in the eye. "Because, Carlisle, you are our brother now, and nothing will ever break that. Whether Aro has fully accepted it yet or not doesn't matter, it doesn't even matter to Aro that he hasn't accepted the change yet. You are our brother, vampires protect their own."

Carlisle felt quite touched. He couldn't remember anyone caring so much in his human life. His emotions were still pissing him off - they were up and down and he couldn't control them. _And now I feel like crying. For fuck sake, I need to get a grip,_ he thought to himself as he wiped a stray tear away.

Eleazar saw what he was doing. "You're a newborn Carlisle - your emotions will settle, give it time. As it happens you are the calmest newborn I've ever seen."

Carlisle was grateful for Eleazar's kind words. "Have you seen many newborns?"

"Hundreds! Thousands! Come on, I'll take you to the dungeons, it's where we keep the newborns when we can't supervise them. I warn you though, some of them are mental!"

"Father, please, that's enough!"

Aro held his hands out defensively towards Basileus. He already looked a mess - his nose was definitely broken and it hurt to talk. His jaw was certainly out of line. He tried pulling it back into shape and hissed as he heard it click into position. Basileus had mostly been slapping his son back down to the floor every time Aro dared look up or tried to explain himself. Of course, each of those slaps were delivered with such force that Aro was lucky to be conscious, or unlucky, depending how you viewed his situation.

"ENOUGH?" Basileus rounded on Aro and grabbed him tightly by the scruff of his shirt.

Aro resisted being dragged across the marble floor and the fabric fell to pieces in Basileus' strong grip. Realizing he was pulling nothing but a tattered shirt collar, Basileus inspected the remains in his hand. "If I were you, I'd hope the rest of your clothing is as fragile, as I will be whipping you until they fall from your body in rags."

 _Oh fuck, no! Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ Aro started to panic, he started sliding himself backwards across the floor but Basileus soon caught him. Taking his closest arm, he pulled the scared vampiric king to his feet.

"You don't need to do this!" Aro begged Basileus to leave him be, he knew it was pointless and he hated lowering himself to begging, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it.

"I made it clear that you weren't to touch them, you did it anyway, you can accept or you can resist, but I will be giving you the hiding of your life either way!"

As Basileus spoke he pulled his son towards his own bedchamber, accentuating every single syllable with an ear piercing crack as he spanked his son's backside. Aro already couldn't breathe for the pain, though somehow he was managing to keep fairly quiet considering - aside from the begging, though most of that was getting caught in his throat now.

Basileus swung the door to his bed chamber open and threw Aro towards to the grand bed on the far wall. "Stay there!" he bawled at his son.

Aro didn't dare move, he stayed exactly in the crumpled heap he'd been left in waiting for Basileus to return. _Where are you going,_ Aro wondered. _Fuck it, I don't care where you're going, but please god be calmer when you get back!_ He tried to work out his chances of getting out of those chambers alive... _little to none,_ he determined gloomily as Basileus came back into view, entering through the doorway with whip in hand. As Basileus walked towards his son, dangerously slowly, every menacing step closer made Aro panic more.

"Can't we talk about this? We should talk! Father, please, you put me in an impossible position… I had to show them who was in charge…" _Shit,_ Aro cursed himself. _That was totally the wrong thing to say, I am really going to get it now._

"I agree with that son, you certainly showed them who was in charge of them." Basileus uncurled the whip in his hand and gestured for his son to turn over. When Aro failed to move, Basileus roughly flipped his son himself and dragged him to the edge of the huge bed by his neck "I will be leaving you in no doubt as to who is in charge of you."

Basileus didn't say anything else, he didn't need to. The gruelling sound of the whip said everything Aro was supposed to hear and from the first strike Aro howled in response.

When it was finally over, Aro was a bloody mess splayed out in his father's bed. Just as Basileus had promised, his clothes were no more than tattered rags. Throwing the whip to the floor, Basileus left the room. Aro had been in this position before, he knew it was safe to move now - safe, but hardly possible. He started pulling himself up towards the head of the bed so at least he could rest more comfortably. Basileus returned, setting down the bowl of warm water and sponge, and the bandages, he picked Aro up carefully and laid him back down with his head on the pillows.

"Stay there," Basileus commanded his son, though kindly this time, not screaming at him from across the room as before.

Aro hid his head in the pillows as his father washed him down, cleaning his already healing cuts as he went. Most of the damage was across his back, though some stray swipes had travelled the length of his legs too. When Basileus was sure his son's cuts were free of any clothing debris he had Aro sit so he could dress his wounds.

"Is that too tight?" he asked as he wrapped the bandage around Aro's chest.

"No, its fine." Aro replied as he hid his hisses.

"Why are you still hissing then?"

 _Okay, so I'm not hiding it well,_ Aro thought. "Sitting hurts. My ass is on fire."

Basileus laughed at his pitiful boy. "Good! That was the desired outcome."

"Harsh!" Aro replied, though he knew it wasn't really.

"Well son, you didn't leave me much choice. You knew what would happen…"

"I know, I know." Aro groaned, he neither wanted or needed another lecture.

"I was proud of you in the throne room, Aro. Putting the four of them above the other guards, that was a good move." As he spoke, Basileus kept winding the bandage around Aro's chest and across his back to pull his wounds tightly together so they healed quicker.

"Yeah, but now Caius is gunning for them all, especially Felix."

Basileus knew that, he'd heard Caius' thoughts in the throne room. "Then we shall have to keep a close eye on them. All of them. Including Caius."

Aro wasn't convinced that would be enough. "You don't know Caius like I do, he will wait as long as he has to, he will have his retribution."

Basileus had made quick work of strapping Aro back together and rose from his bed to fetch his son some clothes. He threw what he'd gathered to Aro. "Put those on, we need to check on the guards."

Aro looked incredulously to his father. "You can't seriously expect me to take a stroll around the castle!"

Basileus walked back over to his son, and knelled down so they were face to face. Basileus cocked his head to the side.

 _What are you thinking now?_ Aro's thoughts were soon answered when Basileus put one hand around the back of his head and the other gripped tightly on his nose. Aro tried to move but it was hopeless. With a slight movement and a small click Aro's nose was back in position.

"Fuck! For Fuck sake! FUCK!" Aro cried out as he clung to his own face.

"Watch your mouth unless you want another round?"

Aro wasn't sure if he serious but decided to knock off his colourful language just to be safe. "Seriously though, can't I just go and hide in my quarters for the rest of the day," Aro asked again.

"No." Basileus was busying himself with changing his own clothes.

"I'll stay in here then…"

"Aro, I said no. Get dressed, or I will take you out as you are."

 _Jesus! What is his problem - he's supposed to be guarding his new pet, not hounding me for fuck sake!_ Aro's thoughts continued to grumble as he dressed himself quickly.

Basileus was listening of course, "Aro!" he warned

His son apologized as he laced up his boots.

"I can't walk properly, don't make me do this," Aro's final plea was delivered just as Basileus was about to open the door to the castle hall way.

"You either come with me now or I will drag you back to my room and make sure you can't walk at all!" Basileus delivered his threat with a menacing air to his voice. He was serious and Aro knew it. "Whilst I think of it, if I am forced into this position again anytime soon, you won't be able to get up and walk away so easily… I hope I am clear?"

"Crystal, Dad." Standing to his full height, Aro squared his shoulders and started walking. _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ his head screamed with the searing pain. His face, however, remained impassive and to any onlooker he would appear to be in perfect working order.

Basileus watched as Aro greeted passing guards with apparent ease and when he was sure they were free from listening ears he told his son, "Maybe I wasn't hard enough on you?"

Aro stopped dead in his tracks. "Don't even joke!"

Basileus laughed, Aro actually joined in a little as they continued on their incredibly slow journey around the castle.

"Everyone seems taken up with relaxing through their hang overs, my lord. What are we really doing?" Aro asked his father once they were outside in the castle grounds.

"I am listening, son."

"To who? Me?" Aro asked.

"No, not you!" Basileus scoffed at his son's ego! "I am listening to the guards, I want to see what they made of last night… Carlisle, you and Caius, your high guard, Felix and Antonio, all of it."

Aro nodded along. "Anything enlightening you wish to share?" he asked with a tone of general disinterest as more guards passed them by.

Basileus stopped and pulled his son to the arched tradesman's gate for a little privacy. "I know you care about these things as much as I do, Aro."

"Nobody cares about anything as much as you do, my lord" he replied.

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his son as he placed his hand on Aro's cheek with much more force than necessary so his boy could read his thoughts.

"OW!" Aro complained loudly.

"Shut up and listen," Basileus told him as he released the thoughts he'd been picking up from the guards.

"Well, do you have an opinion?" Basileus asked his son as they began walking again.

Aro considered what he'd heard again. "It sounds to me like the coven is dividing, my lord. Guards are choosing Caius, or me. They are choosing Felix or Antonio. At least they all like Carlisle, I suppose that's something to be grateful for. The women certainly like him!" Aro stopped and turned to his father. "Is this really what you want, Dad? There are easier ways to end a coven than watching it slowly fracture from the inside out!" Aro was speaking quietly and quickly, but Basileus caught it all.

"No, it is not what I want - not yet anyway."

The 'not yet' surprised Aro. But he started walking again anyway.

"You will have to keep Caius on-side enough for the coven to continue for now, son. The vampiric world is not settled enough yet for my plans to take fruition, but we will be moving in that direction."

Aro scoffed, "Am I still to be kept in the dark about your master plan?"

Basileus put his arm around his son's shoulders and squeezed lightly, Aro hissed despite his best efforts not to. "Sorry," Basileus removed his arm, "I can't tell you yet, you have to work it out yourself. I think you will before I have time to cement my plans, though."

Aro sighed, "must you always be so damn cryptic!" he said, annoyed. The pain was getting to him.

Basileus knew he was struggling and decided against scolding Aro for his tone. "Tell me about last night, after you left with your guard… what happened."

Aro sighed again. "You know what happened I assume, isn't that why I can hardly walk?!"

"Aro, you are walking just fine, don't be such a drama queen! I know you punished the four of them, what else happened?"

Aro told him everything through his thoughts so he didn't risk any lingering ears listening in. He was concerned now Caius was developing a small following.

"So, they want things to change?" Basileus said when he had heard everything.

"Who is they?"

"Your wife, your children…"

"They are not my children," Aro cut him off. "Can you quit with the unnecessary labels, Dad?"

"Fine, for now I will. But still, THEY want things to change. Yes?"

Aro couldn't be bothered to argue against him. "Yes, they do, and I have honoured their wishes – that's why I pulled them forward to take their humans first, it's why I stood for Felix against Caius…" Aro trailed off. It didn't sound like he'd changed much at all really, and placing his high guard quite literally higher in the food chain may have made their position more precarious rather than cement it if the guards thoughts were anything to go by.

Basileus answered the questions swimming around in his sons head. "I agree with you there, Aro. You can do better than that for them. Take it slow, listen to your feelings and don't be afraid to act on them. But keep your eye on Caius as you do so - we can't afford to lose him yet."

Aro nodded again, a little absentmindedly as he tried to work out exactly what his feelings were!

They had soon completed a full lap around the castle grounds as they spotted Eleazar and Carlisle coming out of the grand castle entrance. The pair were laughing delightedly with each other.

"What have you been up to?" Basileus called over. Disappointingly, they looked guilty. _Great, I really could do with a quiet few hours!_ he thought as they made their way closer.

Eleazar answered, "I've just been showing him around, that is all, my lord."

"Really? So you haven't been in the guard hall discussing last night's events?" Basileus read his sons thoughts, though he could have guessed that's where they would have been anyway.

"Well, yes, but we have stayed very much out of trouble," Eleazar answered again.

Carlisle smiled along at the exchange. He was mostly glad to see Aro walking after the sounds they'd heard coming from Basileus' chambers. _And that was just the warm up!_ he reminded himself.

"And you took him to the dungeons?" Basileus said a little more accusingly to Eleazar.

"Only to show him the newborns, my lord. We stayed out of Caius' way."

Basileus nodded to his son. "Okay, can I leave you three together? I have some things to get on with." With their agreement, he left to return to his quarters.

"Are you okay Aro?" Carlisle asked as soon as Basileus was out of sight.

"No!" Aro replied forcefully, "I feel like I'm on fire! He really laid into me."

Eleazar watched his brothers jilted movements. "Why don't you go and lie down for a while, we can check on the guards, Caius and Marcus are doing the same too…"

Aro cut his brother off with a sorry sigh. "I appreciate the offer El, but I think having to walk the castle in this pain is part of my punishment,"

Aro turned to Carlisle, but before he could talk Carlisle spoke up. "Thank you for putting yourself forward like that. I appreciate it."

 _The lad looks genuine,_ Aro thought. "Think nothing of it, brother. The newborn year is troublesome enough without adding to your pile. I had it coming anyway."

The three of them began another tour of the castle grounds together as Eleazar and Carlisle filled Aro in on the tales that were spreading about his high guard.

"So the guards think Felix and Demetri are now untouchable, and they have always thought that of Jane and Alec. But now a few guards are behind Antonio who thinks he stands a chance against Felix one-on-one?" Aro summarized his brothers' observations of their hour in the guard hall.

"That about sums it up, brother," Eleazar replied.

The three of them were laid out on the grass inside the castle grounds, soaking up the last of the midday sun. Aro, naturally, lay on his front enjoying the relief of being still.

"Do you think this is going to cause problems in the coven, Aro?" Eleazar asked.

Aro did! "Quite simply, yes, I do. Basileus agrees, but he seems to think that it's okay! I can't work out what's going on with him." Aro took a moment to stretch out his limbs, wincing as he moved his legs before he continued. "Did you see my guard on your travels?" he asked them both.

"They were all in the guard room when we were there," Carlisle replied.

"Guard _hall,_ " Eleazar corrected.

"Were they okay?" Aro continued, trying to sound as indifferent as possible.

"Yes, Antonio and his little band weren't in there, then, though. I'm not sure it is such a good idea allowing them to wander around on their own, Aro. Don't you think they are vulnerable?"

Aro mused on Eleazar's question, a while before answering. "They are a little, yes. But they are capable of holding their own, especially if they stay together."

Carlisle struggled to think how any of Aro's high guard could be considered vulnerable! He was also struggling to stay still - he had so some much energy, resting in the sun had been nice but now he wanted to get moving again.

"Should we make another round?" he asked his new brothers.

"Feeling restless little brother?" Eleazar asked him.

"Of course he is, he's a newborn!" Aro sighed. "Help me up."

Carlisle and Eleazar pulled Aro to his feet by taking an arm each.

"FUCK!" Aro roared in a painful, angry rage. "I feel like giving my guard a proper hiding to make my own suffering worth it!"

Whilst Eleazar smiled at his brothers complaining - Carlisle looked horrified!

"Carlisle, I am joking," Aro explained. "Come on."

Aro led them forwards back to the castle, Eleazar knew they were heading to the guard quarters, he didn't need to read his brothers mind to know Aro wanted to check on his young ones.

"El, do I look okay?" Aro asked his big brother as they walked into the castle.

Eleazar whispered back, "A little stiff, but no one would guess why. I still can't believe you are walking."

Aro puffed the air out of his cheeks as he agreed with his brother.

"Are we going back to the guards?" Carlisle asked.

 _He looks like a dog in heat!_ Aro thought.

Eleazar was thinking on similar lines and wondering if it was a good idea taking Carlisle back in there… "Carlisle, don't go getting any ideas, you could do with setting some distance between you and the guards," Eleazar said gently.

Aro stopped the three of them in the hallway when he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. "I just leapt into the fire for you, brother. Could you stay out of trouble for a week or so, or at least until I am healed from the last beating?"

Carlisle was growing frustrated. The nervous energy inside him was bubbling up and he needed a release. "I'm not trying to cause you any trouble, I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Not yet," Eleazar stated. "Listen little brother, you are a newborn, your emotions are sparking in every direction, you need to try and keep control of them." Eleazar spoke soothingly to Carlisle, as he had soon after he'd woken to vampiric life, trying to calm him down.

"We could always put him in the dungeons?" Aro said Eleazar.

"Aro!" came Eleazar's shock reply! "You really want to go up for another round with our father, already? No, no he stays with us and we keep him under control."

Carlisle shoved Eleazar backwards as he tried to stand up for himself, "Stop talking about me like I'm not even here. I do not need a baby sitter."

Eleazar looked to his chest where Carlisle was holding him back. Very slowly, and very purposefully Eleazar moved his eyes up to Carlisle's face. "Remove. Your. Hand. NOW!" Eleazar ground out to a suddenly frightened Carlisle.

Carlisle obeyed his brother - aggression wasn't his usual state of play anyway and he couldn't understand where all this anger and frustration was coming from. Crack! Eleazar gave Carlisle a hefty slap with the back of his hand that even their father would have been proud of!

"Try to remember the order of things around here, brother!" he said as Carlisle cradled his face.

Aro was going to add his own comments, when a cheering roar filled the halls. "Guard quarters!" he announced to his brothers as he pushed his way between them to get to the source of the din.

On entering the large room that served as a retreat for off duty guards the smell of vampiric blood hit all three brothers, though Carlisle wasn't sure exactly what it was he could smell.

"What is that, it's like metal or something?"

Eleazar answered him, "Its blood brother, vampiric blood."

Carlisle looked panicked, he knew smelling blood could send newborns on a murderous rampage. His brothers had enjoyed telling him the tales of such events in their own newborn years already.

Sensing why his new brother had paled, Eleazar explained, "Don't worry, its only human blood that affects us in that way, you will be fine. Come along."

Carlisle walked in behind Eleazar, Aro had already fought his way to the middle of the guards. To his surprise, Caius was there!

"What are you doing, brother?" Aro called out, as bright and breezy as possible.

Caius held Demetri down, bent awkwardly over one of the low bookcases. The belt he'd clearly been using on Aro's high guard was gripped tightly in his hand. Caius was panting.

"You must have been using all your strength against Demetri if its caused you to look so unravelled brother. Tell me, what cause could there possibly be?" Aro continued as he walked through the guards, who were all backing away from their king.

All except the four who had Felix pinned to the floor that is.

"Let him up. NOW!" Aro directed to them, they pounced back quick enough, and Aro watched as they went to stand by Antonio. _Hmm, so is this the new little faction I need to keep my eye on then?_ Aro nodded along to his own thoughts as he glared at Antonio and his new crew. They all had the good grace to show their submission and focus on the floor at least.

"Well, Caius, I am waiting," Aro finished his words as he was standing uncomfortably close to his coven mate.

"That insolent wretch tried to finish what he started last night," Caius pointed accusingly to Aro's eldest guard.

Aro looked around the assembled guard. He wanted to take Caius head off for belting Demetri, but his father's words were buzzing around his mind - keep Caius on-side! "So why aren't you belting him then?" Aro asked simply.

Caius was ready with his reply, "He will be next! This one started mouthing off at me so I decided to take him in hand first."

Aro nodded his understanding and walked over to Antonio, holding out his hand expectantly. Antonio had been with the coven for almost a century, since his arrival there had been tension between him and Felix. Caius liked him, though - Antonio was a sadistic killer and that impressed Caius. The guard knew what Aro wanted, and placed his own hand in the master's.

Aro read through the young man's thoughts. Felix had tried to rip his head off again, he only stopped when Caius interrupted them. Antonio had goaded him, though: 'I'm going to kill you, but first I am going to pick off your little coven mates, I'll start with Demetri, then I'll move onto Alec, I'll save Jane for last, I have plans for that little girl!'

Antonio winced as Aro squeezed his grip tighter and tighter hearing his plans to off his whole high guard. Aro watched the fight break out and was pleased to see most of the guard backing Felix. Antonio wasn't a popular coven member. As far as Aro was concerned, the guy's days were numbered anyhow. He saw Caius enter and... _oh fuck! Demetri didn't just mouth off in defence of Felix, he pulled Caius back from the fight._ Caius shoved him away easily but still, putting his hands on a master of this coven is suicide. _For the love of the gods, Demetri, you do not make my job easy!_ Aro thought as he released Antonio's hand.

"Continue then Caius, but you can deal with this one too, he goaded Felix so he's just as guilty." Aro dragged a shocked Antonio across the room and made him kneel at Caius feet and then left him there to stand back with his brothers. Demetri and Felix looked frantic. _Tough, you got yourselves into this mess!_ Aro thought as he glared them both down.

"Are you staying?" Caius asked him, his voice betrayed by nerves.

"Yes, please continue."

Caius wasn't sure if it was some sort of trap, but then again... _If I'm going down I will be giving Aro's pets a hiding first,_ he resolved, and continued his punishing assault of Demetri's backside. The boy struggled to avoid the strikes, but Caius held him firm. Aro noted how much quieter Demetri was being punished in the guards quarters compared with when Aro was dealing with him in their own quarters. _I will be asking you about your theatrics when we are alone, my boy!_ Aro said to himself.

"I think that's enough Caius," Aro called, sending his eldest guard up next, much to Antonio's relief.

Felix looked horrified that Aro was allowing it to happen. Caius' sick grin spread wide across his face when he saw the boy's nerves. _I'm going to make this count!_ he thought with glee.

Demetri limped over to Aro and bowed his head submissively. Aro roughly turned his young guard around to watch his brother's hiding. "Watch and learn my boy, you are lucky, oh so lucky!" Aro hissed into Demetri's ear.

"Lucky?" Demetri turned back to Aro to ask.

Aro forced his head back to his brother. Caius arranged Felix over the bookcase, just as he had with Demetri. There was no wait, no build up, every strike of Caius' belt was delivered with as much force as he could muster. It hadn't even been a full day since Felix was belted by Aro with as much force. From the first strike the boy was biting hard into his hand to muffle the sounds of his cries.

Aro let it go on for long enough for Caius to be sated. "Antonio!" he called out, the man stood, he looked humiliated to be forced into such an uncompromising position – he'd prefer an arm to be taken for the day than face this childish punishment, with a crowd no less! Caius dropped the belt and pulled Felix to stand. He didn't talk to him, or even really look at him as he delivered the sobbing boy back to Aro.

"I think I'm done brother, that belt won't last another round. I'll deal with Antonio tomorrow."

Caius went to leave, feeling fully satisfied with himself. Aro, however, stopped him.

"You either belt Antonio, or I will, and if I do, I will be taking his head as a trophy," Aro spoke so lightly and breezed his words that the guards seemed confused.

There were quite a few present who would like to see Antonio ended in such a way, and most of them felt sorry for Felix and Demetri. Caius was shocked. Until yesterday the two had been thick as thieves, since then Aro had gone against him three times at least! Considering his options, Caius decided he wasn't ready to lose Antonio, yet. He planned to use the vampire's war against Aro's high guard to his own advantage. The stand-off between the two coven masters didn't last long, Caius casually walked back over to Antonio and thrust him down over the bookcases where Felix had just been. He retrieved his belt from the floor and went to start the vampire's punishment.

"Caius," Aro sang out, "I hope you put your heart into it brother, I would hate to have take over for you…" Aro let his voice trail off as an incensed Caius turned back to his favourite guard and threw his full effort into every swing.

Caius stood back, breathing hard with his exertions, and held up the tattered remains of his belt to Aro. "May I borrow yours, brother?" he asked.

Aro smiled, looking at Antonio and the fraying fabric covering his backside, Aro decided the errant vampire had been punished enough. "I think we can draw a line under this now, Caius, don't you?"

Caius nodded curtly.

Aro turned his two guards around to face him. "Neither of you will step foot in this room again, ever. You clearly cannot be trusted and we have better things to do than following you around cleaning up your mess!" Aro's scolding of his guards pleased Caius - Aro chanced a look at his coven mate to see him grinning with glee.

As Caius made to walk passed him, Aro reached out and brought him in close. "We are on the same side brother," he said simply.

Caius smiled and patted Aro's back, he agreed. Aro felt the fire of his lashes ignite under Caius hand. He held it together, but only just.

Felix and Demetri didn't dare reply to Aro. They thought his decree was grossly unfair, but now wasn't the time to ask for a reprieve. They moved slowly around the talking coven masters to stand with Carlisle and Eleazar. Carlisle looked kindly to them, Eleazar glared! He looked just as pissed off as Aro! That was unusual, Eleazar was usually a safe bet for refuge when they were in trouble, but right then Eleazar was more worried about Aro. _My brother is under so much pressure and you two have just added a whole heap more on top of him. I must talk with Basileus!_

Antonio approached Aro, hissing and wincing with each slow step. "Master, I…"

Aro held a hand up to silence him. "You have been dealt with, I consider the matter done. Understood?"

It wasn't a question requiring an answer, Antonio knew that as he backed away submissively. Aro turned to leave the guard quarters, Eleazar shoved Felix and Demetri into place behind Aro and followed closely making sure they had nowhere to run. Carlisle went with them, unsure of what he'd seen. _Did Aro let Caius do that just because Basileus had whipped him… he said he wanted them to get a proper hiding because he was suffering. Would he really do that? He seems so nice one minute and a raging monster the next… just like Basileus. Is this what I will become too now I am a vampire?_ Carlisle's thoughts rushed through his head so fast he could hardly keep up with them. He didn't realize that they were already back outside the arched entrance to the tower containing their private chambers. Aro had his hand on the door knob when the door flung open at them.

Basileus.

"Speak!" he ordered Carlisle.

All eyes flew to his squirming face.

"What? Speak what? I don't understand! What have I done?" Carlisle stumbled over his words.

Basileus interrupted him, "I have been following your thoughts on your way back here, I hope to god what you are thinking isn't true!"

He glared at Aro, who genuinely had no clue what he could have done wrong. He thought he'd handled the guard hall situation pretty well! "What have I done?!" he asked forcefully.

Basileus pulled them all through the archway and pushed them into his chambers. With them all standing in front of him, his three sons and Aro's two guards, Basileus circled them, he was picking through their thoughts. He came to a stop in front of Carlisle. "You were thinking Aro had Caius punish them on purpose, in vengeance for his own suffering. Why would you think that?"

Aro looked dumbfounded.

Eleazar scrubbed a hand across his face, "Father, please, Aro quipped about such things whilst we walked the grounds, he was joking! Carlisle must have taken it seriously." Eleazar spoke in his brother's defence.

"You bastard!" Aro turned on Carlisle. " I told you I was joking!"

"What did you say?" Basileus asked his middle son, not yet convinced of Aro's innocence.

"I don't know, just that felt like giving my guard a proper hiding to make my own suffering worth it…"

Felix and Demetri stiffened hearing Aro's confession. They thought they deserved the belting Caius had just doled out, but now they were wondering. Basileus raised his hand to Aro who threw his own up defensively.

"Look, I was joking, I didn't mean it, I wouldn't do that to them for god sake! I love them! They are my… well, they are mine! I didn't want Caius to belt them but I was backed into a corner and YOU told me to make things right with him. Caius believes we are on the same side again and I didn't back down in the process! Frankly Demetri is damn lucky to be walking with what I saw in Antonio's thoughts!"

Demetri ducked low and tucked into Felix' side hearing that. He remembered pulling Caius back before he shoved him across the room. _That's what Aro meant in the guard quarters,_ it suddenly dawned on the boy. _He's right, I am lucky Caius didn't rip my arms off, what a stupid thing to do, fuck!_

Basileus was grinning at Aro by the end of his rant.

"What are you so happy about?" Aro asked him, a little pissed off he'd been forced to defend himself, again, and he was definitely going to 'thank' Carlisle for his treachery!

"You will do no such thing son, it was an honest mistake, he's just a newborn," Basileus replied to Aro's unspoken thoughts, already much calmer.

"You made the same mistake!" Aro said quietly to his father.

"No son, I acted on information I heard, that is all," Basileus replied as he went back to his seat at the table where his scattered documents lay.

"Oh how you hate to be wrong," Aro said with a sly smile.

Basileus looked back over to his son, "I wouldn't know, I am not familiar with the sensation."

The five younger vampires stood waiting awkwardly, Basileus looked back over to them all, clearly waiting for him to release them. "Aro I expect you need to talk with your errant guards?"

Aro nodded as the two young guards cringed.

"Soon enough," Basileus told his boy, sending Felix and Demetri upstairs to wait for Aro. Next he asked Eleazar to keep Carlisle company in his bed chamber for a while. Eleazar was happy with that, he wanted to talk to his new brother about loyalties! Aro waited for his release.

"Come and sit with me a moment."

Aro went to the table and pulled out the hard wooden chair. "May I stand?" he asked with hope.

"Sit!"

Aro sighed as he lowered himself into his chair, hissing violently as he made contact with the wood.

Basileus watched him for a moment, Aro knew his father was picking through his memories. "You can see for yourself I didn't have a choice, right?"

Basileus shook his head. "No, you didn't. This thing between Antonio and Felix, we will have to watch closely."

Aro knew that, he agreed. "They are already acting up, is this the change you want?"

"No, Aro. Of course it isn't. But it is to be expected – teenagers push at boundaries, and we have just moved those boundaries. They may be unsettled for a while, you need to keep them from doing anything too disastrous." Basileus looked pointedly to his son, hoping he understood the importance of the task at hand.

Aro rolled his eyes. "Right, so I need to play happy families and have them be obedient guards at the same time… no problem!" he replied sarcastically.

Basileus wearily shook his head. "Drop the attitude, son. I believe we will be facing turbulent times and you must find a balance between managing Caius and bringing your family through into better times."

 _Yeah, 'family!'_ Aro repeated in his thoughts, still choosing to reject the term.

Basileus decided it a good time to comment on Aro's near slip in his earlier rant having read in his son's thoughts that he stopped himself from saying 'they are my children'. "You know you almost called them…"

Aro knew he wouldn't get away with it. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? I am trying to work things out in my head, give me time will you, please."

Basileus sat back with a grin as Aro stood to leave - he needed to talk to his 'guard'. "I can see how happy my near slip made you, you're acting like an expectant grandmother for god sake!"

"Are you happy, Aro?" Basileus asked his son.

Aro opened the door and went into the hall, looking up the winding stairs where his coven-within-a-coven were waiting on him, "I am happy you are happy, that's quite enough happiness to be going on with," Aro replied as he closed the door.


	9. 1663, November - Baby Steps

AN: I do not own anything, SM does, except the odd character I dreamed up...  
Sorry I haven't posted for a week or so, I have been on my hols. I have edited another 32 chapters and they are ready to upload so will start working through those and get things moving :)  
We jump forward a few months to November, 1663. Every time there is a jump the date will be announced in the chapter title to keep things simple.

* * *

 **1663, November – Baby Steps**

"Here! You want to leave him here, with me?" Aro thought at first that his father must have been joking - he wouldn't leave him with a newborn to drag around the castle surely? The look on Basileus' face said otherwise. Knowing he was sounding like a child, but not caring, Aro wined, "why? Why would you do this to me?" Basileus was bored of his son's complaining already. Since he had told Aro his intentions to add another son to his direct rank, Aro had complained. After Basileus had told him the main reason he was doing so was because he didn't approve of Aro's _lifestyle_ , he was incensed. "I have already explained I will be going back to Greece, I will only be gone a month at most." "And why are you taking Eleazar." Aro really did sound like a child now, _how does he do always make me feel like a petulant youth in his presence?_ Basileus' reply was fuelled Aro's rage, "because I want to Aro," he spoke with such cool indifference.

Aro saw red and it took everything in him to contain his anger, he tried to 'talk' but instead he half shouted his reply to Basileus, "What, is that it? You are making my life as difficult as possible because you want to? What am I supposed to do with him? I can't have him in my quarters if I'm not there, I won't risk him alone with my wife!" Basileus understood Aro's protests, he just didn't care to hear them, particularly not in such a disrespectful manner. He remained calm on the surface, "Alec and Jane are usually with Sulpicia, ensure they are there and Carlisle offers no threat to your wife. Besides, I don't want him stuck in these quarters, take him around with you and teach him how this place works…" Basileus turned away from Aro and waved his hand to gesture the castle.

 _You cannot be serious, you want me to get Carlisle, a fucking newborn involved in running this place?_ Aro's thoughts were racing "Do you want him in the throne room?" Aro asked his father incredulously. Basileus simply nodded and smiled at his son. Aro desperately searched his mind for a way out of this. "A newborn in the throne room is not allowed. It's too dangerous." Folding his arms and believing he'd won a point there he smiled smugly to himself. Basileus was pissed off now. "We have newborns in the throne room whenever we have a celebration, there is never a problem. Besides, Carlisle is not just a newborn Aro, he is MY son, and he is YOUR brother! You are overreacting and I strongly suggest you calm yourself! How many guards do you keep in that damn throne room - you will have enough help if there is a problem!" Basileus' nostrils flared and he was squaring up to Aro.

Rather than accepting the very clear warnings to back down, Aro continued with equal anger, "so now he's the guards' problem too?" Pissed off with Aro's attempt to stand up to him, Basileus got in his face, shoving his boy backwards he spoke darkly, "he is nobodies problem Aro. He is your brother and you will do well to treat him as such." Aro backed down this time, there was something in that dark quiet tone that told him he'd gone too far. He looked down to the floor so show his submission, but it was fake, and in a voice just loud enough for Basileus to hear he said, "you were the one who told me not to get attached to newborns daddy dearest." _CRACK!_ Basileus nearly took Aro's head off his shoulders with that back-handed slap. Yeah, he knew that was coming.

Many years ago, before the Volturi was even an idea in his head, Basileus fell in love with a human woman back in Greece. He already had Aro by then, and this woman, Xante captured his heart. She knew what Basileus was and wanted to join him in immortality. Basileus turned her, the same way as he had with countless humans before and she successfully turned into a vampire. Xante was a particularly feisty newborn and with Aro only 9 months in too, Basileus had a lot to deal with. Aro and Xante hadn't met whilst she was still human, though she knew about him and Basileus talked of his son often - she seemed so keen to join Basileus as his wife and create a family. Xante was significantly less keen on Aro, and more importantly, sharing Basileus after she was turned. Sadly, only four months in Basileus returned from a day hunting vampires to find his new dear mate trying to tear his son's head from his body. The struggle that ensued as Basileus tried to save Aro cost Xante her life. Nearly three thousand years had passed since then and Basileus still hadn't taken a mate again, many lovers, but never a mate. For Aro to bring up newborn fragility now was a low blow in Basileus' eyes, and in Aro's too, which is why he used it.

Basileus willed himself to calm down, to be rational, to not rip his son to pieces for dragging up the most painful of all his memories. Finally trusting himself to speak again he told his son simply, "I want Eleazar with me, so he is coming with me. I want you to take care of Carlisle so you WILL take care of Carlisle - I fail to see what is so difficult for you to comprehend?" Aro tried to respond, "well…" "That question was rhetorical! You have three days to get used to the idea before we leave." Basileus moved to fetch his cloak, unsure of whether he was going to receive more chastisement, Aro grimaced as he passed him. Basileus caught it, he liked it, _you should wince I_ _'_ _ve half a mind to take you in hand boy!_ Cloak attached he was making for the door when another thought crossed his mind, "Aro, when I get back… if I find out you've left him in the dungeons with the other newborns there will be hell to pay!"

"Aaahhhhhhh!" Aro released his frustrations, Basileus heard him from the other side of the door but decided it wasn't worth arguing with his son any longer, particularly as his mind was set. He needed Aro to be involved with Carlisle, he needed them to bond, to grow a relationship, and he hoped that even if all this failed, the time he would have to devote to his new brother would be time he gave up his hold over the guards and royal duties. Aro had made a wonderful leader of the Volturi, he was a strategic master mind and all the gifted vampires in the world couldn't match Aro's strength there. But he couldn't let go. He oversaw everything, from selecting potential newborns to training the high guard, from addressing each and every passing vampire personally to hunting down rogue covens. _He will be the first vampire in our history to have a heart attack!_ Basileus joked but a part of him worried if it could be true. The Volturi was supposed to be Aro's job, but he'd allowed it to become his life. Now everything was the Volturi and he had no life outside of his work. Quite simply Basileus wanted more for his first chosen son, and if Aro couldn't do this for himself, he would do it for him. Hearing his son complaining loudly from his quarters, Basileus left the top floor and returned to his own suite, he had much to prepare before he could leave on his next quest.

From the moment Basileus stepped foot in his chambers, Carlisle started nagging him again. "You have only been a vampire for six months Carlisle. You will be drinking human blood for your first year at least. Deal with it!" Basileus was starting to lose it with his youngest son. They were just entering his seventh month of the newborn year and though compared to Eleazar, and certainly Aro, Carlisle was calm and fairly placid, his newborn tantrums were still coming a few times a day and grating on Basileus' nerves. He watched his agitated son stomping around their living quarters.

Today's tantrum was over Carlisle drinking human blood. Basileus couldn't understand the issue, w _e only feed once a month, why is it such a big deal?_ "But it makes me feel sick!" Carlisle continued his whining. Slamming the book down he was trying to read, Basileus ground out his reply, "you have only fed seven times for god sake! You have hardly achieved a bench mark for how you will react." _If he doesn_ _'_ _t stop soon I'm going to belt him again - and its only been three days since the last time!_ Carlisle took a book from the well-stocked shelves and flopped down in front of the fire. He leafed through but paid no attention to the words, he felt far too frustrated to read. Basileus watched him closely, _and he_ _'_ _s going to start whining again in one, two, three…_ "I don't want to kill humans." Carlisle threw his book to the opposite sofa in a very minor act of defiance, he knew Basileus was precious about his books.

"Pick that up and put it back, NOW!" Carlisle ducked his head as he stood, he retrieved the book and tried to hide that the spine was now dented, _oh crap, I didn_ _'_ _t think I threw it that hard!_ Basileus heard his thoughts, "you still don't realize your own strength, boy. Which is precisely why you shouldn't be throwing things around - particularly my things." Seeing his son freeze waiting for a possible punishment, Basileus toyed with walloping Carlisle and depositing him in his bed chamber for the rest of the day - just for some peace! "You really are begging for it today, aren't you. Just put the book back and quit whining." Basileus said as calmly as he could. Carlisle did as requested but his father caught the 'I'm not fucking whining' said under his breath as he did so. Shaking his head at his newborn brat Basileus continued, "complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining."

Carlisle scowled as he replaced the broken book in the space on the shelf, repeating his father's words mockingly in his mind as he did so. "Come and sit with me son." Basileus called over, he really didn't want a fight with Carlisle today, he had too much on his mind already. Carlisle obeyed, slinking down into the seat beside his father, sulking like moody teen. "You said you would teach me to feed without killing them." _More whining!_ Basileus thought, "I did. I will. When you are older" he replied absentmindedly as he re-read the letter in his hand for what must have been the tenth time that morning. "You said I won't get any older," Carlisle continued. "Carlisle!" Basileus ground out his sons name in warning to cease. Carlisle was far too self-absorbed to notice the threat and continued his nagging, "but you did!"

Basileus rolled the parchment back up and returned it to the leather bound cylinder in which it had been delivered. He took his time retying the clasp, trying to gain composure as he did so - Basileus was ready to blow in frustration over his newborns agitated moaning. "Fine. When you are more mature… and not stomping around like a whiny toddler!" That stung, Carlisle was getting pretty sick of being referred to in childish terms, _I'm a man for god sake!_ "I am not whining!" he replied forcefully, though cursed himself when he realized he'd stamped his foot into the floor as he spoke. _Done, I am done, if he isn_ _'_ _t out of here soon I will bloody kill him!_ "ELEAZAR!" He called out loudly for his eldest boy. Basileus knew he was leaning on Eleazar a lot to help occupy Carlisle's time. It had not been his intention when deciding to bring another son into his fold, but the letters he was receiving on an almost daily basis now were taking up so much of the creators head space and he couldn't focus of raising a newborn alone.

"Father?" Eleazar asked as he entered through the arched doorway leading to the bed chambers. "Take him, just take him!" Basileus gestured to the petulant younger vampire. Eleazar glanced at Carlisle, _well he seems in a great mood!_ "Where?" Eleazar was slightly worried his father wanted Carlisle taking to the dungeons or something, "Right now, El, I do not care. Just take him!" Basileus stood, scrapping his chair loudly across the floor, and collected his scroll rolls up carefully. Eleazar wanted to ask his father what was going on, _you seem more and more distracted, and what are all these letters for? Who are they from?_ Eleazar knew his father could hear his thoughts and if he wanted to answer them, he would. The slight, awkward glance from the elder showed Eleazar that whatever was going on with his father, he would not be finding out any time soon. Basileus passed his sons, first Carlisle who ducked lower in his chair in case an errant slap was coming his way, and then Eleazar who he offered a small smile and told him not to worry. "Come on, we'll go and find Aro." Carlisle followed his brother who was already striding for the door to the castle.

Seeing Eleazar was making for the stairs to the higher suite rather than into the main castle made Carlisle nervous. "Eleazar, Aro doesn't want me in his quarters, he said I'm not safe…" his voice trailed off, it hurt that Aro thought him a danger. Eleazar stopped on the stairs. "Brother, you are not a danger to Sulpicia, Aro is just very protective, that is all. Trust me, all will be fine." Eleazar turned and continued towards Aro's suite, passing his own on the way. Carlisle wasn't sure Eleazar was right, but he did trust him so followed all the same.

Eleazar knocked and entered their brothers quarters before Carlisle had finished trudging up the stairs at a slower than human pace. Carlisle listened for the conversation, waiting to see if he was welcome before he presented himself. 'Sully, my lady, is Aro here?', 'Good morning, El. Yes, come on through, he is having words with Demetri about the new-newborns.' _Fuck,_ Carlisle thought, he'd hoped that Eleazar would mention his presence so he could be sure he was okay to enter too. Ready to turn and go back to his father's quarters, Carlisle was stopped by the beautifully gentle voice of Aro's wife. "Carlisle, do come in, please." Taking a steadying breath Carlisle returned the woman's kind smile and allowed himself to be led into his brothers quarters. _I will be calm if it kills me_ _…_ _or Aro will kill me!_ He thought as he passed over the threshold.

"Demetri if you dare go near this new batch you wont see the outside of these walls for a century!" As Carlisle entered the main room he could here Aro bellowing at his young guard in what Carlisle presumed was the bed chambers. "Take a seat, brother, we may have a while to wait!" Eleazar said as he winced at the sound of a pretty hard slap. Carlisle mimicked his brother's movements, taking a seat opposite him beside the fire.

Looking around the main room, Carlisle was surprised how much smaller it appeared to be than Eleazar's or their father's. _Perfect though;_ a roaring fire, a pile of well used books on a side table near to where he sat, and a marble dining table to the side with fresh cut flowers in a crystal vase. The main window was made of stained glass and cast a dancing dappled rainbow of colours across the floor as the morning sun flowed through. "Your home is beautiful, my lady." Carlisle said softly to Sulpicia as she returned to the room. "Thank you Carlisle, but please, call me Sully." She replied as she plumped up pillows on the wooden love seat. She took the seat next to her husband's new brother, new people were so rare and Sulpicia was happy to finally spend some time with the man. "Of course our chambers are much smaller than Basileus' or Eleazar's," She spoke so kindly that her voice alone was putting Carlisle at ease. "We had to re-model to put in an extra bed chamber for the twins when Aro turned them so…" Sulpicia was going to continue but Carlisle cut her off. "The twins lived with you as newborns?" he asked. "Of course," she replied easily, "Felix too. Demetri was already out of his newborn year when he came to us thankfully, though I'm not convinced that such young vampires ever really mature past that first year." Eleazar was nodding in agreement with his sister in law.

Carlisle took a little longer to digest the information. _So I can_ _'_ _t be trusted around Aro's wife but three of the most powerful vampires in this coven posed no threat whatsoever… how does that even work?_ "Carlisle, are you okay?" Sulpicia asked the young blond, he looked confused. "Yes, sorry, I, well. It doesn't matter." Carlisle wasn't sure if it would be considered rude to ask why the twins and Felix were safe but he wasn't. _I will speak with Eleazar later, he is always kind at least._ Sulpicia was ready to probe further with Carlisle, but the main doors swinging open distracted her, "my little ones." She said as she smiled to her youngest vampire guards.

The twins hung their black guard coats in the hall and came to join the three at the fireside. "Are you both well?" Eleazar asked them, they looked exhausted. They said they were fine but they didn't look it. "Where have you been?" Carlisle asked, not knowing what else to say really. He still wasn't entirely sure what the guards spent their time doing on a day to day level. Jane sunk into the seat beside Eleazar and leaned into him as he placed a comforting arm around her. "We have been out all night with Caius and Marcus to find some more newborn stock." She replied sleepily. Alec sat on the floor at Sulpicia's feet and looked entirely content when she began stroking his face. "You two should really go to bed for a few hours my little ones." She suggested softly. Neither moved.

Aro came through the archway, followed by a smirking Felix and gloomy looking Demetri. "Do not let Demetri leave this tower without…" he stopped mid-sentence seeing they had guests. "Brother!" Eleazar stood and beamed at Aro, hoping he wasn't about to kick off about Carlisle being there. "Brothers." Aro replied uneasily. He wasn't sure about this, Carlisle is a newborn, a strong, fast, volatile newborn and he didn't like the idea of such an explosive person sitting next to his dear, fragile wife. "How are you feeling Carlisle?" Aro asked tentatively. "Fine, I'm fine Aro." Carlisle replied, trying to show his brother he offered no threat to his family. Aro nodded, still unhappy with his presence in his quarters.

"Aro, my love, the twins have returned, they are exhausted." Sulpicia interjected, gesturing to their young vampire guards. "So I can see," he replied as he walked around to them both and knelt between them. "How was it?" he asked them simply. "Everything went well, I believe we picked up another twenty humans for turning." Alec offered. Aro smiled and laughed lightly, "I don't really care about that, how were you? More importantly, how was Caius with you?" Aro asked, sounding sterner than he'd intended but his rocky relationship with Caius was playing on his mind - particularly when Caius had access to his high guard. "We stayed with Marcus, he left us alone to do our work, it was fun." Jane added, clearly impressed with herself. Alec rolled his eyes at his sisters 'modesty'. Aro stood back up to full height, happy to hear they were okay, "you've done well, but you must rest now. Go to bed." He said kindly. "Can't we sleep here?" Jane asked as she snuggled back into Eleazar's lap as he retook his seat, closing her eyes as she spoke. "No," he replied as he picked up his princess of darkness in a cradle hold, "you can go to bed!" Aro carried Jane from the room, with Alec quickly following.

"Well that was new!" Eleazar said to no one in particular. Looking around at the faces in the room, no one else seemed surprised with Aro being so kind to his young guards. Not that Eleazar ever thought him cruel with them, but a few months ago Jane wouldn't have asked to stay, she would have followed Aro's request without question. And Aro wouldn't have carried the sleepy child, he would have pulled her up and pushed her in the right direction, and he would be annoyed that he'd had to do so.

"Pft, nothing new there Eleazar, those little witches get all the special treatment around here!" Demetri rarely spoke out of turn so publicly, that was generally Felix' gig. "Demetri, come and sit down, don't antagonize Aro." Sulpicia spoke quickly to her young guard; she knew how much trouble he was in already. "Me antagonize him! Are you serious! He's given me a right round of fucks for something I haven't even done yet!" Demetri was on the war path, Sulpicia could see the boy was already heading down the teenage emotional road of no return. Sulpicia stood and joined the angry youth. "You need to calm yourself, go back to your bed chamber and relax a while." She tried to lead him away from Aro's brothers and Felix' barely restrained laughter. "Shut up Felix!" she threw over her shoulder to the bruin who pretended to be offended as his giggles continued. "I don't need to go to my room!" Demetri said as he roughly shook off the woman hand from his arm. "I'm not a fucking child!" He said as he pushed Sulpicia a little further away. Carlisle scrubbed his hands across his face, he could see now why Basileus was getting so wound up dealing with his newborn tantrums. _I will apologize as soon as I see him,_ he resolved.

"Hey! Who do you think you are pushing at, boy?" Eleazar flashed to Sulpicia's side, standing slightly in front of her. Demetri knew better than to talk back to Eleazar. Carlisle looked on in awe at his big brother. Eleazar stepped into the boy's personal space and leaned in close to his ear. He could feel the boy shake a little beneath him. "You were told to go to your room, I suggest you do so before Aro gets back in here and…" "and tans your backside for your insolence!" Aro had re-entered the room and finished Eleazar's sentence form him. "Thank you El, I can take him from here." Aro said as he smiled gratefully to Eleazar. The brother stepped back as Aro grabbed hold of Demetri roughly by his hair, pulling sharply on the boys bronze locks "you will go to your room and stay there until I release you." Demetri winced in Aro's grip, but his master expected a response. "Am I understood?" Aro asked as he delivered a particularly painful swot to the boy's backside. "Yes, yes master!" Demetri rushed as he danced on the spot with the gulf of pain ignited in his ass. Aro released him, "don't call me that, not in here." He said quietly, Demetri nodded slowly. "Is that it?" Demetri asked.

Felix couldn't contain his laughter any longer, "brother you really are a special kind of stupid!" Aro spun around to face his eldest, "and you can keep him company!" That wiped the smile off Felix' face. "What! You cannot be serious! HE shoves Sully and gets sent to his room and I LAUGH, and I get the same treatment! That isn't fair!" Felix fumed, he was embarrassed at being punished so childishly in front of Eleazar and Carlisle. He would like to include Sulpicia in that list but she was so used to Aro belting them in her presence that she hardly noticed their chastisements anymore. Aro stayed calm. "I am not discussing anything with you whilst you are throwing a fit like a five year old. Come back to me when you have calmed down." With that Aro took a seat next to Eleazar and started asking about why they were up in his quarters and chatted easily about what the hell was going on with Basileus. Felix looked on incensed at the humiliation. Demetri, of course, had long since scarped - he knew he was onto a good deal after pushing Sully and escaping with only one smack and being sent to his room. Aro looked over from his conversation with his brothers, "you can walk there, or I will drag you there, but you WILL go to your room either way."

 _This just isn't fair!If I had laid a finger on Sulpicia, Aro would have knocked me through a fucking wall, and golden bollocks just gets sent to his room! He's been picking on me since Carlisle's welcome party. I will not keep taking this._ Felix folded his arms across his broad chest, tightly, and replied to his master. "I'm not going!" Aro continued to talk with his brothers over plans to find out what was going on with their father as he slowly rose from his seat. Felix started to worry. He expected an argument, he was ready for one - he was not ready to be dragged from the room in front of Aro's brothers. Eleazar dropped out of the conversation, watching Aro's slow and deliberate stalking towards his young guard instead. Carlisle soon did the same realizing he was now talking to himself.

"What are you doing?" Felix asked as his menacing master approached him. _I sound like a scared little boy for fuck sake what is wrong with me!_ "I hope you start moving soon, boy!" Aro ground out to a now frightened Felix. "Aro I haven't done anything wrong! You have been riding me since the party, I know I fucked up, but you have punished me for that already!" Felix rushed through his words, partly so he could get them all out before Aro touched him, mainly so he didn't chicken out of speaking up! Wincing, ready for the slap he expected, Felix waited. Nothing. _Why isn_ _'_ _t he slapping me? He looks a little shocked… why is he shocked?_ "Me! You think I have been riding you hard! Are you out of your mind?" Aro was shocked! "You have been ignoring everything I have said for the last seven months you impudent brat!" Felix stood his ground as Aro jabbed his finger into his chest, accentuating each word he spoke. Whenever Felix was in the firing line, he always made whatever he had coming worth it! "Like what?" Felix asked in reply with his hands on his hips, he definitely didn't think he had been ignoring Aro, he was sure he wasn't that stupid.

Eleazar watched the scene unfold in front of him. Aro had been more lax with his guard since the party he thought, he'd seen no evidence of Felix being badly treated. Of course, Eleazar knew that didn't mean he wasn't being badly treated, but Felix wouldn't have spoken back to Aro how he just had this time last year. And more shockingly, Aro wouldn't have taken the time to explain either! "I tell you to be back here after guard duties, you get here an hour late. I tell you to stay away from Caius, you go out of your way to piss him off. I tell you to go to your room, and you stand here arguing with me." Aro was trying to stay calm but his voice was already raised and part of him just wanted to throw Felix in his room and have done with it.

Sulpicia had begged him to spend less time working and relax a little with their guards whilst in there quarters, he was trying, he was really trying. Truthfully, Aro had enjoyed spending time in his chambers with his wife and their guards whilst allowing the pretence of the outside world to drop a little. The 'master' had gone in their chambers, mostly. Their guards were talking more freely and easily with both Aro and Sulpicia, they all considered that a plus point, generally. The older boys were also talking back more freely and easily… Aro wasn't so keen on this part. Sulpicia had told him they would settle soon, 'it's all new', she said. Right now Aro wished his dear, compassionate wife would leave the room so he could beat the crap out of their petulant boy and hurry along this 'settling' she had promised!

"Well, yeah, I suppose that's true." Felix conceded, he couldn't deny that he'd been sticking to Aro's orders a little looser that usual over the last few months. But he wasn't entirely to blame, at least in Felix-logic. "But one minute you are relaxed with us and we're joking around, and you tell us not to worry about things… and then the next you are doling out the orders again and beating my ass for teasing my brother! It's not fair!"

As Felix spewed out his thoughts Aro wondered if Basileus had planted them there, _he's saying exactly what Basileus said to me last month, if that conniving bastard has been filling his head with ways to rush this family shit he keeps talking about_ _…_ Aro let his thoughts trail off, he didn't want to leave a threat to his father there for Basileus to find next time he read his mind. "Give me your hand." Aro ordered. Felix obliged, he hadn't done anything too bad recently for Aro to find. _No Basileus. So that's what you really think then. Original thought is rare for you boy, I suppose I should be happy for that. So he thinks it's my fault, so does Basileus, so does Sully. What do they really expect me to do though? I am changing what I can, things are more relaxed in here, but they can_ _'_ _t be outside of our private chambers. They all know that! We have to keep appearances in front of everyone else._

"You know damn well we need to keep up appearances in front of other people Felix, I am not being flippant with you - if I tell you to do something, you do it. It really is that simple!" Aro stepped into Felix' personal space, he wanted to unnerve the boy into submission so he didn't have to deal with a pissed off wife when he was forced to belt their guard. Felix wasn't ready to submit though, he saw a major flaw in Aro's 'as simple as that' line. "But they aren't other people! They are just Eleazar and Carlisle!" "Well thanks a bunch Felix!" Eleazar butted in with mock hurt, he understood what Felix meant. "I'm not any different with you when my brothers are around Felix, you are being ridiculous." Aro responded. "Yes you fucking are!" Felix implored, he was getting pissed off now and his anger was taking over his senses if he was cursing at Aro. _Crack!_ Yeah, he knew that was coming as soon as the words left his mouth. He couldn't help the hiss that came as Aro whipped the back of his hand across his face.

"You have clearly taken leave of your damn senses if you think you can talk that way to me boy. I am done with you. DONE! Go to your room, NOW!" Felix went to leave, he was glad to get away from Aro truth be told – he had tears in his eyes from that smack and Aro looked ready to rip him to shreds. "My love," Sulpicia interrupted, Felix waited to hear what she had to say, praying she would back him up. "You are different when your brothers are around. Basileus too." Aro spun around to face his wife trying to decide if he should be glad she was truthful with him, or annoyed at the treachery. Felix beamed, _I knew you_ _'_ _d save me Sully, god I love you!_ "What do you think?" Aro asked his big brother, Eleazar was good for guidance - he could trust Eleazar. "Well, brother, you have told me that things are more relaxed in your quarters now but I am yet to really see it. With Demetri and Felix at least. Today is the first time I have seen you being less 'masterful' with the twins. Our father has asked me many times about such things, he hasn't seen you treat them any differently either."

Aro racked his brain, going over every moment of the last few months. _Fuck. I have switched to public face as soon as anyone enters my quarters. Anyone. Including my Eleazar and Basileus. Fuck fuck fuck. I hate it when Felix is right. Thank the gods it is so rare._ Aro looked at his eldest guard, _I really want to belt you for insolence but_ _…_ "I'm sorry." The whole room was dumbfounded now. Aro had never said that before, like ever, if you excuse the times Basileus was hounding him for some error. The whole room was stunned into silence.

Before anyone had the chance to react there was knocking at the door. Didyme. She didn't wait to be announced before strolling in to Aro's chambers. "Brother, you are wanted in the throne room," "Hello sister dear," Aro breezed, he loved his sister, but she would always be the annoying little sister she was when they were children - interrupting his life, and being a general inconvenience. "Why is it so quiet in here, what's going on?" Didyme asked the room generally. "Nothing is going on, we were just talking, privately, in my private quarters." Aro said pointedly to his little annoyance. "Why are you here anyway?" Didyme took a seat near Sulpicia and pulled the small side table between them. She pulled a deck of cards out of her bag and started to deal, "Marcus was called to the throne room too, and I no longer have my own guard since Caius ripped Belle's head off so he walked me here. Surely you wouldn't want me unguarded in this prison?"

Aro collected his cloak from the rack near the door, taking Felix' too. "It is not a prison sister dear, we only wish for your safety. Why did Caius kill you guard anyway?" Didyme laughed, "You know what Caius is like, does he need a reason? From what Athenodora was saying last week I think it was she who wanted her gone. Caius was spending too much time with Belle and Athenodora was threatened by it." Aro shook his head, "we can't keep replacing guards because Caius can't keep his wife under control for god sake!" He didn't miss Sulpicia raising an eyebrow to him as he spoke. He wasn't willing to deal with that right now. "So you need another guard?" He directed to Didyme. "Yes, may I have one of yours brother, at least I know they won't disappear on me anytime soon." "They won't disappear anytime at all!" Sulpicia added firmly as she smiled kindly to her sister in law and collected her hand of cards. "Felix?" Aro asked his eldest guard. "Could you guard my sister?" he asked, adding with a glare to Didyme, "in her own quarters?" _Jackpot! Guarding the wives is such a cushy job, this will be brilliant._ "I would be happy to! Shall we go now?" Felix was eager to get out of these quarters for a while and hopefully give time for Aro to cool down, or at least work out whatever was going on in his head.

"Aro, my love, leave Didyme with me this time, we haven't spent any time together for an age and you need to go to the dungeons soon and…" Aro interrupted his wife, "yes, I do. He can come with me." _Perhaps the_ _'_ _he' is Eleazar, or Carlisle, please be Carlisle, be Carlisle - please!_ Felix' hopes were soon quashed when Aro walked over to him and gave the boy his cloak "Let's go and bond while we turn humans into vampires?" Aro's calm voice and sweet smile fooled no one. He wanted to talk to his young guard away from prying ears - that was clear. "Sounds great, I'll fetch Demetri." Felix said as he tried to walk away. Aro pulled him back, "no, you. Just you." Aro whispered. Felix wasn't too sure where this was heading, but he was sure it was going to hurt! "You two should come too!" Felix asked Aro's brothers in desperation. "You know what Felix that is a damn good idea. Carlisle wants to learn to feed without killing, it will be a perfect way to practice. Aro?" Aro smiled to his quivering guard. "Why not." He replied whilst still smiling at Felix, that smile was scaring the crap out of him. "Come along then, throne room first and then the dungeons." Aro walked out of his apartment with his brothers, and eventually, Felix followed.


	10. Newborns

Newborns

"Brothers." Aro said simply as he took his throne. "You took your time!" Caius whispered, clearly annoyed he'd been kept waiting. "Well I had to settle my sister into MY quarters, apparently Belle has been dispatched. Anything you would like to tell me?" Aro replied easily. "I'd grown tired of her following me around Aro, she had no special gift to make her worthy of the trouble of keeping her around so I did myself a favour. I am sure you understand." Caius breezed through his reply, believing that would be the end of it. Of course Aro had a reply. "I heard your dear wife was pissed off that you were fucking Belle too often and told you to end her… I always thought you were the man of your house, brother." Caius was bubbling up, a mixture of rage and shame - a deadly combination in Caius' hands. Aro was pleased by his brother in arms reaction. "Shall we proceed, brothers?" Marcus interjected. The bond between Aro and Caius was breaking down by the day and had been since Carlisle's arrival. Aro kept on well enough terms with the co-master to run the coven, but Aro was spending less time with Caius in favour of spending that time with his wife and high guard and the snippy comments between the two were driving Marcus around the bend.

"So what do we need to deal with here? I assume there is a reason we are delaying turning the next batch of newborns?" Aro asked generally. Caius ignored him so Marcus took over, he was tiring of his bickering coven mates already and wanted to moves things along. "This is Peter, Aro. He has been brought back from one if our scouting parties who accuse him of exposing himself to the humans. Apparently he was living freely with them, and they know what he is." Marcus finished his summary of the captive's situation. "Who led the party?" Aro called out, Antonio stepped forward. _It would be you!_ Aro thought, he had little time for Caius' favourite guard. Aro beckoned Antonio to approach him. "Come up here please." Antonio walked up the steps to the throne platform and offered the master his hand. Aro took it and read through the events of Peters capture. He saw Antonio instruct his party to kill, and feed, from every human in the vicinity. They must have finished off thirty humans between the five of them in the scouting party.

"Your pet is a little greedy brother." Aro said slyly to Caius, who sighed in return, "just get on with it Aro!" Aro released Antonio's hand and waved Felix forward. "Master?" he asked quizzically. "Hold him." Felix flashed to Peter's side on Aro's order and gripped the young man tightly. He was skinny for a vampire; he must have been nearly dead when he was turned. Peter had clearly been beaten badly by Antonio's crew and judging by the tares around his neck they had fed from him too. Aro approached the doomed vampire who seemed resigned to his fate. Checking quickly through the man's thoughts for any useful information Aro found that Peter was a nomad vampire who knew nothing of the Volturi or their laws - not that ignorance was part of the get out clause for Aro. A gift or extra ability was though. "Eleazar, would he be useful?" Aro called over his shoulder to his brother. "No brother, I sense nothing of use, put him out of his misery." The vampire didn't even look up as Aro gripped his head at either side. Checking Felix was okay to keep him still, Aro ripped the nomads head clean off his shoulders and carried it over to Antonio, "here, dispose of the body too." Aro thrust the head into Antonio's hands with a little more force than necessary before turning and walking away.

"I'm going to vet the humans, I want to show Carlisle how we do things here, are you coming?" Caius looked up at Aro as he stood over him extending a hand to help him up. "Yes, there are a few feisty ones down there," Caius took the extended hand and stood to face his coven mate. "You may want to keep Demetri on a short leash for a while, I know you struggle controlling that boy." Aro clapped Caius on the shoulder, "It's taken care of already, brother." Aro smiled as he spoke but he was pissed off with Caius for saying he couldn't handle his guard.

Aro walked ahead of Caius and Marcus with Felix joining him at his side, Caius seethed having Aro's pet walking in front of him. _That insolent whelp, what is Aro_ _'_ _s fascination with him. I suppose Aro has always like the obscure. He and that other brat Demetri must be holding something over Aro though; he's changing, he's letting them get away with murder, well not quite murder but the constant insolence is becoming a bore and I just can't see why Aro of all people is putting up with it!_ Caius continued to seethe, convincing himself that Felix and Demetri were blackmailing Aro for their special treatment and wondering if he should intervene on his brother's behalf.

Aro put his arm across Felix' back, resting his hand gently on Felix' exposed neck. "You think, I'll listen, okay?" _yes sir_. Felix thought in reply. _I am sorry I spoke to you as I did, I shouldn_ _'_ _t have cursed at you. I was frustrated, that's all, I'm sorry._ Felix was worried Aro would take up his punishment when they returned to their quarters knowing Aro so rarely let anything go. "Forget about it. You were right." Aro replied, he was being as guarded as possible with his comments knowing Marcus and Caius were close behind them. Eleazar and Carlisle were lagging at the back of the convoy moving through the castle. _Why did you want me to come with you?_ Felix asked through his mind. "Why do you think?" _Because you couldn_ _'_ _t trust me in our quarters without you?_ Felix postured, hoping he was wrong! "Yes, too volatile." Felix nodded to Aro, he understood, Aro couldn't leave him in his quarters with his wife and sister because he didn't trust him not to fuck up without being there to intercede if needed. Aro heard the boy berating himself and shook him gently from his thoughts. "I trust you." Aro stated. "Marcus," Aro called over his shoulder to his brother, "Felix will be guarding Didyme in the future, if that pleases you, brother?" Marcus smiled back to the pair ahead, "I would appreciate that Felix, thank you. So long as you can spare him Aro." Aro bowed his head slightly and replied with a coy smile, "if it keeps my sister from my quarters I can spare him!" They shared a short laugh between them as they continued through the halls and down to the dungeons.

"Where are the humans Caius?" Aro looked into the empty newborn cells that lined the left side of the large dungeon floor of the castle. There were over 50 individual cells, though Caius liked to keep a few spare in case of emergency. The right side of the dungeon was barred off to create a large newborn quarters, much like the guard hall directly above where the older newborns would be held once they passed out of the unpredictable early newborn stage. Cells made them sound so prison like, they were cells in the sense that they were solid holding rooms with metal barred doors to contain newborns when they couldn't be supervised. But they were comfortable with lounger beds in each, and room to move around. As far as Aro could see, the whole place was empty.

Caius smiled evilly as he passed Aro and his brothers, and that wretched whelp Felix towards his own private area off the dungeon; a sealed room where he would torture vampires for their secrets before dispatching them. Any treacherous members of the Volturi coven could be sure they'd meet their end in Caius room of pain. Aro pulled Felix back, slamming him against the bars of the newborn quarters and blocking his view. He'd been much more forceful than intended. Felix hissed as the bars dug into his back, "what did I do now?" he asked exasperatedly. "Nothing, just shut up. I don't want you seeing in there." Aro whispered to his boy quickly. Felix huffed in annoyance, he had never seen in the inside of Caius' room and he hated being left out of these things - especially because he knew Aro kept him from joining in because he deemed him too young. Felix and Demetri were popular amongst the guards, but in the general good natured ribbing that went on amongst them, the two of them being much younger than the rest of the guards, and therefore excluded from some guard activities, was a constant theme. And it pissed Felix off.

"Are these cells really strong enough to hold a newborn Aro?" Carlisle asked as he inspected the bars. Some looked more worn than others, a little bent out of shape and dented, but they did look solid. "We've only had one break out in the entire time we have held permanent residence in this castle, Carlisle, that I know of anyway." Eleazar said, looking directly at Felix. "YOU!" Carlisle accused the boy in genuine surprise. "I was a little rough and ready as a newborn." Felix replied coyly. "Rough and ready! I nearly put you down myself!" Aro said as he laughed lightly at the boy's embarrassed squirming.

"There's still time Aro," Caius joined in as a trail of terrified humans followed him into the gloomy open dungeons. "You have allowed his insolence since the very beginning!" Caius said as he joined Marcus' side. Felix ducked behind Aro slightly, he wasn't scared of Caius, but knowing Aro would protect him against the evil master made him feel more secure. "Now now, Caius, Aro took Felix off your hands and into his own quarters so he was no bother to you." Marcus intervened before an argument could ensue. He hadn't, however, anticipated Carlisle arguing back. "Felix was strong enough to break out of these cells and you took him into your quarters with your wife?" Carlisle asked, thinking the whole thing was bloody ludicrous, and down right unfair that he was deemed too volatile for the same privilege. "Brother, please, we will discuss this later if we must but now is not the time." Eleazar told him quietly, "besides, you want to try feeding without killing, you won't get this chance again for many months at least." Carlisle nodded, accepting this conversation would have to wait, but he promised himself he'd be having it out with Aro.

Eleazar left Carlisle and made his way through the frightened humans, trying to put them at ease as he fished through for any possible abilities. "Some of these are very young Aro." Eleazar looked over to his brother, they weren't too young, legally speaking, but it would be more teens in the Volturi coven. "Carlisle wanted to practice, he can have the young ones, we have enough teenagers here as it is, this floor is the coven dungeons not a damn play pen!" Caius stated. Carlisle gulped, _could I really feed from children, even older ones?_ He didn't think so. "Would any of them be useful El?" Aro asked, meaning the young ones he'd already spoken of. "No brother." He replied. "Do either of you want to raise them?" he asked his brothers in arms, knowing Caius' answer before he'd even finished speaking. "I prefer to live a little freer than you Aro. I wouldn't want to devote the time so it wouldn't be fair to them or the coven." Marcus replied.

Caius laughed as he shook his head, "I've seen what your pet brats put you through brother, they wouldn't have lasted a week living with me!" Aro smiled, _just as I thought_. "Okay, put the young ones in here," he said as he opened the door to the large newborn quarters. The humans made some fuss being divided up, they must have thought there was some safety in numbers, bless them. "What about the rest of them El, anything useful at all?" Aro continued with selecting potential guard members, searching through the humans with his brother. "This one is very fast," Eleazar said as he pulled a lean looking, early 20 year old from the human huddle. Marcus took the man and put him in the first cell as Caius recorded his details.

They went on like this, pulling out the 'special' humans until they had ten for turning - that was enough to deal with at one time. 4 young ones were held in the larger quarters and the remaining six remained huddled together. "This one too, Caius." Eleazar pulled forward a raven haired woman, close to his own age, she looked Spanish too. "We have enough Eleazar, I only deal with ten at a time, more than that is problematic." Caius replied, rolling his scroll as he did so. "I'll take her then." Eleazar replied as he pulled the frightened woman from the pack. "Wonders will never cease! Are you actually picking a mate brother?" Aro was astonished, for centuries he'd been picking out women for his brother but none had provoked more than a passing sexual interest in the man. "As you wish." Caius returned, so long as he wasn't expected to deal with her Eleazar could do as he liked for all he cared. "Turn her now El and leave her in a cell until she wakes, she will be easier to move when she's had her first feed." Eleazar nodded to Aro and easily picked up the woman and carried her to the open cell. Her arms and legs were flailing about putting up a good fight. "Are you sure about this Eleazar, she looks pretty feisty!" Caius laughed as Eleazar passed him with his new mate-to-be. "Just lock us in Caius, I'll call when I'm ready to leave." Eleazar replied. Caius obliged and locked the cell behind them.

"Let's get things moving, bring the rest of the humans into the newborn quarters Felix, Carlisle, after you." Aro opened the door to the quarters and led his brother in, closing the door behind Felix as he shuffled the remaining humans in with him. "Caius, how many do you want saving for feeding your newborns?" Aro asked before he let Carlisle loose on them. "Five will be enough, and a small one for Eleazar's little friend!" Caius called over as he disappeared into a newborn cell to start the process of turning humans into vampires. Marcus did the same with the next cell. A small 'shut the fuck up, Caius' came from Eleazar's cell, though truthfully he knew he was going to be mocked for this for a while.

Aro walked towards the humans, they took a step back with every one he took forward until they had nowhere left to retreat to. They all looked scared to death, but there was one Aro had his eye on for this task from the start. He easily moved the humans apart to access the smallest of them. Ignoring their pleas to leave the child be Aro dragged the girl, not much older that Demetri back to Carlisle. His brother looked just as horrified as the humans he'd left behind. "Aro, no, no, I can't, she's just a child, I can't do this. Aro please." Aro sat down next to Carlisle and pulled the child close. "Brother, calm yourself, you aren't going to kill her, we are just going to feed, that is all." Aro spoke so softly that the human girl couldn't hear him, to her ears it sounded as though Aro was humming a peaceful tune. "Listen Carlisle, you will be less likely to want to kill this one than you would the others precisely because you don't want to hurt her. Honestly, this is the best one to try with. You need to trust me Carlisle." Aro soothed his brothers fraying nerves.

Turning his attention to the girl standing, shaking before them Aro spoke calmly to her, "calm my dear," Aro's sickly sweet tone dripped with hidden danger. "Are you scared my love? You should not fear me, I am here to save you, yes, yes, that's right, come, take my hand, sit with me." She was a fragile young thing, dressed in rags and without shoes; she looked a little simple too. Aro listened intently to the girl's heartbeat; first fast with fear, now slowing as he put her at ease. Aro flashed his sparkling fangs as he pulled his meal into his lap, he was awarded with palpitations from the girl. "I am going to save you from your retched life, sweet thing. But I need something from you first." Aro took the girls wrist and allowed venom to pool in his mouth. Bringing the girls wrist to his lips he dripped his anesthetizing venom where he planned to bite and then sank his fangs into that exact spot. She felt no pain, Aro fed so lightly that it was as though he were only kissing her hand. When he'd had enough he pulled away and she looked more confused than upset. The venom healed the holes from his fangs as quickly as his teeth had made them. Aro showed Carlisle the sealed holes where only the faintest silver circles remained.

"That is amazing Aro!" Carlisle took the girls wrist and inspected his brother's work. The girl gasped in pain as Carlisle manipulated the fragile human with his vampire strength. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Carlisle said as he dropped the girls hand in horror at having hurt her. "Brother, you haven't had much experience with humans yet, use your very lightest of touches. Venom first, then bite, then STOP. Understood?" Aro told his brother firmly, but kindly. Carlisle shook his head, "I can't do this Aro, I will kill her!" The girl, who was becoming frantic with Carlisle's words was now desperately trying to find a way out of Aro's grasp. "Brother, get a grip. If you don't learn how to do this you will always KILL your hosts. Venom first, then bite, then STOP. Got it?" Nodding wearily, Carlisle realized he didn't really have a choice.

Carlisle took the girls hand again. With one arm wrapped around her waist and another holding her arm, Aro encouraged his brother again. "Venom." Carlisle allowed it to pool in his mouth and nodded he was ready. Copying Aro, he dripped a little on to the girl's wrist, Carlisle hadn't the centuries of experience Aro had and dripped a little too much, he flooded her hand! "Shit!" he said as he realized what he'd done. "It doesn't matter Carlisle she's numb, that's the idea. Now bite." Aro instructed. Carlisle bit into the fragile human. To his relief, she didn't make a sound or pull away and soon the sweet blood flowed into his waiting mouth. _Oh god it's so good, I hate that I like this, but god I love it, it's so good._ Carlisle's thoughts were interrupted with his brother voice, telling him to stop, ' _that's enough, stop or kill her'. Kill her, I don't want to kill her, stop, for god sake stop!_ His thoughts were willing him to end this feed but his body seemed detached from his mind and carried on without him. Aro had hold of his brothers head, one hand fixed on pulling his jaw down, the other pulling up by his forehead. That was enough, Carlisle could feel it and willed his brother to carry on and stop him. Eventually, his body gave up its fight against his own psyche and stopped feeding.

Coming round from his blood meal Carlisle looked at the girl, no lying lifeless on the floor. "Oh god, did I kill her? I killed her didn't I! I told you I couldn't do it!" Aro leaned over the girl. "She's alive brother, calm yourself, must you always be so dramatic!" The girl rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. "Did I please you my lords?" The poor thing was confused to hell, she had no idea what was going on. "You did very well my dear. But you must rest now." Aro picked up the girl, she wasn't too much bigger than Jane, and placed her on the large plush lounger to the side wall. "What happened?" Carlisle fretted, "I wanted to stop, but my body wouldn't do as it was being told. How can that happen?"

Aro laughed lightly as he went to fetch another human. "Felix you don't have to scare them!" "huh?" the bruin replied. "I'm not doing anything?" Aro forced his boy into a chair, "you are huge, and standing over them, sit down and relax a little." Felix watched his master choose the next host. "Can I have one Aro?" he asked quietly. Aro thought about it, there were four spare, Carlisle wouldn't want them all anyway. "You can come and have some of this one." Aro said as he pulled the largest of the young ones out. A boy, about 15 years old. He looked half-starved but put up a good fight. Aro wasn't in the mood for dealing with moody teens and hit him just hard enough on the top of his head to daze him. "Come on then," he called to Felix as he walked off. Felix tutted, annoyed, "for fuck sake, there are loads of them! I don't want to share, Aro - I want my own!" the boy replied obnoxiously.

Aro stopped dead in his tracks, looking through the bars to the open space between the cells and the quarters Aro caught Caius raise an eyebrow to Felix' back chat. "Carlisle fetch this." Aro said as he threw the human, skidding across the floor. Carlisle jumped to his feet to bring the boy back to his side of the newborn hall. The lad was out cold now. Aro stalked back to Felix and placed a hand on either side of the chair the boy sat in. Felix was pinned in, and he didn't like it. Aro bent down very close to his boy's ear and spoke in the most menacing of whispers Felix had ever heard, "we are in the dungeons, Caius and Marcus are across the open hall, along with a new batch of newborns and here a bunch of humans, and you dare to talk back to me! Outside of our quarters I am 'master', not fucking 'Aro', and you are obedient not fucking back talking me!" Aro grabbed his boy by the throat and squeezed, "nod if you understand!" Felix nodded frantically, he knew he'd fucked up as soon as he saw Aro's face turning back to him. "I'm sorry…" Felix tried to apologize as soon as Aro released his throat but his master cut him off, "you will be!" Slinking back into his chair as Aro walked away, Felix didn't feel like feeding anymore anyway.

"Caius!" Eleazar called from his cell, "you can let me out now, I'm going to take her back to my quarters." Caius strolled over to Eleazar, "are you sure you don't want to feed her first, its messy you know the first few times. Your chambers will be destroyed!" Eleazar smiled, ""I will bring her back down when she wakes. Save her a one." Eleazar said as he hoisted the woman over his shoulder, still kicking and flailing, but now from the pains of the transformation. "Aro can I leave Carlisle with you?" he called to his brother, who was just leaving a scared Felix in his wake. _What the hell has happened now?_ He thought seeing Felix trying to hide in his seat, but decided against questioning either of them for now. "Of course brother, enjoy!" Aro replied with a knowing wink. "Fuck off little brother!" Eleazar retorted in good humour as he made for the stairs and left the dungeons.


	11. Warnings

**Warnings**

"Where's Carlisle?" Basileus boomed as he strode into the guard hall. Guards scattered like rats to the sides of the room, abandoning whatever activities were keeping them amused prior to their creator's entrance. "You," Basileus pointed at Renata. "Where is my son?" he tried to ask the young woman kindly, but it came out as a kind of growl despite his best efforts. "My lord, he, well, he, he." "Spit it out!" Basileus ordered. "He's with Ashanti, I don't know where though, my lord, I really don't." Renata rushed her confession and ducked in fear at the roar Basileus released. They all knew their creator well, he was a fair, generous, often forgiving man, but his temper was renowned throughout the coven and no one wanted to be in his way when he blew. Thankfully, Basileus largely confined his rages to his private quarters.

Storming out of the guard quarters Basileus headed for an empty hallway so he could pick through the thoughts of the guards. One of them knew where he was, he could hear it, it was just too damn busy in there to work out who. _Antonio!_ He'd got it, he could hear the man thinking of the guest rooms in the level between Marcus' top floor suit and Caius' ground floor suit. Turning back around he re-entered the guard hall, "Antonio, I will be back to speak with you later, you are to stay in this room. Understood?!" The large bulky man, famed for his fearless escapades in battle and proud of his evil, underhand activities was now stood quaking in Basileus' line of sight. "Of course, m, m, master." He replied respectfully, but his fear slipped through in his stuttered words and shaky tone.

Basileus flashed to the guest suite. He didn't stop at the tower door, nor at the quarter's door, instead he flung it open and flashed inside to find Ashanti wrapped around his own newborn son. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" He ripped temptress off Carlisle by her hair, throwing her to the side of the room. She crashed awkwardly into the mirror which shattered and rained down splintered glass over her naked body. "What are you doing, you can't do that, you can't stop us from being together!" Carlisle tried to gather the sheet around his body as he made his way out of the bed to Ashanti. He didn't get very far. _Thump!_ Carlisle fell back, his head spinning. Basileus hit him, hard. That wasn't a slap, he just punched his son square in the face. "Stay down!" Carlisle didn't really have a choice. The crack in his skull was dripping blood into his eyes and he was too dazed from the blow to even wipe it away.

Carlisle watched through his blood red obscured vision as his father ripped the sheet away from him and threw it at the scared woman covered in mirror shards. He could hear his father shouting at the women he'd just bedded, "I told you after Eleazar to stay away from my sons, you are a deceitful little witch and you will not rise through the ranks for as long as there is blood in my veins." Basileus looked back to his son, still dazed. Kneeling over him he checked his wounds - he really hadn't intended to crack his damn skull. It would heal though. "Carlisle, Carlisle look at me." His son obeyed, "Do not leave this room." Carlisle nodded as Basileus laid him out on the bed more comfortably.

Basileus said no more as he grabbed the wretched witch from the floor and pulled her along easily with him out the door, paying no care for the poor girl trying to conserve her modesty with the slightly torn sheet as she was dragged through the halls of the old castle. Basileus picked through the minds of his coven finding out where Caius was. _Dungeons, great!_ He thought as he pulled Ashanti along with him down the spiral stone staircase. "CAIUS!" Basileus shouted, unnecessarily as he flung Ashanti to the floor. "Please, please my lord, don't give me to master Caius, please my lord!" Ashanti's pleading just pissed Basileus off more. "SHUT UP!" he screamed in reply.

Caius came into view, he had clearly been 'working' in his private room judging by the blood covered tunic he wore. "Basileus, my lord, I…" Basileus cut him off, he was in no mood for small talk. "Caius, my friend, a special delivery for you!" He pointed at the sobbing heap that was Ashanti. "Keep here with the other newborns, I do not trust her to walk freely in our halls." Caius did a double take, _Ashanti, god damn it, I can_ _'_ _t lose Ashanti._ He thought, loudly. Basileus heard him. "Caius, you don't have to lose her, quite the opposite in fact, I want you to keep her all to yourself. Take her as your official mistress if you must, just keep her down here. Is that understood?" Caius nodded, "perfectly, my lord. I will find her a cell." Basileus leaned down to the little witch, as he thought her, "Ashanti," The woman quivered at the sound of his voice, "as soon as I find a replacement, you are out of my coven!" Basileus didn't see Caius freeze as he heard him issue his promise, but he heard the younger masters thoughts as he swore to find a way to save his favourite bed fellow. Ashanti replied in a very small voice, "yes, my lord."

Believing Caius would see to his duties, as the man always did, Basileus left the dungeons to retrieve his son. When he returned, Carlisle was in the exact position he'd been left in, he looked like he'd fallen asleep. "Carlisle. Get up." His son didn't move. _Fuck._ Basileus thought as he went to sit by his side. Shaking him gently, and then roughly his boy woke up. "My head is banging." Carlisle clutched his forehead. Basileus pulled his hands away to check how he was healing, "that's fixing up pretty quickly, have you fed recently?" Carlisle nodded, "Aro taught me to feed without killing," checking his father reaction, he didn't seem pleased. "I did okay." Carlisle added in hopes to swing some favour. Basileus simply nodded with a tight smile. That made Carlisle feel even more uncomfortable.

"I really like Ashanti, father, you really didn't need to…" Basileus interrupted his son before he pissed him off even more, "Carlisle…" "No, listen, I know I went wild when I first came here, but it's not like that with her…" Basileus stood from the bed shaking his head. "Unless you want another crack in your skull you would do well to shut your mouth, now!" He began pacing growing frustrated again. "Listen to me, Ashanti isn't interested in you, she is interested in your position and because of her gift she will make you think you are attracted to her and you will think she feels the same - IT IS FALSE! You need to trust me, I can read her thoughts, I know she is false, she wants to fuck her way to the top and you were fresh meat!"

Silence fell between them as Carlisle tried to work out his own thoughts. "How can I know you aren't the one being false?" Basileus thought about that, "you can't, I expect you to trust me. I am your family now, you need to place your trust in me. I will be happy when you find a mate, I will find one for you if you wish, hell, you can try out every vampire that walks through this place," Carlisle perked up at that, Basileus quickly added, "with a little decorum, son." Carlisle smiled sheepishly to the elder vampire. "Above all I want you to be happy and have a good life, Ashanti is a common whore and I won't stand by while you are taken in by her trickery." Carlisle did trust him, he didn't really know why, but it felt like Basileus had been his father his entire life and that bad blip with the good pastor was just a distant, painful, memory.

"I trust you." Carlisle offered as he looked at his father with faithful eyes. "Then let's go back to our quarters, I need to speak with your brothers." It had only just dawned on Carlisle how much trouble Aro and Eleazar would be in with him slipping out the way he had. "It wasn't Aro's fault, I slipped out when he was dealing with Felix and…" "Newborns are unpredictable, Aro knows that better than anybody. And besides, that is only part of the reason I need to talk with your brother. Get dressed. We're leaving." Basileus threw Carlisle's clothes and waited whilst he dressed. Carlisle was a little unsteady on his feet and the floor appeared to move under his step. Basileus caught his sons arm and held him closely as they walked back through castle to the Volturi family tower. When they arrived at their suite he ushered his son inside and told him to clean himself up, he may also have threatened to brake his nose next if he left without permission again, jokingly, of course. Or maybe not.

Basileus headed to Eleazar first, he knew he had a woman hiding in his quarters when he'd knocked looking for Carlisle earlier. _I hope she's out by now son because you are about to get both barrels from me either way!_ "Eleazar! Get out here!" Basileus called out as he entered his sons living area. Taking a good look around, he was surprised, Eleazar's suite usually looked like a hurricane had recently passed through it, but now it was immaculate. "Have you convinced Sulpicia to clean for you?" he asked as he ran a finger across the hearth, _spotless_. "Eleazar, what are you playing at!" Basileus called out for a final time before opening the door to his son's bed chamber. Dumbfounded by the sight before his eyes, he didn't speak.

"Father please, I can explain." "Well it had better be good son, because if you have brought a human up here to keep as a pet I can promise you now this will end badly!" Basileus looked murderous, Eleazar had no intention of fucking around with his father when he was in this mood. "I've already bit her, she's in the last stages of the transformation." Basileus sat at the woman's side, Eleazar did the same on her far side. "And may I ask why she isn't in the dungeons with the other newborns? Caius deals with raising newborns Eleazar, or is this one particularly gifted in some way?" Eleazar shook his head, his dark, long fringe waving into his eyes as he did so. "She isn't gifted, but she is mine, I can't explain it father, but I know we are meant to be together." Basileus looked at the young women, they would make a well matched couple, "and I don't have to worry about you developing a newborn obsession like Demetri, do I?" Eleazar stood up, "no, no, I really mean it, she is the one, I will spend the rest of my life with this woman." Basileus walked to the door, his son should have this private time with his mate-to-be. "You need to get her back down to the dungeons to feed, son. Call me if you need help. I will come back in a while to see how you are."

Basileus watched his son taking the woman's hand in his own and kissing her gently. He was happy, so happy that Eleazar had finally found someone permanent and he sensed this girl really was. But he couldn't help the small pain in his heart that he was about to lose a piece of eldest son forever. "Father, don't blame Aro for losing Carlisle, he's turning a corner with Felix and the others, everything's coming together. I shouldn't have left them down there but…" Eleazar gestured to the raven haired beauty laid out in his bed. "I understand El, don't worry about Aro." Basileus closed the door behind him and left Eleazar's suite.

"Sulpicia, my dear." Basileus greeted his daughter in law as he entered Aro's quarters. "Basileus, please come in, sit with me." It was rare for Sulpicia to ask for his counsel, Basileus sat immediately, happy they were alone. "What is it my dear?" he asked whilst taking her extended hand. Sulpicia's thoughts rushed from her mind, she was showing him the altercation between Felix and Aro, how Aro had apologized to their boy, and how he was trying, really trying for things to be more relaxed in their home. _Home._ These quarters were home now, not just where the young guards lodged so Aro could protect their gifts. She showed him all he had hoped to see, and showed him that Aro was doing as he had told his father he would and that Aro had only just realized he was putting on his public face when his brothers and father were around, but he was going to put that right. Sulpicia was clever though. She didn't show Basileus any independent thought, she didn't reveal her feelings or thoughts, she just replayed her recent memories in an order that told Basileus a story - completely untraceable should her husband inspect her 'conversation' later.

Yes, Sulpicia was quiet and unassuming, but she was clever too. "I understand, my lady, thank you." Basileus responded as she withdrew her hand taking up the book she'd discarded as Basileus had entered.

"Where is everyone?" Basileus asked as he leaned back into his chair. "I'm here, father." Aro spoke as he entered through the archway from the bed chamber corridor, eying Sulpicia suspiciously. "Drink?" he asked Basileus as he poured himself a large goblet of wine. Aro took the extended hand as an answer and gave his father his own goblet as he sorted himself another one. "My love, I am going to check on the young ones." Sulpicia told her husband as she left the room, Aro nodded as she did so, Sulpicia always wanted to check on them after Aro had spoken to them about, well, about anything. He wondered sometimes if he should be offended, as though she didn't trust him with them in some way, but after checking her thoughts on the subject he realized she wanted to mother them any chance she got and they were far more receptive to her 'mothering' when she offered a good cop to Aro's bad cop routine.

"Join me son." Basileus called as he gestured to the seat opposite him. Aro took the seat and knocked back half of his wine in one to steady his nerves. "Listen, father, I know I should have kept a closer eye on Carlisle. I told him to wait here for me, I was only with Felix and Demetri in their room, I didn't leave him to wander the castle or anything…" Seeing his father had raised his hand to quiet him, Aro stopped talking. "I understand, Aro. Forget about it." Aro was surprised. Aro wasn't known for letting things go - Felix would often complain loudly on the matter in fact, but Basileus letting things go was even less of a regularity. Aro wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, "thank you. Erm, have you spoken to Eleazar yet?" he asked his father carefully.

Basileus sat back and laughed. "Yes, I must say I was surprised to find a human in his bed! I think I will have to leave him here when I go away now. Will you be able to cope with Eleazar's newborn and Carlisle?" He asked his son, and quickly added, "without putting either of them into the dungeons!" Aro laughed loudly, "I will cope much better with Eleazar around, even if there is a second newborn thrown into the mix! I don't suppose there is any chance of you cancelling your trip? What are you searching for anyway?" Aro asked, his father disappeared regularly and rarely told him where he was going. It was frustrating, Aro was used to being privilege to all the details but it didn't work that way with Basileus. "I cannot, I am sorry, but I will return as soon as possible. That is the best I can do." Aro accepted that.

Basileus continued, "so, what happened with Felix anyway?" Aro finished his drink and went to pour another large one. "He slipped up in the dungeons in front of Marcus and Caius, and the humans of course." Aro retook his seat now his goblet was replenished and continued, "now we both know Marcus wouldn't care, neither would the humans for that matter, but Caius. You should have seen the look he threw me when he heard Felix mouthing off at me and speaking so casually." Basileus looked grim, _we really can_ _'_ _t afford for Felix to be pushing relations with Caius right now. I need to know the coven is in safe hands, I don't want a war between the masters of Volterra. This coven is huge and it needs stable leadership._ "Have you spoke with him?" He asked his son. Aro smiled, "of course I have. To hear him whining just, I scared the crap out of him in the dungeons and he's still pissed I refused to allow him to feed down there after he acted out." Aro laughed lightly to himself as he drank down more wine. "You are going pretty hard on that tonight son." Basileus pointed to Aro's already empty goblet. "Aro rolled the glass in his hand. "You have made it clear to Felix that things will only be more relaxed in this tower, yes? I mean, really clear?" Basileus pushed. "Yes, really really clear." Aro replied, as he filled another glass.

Basileus filled his own again before seeking out the rest of Aro's household to say goodbye. "Sully my dear, I will be leaving at dawn so I won't see you again until my return. Keep an eye on my sons' for me." He said with a smile as she passed him in the hall. "Always my lord, enjoy your trip!" she returned easily as she went to search out her husband.

Basileus went to the twins' room first, they looked half asleep. "Little ones, I will be away for a few days, if you are good little vampires I will bring back gifts!" The twins bounced excitedly in their beds and wished him well. _They look like such innocent children - terrifyingly powerfully dangerous children,_ he thought as he closed their door.

Turning on his heel, he faced the door to Demetri and Felix' bedchamber. Basileus closed his eyes for a moment, he hated being hard on these kids, but he really needed them to be under control whilst he was away, _Aro has enough to do!_ Pushing the door lightly, he saw both boys siting at the edges of their beds, waiting for him. "Lads, I will be going away for a few days. I need to talk with you before I leave." Both stiffened, Felix looked horrified. "I know you were acting out earlier in front of Caius, Felix. For your sake I hope you understand that cannot happen again?" Felix nodded. Basileus wasn't convinced - though Felix was regularly repentant, he was rarely resolved to changing his behaviour. Closing the door behind him, Basileus placed his goblet on the table by Demetri's bed and approached Felix. "Did Aro spank you?" If he had the ability, Felix would have blushed! "No sir, we just talked, I know I screwed up, it won't happen again." Basileus looked the boy up and down. "Hmm, I think we may need more than that. Stand up." Felix obeyed, though he took half a step backwards as he did so. Basileus took the boys arm and moved him to the side. With as much force as he dared, the elder planted a blindingly hard swot on the youth's rear. It felt like fire had engulfed Felix' ass - it was all he could do to keep his complaints to hissing rather than screaming with pain as his body was telling him to do. Releasing his hold on the boy Basileus instructed him to get back into bed and lie down. He obeyed, whimpering with the contact as he did so.

Turning to face Demetri, Basileus was confronted with a scared little boy rather than a fierce vampire. _Yes, but this scared little vampire will be trying to fuck about with the newborns over the next week or so and I don_ _'_ _t want Aro's position being compromised whilst I am away, sorry Demetri, this is for all of ours benefit!_ "Stand up!" he told the boy as he approached, Demetri didn't move. Basileus knew he wasn't disobeying as such, just frightened. "Stand up, or you will get two." Basileus threatened. The boy willed himself to get off his bed, he was just about to jump back in as the formidable creator caught his wrist. Without giving Demetri time to register what was happening, Basileus planted a hard slap to his hide that had the boy standing on tiptoes and biting hard into his hand. "Get in bed." Basileus ordered as he released him. Demetri wasted no time in diving into the sheets as though they offered some protection from their master's father. "You will not go near any newborns while I am away, got it?" Basileus told Demetri, who nodded vigorously in return. "And neither of you will speak out of turn outside this tower, understood?" Both replied with a simple "yes sir." Basileus stared them both down and nodded to himself at their submission. "That was just one swot, if I find out you have caused any drama while I am gone, I WILL belt you. Don't test me." The two young vampires paled at his words and sunk into their beds as he closed their door, neither dared speak, but their thoughts were unified - _best behaviour until Basileus returns!_


	12. Dungeons & Dragons

**AN:** Just a quick note to say thank you for the follows, favourites, and lovely reviews and messages. I'm not great with technology and don't know how to reply to people individually. I haven't posted on a public forum like this before and wanted to check that I am not breaking any unwritten rules when writing fan fiction... if I am, please drop me a message and let me know! I am trying to get the chapters posted as quickly as possible, but I realise I am posting erratically which I apologise for if its pissing anyone off!

Anyway, enough of me, lets play with the vampires!

* * *

 **Dungeons & Dragons**

Basileus had been gone for two weeks. Eleazar had stayed behind; since he'd turned Carmen he could hardly leave with Basileus and hand another newborn over for Aro to take care of - and there was no way he was handing her to Caius either. Basileus understood, and was due back any day. Surprisingly to all three of the brothers, they were getting on rather well. Eleazar, naturally, was having to spend a lot of time with Carmen so Carlisle was spending more and more time in Aro's quarters with him. Carlisle was still a little pissed that Felix and the twins had been welcomed into Aro's quarters from when they were first turned and he'd had to prove himself, but he really tried to not let it bother him. He struggled seeing how easily Carmen was welcomed into the same chambers though. He mused, _It_ _'_ _s not as though female vampires are any less unstable than males, and they are certainly not less powerful. At least Eleazar is accompanying her all the time too, I'm not the only one being baby sat!_ The three of them had been using Basileus' suite as a doss house whilst their father was away - today they were cleaning up ready for his imminent return. Carmen was in Aro's chambers with Sully and all four of his high guard in were in attendance to watch her. Eleazar had made them leave the door to the stairwell wide open, Basileus' too was propped open so they could call down if they needed any assistance. It didn't take long for the three of them to bore of tidying, even at vampire speed they had hardly made a dent in cleaning up the mess they'd created.

Carlisle was first to drop out of mission clean up. Slumping into the fireside sofa he swore he had back ache no matter how many times his brothers told him, as a vampire, such a thing was impossible! "So, Aro... Ashanti?" He threw out casually. Aro never had told them any details about his extra marital activities. Unfortunately for Aro, his brothers had the same perfect memory as he had, they hadn't forgotten his quick confession a few months ago, they just hadn't had him on their own to enable asking him for all the gory details! Aro looked coyly to his baby brother, _do I really want to tell them this? They will hold it over me forever!_

Taking the seat opposite Carlisle, Aro decided to try and divert the attention. "Eleazar has far more to say about that particular minx than I do, brother!" Eleazar finished putting the books he was handling back on the shelf and joined his brothers, standing behind Aro with a hand on each of his shoulders he replied, "you aren't getting out of it that easily brother! Tell all, or I may slip up around Sulpicia the next time I see her…" Aro spun around hearing his brother suggesting to give him away to his wife, "you wouldn't dare!" he said in surprise. Eleazar allowed an evil grin to spread across his face, "oh wouldn't I?" he said suggestively as he took a seat next to Carlisle. A little flustered at the idea of Sulpicia discovering his secrets, Aro tried to stamp his authority, "Eleazar I am the Master of the Volturi, you really should be careful how you speak to me you know…" Yeah right, like that would wash with Eleazar! "Ha! Your power does not extend as far as us, you will always be my LITTLE brother!" He replied smugly. Carlisle couldn't help but smile at the two and fro between his brothers. "How does that even work? I am centuries older than you!" Aro responded. Eleazar was ready to explain, again, how he was the eldest of Basileus sons. "Yes, but you were turned at 28… and I was turned at 29… I am the big brother. Besides, I am so much more mature than you."

"Basileus said I am the calmest newborn he has ever seen, I think that makes me more mature than either of you!" Carlisle interjected, believing he had a good case for being the eldest son if maturity was the key. Both Eleazar and Aro burst into laughter, denting their brothers pride a little, "YOU!" Eleazar said loudly through his laughter. Aro added, "no Carlisle, you are 23, you will always be 23. Mentally you're closer to Felix than you are to us!" Okay, now that really punched a hole in Carlisle's pride! "What! Felix!" He was shocked at the suggestion. Eleazar came to his defence, "I think that's unfair Aro! Felix isn't the one on a sexual rampage, Carlisle's more like Demetri, our little Lothario!" That just ignited Aro's joy anew!

As their laughter subsided, Carlisle asked them what a Lothario was, it wasn't part of his vocabulary. This shocked Aro and Eleazar, they were, like all members of the Volturi, avid readers. Aro often referred to his entire coven as being patrons of the arts, literature and language. Since their beginnings Basileus had fostered a love of culture in his coven members believing it made them more civilized. Eleazar was surprised Carlisle hadn't heard of a Lothario before. "You said you could read!" He accused his youngest brother. Carlisle replied, indignantly, "I can bloody read!" "He's only read the bible." Aro added as a dig before guffawing at his own joke, much to Carlisle's annoyance.

Eleazar tried to smooth over Aro's jaded comment, "I will lend you my copy of 'The Ingenious Gentleman', Carlisle, Don Quixote's masterpiece." Aro added another dig, "it's in Spanish El, he struggles with Latin!" Carlisle huffed in annoyance, "I can learn Spanish… and I am getting much better with Latin." Eleazar put an arm around his brother, "I will teach you." He told him kindly. Aro was still smirking. "So what has Don whatever his name is got to do with Demetri anyway? Or me?" Carlisle asked. Aro smiled widely now, "Lothario is a character in the book, he is a seducer, a womanizer… we've been calling Demetri our little Lothario since Eleazar picked the book up." And added with a laugh, "it drives him crazy!"

Carlisle was genuinely offended, "and that's what you think I am?!" rising from his seat and shaking off Eleazar's arm at the same time, he began stalking around the room. "That is grossly unfair, especially as you have both been as bad!" Now it was Eleazar's turn to reply indignantly, "I didn't make it around the whole guard on my first night in Volterra, thank you very much!" Aro was still finding far too much humour in their conversation for his brothers liking. With another burst of laughter he offered his response, "you were more of an angry newborn though El, I am still amazed Basileus didn't kill you off in the first six months!"

Eleazar was a little touchy about his newborn year, he had been particularly violent and it really didn't tally with the man Eleazar felt himself to be. Luckily for Aro, Eleazar was way past that stage; he was more the placid mediator now. Besides, he knew what Aro was doing, his younger brother was a champion deflector! "You can keep deflecting the conversation Aro, but we will find out about your secret relationships one way or another…" Aro cut him off before Eleazar could invent anything more malicious. "They weren't relationships. Why do you even want to know?" Eleazar leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "Because I thought we were close, I thought I knew you, I thought you trusted me…" Aro cut him off again, "Enough of the guilt trip already, fine, I will tell you. What do you want to know?"

Carlisle flashed to Eleazar, nearly knocking his brother off the sofa as he took a seat next to him. "Oh you know, everything." He said, excitement gushing through his words. Eleazar patted Carlisle knee and told him to calm down. "Ashanti, start with Ashanti. Actually you can start with why you didn't tell me about you and Ashanti when she and I were 'together'…" A horrible thought crossed Eleazar's mind, "oh god, it wasn't at the same time was it?" Aro jumped in straight away. "What! No, of course not, I wouldn't do that to you. I had well finished with her by then. Actually I had finished with her before you even arrived here." Eleazar's relief showed on his face.

Carlisle had a question on his mind, _will he answer me though? They have all made such a big deal about what I did at the welcome party, I feel like some sort of deviant but I really need to know if what I did was on any level of normal for vampires_ _…_ "How many of the women in the guard have you had sex with?" Aro looked a little sheepish, "Well, erm, all of them." Carlisle was shocked, "and you called me a deviant!" Eleazar too for that matter, "ALL of them!" Aro modified his statement, "well, except Jane of course. I would kill anyone who looked at her or Alec…" Aro's face turned dark as he added, "I have in fact."

His brothers were blown away at Aro's confession, _sly old dog! You_ _'_ _ve certainly hidden your escapades well, brother!_ Eleazar thought to himself, kind of impressed. Carlisle was ready with another question, "Even the mated ones?" "That rule doesn't really count for the masters of a coven, truthfully, it doesn't count for you two or Basileus either…" Carlisle cut Aro off, "Eleazar told me I couldn't have the mated ones." He was pretty pissed off that he'd been held back now he knew they were on the table, so to speak. Eleazar nudged Carlisle, "I think you had more than enough for one night, brother." He said with a smile. Reminding Carlisle that he had been a bit of a whore at his welcome party made him blush, or that's what it felt like. "It's just nice to know I have options, that's all." He mumbled in reply. Eleazar put his arm around his brother again and held him tight, "you really are going to be trouble, aren't you." He said quietly. Sulking like a petulant child, Carlisle dug his elbow into Eleazar's ribs. In return his Eleazar pushed him away by his head.

"So what would happen if a guard had sex with another guards mate?" _Carlisle_ _'_ _s full of questions,_ Eleazar thought, _newborns are generally inquisitive, but this one seems stuck in the_ _'_ _but why?' phase of toddler-hood._ Aro answered Carlisle, "death. That simple. One of the men would die." Eleazar turned gloomy, "I've seen plenty of women die for the same thing. That's part of the problem with going after another vampires mate Carlisle - often the men find out and they are sort of duty bound to take on the other guy one-on-one. But our anger is as passionate as our love, and the winner, as in the one still alive, will take down the unfaithful mate next." Carlisle really hadn't been expecting that, it seemed so over the top, _death, for having sex, it's so unnecessary,_ he thought angrily to himself. "And this is okay in vampire society?" he wanted to check whether this was a Volturi thing, or a vampire thing.

Both of his brothers were quiet for a moment considering how they should answer Carlisle's question, Aro answered first. "It's common, I wouldn't say it's okay, but we enshrined it in law because most vampires want to be able to take vengeance should they require it. Having the popular laws helps balance the less than popular ones." That made even less sense to Carlisle. "So the law doesn't apply here, no one could offer you to go one-on-one?" Aro held up his hands defensively, sensing Carlisle's rising anger. "I didn't say that. I have been called out, so has Caius. We have had to end many vampires for their objections."

That really angered the youngest brother. Jumping to his feet Carlisle answered in a tone of disbelief. "Objections! You can't just end their lives for their objections to you fornicating with their women." Eleazar wiped his hand down his face knowing Carlisle was winding himself up again. He had spent almost every minute of the day trying to contain Carmen over the last two weeks and he was looking forward to today and having a break - now he felt like he'd jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire! "It's not just him, we can too, and Marcus and Caius of course. Basileus, well he can do whatever he likes whenever he likes - there's no end to his special treatment." Eleazar explained. "Exactly!" Aro joined in, "but it isn't about special treatment for 'just us', any coven leader has entire rights over his coven," Seeing Carlisle's face dropping again, Eleazar quickly added, "he is entirely responsible for them also of course."

A mixture of confusion and repulsion glanced Carlisle's face. "Rights? That's what you call it… so you can do whatever you like to any of your guards, Aro?" Aro started to reply, "in theory…" "That's rape! That's abusive Aro, it's perverse!" Carlisle butted in. His earlier annoyance was now full blown anger. "I don't exercise my rights, particularly, they just are my rights as a coven leader. I have never had need to rape anybody Carlisle, most women like to have sex just as much as most men!" Aro replied easily, calmly. That just pissed Carlisle off more. "You clearly do exercise them if you have had sex with the whole guard!" Carlisle replied. Then something crossed his mind, "how do their mates feel about this, and the way they are expected to share their women?"

Aro found his brothers shock quite funny. He'd lived for a long time, there was very little in life that surprised him these days. "Well brother, I expect they are relieved!" Aro smirked as he spoke, Eleazar understood him. "What?" Carlisle stopped his pacing for a moment, _why the hell would any man be relieved for god sake?_ "Caius takes his 'rights' much more seriously than Aro does… he likes to initiate the whole guard, male and female." Eleazar's comment had Carlisle's chin hitting his chest. _Caius has sex with every man and woman that comes into this place, that can_ _'_ _t be true!_ "Marcus has never bothered with anyone other than Didyme." Aro added, though it didn't really change Carlisle's state of shock and horror. Eleazar tried to smooth things over to save Carlisle's psyche. "Our coven is a little different to most don't forget. All other covens only have one leader, or a couple who are equal. We have three masters, and one of those masters has two brothers, and overall, Basileus rules over the three masters and two brothers. It's an unusual set up."

A million thoughts were racing through Carlisle's head. One was more prominent than the others though, "so Basileus is over us?" "Yes." Eleazar replied slowly - he thought his brother should really know that already by now. "So he, he could… I mean, if he wanted to, he could, like Caius…" Aro was growing tired of babysitting the questioning newborn now. "What are you rambling about?" "If Basileus wanted to, he could have sex with us!" Carlisle felt sick even saying the words. Aro saw a way to have a little fun with his new brother, "yes, if he chose to." He stirred the metaphorical spoon with a contented smile on his face. "And has he chose to with you two?" Carlisle asked, tentatively. Eleazar tried to reply put stopped when Aro threw an ornamental cushion at him. "Of course, have you not had the experience yet?"

"ARO!" Eleazar shouted at his brother, who raised a hand for silence in return. "On your own head be it! You are spending far too much time with Felix!" He added, but allowed Aro to continue his prank. "Are you serious?" Carlisle asked, hoping Aro was winding him up. "I'm surprised he hasn't had you yet, it has been a busy few months since you arrived. Perhaps he is going to see to it when he gets back?" Aro continued stirring as Eleazar shot daggers from his eyes sitting opposite. Carlisle started pacing again, "I can't do this, I can't, I won't. How can I stop this from happening?" Aro, again, answered before Eleazar could interject. "You can't Carlisle. When a coven leader wants you, you have to take it, willingly." "I will not be willing!" Carlisle replied in horror.

Eleazar warned Aro to stop now, Aro simply shrugged to his big brother, he really couldn't see the harm but it wasn't worth fighting with Eleazar over. Carlisle continued reeling over this new information. "Who else is over me?" he asked Eleazar. "What do you mean?" he replied. Carlisle wondered how to ask what he wanted to know without spelling it out, he didn't even want to think about it, let alone verbalize it. "Under Basileus, are we all equal? Marcus, Caius and us? Aro laughed again. "Ha! No. I am above the other masters, and you." Carlisle nodded, and gulped the pooling venom in his mouth as he turned to Eleazar, "and what about you?" Eleazar thought about it, "I am above Aro and you, I am Basileus' oldest son. It's a hierarchy." That wasn't enough, Carlisle needed more than that. "What about Caius and Marcus?" Eleazar was puzzled himself now, "do you know I have never thought about it. It has never come up!" Aro started laughing at his little brothers inquiring mind. "I won't let Caius fuck you Carlisle if that is what you are worried about." Carlisle threw his hands to his ears, "don't even say it!" Eleazar pulled his brother back into his seat.

"Have you protected your guard from Caius?" Carlisle was only asking because he thought if Aro had, it would mean he may genuinely prevent Caius from getting to him too! Aro turned grave, "they are mine - no one will ever touch any of them." He stated. "It's why I brought them into my quarters and took the risk with them being around my wife, I wouldn't have risked newborns in my quarters if I didn't have to." Carlisle was relieved that Aro seemed so offended by the idea, selfishly he thought it may mean he escapes unscathed too. Hearing the reason Aro had brought the young guards into his chambers as newborns made him relax slightly, it had been playing on his mind for some time that Aro had allowed such a thing, seemingly so easily, whilst keeping him at arm's length due to how risky newborns were. _So he was being genuine, it isn't just me, he really does believe newborns are too risky around his wife. The young guards must mean a lot to him for him to risk their presence in his home!_

"Has he ever tried to?" he asked his brother tentatively. Aro nodded. "He made comments when I pulled Felix out of the newborn cell on his first day here, told me he hadn't initiated him into the coven yet." Aro clasped his hands together across his chest as he leaned back into the sofa cushions. "I told him I would deal with him and he wasn't to worry about it. Caius understood what I meant, not that it stopped him from trying when he had Felix back with the other newborns for training." Carlisle's brow furrowed as he thought about that, "so he has had Felix then?" Aro shook his head as he smiled to himself. "He tried, Felix was too strong in his newborn state to be taken down and forced to submit by Caius. Even with Caius' excess in skill, he couldn't handle Felix. He actually tried to convince me to decapitate him for his refusal. Of course I refused, and I made it pretty clear that Felix was off the table. When I took Demetri from the Egyptian coven a century or so later I reminded Caius again to stay away from the two of them and moved Demetri into my quarters from the very start. The same with the twins." When Aro had finished he caught Eleazar's eye and the small, proud smile he offered. Eleazar had never really thought about it much before, but Aro had been protecting his young guard from the moment he first met them, he really respected Aro for looking after them the way he did.

Eleazar poured the three of them a goblet of wine each, "have you really had the whole guard submit to you?" he asked as he passed Aro a drink. Taking a big swing from his glass, Aro replied, "submit, no. Sex, yes - the females anyway. But keep it to yourself! I mean it!" He was deadly serious. Carlisle took his drink from his brother as he asked yet another question, "what's the difference?" Aro sighed, he was bored with this now. "sex is just sex, it doesn't mean anything, and despite what you think they have always been willing, for me at any rate. Not so sure about Caius! Submission isn't willing, it isn't a choice at all in fact. Its primal and about dominating subordinates. It's totally different."

Carlisle took a swing of his wine, this all sounded repulsive to him."Was this before Sulpicia?" Taking another large gulp Aro replied, "no, I turned Sulpicia a few thousand years ago… no other woman will ever have my heart…" Carlisle interrupted, "no, just your bed!" he said with a look of disgust. "It isn't like that. Vampires aren't like humans Carlisle, I told you already, we are far more passionate and sex is just… well it's just enjoyable isn't it." Eleazar interjected, trying to keep Carlisle calm. It didn't work.

"So does that mean you are happy to share Sulpicia with other lovers?" Carlisle asked accusingly. Aro stood this time, incensed at the idea. "No! Not if she wants to continue living." Carlisle rose too stepping into his brother's personal space. "Well I just don't think that it is fair for you to have sex with whoever, whenever, but Sulpicia has to be content with just you!" Aro ground out his reply, "luckily for Sulpicia I am enough to keep her happy." Carlisle should have been scared at this point, but he was too far gone. Mimicking Aro's stance and tone he replied, "how does she feel about being unable to keep you happy?" Aro shoved his brother backwards - he landed in Eleazar's lap! "Carlisle, you are pissing me off now. You are confusing human relationships and vampires. We…" Jumping back to his feet, Carlisle interrupted Aro again. "Yes I heard you just fine, you think vampires are more 'passionate' and that gives you the excuse to destroy the sanctity of marriage!"

Aro strode over to the table with the wine barrel seated on top to refill his glass. "There is no sanctity in marriage you damn fool. That's your Christian crap, I am Greek and my gods couldn't care less for your sanctity of marriage! And unlike you, I know my gods exist!" Carlisle screamed his response, "you know less than you think you arrogant arse! For such a passionate vampire you seem to hardly care at all for your poor wife's feelings!" Aro's thoughts started to race, _he_ _'_ _s shouting his mouthing off like this and there is no way Sully hasn't heard what's going on. And even if she hasn't I can't trust my brother, the new town crier to keep it to himself. Why did I tell them? For the love of the gods I should know better than this by now. What was I thinking? Centuries of doing what I liked and now I need to go to my wife with my tail between my legs for forgiveness? I knew this newborn was going to cause me trouble. Damn it!_

Aro retook his seat and with a perfectly calm exterior betraying none of the broiling emotions held inside, he laughed lightly as he wound Carlisle up further. "What a perfect image of the good little preacher's boy you are - here to save our sins are we? I'm sure old preacher Cullen would be very proud!" He said spitefully, it worked, Carlisle was going off like a coiled spring. "He's a Pastor, and I am nothing like him!" he damn near shouted down at his seated brother. _Shut up you jumped up little prick my wife is hanging on every word up there!_ Aro thought murderously. "You can keep your moralizing for someone who cares. I don't need lecturing from you about anything in fact! You are a baby compared to me Carlisle. We don't even know if you are going to survive your newborn year yet!"

Aro was done with this newborn shit, he was now far more concerned about marital relations rather than brotherly ones. "What is that supposed to mean?" Carlisle asked, concernedly. Aro looked at his new brother like he was some sort of tramp who'd been dragged in off the street, "why am I even discussing this with you? I have an entire vampire race to manage I don't have to concern myself with pathetic ingrates like damn newborns!" Eleazar stood up and pushed Carlisle back from Aro, "Aro, what are you saying!" he asked his irate brother. Aro was happy to reply. "What I am saying, Eleazar, is newborns are Caius' domain," as he pointed at the raging newborn tucking behind Eleazar he added, "so he can fuck off to Caius!" Eleazar threw his hands up, he knew today would end badly and he sensed Carlisle growing angrier and more frustrated as they talked, Aro's reaction was a genuine surprise though. "Aro, no, don't do this." Aro shot his big brother a look of disgust now, "I am king of this castle, brother, not you, I will decide where he goes!" Aro was now unashamedly pulling rank. "Well OUR FATHER may have something to say on the matter when he returns!" Eleazar replied as he desperately tried to make Aro see reason. "I am sure he fucking will!" Aro responded angrily as he called for his boys.

Eleazar shook his head at his brothers falling apart in front of him, _how have we come to this again, already?_ He asked himself. "Aro, no, I won't let you do this!" he told his angry little brother. Aro was pissed off at the mere suggestion that Eleazar could prevent him doing as he wished in his own coven. "It's not for you to 'let me' Eleazar!" Aro said dangerously. Felix and Demetri entered the room moments after Aro had called, which proved to Aro that his wife too could hear every damn word that had been spoken. "Take him to Caius, tell him I have sent him a newborn to add to his ranks." He told them as he pointed roughly at Carlisle again.

Neither guard moved, "Huh? Are you serious?" Felix asked. Aro walked to his young guard and stood painfully close to the boy. "Are you deaf? Or Stupid? Do I need to speak more slowly? TAKE HIM!" Carlisle could see the boys struggling with their conscience. "It is okay lads, just show me the way." His words were noble but his shaky voice gave away his fear. Felix and Demetri started to follow Carlisle out of the room as Aro added a final instruction to them, "feel free to use as much force as necessary!" "Erm… yeah… okay…" Felix stuttered his reply, he wasn't sure if this was some sort of test. Eleazar shoved Aro roughly as he passed him to follow the boys and his little brother out of the suite. "You will regret this much more than Carlisle will." He left as his parting shot.

Felix and Demetri fell back through the chamber doors less than five minutes later, laughing like clowns as usual. "What are you doing back here?" Aro asked them from his chair, he soon jumped up at the sight of Carlisle. "What is HE doing back here?!" Felix tried to respond, they thought they had done the right thing. "We didn't think you meant it… Eleazar said…" Aro blew up at 'Eleazar said'. "I could give a damn what Eleazar said! You take him now and then you come straight back to me! I thought I had explained quite clearly only a few short months ago exactly WHO is in charge around here, I will leave you in no god damn doubt this time!" Both Felix and Demetri visibly winced.

"Aro," Eleazar strolled back through the door calling out for his brother, "Oh good, you're back." He added as he saw Carlisle and the boys there too. "Yeah and now we are getting it in the neck!" Felix commented quietly. "It's not your necks you should be worried about boy!" Aro replied as he jabbed a pointed finger into Felix' chest. Eleazar shook his head again. "So you are trying to pull rank on them now!" Aro's anger was ready to overflow into blind rage. "Trying! Fucking TRYING! I am the…" Eleazar cut him off, "I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! AND I AM TELLING YOU TO STAND DOWN!" Eleazar rarely pulled Aro up publicly, when he did, it was serious. He turned to the young guards and Carlisle, "go to my quarters, all of you and…" "TAKE HIM TO THE DUNGEONS!" Aro roared! Eleazar replied just as fiercely, "NO! TAKE HIM TO MY QUARTERS AND STAY THERE! The two brothers flew at each other, hisses, growls, and roars filled the room as the three younger vampires scarped to the safety of the middle floor apartment.

Eleazar sat in the corner of the room surrounded by remnants of the heavy oak bookcases. Paper pages floated to the ground around him. "Have you got it out of your system now?" he asked his little brother who was sat on the floor near the two upturned sofas. Aro manipulated his left arm with his right hand, _damn it hurts!_ He thought. "You have broken my arm!" he replied to his brother. "That isn't what I asked," Eleazar said, "besides, I think you have broken my face!" Eleazar touched a hand to his cheek where his face was swelling around the broken bone. "What is going on with you? Basileus is going to…" Aro cut in, he didn't need it to be spelled out to him; he knew well enough what Basileus was going to do. "I know El, he warned me before he left." That offered even less explanation for Aro's behaviour.

"Then why would you try to send him to the dungeons?" Aro looked sheepishly, he wasn't sure how to answer. "You heard him! How dare he give me advice on my relationship with Sully. He hardly knows me let alone her. I am not interested in his moral critique. And now I have to have a very awkward conversation with my wife and…" Aro trailed off. "Perhaps what he said hit a nerve, brother?" Eleazar said carefully. Aro cast his eyes to the floor as he thought if there was any truth in his brother's words, _maybe, but I am not talking about it anymore, I_ _'_ _ll save my words for Sully now._

Watching his brother clearly warring with himself internally, Eleazar wondered if Aro was going to make it through Carlisle's newborn year at this rate. "I hope you can come up with something better than he hurt your feelings Aro. And if I find out you have laid a finger on your young guards for this it won't just be Basileus you need to hide from." Aro looked over to his big brother and waved off Eleazar's words, "I have no intention of it El." "Hmm," Eleazar sighed, "not now maybe." Aro looked around their father's trashed living chamber. "How the hell are we going to clean this up before he comes back, brother?" Eleazar got to his feet, his body aching as he did so from the fight with Aro. "I'll fetch Carlisle and the boys to help, if you can promise to behave yourself?" Aro smiled slightly, "if they help I may even throw in an apology!"


	13. Daddy's Home

**Daddy's Home**

Eleazar and Aro had devastated their fathers living chamber in their brawl and even the best efforts of the three brothers along with Felix and Demetri weren't enough to clean up the place before dawn - and Basileus would be back by dawn. They were now all waiting in the throne room for the creators return. Eleazar's face was still swollen, the bones were struggling to heal in their shattered state. Aro's arm was laying obviously awkwardly across his stomach. Caius and Marcus had noticed, but they never involved themselves with the two brothers brawling. They left that to Basileus to sort.

Basileus' booming voice rang out long before they saw him, he seemed in good spirits which relieved Aro and Eleazar somewhat. As soon as he walked into the throne room, however, that happy voice disappeared. He spotted Eleazar's broken bones from clean across the room. "What's wrong with your face?" he asked as he stalked up the throne platform steps. "Nothing, my lord" Eleazar replied easily, hoping to deflect his father's concern. "Have we been under attack whilst I was gone?" Basileus asked generally. "No, my lord." Aro replied. "Is there any business I need to attend to?" Basileus asked, looking to each masters of the coven in turn. "No, my lord." Aro replied again, sounding bored. "Good. I need to spend some time with my sons'." That sent a shiver down his dear sons' dead bodies.

Basileus wasn't fooled, but if his sons wanted to play games, he had a few of his own to play. "Caius, Marcus, you two can deal with coven matters for a few weeks, yes?" Aro rolled his eyes as Caius responded instantly. "Yes, my lord, of course." He was only too happy to lead the coven for a while. "You need not worry my lord," Marcus added, "enjoy some time off!" Basileus clapped his hands together happily. "Wonderful. We will be around the castle but I want some time with my sons'." Caius was so pleased with this. "Yes, my lord." Aro was significantly less pleased. "For how long?" he asked. "For as long as I like. These two can manage things for a while, and this is important." Basileus said to him, pointedly. "Why do you need me?" Aro pushed. "I don't need you, I want you. So you are off." Basileus walked passed his sons and the thrones and headed out of the throne room towards their tower, "come to my quarters as soon as you are free." he threw out sternly over his shoulder as he exited the great hall.

"So, who's going to start?" Basileus circled his sons like a lion stalking his prey. They grouped closer and closer together in an effort to get away from their formidable father. "You could start by explaining what the hell has happened to my home?" Basileus continued, "no response, huh, how about you tell me why Eleazar's face is busted up?" he continued to circle, slowly and purposefully. It was scaring the crap out of his boys' and he liked it. "Okay, so you could start with Aro's dud arm then perhaps?" Coming to a stop in front of the three vampires Basileus offered his final option, "or, if you prefer not to talk about the rather exciting events that have clearly occurred whilst I have been away, I could belt you all now and cut out the chat…" "Whoa, no need for that!" Aro finally broke. He knew he was in for a beating when Basileus heard about his sending Carlisle to the dungeons, he certainly didn't need a warm up session before the main event!

"Wonderful, Aro, the floor is yours." Basileus said as he performed a mock bow to his middle son and took a seat on his ripped up sofa. Eleazar jumped in with an explanation before Aro could say anything. "We had a disagreement whilst you were away, but it's all sorted now." Shaking his head and laughing to himself, Basileus looked Eleazar dead in the eye. "Don't bother trying to smooth things over before we begin Eleazar, you know I always know… I may not reveal my knowledge right away, but I always know." He said, tapping his temple as he spoke.

"If you know already then why are you even asking?" Basileus turned his glare back to his middle son. "Watch it Aro!" the look he gave his son could have frozen the oceans, the one Aro return could have set them on fire! "I want to hear what you have to say. I have been traveling all day, I really do not have the energy for fishing through your thoughts." Aro crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, Eleazar and Carlisle suddenly found the walls very interesting in an effort to avoid their fathers gaze.

"No offers… Fine, let's start with you." Basileus pointed to his eldest son. "What happened to your face?" with a defeated sigh Eleazar replied to his father, "Aro broke it." Smiling menacingly he now addressed his younger son, "And why would you do that?" Aro shrugged and replied so nonchalantly, "because he broke my arm." Basileus nodded, that seemed fair, though not quite the point he was trying to get at. "And where were you whilst this was going on?" he asked Carlisle. "Erm, I was in Eleazar's quarters with Felix and Demetri." _Those two are always involved one way or another! I should have brought them down here already._ Basileus thought to himself. "Go and fetch them. Now." He instructed, Aro ducked out the room before either of his brother had the chance to escape. Within a moment, Aro returned, the two young guards' seconds behind him.

Basileus looked the two young vampires up and down, they were apparently unscathed, thank the gods. "Hello boys, I am relieved to see the two of you are in one piece at least." Felix beamed, it was rare for him to be in this sort of situation and not be at fault! "Yeah, thanks to Eleazar!" Demetri mumbled Aro cuffed the back of his head lightly, "knock off the theatrics Demetri!" Basileus raised his eyebrow to Aro, he knew his father was pissed off with him already. "No, no, I want to hear about their involvement." Basileus told him, quickly adding, "and you can quit glaring at them Aro!" Gesturing to the two young vampires, they moved away from their master and closer to Basileus. "Boys, please tell me what your involvement was."

Demetri looked to Felix to answer, Felix always answered for the two of them. "Aro called us down here to take Carlisle to Caius." Basileus' eyes flew open, "YOU DID WHAT!" he roared at the boys who began stuttering their response. "We didn't my lord, we didn't take him! Eleazar came out to us in the hall and said to walk a lap around the castle and come back in… so that's what we did." Looking to Eleazar for confirmation, Basileus told him to explain. "They are telling the truth father, Aro tried to send Carlisle to the dungeons. It didn't happen though, he didn't even go down there - we sorted it out."

Turning to Aro, Basileus said accusingly, "but you tried to send him!" Aro released a sigh, remaining as falsely calm as possible, "yes I did, I was wrong, he was winding me up. But it didn't happen, so it's no big deal." Basileus rose to his feet and walked to his middle son, stepping into his personal space and grabbing a tight hold on the front of his shirt, he started grinding out his words. "No big deal? What did I say to you about putting MY son, YOUR brother in the dungeons Aro?" Aro gulped, but didn't reply. Giving him a rough shake, Basileus added, "Well!" Still nothing. "WHAT DID I SAY?" he bellowed in Aro's face. "Something about there being hell to pay… Seriously father, you are over reacting. Nothing happened." Aro replied quietly, wishing there were less of an audience for this round of fucks. "Nothing! You have a broken arm, Eleazar's face is still healing, and you tried to send Carlisle to the fucking dungeons - and nothing happened!" In his efforts to not rip Aro's head from his shoulders, Basileus' words were delivered in ragged, raised whispers.

Forcing himself to release Aro, Basileus put some distance between himself and his son. Walking over to the table where the open barrel of wine still stood from the brothers meet ups, he poured himself a drink. _This feels much lighter than when I left!_ He thought as he gave the barrel a shake whilst throwing a raised eyebrow to Aro. Aro puffed the air out of his cheeks as he tried to avoid his father glare. _Okay son, we can talk about this later, the wine will keep. Brawling with your brothers though, no, that won't keep at all!_ He asked Aro an important question, one that would decide how he moved forward. "Did you change your mind Aro, or did Eleazar change your mind?" _Please say you did, please, for both our sakes._ "It may have been him." Basileus' heart dropped. _Little cunt!_ He thought viciously about his middle boy. He tried to rake through the thoughts in the room but they were flying around so fast with so many questions in the air that it was difficult to piece together what had gone on. He couldn't work out why Carlisle looked so scared, _that makes no sense!_

"Felix come here. There's too many thoughts racing about and I can't make out who's who!" Felix obliged and offered the elder his hand, Basileus didn't need contact but it certainly made mind reading much easier. "You were going to punish these two, too?" He said in shock to Aro as he read the boys memories. "Well, yes, but I didn't do that either!" Aro replied, realizing how pathetic his excuses sounded. "Only because Eleazar stepped in to stop you!" Basileus released Felix and the boy quickly scooted back to Demetri's side. Basileus was actually shocked that Aro would be so petty. "You were honestly going to punish them for having more sense than you?" "No. But thanks! For disobeying an order." Aro replied indignantly, as he looked at his young guards who were desperately trying to avoid his eye he added, "I still think I have a point there by the way." Felix and Demetri both tensed up. "Don't you dare, Aro! Don't you even dare!" Basileus said warningly as Aro threw up his hands in defence and took a step backwards, much to the young guards delight.

Eleazar tried to help Aro, "Please, father, we had a disagreement between ourselves and we sorted it out. You wanted us to spend time together and work out how to get along, and I really think we are on the way to doing that…" Basileus cut him off mid excuse, "Eleazar go to your quarters and take Carlisle with you please. You pair had better go with them." As Basileus ushered the four of them out of his quarters Carlisle tried this time to help. "Please don't punish Aro because of me, I was speaking out of turn, it wasn't his fault…" Placing a finger on his son's lips to silence him, Basileus promised him, "don't you worry, son. I will be talking to the both of you when I have finished with him." Eleazar gulped as he pulled Carlisle out of the room knowing he was part of 'the both of you'.

As soon as Basileus closed the door Aro started again. "Why are you over reacting? There's just no need for any of this!" Basileus wasn't having that. "Shut up Aro, I will be the one to decide what is needed, not you!" Basileus was fishing through Aro's memories and his reasoning for casting Carlisle away. "So let me get this straight, you wanted to send him to the dungeons, actually, no, you wanted to send him to Caius because he made you feel bad about fucking other women!" Aro was exasperated now. "But I didn't!" Basileus was out of patience. "You make it sound like you saw sense and changed your mind when you did no such thing! If Eleazar hadn't intercepted Felix and Demetri, they would have taken Carlisle to the dungeons on your orders. And when they returned with him, AFTER you had time to calm down, you tried to do it again, and you threw threatening your two boys into the bargain!"

Aro slammed his fist into the wall behind him in sheer frustration. _Great, now my good hand is fucked too,_ he thought when he looked down at the bloodied knuckles. "But I didn't do anything! You are punishing me on thought crime, it's absurd!" Basileus scoffed, "you can add trashing my home into your list of the things you apparently didn't do!" Continuing with his fishing, Basileus was truly disappointed with what happened after Aro and Eleazar came to blows. "And you fought with Sulpicia?" he accused darkly.

"That wasn't my fault, as soon as my brothers and Carmen left our quarters she sent our guard to their bed chambers and attacked me! What was I supposed to do? I won't stand there and be beaten up by my wife! She should know better than to try that sort of thing with me after all these years." Aro sounded convinced of his own excuse, he wasn't, but he'd said such a thing so many times to excuse his violence towards his wife that he felt it was a proper defence.

Basileus looked at his boy with disgust. "You just keep making that hole you are in deeper and deeper." Aro felt wretched seeing that look. "You're making more of it than there was…" Basileus walked away, he wasn't listening to anymore. "You are trying to squirm your way out of this hiding and I have no desire to hear any more of your pathetic excuses." The door to Basileus' bed chamber swung open as he kicked the base of the door. "Why won't you see reason?" Aro pleaded. Oh how he hated the way he pleaded with Basileus. It was like a compulsive reaction with knowing what was to come.

"I tried reason before I left, now I am trying force." Basileus responded as he began undoing his thick, brown leather belt. "Get in here, boy!" he said as he pointed to the bed. As Aro walked passed him, not daring to disobey now his fate had been decided, Basileus whispered menacingly, "do you remember what I told you last time we were in this situation." Oh Aro remembered alright! Basileus promised him next time he wouldn't be walking out of this room. _Fuck. That's it, I am truly fucked._ A flash of metal caught Aro's eye - Basileus usually folded his belt in half gripping both free ends together, occasionally he would hold the buckle end and use the leather end as a thick whip. This time he had wrapped the leather end around his hand and the buckle hung freely at his side. Aro's stomach hit the floor and he felt a phantom sweat as the fear built up inside him. The last thing Basileus said before he started his onslaught was, "this is really going to hurt us both, son."


	14. Not So Funny Now

**Not So Funny Now**

Carlisle had been stomping around their quarters for the last hour - safe to say, he was driving Basileus crazy. "Could you tidy up without the complaining, please?" Basileus asked sternly. Carlisle released another disgruntled huff. "I didn't make this mess in the first place!" he said under his breath. Of course his father heard him. "Carlisle, you are lucky cleaning up is the total sum of your punishment, I wouldn't push for more if I were you." Ducking his head as he picking up some more ruined books and scattered papers, Carlisle decided to keep his mutinous mutterings in his head for now.

Thoughts of Aro weren't far from his mind. Cursing his newly perfect memory, Carlisle could hear the row between Aro and Basileus rolling through his head as though it were happening all over again - the shouting, the banging, the belting. It was horrendous. Eleazar had to stop him from going back down there to intervene. Carlisle couldn't understand why Eleazar wasn't intervening himself. He'd said if he did it would be worse for them all. Hearing his father's roars fresh in his head again Carlisle couldn't believe it would have been worse. Eleazar's chamber door to the tower stairwell was wide open and they all saw Basileus carrying Aro up the stone steps to his own suite when he was done with him. Aro was an impressive vampire, a great leader and skilled fighter… and now, as Carlisle replayed in his memories, their father carried his brother's broken body to his bed because he quite literally couldn't walk there himself.

Basileus listened to his sons raging thoughts. He felt bad enough about punishing Aro so harshly, not that he felt he had a choice. "Carlisle, can you just drop it." Spinning around to see his father looking tired and pissed off he replied, "I haven't said anything!" "I can hear your thoughts son. I am asking you to drop it. Aro knew what he had coming. I do not make empty threats - you should remember that, it will do you well in the future." That put Carlisle on the back foot.

The guilt he felt pushed him to reply regardless. "You didn't have to do that for me you know. I can take care of my own battles." Smile spreading wide across Basileus' face, he could barely contained his laughter! "No son, you can't, and besides, I didn't punish Aro for you." _That was another punch in the face to my ego, thanks, father!_ "Then why? We were getting on so much better after that little hiccup and…" Basileus was done discussing this, "Carlisle, I have never relented on a promise. I explained well enough to Aro before I left, he knew what to expect on my return."

Carlisle was frustrated, dumping the pile of broken books he'd collected on the table, scattering the papers Basileus was working on far and wide, a low growl rumbled in his chest. "Does everything have to be so rigid with you!" He asked, a little more forcefully than he would usually dare. Basileus reached across the table and grabbed his son's wrist, pulling him close and squeezing him tightly he warned his boy, "watch it son, unless you want a round yourself!" Basileus growled as he put all his efforts into blocking Carlisle's thoughts from his own to provide some relieve to his guilt.

Carlisle was embarrassed, he knew he looked fearful when Basileus threatened to punish him and he hated himself for it, it went against everything he was taught as a human. _If you are foolish enough to land yourself in trouble you should take it stoically,_ the good pastors words floated into his mind. Then something else crossed Carlisle's mind. _What does he mean by_ _'_ _round'? It this about making me submit to him, sexually. Is that what he did to Aro? Or at least partly? Aro said he would be taking me when he came home. Fuck. I really can't do it. Aro said I am supposed to be willing. HOW on earth can I be willing? What will happen if I am not?_ Carlisle was winding himself up again, it took so little in his newborn state. As Basileus released his tight grip, Carlisle let two words slip from his mouth and he wasn't really sure which one of his fathers was the intended recipient. "Miserable cunt!"

Basileus leaned back in his chair and watched Carlisle backing up with his hand across his mouth. Basileus was actually laughing in shock as he addressed his boy. "What in this world has made you think you would get away with calling me a cunt you wretched brat!" Basileus was so shocked at his relatively placid newborn addressing him in such a way that even he was surprised by the smile forming on his face! Coming to his senses, Carlisle saw it that he had two options - apologize profusely, or totally throw caution to the wind. The wind won. "You once told me to call you whatever I thought was appropriate!" _okay, I_ _'_ _m over the shock now,_ Basileus thought. "Who the hell do you are think you are talking to! I am your father!" he raged at his boy as he stood up, pointing threateningly to Carlisle.

He should have backed off, he should have seen the warning in his father's words and tone. But Carlisle's newborn anger was taking over now and he was more scared of having to be fucked by Basileus than he was of being walloped by him. "Like hell you are! I know what you are going to do to me and no father would do that!" Genuine confusion crossed Basileus' face as his eyes shot open and his eyebrows disappeared into his hair line! "What in the name of god are you talking about?" Carlisle paced around the room, pulling at his hair to rid the memory of his conversation with his brothers from his mind. "You know what I'm talking about, oh it may be normal in your world to rape your underlings but in my world its perverse and criminal and you should have given me the choice because I would never have chosen THIS!" Carlisle gestured around the room with his hands as he spoke.

Basileus' confusion was turning to anger at the ungrateful boy growling at him. "This? This what? I took you from a worthless life, one you hated, where you were beaten and abused and dressed in wool and sack cloth. I set you up in a castle, you have been welcomed, you are respected, you enjoy fine clothes and a good life! You are immortal for god sake! And you think I should have checked if you would fancy it - most people in your position would bloody well welcome it you ignorant fool!"

Carlisle stopped dead and looked his father square in the eye. "Your abuse is far worse than any abuse I ever suffered in my human life!" Basileus roared in response. "Abuse? WHAT FUCKING ABUSE!" Carlisle backed away, his vampric instincts told him he was in danger. _Fuck, he_ _'_ _s going to do it to me now, Aro was right, it's coming, he's going to do it now._ "Aro told me what you are going to do, he said I have to accept it and be willing." He mumbled. As Basileus approached he shouted, "I AM NOT WILLING!" Basileus was completely baffled by his boy's outburst. He tried reading his thoughts but they were no clearer than his words. "Willing? Going to do what? What the hell are you on about Carlisle?" he really tried to be calmer with his son who was obviously distressed. _What else have you done Aro?_ He thought tiredly as he tried to pick through Carlisle's head. Nothing. Well, nothing of any use at any rate. "Fine. Follow me." He ordered as he left the room. Carlisle scuttled along behind him in trepidation.

Basileus threw open the door to Aro's suite. "ARO!" he boomed. "You don't have to shout father, it wasn't my hearing you broke!" Aro replied sarcastically from his bed chamber. Sulpicia stepped back as Basileus barrelled through her home following his son's voice. She tried to hide her bruised face but Basileus caught it and turned her to face him. Manipulating her delicate face gently, Basileus' heart sank at the damage his own son had done. "I am sorry, my lady." He told her genuinely as his anger towards Aro grew again. "I'm fine, my lord, just a scrape." she replied with tears in her eyes. Basileus closed his eyes willing himself to calm down and planted a light kiss on the woman's forehead. "I will bring an end to this behaviour, my lady." Basileus promised. Sulpicia wiped a stray tear from her cheek before leaving to sit out on the terrace.

A pang of guilt burst through the man's heart seeing the sorry state Aro was in. Basileus consciously pushed the emotion away thinking of what Aro had done to dear Sully, _you little bastard I have half a mind to take you in hand again!_ he thought bitterly, _no, not yet, but we will be having words about this son, I promise you that!_ Carlisle who had blindly followed his father was now confronted with the same sight. "I'm sorry Aro." He whispered to his big brother, thankfully Aro told him not to worry about it, though it didn't ease Carlisle's conscience one bit. "Right, Carlisle won't tell me what's going on, and his thoughts are so damn fast I can't work out what he's stressing about. What have you told him I am going to do to him?" Basileus accusingly asked his broken boy.

Aro rolled onto his side, though it took some effort he managed to prop himself up on his elbow, "What? I have no idea what he is…" Aro's voice trailed off as he realized what his father was talking about, _oh no!_ "What is it? You clearly DO know!" Ignoring his fathers continued questioning, Aro turned to his brother instead, "Carlisle we were joking, he hasn't done that to me and El. I can't believe you bought that to be honest." Aro laughed despite the tense situation. "Done what?" Basileus ordered, _you_ _'_ _re being as useless as Carlisle_ , he thought, and he was getting pissed off about it. "One of you had better tell me what the hell is going on, NOW!"

Aro sighed, Carlisle was clearly struggling verbalizing what Aro had told him, _gods be damned I can_ _'_ _t take any more punishment yet!_ "Well, we were explaining how covens work. The sorts of things that are normal in vampire society. How the hierarchy works, that's all." Basileus wasn't letting him off that easily, "that is clearly not all - speak!" Carlisle was getting stressed again, he backed up to the wall, _if I can't even cope with the conversation how the hell will I get through the act?_ "Don't even say it!" Carlisle implored. Aro was aware of his brother struggling with this, he didn't want him to suffer any more so he chose to use his words carefully. "Just about how coven leaders can 'take' anyone in their coven."

It took Basileus a few moments to catch on. When he did, it actually knocked him for six. He sat down next to Aro's head and tried to stroke his sons head but ended up grabbing a fist full of his hair in utter disgust. "Please, for you own sake, tell me you haven't told him that I have…" Carlisle shouted over his father, "DON'T SAY IT!" Basileus looked concerned, _the boy is completely unravelling, I_ _'_ _ll use Aro's term then,_ "that I have 'taken' you and Eleazar?" Basileus risked a look at Aro who though wincing at his hair being tugged on, eventually nodded. "For the love of the gods Aro!" He boomed as he took to his feet again.

Carlisle saw Basileus stand and wrongly interpreted it as coming for him! "I can't do it, please, I can't do it. It may be normal in your world but in my world it just isn't right!" Basileus reached out for his panic stricken son, "Carlisle, please, calm down." He was petrified and forced himself into the wall behind him. "No!" Carlisle screamed in response. Basileus held his hands up, trying to calm his boy. "Carlisle, I have NEVER done what he's said, ignore him." He spoke so kindly that Carlisle started to calm down and his breathing returned to a normal rate. Seeing how distressed his new son was refreshed Basileus' earlier rage towards Aro again. _I can_ _'_ _t punish him again; I went too far this morning._

Looking at Aro with near repulsion his spat his next words in a quiet, furious whisper. "What the hell were you thinking?" "We were joking!" Aro replied, guilty. _At least he has the good grace to be sorry for being such an insufferable prick I suppose. Hang on,_ "we? So Eleazar was in on this too then, yes?" Aro squirmed under his father's angry gaze, "well, it may have been me who said it, El tried to stop me, it was funny!"

Basileus took a step towards him, hand on the new belt around his waist since the last one had been worn out on his son that very morning. Aro audibly gulped and pushed himself backwards across the bed. _I really won't survive another round with him, fuck!_ "Father please, Carlisle didn't mention it again, I thought he understood it was a joke, I didn't think he took it seriously." Basileus quit his approach, Aro could see the man willing himself to stay in control. At least Carlisle was starting to look less frazzled. Basileus' face started to soften, Aro chanced a final plea, "Father please, I was just winding him up." Basileus ignored him completely and turned to Carlisle.

His youngest son allowed him to approach this time. Basileus placed his hand lightly on Carlisle's forehead and transferred his thoughts directly into Carlisle's mind. _'I have never, and would never do that to you. You are safe with me, you have to trust me. Nod if you understand._ ' Carlisle nodded, somewhat in wonder how Basileus was doing this? _His lips aren't even moving!_ _This is amazing!_ He thought. Basileus had the power to inject his thoughts and memories into others, but as he found it tiring and generally unnecessary he rarely used it. _'Now,'_ Basileus continued, _'I think it's time we wind Aro up a little._ ' Basileus removed his hand and winked at Carlisle whilst smiling mischievously.

Basileus turned so quickly he startled Aro. "You see Aro, it's hardly something to joke about son. Especially when I could, if I wished." Aro was confused. "Could what?" he asked tentatively. "Coven leaders," Basileus said as he retook his seat on Aro's bed, "they 'take' their members as a way to force submission, and it works. Perhaps I should have thought about this before… Carlisle is pretty submissive, generally. Especially for a newborn. Eleazar has always been very reliable…" stroking a hand through his sons hair, Basileus allowed his words to sink in a little before he continued. "YOU on the other hand. Well. You've caused me the most trouble over the years. Perhaps I should consider this?"

The look of sheer horror on Aro's face nearly set Basileus off laughing, it was all he could do to keep a straight, stern face. "Whoa, whoa, no. NO! Just no." "Relax son. Aro, you said yourself, it's totally normal in vampire society after all." Aro pulled his father's hand from his head, it was his turn to look repulsed now! "Father. We are not normal members of vampire society! You cannot be serious!" Basileus was enjoying this, and a quick look to Carlisle he could see his youngest was revelling in the moment a little too.

Basileus continued twisting the knife. "Oh I am. And don't forget how the hierarchy works; Eleazar is my eldest son - he could 'take' you too." Aro tried to sit up, forgetting the searing pain from his earlier hiding for a moment as stress overtook his body, "What the hell! I am not talking about this! We are not doing this!" Wagging his finger as though he was talking to a naught child, Basileus continued, he really should have stopped, and he had no intention of ever doing as he was suggesting, but it would be nice for Aro to see how unkind he had been to his brother. "Ah, ah, ah, Aro, it really isn't up to you, I am your coven leader, I am in charge around here, not you." Aro didn't really have a response to that. "But, but, NO! You are my father, it's different!"

Basileus stood up and moved over to Carlisle, placing a protective arm around the young mans shoulders. "Is it different Aro? I don't think so, not in vampire society after all." Aro was so flabbergasted at what his father was saying that he totally missed the smirks on both their faces. "Carlisle, we are going back to our quarters, I'll need to think about this for a while." Basileus told his son as he led him out of Aro's bed chamber. "Father please! My lord!" Aro called out in a final hope. Basileus looked back and before he closed the door smiled kindly and said, "shush son, rest. This isn't something for you to worry about. I will wait until you are recovered. And it is totally normal after all." Aro didn't have time to reply as his door closed leaving him all alone, unable to move from his bed with his head reeling "FUCK!" he screamed out. That seemed about the most reasonable thing to say right now!


	15. 1664, February - Relaxing?

**AN:** So I have had a message asking if Bella and co will be included in this fic. I thought I should post the reply on here for everyone to read in case others were wondering the same thing. YES, we will meet pretty much every single one of Meyers' wonderful characters as we go along, but as we are on chapter 15 and haven't even covered Carlisle's newborn year… it may be a while!

Whilst we are on it, SM owns pretty much all the recognisable vampires I am playing.

A quick note for 'Guest', thank you for reviewing, it may be just you and me reading this but so long as you stick around, I will too :D

* * *

 **1664, February - Relaxing?**

"I can't believe you fell for your own joke, brother!" Eleazar struggled to talk through his laughter. "Shut up Eleazar! I didn't fall for it!" Aro returned, he really wasn't enjoying being on centre stage in this way. "Oh my love, you really did." Sulpicia joined in, much to everybody's surprise. "Go you!" Carmen whispered in her ear as the two began giggling. Aro was actually enjoying this. Eleazar and Carmen were spending a lot of time in his quarters with Sulpicia; she liked the adult company and Aro was making much more effort to be around too. It was nice spending time with another couple. Marcus and Didyme were so wrapped up in each other that they rarely wanted company. Aro and Sulpicia used to socialize with Caius and Athenodora - that ship had long since sailed. Aro and Caius struggled to run the coven together as they once had and Sulpicia flat out refused to spend as much time with Athenodora as she used to.

She was changing. Little things, but Aro had noticed. She was far more relaxed than she used to be, less guarded with her feelings and emotions. He liked it. He really liked it. If you spend and eternity with someone, even if that someone is the love of your life, things can get a little stale. Seeing this new side of his wife opened Aro's eyes to just how lucky he was. They had been stagnant for too long, and though he really, really really hated to admit it, Carlisle's moralizing had stuck in his head - he had ignored any feelings of wrong doing as he fucked his subordinates, he had forgot about how dear his wife was to him. He wouldn't lose her, he knew that much. Sulpicia didn't have a choice there. But that wasn't what worried him really - hurting her, that's what he worried about. Aro had forgotten for a while how important Sulpicia's feelings were to him.

"Are you going to tell them what happened or shall I?" Sulpicia asked her husband playfully. "I would much rather you told us Sully, we know he lies!" Eleazar added, enjoying the good natured ribbing his brother was receiving. "I do not lie!" Aro replied indignantly. Seeing Eleazar raise his eyebrows to him he relented, "fine I will tell you. About a week after our dear father dropped the submission bomb, he came to my quarters, asking how I was and to see if I was back on my feet yet." Aro said, a little embarrassed; they all knew Basileus had beaten him severely but talking about it so openly was unusual to say the least. "Anyway, I was in this very room," he said as he gestured around his living quarters, "and he grabs me up from my seat by the scruff of my neck and drags me into the bed chamber!" Aro was outraged again recalling the events, but his dear wife could hardly breath for laughing, Eleazar and Carmen weren't fairing much better, almost doubled up into each other's laps, venom tears running down their cheeks!

"What did he do then?" Carmen managed to squeak out. Aro shook his head and narrowed his eyes at their amusement, but he continued. "He threw me down face first on the bed and climbed on top of me! He had me pinned to the damn bed! I honestly thought he was going to go through with it! He was pulling at my clothes and telling me I must submit!" That was it, the whole group were torn to pieces by their own laughter. Aro watched them, "you're all a bunch of cunts you know!" He said, like a stroppy teen!

"Aww come on brother, I would have paid good money to see you fretting whilst Basileus was on top of you!" Eleazar managed to finish his sentence before falling about laughing again. The women were just as bad. "Fretting! Fucking fretting El! You know how strong he is! How BIG he is! I would have DIED!" That didn't help at all. Sulpicia and Carmen exchanged cheeky looks, as Eleazar continued to crease up at his brother's predicament. "Just how BIG is Basileus?" Carmen asked, suggestively. "Ha! Do you fancy trading up Carmen, I wouldn't blame you!" Aro said with glee, happy to be able to turn the tables on his brother. "Whoa! That is not for you to even ask! You are my woman!" Eleazar tried in mock bravado, it really didn't suit the placid vampire. Poor Carmen tried to keep a straight face but soon burst into a sing song of laughter with Aro and Sulpicia joining in for the chorus.

Aro caught the grand clock from the corner of his eye. "Damn it, I need to be in the throne room." Standing he took Sulpicia's hand and kissed her gently, "I will return as soon as I am able my queen." After exchanging good byes Aro left to take his turn in the great hall. The twins passed him in the hall, returning from guard rounds. Jane fetched her wool and spinning top from the table and joined Sulpicia. Alec moodily stalked to his bed chamber. He didn't stop to greet anyone, and he didn't return their greetings either. "What's wrong with him?" Eleazar asked Jane, she seemed happy enough. Jane smiled as she shrugged. _Yeah, like you don't know!_ Eleazar thought, _how I wish I had my brothers gift sometimes!_

"I should go check on him," Sulpicia explained as she followed her youngest guard. "Shall we go out onto the terrace my love?" Carmen asked Eleazar, who happily took her hand and led her out of the room. Alone, Jane pulled around the side table to sit in front of her and laid out her spinning tools. _BANG!_ The tower door slamming shut startled Jane, _oh, it's just the big oaf, what on earth is his problem now?_ "What's wrong with you?" Jane asked the bruin as he came into the large, open chamber.

"Women!" Felix grunted his reply to the girl. "What would you know about women?" Jane said to herself, laughing lightly as she did so. Felix heard her, narrowing his eyes and snarling he considered slapping her. _God how I would love to wipe that privileged little smirk off your face! Aro would skin me alive if I touched his princess of darkness. So tempting, one of these days it will be worth the punishment!_ Felix' thoughts continued thinking up weird and wonderful ways of punishing Jane whist evading Aro's retribution. Walking up behind Jane, he took the spinning top out of her hands, dangling it just out of the girls reach above her head. "Hey, give me that back! Felix, don't be such a cock!" Jane was pissed off!

Sulpicia returned from seeing to Alec to be presented with Felix tormenting her girl. She was not happy. "Thank you Felix!" she said as she held out her hand for the spinner. Felix obliged, but he didn't seem bothered being caught out. Sulpicia handed Jane back her spinning top and told her kindly that ladies do not use such language. Felix scoffed at Sulpicia's words. "Lady! She's no lady, little witch is what she is!"

Sulpicia was shocked, winding each other up was common in these quarters but Felix wasn't playing with Jane, he was being purposefully hurtful. "Felix that is enough!" Felix simply shrugged. "What? She is a witch, that's why they burned her!" Jane's small pretty face flashed with pain. Sulpicia could see the internal battle she was struggling with; Jane wanted to see him burn, but knew her gift was forbidden in their quarters. Sully gestured to Jane to stay calm and let her deal with Felix. Their eldest guard was certainly full of himself today and clearly edging for a fight but hurting Sulpicia's girl was throwing himself into the fire! "Felix go to your chamber and get a hold of yourself before Aro returns!" He knew what Sulpicia meant by that - Aro would have something to say about his attitude IF she told him when he came back from his duties… Felix also knew Sully was unlikely to do that, she always covered for them, even when they really didn't deserve it.

Felix should have backed down whilst he still could. Trouble was, Felix was so stressed that he wasn't thinking rationally. _I_ _'_ _ve only been guarding Didyme for three months and that damn witch of a woman is driving me around the bend. She's fucking with my head. I am so sick of bowing to the ladies of Volterra!_ His thoughts were getting darker and darker as he thought about the position Marcus' wife was forcing him into on a near daily basis. "You aren't my master, Sully, and I'm not one of your vampire brats," he spat his reply to the coven matriarch. To Sulpicia's shame she didn't rebuke him. She was hurt, angry too, but far more hurt.

The stand-off between Sulpicia and Felix ended quickly as both heard chairs scrape back across the stone floor on out on the terrace. Felix didn't know anyone else was there, he knew Aro was in the throne room. _Fuck. Eleazar!_ It wasn't long before the eldest brother turned up, he had flashed to the living chamber and was in front of Felix before the boy had chance to leave the tower. Sulpicia was grateful for the backup and decided to take a seat with Jane and help her with her spinning. Of course Jane didn't require any assistance, but she could see Sully needed distraction and offered her mother figure the pile of wool to tease.

Sulpicia wasn't surprised Eleazar sought to intervene. He was a true gentleman who wouldn't approve of Felix' tone or words. "What is going on?" Eleazar probed gently, "Sulpicia, my lady are you alright?" He saw the venom pool in her eyes, and the single tear that ran down her cheek. There was no need for a verbal response. Carmen hung in the arch way. She looked a little agitated, but was in control. Having newborns around was always risky, but somehow Eleazar was keeping his new mate calm and easy going. There were many explanations offered by the castle rumour mill as to how Carmen's fiery tongue didn't tally with how well she controlled her actions. Eleazar enjoyed the rumours so felt no need to set anyone straight just yet.

"Felix, you were told to go to your chambers, I heard from the other room, I assume your hearing is at least as advanced as mine?" Felix had stayed quiet until now, he was pissed off! _Yeah okay I was picking on Jane, she's an easy target in our quarters, and she's_ _dying to use her gift on me but knows Aro will wear her out if she does so she just bubbles up, seething, I enjoy that little rise out of her. She gets enough special treatment from Aro and Sulpicia being their favourite so I'm just balancing things up a bit, that's all._ He reasoned with his actions, making them logical, though he knew they were anything but! But that's how Felix allowed his mind to work, he'd work things out so he was right, and then he'd stick to that reasoning _, he was so bull headed_ Eleazar thought, _so like Aro!_

Felix continued his mental war with himself, justifying his actions; _I shouldn_ _'_ _t have mouthed off to Sulpicia though, Aro will be pissed at that._ But he was done taking orders from the Ladies of Volterra - Didyme and her 'requests' had driven him crazy with stress this last few months. _Few! It's been three month, and I have a lifetime of this ahead! Fuck! And she's told Marcus she likes having me guard her so I'm stuck with her wicked trickery forever. Fuck. Who the fuck does Eleazar think he is anyway? I'm not taking orders from you, you are lower down the food chain than Sully and I told her where to go, I'm not backing down to the damn Spaniard that's for sure!_

"Yeah I heard Eleazar, and I replied already. Why are you even getting involved?" Felix looked every bit the petulant sixteen year old boy he was at his change. Eleazar thought it curious that in the 400 years since his own change, and all the wonders of the world that had advanced in that time, teenagers were still exactly the same as when he had been a boy… _oh yes, the topics may change, but the wild, and sometimes damn stupidity of their emotions, that is just as it always has been_. Basileus had told him it had forever been so.

"Felix, you will do well to mind your mouth in my presence, and if I were you, I would be making my apologies quickly!" Eleazar spoke calmly, he saw no benefit in antagonising the boy further. He knew Felix struggled with the idea that he, who was so much younger in vampire ages, was above him in any way. But he was. And though Eleazar was considerate of Felix' feelings, he wouldn't be dismissed by this boy. Felix began a hateful reply, but before he had chance Eleazar silenced him with a raised hand. "Do not continue on this path boy, make your apologies and leave!" Felix was incensed! "Boy, fucking boy! I've been in this guard longer that you've been alive! You're the youth here, you and your fucking pet! I'll take you both on!" Carmen started hissing from the arch way, Eleazar didn't turn to face her, he simply held a hand out to her and she stopped.

Sulpicia was impressed with that, she'd never seen a newborn controlled so easily. _What the hell is Eleazar doing with her that makes her obey him so easily_? Sulpicia made a mental note to get Carmen on her own soon and find out what exactly was going on between the two of them. Eleazar took a step towards Felix, _if the fool wants to take me on, he can try._ Felix looked at his situation, _I am stronger than Eleazar, I am a well-trained fighter and_ _…_ _that's it. Eleazar is still Aro's brother, Basileus' son, and a very well trained warrior. Fuck, I will not get out of this alive!_ He thought solemnly.

Felix backed away, slowly. He kept backing up until he thought it safe to turn and leave through the tower door. As he did turn, he walked straight into Aro. _Oh my dear husband, you are always where I need you._ Sulpicia was visibly relieved Aro had returned. Aro didn't speak, he'd been listening to the scene unfold from near the doorway so he'd heard enough. He walked towards Felix, and Felix stepped back with every advancement Aro made. _Oh shit he looks pissed, why did I say that to Sulpicia, she didn_ _'_ _t deserve that._ Felix' thoughts berated him, Jane didn't deserve his annoyance either, she hadn't done anything, she was just an easy target - he felt so stressed and he was desperate to tell Aro why - he willed his master to read his thoughts. He wanted a release from his turmoil but he was scared, yes, scared of telling Aro what was really going on with Didyme… and he was ashamed of his fear.

Aro had no intention of reading his boy's thoughts, there was no need as he'd heard the altercation. He was livid! He spoke to his wide eyed whelp. "You tease MY girl. You disrespect MY wife. You curse in MY quarters. And you threaten MY brother!" Aro spoke slowly, with purpose, he couldn't hide the anger with his usual sing song voice. _Thump!_ Felix had backed up, right into Eleazar's chest. _Trapped. Fuck!_ "What do you think Eleazar, how do you fancy his chances against you?" Aro directed his question to his brother, but continued to stare Felix down. Coming to his senses now Felix dropped his eyes to the floor, he wanted to show his submission, quickly!

Eleazar laughed, placing a hand on each of Felix' shoulders and giving the boy a gentle shake, "I think the fight has left him Aro!" more laughter, Aro joining in with his brother. They weren't laughing at Felix as such, more at the typical scene they were so used to between them and their own father, Basileus. _Aro isn_ _'_ _t this boy's father though, well, he is, but he isn't._ Eleazar realized he had never really thought about that before properly. Basileus had been pushing Aro in such a direction for a while now but Eleazar hadn't considered the whole family thing to be something that was already happening, more something their father was pushing to create. Eleazar did see Aro as responsible for Felix, and Demetri, Jane and Alec. They shared his quarters, he took them everywhere with him. He protected them. _How have I never realized this before? Why has Aro never talked about this? Why has he not put Basileus out of his misery and just told him they are living as a family?_ Eleazar decided to discuss this with his brother soon.

"Do you want to fight, Felix, hmm? Is that what you want?" Aro using his calm tone to mock Felix now. "No, no that's not what I want." Thinking more of his impending doom now all bravado disappeared and Felix was left feeling like the boy he was. "I apologize my lady I had no reason to say such hateful things to you, I will go to my chambers now..." Felix made to leave, Eleazar held him still by the shoulders and increased his grip as he felt his attempt to move. "No no no my boy," Aro almost sang, before adding darkly, "You are not going anywhere." He turned to Eleazar now, "I believe brother, had I not returned when I did, that you would have punished his petulant hide for his blatant disrespect to my queen, and of course to yourself and your new mate no less, yes?" Aro took a seat with his wife, taking her hand he kissed her kindly, and then pulled Jane into his lap and nuzzled his face into her blond locks.

Eleazar didn't enjoy punishing anyone, but he saw it as his duty, and there was a little bit of self-preservation in there too - he WAS above Felix and the rest of the guard, he had to maintain that position for his own safety. Plus Basileus would be outraged to find him allowing these vampires to set themselves above him. It was made clear from the time of his transformation that he, like Aro, and now Carlisle too were the chosen sons of the original vampire - and they would do well to avoid any show of weakness.

"Do so then" Aro nudged Eleazar from his thoughts, stealing himself for what he must do he guided Felix over to the marble 'dining' table at the side of the room. Bending him over, Felix felt his backside was literally presented to the room, _if I live through this I will die of shame_ he thought to himself, glad he couldn't blush at least. Eleazar made short work of bringing the bruin to tears with sharp smacks to Felix' rear. He wasn't using his full strength, but was prepared to if he felt Felix needed it. He didn't, he proffered his apologies to everyone in the room before Eleazar relented and ended his assault. It took a moment or two for Felix to realize his punishment had ended. As soon as he did he forced himself to quit his snivelling quickly and wiped all traces of his venom tears away roughly as though their very presence offended him.

Eleazar surprised him by taking his hand away from his face. Then with a firm grip he shook the boys tear soaked hand and leaned into his ear, "I'm not sure what's going on with you Felix, but I am not your enemy, please remember that." Felix appreciated the gesture, and the words, he wanted to spill his guts to Eleazar there and then but all he could do was thank the man, with his voice hitching humiliatingly.

"My turn!" Aro's voice sang out again as he rose from his seat and crossed the room to enter the bed chamber he shared with his wife. Felix' sense of foreboding grew as he realized why Aro had gone in there, Jane knew too, and the smile danced on her pretty little face. _Fucking witch_ , Felix thought when she caught his eye, looking far too pleased with his embarrassment. _She will tell Alec and Demetri, no doubt. Witch._ Felix prayed for Aro to beckon him to that room, _please call me in there, please!_

No, Aro came out clutching his chosen instrument instead. That dreaded leather strap. Both Felix and Demetri, and even Alec the once had felt the sting of that strap. _Me more than most,_ he thought gloomily. _Why can_ _'_ _t we do this in your room, or my room? Why in this room!?_ Felix didn't want to beg, he wanted to be the strong fearsome vampire the rest of the vampire world believed him to be. Aro wanted that too - that's why he only punished his guard in private, he needed to protect their image for them to be feared and respected.

He no longer applied that to those he allowed into his quarters though; Aro had worked hard over the last few months to be more relaxed with his guard in his tower home. The theory was, as Aro saw it, that only those he trusted with his life entered these rooms, and he also trusted those few with his secrets. This didn't help Felix right now though. "Please Master" "Don't 'MASTER' me in here boy!" _fuck._ "Please Aro, could we go to…" "Shut up Felix, and get back over that table… if you break this one I will break you!" Aro was done playing with him now.

Felix looked around the room for help; Eleazar was looking at the floor, _Jane, little witch, still smiling. Sulpicia!_ "Sully?" he called in a very small voice, _is that even my voice, I sound like a scared little boy! I feel like a scare little boy_ he thought, sadly. Sulpicia could see Felix was stressed, and scared. She was hurt by how he'd spoken to her but she would always fight his corner. Aro was angry though so she had to be careful. "Aro, maybe you could take him to his room, my poor table will be ruined by this, we've had it less than a year, and well…" She trailed off having said what she dared on Felix' behalf.

Aro questioned himself, his dear wife looked so sad. He looked to his boy, he looked so scared. _Good!_ He thought. Hearing the distant church bells chime in the town Aro realized his time here was growing short. He had much to deal with; they were making plans to attack a rogue coven who were creating newborns at an alarming, and illegal rate.

"Aaaahhhh" Aro roared to release his anger as he stormed over to Felix and took him roughly by the scruff of his neck. He threw his boy back towards his bed chamber that he had only just vacated. Reaching Felix before he'd gotten to his feet he grabbed the boy again by his neck and dragged him into the room. He left the door open though, much to Felix' shame. _Why can't we use my room, the one down the hall separated by stone walls! Why your room, straight off the main living room where every fucker is listening!_ He thought it, but didn't dare say it. He knew he was lucky to be offered even this little privacy.

The four left behind in the main room sat, or stood, in silence. They listened as Aro half roared, half lectured at his petulant youth, they heard every biting strike he landed on Felix' already tender backside, they heard the boy hissing and crying out with the pain of his punishment. They heard Felix curse, and the high pitched wail that followed as Aro sought retribution for the persisting errors. Then the strikes ceased and they heard Aro talking quietly to his boy. They couldn't hear his words, but as Felix' sobs quietened Aro walked out of his room. He passed them all with his head hung low and left through the tower door, closing it quietly behind him. _Oh my dear husband why can't we leave this place and all the pressures it provides?_ Sulpicia thought after him as more venom rolled down her tear stained face.

Once he was sure Aro had gone, Eleazar slipped into his brother's bed chamber to check on Felix. The well punished boy was still snivelling, curled up on his master's bed. "Felix," Eleazar spoke softly as he approached and sat on the bed next to the boy, "do you need to talk? I could help you. I will help you, just tell me what's going on?" Felix wiped the last of his tears away as he tried to get him breathing under control. "You can't help me, no one can." Felix sounded so final that Eleazar didn't want to push. "Well if that's how you feel, I'll accept it, but I am here I you need me." Felix nodded but made no comment. He was still a little pissed Eleazar had spanked him truth be known. "I need to find Aro, I will be leaving Carmen here so I need you to listen out. Now I know you don't want to take orders from me Felix…" Eleazar was cut off with Felix interrupting. "That's not what I meant Eleazar, I am sorry, I will listen out." Eleazar left the boy to his suffering and bid Sulpicia and Carmen good day as he went to seek out his brother.


	16. Confessions

**Confessions**

"Jane dear, will you take your things to your room, I would like to talk with Carmen alone." Sulpicia asked her young vampire. Jane looked uncomfortable, "I am not supposed to leave you?" Sulpicia narrowed her eyes at her girl, "you are supposed to obey my orders, dear one. Now go on to your room." She spoke kindly but with a no nonsense tone that told Jane this wasn't optional. The young guard obliged, but she wasn't happy. "Jane, Felix is in the next room and I would never put your mother at risk, sweet heart." Carmen told the unsure girl. Jane smiled happily to herself hearing how Carmen referred to their relationship and left to find Alec, Sulpicia beamed!

"So, what did you need to talk about?" Carmen asked her new sister in law, as Jane left through the archway. "Well," Sulpicia started, unsure of how to approach the question on her mind. "I was wondering how you are finding this new life… you have been a vampire for, what, three months now?" "Yes that's right, I am happier than I ever imagined I could be! This wonderful life, it's something of a dream for me. I was enslaved in Spain and brought to the south of France as a child. I could never have believed vampires even existed, let alone that I would become one!" Carmen seemed genuinely pleased with her new position, and she thought it would be obvious too, "surely people like me are pretty happy to become vampires, it's like having a new shot at life!" Sulpicia nodded, "yes, I suppose it is really…" she trailed off.

"What do you really want to ask me, Sully?" Carmen could see something was on her mind. "Well, you are… you are just so you! Already! So calm, so controlled, you are so normal!" They both laughed at the audacity of Sulpicia's statement. "Well who else would you expect me to be!?" Carmen asked through her giggles. "Carlisle is pretty calm, but he has his moments where his new heightened emotions get the better of him, and that is to be expected, it's sort of a newborn thing. Whereas you - you are totally in control and I want to know how! What is Eleazar doing with you that is keeping you so even tempered?" Carmen laughed again, Eleazar had told her someone would ask eventually. They'd spent much of the last three months in hiding in Eleazar's quarters, only venturing out to visit with Aro and Sulpicia and even then the guards were usually around.

Sulpicia continued, "there are some wild rumours flying around the castle about how Eleazar is 'managing' you, you know." Carmen smiled; oh she knew! "Tell me!" She asked playfully. "Well," Sulpicia started, "some are saying he is beating you, others that you are feeding from each other! Some are saying you spend all day and night having sex so you are too exhausted to act out usual newborn temper tantrums!" Carmen burst into a fit of laughter, it was infectious and Sulpicia soon joined in. "Okay," Carmen got herself under control, "there is some truth in all of that…" "What!" Sulpicia interrupted, shocked! She hadn't believed a word of the rumours so hearing them confirmed to any extent was a surprise.

"Look, it's not as the rumours are saying, but there is some truth to it. Eleazar said someone would ask directly soon, and I told him I wouldn't lie if it was you. So, we are having sex, a lot - any time we are alone in fact. That certainly helps to relive any 'tension'. And the feeding. We are not feeding from each other, but we are not feeding from humans either. Eleazar is going into the woods and draining animals for us to feed from. I believe I am some sort of experiment in that way - he wanted to see if a newborn could survive on animal blood only, and to be honest, he is happy with the results." Sulpicia was amazed that her sister in law had never drank from humans. "This is amazing. Outstanding even! Not only are you a perfect vampire on animal blood, but you are so much more in control! That blows Basileus' theory out of the water!"

Carmen's face paled. "That is what Eleazar is worried about. He knows his father will not approve, he has been utterly against Carlisle following the same diet until his first year is up. He says we need to be careful. Basileus hasn't sought to interfere YET, but he may and then Eleazar will be the one to face the music and I really don't want that. If we can make it to my 'first birthday' before Basileus discovers the truth things will be easier on Eleazar. Please don't tell anyone!" Sulpicia was taken a back, she had never agreed to keeping secrets from her husband before, and she knew Aro was who she had to keep this from, who else could it be? Sulpicia didn't talk to anyone else.

Suddenly Carmen saw her sister in laws eyes fly wide open as she jumped to her feet. "What's wrong Sully!" she asked in panic. "Felix!" Sully replied quietly. They both paled now. "I'll go and talk to him." Sulpicia stated, "don't worry, he won't say anything." Carmen looked worried, "how can you be sure?" Carmen cursed herself for being so careless. Sulpicia took Carmen's hands to her chest and told her, "I can be sure, because he is my boy, and I can ask this of him." Sulpicia left her sister in law and went to her bed chamber to talk with Felix.

"Sully!" Felix was pacing, limping as he did so. "I can't keep this from Aro!" Sulpicia approached her frazzled boy. "Felix, calm down, there is nothing to keep from Aro - it is not your secret to keep." Felix looked confused. "So I should tell him?" Sulpicia pulled Felix to the bed, "sit with me." Felix sighed, "it hurts to sit." He said sheepishly. "Good! You were vile to me, now sit!" Sulpicia could play stern if she had to, she didn't like it, but she wouldn't have survived raising these young vampires with her husband if she couldn't hold her own when occasion called for it. Felix sat, hissing as he did so. "You are not going to tell Aro." Felix looked stressed again. "Eleazar asked you to listen out in case I needed you. You were not told to sit and spy on me or my private conversations. You have no reason to tell Aro because that was not your job. Do you understand?"

Felix shook his head, "no, he will read my thoughts, he will find out and then he will wear me out!" Felix tried to stand but Sulpicia pulled him back down. "IF that happens, I will defend you." Felix thought about it, _Sulpicia has protected us all from Aro_ _'_ _s wrath many times before, she certainly has ways to deflect his attention when we are at risk of punishment she's decided we don't deserve. But I am so sick of keeping secrets for the women in this fucking castle. Perhaps Sully will help me with Didyme's requests… no, I can't ask her, Aro would kill us both if I told Sully what me and Didyme have been doing. And then there's Marcus, if he found out it could shatter the coven. Oh fuck it. What's one more secret, I certainly owe Sully, she's always so good to me. It can be my parting gift I suppose. Aro's going to kill me soon anyway…_ "I will keep it to myself. For you."

Sulpicia was relieved and enveloped Felix in a grateful hug, he responded by putting his strong arms around her and lifting her up as he stood. "I cannot stop him from reading my thoughts though… what do I do then?" Sulpicia released herself from her boy and took his face in her soft hands, "if he does, you get back here to me as quickly as you can, and I will deal with my husband." He nodded, he was happy with that. _Of course, if he does read my mind, Carmen feeding from animals will be small fry compared to my recent crimes._ Sulpicia continued, "you do have another option Felix, you could always try and stay out of trouble for a while, then Aro would have no reason to read your mind!" Felix laughed, "yeah, like that is going to happen!" Sulpicia smiled, "okay, that may be more difficult than it sounds. You can go to your room if you wish." Felix kissed her cheek and left, smiling to Carmen as he passed her in the main room.

"You are wonderful with them Sully." Carmen commented as she came back into the room. "They have been with me for a long time, I have raised them from newborn. Except Demetri of course, but he was only a few years into his vampire life and war torn from the Egyptian coven, he needed me more than if he had been a newborn I think." Carmen smiled, "they are your babies aren't they." It was such a human term, and one Sulpicia hadn't heard with human feeling for a long time. She referred to the twins as her baby vampires, Aro did too, but they both meant it to signify 'youngest' rather than their actual babies. Sulpicia's eyes filled with venom, happy venom, "yes, they are."

Eleazar had caught up with Aro in the throne room. Marcus and Caius were with their own wives and Aro was covering the great hall visitors. It was a slow day. Aro had only had to see one vampire and they were just passing through visiting the royalty of their world. He wasn't even sitting in his throne, instead he was sprawled on the throne floor steps with a goblet of wine in his hand. "It's a good job our father isn't the one to find you lying down on the job!" Eleazar said as he took a seat next to his brother. Aro smiled, and called a guard to fill up his cup and fetch one for his brother too. "How are things going with Carmen?" Aro asked, he wanted to get his mind off Felix. "What do you mean?" Eleazar replied casually. "Come on brother, you aren't the type to be beating her into submission, so what are you doing?" Aro had heard the rumours too, not that he believed them.

"No, I am not beating her into submission, but I can't tell you what I am doing yet - Basileus won't be happy with it, and I don't want you implicated in my demise." Eleazar replied darkly. Aro's interest was piqued! "Implicated! Demise! What are you doing? You are making this more interesting to me brother!" Aro accepted the re-filled goblet, Eleazar took his and knocked the full cup down in one, "more!" he ordered the guard. "Aro, for your own sake, just let me be your big brother and protect you." Eleazar whispered to his brother who sipped at his wine with a smirk. "You've taken some pretty severe beatings recently Aro, save yourself this one." Eleazar added, hoping to convince his brother to keep out of it. "I have to agree on that one! Since Carlisle got here I have been black and blue for one reason or another. I knew newborn years were tough but I thought that only applied to your own!" They shared a laugh, though for Aro it wasn't quite sincere, it had been a bloody painful nine months!

"Where is he anyway?" Aro asked his brother, he hadn't seen Carlisle or Basileus all day. "Basileus has taken him for a walk in the town. Carlisle wanted to test his control around humans and our father has relented." Aro was a little surprised, that was risky - their father was generally risk averse. Eleazar brought his brother out of his thoughts, "I wanted to ask you something about Basileus. Why are you still fighting with him on this family thing?" This was one conversation Aro didn't want to have. "Oh El, don't you start on me too!" Aro sat up and rested his elbows on his bent knees. "I am not starting on you Aro, I hadn't taken much notice of our father pushing you into this, I honestly thought he was pushing alone." Eleazar responded with an ease that didn't match the situation. "What is that supposed to mean?" Aro faced his brother as the guard brought back more wine.

Eleazar waited for the guard to leave before he whispered his reply. "You know that Sulpicia wants this too, surely?" Aro felt the flash of his emotions pass his face before he bottled them back up, he knew she did. But he refused to admit it. "No she doesn't, she is happy with how things are. I've never seen her so happy in fact. She is enjoying the extra adult company since you and Carmen are spending more time with us. I was even wondering if she wanted to move our guards out into the guard hall instead!" Eleazar slapped his brother across the back of his head with his free hand, whilst knocking back his wine with the other. "Ow!" Aro exclaimed.

"You are a damn bull headed fool Aro. I'm not sure which one of us you are lying to, but if it is me you can be sure I know those young vampires mean everything to you and you haven't protected them for centuries to suddenly cast them out now." Eleazar spoke quietly so as not to alert the guards to their conversation, but his tone conveyed his feeling well enough, he didn't believe a word of what Aro was saying. "Well how else would you explain Sully being so much happier now? Huh?" Aro continued, thinking he had the upper hand in this conversation.

"Aro, you have relaxed! You have allowed your young guards to relax! You blew up at Felix for calling you 'master' today…" Aro cut his brother off. "Yes, because we agreed not to in our quarters, that boy can't follow any orders!" Aro was raising his voice a little too loudly, Eleazar nudged him to keep it down. "You know that isn't why you were pissed at him." Aro shook his head. He really didn't want to be talking about this. "No, I was pissed at him for being so disrespectful to my wife and brother! That is what 'relaxing' things has caused me." Eleazar slapped him harder. "OW!" "I dare you to try hitting me back!" Eleazar told him, seriously. Aro remembered the last beating he'd taken for fighting with his brother and thought better of going for another round.

"It hurt you to punish him so harshly, didn't it?" Eleazar pushed a little more. "Well it's not something I enjoy, brother." Aro told him, though he thought that would be obvious! Eleazar thought about that, he didn't expect Aro to enjoy it, Caius did mind you. Aro was bothered by it though. He didn't just punish Felix, he sat and comforted him afterward. "Really, I've seen you rip arms off the wider guards without a second glace, why would it bother you to punish Felix?" Aro didn't respond. Eleazar continued to push, "he deserved it, so why would it bother you?" Aro remained silent. "Brother…" Eleazar tried to continue but Aro cut him off. "Eleazar just drop it." Aro said dismissively. He sounded bored of the conversation, he wasn't, he just couldn't think of a response he was willing to verbalize.

"They mean more to you than just guards, and if you even suggest to your wife that they should leave your quarters you will break her heart." Eleazar stated, plainly. That made Aro stop for a moment. Eleazar caught the flash of panic in his brother's eyes. Hurting his dear wife was the very last thing he wished to do. Aro finished his own wine, and took Eleazar's goblet, drinking his down too. "I think you are reading far too much into this El." He laughed, _oh Aro you damn fool,_ his brother thought in return. "You are the one that can read minds little brother, if you are so sure I am wrong, go and prove it!" With that final comment Eleazar stood up and made to return to his new mate. But before he left he annoyed Aro one last time, "Don't give him any more to drink, on Basileus' orders!" he said to the guards. Aro shook his head as he laughed to himself. "You're a prick Eleazar!" Aro called after him. "Love you too little brother!" Eleazar replied just before he left hearing range.


	17. Submission

**Submission**

Aro didn't return to his wife as quickly as he could have - he needed space to think. As Aro roamed around the sleeping town of Volterra, he wondered if the simple humans knew how close they were to the supernatural forces of these lands. _Of course they don_ _'_ _t. Simple beings. I'll never understand what fascinates Marcus so much about humans? I suppose they are a harmless enough diversion from the mundane. Certainly more civilized than Caius' torture chamber or his overzealous management of the guards. And less stressful than mine - my young guards. Those four vampires have caused me more drama than anything else in the vampire world combined_ _. It was bad enough with Basileus on my back about them, now Eleazar too! Is he right? Does Sulpicia see them as her children? As our children? Maybe I should read her mind and find out. Even if she does though what can I do about it?_ Aro had paid little attention to where his meandering walk had taken him. He was already back at the castle gates. Breathing deeply, filling his lungs with the cool night air, Aro decided to follow Eleazar's advice and read Sulpicia's thoughts. _At least I can put this whole thing behind me then, one way or another. God I hope my father and brother are wrong. I just want an easy life!_

"My queen?" Aro called out softly as he entered their quarters. It was late enough that their young guard should be sleeping by now. The main room was deserted and the fire appeared to have been forgotten, long since stoked for sure. "I am in our chamber, my love." Sulpicia's sweet voice floated in the air and called Aro to her like a siren. When he opened the door he was presented with his wife lying naked on their oversized bed, only the silk sheet preserving her modesty. _I can make short work of that!_ Aro thought to himself as he stripped his clothes whilst walking towards her, kicking the heavy door closed behind him without taking his eyes of his dear, beautiful wife. "Come to me, my love." Sulpicia whispered, seductively. Aro climbed onto the bed, never breaking contact with his eyes. As he straddled his woman he ripped the sheet away from her heavenly body and lay on top of her, resting his weight on his arms and tangled his fingers into her soft brown hair. With one last look into her ruby eyes he kissed her deeply, wondering why they had gone so long without enjoying each other like this. Sulpicia bit onto his bottom lip, gently at first, but Aro liked it rougher than that, she soon obliged him. Her delicate hands cupped the back of his neck, without warning, she drew hew nails into his skin and pulled them down the length of his back. Just enough for blood to prick at the lines she'd created and have her husband roaring in pleasure as she continued to writhe beneath him.

They made love for the first time in weeks. Between Basileus' beatings and looking after newborns, along with all the usual pressures of running the royal coven, they had hardly spent any time together alone in months. Thinking about it, they were lucky it had only been weeks since their last time in this bed together. It took them close to three hours to tire of their activity. When Sulpicia was sure Aro had climaxed for the final time, she collapsed on top of him - they lay there in a state of euphoria for some time before either of them spoke.

"Are you happy, my love?" She asked her husband. Aro brought his arms around his wife's fragile frame and held her tightly, nuzzling her neck and kissing her softly. "I am my queen. Are you?" Sulpicia sighed contentedly as she murmured indistinguishable words of happiness, utterly relaxed in her husband's arms. Aro studied her face; she looked to be asleep, as though dreaming of her most pleasurable days. _You, my queen, are perfect, entirely perfect,_ he thought as he closed his eyes to join her in fake slumber. At that moment, Aro wanted nothing more than give his queen all she could ever want, but for the first time in a very long time, he was unsure of what that was. Eleazar's words were buzzing around his head and he was right, he could read her thoughts and find out what would be her truest desire - Aro resolved that whatever it was, he would make it happen. _You have always been true to me, my queen, you deserve for me to be true to you,_ he thought finally before accessing Sulpicia's thoughts.

Aro sought out today's thoughts, since he had left her to fulfil his duties in the great hall. _Alec came home and he was upset. She checked on him, Marcus had admonished him for teasing Jane in the throne room and being unprofessional. Hmm, I will need to talk with Alec about this. Carmen. Sully wanted to talk to Carmen to find out what Eleazar_ _'_ _s trick was... You agreed to lie to me! To me! LIE TO ME! Felix! You convinced him to lie to me too… you deceitful bitch! You have never lied to me before! So all this, all this 'relaxing things' in our quarters with the guards - THIS is my prize! This is what I get in return! Disrespectful and deceitful guards and worse, my own wife! How did you think you would get away with this!_ "Aro! Aro you are hurting me!"

Sulpicia woke from her rest with Aro constricting her body, his eyes were closed and she wasn't sure if he was even aware of what he was doing. "Aro! Stop!" she pleaded. His eyes flew open. Rather the remorse she expected to see, there was anger. No. Fury! "My love…" "NO!" Aro cut her off, "you will not 'my love' me you deceitful bitch!" Aro shoved the slight women off from on top of him. She landed on the bed, but only just!

"Aro! What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked in surprise. "ME?" Aro got off the bed, he began stalking around the room like a caged animal. "ME!" he repeated to himself "YOU are the one who agreed to LIE to me! And you convinced that ingrate to join in your deception!" Sulpicia's face changed from one of surprise to one of fear realizing her husband had read her memory of today's conversation with Carmen. "I was going to tell you Aro." She spoke in such a small voice that he struggled to hear her.

Aro flashed back to the bed, in a moment he was straddling her again, though this time there was nothing thrilling about it, it was horrifying. _Crack!_ Sulpicia reeled in the pain of Aro slapping her face. With no time to recover Aro grabbed his wife's face; her whole jaw fit in one of his hands. Forcing her head back down into the pillow he leaned close to her ear. His weight wasn't supported this time, he didn't care to, Sulpicia felt like she was being crushed into the soft mattress. "You are a liar! I can read your thoughts sweetheart, you had already come up with a thousand ways to keep Felix in the clear and you had no intention of telling me anything!" Aro panted ragged breaths as he spoke, the fire inside him at the betrayal he felt fuelling his actions. "You will submit to me!" Sulpicia was shaking, she knew what that meant. "No, Aro please, my love…" "YOU WILL SUBMIT TO ME!" he all but screamed in response.

Releasing his hold on her face Aro sat back on his knees. Without once looking into her frightened eyes he flipped his wife over beneath him. With one hand he held her down roughly by the back of her neck, with the other he held readied himself and touched the tip of his hard cock to her rear entrance. Without word or warning he invaded her, painfully. Aro fucked hard with none of his earlier love or passion. This was sheer dominance! Truthfully it wasn't even Aro in control, at least not the human side of him. The internal vampire, and all its inherent animalistic tendencies was leading this event. The growl rumbling in his chest became louder and louder until he was roaring as he climaxed. As soon as he had, Aro was back.

Looking down at his battered and bruised wife, Aro came to his senses. Falling back he withdrew himself from her, he was careful but it was too late to save Sulpicia any pain. "My queen…" he spoke softly and reached out to touch her delicate shoulder - she shook in response. No words were needed. He had to leave. Now. Aro dressed quickly as he searched his wife's fragile frame - counting every bruise, every mark, every bite as he did so. Sulpicia continued to shake as she silently sobbed into the pillow. He backed up to the door, hoping beyond hope she would turn to him, or call for him. Nothing. No less than he deserved. He slipped from the room silently and went in search of someone who could help him put this right again.

Aro knocked on his father's door. It was usual for him to knock; normally he would walk in and make himself at home. He didn't deserve to feel at home anywhere right now. Basileus opened his door expecting a guard from the coven, not his half-dressed and distressed son. "What the hell has happened to you?" he asked as he pulled his boy inside. "Where is Carlisle?" Aro asked quietly. "He is with Marcus, they have gone for a walk through the town. Do you need him? Or me?" Basileus asked as he guided Aro to the table and sat him down. "You." Aro stated simply. Basileus nodded as he poured a tankard of ale for his son, and one for himself too. Taking the glass, Aro drank down the bitter tasting liquid greedily until his cup was dry. Basileus raised a questioning eyebrow to his son, but silently refilled his glass and placed it on the table in front of him. "Go steady!" he warned gently.

"I need to talk with you." Aro sounded desperate. Basileus noted that his son had yet to look him in the eye since turning up at his door. "What's wrong son?" Aro took a few large gulps from his tankard to steady his nerves, it didn't help. "I have done something I shouldn't have," he started to explain, "something I'm not proud of." Basileus slapped his shoulder and grinned. "Blimey Aro, there aren't enough hours in my immortality to hear your confessions!" Basileus exclaimed, trying to ease the tension between them. It didn't help, Aro was too distressed to be playful.

"Father, I am serious. I don't know how to come back from this…" he caught his father's eye as he spoke, and his shame ignited a fresh. Aro threw his hands up to cover his face, desperately trying to massage the guilt from his conscience. "I don't know if WE can come back from this." He continued, though his hands remained shielding him from his father's gaze. "We who?" Basileus pressed, gently. "Sully, Sully and me!" A hundred thoughts flew through Basileus' mind, _what could you possibly have done for our dear Sulpicia to question you, she adores you!_ Basileus drew a blank, there was literally no crime so great that she wouldn't forgive him. "What have you done?" Aro sat silent, allowing his demons to torment him and refusing to say it, _if I say it, it's real._ He thought solemnly.

"Look at me." Basileus ordered sternly. Clearly something serious had happened and he wasn't going to sit and wait while Aro searched the floor for his answers. Once Aro looked up, Basileus saw the devastation in his eyes. Holding that eye contact he pushed, "what have you done?" Aro thought about lying, seeking out his father's advice seemed a good idea on his way down here, now he just felt more ashamed than he could cope with. "Aro!" Basileus was done waiting.

"I made her submit to me." Aro cupped his own mouth, as if hoping to prevent the words escaping from his lips. It was too late, they were out there, now it was real. _Fuck._ He could literally feel the oppressive weight of his shame weighing down his shoulders. Basileus didn't speak at first. His jaw became slack and his mouth hung open. Standing from his chair and shaking his head he replayed Aro's words over in his mind. _'I made her submit to me.'_ "Why!" he asked, in genuine confusion. Aro fell into silence again. "Aro that sweet precious woman!" Basileus was still shocked. He thought he'd raised his son better than this. _BANG!_ Basileus brought his hand down hard on the table, Aro flinched at the unexpected noise. "What were you thinking you damn fool?" _That sounds more like I expected_ , Aro thought hearing his father bellow about his stupidity. He knew he had to answer, but he couldn't drop Eleazar in it too. "I felt that she betrayed me"

"HOW?" Basileus shouted back to him, he refused to even entertain a way Sulpicia could betray Aro, _never in my wildest dreams would she do such a thing._ "I cannot tell you how. It's not even important how." Aro mumbled, he refused to land Eleazar in any hot water over how he was dealing with Carmen, especially when Eleazar had made it clear he did not want Aro knowing let alone Basileus. But that wasn't the real reason he refused to explain. He knew his excuse was bullshit. He knew that Sulpicia deceiving him wasn't the entire reason Aro had done what he did. It was because he felt his power slipping. He always made such stupid decisions when he felt like he wasn't in complete control.

"Were you wrong?" Basileus shook his boy from his thoughts. He had heard him berating himself in cryptic thoughts, _no doubt to stop me finding out the real reason eh son. I may be old but I am not stupid!_ He thought angrily. Aro looked back to his father, unsure just how much had slipped through his guarded thoughts - Basileus seemed pissed off with him, but he expected that. Aro couldn't tell if he knew "About her betrayal? No." He answered confidently, adding in a quiet mutter, "but that's hardly the point is it?" Basileus retook his seat. "No I suppose it isn't." He conceded.

"How can I make it right?" Aro asked in a very small voice, he sounded like a young boy, not a man of nearly thirty years and certainly not a vampire of over two thousand years! "You sound like an errant child!" Basileus accused rather insultingly. _How can you make this right! That's something I would expect Felix to ask,_ _'_ _tell me how to make this right' 'make this okay for me' because he isn't mature enough to work it out for himself. Damn fool._ Willing himself to stay in control, Basileus stated, rather simplistically, "be sorry."

Aro looked up at him incredulously, _great, really helpful, thanks!_ He thought. "That goes without saying, surely." Aro replied with a little too much attitude for Basileus' liking. He reached across the table and pulled his son close by wrist. "Being sorry doesn't go without saying Aro, no! You need to say it, mean it, and show it." He ground out, wondering why the hell he was having to explain such a simple thing to the supposed king of the vampire world! "I won't do it again." Aro whined. "I remember you said that last time, son." Basileus watched his son's face drop, but it needed to be said.

Aro had hated himself the last time this happened. He sunk into a depression that lasted a good few weeks before Basileus worked out what had gone on and beat him senseless for it. _You will not be getting off so lightly this time son, you can deal with your own shame - I_ _'_ _m not taking it away for you._ It was a very long time ago, and it marked the beginning of the change between Aro and Sulpicia. She became more and more withdrawn gradually over the centuries that passed. Once a bright and bolshie woman who could hold her own and give as good as she got, she became subdued, scared of angering her husband. "But remember, son, being sorry doesn't mean anything if you don't change." He released his hold on his boy and Aro fell back into his chair.

As he rubbed at his wrist absentmindedly, he wondered if he even could change. He had been trying these last few months, really trying. He had distanced himself from Caius, he had even decided to stop fucking who he chose to out of the guard. He was more relaxed in his chambers and he had to admit he enjoyed these changes… mostly. "Sully's changed, I thought I liked it but I don't. Or maybe I do?" Aro spoke mostly to himself but finished with a frustrated growl from the inconsistency in his own thoughts. Basileus took their empty tankards and refilled them, he was pissed off with his son but they would find a way through this. Basileus thought about Sulpicia; he loved her like a daughter, he wanted to go to her and see if she was okay. _Huh! Of course she isn_ _'_ _t okay, whatever betrayal you felt Aro, I can guarantee you she feels far more betrayed right now_. He would keep those thoughts to himself, for now. Instead he continued Aro's trail of thought. "Sully has changed, and you have too, you are both becoming who you used to be."

Aro stared into the bottom of his cup, having knocked the fresh offering down already. Basileus continued, after clicking his fingers at Aro to get his eye contact again. "I know how tempting it is with gifts such as ours to dip into people's heads and find out what they are thinking, but an awful lot more can be gained from talking to someone, son." Aro mumbled his rather pathetic excuse for using his gift over his words. "Yes, but talking means I have to talk too doesn't it." "Yes, it's one of the strangest facets of a conversation - both people talk!" Basileus quipped sarcastically. Aro ducked down, knowing how piteous his excuse sounded. Basileus continued, "Aro, let me put this plainly, you need to talk to your wife. I suggest you either say how you feel and maybe fuck it all up, or keep saying nothing, and let it fuck you up." "Very eloquent." Aro replied, petulantly. Basileus was done with his son's ambivalence - one minute the depths of despair, the next giving him attitude. "Quite frankly I am disgusted you could do such a thing, AGAIN."

Aro closed his eye. He hid the memory of the first time deep down inside, it burned at his soul when he thought of it. Having forced himself on his wife again, for submission over such a trivial thing, ripped at his heart. God the guilt was crushing. "Do you not fancy knocking me about a bit to alleviate some of this shame?" Aro asked his father, half hoping he would whip him as he had the first time this happened. "Oh believe me, I do fancy it. You have shamed yourself, and me. I raised you better than this." Basileus spat his words to his son as though trying to rid the acidic taste of Aro's misdemeanour from his mouth. "But no, I'll be giving you no help getting over your guilt. You deserve it!"

Aro nodded, he did, he knew it. Basileus pulled him up from his chair and marched him back to the tower door. "Suffering the guilt will challenge your future actions!" Aro looked back at his father one last time before he began to climb the stone steps to his own quarters. "Go!" Basileus ordered, "and put this right!" then he slammed the door. Aro winced, sure that he had heard the wood splinter with the force.

"My love." Sulpicia said quietly as Aro came into their quarters. She was reading by the fire, as she so often like to do. The twins were playing jacks on the floor near to her chair though they looked exhausted. Felix and Demetri were sat opposite, also reading, or rather pretending to be. Aro encouraged them all to read, to paint, to play instruments, to learn. Though it was rare to see Felix carrying out any of these tasks unless under serous duress. _'My love'_ Aro replayed in his mind. _Two words she must have said to me a million times before, but now you sound so hollow my queen._ Aro looked to his young guard in attendance. _Why are you four up? It's the middle of the night, you should be asleep. Did we wake you, oh god I hope you didn't hear anything. But why else would you be up?_ "Go to your room." Aro told the twins sternly. His tone wasn't necessary, but he felt a sense of doom that carried over to his voice. It was beyond his control.

The twins quickly collected their things and left, longingly looking at Sulpicia as they did so. They didn't want to leave her. Felix and Demetri didn't move, they acted as though Aro hadn't even spoke. "Hey. Room. Now. Go." He said as he pulled them from their seats and began pushing them towards the arch way leading to the bed chambers. Felix looked murderous, so did Demetri, though the latter had the sense to avoid making eye contact with Aro. "It is two in the morning, if you have something to say, I suggest you do so quickly." Aro dared them both as he crossed his arms across his chest, he wasn't in the mood for dealing with these two right now.

Felix narrowed his eyes. What could he say? _I heard you raping Sully and I think you are an evil cunt!_ He didn't think that would go down to well. He just stood there, waiting for Aro to make a move. Aro raised his eyebrows, "well?" "Well what?" Felix replied petulantly. Aro rubbed his chin with one hand, "don't push me Felix, not now." Felix didn't back down. He was too angry. Demetri stood solid too, though he was slightly tucked into his brother's side. "I knew too, are you going to do that to me? Or is it just women you…" Felix was interrupted, but not by a slap as he expected, or even by Aro which would be understandable, but by Sulpicia!

Sully barged into the conversation, placing herself between Aro and Felix and instructed her boy expertly. "Felix Volturi, I have explained this to you already. If you do not understand then I will explain again, later. You have been told to go to your room now go! And watch your mouth in future, you will do well to remember WHO it is you are addressing." Sulpicia spoke with such confidence that Felix questioned his own desire to protect her, she didn't seem like she needed protecting at all right now. "But Sully we…" Felix started to reply but Aro jumped in this time. "Go now," as the boys still failed to move Aro added, "I will take you myself if you force me to." Aro sounded tired, he really didn't want to fight with his bull headed boy tonight. Demetri backed away, thankfully pulling Felix with him.

When they were finally alone, though of course, they both knew their young guard would be listening to every word, Aro tried to take his wife's hand. She didn't refuse him as such, she just gracefully avoided her husband as she retook her seat and flicked through the pages of her book to continue reading. "My queen, may we talk." Aro asked tentatively. "Why don't you just read my mind and find the answers you seek?" Sulpicia replied evenly. Aro was taken off guard. He was expecting to find his wife a shattered mess, he wanted to be the one to put her broken pieces back together again. But here she was, controlling their young guards better than he could hope to and speaking so freely as though the last few hours hadn't even happened.

"I don't want to read your mind my queen, I wish for us to talk. I, I want to apologize for my actions…" Aro trailed off seeing his wife roll her eyes at his sincerity. Looking him square in the eye she asked him, "for forcing yourself on me you mean?" Aro felt like his face burned in shame. It was a phantom blush but the shame was true enough. "My queen I…" Sulpicia interrupted again, "Aro, I have no wish to hear anything from your mouth. It's all words, all meaningless. You wish to alleviate your own guilt, you care little for anything else right now." Aro sighed. "I want to make things right between us. I deserve my guilt, I will carry it with me always as a reminder to do better by you." Aro was genuine, but Sulpicia wasn't ready to forgive him. Oh no, it was going to take much more than a few well-rehearsed apologetic lines to have her back on side.

Sulpicia stood from her seat and walked straight passed him on her way to their bedchamber, calling him to heel. Aro followed her, unsure of what she wanted of him. She had changed the sheets whilst he was gone. The ragged, bloodied remains of the earlier covering were piled on the floor. Standing in front of her husband she removed the silk robe she wore and allowed it to fall to the floor. "I want you to see what you have done to me Aro." She said simply, her voice betraying none of the emotion she felt. Naked, she turned slowly so Aro could see just how badly he had raged against her as he forced her submission.

His eyes dropped to the floor, he couldn't stand to see the damage he had inflicted, the bruising on her neck where he had held her down, the bites in her shoulders, the scratches down her back. He was a monster. "You will look at me! You owe me that much!" She ordered him. This was new for them both. Sulpicia only ever spoke against Aro to protect their guards, never like this. Aro obliged, he watched as she pivoted before him and his heart stabbed painfully at the sight of his fragile, delicate wife so abused. When she was done, she retrieved her robe from the floor and redressed, tying a loose knot to the side of her body. "Of course with a gift such as yours, you can assess the mental scars for yourself." she said with an extended hand. Aro shook his head looking utterly repulsed with himself.

"Shall I tell you what I have been thinking about whilst you were gone, my love?" she asked her husband, Aro had never heard 'my love' directed as an insult before, that hurt. "I was thinking of the last time you did this to me. We had only just moved to this castle and I was a different person then. You wanted to cage me in this tower to protect me and I wanted to be free and fill my life with joy and experience. You needed me to be someone else. So you forced me to submit. All the things you fell in love with me for disappeared. I no longer matched you in a war of words. I no longer had the confidence to tease you playfully. I lost my voice Aro. Truthfully, after all this time I forgot I had a voice. I won't forget again. I will always support you Aro, but I was not a weak willed woman when you met me – that's something you turned me into over the centuries keeping me locked in this prison. I am at fault for that, I allowed you to mould me into the wife you wished me to be. I am telling you now, I will not be going back to that shell of a woman! You can force me to submit to you as many times as you wish, after all, I cannot prevent you from doing so. But I will regain my confidence and self-belief. And so help me god, if you ever force my young ones to submit to you…" "I would never!" Aro interjected. He couldn't hear anymore. She was right, it was all true. "I will spend the rest of my days making this up to you Sully, I…" "Now leave." Sulpicia ordered, not caring to hear the rest of his undoubtedly rehearsed speech. "I need some space and you need to explain yourself to our young vampires."

Sulpicia slipped between the sheets of their grand bed. It was a source of so much happiness when Aro had last returned home, this time he looked at the same sight as a pit of despair. He bowed his head politely as he silently left the room, closing the door behind him. He headed straight for the twins room, hoping they would be sleeping. They should be, it was still only the early hours of the morning. Easing their door open he saw their beds empty. Panic filled his body. Turning he threw open the door to his elder guards room. Empty. _Fuck!_ Aro cursed in his mind.

"SULLY! They are gone!" he called as he flashed to their room. "What?" she asked, confused. "Their rooms are empty. I am going to go and look for them!" He turned to flash from their quarters when Sulpicia called him back. "I will go too, wait for me." He wanted to object, instead he held his tongue and waited for his wife to dress. He questioned what to do if they had to leave the castle grounds. _Send her back? No! Take her with you, you damn fool, stop fucking things up!_ He berated himself again. Basileus was right, Sully had changed and he wanted her to be happy. That was the end of it really.

"Come along, my queen." He urged her to hurry. "Do you know where they could be Aro?" he shook his head, "no, but I will find them." He promised. "No Aro. We will find them, they are ours." He conceded, she was right, again. Sulpicia joined him and taking his arm they flashed from the tower, checking at Eleazar's and then Basileus' on the way down. Neither had seen them though Basileus joined them on their hunt. He couldn't hear them in the castle. They had to leave the grounds. Sulpicia was ready with an argument for Aro, though much to her relief she didn't need it - he damn near pulled her through the gates of their castle home and into the streets of Volterra in search of their young guards.

It didn't take Basileus long to locate them. Though Aro would have found them on his own anyway. It wasn't their thoughts that Basileus used to locate the little band of vampires; it was the smell of fresh blood. Sulpicia stopped dead when she smelt it. _No, they can_ _'_ _t have, surely not. They wouldn't do that! The punishment for such an act is death!_ She thought in disbelieve. "They have my dear - they have killed humans in Volterra!" Basileus confirmed darkly.


	18. Protect and Defend

**Protect and Defend**

Sulpicia stood statue still in a state of panic. _No, no, I won't lose them, I can_ _'_ _t lose them._ Her thoughts frantically raced with plans to evade their capture and death. One thought repeated itself over and over until Sulpicia realized she really couldn't be sure of the answer… _what will Aro do?_ Aro was already gone, she looked out into the night, still not daring to move. She wasn't used to being out of the castle unaccompanied and now she was in the middle of a crime scene! The town was quiet and pitch black; the low hung moon cast the only light creating gloomy shadows from the usually quaint, pretty buildings.

Sulpicia could hear her husband and Basileus talking in hushed voices, hopefully to her young vampires. It only took a few more moments for them all to come into view, relieved she counted all four of her vampire children, though as they approached her, relief turned to horror - blood, the ruby red liquid dripping from their chins could be nothing else. She had seen them feed a thousand times before, _they are not messy eaters. They were not seeking simple nourishment, they must have brutally killed the humans they took! Why would they do this?_ Something else shocked her about their angelic vampire faces - not a single one of them appeared repentant, the twins and Demetri looked confused and slightly dazed, Felix looked back to her with hate-filled eyes!

"I need to clear up their mess. Take them back to the tower, I will return as soon as I am able to." Aro spoke, Sulpicia knew he had. She saw his lips part and the angry expression change to pensive thought, the face he so often wore as his mind flashed through the every possible option whilst creating an action plan. "My lady come along." Basileus' kind tone penetrated her thoughts. As though her mind was clouded with fog she started to walk, passing her children and both men as she headed back to the castle.

Aro was concerned and wondered if he could just leave his young guards mess for the humans to find. Basileus answered his thoughts, "no son, we cannot leave the bodies. I'll deal with it, you go." Aro shook his head, "it's my mess, well, it's theirs," he said angrily, "but they're mine…" he added a little softer as his voice trailed off. "Yes son, and you are mine, so go." Basileus told him gently as he nudged him towards home. Aro relented. He wanted to check on Sulpicia more than anything else right now. "Come!" he ordered his errant guards.

The twins and Demetri looked to Felix, they seemed to be waiting for his agreement. Rage flooded Aro's body when he noticed what they were doing. Stepping up to the group of guards with his hand raised, he was ready to beat them senseless for all the stress they had caused when Basileus pulled him back. "Not here Aro. We must be discreet." He reminded his son. Aro shook himself free of his father's grip as he moved a few paces away to calm himself.

Basileus started circling the young guards, he needed them inside the castle, safe, and without drawing attention to what they had done. He spoke to them slowly and purposefully as he circled, making sure to catch Felix' eye whenever possible. "You will go back to the tower, now. I will want to talk with you all when I have cleaned up here. You will do well to remember that not a single being, vampire or otherwise can evade me on this earth. If you run, and I really dare you to even try, I will ensure you live just long enough to regret it."

That was enough for the twins and Demetri to start moving, Felix, however, was prepared for a stand off! Basileus cocked his head to the side as he considered his options, _this little jack ass will not bring down my coven in one night of foolishness,_ he thought, _if anyone finds out these four have killed in this town their heads will be called for. Aro couldn_ _'_ _t do it, no, it would fracture the entire coven when he refuses to though. Felix will have to come with me then_. "Aro, I'm keeping Felix, he can help. Go to the tower, son." Basileus didn't wait for an answer, he turned his back on his own son and instead pulled Felix close to him as they moved silently through the night back to the scene of the young guards' crimes.

"Did you think you would get away with this?" Basileus asked the boy quietly. Felix wasn't resisting the creators tugging, but he wasn't moving willingly either. He had no intentions of having a chat whilst they cleaned up the dead, that was for damn sure! "Felix, I strongly suggest that you don't piss me off anymore tonight!" Basileus' grip on the guards arm was so tight it was painful. With only slightly more pressure applied Felix started to hiss. "Ow! You're hurting me!" he whined as he tried to pull himself free. Basileus payed no attention to his grumblings until they reached the pile of drained bodies on the steps of Volterra's water fountain. There were only three of them, two young women and an older man. "Where did you find them?" Basileus asked as he finally released his hold on Felix.

Felix toyed with continuing his silence but on catching the elder's furious glare he thought better of it. "They were sleeping in their beds. No one saw us." He replied petulantly. Basileus felt rage bubbling up inside. How he contained his anger from over flowing and tearing the boys head from his body at his stupidity and nonchalance was anyone's guess. Checking around the steps he was relieved to see the young ones hadn't spilled more than a few droplets of blood, _at least I don_ _'_ _t have to start scrubbing the streets to hide their shame. Though I would of course if it were required. Hmm. All this time I have been banging on at Aro to see sense of his feelings for these young guards and mine are nearly as strong. I am not prepared to lose these fools. I will protect them from anyone discovering their crimes, but if they are discovered, I will defend them too._ Finalizing both his thoughts and resolve, Basileus released a sigh of resignation. "Bring that one." Basileus ordered simply as he took the two young ladies, trying to preserve their modesty as he did so with their tattered clothing. Felix obliged and carelessly slung the male corpse over his shoulder as he followed Basileus at vampire speed out of the town and into the woodland surrounding Volturi lands.

Basileus stopped and held his arm out straight to the side to stop Felix too. "We will leave them here - the wolves will take care of the rest." They lay the bodies on the cold woodland floor, it was not yet spring and the ground, like the rest of nature had yet to wake from its winter slumber. Basileus generally felt indifferent towards humans, having never been one he didn't feel the affinity with them that some vampires did. He did recognized them as sentient beings though and wished no harm to them unnecessarily.

Basileus watched the boy throw down his human load with repulsion. The dead mans neck was splayed open, it looked to have been chewed at. His flesh tattered and ragged. Basileus shook his head in disgust. "You didn't just feed from these humans Felix, you butchered them." Felix shrugged as he mindlessly kicked the closest body. "So?" He sullenly replied. Basileus flashed to the boy's side and took his face in one hand, pressing his fingers hard into his jaw. "So? So! Before day break you will be begging for forgiveness and I can guarantee you will have much more to say than just 'so' you petulant brat!" Felix refused to look at Basileus as the elder lectured him, which was difficult when his head was being forcefully jerked about to facilitate eye contact.

Basileus released his hold, "we're going back to the tower, and I warn you against giving Aro any trouble when we get there Felix!" Felix' eyes bore into the back of Basileus' head as the creator walked away towards the castle grounds. "Fuck you and fuck Aro!" Felix mumbled to himself. Basileus heard him.

Spinning on his heel, Basileus turned to face the startled youth. "Would you like to say that again?" Breath hitching, Felix was panicked. He tried to apologize as the formidable leader approached him slowly but his words were trapped in his throat, frozen in fear. Basileus grabbed hold of him tightly by the scruff of his neck and started to drag him along as he continued to the castle. Felix winced with every step, though to be fair he was expecting much more than simply being dragged home. Basileus clearly wanted to keep the young guards extra recreational activities private, though Felix was sure the man's extraordinarily large and strong hand was about to snap his neck! Neither spoke again until they reached the castle, the only sound between them was the rumbling growl deep inside Basileus which peaked every time Felix released another involuntary whine.

As soon as they entered the castle gates they were greeted by guards, and to Felix' eternal shame it was Antonio and Afton. "My lord, I was not aware we should have been looking for master Aro's high guard. I must apologize that you were bothered with such a menial task." Antonio crooned to the creator. _Fucking creep,_ Felix thought _, at least with my head facing the floor they can't see how embarrassed I am, though what else would I be when I've just been dragged back in to the castle grounds by the original creator of vampire kind. Fuck._ Basileus interrupted the boy's thoughts by standing him up to face the guards with a sly smile. _Of course you heard my thoughts, bastard!_ Felix thought, and then panicked as Basileus raised his eyebrows daring the lad to continue calling him names inside his head. Felix looked away feeling embarrassed.

"Felix went for a midnight stroll in the woods, I know there are rogues surrounding our town and I don't want any guards out alone." Basileus lied easily to the two younger vampires. "But he wasn't alone my lord, Demetri, Jane and Alec were there too." Antonio replied, Afton looked on awkwardly. Basileus felt his heart sink, though his face remained stoic. "There? There where?" He asked Antonio casually. "In the town my lord, we were watching from the castle wall walkway as we made our rounds. We could clearly see all of Aro's high guard loitering around the fountain, my lord." _Fuck! Does he know?_ Felix looked frantically to Basileus whose face was turning dark.

The creator used his gift to search through Antonio's thoughts; _you and Afton certainly saw Aro_ _'_ _s high guard at the fountain, but you couldn't have made out the humans in their presence, thankfully. You saw the guards leave with Aro and me, and you watched as I returned with Felix from discarding the bodies._ Basileus withdrew his gift. _Damn it. They know, even if this oaf can_ _'_ _t tell what was at the fountain, it will be clear when the town folk raise the alarm with three humans going missing in the night. I will wring your bloody neck for this Felix!_ Basileus thought looking at the youngest guard. _But what to do?_ Basileus questioned himself. _I could lie, but they would know it was a lie. I could just kill them. Feels harsh, but I would rather kill them than lose Aro_ _'_ _s young ones… hmm…_ Basileus mulled over his options before he decided to address the pair of guards.

"Are you able to forget what you have seen this evening?" he asked them simply. "My lord, master Caius will ask for our nightly report and we cannot lie to a Master of Volterra…" Antonio let his voice trail off, feeling pleasantly smug with having something over Felix Volturi. "That is a shame Antonio." Basileus replied darkly, "I will have to kill you then." He added with a smile as he flashed before him, taking his neck in one hand and Afton's in the other. Felix smiled to himself, there were some benefits to being in Aro's inner circle - Basileus having his back was certainly one of them!

"I really would rather not do this you understand," Basileus crooned with the same smug tone Antonio had used only moments before, "but if you truly are unable to forget all you have seen this night then I have no choice!" Both men were in a state of panic, scraping at Basileus' strong grip with their comparatively small hands. Their pleas were nothing more than gurgles of venom as Basileus strangled them. "Do you have something to say before I finish you?" Basileus asked casually as he relaxed his grip just enough to enable them to talk. Both rushed out apologies and promises of loyalty to Basileus above all else.

"So lads, are you saying you are capable of forgetting the night? You are capable of lying to Caius when he asks for your report? You will never bring up this evening again, in anger or jest?" The pair nodded to each of the creators questions with such valour that their heads looked ready to detach of their own volition. Basileus stared them down for a moment and waited for their eyes to cast submissively to the floor.

"Okay then." He stated simply as he withdrew his hands from their throats. He took a moment to check their thoughts again. As Afton rubbed his sore neck, keeping his head bowed, Basileus read his mind, - he had no intention of defying Basileus in the first place. _Good_ , the creator thought. "Afton, you can continue on your rounds." He didn't need telling twice. Afton flashed from the castle gates and was out of sight in less than a blink of an eye.

"Antonio… what to do with you?" Basileus asked as he began to circle the younger man. "Please, my lord, this night is forgotten, I will never speak of it again." Antonio could see his life hanging in the balance. Basileus continued to circle, growling as he did so. "But you cannot lie to a master of Volterra, Antonio, you said so yourself…" Antonio cut in, "I can on your orders my lord, and I will!" Coming to a stop facing the scared guard Basileus wanted to cement Antonio's loyalty. "I know the vendetta you are running against my grandson, I could care less how that plays out between the two of you. But if you ever bring up this night in your quarry against him I will finish you, and I will finish anyone you tell - from your master, Caius, to your mate, Renata. Am. I. Clear?"

 _Grandson_ _…_ _what the fuck… how the hell! I'm dead, I am dead._ Antonio chanced a look to Felix, _the grinning prick looks pretty happy with himself! I finally have something that can bring him down and I have to keep my trap shut!_ Antonio toyed with shouting his new knowledge from the roof tops, it would be worth death! _No I cannot, I will keep this to myself. Felix Volturi isn_ _'_ _t worth dying for, and I will not lose Renata to him either._ "I will not tell a soul, my lord. You have my word." Basileus nodded again, he'd heard his thoughts and knew he was true. "I will take your word my boy, and if you break it, I will take your life." Basileus let that hang there as he patted the younger vampires shoulder. "Go. Complete your duties." With a light shove, Antonio went to catch up with Afton.

"Will you walk now or must I continue to drag you home?" Basileus asked Felix, as he noticed the boy looked ready to cry. "What's wrong now?" Felix shook his head as he offered a tight smile to the creator and started to walk away. "Hey," Basileus called him back, "I asked you a question, boy!" Felix stopped and turned to face him. "I just can't believe you did that for me, that's all." He shyly said. "Did what?" Basileus asked. "You were going to kill them, you told Antonio I'm your grandson, you, you protected me… I just can't believe you did that for me." Felix's heartfelt reply touched Basileus. He closed the gap between them and placing an arm around the youth's shoulders as they headed to the castle, he told him, "if you really can't understand why I did that, then you must still not understand how very much you mean to me, Felix." Squeezing the boy gently to his side, Basileus flashed the two of them back to the safety of their private tower where he planned to ensure an end was brought to this foolish behaviour.

"Sully, calm down, he hasn't killed Felix!" Basileus heard Aro shouting as soon as he and Felix entered the tower stairwell. "You had better get up there quickly and prove you are still alive!" he said with a wink to the emotional boy. Felix smiled back but it didn't reach his eyes. His thoughts were blurred into one with the events of the last 24 hours; what they heard Aro doing to Sully, the two of them arguing, Aro's attitude when he returned from seeing Basileus, how he convinced Demetri and the twins to go with him into the town, killing three humans from Volterra, Basileus defending him to Antonio… Carmen living on animal blood paled into insignificance in the face of everything that had happened since that little revelation! Still, he could hear Sulpicia was worried about his safety and he wanted to save her from the misery of wondering if he was dead, yet.

Opening the door to their quarters, Felix came face to face with Aro, he had obviously heard them coming. "Where the hell have you been?!" he asked, half in relief and half frustration. Aro pulled Felix inside and curtly nodded to his father as he followed them into the main room. "Felix!" Sulpicia cried out as she flung herself at the young guard. "Are you okay?" she asked as she checked him over. _At least he_ _'_ _s in one piece, though only physically!_ She thought as looked at her boy's sad, downcast eyes. "I am fine." He replied quietly. _Yeah, I_ _'_ _m fine now, wait until he gets hold of me, ask me then!_ He thought as he dared a look to Aro - he was furious.

Demetri, Jane and Alec sat at the fireside appearing transfixed by the flames. They weren't, they were just trying to avoid the adults in the room. Basileus watched the three of them and listened in on their thoughts, they were a little bewildered. Felix was the one who wanted to get out of the castle, he told them he needed space to breathe - they followed him. Felix killed the humans, though they all fed from them when he brought them to the fountain already dead. _What the hell is going on with you boy?_ Basileus asked himself as his eyes travelled over to Felix. Sulpicia was shooting angry glares back to Basileus. When he realized the queen of Volterra was angry with him, a slight shiver went down his spine. He wasn't scared, or anything like it, but he loved Sully. She had been with him almost as long as Aro and he would never want to hurt her. "My dear, whatever slight you believed I have committed against you I can assure you it would not have been intentional." He said sincerely. She didn't respond, Aro took over for his frazzled wife. "She thinks you intended to kill Felix for his crimes, father," he said with disbelief.

Basileus couldn't help but smile at that. His happy booming laugh relieved some tension - even the three youngest vampires turned to face the others in the room. Sulpicia sighed, she knew how foolish her thoughts were really. "I'm sorry, my lord." She apologized to Basileus who scooped her up in and spun her around, her light giggles filled the air as he set her back on her feet. "It is forgotten my dear. But really, you need never fear such a thing for anyone who resides in this tower… though every other soul in this place is fair game." He winked at Felix when he added that last part. Aro clocked it, "what's going on? Why did you take so long getting back here?"

Basileus took a seat at the table, gesturing for Aro and Sulpicia to do the same. Felix went to sit with Demetri, before he sat however Aro told them all to get cleaned up and go back to bed. "Me too?" Felix asked quietly. "Why not you too?" Aro asked him, his tone betrayed both his anger and sadness. "Don't you want to deal with me first?" Gesturing to Demetri and the twins he continued, "they had nothing to do with killing any humans, it was me…" his voice trailed off, he didn't know what else to say. "I know damn well who it was Felix, though I cannot comprehend WHY!" Aro willed himself to calm down, mainly because Sulpicia looked at breaking point. "Go to bed, there's nothing that cannot be dealt with in the morning." Felix nodded and skulled off to his room after Demetri.

Jane was waiting for him by her closed bedroom door. "He isn't going to kill you Felix, you can quit walking about like you have a noose around your neck." She spoke plainly, as was her way. "Did he say as much?" Felix asked, hoping Jane could offer some actual statement from Aro that meant he wouldn't lose his life. "He said there was nothing any of us could do that would force him into such a position… though I really think you should stop testing him like this. What happened tonight? Why did you kill those people? you said you needed fresh air!" She asked quietly. "Honestly Jane, I don't know what I was thinking…" "GO TO BED!" Aro's order interrupted Felix, he kissed Jane on her forehead and she went into her room and closed the door. Felix did the same. Demetri was sitting bolt upright in his bed, waiting on his brother for all the details of why it took so long for Basileus to return with him… In the main room, Basileus was filling Aro and Sulpicia in on the same subject.

"There is no way on earth that Antonio won't use this information against Felix!" Aro was stressed, he couldn't stand that prick Antonio anyway and now the cretin had something on Felix he would be insufferable. "He won't tell anyone Aro, I scared him into silence. Afton too." Basileus tried to ease his son's concerns, "he knows I can kill him if I wish. Though I don't doubt the conflict between them will continue, I am sure he will not speak a word of this night." Basileus smiled as he continued, "he won't do anything, he knows I will be watching, and listening." "Why are you smiling!" Aro asked his father, _surely he knows how serious this is!_ "I do indeed know how serious this is, son," he answered his son's questioning thoughts, "I may have slipped something into my conversation with Antonio that suggests my affiliation with Felix is much stronger than he imagined. That is all." Sulpicia looked on as she wondered what he could have said, Aro wasn't willing to wait for a verbal explanation and quickly placed his hand on top of his fathers on the table. "You told him that Felix is your grandson?" he exclaimed as he came across the conversation in Basileus' memories.

Sulpicia's face lit up, her contented smile spreading widely across her pretty face. Aro couldn't believe the change in her demeanour - half an hour before she was ready to rip Basileus to shreds believing he had took her boy, now she was grinning like a loon! Sulpicia stood from her chair. Going to Basileus, she kissed him lightly on his head as she whispered 'thank you' into his ear. Turning to Aro she cupped his face and kissed him quickly. "All will be well, my love." She told him as Aro's face crumpled into confusion. "We will be well?" he questioned. They all knew what Aro was referring to. Sully smiled, "we need time, but all will be well." She told him as she retired to their bed chamber.

Aro threw an incredulous look to his father, "what was that about?" he asked as he pointed to the door Sulpicia had closed behind her. Basileus laughed, "aw son, how can you have lived this long with one woman and still not understand her?" Aro's face screwed up, "understand her! She's been bouncing back and forth through her emotions since I… well, since, earlier…" "Since you made her submit?" Basileus corrected his son, he knew it hurt him, he hoped that would prevent him from doing such a disgusting thing again in future. "Yes." Aro replied hatefully, not entirely sure if that hate was towards himself for doing it, or Basileus for mentioning it.

"She has been worried that she would lose your young vampires. Now she knows she will not and that they are safe, whatever happens. So now she is…" Basileus prompted his son, "come on Aro!" Aro smiled, "happy, now she is happy." Basileus beamed at his boy, "see Aro, women aren't that complicated after all eh?" Aro laughed, "you should get one for yourself, old man!" Basileus cuffed his sons ear as he raised an eyebrow and a smile, "be careful there son, I'm not sure you're in a position to be calling me an old man! Especially not now you are in father territory yourself."

"Please quit it with the labels, they are so human, so unnecessary!" Aro replied, pleadingly. "Besides, we need to work out what to do with my errant young guards…" Aro's voice trailed off. Truthfully he didn't want to do anything; he wanted to make things right between himself and his wife not worry about his guards' behaviour. He knew there was no way around it though. "We? We don't need to work anything out, they are yours to deal with!" Basileus replied as he left the table.

"Where are you going? You cannot leave me to deal with them on my own! I will kill them, and then you will kill me!" Basileus laughed at his son as he reached the door, "enough with the exaggeration Aro, you are perfectly capable of dealing with them yourself. Though you can tell them I will want a word of my own at some point. I'm not sure if you know, but it was Felix who killed the humans, the others knew nothing of his intentions to do so… you may want to find out why he would break coven law in such a blatant way. It seems to me like he wanted to be caught." Basileus' left the room, closing the door gently behind him. Aro puffed the air out of his cheeks, he had to make things right with Sulpicia before he did anything else. _Felix can wait until dawn. But if it is my attention you want boy, you will have it in droves now!_

Aro knocked on his own bedroom door, listening, hoping to be invited in. Nothing. He raised his head, ready to try again when the door swung open. "Why are you knocking, my love?" Sulpicia asked with a playful smile dancing on her lips. "I wasn't sure if I had been forgiven yet." He replied sheepishly. "You seem to be assuming you will be forgiven at all, my love." She was teasing him, he knew she couldn't have forgiven him yet, but she was ready to accept him back. He'd play along though if that is what she wanted. "Of course not, my queen, I just need to know if I should find a replacement wife or not." He stated blankly, though he couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitching as Sulpicia's temper flared to his words. "As if anyone else would put up with you Aro!" She said as she placed her arms around his neck, pulling him into their room. "I meant what I said earlier, my love. Things will be changing around here." Sulpicia was deadly serious, Aro knew that. "Indeed, they already are, my queen." He replied simply as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, kicking the door closed behind him as he carried her to their bed.


	19. Retribution

**Retribution**

The bright morning sun flooded through the arched window of Aro and Sulpicia's bed chamber. Dappled through the thick glass, the light danced across the marble floor, glittering beautifully. Aro appeared transfixed as he watched the display and thought over what he must do now it morning had come. "What is on your mind, my love?" Sulpicia rolled over and placed a loving arm across his toned chest. "Felix." Aro said simply as he kissed her soft brown curls. "Must you punish him, my love?" Sulpicia asked, ever hopeful that one day Aro would give in to her. "Must you always protect them from me, my queen?" Aro replied, mocking her gentle tone.

She laughed lightly as she traced her pointed, manicured nail from the tip of his chin, down through the centre of his chest, "I can think of better things to do, that is all…" her voice trailed off as her finger continued on its path down, stopping at the bed sheet place level with Aro's waist. "I need to talk to him at least…" Aro started wavering as Sulpicia reach beneath the sheet. "Ah ah… stop it! Sully!" Aro took her hands and flipped her onto her back, "and apparently you have no additional gifts! You are a temptress, woman!" Aro lay flat out on top of her, "Aro I cannot breathe!" She called out breathlessly. "You don't need to breathe my queen, you are a vampire," he responded playfully. "ARO!" she shouted at him as she wiggled fruitlessly beneath him. Aro rolled off both his wife and the bed and went into the dressing room. He called out 'Seductive witch!' in good humour as he quickly dressed.

Sulpicia looked more subdued when he returned from their walk in robe. "Aro, you will talk to Felix won't you and find out what is really going on with him? He has been acting so out of character recently, I really think there's something deeper going on." Aro sat next to his wife on their bed and took her hand into his lap, "Of course I will talk with him. I am going to take him to the library away from prying ears." Aro was referring to the other young guards sleeping under their roof. "I could take them all to the library and leave you here with Felix, I think that would be better. If you had to punish him it would be awkward in such a public place." Sulpicia stood herself and dressed at vampire speed. Returning to Aro, she handed him her necklace to fasten for her.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked as he closed the clasp. "You look as beautiful as ever." He stated and kissed her greedily. "No Aro," she tore herself away from his clutches, "shall I take the twins and Demetri out whilst you talk to Felix?" Aro considered his wife's offer. Truthfully he had wanted to talk to Felix in a semi-public place in the hope that an audience would force them both to be calm, though he knew it was unlikely either of them would get through the conversation without shouting or getting physical. "It is an excellent idea my queen." Taking her delicate hand in his own, Aro brought it to his mouth to kiss it lightly before she left to wake her young vampires.

Aro was already in the living room when his tribe of young guards trooped out of their bed chambers. They all looked tired, _very late to bed and a restless night hasn_ _'_ _t done any of you any favours, and no doubt it will make Felix harder to manage today,_ he thought. None of them dared to look at Aro. He was stood with his arms crossed over his chest, one hand cupping his chin as he leaned onto the mantle. "Good morning," he greeted the four of them cordially. Alec smiled at him, eyes filled with tears, Jane wore a similarly sad expression. Demetri looked wary, watching Aro like he was a coiled spring ready to release fresh hell on them all.

Felix looked angry, still. Frankly his sullen expression pissed Aro off. "The three of you are to go with Sulpicia to the library. You can be trusted to stay with her I assume? Or must I find guards for my guards now?" Aro asked his younger vampires, choosing to ignore Felix. A chorus of 'yes sirs' resounded around the three of them, then Demetri stepped forward. "Aro, please, if you are going to punish us for last night, could you please just do it now." Aro smiled to his boy, "asking for a hiding! Now that certainly is a new one on me, Demetri!" Aro returned whilst beckoning the three towards him with a crooked finger.

They approached, gradually. Jane dug her elbow into Demetri's ribs as they moved towards their master for suggesting such a stupid thing! "Alec, give me your hand." Alec obliged knowing Aro wanted to read his thoughts. "Hmm," Aro sighed in contemplation as he read the boys thoughts. He released Alec and beckoned Jane forward. Her thoughts were similar to Alec's; thankfully they both thought Felix just needed some space and didn't want him going alone. Aro was quite pleased that they banded together like that, they knew he felt they were safer together. _So you two are in the clear, what about the other half of the deadly double act?_ Aro thought as Demetri offered his hand whilst he looked away with a grimace. _Wincing already - well that bodes well!_ Aro thought as he searched the young vampire's memory of the night before. Demetri's intentions weren't quite as innocent as the twins - Demetri, like Felix no doubt, wanted to force Aro's hand to see how far he would go, and mainly, to see if he would do to them what they had heard him doing to Sulpicia - would Aro have them submit to him?

Aro released the boy's hand and considered his position. "Are we in trouble?" Alec meekly asked. "No Alec, you and Jane are free to go. Though I would ask you to come to me next time before another disaster strikes." Relief filled their young eyes and they went to Sulpicia waiting at the door. "And Demetri?" Sulpicia asked her husband - Aro's eyes had yet to leave the now squirming youth. "He will follow along shortly, my queen." Gathering the twins close, Sulpicia guided them out of their suite without another word.

"Sit!" Aro ordered the remaining two, his earlier light tone now replaced with one of coven leader. Demetri obeyed instantly taking the seat furthest away from Aro, Felix trudged over to join him shooting a sideways glare to Aro as he did so. "Felix, look at me like that one more time and see what happens!" Felix huffed in reply, not a wise move and he knew it, but he was too pissed off to care. "You really are begging for it Felix, you are in enough trouble as it is." Aro stared Felix down as he spoke, stepping closer and closer until their feet met. Aro loomed over from his standing position as Felix sunk into his seat, desperate to increase the distance between them. The young guard saw sense and dropped his eyes. Aro nodded as he walked backwards and took a seat opposite his boys. "Who's going to start?" Aro asked them as he tried to suppress the deadly growl rumbling in his chest.

Demetri looked to Felix, he seemed ready to snap. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with his brother, but if he really had a death wish Demetri wanted no part in it. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Demetri, for perhaps the first time ever spoke up! "We heard what you did to Sully." He tripped over his words as he said them, but hearing it out in the open he realised how little they explained. "Yes, I know that already." Aro replied. "Submission is a usual part of coven life, you may not understand that. I have protected you from it so far…" Felix cut in, he was ready to explode with stress. "We know what it is! Caius has 'had' every single guard in this place - it is talked about you know!" as he spat his words, Felix thought of an amendment, "well, every guard except us anyway." Aro nodded, it was true enough.

As he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees Aro steepled his hands as he considered his reply. "Caius knows the four of you are off limits, I made sure of that from the moment you came into this coven." Felix wore a look of disgust, "he leaves us alone because he assumes you have us submit to you instead." Aro furrowed his brow, "what?" Demetri answered this time, Felix looked dangerously close to endangering both their asses with his attitude. "It's just a rumour, Caius says you like them young… which is why you have the four of us living here. No one believes you haven't had us submit to you." Aro laughed. He should be offended he supposed, but Aro was more than used to the rumour mill of Volterra.

"I don't see why it's funny!" Felix mumbled as he crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. Aro apologised, "alright, I am sorry. I care not for rumours, whatever they say. You should be grateful I have protected you from such things. Caius will never touch you, I will take his head if he even tried." Aro was serious now, deadly serious. He WOULD take Caius' head clean off if he touched his high guard, and he'd told Caius as much when each of them joined the coven. "What about you?!" Felix asked, though it sounded more like an accusation. _Hmm, so we are getting to the crux of the issue now then_ , Aro thought. "What about me? You think I would do that to you?" Aro asked them both.

The boys shared a look, Aro wasn't quite sure if they were daring each other to reply or checking they thought the same. Demetri answered, "well we never thought you would do it to Sully so…" his voice was small, scared, and incapable of finishing his thoughts. Aro understood well enough though, they clearly were concerned that he would make them submit. "Well I have no intentions of doing it again, to anyone under this roof at least." Both heads shot up, they were paying attention now! "So you make the other guards submit too? It isn't just Caius?" Felix asked, inquisitiveness taking over petulance. "I didn't say that… it is one of many weapons in a coven leader's arsenal for managing their subordinates, that's all." Aro finished, he wasn't prepared to discuss such things with them in any finer detail.

The three fell silent as Aro toyed with just reading Felix' mind to find out what was going through that thick skull of his. But Basileus' words were swimming around his head - he needed to talk rather than read minds, ' _there is much to be learned from having a conversation'._ Aro wasn't known for patience, if they were going to talk, which to Aro was the long way around to finding out what was going on, then he was at least going to lead the conversation.

"Felix, why did you kill humans in our town, you know it is forbidden?" Felix shrugged, much to Aro's annoyance. "This isn't a trivial matter you damn fool! You have broken coven law! I have killed guards with my own two hands for doing such a thing!" Aro managed not to shout, but only just. Felix remained impassive. "Felix, you had better start paying attention to me boy!" Aro was pissed off now, he had been trying to contain his temper for Sulpicia's sake but he was done playing good cop if Felix was going to continue playing arrogant brat.

"You were seen, all of you. By bloody Antonio of all people! If you think this is going to be swept under the carpet you are sadly mistaken!" Aro was on his feet now, pacing around the room as he wondered just what the hell was going on with his guards! _If this is what relaxing my control with them has brought, I'm not sure that it's worth it!_ "If you are going to whip me I'd rather you just got on with it." Felix announced, as though he was bored of the wait.

Aro flashed in front of him and pulled him out of his seat by his throat. Felix dangled awkwardly, unable to sit or stand in the position Aro held him in. "Oh you will be getting a whipping, but first I want to know WHY you did something so damn stupid!" Felix could feel his bravado leaving his body, he had to decide, here and now, take Aro on or retreat quickly. With every scrap of boldness left in his veins he narrowed his eyes to his master. "Fuck you Aro." He ground out venomously. Aro wasn't so much surprised by Felix' retort, but more by his own reaction. His free hand balled into a fist in anger and it was raised level with his own head ready to punch Felix in the face. He saw the boy close one eye as he tried to look away from his impending doom. He had just enough control to prevent himself from doing such a thing, thankfully. Instead he threw Felix back into his seat and moved away from the frightened boys as he roared in frustrated rage.

"Demetri, go!" Aro ordered whilst facing away from the pair. "Yes sir." He replied quietly as he quickly left the room, shaking his head in disbelief to his brother. Hearing the door click, Aro went to sit with Felix, taking Demetri's place. "Why did you do it?" his words were forced through gritted teeth. "WHY!" Felix shouted back, he wanted to get up and walk off the tension but worried Aro would take him down if he tried. "Because I needed to know what you would do to me if I broke coven rules! That's why!" Aro shook his head, leaning forward again with elbows on knees his hair dangled loosely in front of his eyes. "So you wanted to know if I would have you submit to me, you were testing me?" It wasn't so much a question, Aro was pretty sure that this is what Felix' midnight flit had been about. Felix scoffed at the very idea, "you couldn't make me submit! I am stronger than you Aro."

Aro turned on his boy, _cocky little shit,_ he thought. "You may be stronger Felix, but if I wished to, I could make you submit, don't test me on this." Aro was dead serious, he didn't want to be forced down that road but he could see by Felix' attitude that's what was happening. Felix rolled back in his seat, feeling quite smug _, I am stronger than you and you know it, we both know you couldn_ _'_ _t force me to do anything._ "How could you take me down! You may be able to force yourself on women but you couldn't take on a man!" Felix stretched his chest wide, oh yes, bravado back in full force!

Aro looked back at the young guard, "firstly, you ignorant wretch, you are not a man, you are a child. Secondly, it isn't sexual, it isn't rape, it is vampric submission and you would succumb if I thought it was necessary. Stop pushing me on this." Felix fell quiet for a moment, Aro hoped he had finally seen sense. Sadly, a quiet voice full of spite and daring said, "you can't make me do anything."

Aro had a choice, he could keep telling Felix that he could force him to submit if he wished, or he could show him… Aro thought about it, _I_ _'_ _ve tried reasoning with you, Felix, so force it is._ With vampire speed Aro scooped up the unsuspecting boy and had him pinned to the floor before Felix had time to register what was going on. "That's not fair!" the youth howled. With one swift movement Aro ripped the clothing from the boy's backside. Felix started to panic, "no, no, no Aro please! I'm sorry, I will stop going on about it, I'm sorry!" Aro paid him no attention, instead he lay on top of the young vampire and held him tightly by the scruff of his neck. "Please Aro!" "Shut up." Aro growled into his ear. "If I wanted to I could command you to submit, if I did, you wouldn't even speak, the vampire within you would take over and you would be unable to move. Do you understand?" Aro spoke slowly and clearly, though the growling continued. _God I hope he listens to me now_ , Aro was to be disappointed.

"Get the fuck off me!" Felix screamed out as he threw all his energy into his attempt to break free. Aro's heart sank as he wondered how far he would have to actually go, "SUBMIT!" He roared into the youth's ear. Felix froze. He wanted to shout, he wanted to move or kick himself free, something! But he could neither move nor voice a sound. The only noise that emerged from the boy's mouth was his involuntary whimpering from his position and the force Aro was holding him down by. Aro spoke to him again, moving himself on top of him so his groin was level with Felix' exposed ass. "Do you understand now?" Felix nodded vigorously. Aro pushed his still clothed crotch into Felix, "I could if I wished, luckily for you I do not. Do not EVER test me on this again. Understood?" more nodding, Felix was actually bouncing his head into the floor with the volition of his agreement.

Aro flashed off Felix with the same speed at which he had taken him down. Felix didn't dare move. "You are released, get up." Felix bounced to his feet, feeling utterly ashamed and chastened. "I'm sorry." He said quietly as tears spilled over his eyes. Aro approached Felix and placed a hand on one shoulder, using his other to hook the boys chin and force him to look at him, "Don't put me in that position again." He told the now sobbing boy. Felix was relieved to hear him sound more caring than angry now. He nodded, he had no intentions of testing Aro in such a way ever again… the hiding he had coming seemed like an easy ride compared to that! "I still have to whip you for your crimes, Felix. I think this is the most ridiculous and irrational thing you have ever done!" Felix knew it was coming. He was grateful last night to go to bed rather than face Aro's wrath, but now he was wishing his punishment had already been taken care of. "And when I am done with you, Basileus wants to have a word of his own." Aro added quietly as he directed Felix towards his bed chamber.

As he sat on Aro and Sulpicia's bed he felt his stomach hit the floor. "Is Basileus going to belt me too?" he asked like a frightened child. Aro smirked. "Fuck you and fuck Aro!" He repeated the words Felix had used in the woods to Basileus back to him. "That really wasn't a clever thing to say you know." Felix looked mortified. "That's twice you have told me to go and fuck myself in the last twenty four hours," Aro took off his belt and doubled it up in one hand, flipping it over, back and forth, threateningly, "do you need help in selecting appropriate language or do you think that's something you may be able to take care of yourself?" he asked. Felix watched the belt slapping against Aro's hand, with a gulp of venom he said, "I can take care of it." Aro offered the boy a tight smile as he guided him over the bed, he wasn't angry with Felix anymore and he really didn't want to do this. He knew, however, if he didn't Basileus would hang them both out to dry. "You must never break coven rules again, do you hear me?" Felix nodded into the bed sheet and a muffled "yes sir," was heard before Aro began his onslaught.


	20. Scare Him Straight

**Scare Him Straight**

"My queen," Aro said as he bowed slightly to his wife. Sulpicia was sitting in the large library of the castle. The walls were strewn with shelves of books reaching three times the height of any man. Plush velvet sofas and low bookcases were arranged to create a flow through the room and sunlight flooded in through the floor to ceiling window. Every vampire in attendance glittered spectacularly creating a magical glow and increased reading light. The reading nooks close to the window were reserved for the masters and their wives. Though there were only two nooks, one each side of the window. Due to the demands on their time, the six were rarely free to visit the library together, however, the nooks were large enough for them all to share should they wish. "My love," Sulpicia replied, "where is Felix?" her concern showed on her delicate face. "I left him with Basileus, my queen. He is still in one piece, you have no need to worry."

Hearing Felix was with Aro's father only increased Sulpicia's concern for her young guard. "Have you discovered the reason for all this trouble, my love?" She hoped that whatever Felix had, or perhaps still was suffering as punishment would at least have brought an end to the young boys stress. Sulpicia pushed further, "I know something is going on with him, did you read his thoughts?" Aro shushed his wife gently, gesturing to not only their high guard but the other lingering vampires hoping to catch the latest news from inside Aro's private quarters.

Aro turned to his young guards, "Basileus requests your audience, go along, we will join you there." Demetri had been dreading this, he looked pleadingly to Sulpicia as the twins returned their books and made to leave the library. "GO!" Aro bellowed at the delaying guard, bringing the attention of every guard in the room. Demetri flashed from the floor and out through the door, the twins now far behind him. "My queen, I must share something with you. Felix pushed me to show him what submission is about…" "Aro, no you didn't!?" She interrupted him in shock. "No, no, my queen. Of course not."

Aro sat next to his wife and pulled her close, speaking in hushed whispers for privacy he told her what had happened with their eldest guard. "I understand, my love. I just hope he doesn't try to force your hand again." Sulpicia whispered with tears in her eyes. "As do I." Aro agreed as he wondered just how far he would have to go next time if Felix was foolish enough to commit another crime against the coven. "We must return to save our young guards from the clutches of the evil overlord," he said to his wife playfully, hearing her giggles gave comfort to his soul. "Your father will flay you if he hears that in your thoughts, Aro!" Aro grinned mischievously as he pulled his wife to her feet and led her back to their tower.

They could hear Basileus raging at their young guards as soon as Aro opened the outer door to the tower stairwell from the castle floor. Sulpicia flinched. "My queen, you should go to our quarters, I will bring them along shortly." Aro told his wife kindly, adding "or visit with Carmen perhaps?" Hearing fresh bellowing from Basileus' suite, Sulpicia nodded, "I will see if Eleazar and Carmen are free, my love." She left quickly as Aro entered his father's chambers.

"Father, the townspeople are complaining of a thunderous din coming from the castle, you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Aro asked cheekily as he closed the door behind himself. "Aro I am not in the right frame of mind for your jesting!" Basileus slammed his hand in to the table with a loud bang. _Clearly not_. _He really is pissed off!_ Aro thought. "I do hope you have behaved yourselves?" he asked his four young guards as he approached them. The twins offered a tight smile, though it wasn't really either of them Aro was asking for. As he passed them he stroked Jane's cheek lightly and grazed his hand over Alec's head. The brief contact allowed him to see they had both been as respectful as ever.

Demetri and Felix were avoiding his eye as he made his way to them. Hooking a finger under Felix' chin, he pulled his boy's face up and held him there. Twisting his head from side to side Aro could see perfect print of his father's hand on both cheeks, including a small blemish in his marble hard skin where no doubt Basileus' rings had made contact and fractured his flesh momentarily. Felix looked shame faced at least. "Using your mouth again already I see?" Aro asked him with his sing song voice as he moved to check on his last guard. "Look at me." He sang out to Demetri, though the order was clear. Demetri looked up, no longer able to hide the split in his mouth, Aro's eyes were on it immediately. Wiping away the last of the blood, Aro revealed the small crack in his lower lip as Demetri winced from the sting. "Well this doesn't look like your handy work, father. What happened?" he asked Basileus whilst watching Demetri's reaction. The boy's eyes involuntarily flicked to Felix.

"Ha! No, not my handy work, Felix knocked him clean across the room, it was like splitting up a damn dog fight!" Basileus exclaimed as he poured himself a goblet of wine. "And him?" Aro gestured to Felix. "Yes, that was my doing. He needs to learn to mind his damn mouth!" Aro laughed a little, he certainly agreed with that. "He was your grandson last night…" Aro mocked his father. "And he still is this day, Aro. And any day going forward for that matter." Felix released a small sigh of relief as Basileus continued. "But he needs bringing down to earth. I want them all kept away from the other guards until I say otherwise. Keep them confined to this tower unless one of us is with them." Basileus' decree was harsh, and it would be difficult to manage, "what about their duties, Felix guards Didyme, Demetri guards Athenodora…" Aro trailed off seeing his father's face turn thunderous. "They WILL NOT leave this tower!" He roared to his son. Aro put up his hands and placated his father, "then, of course, I will make the arrangements, my lord." Basileus nodded once, sure now that his son would do as ordered.

Felix couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, _no guarding duties, I_ _'_ _m free, no more guarding Didyme, it's all over!_ Basileus heard his thoughts and caught the goofy look on his face. "Why are you so glad to be off guarding duties? And what the hell gives you the impression that there is any humour in your actions of late - or indeed, the repercussions?" Basileus was on his feet and stalking towards Felix menacingly. "N, n, no… it's not funny, I wasn't laughing!" Felix stuttered seeing the creator approach, his face still burned from the slaps he'd already received and he knew he'd been lucky to avoid a proper hiding from Basileus so far.

"I heard what you thought, why are you so glad to be off guard duties - you hardly have a heavy load guarding Didyme!" Basileus pushed further, he was now looming over Felix and seemed ready to snatch him up at any moment. Felix was floundering, he couldn't form a single coherent word. Aro came to his rescue, "he's bone idle if he can get away with it, restricting Felix to the tower will be a holiday for him!" Basileus narrowed his eyes at the boy as he considered Aro's defence of him _, no, there_ _'_ _s something else, I can't put my finger on what, but I know you are hiding something and I will find out what it is. I won't find out what it is if you are in this tower though, perhaps Aro was right…_ "alright then, change of plans, you will continue with your guarding duties of the ladies of Volterra, other than that you will be in this tower." He watched the young guards' reaction. Jane and Alec registered little difference, they hardly left the tower without Sully or Aro anyway. Demetri looked depressed, but anyone guarding Athenodora felt that way, she was a spiteful woman to be around. Felix, however, guarding the sweet and lovable Didyme should have been relieved, instead, he became obviously distressed. Basileus tapped his temple as he added, "I will know if you defy me."

Aro turned to the twins, he didn't believe they had intentionally done anything wrong and having had Basileus bellow them out for the last hour or so was enough for their crimes. "You two should go and find Sully, she may be with Carmen and Eleazar still." Aro ushered them to the door before his father could offer any objections. As he closed the door behind them he turned to Basileus, "How long shall we keep them restricted for?" Basileus hadn't actually thought that far ahead. "I propose two months at least." Aro added, much to his boys' chagrin. "Why two months?" Basileus asked, that was longer than he'd intended. "Carlisle will complete his newborn year in May, there will be celebrations in the castle I imagine… I don't think they deserve to attend." Aro sat opposite his boys, both looking furious with his proposal. "But that's not fair! I didn't even do anything!" Demetri spoke up as Felix continued to throw angry looks to his coven leader, he didn't have a defence like Demetri did and he was pissed off!

"Your behaviour since Carlisle's welcome party has hardly been exemplary, Demetri. That said you may be able to earn your invitation to attend with good behaviour from here on." That settled the boy down, Demetri nodded to himself as he made his own plans to get back on Aro's good side somehow. He had his eye on one of the newborns and if he was restricted to the tower he would have precious little time to visit her, Carlisle's 'birthday party' was to be his best chance!

"What about me?" Felix asked hopefully on hearing of his brother's reprieve. Aro laughed in his face, Basileus too found the boy's hopefulness funny. Gaining control of his laughter enough to speak, Aro responded; first by sending Demetri to join Sulpicia, and then when the door was closed, to Felix. "No, you have no chance. If you think your crimes are even the slightest bit comparable to Demetri's of late you are wildly off the mark!" Felix slunk back into his chair like a petulant child.

Basileus shook his head in disgust at the boy's lack of conscience. "He clearly doesn't appreciate the seriousness of his crimes, Aro, I thought you would have punished him properly!" "I did!" Aro replied, indignantly. "Hardly, he's sat there easily enough whilst I've had him here." Basileus doubted Aro had been nearly as harsh as necessary considering the boy had broken coven rules. Aro looked over his young guard, he had to agree he did look far too comfortable for someone who, by coven discipline standards, should be dead by now. "You know Felix, he prefers to hide his weakness." Aro scoffed hearing his own words! _The only thing weak here is my defence of the insolent little sod!_ He thought angrily to himself. Aro moved over to the table at the far side of the room, leaving Felix where he was on the fire side sofa. Basileus joined Aro at the table after he'd poured them both a drink.

Basileus decided to share his thoughts with his son. "Hmm, I think you felt guilty about scaring the boy with submission and went easy on him." Aro shrugged, "I don't know what you are talking about, father." His thoughts, however, were contrary to his words, _yep, that_ _'_ _s pretty much exactly what happened. "_ You did the right thing, Aro. He has to understand the order around here, he has to know you are in charge. "They both looked over to Felix who desperately avoided their eye line. He was getting more and more pissed off - being talked about as though he wasn't in the bloody room wasn't helping either. "I just hope he has the sense not to do something this stupid again," Aro added, still looking at his boy.

"I assume he has expressed regret and promised such a thing will never happen again?" Basileus asked his son as he sipped from his cup. Felix had made all the right noises while Basileus had him on his own, but he doubted the sincerity of the youth. "Of course he did, but…" Aro's voice trailed off, Felix at least had the decency to look ashamed of himself now. Aro drained his cup and passed it back to Basileus to refill. "You are drinking a lot lately!" he told his son as he passed him the full goblet. Aro rolled his eyes. "I can moderate my own alcohol intake, thank you!" he replied cockily. _Crack!_ "Ow!" Aro hissed as his father's hand connected with the back of his head.

Basileus caught Felix smile, _no, you are nowhere near sorry enough, I doubt you would even think twice about committing the exact same crime tonight if you had the opportunity._ Basileus really wasn't happy with Felix' attitude. He decided then to encourage a little more humility in the boy, for his own sake! "It's good for Felix to know submission is an option should he get too out of hand." Basileus spoke to Aro but kept his eyes fixed on Felix. Suddenly the young guard was sitting up and taking notice, eyes filled with panic. "Aro said he would never do it to us." Felix said quietly. "It is an option Felix, just not an option I wish to utilize." Aro countered.

Basileus smirked at Felix whose mouth hung open in horror. "But you said! You said you wouldn't do it!" the boy was panicking again. _Good!_ Basileus thought, _a good dose of fear might prevent the lad from repeating his senseless actions._ "That may be true, Felix. But it really isn't up to Aro." Felix was now shitting himself, if such a thing were possible. Turning back to his son Basileus qualified his comment, "you know if you reached the point where submission was required that you wouldn't be making a decision to do or not do it anyway, the vampric nature takes over, little can be done then." Felix flashed to Aro's side.

"But you said you wouldn't!" he was begging now. He couldn't care less what Basileus said right now, he needed to hear Aro's words, it was Aro who was in charge of him, Aro was the one who could save him. "Actually Felix, I told you not to put me in that position again. And what Basileus said is true - it is nigh on impossible to control the vampire within when a coven leader feels their coven or position is at risk. That's just how it works." Aro told him plainly. Basileus' added a warning, "I suggest you put every effort into ensuring you don't push Aro so far that he feels compelled to take such action, or me for that matter."

Felix backed away, he wanted to head to the door and flee! Basileus caught his thoughts about leaving, "you will sit back down and wait to be dealt with, I haven't punished you yet don't forget." Basileus looked menacing. Felix looked to Aro for help. Aro thought about saving Felix, but as Basileus heard it cross his sons mind he looked back to Aro and shook his head with a stern expression. Rather than being annoyed that his father was taking over with his son, he was relieved. Aro felt like his head was going to explode with the events of the last day, well last few weeks. Actually, the last year! Someone else being bad cop for a while was certainly appealing. "But why? Aro has already belted me, please, my lord! Aro?" Felix stuttered as he spoke and looked pleadingly to Aro again.

Aro smiled, "you made your own bed, now you can lie in it." "But why when you already punished me?" Felix couldn't hide the desperation from his voice. He had received plenty of swots to his backside from Basileus, and a good many slaps to the face too but a full on hiding from the creator was unimaginable. Aro just shook his head and laughed. Knocking back the rest of his wine he left his cup on the table as he rose from his seat, still laughing, and walked over to his young guard who was now backed up against the far wall. Aro patted the youths shoulder and explained to him, "the creator of vampire kind had to search the streets to find you and dispose of the bodies of the Volterrian town folk you murdered against coven law. Let's us not forget about your deplorable attitude and that fact you told my father to go and fuck himself. Do you really think facing me was all you had coming?" With that he squeezed the boys shoulder tightly and went to find his wife, leaving Felix gawping like a drowning fish.

On hearing the door thud back into its closed position, Basileus crooked a finger to Felix, "come here." He ground out to the boy. Felix shook his head, _no way, no no no, I_ _'_ _m coming nowhere near you._ "Here. Now." Basileus pointed to the table. _Fuck that!_ Felix thought defiantly, _I_ _'_ _m not walking into this hiding, not a chance!_ Basileus smiled, though it offered no comfort, it reminded Felix of the smile on Caius' face when he was ready to rip someone's arm off. "You really don't want me to force you, Felix." Basileus delivered his words with Aro's trade mark sing song voice that bellied nothing of his real intentions. Of course those that knew both men well knew exactly what that tone meant - danger.

Felix' head whirled, _'_ _force' does he mean submit? He wouldn't do that. He just wouldn't, no, he didn't mean that, did he?_ Basileus listened to the boy's frantic thoughts, "oh wouldn't I?" Basileus smirked at speed Felix made it over to the table in. He really didn't mean submit at all, he meant if he had to fetch him. But if that was what was on Felix' mind he would use it to his advantage. Basileus glared at the young vampire, "lower your britches and bend over the table." Felix fumbled with his fastenings, he wasn't trying to delay but his damn fingers wouldn't work. "What are you going to do?" he braved the question, but wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

Basileus moved behind him, turned Felix to face the table, and reached around the boy to undo his clothing. "I will do whatever I want, Felix." As all the clothes from his waist down fell to the floor, Felix started to sob, "I'm sorry, I really am, I won't do anything like this again. I won't! I won't break another coven rule for as long as I live!" Basileus grabbed him hard around the back of his neck. "Please don't do this." Felix begged one final time in a pitiful voice. With one swift movement Basileus slammed the boy's chest into the table, though he took care to pull back on his neck to save his face from any damage. "I'M SORRY!" Felix screamed out in terror as he braced himself for what was to come.

Basileus moved to the side and rested his arms on the table, bringing his head down low so he was level with to crying youth. "So we have discovered something that works with you Felix. This will be useful." Felix calmed himself enough to look at the man, "what do you mean?" he asked through ragged breaths. Basileus smiled, not the scary one he'd offered earlier but a genuinely caring smile. "I, like Aro, have no intentions of forcing submission from you Felix. But your crimes, though you seem not to realize, would have any other vampire in this coven put to death. You must understand how serious it is to break our coven's laws." Felix nodded into the table, "I do." He replied through his sobs. Basileus watched Felix for a while whilst he brought himself under control and his sobs lessened. "Does this mean you aren't going to belt me?" the boy finally asked with hope filled eyes. "Ha! Oh no, you are still being punished Felix." Basileus stood and removed his belt; Felix braced himself again.

…

"Hey brother." Demetri called over to Felix as he entered their bed chamber. Basileus had carried Felix into Aro's chambers only an hour or so before, Demetri had been told to leave his brother be for a while but he couldn't wait any longer to check he was okay. Felix was splayed out on his bed, half dressed with the bed sheet covering him. "Hey." Felix replied meekly, though he didn't move to look at Demetri. "Did you get in trouble for our fight? I am so sorry if you did, I should have stood up for you, you always stand up for me…" Demetri rattled out his heartfelt apologies to his brother as he crossed the room to see the damage for himself. "Demetri, I am the big brother, I am supposed to stand up for you. Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I punched you… how's your lip?" Felix was trying so hard to keep his voice even but he'd been crying for half of the last twenty-four hours and his voice hitched by its own volition.

Demetri sat on the bed as he mindlessly rubbed a finger over his slightly swollen lip, "it's almost healed." Wincing at his brother's stiff body, Demetri asked, "how bad is it?" Felix moved his head just enough to face his brother and blew the hair from his eyes so he could see him. "How bad is it? I have been belted by Eleazar, Aro, Aro again, and then Basileus in the last day and a half!" Felix said patronizingly. "So it's bad then?" Demetri replied in amusement. Felix laughed at his brother's remark, he welcomed the light relief after such a stressful few days.

"Can you walk?" Demetri asked him a little more sombrely. "I don't even want to try! From my lower back to the back of my knees I am on fire!" Demetri winced hearing his brothers suffering. "So, Basileus… was he as bad as we always feared?" Demetri asked quietly, as though the walls were listening. "Worse! He's terrifying! Give me Aro any day of the week, not that Aro is a walk in the park mind, but Basileus!" Felix shuddered thinking about the belting Basileus had just doled out, the mild movement causing even more pain to shoot through his body.

The bed chamber door opened again, it was Jane. She went straight to Felix' side and sat with Demetri. "Hey little witch." Felix grunted out as he tried to move. "Big oaf!" Jane replied with a smile. "Jane, I'm sorry about yesterday. I was being a prick." "I know." Jane said simply as she started to remove bottles from her bag. She offered them to Felix. He removed the stopper expecting some sort of lotion, but as soon as the smell hit his nose he knew what his sister had brought him and his face lit up with genuine gratitude. "Blood! Where did you get this from?" he asked and then proceeded to drain the first bottle dry.

"Caius' stores in the dungeons, you will heal quicker with blood in your system." She said as she passed him another bottle. Felix drank the second down as greedily as the first and gratefully received the third and final bottle. Jane collected the empty bottle and secured them into her bag. She would have to replace the bottles in Caius' stores or he would notice their absence. Jane would be the very last person Caius would accuse, and even if he did she could wrap Aro around her little finger anyway. She kissed her biggest brother on the forehead and went to leave the room, just before she opened the door Felix said, "I fucking love you, Jane!" he could already feel the blood doing its job and the slight relief felt amazing. "I know." She replied as she slipped out the door.

"Who's out there, brother?" Felix asked, the quarters had been empty when Basileus brought him to his room, but he had heard voices for the last half an hour. "Everyone. Aro and Basileus have told us about the submission thing by the way… that sounds rough… I assume they are telling the truth and neither of them went through with it?" Demetri asked, again, quietly.

Felix felt mortified. "They told you, as in all of you, Carlisle, Eleazar… the twins! Oh god - Sully and Carmen!" Demetri nodded, "I think they were using you as an example, brother - for me, Jane and Alec at least. "Did they tell you how close they came?" Felix questioned, he didn't want to give out any more detail then he absolutely had to. "Aro said he had you pinned to the floor and stripped! Basileus said he undressed you over the table! Is that true?" Felix hid his face in the pillow, he'd been force fed so much humble pie in the last couple of days that he felt sick with it. "It is true then?" Demetri pushed, Felix nodded into his pillow, to ashamed to face his brother. "Fuck!" Demetri exclaimed, "I thought they were exaggerating."

Felix shook his head, daring a look to his little brother. Seeing only shock and concern there his dead heart swelled - Demetri didn't judge him at all, thankfully. "I begged and cried like a bitch!" he admitted. Demetri scoffed, "Who wouldn't?" Felix smiled at his brother, he felt like he was going to cry again, this time in gratitude for having his ever constant non judge-mental confidant at his side right when he needed him. "Hey, you weren't the only one to bitch and beg, so did Aro when Basileus threatened him with it from what they just said in there!" Demetri informed his brother with glee. "No way?!" Felix sat up a little higher on his arms as a playful smile danced on his lips. Demetri nodded with a goofy grin and they both burst into laughter.

The door opened again and Aro stuck his head inside, "Demetri, I believe I told you to leave Felix be." Aro eyed his young guard who rose and walked out of the room, Aro opening the door wide for him as he passed. "You need to get some sleep." Aro said pointedly to Felix who was looking back at him from over his shoulder. "But it's still light out." Felix whined. Aro rolled his eyes as he walked to the wide arched window, pulling the heavy wooden shutters closed he threw the room into darkness. "Now sleep." He told his young guard kindly as he headed back out the room. Felix lay in complete darkness as he tried to listen to the conversations happening in the main room to distract himself from his own thoughts trying to torture him. Soon enough he dropped into the trance like sleep of young vampires.


	21. 1664, May - The Calm Before the Storm?

AN: I do not own anything other than the story line and the odd random character, cheers SM for sharing your Vamp world :)

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 **1664, May - The Calm Before the Storm?**

"What are you going to do about Felix tomorrow night?" Carlisle lay stretched out in the grass as he asked his brother yet another question about the upcoming celebrations. "Carlisle will you give it a rest about tomorrow?!" Aro was growing bored of the questions now, Carlisle had asked everything from what he should wear up to and including which women were fair game. "You are being as annoying as Felix about this damn party!" Aro continued as he threw a loose hunk of grass at his youngest brother. "Prick!" Carlisle exclaimed, shaking the grass from his hair.

Carlisle was a tad particular about his appearance, something Aro and Eleazar were finding highly amusing and they were taking any chance they had to mess up his clothes, or worse, his hair! "Quit your preening Carlisle, you still look perfect!" Eleazar called over to his brother as he rested on his elbows. The three of them regularly lay in the grass together, chewing the fat. "Are you going to allow the boys to attend Aro?" Eleazar asked. Aro puffed the air from his cheeks and rolled on to his back. The sunlight bounced on his glittering skin, he soaked up the tingling sensation as he replied. "I have to bring them both, the twins too. I need Marcus to test their bonds." Eleazar and Carlisle looked to each other with concern. "Why?" Eleazar spoke for them both.

"Felix is avoiding me, I want to be sure of why." Aro replied simply, managing to hide all emotion from his words. Carlisle looked even more confused, "why don't you just read his mind?" Aro sighed, "my gift is useful brother, I know that." "Then why don't you use it?" Carlisle pushed. _Why don_ _'_ _t I use it?_ Aro questioned himself, _I have had to punish him more in the last twelve months than in the rest of his vampire years combined, and now he is avoiding me at all costs. I don_ _'_ _t want to find out that he hates me, or that our bond is forever broken._ "Call it self-preservation." Aro finally responded as he sprung to his feet. "This has been pleasant brothers, but I must return to my duties." He only offered a tight smile as he left them both in the grass and headed back towards the castle.

Carlisle waited until Aro was out of hearing range, "El, what did he mean by 'self-preservation'?" Eleazar stood and pulled Carlisle up with him. "I'm not entirely sure, brother. I know Felix has been spending a lot of time in Marcus' quarters. I thought he was just guarding Didyme but perhaps there's more to it. I wonder if Felix is moving on…" Eleazar voice trailed off, hoping he was very wrong. He knew his brother would be devastated to lose Felix, and Sulpicia's reaction would be even worse. _Would she blame Aro if she lost her eldest guard?_ He wondered to himself. "Come on Carlisle, I need to get back to Carmen and Basileus will be wondering where you are."

"I am hoping he will lighten his hold on me after today!" Carlisle complained. Eleazar burst into giggles, "if you think that, you really haven't been paying attention, brother!" "What?! He said the newborn year I have to be accompanied, and that ends tomorrow! Surely Basileus won't be breathing down my neck anymore. Stop laughing at me!" Eleazar tried to bring himself under control, "Carlisle, really? Basileus turned Aro over two thousand years ago - tell me, do you think Aro gets a free ride with our father?" Carlisle's heart sank. He had been so sure tomorrow, the anniversary of his transformation, would lead to greater freedom. He felt stifled in the castle walls always having a chaperone following him around. "Well I won't be drinking from humans anymore. Our father promised me that I would only have to stick to his diet for the newborn year." Carlisle huffed as he spoke, he sounded like a stroppy child. "That IS something in your control, brother. Basileus will leave you to feed how you wish. I will be joining you by the way. I haven't drank human blood in months now." Carlisle was pleased to have his brother's support. Eleazar had a lot of sway with their father; Basileus thought him to be the most steadfast and sensible of his three sons and generally trusted his judgment.

Eleazar delivered Carlisle back to their father's quarters, and went straight to Aro's top suite to retrieve Carmen. "It's quiet in here, where is everyone else?" he asked generally to the room, only Carmen, Sully, and the twins were in attendance. "Aro is in the throne room El, the boys are guarding the wives." Sulpicia replied. "Are the twins staying here?" he asked, they both smiled to him as they nodded. They knew he wanted to know if he could leave Carmen with them for longer. "Wonderful, I have an errand to run, I will return shortly." With that he left, almost as quickly as he came and headed for Marcus' suite. Entering the north tower, Eleazar passed Caius' door first. Hearing Athenodora bellowing at Demetri he considered intervening but knew he wouldn't have long with Felix as it was so continued up the stair case to the top floor suite. Knocking gently, he waited to be invited in. Nothing. Again, he knocked, this time much harder. Nothing. Eleazar knew Felix was in there with Didyme so he tried the door, it was unlocked. As he pushed lightly the door slammed back in his face!

"FELIX! What the hell are you doing?!" Eleazar was pissed off - if he wasn't suspicious before he certainly was now. Felix didn't respond. "Open this door now or I will break it down, and you can explain why to Marcus!" Still no response. Eleazar didn't actually want to smash down Marcus' door. _Shit, what the hell is going on in there!_ "Felix open the door or I am fetching Aro to deal with you and…." Eleazar didn't have chance to finish his threat, the door opened with a sheepish looking Felix standing to one side to allow Eleazar to enter. "What are you playing at?" Eleazar asked as he slapped the youth across his bowed head. Felix hissed at the sting but didn't respond. "Where's Didyme?" Eleazar pressed as he noticed she wasn't in the room.

Felix looked nervous, "she's on the terrace, not to be disturbed." He said quickly, "why are you here anyway?" Eleazar was put out at the attitude the young guard was displaying. "You will do well to remember who you are talking to, boy!" Felix bit his bottom lip, he knew better than to fuck with Eleazar but he was nervous having the guy in Didyme's apartment. "I'm sorry. But why are you here?" He asked more sedately. "I came to see how you are, Felix. I have hardly seen you recently - you are either here with Didyme or hiding in your room." Eleazar rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, with his free hand he hooked a finger under his chin and brought his face up to enable eye contact. "What's going on with you? Do you need to talk to someone?" Eleazar was kind, he sounded so concerned, Felix wanted to cry. Of course he couldn't let Eleazar see that so he shrugged and tried to pull himself free.

Eleazar held him in position, "no, don't turn away from me, Felix." He could see the boy's eyes fill with tears, "what has happened, nothing could be that bad!" Felix scoffed and wiped angrily at his traitorous tears, pissed off with his own body for even producing them! _Not that bad, really, believe me Eleazar I have fucked up beyond belief!_ "Nothing, it's nothing." He finally spat out, contrary to his thoughts. Not that he fooled Eleazar, _you can_ _'_ _t even hold my eye, and yet it's nothing._ "I have enough experience with having to bring you to tears to know how much force it takes Felix, and I only asked if you were okay… whatever trouble you have gotten yourself into, it really isn't worth all this stress."

Felix pulled away again, this time Eleazar let him. "You don't know Aro!" Felix said under his breath, not really intending it to reach Eleazar's ear, of course it did. "Oh I do, I know him very well." Felix took a seat, Eleazar followed and sat next to him as he continued, "I know he is worried about you, and I know how much you mean to him, Felix." That just made the young guard feel worse, his stomach twisted into a knot. "Why are you avoiding Aro?" Eleazar asked gently. "I'm not." Felix lied. "Hmm, if you don't want to talk me I won't force you, but trust me on this, there is nothing you could possibly have done that Aro wouldn't forgive you for." Felix stared ahead vacant, he heard Eleazar's words, he just didn't believe them. "He hasn't finished forgiving me for my last fuck up yet." He said, resentment dripping from his tongue.

Eleazar shook his head, black curls grazing his forehead as he did so. "Oh really? Well he just told me you would be attending the celebrations tonight, so I think he may be part way there at least." Felix smiled for what felt like the first time in months. "Really? He really said I could go?" Suddenly the boy was animated again, though he still looked a shadow of the usually jovial youth. "Yes, he did. So cut Aro some slack, will you?" Felix nodded to the elder vampire as he smiled to himself, he had been sure Aro would make him stay home for Carlisle's party, _I can_ _'_ _t believe he is letting me go, he must have forgiven me for killing the humans in Volterra, perhaps Eleazar is right, maybe he will forgive me for Didyme too?_ Felix thought hopefully. "I have to go, I will see you tonight, yes?" Eleazar asked. Felix nodded happily.

"Felix, I…" Didyme slipped through the tower door, cutting herself off as she saw Eleazar sitting with her personal guard. Eleazar flashed to her side, "Didyme, my dear, how are you?" he asked as he bowed his head respectfully. "Felix told me you were on the terrace and not to be disturbed?" Eleazar asked questioningly, eying a very uncomfortable looking Felix as he did so. "Oh, no no no, I was earlier on the terrace, I had to pop down to Athenodora just now. Silly Felix, and they say vampires have perfect memory eh!" Didyme replied, looking almost as nervous as Felix. "You were with Athenodora then?" Eleazar pushed, something was going on here and he wanted to know what. Didyme nodded so Eleazar continued, "tell me, how is she with Demetri?" Didyme wasn't sure what Eleazar was asking, "fine, oh, fine. She likes him I believe." "She treats him well? Doesn't shout at him or anything like that?" Didyme giggled lightly, "no of course not."

Eleazar narrowed his eyes, looking first at Felix and then Didyme. He knew they were lying, he just wasn't sure why. Deciding to keep this to himself for now before he had more information Eleazar bid them both farewell and returned to Aro's quarters to join Carmen.

As soon as they were alone, Eleazar told Carmen of his concerns. "What do you think is going on though El?" Carmen asked as she stretched out in her window seat; she loved how the sunlight tickled her skin. "I don't understand, so what if Didyme wasn't on the terrace?" Eleazar brought two large bottles of blood over to his new mate, "here, its wolf." He said as he passed her the flask, keeping one for himself. Lifting her legs, he sat and placed them carefully over his lap. "The problem is, they both lied to me… why would they lie?" he mused. Carmen sipped at her bottle, Eleazar marvelled at the restraint she had already, most vampires would gulp down fresh blood, they rarely sipped anything! He had to force himself to do the same.

"Maybe Felix had forgot where she was?" Carmen really didn't see the big deal. "Carmen, my love, Felix is a vampire, yes? We don't forget anything! And besides, he was guarding her so he should know where she bloody well is. You didn't see him, he was a mess. He's so stressed. Something is going on and he is worried Aro will find out. Whatever it is, it must be big." Carmen leaned up, allowing her elbows to rest on the seat and support her weight, "worse than killing the humans a few months ago?" she questioned. Eleazar was surprised, he hadn't told Carmen about that. "How do you know about…" Carmen cut him off with a sly smile, "Sully told me, she needed to talk about the whole affair." Eleazar nodded, feeling a little guilty that he hadn't shared this information with his mate. "I'm sorry, my love. I should have told you." Carmen waved off his apology, "I am sure there is much you keep from me El, I understand your position, for now." Eleazar bit his lip as he considered Carmen's tone. He knew how Aro would react to such a tone but that wasn't Eleazar's way, besides, he loved how feisty she was; Carmen wouldn't take shit from anyone. He smiled to himself but tried to keep it hidden.

"Perhaps you should talk to Aro about your concerns?" Carmen ended the short silence between them. Eleazar shook his head. "No, not yet, I don't want to increase his worry when I don't know exactly what I am worried about. Felix has lied to me before, usually covering his own back. This feels different and Didyme is definitely involved, I just don't know how." Carmen nodded along as Eleazar spoke, "Demetri then, he could confirm if Didyme had visited with Athenodora today." "And if he confirms she didn't?" Eleazar threw back. "Then you know they are lying for sure, rather than assuming." Eleazar held a pensive look, this was weighing heavily in his mind.

Carmen had another idea, "you don't think they are having an affair do you?" "What? Felix and Didyme?" Eleazar scoffed. "Well, he is a good looking boy, he's kind and fun to be around…" Carmen tried to find reason for her assertion. "Yes, he is, but he is a child and Didyme knows Marcus would kill him. And Aro would kill Marcus - no, she would never risk such a thing." Carmen still thought it was a possibility, "you said yourself Felix is spending lots of time with Didyme, she has stopped going into the town with Marcus when he visits his humans, preferring to stay in the tower - she calls this place a prison, El. Why would she choose to stay locked up with Felix guarding her every move when she could be out in the town with her husband?" Carmen felt her mate stiffen at her words. "You have a good point there, my love, but I hope to god you are wrong."

Aro stoked the fire with an iron rod waiting for the rest of his household to join him. He was always ready first, he couldn't really understand what took them all so long! Felix barrelled into the room from the tower door. "I was wondering where you had gotten to, you should have returned an hour ago." Aro stated without looking around, he knew it was Felix. "Er, yeah, I was waiting for Didyme to get back and…" Aro spun around and "Didyme? Where had she gone without you?" Felix looked horrified, "er, no, I mean Marcus, I was with Didyme. Marcus had been into town again." Aro nodded as he raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Felix with a stern look.

Felix couldn't take the silence, "Eleazar said I can go to the party…" his voice trailed off and he avoided Aro's eye contact. "Did he? And Eleazar gave you this permission? Is it Eleazar's permission you seek now?" Felix chuckled softly, "no, it's yours, always yours." He replied humbly. "He told me you said I could go." "Hmm, I did." Aro replied, looking at his boy, he missed him. "So can I come?" Felix asked hopefully. Aro nodded, "go get ready, quickly!" Felix smiled as he bounded across the room towards his bed chamber but stopped in the archway, "Aro, can I…" Aro cut him off, "do not ask if you can drink!" he said sternly.

Felix slunk off, _dammit, I knew that was pushing my luck. Eleazar will sneak me some anyway, he always does._ He thought with a slight smile. "Where the hell have you been?" Demetri almost accused as his brother entered their shared room. "Stuck with Didyme!" he retorted, annoyed at his situation. "Are you coming tonight?" Demetri asked quietly, as if Aro may be listening. Felix beamed his broad smile as he started to change his clothes. Demetri laughed, "you really do walk on water brother, I cannot believe he is letting you come!" Demetri was pleased Felix was going, he didn't fancy braving Antonio's clan without his backing! Felix just laughed, he knew he was damn lucky Aro had relented -Aro going back on his word was a very rare occurrence and he was determined to be the model guard tonight to repay him. "I am leaving in 5 minutes!" They heard Aro call out and hurried out of their room, bumping into Alec and Jane doing the same. "You're coming?" Alec asked in surprise. "Yep!" Felix replied, they looked relieved too, no doubt for the same reasons as Demetri.


	22. Carlisle's '1st Birthday'

**Carlisle's '1st Birthday'**

"You are always last to arrive brother!" Caius called out as Aro entered with Sulpicia on his arm, their guard close behind. Aro laughed, "blame my queen!" The celebrations were in full swing already and everyone, even Caius, seemed in good spirits. The music was deafeningly loud, or rather would be for a human. Athenodora sat in Caius' throne, Marcus' was empty - he and Didyme were already dancing in the middle of the room. The great hall held five large fireplaces, they were rarely lit but tonight each had a roaring fire blazing and huge cauldrons hung above, simmering audibly.

"So why are we not feasting on humans tonight brother?" Caius asked as he approached Aro, gesturing to the bubbling blood. Sulpicia left his side and joined Carmen and Eleazar at the far side of the thrones, greeting Athenodora as she passed. "I fancied a change, brother, nothing more. I see Ashanti is here." Aro commented to Caius, who looked a little sheepish. "Well, we always bring the newborns up for celebrations, I couldn't leave her down there alone." Aro smiled slyly, "yes I dread to think the trickery she could commit in a locked dungeon, by herself!" Caius smirked. "Basileus wants her gone, you know." Aro nodded, "he may have mentioned it," _at length_ , he added in thought. "Can we do anything about that, Aro?" Caius asked, it sounded like Caius was asking for Aro's help on this, which was rare for the man to do. "Keep her out of trouble, Caius, and I will talk with my father." Caius felt a flood of relief and thanked Aro gratefully. "I would keep her away from my brothers and my guards though, just for good measure!" Aro added, Caius readily agreed, he didn't like sharing Ashanti anyway.

Felix waited for Sulpicia and Carmen to join the dancers before approaching Eleazar. "Felix." Eleazar said simply, as he slightly bowed his head in greeting. "Hey, El. Do you think you could get a drink or two for me and Demetri?" he asked cheekily. Eleazar raised his eyebrows, he would normally offer the boys a drink when he thought Aro was too busy to notice, however, with the questions running through his mind about Felix at the moment he wasn't feeling quite so generous. "You certainly look happier than when I last saw you. Are you certain you don't want to talk about that still?"

Felix felt a wave of shame pass over him. "Look, I'm sorry about that, I was just tired. I have been guarding Didyme a lot recently and it's taking its toll on me. That's all." Eleazar shook his head, "no, that's not all, Felix. What's going on with you and Didyme?" Felix' eyes flew wide open, Eleazar was talking far too loudly for his liking. "Nothing, I don't know what you are talking about." He tried to turn away but Eleazar held him back. "Just answer me one question, are you having an affair with her?" Felix shot a look of disgust in retort, "no. Most definitely not!" Eleazar believed him. He knew Felix better than Felix realized, he knew when the boy was lying and when he was telling the truth. Eleazar nodded, mainly to himself. "Then I dread to think what is really going on!" he told him. Felix looked ready to be sick.

Eleazar softened his tone, "I am here if you need me Felix, remember that at least." He said as he squeezed the youths shoulder kindly. Felix smiled back, he did know, he just wasn't willing to share his secrets. Feeling he was getting nowhere with the boy for now, Eleazar chose to cheer him up instead, "I'll bring you some drinks when Aro's distracted - you will be the death of me you know!" Felix broke into his trademark broad smile. "Thanks," he shyly replied, then he left to join his brother and give him the good news.

"Eleazar!" Aro called his brother over to his throne. "Brother," Eleazar greeted him as he came close. Aro pulled his brother close to his ear, "make sure you feed from the cauldron closest to the door, there isn't much in there, but should be enough for you, Carlisle and your mate at least." Eleazar scrunched his face in confusion. "Why?" he asked, though he hadn't told Aro about Carmen's diet, trying to protect his brother from their father's possible wrath, he was sure Aro knew they were only feeding on animal blood. "Because I personally drained a stag especially for you and I would rather it not go to waste on an ungrateful guard." Aro said with a wink.

Eleazar's heart swelled. He wasn't sure how Aro managed to arrange this gift, but he was so grateful that he had. "I really don't know what to say, Aro, thank you, so much." Aro waved his thanks away as though it were nothing, truthfully it had been difficult to arrange but his brothers comfort was worth it to him. "This is Carlisle party, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable with having a load of humans brought in for the slaughter." Aro saw Eleazar grow misty eyed, and nudged him mockingly. "I must say I am impressed with Carmen's restraint - I have four vats of human blood cooking in this room and she hardly seems to notice. There may be something in this diet of yours." Eleazar laughed heartily, "are you coming over to the dark side, brother?!" Aro joined his laughter with his own chuckles, "god no! But I might experiment with its effects on newborns. It could be good for the establishment to have calmer inmates around." Eleazar smiled to himself. "I will tell Carlisle and Carmen so they are ready when you give the signal." Eleazar embraced his brother and with a final grateful thank you he left to find his mate.

Marcus left Didyme dancing and joined Aro in their thrones. "You two are setting the bar high again Marcus!" Aro said, referring to the dance show he and Didyme had put on. Marcus smiled warmly. "She makes it easy, Aro." Aro giggled, "Only for you brother, my sister has rarely made my life easy!" he mocked playfully. The sibling bond between the two of them was strong and everyone knew it. Though Aro liked to make out she annoyed him, he doted on her really.

"You said you had need of my services tonight Aro, looking around you have everything covered, as always. I am at a loss as to what I could do to add to this evening." Marcus said gesturing to the room brimming with excitement. Aro rose from his throne and stood close to Marcus to keep their conversation private. "I need your gift, my friend." "Oh! Is anything amiss?" Marcus asked, he thought the coven was running with relative ease. "My guard, my high guard. Where are their allegiances?" Marcus looked dumbfounded, "really Aro, as if you have to ask!" "I will admit I am usually sure of their favour, but I want to be certain, if you will oblige?" Aro didn't want to give too much away.

Marcus turned his focus on the twins as they were closest. "Jane, as attached to you as ever, brother, though her bond with Sulpicia is greater, almost as great as it is with Alec. Felix and Demetri are strong bonds for her too." Aro nodded to that, he expected as much. "Is Alec the same?" he asked quietly. "Yes, almost identical in fact. Neither care much for anyone else in this coven, and though they are both very fond of Basileus, and your brothers, they are still 'yours'." Marcus replied.

Aro was relieved, he knew they would be closer to Sulpicia, they spent so much more time with her than him but hearing they were still 'his' was a great comfort. "Demetri?" Aro prompted. Marcus filtered through the crowed of guards to find the boy. "You, Aro. He is most strongly aligned to you. After you would be Felix, then Sulpicia, the twins and then your father and brothers." Marcus watched Aro's reaction, he seemed surprised. "Seriously Aro, why would there ever have been a doubt?" Aro waved off his concern, "I have been hard on him recently, I wondered if that may have changed things, that's all. "My gift tells me those three are more bonded with you and your mate than ever, and your extended family of course." Marcus was referring to Aro's father and brothers rather than the other masters and their mates.

"Felix then, test Felix." Aro instructed, with a lump in his throat in anticipation of the result. Both men turned their eye to the eldest of Aro's guard just in time to see Eleazar pass him two goblets of wine. Marcus looked to Aro, "is he supposed to be giving him that wine?" Aro laughed, "They both think I don't know, but Eleazar passes them drinks at every celebration we have! He does me a favour really, he watches them very closely in case they go too far and it stops the pair if them from nagging me!" Aro continued to laugh as Marcus joined in. "Nothing gets passed you, brother!" he said respectfully. Everyone marvelled at Aro's managerial skills but few realised just how all-seeing he really was.

"Go on, brother, test Felix for me." Marcus concentrated, he was receiving conflicting readings and the confusion wore on his features. "What is it Marcus?" Aro nervously pushed for a result. "Well, Aro, you have nothing to fear, Felix is bonded to you most strongly of all, with the rest of your family very close behind." Aro sighed in relief, "then what's wrong?" he questioned. "His bond with Didyme is... odd." Marcus left Felix and searched out his wife, "her bond to Felix is strong, very strong, but it is not returned." Marcus looked to Aro with thunder in his eyes, they were turning black with emotion from their usual red. "What is going on with the two of them Aro?" Marcus ordered, assuming this was the real reason Aro had requested use of his services.

Aro held up his hands defensively. "Marcus, I assure you nothing will be going on with them, Felix has been guarding Didyme a lot recently, it is understandable she will have bonded to him, surely?" Marcus settled into his seat and straightened out his already perfect clothing. "Perhaps you will do me the honour of using your gift now and making sure of that!" Marcus turned away. He was rarely anything other than happy and relaxed, seeing the man stiffen and appear stern in this way reminded Aro that actually Marcus was a skilled warrior - he had more than earned his stripes in the many battles they had fought alongside each other during the early years of the Volturi. If Felix was fooling around with Didyme, Marcus could easily kill him. Aro stepped back in shock at the very idea, of Felix with Didyme, of Marcus killing Felix… _I will have to kill Marcus before he has the chance to get to Felix_ , he thought, most shockingly of all. He would too, if it came to it. The force of the emotion he felt with wanting to protect Felix nearly knocked him off his feet. Falling back into his chair he called Jane over to his side. "Fetch Felix." He ordered plainly.

As Felix approached, Aro watched Marcus narrow his eyes and go to stand, "please brother, I am sure this is a misunderstanding." Felix looked nervously between the two masters, his face dripping with guilt! Aro crooked a finger at the boy whilst glaring daringly. "Here, now!" he ordered. Felix approached apprehensively, "what have I done?" he asked. "That's what we would like to know!" Marcus growled out through gritted teeth, he looked menacing. "Give me your hand." Aro said casually, expecting Felix to oblige. He didn't. Instead he asked 'why?' Aro wasn't willing to risk an altercation between Marcus and Felix in the throne room, and looking at Marcus that altercation wasn't far off. "Excuse us." He said to Marcus as he grabbed Felix by his wrist and flashed them both from the great hall, and then from the castle altogether.

Once outside in the fresh air Aro released his boy and paced at vampire speed, creating a blurred flurry of air in front of Felix. "What have I done wrong?" Felix asked in a quiet voice. Aro stopped dead in front of him and slapped him across his face. _Crack!_ Felix cupped his bruised cheek and hissed with the sting. "When I tell you do to do something you obey, got it? You do not ask 'why?'" Felix nodded quickly, averting his eyes from the formidable master. Aro slammed him against the stone castle wall and held him there with a hand on his forehead. "You look nervous, or is that guilt?" He ground out as his eyes bored into Felix' searching his memories for every interaction his boy had with Didyme. He saw many fleeting conversations but paid no attention to the content; he was traveling too fast through his thoughts to listen to any dialog. Besides, it wasn't words Aro was searching for!

Felix winced under Aro's manacle grip. "What are you looking for?" he asked fearfully. Aro ignored him, continuing his search. Didyme was hardly there at all, even when Felix was guarding her she still rarely featured. "When you guard my sister, where is she?" Aro asked. "What? Erm, she's there!" Felix fumbled through his stuttered reply. "She's in her bed chamber usually." As soon as the words left his mouth he felt Aro's grip tighten - one hand pinching into the boys bicep, the other ready to crush his forehead. Felix hissed and cowered but Aro held him in place. "And are you ever in there with her?" Aro spoke through gritted teeth, his jaw set tight. "What! NO!" Felix cried out in pain. Aro lightened his hold but didn't let him go. "Marcus thinks you are having an affair with his wife, Felix! His wife is my sister! Tell me he is wrong!"

Felix was dumbfounded, "I'm not that stupid!" Aro scoffed at his boys reply and slammed him against the wall again, knocking all the air out of his lungs. "ANSWER ME PROPERLY!" he screamed in his Felix' face. The young guard had done many, many foolish things in his time, but he never felt closer to death than he did right now, and he hadn't had sex with Didyme - he wasn't going down for that! With far more attitude than he should have shown, he replied, "I'm not fucking your sister!" _CRACK!_ Aro hit him so hard this time that Felix fell to the floor, dazed.

Felix stayed down, not daring to get up. Aro started pacing again. He'd seen nothing in Felix' thoughts to suggest he was lying, he felt confident enough to confirm for Marcus that at least nothing of that nature was going on. Still, Aro could sense something wasn't right and he was going to put an end to whatever it was! "Do you like guarding my sister?" he asked the boy at his feet. Felix shook his head but didn't look up. "Why, most guards do, why is it so different for you?" Felix shrugged. "Get up and face me."

Felix dragged himself to his feet. When they were eye to eye Aro could see the damage he'd done, f _uck, Sully will go nuts!_ He thought as he ran his thumb over the crack in the boy's cheek, wiping away the blood as he did so. "I will arrange a new rota, it will take a month or so, we have some newborns that could take your place by then." Felix shot a panicked look to Aro, "take my place?! With you?!" He couldn't breathe, he started to panic gulping in air as though he was drowning. "No, not with me! With Didyme. Calm down." Aro placed a hand on each of his shoulders and looked into his eyes, "you and Demetri can 'guard' ME and Marcus and Caius can get their own houses in order instead of relying on me to do so for them. Felix felt flooded with relief, _a month, I can handle another month, I can do that, and then it will be over!_ "Really?" he questioned, wanting to be sure. Aro nodded curtly, still unsure why Felix was so unhappy with Didyme.

Aro sighed, "we need to get back in there, come." Felix stalled, "but Marcus…" "Let me handle Marcus. And don't worry so much, at least I only have to talk to him, I would have been very disappointed if I'd had to kill him for you." Felix stopped. "What? Do you really think I would let him tear you to pieces?" Felix started to cry, softly and quietly, but Aro caught it. Wrapping an arm around the boy he brought him in close, "I don't pretend to know what you are up to, Felix, but if it is making you feel like this I would suggest you bring it to an end." Felix nodded as he wiped at his face, hissing when he pressed too hard to his punished cheek.

Aro lead them both back inside the castle, coming to a stop when he saw Marcus and Didyme arguing outside the closed throne room doors. Marcus rounded on Felix the moment he saw him, "what have you been doing with my wife!" Didyme pleaded with Marcus to see sense as Aro pushed Felix behind him. "Marcus," he spoke calmly, wanted to diffuse the situation, "I have read through every memory he has of guarding Didyme, I assure you NOTHING is going on between the two of them. In fact, Didyme is hardly there at all, she barely talks to him." Aro's charisma was enchanting, with only his voice he had Marcus melting in front of him. He knew Aro wouldn't lie to him, not about something so important.

"Why is her bond so strong with that boy then?" Marcus asked, that was the real question he wanted answering. "Didyme is my sister, Marcus, Felix is the closest thing I have to a son. What can I say, family bonds are strong in us all. Why wouldn't she bond to him when she sees him so regularly and knowing what he means to me. Think about it brother, there's nothing more to this." Aro's voice and words soothed the man's raging heart. Marcus looked around Aro to Felix, a scared young vampire with what looked like a hand print on his swollen face. "If he's done no wrong, why have you hit him?" Marcus asked plainly. Aro laughed "Because he's a mouthy brat!" Felix tutted indignantly, causing Aro to laugh harder, "see, he doesn't know when to quit!" Marcus smiled, "then I must apologize for causing this strife." Aro didn't have time to reply. "It is ME you need to apologize to!" Didyme looked furious now she knew she was safe. "My dear wife, I will make this up to you, my love." They went off hand in hand as though nothing at all had happened.

Aro breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to Felix, who looked a wreck. Aro chuckled softly. "I don't know about you, but I need a drink." Felix smirked, "I'm sure if you track down Eleazar he will slip you one when I am not looking." Felix' mouth hung open and his eyes skirted about, "you know?!" he was genuinely surprised. Aro rolled his eyes, and pulled him through the throne room doors. "Go and play." Aro said as he pushed his young guard towards the crowd. Felix wandered off into the group of guards, no doubt wanting some space to digest what had just happened.

"Aro where have you been! The guards are ready to kill for the blood for god's sake!" Basileus bellowed to Aro from the fire side, guarding the blood. Aro searched with his eyes for Carlisle, when he found him he offered a wink, Carlisle nodded in response. _Good Eleazar has told him._ Aro gave the order for the masters and his family to feed. Eleazar took Carmen and followed Carlisle to the end cauldron. Basileus had clearly twigged what was going on, but he seemed to approve as he filled tankards full of blood and passed them around.

"Where are you guard, Aro?" Basileus asked as he passed his son his tankard. Aro looked around expecting them to be dining with them rest of the inner circle. The twins were still on the throne steps, the boys were standing at the front of the crowd of waiting guards. Aro sighed again, _do I really have to micro manage everything tonight?_ Walking towards the boys he clicked his fingers and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to the blood, they quickly sprung into life and bounded over to Basileus who was waiting with their tankards. "Are you coming?" Aro said with a smile to the twins, they skipped down the steps and followed him back to their waiting meal. Aro looked over to Eleazar, "is that one empty brother?" he called out. "We apologize Aro, but it is Carlisle's birthday after all." Aro smiled coyly, "luckily there is enough over here for you all," Aro addressed the room and welcomed the guards to join in the feast.

Basileus fought through the crowd to get to Aro. "That was a nice thing you did for Carlisle, Aro." "I don't know what you are talking about, father." Aro had to fight back the smile dancing on his lips as he drank down his hot blood. Basileus returned his smirk. "I imagine the animal blood was a relief for Eleazar and Carmen too, hmm?" "Erm," Aro tried to reply but he was taken by surprise, he was sure Basileus didn't know about Carmen. "It's alright son, I have known since your boy's midnight flit, I read his thoughts, I heard it all." Aro was speechless, that didn't happen often! "I will talk with you all tomorrow before I leave." "Talk? Leave?" Aro managed to spit out. "Yes, son, talk." Basileus mocked his dumb struck son by talking very slowly. Aro laughed, nervously, he still wasn't sure whether Basileus meant talk or beat! "And I will be leaving in the morning, I will be gone about a month. Carlisle can be left to his own devices now so you shouldn't need be too bothered by my disappearance." Aro nodded, that was true enough. "Where are you going?" Basileus smiled broadly, "none of your business." He said happily and walked away, leaving Aro laughing after his elusive father.

The rest of the evening went by without a hitch, everyone seemed in good spirits and the wine flowed with gusto. All in attendance were merry with its effects, including Felix and Demetri. They had both been careful with their drinks though; Aro had given them a chance to join in a little and neither wanted to do anything that would compromise their chances of doing so again. The twins of course had only really had a tipple and had stayed close to Sulpicia all evening. Aro watched his young guards for a moment, the twins were visibly tired now. Demetri too for that matter. Felix was blending in a little better with the older guards tonight. Aro was quite proud of them all - despite the earlier altercation he'd had with Felix they had been model guards. _Still, it is very late now, they need to go home, I would rather they end the night on a high._ He thought to himself as he called Demetri. "Sully will be retiring soon, you four are to go with her and Carmen." Demetri's face dropped but he nodded. "Hey, you have all done extremely well tonight, thank you." Aro added, it had the desired effect and Demetri looked less deflated already as he went to find Felix.

Aro watched as he moved through the crowds and concentrated on his two guards as they spoke. "Aro said we have to take Sulpicia and Carmen back to our quarters soon, brother." Demetri told Felix, who knocked back his drink ready to leave. He was surprised Aro had allowed them to stay so late as it was and saw no reason to argue the toss over another hour.

Antonio was hanging around behind Felix, he heard what Demetri had said. "Aww, is it bedtime Felix?" _conceited prick,_ Felix thought, he knew it was Antonio who'd said that before he even turned around and he could hear his little band of pricks laughing at his comment, _don_ _'_ _t rise to it, don't rise to it!_ He reminded himself. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?" Felix crooned, smiling patronizingly to the jealous guard. Antonio shooed him away theatrically with his hands, "go to bed little boy, its adult time now!" That stung, Felix wasn't going to let that go so easily, the tittering guards surrounding Antonio only fuelled his annoyance. Felix knew just what to say to get one over on his arch enemy. "Adult time? Oh, I'm so sorry Antonio, I hadn't noticed the time, you're right, it's time for Caius to fuck you again isn't it. I'll leave you to your 'adult time', mate!" Every guard who heard Felix' retort laughed - Antonio had to be held back by his friends to stop him from smacking Felix. "You jumped up little prick!" he spat angrily at Felix. Felix, however, looked on coolly at the frothing guard and offered him a smile as he casually replied, "I'm a privileged little prick actually, Antonio. That's why I'm not Caius' rent boy, and you are!"

Goblets flew through the air one way and another, wine everywhere - Antonio had broken free of his friends grasp and had Felix pinned on the floor. Rather than retaliating, Felix allowed himself to be pinned as he laughed in Antonio's face. It didn't take long for Aro to rip the guard off his boy. "Put your hands on him again and I will snap them off!" Aro threatened as he threw Antonio across the room towards the throne steps. "Your guard out of control again, Aro?" Caius sang out as he picked up Antonio. "Not at all brother, it's that insolent idiot that needs bringing in line." Aro replied jabbing a finger angrily in Antonio's direction. Caius was surprised at that, he thought Antonio had more sense. "Oh, you are sure I take it." He asked his brother in arms. Aro smiled as he turned to pull Felix off the floor, "I heard every word," he announced loudly, Felix cringed, _yes, as well you should!_ Aro thought. Felix brushed himself off and avoided Aro's eye. "I assume you will deal with him, brother?" Aro asked Caius. Caius threw an evil smile towards Antonio, "go to my chambers and wait for me there."

Felix wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Antonio knowing full well what Caius had in store for the guard. Antonio looked livid, he was switching between abject humiliation and raging anger and both emotions were Felix Volturi's fault! "Knock it off!" Aro clouted Felix catching him winding up the other guard purposefully. "Sorry." Felix replied respectfully, but he couldn't stop the smile on his face or the giggles he was suppressing coming out as snorts. Aro shook his head and laughed too. "The twins are going with Sulpicia and Carmen, you two are staying here with me." Aro announced loudly enough for the guards to hear him. He wasn't having Antonio jeopardizing his boys' status with talk of 'bed time'. "Come and have a drink." He added for good measure, sending a flurry of gossip around the main guard. Felix swaggered over to the thrones behind Aro, Demetri soon joined them too.

Felix froze as Basileus approached, expecting a round of fucks for interrupting an otherwise perfect party. "Well played." Basileus whispered into Felix' ear as he patted him on the back. The corners of his mouth turned upwards and Felix felt a warm glow rising from deep inside himself. Basileus, watching the boy smile, noticed something else about his face, "did Antonio do that?" he asked, annoyed, as he ran a finger over the fading crack on Felix' cheek. "Oh! No, no it wasn't Antonio. I was mouthing off to Aro…" Felix trailed off, he didn't want to be in any more trouble tonight. Basileus nodded, "aha, Didyme, I heard about that." Basileus shook his head, "ridiculous!" he announced. Felix breathed a sigh of relief, _thank god I won't have him interrogating me too!_ He thought. "Well played indeed." Aro added to the conversation as he offered Felix a fresh goblet. "This is to be your last." Aro said pointedly about the wine. Felix agreed, he was pleased Aro had helped him save face in front of the guards and he knew better than to push any further tonight.

"Aro, may I talk with you?" Carlisle approached his brother, swaying slightly from side to side as he walked. Aro followed Carlisle to the side of the throne platform, "have you had a good night, brother?" Aro asked him when they were alone, or as alone as they could be in a room filled with 50 other vampires and their impeccable hearing. "I really have!" Carlisle responded gleefully. "I want to thank you for the blood you arranged. I am so, so, I don't know. Just grateful, so grateful, and honoured that you would go to such trouble for us." Carlisle looked quite emotional and on the verge of tears. Aro slung his arm around his younger brother and pulled him in for an embrace, "you are my brother Carlisle, it was nothing, really." A few stray tears rolled down Carlisle's cheeks. As Aro noticed his tears, his focus was drawn to the changing colour of his brother's eyes. Ruby red was still the dominant colour but the amber hue caused by animal blood was becoming more and more prominent. They looked like circles of fire, so like Basileus'. "You have our fathers eyes now brother!" Aro said to him kindly. Carlisle looked over to their father with adoration.

"If you will excuse me brother, I will take my leave now, I hope you enjoy the rest of your celebrations." Aro said finally before leaving his little brother to his own devices. "El, I am going to retire, Collect Carmen from my quarters whenever you are ready." Aro told his brother. Eleazar knocked back his drink, he'd had enough too, "I'd rather come with you now if it is all the same to you brother, I've had my fill." "By all means, bring Demetri will you?" Eleazar agreed and went to fetch the boy. Aro collected Felix and instructed the guards to continue their enjoyment for as long as the wine flowed before he left.

"My love, has the party ended already?" Sulpicia asked when she heard her husband come through the door. "Not at all my queen, they will be going for many hours yet, I have no doubt!" Aro flopped down next to his wife and kissed her deeply. "I would rather be here, that is all." He said suggestively. "Children in the room!" Felix called out in playful horror at the two of them kissing. Sulpicia laughed at her boys, Demetri wore a similar expression of faux shock to his brother. "Children should be sleeping!" Aro said pointedly. Eleazar laughed at the two of them, "you led yourselves into that one boys," he teased them as he sat on the floor at Carmen's feet, nudging her for attention with his head. "You, my love, are drunk!" Carmen exclaimed as she played with his hair. "I take offense my lady! I am merely merry!" Eleazar quipped in return, though he easily sunk into the massage she offered with her hands on his neck. "We should go home now, my love." Carmen whispered into her mate's ear, seductively. Eleazar didn't need telling twice, diving to his feet and pulling Carmen up with him.

"Can we sit with you for a while?" Felix asked hopefully. Guarding Didyme had been a nightmare and knowing now that his stint was coming to an end he felt relaxed and content in a way that he hadn't felt for many months. "It is three in the morning, Felix. You two need to sleep." Demetri didn't argue, he was shattered and went headed off to reacquaint himself with his bed happily. Felix hung about in the archway to the bedchamber hall watching as Eleazar and Carmen said their 'good nights' to Aro and Sulpicia. Aro knew he was still there, _I really hope you aren_ _'_ _t planning on starting anything now Felix!_ Aro thought as he closed the tower door behind his brother.

"Felix, what happened to your face? You look swollen! Was that Antonio?" Sulpicia asked her boy, taking his attention from Aro. Felix anxiously rubbed his hand over the aching crack in his skin, sure that the bone beneath his cheek must be broken for it to hurt so much still. "No, it wasn't Antonio." He replied in a small voice. "Then who?" Sulpicia pushed further, knowing full well it was Aro. "Erm, well, it was Aro, my lady." Sulpicia walked the few paces towards her boy and cupped his swollen face with her small hands, "I think you have been rather lucky that Aro has chosen against following this up now we are home, you should go to bed before he has chance to change his mind, yes?" her voice was so soft and caring, and she made a good point. Felix agreed, taking her hand from his face he kissed it lightly before leaving for his room, a curt nod to Aro before he left.


	23. 1664, June - Troubled Felix

AN: Thank you for the reviews and the messages guys, truly appreciated! We've jumped forward a month to find out what's going on with Felix. I feel sorry for the big oaf, bless him.  
I own nothing, big thanks to Meyers for sharing nicely :)

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 **1664, June - Troubled Felix**

 _You are going to get me killed with these requests, you know. Actually killed, not metaphorically, properly dead._ Felix paced the roof top of the castle's highest keep at vampire speed whilst he berated himself. He looked to the outer walls, both the grand main gate and side 'tradesman's entrance' were visible from where he watched diligently for Didyme to return. _Diligently, something tells me if, no, WHEN Aro finds out about this he won't think me so damn diligent. Where the hell is she!_ His thoughts roared at him for being so stupid to go along with this ridiculous plan, again. None of the wives were permitted to move beyond their quarters without a guard accompanying them. It was too dangerous - they would be the ideal target for a rogue coven.

Aro had, as promised, arranged a new rota for guarding duties. Felix only had a few days left until he could give this gig over to an older newborn and he would be free of this stress forever - he had to get through the last few days first though and Didyme had really ramped up the unreasonable requests on hearing she would lose Felix soon. _Aro is going to rip my head from my body when he finds out I have been allowing this. He already suspects, I couldn_ _'_ _t be more skittish when he's around… he knows I'm up to something. Fuck. Where is she!_ As if finally answering his prayers, he saw the raven haired beauty slip through the trade gate. If you weren't aware of what to look for you would have missed the fleeting image.

Felix swore he could feel his dead heart thumping in his chest… this was the last time, he was not going to agree to this again, _yeah right,_ he told himself that every time. _Damn witch of a vampire makes it all feel like such a good idea when she asks._ _Then she leaves and takes that happy hormone with her and I'm left dripping in a venom sweat waiting for her to come back. Or for Aro to catch m_ e, the shudder from that final thought had him gag on his own pooling venom. Making his way back down to Marcus' private quarters, Felix arrived at the same time as Didyme slipped back in through the hall way window.

She ran to Felix and cupped his face gently. "Aww Felix, my favourite guard, you have no idea the happiness you bring to me by granting my simple requests." Didyme's words were delivered like morning bird song. Felix could feel her happiness lapping at the edge of his tattered psyche. "No, no, no, - do not spread any more of that happiness crap to me. We can't do this again, I am playing with fire, literally! Marcus will set me on fucking fire if anything happens to you, he was gunning for me last month thinking we were having an affair for fuck sake! And Aro! If I were the reason his little sister was captured, or worse! He will kill me Didyme, you know that right?"

Felix was tense, he released himself from Didyme's grip and started pacing again. He could feel her happiness trying to find a way into his mind and he fought it with all the mental strength he had left. He didn't want to feel happy about this, he was being reckless with her life - her life, that he was directly responsible for guarding! "Oh Felix, honey, where has my favourite guard gone! Where is your carefree mind, your jokes, your laughter, you playful spirit… Felix?" She approached him tentatively, placing a soft delicate hand on his brawny shoulder she forced her happiness into him. Felix was no match for her strength of spirit. He began to relax, the worries, very valid worries began to melt away.

"Felix," she crooned, "I wouldn't do anything to bring you sorrow, and you don't appreciate your own value. My brother loves you Felix, you are his personal guard, he wouldn't let anything happen to you. We aren't hurting anybody. I need to taste freedom for a few hours every hundred or so years… Marcus worries too much about losing me. Aro thinks losing any of us would threaten the Volturi. You, my dear Felix, are the only one in these old castle walls who allows me to just be." The broad grin on Felix's face was back, Didyme's magic had worked once again. _They used to burn witches like you_ , he thought. He didn't mean it. Felix enjoyed being with Didyme really, everyone did. She brought happiness to even the most desolate of beings. And she was so powerful! He didn't stand a chance against her and he knew it. "That was the last time, please, that had to be the last time." "Of course my dear one, of course…" Her voice floated away as she returned to her private quarters. Felix remained until he heard Marcus' voice call out for his wife and he slipped out of the door as Marcus entered.

He didn't go straight back to his own quarters, Felix needed to think! It was still light out so he decided to walk in the late afternoon sun now he was no longer restricted to the tower. He couldn't walk though, he was too pissed off with himself. He started stalking around the castle grounds brooding over his own foolishness… he could of course go to Aro and ask to be excused these last few days… _but then he would ask why, no he wouldn_ _'_ _t ask why, he would have a hand coiled around my neck reading my thoughts. But he knows his sisters trickery all too well, I could explain that… but all those times…_ Didyme and Felix had been through this countless times already. Didyme had pushed to explore the grounds unattended and then outside the heavy stone, protective wall. Her trickery saw to it that Felix happily agreed to a little further, a little longer. _Aro is going to kill me_. And so Felix battled with his thoughts, back and forth, but he couldn't come up with an answer - how the hell was he going to get out of this one? _CRASH!_

"Whoa brother!" Felix, so lost in his thoughts had walked right into Demetri who was also distracted watching his latest love interest in practice; the way she threw the other guard about in their training ground, he loved fucking newborns, they were crazy! The danger helped, it was risky, they could turn at any moment and try to rip his dead head off his shoulders… but he loved it. He knew Aro deemed his sexual exploits unacceptable but he took the chance whenever the opportunity presented itself; this one, he didn't know her name, nor care, was next on his list! "What's wrong with you Felix?" shoving him with his shoulder Demetri added, "fucking oaf!"

Felix flashed his brother a small smile before sliding down the wall to sit on the flagstones. Demetri joined him. It didn't take too much prodding for Felix to finally spill his troubled thoughts. Demetri listened to every word, and right from the first his mouth hung open in shock. He was well used to his brother's fuck-ups; Felix bored easily and his relentless attempts to inject humour into their immortal lives brought him regular scolding's, and worse! But this was big. When Felix had finished pouring out his dead heart he chanced a look at his brothers face… _horror_ , Demetri looked horrified at what Felix had told him, fearing for both his brothers actions and now, for his own knowledge of it!

Both young vampires, being part of Aro's personal, high guard answered directly to him. They were often grateful for that, except when it actually came to answering to him. Still, it was better than being under Caius. Caius' guard didn't last more than decade or so before he dismembered them, and their final demise would be precipitated with frequent loss of limb for even minor infractions. They lived in the guard hall with the rest of the guard, the only special treatment Caius guard received was being selected for mission. Generally, both Felix and Demetri would agree that they had an easier ride with Aro than they would with Caius... _but this, fucking up with guarding Aro's own sister!_ Demetri felt his last meal rising up, he could feel the burn in the back of his throat as his stomach wanted to empty itself in worry for his brother.

"He's going to kill me isn't he?" Felix said dejectedly. "So this is what has been stressing you out? What in damnation were you thinking?!" Demetri's words, though hushed, were spat at his brother. "Why did you go along with such a plan, how long have you lived in these walls Felix, what possessed you to allow her to walk unaccompanied around the grounds, let alone outside them!" Felix, all nearly six and a half foot of him, cowered. Not so much from Demetri, but from the oppressing foreboding he felt. "You don't know what she's like! The first time was just to the library and back with me following far behind. Now she goes far beyond the town and is gone for HOURS! I don't even know where she goes! I'm fucked!" Demetri ran his fingers through his hair and gripped his bronze locks tightly, "there is no way you will be able to keep this from Aro… the next time he makes contact with you all of your memories are going to come flooding through. It's amazing he hasn't seen already! Fuck Felix! And now I'm fucked too!"

It was Demetri's turn to pace now. He stalked back and forth in front of his brother, wearing a dark mark into the flagstones as he did so. Felix asked his brother, "Should I tell him?" Demetri came to a rapid halt and looked incredulously at his brother, "do you actually want to die? Is that it? Stupid prick!" Throwing himself back down beside his brother he tried to come up with a plan. He desperately searched his memories to work out a precedent for how Aro might deal with them. Felix was doing the same. Demetri had been regularly belted by Aro for his Lothario ways, that didn't seem nearly as bad as risking his sisters existence. Felix too had been belted by Aro with even more regularity than Demetri, usually for some prank or another, or more often his disrespect. Playing the fool with Didyme's safety was so far above disrespect. "He's going to kill me isn't he?" Demetri didn't answer aloud, _he's going to kill us both brother._

"Is this as bad as when I killed those humans do you think?" Felix asked, quietly. Demetri thought about it, "I'd say it is at least as bad… at least he could cover that up for us, this… if Didyme was taken, or worse… there would be no way to cover that, brother. And what about Marcus? He won't let you off even if Aro somehow did." Felix shook his head, trying to rid the thoughts of Marcus setting him on fire for risking his mates life. "Submission?" Demetri offered, as though that was the light option in the punishment stakes. Felix looked like he was going to be sick. "it has crossed my mind. I don't know if that is worse than death, or better." He sounded so dejected, understandably.

The brothers eventually came up with a plan to get themselves out of this mess. Demetri had toyed with the idea of going straight to Aro and explaining the whole fiasco, just to free himself from his brother fate. But he quickly dispelled the thoughts. He couldn't do that to Felix - his best friend, his brother. Felix had stood for him too many times against disgruntled mates of the females he took, he stood for him against Caius, and even Aro a time or two. Granted none of those times were nearly as dangerous as this, Felix had monumentally fucked up. But still, he owed his brother many times over and he wasn't going to bail on him now. Their plan was weak though, they couldn't come up with anything better than telling Aro - that was the final necessary result, on that much they agreed. Neither boy wanted to be in front of Aro when he heard their news, so they were going with the safest bet… Eleazar and Carlisle. Aro's brothers had a wonderful effect on their master. Especially Eleazar, and he had tried to talk to Felix about the obvious stress he was under. Eleazar was so calm, so passive, Aro rarely grew angry with him. With Basileus dipping in and out of Volturi live he wouldn't dare act on his anger anyway - that would not bode well for Aro the next time Basileus was in town!

They had made their decision, and both felt there was no more time to lose. They had to go to Eleazar and Carlisle now and pray for their understanding, if they were truly blessed they may even have their backing. Resolved to their fate, and with the weight of the world on their shoulders they made their way into the castle to find their vampric uncles.

There was a commotion in the castle, guards were running in the corridors towards the throne room - guards were not permitted to run through the halls of the Volterra castle - _this must be big!_ Felix thought. Caius strode through between flashing guard members, seeing Felix and Demetri standing uselessly at the ground floor door he made his way over to them. "Master," they said in unison and bowed their heads. "We have rogue vampires in the throne room. Felix go to Didyme, Demetri, Athenodora, NOW!" With that Caius turned and continued his strides towards the throne room, an evil glint in eye as he did so, _I do so enjoy dispatching unworthy vampires,_ he thought. Demetri's heart sank as he looked to his grief stricken brother. "Felix, you have to go to her," taking his leave to protect Caius' wife, Demetri added pointedly, "Do. Not. Submit. To. Her." As if walking to the hang man's noose, Felix skulked off to Marcus' private chambers.

"Felix my precious one, whatever is causing the gloom that surrounds your heart." She made to rest her hand on the young guard's chest. "Don't. Just don't." Felix pushed his back into the closed door to give himself some space from the trickery that would befall him. "Please. My lady, please! Rogue vampires have been brought into the throne room, there are likely more lying in wait on the outskirts of our castle walls. I am already at peace with whatever fate Aro deems worthy for my foolishness, please, I beg of you, don't now add to my plight." That was as respectful as he could manage, he was actually trembling at the thought of facing Aro for his stupidity, and that was whilst Didyme was safe. If anything were to happen to her, he would attempt to decapitate his own head!

Didyme looked at Felix, a shadow of his usual jovial self. What had she done to him! _What has Aro done more like?_ She thought. _He has the boy terrified! And he claims to love his high guard like children. Aro you foo_ l. She always thought her brother worried too much. Sulpicia, his own wife, and Athenodora were all too quick to fall under his spell and to believe the dangers of the 'outside'. He couldn't bring her in line so easily. Much like her happiness spell wouldn't work on him, his charm made no effect on her. It wasn't that she didn't love her brother, she did, very much, and he loved her. But she found his rules stifling. _My dear Marcus would never agree to restrict me in such a way if Aro wasn't whispering in his ear about my safety all the time. This has to end now. For Felix' sake too._ She was a highly skilled vampire and could take care of herself, she would show them all and put an end to the need for this eternal prison-state!

Felix looked broken, she played on the edge of his emotions, gently willing happiness into the shattered boy. Felix started to notice Didyme forcing her joy to him, but before he could resist she flooded his emotions, taking every unhappy or disgruntled feeling and turning it on its head. It was euphoric, he was totally spell bound. He'd never imagined such an elated state could be possible, _this is better than climaxing, I have to tell Demetri about this, finally something that could stop my foolish brother from risking his neck with those damn newborns._ He relaxed, no, he melted, _this feels better than opium!_ Laying flat out on the marble floor, Felix shut his eyes and stopped thinking, his whole body tingling in ecstasy.


	24. Losing Didyme

**Losing Didyme**

All too quickly, Felix' elation began to fade. He desperately clawed at his emotions trying to snatch back the ecstasy, pushing at the monstrous, looming sadness that threatened his happiness. His struggles lasted only moments before all of Didyme's drug had completely subsided. He was flat out on his back, soaking up the final remnants of his forced happiness when the full horror of the situation dawned on him. _Where has Didyme gone?_ _No! No no no! FUCK!_ "DIDYME!" He roared, not caring who could hear him now, the fear of being discovered now long forgotten. All that drove him forward at vampire speed through the castle was his loyalty to her, to his position - she was at risk from rogue vampires and he had to save her. He charged into the throne room just as Aro was ripping the head from the last rogue vampire they had caught skulking in the castle grounds.

Felix' interruption was noted by the entire room. He stood for a moment, looking to Aro and then the to head he casually held in his hands… _I will be next!_ He allowed the solemn thought to fleet through his mind, then ignoring the protests of the guards (and the three masters, no less!) he continued to course through the halls until he came to the heavy wooden door that marked the main entrance to the castle. "FELIX!" Aro roared after him, causing a fresh wave of nausea to pass over the boy as he threw open the doors. Daylight poured through the murky hall behind him as Felix looked out to the glistening courtyard, illuminated by tens of vampires sparkling in the sunlight. This wasn't a few rogues; this was damn near an army of the fuckers.

The guards from the throne room, and more that followed Felix charging through the hall spilled out into the castle grounds. Vampires were fighting, flashing, back and forth, it was hard to make out who was who with the shining bodies casting a heavenly glow across the ground. "FELIX!" _Demetri. My brother_. Felix thought as he searched, ripping rogue vampires to pieces as he went. There he was. Demetri was holding his own against two newborns, he went to help his brother, but then he saw her. Didyme. She was dangling precariously from the high castle wall. The fall wouldn't kill her. It wouldn't even hurt her. But the vampire holding her by that long soft raven hair threatened to rip her head from those beautiful, precious shoulders.

Aro was the first of the masters to arrive in the grounds. He saw his sister and the fate that would meet her if someone didn't intervene. Aro was an accomplished fighter, he his brothers and the two other masters liked to stay one step ahead of the guard should they ever have the need to defend themselves against them. The masters rarely fought openly so they could keep their skills hidden from everyone. But not now. Aro charged towards his sister's keeper, laying flat any vampire that crossed his path! He saw Felix making his way towards them too. Aro knew he was faster than Felix and charged on ahead.

Too late.

Aro reached the bottom of the wall just in time to catch his sister's headless body as it fell delicately through the air, sparkling in the sunlight like an angel. Scooping Didyme up into his hold, Aro clutched her to his chest and dropped to his knees. With his sister in his arms he looked around his castle court yard. He wasn't worried about the assailant who had caused his grief, Aro saw Felix running up the walls to take care of the despicable creature.

Marcus, who was defending the castle entrance looked to Aro, he saw the lifeless body of his beautiful, beloved wife in his arms. Falling back, Marcus crashed to the floor before scrambling to his knees. Vampire and guard alike were falling all around him. He didn't move. He didn't speak. Marcus watched as Aro rose to his feet. Warring guards and rogues appeared to part for the vampire king as he carried Didyme towards her husband. And then Marcus felt no more. Alec.

Alec and Jane had been sent out of their protective duty by Sulpicia and Carmen. Sully could hear the wailing vampires; she could hear the destruction to her coven. She sent out her little vampires with the hope they could restore order. Alec, as soon as he reached the castle entrance, emitted his anaesthetic fog and had it stretched out to all the castle grounds. Guard and rogue alike were disabled.

Jane pulled Aro from her brother's gift and waited for instructions. Aro, bereft, lay his sister's body on the stone steps, still shining magnificently in the sunlight. He didn't speak, he couldn't. "Master, what would you have us do?" Jane asked him nervously. An attack at the castle walls hadn't occurred in many centuries and she felt a little dumb struck. Aro tried to clear his head, he knew he had to act, but first he needed to check something, "Sulpicia? Is she safe?" he asked his princess of darkness. "Yes, of course. She is in our quarters, we didn't want to leave her but she knew we could help, my lord." Jane was perfect at slipping between their home and public face. Aro nodded, content enough for now to stay and set things straight in his coven, praying that his wife would be safe in their tower until he could return. "Alec, hold your fog, don't let it slip, but keep it low to the ground. Jane, wait on my command." He spoke quickly and then set about to retrieving his coven mates.

Locating Caius first he pulled his brother in arms free from the fog and they set out to find other members of their guard. Finding Eleazar, and then Carlisle, Aro issued his brothers quick instructions; "find Felix and Demetri but do not remove them from the fog." Alec struggled to hold onto his gift, keeping the vampires on the ground immobile whilst Aro and the others moved through it was difficult, he was a little proud of himself right now. _Conceited ass!_ Jane knew what her twin would be thinking. Caius and Aro moved from vampire to vampire, ripping the heads from anyone they didn't recognize. Aro called over to Caius, "we must leave one alive." Caius dropped the severed head he was holding and looked incredulously to Aro, "Why?!" Aro tossed another body to the middle of the courtyard, quite a pile of dead vampires was stacking up already. "So Demetri can track them back to their coven." Caius nodded curtly but he wasn't pleased - he'd rather kill them all and hunt them down the old way.

The anger was building in Aro with each head he grasped, and soon the fury inside him was coursing through his veins as he started tearing vampires to shreds - no longer content with ending the attackers, he wanted vengeance. Alec wore the strain of his gift on his face. Seeing her brother struggle, Jane called out to Aro, "Master?!" and motioned to her twin. Aro knew what Jane was saying, he could see the tension on Alec's face, it was tough though, Aro wasn't finished yet. "You will hold it Alec, you will hold until I am done with this. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" Aro bellowed back. Alec nodded vigorously, gripping his gift with new valour.

Aro's usual nonchalance was a long gone memory right now. Even when they brought down the Romanians and all of the losses they faced in those wars, very few had witnessed the coven master so visibly upset.

"Aro! Brother, over here…" Eleazar had found Demetri. Aro hurried to his brother's side and placed a hand on his errant vampire boy's head. Fishing through his thoughts, Aro gasped as he learned of the Didyme's deception, and Felix' too. He felt the rage burning him up inside but he needed to know everything before he acted. His boys were going to tell him… kind of, the drama in the throne room had waylaid their plans. Aro watched Felix through Demetri's eyes, hearing how they both believed he would kill them. He wanted to kill them.

He could feel his hand tightening on Demetri's skull. Eleazar noticed too and nudged his brother to make sure he was aware of the hold he had on the young boy - he loosened his grip, grudgingly. Demetri was terrified of him finding out that he even knew about Felix's stupidity. He also saw the latest few newborn conquests Demetri had racked up on his bedpost since his last hiding. _That will have to keep, but it will be addressed, my boy!_ With that final thought he withdrew his hand from Demetri's head and turned to Eleazar, "clear the ground here, but, please brother, stay with him." Eleazar nodded and looked at his brother with sad eyes. _At least the rage is settling a little in him._ _Whatever is going on in your head Demetri, it has calmed him a little._ Eleazar moved to dispatch some more of the rogue vampires, starting with the one that held Demetri by the throat.

Aro's emotions were sparking in every direction. He was bereft at losing his sister and raging at this army of impertinent vampires who tried to overthrow his coven… and then there was Demetri and Felix. Venom pooled in his throat and he swallowed hard.

 _Demetri was terrified of me finding out that he even knew about this._ Aro was a little disappointed, he thought they, as in, all of them had broken that barrier now. He had tried so hard to show his guard, especially his eldest two how valued they were. _But they had every intention of telling me of my sister's tricks, at least._ Aro wasn't stupid, he knew how Didyme played people. _My darling sister._ His dead heart stabbed in grief. _That stupid boy should have told me the first damn time! Why hadn't he? Why has he let things get to this point, why has he forced me into this position? "_ AHHHH!" Aro roared in rage to his own thoughts. _Didyme is dead because of Felix, my coven would question my actions if he wasn't brought to justice. Caius already thinks I_ _'_ _m too protective of my high guard and that it causes a danger to us as a coven… and now he has been proved right!_

Aro looked over to Caius who was in the throes of dispatching vampires left and right, throwing the remains into a pile ready for burning. He was truly enjoying himself. _Evil cunt,_ Aro thought. Demetri's memories had at least given him time to think. He knew what he should do with Felix, _I should rip his fucking head off, that's what I should do._ But Felix and Demetri, they were more than guards to him. They had been since he had invited them into his private chambers, those he shared with his mate when they first arrived in Volterra. _Sulpicia would never forgive me if she lost her boy. Could I forgive myself for that matter?_

"Aro, Felix is here…" Carlisle called from the top of the castle outer wall, adding darkly, "and the other one." Carlisle wasn't too sure what exactly had happened before the fight broke out. He knew who Felix held in a head lock though - the vampire that killed Didyme. Aro flashed to Carlisle taking him by surprise, _even for vampire speed that was fast!_ Carlisle thought. He made short work of pulling his sisters deadly assailant free from Felix' brutish arms. "Jane, my dear," Aro called sweetly to his princess of darkness. Jane left her brothers side and walked towards the base of the wall where Carlisle had found Felix.

"Burn him!" With that simple, dark order Aro threw the vampire into the air. Now released from Alec's fog, he started to lash out. But it was too late for him, Jane had already fixed her deadly glare on the vampire before he hit the ground. Paralyzed in the inferno Jane unleashed in his mind all he could do was scream. She held him with her gift as she dragged him back towards her twin, not wanting to be apart from Alec for any longer than necessary. Aro watched her, proud as ever of his talented girl! Carlisle watched too, though unlike Aro, Jane's gift brought him no pleasure at all. If the vampire had to die, and he agreed that he did, why not just take his head?

Carlisle didn't agree with torture even for sadistic creatures like this wretch. He looked over to Eleazar who shared a knowing look with him. He in turn looked at the boy at his feet. _Thousands of years old you may be Demetri, but I don_ _'_ _t like your chances against Aro… What have you two done this time?_ He thought sadly to himself. Carlisle thought similar about Felix. Looking to Marcus, still on his knees with a vacant expression, entirely broken, and then to Aro, fury seemed to be emitting from his pours! _May I never love someone enough to risk bringing this fate to my door!_ He thought solemnly.

Aro gripped Felix tightly around his throat. "Aro!" Carlisle tried to intervene but one look into those black, fury filled eyes had him stumbling backwards. The primal hiss he received didn't help either. The hiss startled Aro too - he wasn't sure if his primal side was trying to protect his young one, or claim the kill for his own, and it scared him.

"ARO" Caius shouted needlessly, "They are all dead, except that one." Caius gestured to the tortured being Jane still held in her grips, "and this one!" Caius lifted the struggling vampire in his grasp high by his neck so his feet barely touched the floor. Aro nodded in response. "Alec, you can release now." He called to his young guard. The exertions of his gift wore heavily on the child's face, when his fog was fully recoiled he fell in a heap to the floor beside Marcus. Marcus looked no different, still as vacant and soulless as he had been whilst anaesthetised by Alec's power.

"Caius, take Jane and that monster to the throne room." Caius still held onto one living rogue, giving him a rough shake he called back to Aro, "What about this one?" Aro looked over to Demetri, "is he close enough?" Demetri nodded once, wide eyed and terrified. _So I will live long enough for one more track, a final mission then_ _…_ he thought sadly. Aro offered a curt nod in return, never making eye contact with the boy. "Let him go Caius," the rogue couldn't quite believe his luck. He considered trying to take one or two of them down for the destruction of his comrades, but seeing the pile of decapitated bodies and ripped up remains he thought better of it and flashed from the scene.

Aro called to Jane, pointing at the murderous wretch still held in her gift he said, "Jane, do not release him until I am there." With that he turned away, just missing Jane's dramatic eye roll. Aro now looked over to his two brothers, Eleazar held on tightly to Demetri - he was ready to flee. Carlisle looked back to him with a miserable expression, confused and a little hurt. Aro didn't have time to worry about that right now. "Alec, stay with Marcus, keep him sedated." "Yes Master," the tired boy called out. He looked every bit the twelve-year-old boy right now and he struggled to pull Marcus to his feet. Some of Marcus' favoured guards came to his assistance and they all disappeared into the castle together.

The remaining guards that had survived the fight assembled before Aro, waiting on his instructions. "You should make your way into the throne room… it's going to be a long night my friends, our plans for retribution begin now!" Within moments the entire castle ground was cleared. Only Aro, his two brothers, and his two boys were left.

Carlisle couldn't help but be impressed by Aro. Even under incredible strain he could lead his coven with ease, and he didn't miss anything. You could almost see his mind ticking off each one of his coven members, one by one: are they in the right place? Are they doing their duty? Are they safe? Each one in turn. "Brother," Aro turned to Carlisle, "would you be so kind as to light that pyre, I won't relax until I see their bodies ablaze!"

Eugh… wishing he'd found Demetri instead of Felix, Carlisle made his way quickly into the castle, taking the first flaming torch he could find and made his way back into the court yard and over to the mountain of dead rogue vampires. He threw the torch high, it landed deftly in the middle of the pyre and soon enough the entire heap was ablaze. Aro visibly relaxed. He looked down to Felix. He wasn't struggling, seemingly resigned to his fate. "I submit to you Master" the quiet voice was nearly drowned out by the roaring of the flames.

Aro's grip on the boy's throat pulsated with his thoughts. He was flying through Felix's mind now, trying to get through all the guilt to the actual scenes of all his deception. He saw how his dear sister had manipulated the youth that first time. It hadn't taken much - Felix was always far too keen for disobedience, or 'fun' as he called it. The force of the thoughts that followed caught Aro off guard and he hissed at the onslaught, Felix was tearing himself to pieces mentally for being so reckless with Didyme's life, and with Aro's trust… Felix was replaying to himself every moment he had shared with Aro, he saw him as more than a coven leader, much more in fact. He dreaded his disappointment. Not because he would expel him form the guard, or even dispatch him altogether, though he knew it was certainly an option, but because he saw him as his father.

The thoughts Aro read in Felix's mind were not unlike his own when thinking of Basileus. He was shocked, much had changed in his private quarters with his guards and his wife over the last year or so but Aro hadn't realised the strength of his boy's feelings before. _This is not the time to be thinking on such things, I need information now, not feelings!_ Aro berated himself, for getting caught up with such things, he knew his time was short and if there was a way to save his guards he had to find it quickly! He pressed on. _How many times have you defied me boy? My god! This had been going on for months_ _…_ _how had no one noticed? Months!_ Felix had been ripping himself apart over this, _I quite want to rip you apart over this too!_ Aro thought in agreement with the young guard. _Today, get to today. Oh Didyme, why would you do this?_ He saw through Felix's eyes as he tried to convince Didyme to stay, he was resigned to his fate, but for own sake, _'please stay_ ' he begged her. And then she flooded him.

Aro had seen his sister do that to others, often wishing he could receive her gift to feel the euphoria for himself. His boy was incapacitated, until the feelings subsided and he saw Felix frantically charge through the castle and out to the courtyard, and of course, to the scene that awaited Aro when he arrived shortly after. He watched his sister die, again. The rage at seeing her demise, so callously in that vagrant's hands bubbled up inside him once more and he had to will his hand to release Felix' neck; he could hear the boy gurgling on his pooling venom.

Releasing his hold, Felix dropped to the ground. He was waiting for Aro to finish him off. Aro had no intentions of doing that, but he had to play this well. _Caius, even Marcus this time would expect Felix to die. I won't let that happen, over my own dead body will that happen!_ He was disconcerted by the intensity of his own feelings, his sister had lost her life - any other guard in Felix' position would be dead already, Aro knew that for a fact as he would have been the one to kill them! But no, not this guard, not his boy. Losing his sister was bad enough he wouldn't lose Felix too.

Caius had always said that Aro's bond with his high guard would be the coven's downfall. _Is this the beginning of our end?_ He had avoided usual coven discipline for his guard many times, he took them in hand himself, in private usually. Though nothing of this magnitude had ever occurred before. Felix' actions had led directly to his sister's death. And his sister was Marcus' wife. Aro knew full well what he would call for if Sulpicia had been in Didyme's place. _If you had come to me that first time this whole heart breaking fiasco could have been avoided, stupid boy!_ He thought angrily to the weeping guard at his feet.

He understood after reading the boys thoughts why he hadn't thought better of continuing with the plan. And Aro felt his own guilt for that. His boys saw him as their father, and they were certain he didn't see them as his sons. That ripped fresh hurt right through his dead heart, and with that pain came the realization that he too had played his part in his sister's demise. Only he knew what had happened, and his two boys of course. No one in his coven had his powers, he'd never even met another vampire with such a gift as his.

Basileus would know all that occurred when he returned, there was no way to hide from him. _Would he care?_ Aro wondered. Basileus was fond of Marcus but his dislike for Caius had grown to hatred as the centuries progressed. _He has protected my guard against Caius before, damn it he has protected them against me - he loves them as much as I do!_ Aro was confident that whether Basileus agreed with Aro's plans to proceed or not, he would still back him. He was his son; the humans say blood is thicker than water when it comes to protecting their own. Basileus' venom ran through Aro's veins, and Aro's flowed through Felix'. _If this truly is the beginning of the end for the Volturi coven, I will be protecting my own._ Aro thought smoothly as he formulated his plan. He was fully intent on punishing Felix, and Demetri for that matter, though it would be his way, his terms. As everything always was for Aro.


	25. Dressing Down

**Dressing Down**

Aro looked down at his pitiful boy, _Sulpicia will flay me for this_ , quashing the rise of guilt he felt at what he was about to do, he allowed his rage to bubble to the surface once more. _CRACK!_ The local Volterra's human populous looked out at the dusk sky, trying to spot the rainfall predicted by the thunder they had heard. They couldn't even see clouds! It had been a strange day in Volterra with the castle of Saint Marcus heaving with unfamiliar noises of the grotesque followed by billowing plumes of purple smoke. The town of Volterra loved Marcus. He often walked amongst them, regaling them with tales of ancient Greece and Rome and telling the stories of mythology with such gusto they would swear he had witnessed the events first hand... he had of course! They made him their patron saint and he flouted his immortality to his devoted and trusted followers.

Obviously there was no thunder, the almighty crack they heard came from Aro's open hand connecting with Felix's unsuspecting face! Confused, and slightly dazed Felix didn't resist when Aro grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and began dragging him towards the castle entry, half bent over with the position Aro held him in. "Bring him!" Aro called back over his shoulder to Eleazar who had the unfortunate job of ferrying Demetri along to meet his maker. Demetri didn't lash out at Eleazar, he wasn't dumb! But he was certainly digging his heels into the floor to resist. Eleazar, quickly grew bored of the boys display and easily threw the nervous youth over his shoulder, lugging Demetri into the castle behind Aro and Carlisle.

"What are you going to do?" Carlisle's hurried and hushed words were directed at his raging brother. Looking back to Eleazar for some instruction, all he received was a stern shake of the head, _okay, so I keep my mouth shut then. Shit this is so tense. Surely Aro won't kill these two_ _…_ _surely not?_ Carlisle wasn't as sure about these thoughts as he would have liked to be. He was fond of both those young vampires. They were actually far older than him in vampire years, but having been changed in their teens they seemed so much more youthful. Carlisle had mused with Marcus many times about the 'young' guard members and how they never seemed to grow up, stuck with irrational teenage emotions for eternity. _Marcus_. He looked hollow when Carlisle last saw him. Carlisle hoped that was merely Alec's gift rather than any permanent state that would afflict his friend. _You have always been so vibrant with life dear friend, there must be a way to help you through this tragic time._ "Where are we going?" Carlisle asked tentatively, the silence was killing him as they walked at a human pace through the large castles halls. Aro hissed. "Shut up Carlisle!" Eleazar's reply shocked him! Not since early in his new born year had Eleazar talked with such a harsh tone to him… _well, no more than a handful of times at any rate,_ he thought!

Felix had been ready to accept his fate, but that was when he expected Aro to rip his head off… _that would be quick, maybe even painless!_ He thought. And he was quite happy with the privacy he believed Aro had offered outside in the courtyard. With everyone else ordered to the throne room. The prospect of being dispatched in front of Demetri and his uncles was a relief. Felix struggled with the humiliation of public punishments. His broad smile always dropped from his face when he was witnessing Caius quite publicly discipline the guard, _it is so unnecessary,_ he felt.

Felix was glad Aro had rarely felt the need to do the same with his high guard. _But what the hell is happening now?_ Aro was dragging him towards the throne room, where everyone left alive in their coven was currently waiting for further instruction. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ Aro heard these thoughts and gave his boy a rough shake, if that didn't settle ideas of fighting Aro on this, the growl he gave him certainly did. Aro was well aware of how slowly they were moving towards the throne room; a vampire could have travelled the halls four or five laps in the time it had taken the miserable crew to reach the tall, oak doors. Aro stood before them finalizing his thoughts. Tracing the grain of the wood with his eyes trying to still the thoughts that raced - he needed to compose himself to address his guard. Caius was going to buck against him, he knew that, he also knew he was about to be face to face with the vampire who murdered his sister… he wasn't sure how he would react - Aro was always so sure of his actions so this concerned him greatly. "Follow my lead." He said sternly to the vampires in his company, giving Felix a squeeze as he spoke. With a final glace back to Eleazar, _yeah, Eleazar knows what_ _'_ _s going on, hopefully he'll keep Carlisle from fucking this up._ With one hand fixed on Felix, he used the other to shove open the heavy doors.

They didn't swing as they should, instead they flattened to the floor with an almighty thud. The few guard members on the other side had managed to save themselves from being crushed by scattering around the edges of the room. Aro surveyed the scene: first he looked to each and every member of the guard, he took his time. It appeared their loss wasn't as great as he had feared. "How many have we lost, my friends?" he called out to no one in particular. Magnus spoke up, "ten we believe, my lord." Aro smiled tightly to the man and nodded to himself. _That isn't so bad,_ he thought, _though I will have to add replacing any missing gifts to our retribution strategy._

Next he looked to the thrones - Marcus was still desolate, Alec's gift had failed him, the exertion of the day wore heavily on his face and he could no longer offer Marcus any relief. _Alec looks so tired, poor boy. I cannot release him yet, I may need his eyes for what happens in this room when I leave._ "Brother," Aro called to Marcus, "would you rather retire to your quarters? Caius and I will handle matters from here." Caius nodded to Marcus too and smiled softly with genuine sorrow showing in his eyes. "I will remain to see this through Aro, but thank you for your concern." Marcus was sincere, Aro felt for his brother in law and was amazed by his strength, _I wouldn_ _'_ _t be so strong,_ he thought.

Jane didn't look much better than Alec, though her gift was holding up. She continued her torture on Didyme's murderer. _I am proud of my young ones._ Aro managed to subdue the shudder at explaining to Sulpicia later why her two baby vampires were so exhausted.

Finally, Aro looked to Caius. He sat in his throne watching the burning vampire before him. Aro saw his features twisted into demented glee at seeing Jane's gift in full force, _he_ _'_ _s loving this the evil cunt._ "Aro, we've been waiting." Caius' sickly sweet voice brought Aro from his thoughts. "Would you like to throw those two to the guard? Or will we be disposing of them ourselves?" Caius gestured to Felix and Demetri. The guard would rip apart treacherous guard members. It's the way coven discipline worked in the Volturi and it helped keep any thought of deflecting at bay seeing the ends old guard members were subjected to. Jane and Alec both shot their heads up at Caius suggestions, Jane losing track on her gift as she did so. Horror spread across their sweet, angelic faces at the very idea.

Jane feared having to be part of her brother's demise. She would refuse, she could care less of the consequences, she would refuse! Aro noted their reactions, _you two clearly feel more for your brothers than I had realized._ This pleased him. Since reading the thoughts of Demetri and Felix in the grounds and realizing the strength of their emotions towards Sulpicia and himself, he'd hope Jane and Alec would be the same. He made a mental note to check later by reading their thoughts too. He had no need to talk with Sulpicia on this, she would be over joyed at his plans.

Tinkling laughter filled the air, now the screaming from Jane's victim had subdued it was the only sound to hear. "No Caius. These two are mine, you know that!" The lightness of Aro's tone hid nothing of the intent behind his words, _you will not touch my boys Caius._ "And having searched through their minds I know they are not to blame for this incident." Marcus' head rose slightly at this. He looked just as blank as he had when Alec's fog was over him. All emotion had been ripped out of his heart watching his beloved wife fall into Aro's arms without her beautiful head. His gift still worked though. He could still sense where loyalties lay. Caius' bonds were hardly present at all, and the fragmented bonds he did have only extended to Aro and Marcus. Of course the one to Athenodora was incredibly strong.

Aro's loyalties had changed a little though. He was still just as attached to Marcus as he had ever been. But Aro's bond with Caius - Marcus had felt it wavering form many months now, today it was all but gone. Then there was the bond he shared with his high guard - that had always been there too, Marcus had only checked a month ago on Aro's behalf to see how strongly his guard were attached to him. The strength of Aro's loyalty to the young ones had grown enormously since then. It seemed as strong for Aro as his bond with his brothers, Eleazar and Carlisle. Marcus smiled despite his broken heart. He was happy for Aro, and Marcus had seen this bond developing for a long time, centuries in fact, and always knew one day their bond would be strong enough to stand alone outside of this coven. It was happening now.

Marcus trusted Aro, he knew how much he loved Didyme, they playfully argued over who loved her more… he wouldn't allow Felix or Demetri to live if he thought they were truly responsible for her demise. He wasn't sure what Aro planned to do, the guard, and especially Caius sought retribution from within when a catastrophe such as this occurred. _Aro, my dear one, I expect you will share your intent with me when the time is right_. Surprising everyone, Marcus spoke up, "we should not be so hasty Caius; to lose such valued members of our ranks at this time would be foolish. We have already lost so much." _Thank you Marcus!_ Aro thought to his brother in law. Caius couldn't argue for the heads of Aro's boys now. Not because he was out-voted, though he was, but because Marcus was their unspoken voice of reason.

In all matters that divided Aro and Caius, Marcus would say where the axe should fall. This generally pissed Caius off. Aro with his demi-god father was the head of their leadership, which was enough to put up with, but even on undecided matters Caius couldn't win. No, that's when Marcus would decide, being deemed so much wiser than Caius for a century or so more time on this earth. That wasn't the reason though. Aro allowed Marcus to have his say, and sometimes allow it to be the final say because he respected his opinion. Marcus WAS wise. Aro, in his own mind, represented the order of the coven. Caius completed the trio, he was a vital part of it in fact - he was vengeance.

"RAAHHHH!" Caius' frustration erupted from his mouth. He flashed over to the only captive they had taken from the battle, the one that killed Didyme. Kneeling down to the terrified vampire Caius plunged his hands into the mans stomach, pulling out his bowls and watching like a child playing with sand as the blood trickled through his fingers. The assaulted vampire howled in agony as Caius set to tearing him apart, taking care not to sever his neck and end his suffering too soon. When Caius was finished he stood, covered in the vampire's blood and stepped over the twitching remains of the still living ragged mess of a man and headed for the guard.

Pacing around the room sizing them up like he was picking off a human for his kill. "Did you not hear Marcus, brother? We have lost enough!" Aro said forcefully to Caius. Now Caius turned on Aro with his murderous glare. Aro laughed back in return. Caius was no match for Aro and they both knew it. If every soul in the room had to choose between them not a single one would choose Caius! "You want my guard Caius? Try it!" Aro threw Felix to Caius' feet and motioned Eleazar to do the same with Demetri.

Apprehensively, Eleazar obliged with throwing the youth still hanging over his shoulder to join his brother. Demetri had been silent since they passed through the door way. Which was unusual for him. It was true that Felix and Demetri knew they were held in higher regard than the other guards and the way they swaggered around the halls of the castle left no one in any doubt. They were arrogant, cocky, smart mouthed, and untouchable! So being brought into the throne room carried like a stubborn toddler over his uncle's shoulder was beyond humiliating. Demetri knew this room was full of the females he had swooned into the sack… and now they are seeing him like this, _could anything be more embarrassing?_ He thought to himself. He would be mouthing off in a vain attempt to save face as he hung over Eleazar's shoulder, but his complaining when passing through the halls had earned him a good few stinging swats to the rear already and he would die, simply just die if that had been witnessed by anyone. Having remained like a good little vampire over Eleazar's shoulder, and therefore facing the wall, he hadn't seen the events unfolding, though of course he'd heard them. He wasn't surprised at being delivered to Caius' feet.

Demetri jumped into a defensive pose, ready to attack Caius - if he was going out he'd do it in style. He wouldn't have fought Aro, but he respected Aro, he loved Aro. Caius was a prick! Felix was just sitting there…"Felix, Felix! Get up!" Demetri quietly willed his brother to stand with him. Aro took a step towards his boys, "Felix, you will get up and fight him, do it now." As if being brought to life by Aro's instructions Felix leapt beside his brother, not entirely sure what was going on. _Does he really want us to fight Caius?_ Raising a questioning brow to each other the boys turned back to Aro. Ignoring his sons Aro stretched out his arms wide, "do you see Caius, they don't want to harm you either, they could attack, I have told them to, they will not do it, brother." Adding more gently, and imploring his coven mate to see sense. "They are loyal to our coven Caius, and they work for US. Let us not lose more of our skilled guard, we have lost so much already." Aro slipped in Marcus' words at the end, hoping Caius would relent. They couldn't afford to lose Caius, if they did he would have to be replaced by another, vengeful vampire. Aro didn't want the bother of that, _though_ , he considered, _if you force my hand, I will kill you._

Caius took his time. He wasn't the fool Aro took him for. He knew those two obeyed Aro and only Aro, _he must have prepped them for this on their way in here_ _…_ _it certainly took them long enough. Okay Aro, I'll play your little game. The first chance I get I will take my revenge on these two. I'm just as conniving as you are brother_ , he thought hatefully to Aro. Caius knew Aro could read these thoughts later, he simply didn't care. He never hid his thoughts from Aro. They both knew where they stood, their relationship only truly lasting this long because of their shared interest of preserving the royal vampire seat in Volterra and upholding the laws of their kind for the good of all vampires. "Alright brother, if you are sure of their allegiance, I am of course happy to submit to your greater knowledge, you having access to their minds and all."

Aro relaxed a little, Caius caught that, "but tell me, dear brother," such a sweet voice now, which usually meant the intent was anything but sweet, "if you are so sure they have no blame in today's events, why have they been HUMILIATINGLY dragged into the throne room?" Aro chanced a look at his boys, Caius was trying to get a rise out of them, hoping they would snap. With the stress of the day's events Aro doubted either of them could take much of Caius' tongue lashing. _Take it you shall boys - you will not bring down all I have built for your pride alone!_ Aro knew Caius needed this, he needed to embarrass them a bit if he wasn't going to be able to rip the cocky fuckers to pieces. He'd allow that.

Aro replied to Caius, setting him at ease, showing he was still on the same side and joining in a little with the public display, "they may not be to blame Caius, but I am far from pleased with their actions today and both shall feel my wrath" Demetri and Felix, looking every bit the embarrassed little boys Aro expected them to be, stood silently, chancing looks to random guard members around the room who were loving the turn of events.

Receiving Aro's message that it was safe for him to go ahead Caius _verbally_ ripped into the two vampires before him. He questioned their actions, their motives, he made them apologize. He made clear if they were to continue in their roles as member of the high guard they were expected to set a better example to the wider guard. Caius spoke slowly, he let each statement hang in the air, and then he would side-line them with a question… of course they had switched off and didn't answer properly! A very audibly "HISS" came from the pair as Caius backhanded them both for their insolence. _Who the fuck is he to talk about the high guard anyway, he has no say over Aro_ _'_ _s appointments, who the fuck does he think he is, jumped up little prick._ Felix's thoughts were turning more and more hateful towards Caius, the current reason for his shame.

Demetri was just as stressed, being slapped, hard, by one of the masters and in the throne room no less - mortifying! _I_ _'_ _m going to start planning my revenge on you for this as soon as I leave this hall,_ Demetri was going to take Caius down. Okay, he knew he couldn't do that, but coming up with little schemes, each more ridiculous that the last was all that was getting him through this public dressing down without launching at the evil cunts throat.

The other four 'senior' members of the Volturi all looked quite satisfied with the chastised boys. Caius hadn't finished though. Grabbing Demetri by the scruff of the neck he dragged him to the guard. They were barely containing their laughter as he was forced from the slightly bowed position to apologize to each and every remaining member in the room. The hisses of pain he involuntarily released as Caius roughly manhandled him just added to his shame. Watching his brother being humiliated, Felix turned to Aro "seriously?" he asked in a hushed voice, praying Caius wouldn't hear. Closing the gap between himself and his son, Aro whispered menacingly into Felix's ear, "you have far more to worry about than Caius, my boy." Felix winced at Aro's words and his tone. Felix realized then that this night was far from over, Aro clearly had plans for him. As Aro stepped back Athenodora, Sulpicia and Carmen entered the room - the latter two walking quickly to Marcus to check on their ailing coven mate.

Seeing his darling wife take his seat Caius stopped Demetri's forced apologies to the guard. He had someone else to focus on now. He roughly threw Demetri to the foot of the small set of stairs leading up to the thrones. Demetri could have landed properly, but that would be disrespectful. Aro was quite proud that the boy had managed to allow himself be thrown and to land so ungracefully. Demetri rose to his knees knowing exactly why Caius had thrown him at Athenodora's feet. "Anything to say Demetri?" Caius pushed the boys head to face the floor as he spoke to him. "My Lady I am sorry for abandoning you whilst on guard. I sensed lady Didyme leave the castle grounds and acted with haste, I should have secured your safety first. I am at your mercy, my lady." Demetri apologized sincerely to Caius' wife, she wasn't as vengeful as him, but her mean streak still shocked those who saw it; so at odds with the delicate flower persona delivered through her soft face and flowing hair. She smirked at her husband, and without breaking his eye contact addressed Aro, "I am sure you will be whipping these insolent whelps for their foolishness today, Aro? I know you prefer to chastise your guard as though they were still children." Caius' face glowed in delight as his dear wife, _clever girl_ , he thought to himself.

Demetri sunk even lower hearing Athenodora out adding to his shame. _Just kill me, just put me out of my misery now, dear god I didn_ _'_ _t even do anything, Felix I am going to kill you for this._ Demetri was horrified at the mounting shame he was feeling. Why was Aro doing this to him? He hadn't done anything wrong, well, not really.

"That I will Athenodora. They will be left in no doubt about who is in charge here. I dearly hope I won't have to explain who is in charge to anyone else…" Aro glance around the room to the gathered guard who all suddenly found the floor to be so interesting. That was okay with Aro, they were showing they submitted to him. He looked back to Caius and then to Athenodora. Unnerved by Aro's stern word which she knew full well were not directed at the guard, but at her, and maybe her husband, she merely waved a hand in his direction and looked away. Aro was satisfied with that. He needed Caius, for now, but she was his dead weight to carry, not Aro's, _if she wants some target practice, you can supply it yourself brother._

 _Yes! Go on Aro! Okay, so he is going to wear me out when this dress down if over, but he isn_ _'_ _t going to kill me. Reprieve._ Felix felt a glimmer of hope at Aro's words. Sulpicia had been silent since she entered the throne room. Jane and Alec had taken their places at her sides. They looked so tired, and so young. _Aro what have you done to my little ones!_ She wanted her guard and her husband back in their quarters. But she knew well to be silent in these proceedings. Aro never let anything happen accidentally - If Aro was allowing Felix and Demetri to be dragged around like rags and humiliated in this way, there would be a reason for it. _There had better be a damn good reason, I look forward to your explanations, dear husband!_

 _Who_ _'_ _s in charge! The audacity of it! Who is in charge, dear brother? These two defiant cocks, or us!_ Caius was incensed at Aro's clear warning to Athenodora, though his own arrogance meant he didn't recognize the threat was also directed at him! Caius stormed across the hall to Felix, and Aro shoved him forwards, forcefully. Caius took a fist full of Felix's dark hair,pulling sharply at the roots he dragged him to the start of the line of guards circling the room. "What do we have to say Felix?" Caius asked him as though talking to a child!

Felix couldn't take much more of this. The stress of the day, of the last few months actually were mounting in pressure on Felix' fragile psyche. Aro's last statement had given Felix enough of a boost to buck against Caius now, Aro wasn't going to kill him, he was safe – safe-ish. He kept his mouth shut, Caius pulled harder at his hair, he remained in the humiliating, bowed position, but he wasn't going to be apologizing to anyone. "Felix, you will be making your apologies to the guard," Caius voice held firm, though he was quietly worried he may have pushed the volatile boy too far, "You can either do so now and retire to your quarters to face your punishment, or you can go now and return with your well-tanned hide and make your apologies then."

Felix wanted to curl up and die. As ridiculous as Caius had made his options sound, they were truly his only options. _Fuck. We really are reaching new levels of shame today. Aro I am begging you, please step in and save the last of my tattered pride!_

Carlisle had watched dumbfounded until now. He could see the great deal of stress Felix was under, and he didn't understand Aro's behaviour at all. Carlisle stepped close to his brother and whispered into his ear, "Aro! Do something, before it's too late! Felix will attack Caius if you don't intervene," there was no reply from Aro, and Carlisle ignored Eleazar's protests and orders to 'shut his mouth', and 'fall back'. Carlisle pushed on, "Aro, for the love of god you must do something!" - Too loud. Everyone heard that. Aro's dead heart sank. Caius' torture of his boys was nearly through. Felix would likely have gone along with the apologies with a little more time, and if he hadn't, Aro would have instructed him to do so - Caius would be sated for a while and he could get the hell out of this room. But no. Now his annoying little brother who couldn't keep his opinion to himself had thrown the metaphorical spanner in the works. Aro already felt like he was firefighting in this situation, now he had to add damage limitation to his tasks too.

"Must? I must do something? Tell me Little brother, why 'must' I do anything? Particularly on your say so!" Aro had rounded on Carlisle and was accentuating his speech by jabbing his pointed finger into Carlisle's chest. Carlisle was confused about what was happening, WAS confused - now he was pissed. Eleazar seeing the emotions in Carlisle change decided to take charge, he knew well what Aro was trying to do here, he understood Aro had to allow Caius to have his relatively harmless fun with the boys if they were to stand a chance at survival after this. Demetri had risked Athenodora's safety when he left her alone to find Didyme. And Felix… Felix had clearly failed to guard Didyme altogether. These were heinous crimes. Aro was doing his level best to save the pair and it was not time for Carlisle to fuck it all up! As Carlisle made to stand up to Aro, Eleazar butted between them, "allow me, brother," he said softly as he gripped their youngest brother by the throat. Carlisle protested but Eleazar was stronger than he was, he had to submit to being unceremoniously dragged from the throne room and towards Aro's wing of the castle. _Once I am sure we will not be disturbed I will fill you in on all I know brother, but if you try to bite me again I will pull out your fangs from the roots!_ Carmen followed her mate and brother in law, hoping to find out what the hell was going on!

The conversation between the three brothers had offered Felix a reprieve, he could see how pissed Aro was, he caught his tone too; Aro wasn't coming to his rescue this time. He had to suck it up and apologize to the guard. Felix began offering his regrets and seeking the mercy of his fellow guard before Caius had to tell him to start. This pleased Caius, though it wouldn't make him handle Felix any lighter. Roughly dragging him around the circle he ensured each and every member had been apologized to, he even allowed them to laugh a little at the bruin's unfortunate predicament. It was only Antonio and his small band that found any humour in the situation though, the rest of the guards believed the whole ordeal entirely unnecessary and were firmly on the lads' side in this.

Once complete he shoved Felix to Aro's feet and made to walk back to his wife, Caius was finished now, he'd played long enough. A quiet, but unmistakable 'evil cunt!' was heard by all in the room. Spinning on his heel, fury refreshed, Caius was ready to start again! "That's what he thinks of us Aro, this ingrate, this whelp, he should be begging for our mercy!" Caius roared. Frankly Aro wanted to join him. Felix, his petulant son, sat at his feet without a shred of regret. "Aro we need to do something about his attitude, IF we are to keep him that is? Defiance like this will corrupt the entire guard if allowed to seep in, we must act Aro!" Caius seemed genuinely worried about their guard and the effect Felix seemingly go unpunished would have… Aro wasn't born yesterday, he knew Caius wanted to see the boy suffer, but still, he wasn't wrong about defiance destroying his coven. "Demetri!" Aro calling his name startled him. He dared a look over his should as he responded "yes, master?" "Fetch the bull whip."

Demetri rose silently, though he was sure he felt his stomach hit the floor as he did so. The thought of that whip made him sick. The idea that Aro was going to whip Felix in this room, so publicly, was awful. Caius' eyes danced playfully around the guard, he wanted them all watching this - for their own good, and for his own pleasure. A small faction of the guards were delighted. Antonio, Afton, their mates and the handful of hangers on had started nudging each other and whispering their glee. They would have happily paid good money to see that cock of the walk brought down a peg or two and now they were getting the show for free! Aro stood watching them. One by one they realised they were being watched by the vampire king, they caught the thunderous look on his face and quickly brought themselves under control again, fearing for their own hides now.

Aro looked sadly to his wife, she was shooting daggers back at him, "my queen." Aro said apologetically as he bowed his head. She knew he wanted her to take her leave and though she felt torn looking at the sorry state of her eldest guard, she relented. Sulpicia stood and took the hands of Jane and Alec and led them away from the thrones and out of the room towards their quarters.

Demetri returned quickly, far too quickly for Felix' liking, _thanks brother!_ Handing the implement over to Aro with his eyes downcast submissively, Demetri was trembling. Aro nearly called an end to the whole thing, _I could take down Caius, most of the guard would follow me and destroy Antonio's band - we could start again. Here, or somewhere else. It wouldn't matter. Basileus would make it right. Basileus_. Aro thought about his father gloomily _. I know he has plans, he would be furious if I ruined them – whatever they are. He has said so many times over the last year to keep Caius on side. He would blow his top if I fucked things up now, especially if I am fucking things up because I didn't have a proper handle on my own two lads. Damn it!_ Aro was backed into a corner and he didn't like it. Demetri was still shaking in front of him. Aro took his hand kindly and pulled him in closely. "You are to go to our quarters and wait for me there, understood?" he asked his boy quietly. "Yes master," came Demetri's small reply. And with that he left to follow Sulpicia.

Felix had seen his brother shaking and was envious of how Aro tried to ease his discomfort… there would be no easing his own, he knew that. Before he had any more time to process what was to come, Aro pulled Felix to his feet by his large, left bicep. Pushing him further into the centre of the room, Aro addressed the guard, "my friends, I am sure you understand insolence is not tolerated in the Volturi coven, but we, your faithful leaders," Aro gestured to Caius and Marcus with his free hand, "we understand that sometimes mistakes will be made. Our friend Felix here has made MANY mistakes this day," he let that hang in the air a short while, he could feel Felix trying to pull away in a broiling mixture of shame and trepidation. _Alas dear boy, you have forced my hand, and now you will pay your price._ "I feel it only fair to show you all what Felix shall receive for his crimes, and I will allow you to decide if you believe my method harsh enough, or not." _Fuck fuck fuck fuck_ _…_ _why did I say that to Caius, not worth it, totally not worth it, not worth it in the slightest!_

Afton and Antonio had already decided that whatever Aro did to Felix, it wouldn't be enough. They caught Caius' eye as he winked at them, he was hoping they would do their duty by him and call for harsher terms – they knew their preferred master well.

Aro held the whip in his right hand, with a flip of his wrist he had caught the stray end of the bull whip and gripped it tight. He'd no intentions of using the fearsome thing as a long whip, instead, folded in this way he could wield the implement as he would a belt, or a strap. Tightening his hold on Felix' bicep, which was tight enough already had you asked Felix, he spun the young guard so he was backed up to the guard and began his assault. Vampire strength strikes laid out across the bruins back, shoulders, backside and thighs. Felix hissed and gasped with each one that landed, feeling the bite of the doubled over bull whip lashed over and over again. Aro kept up the speed and intensity for a minute or so and then released his hold over his son, who promptly dropped to the floor and desperately tried to rub the biting sting from his skin - all shame forgotten, for now. "Is that it?!" Caius asked incredulously. "Certainly not brother, but I intend to deliver the full punishment in my private quarters, Felix, get up!"

Felix tried to bring himself under control before he stood, wincing and grimacing he wiped the stray tears from his cheeks but more took their place. Aro wasn't pleased already and being ignored when he had told the boy to stand pissed him off. Releasing the tail end of the whip he brought the implement down again, it bit a stinging strip across Felix' back and wrapped around his body to his chest. Felix gasped, he wanted to scream but the sound caught in his throat. "Now get up!" Aro ordered darkly. Felix scrambled to his feet this time, keeping his face covered with his hand across his eyes as his breath hitched audibly, and embarrassingly.

Caius wasn't happy with this at all. "Forgive me brother, but this hardly seems a fitting punishment for the treachery he has displayed!" Walking over to Caius, whip still in hand, Aro asked his brother to hold out his hand. Caius smiled, assuming Aro was going to give him the whip so he could deal with Felix himself, he eagerly thrust his hand forward. Without warning, Aro laid a thunderous crack on his brother's hand with his whip. "Ahh!" the strike had caught Caius completely off guard, and he couldn't help his reaction to the slash of fire that burned in his palm! Caius looked ready to launch himself at his brother in arms, but Aro closed the gap before he had chance. Pulling his brother in close Aro spoke quietly to him, "I will whip this brazen brat until his clothes fall away in tatters, and I will bring those rags to you. You have my word brother." Aro told Caius solemnly.

Caius looked down at his hand, a swollen line where Aro had landed his whip was already visible and his skin was discoloured. Biting his lip, Caius closed his hand tightly into a fist, testing the effect. He quickly opened it back up and shook his hand, trying to rid himself of the pain. Caius was finally satisfied. His hand was blazing in pain, _if that is what Aro intends to do to the boy, I think I_ _'_ _d rather have my arm taken off for a few days,_ Caius thought to himself. He nodded to Aro and squeezed his shoulder gently to offer his support. Athenodora stood from her seat and Caius joined her so they could walk out together. Marcus' few favoured guard were still with him, they helped the master to his feet and left for Marcus' quarters. Aro bid him good night and promised him they would talk tomorrow. Marcus seemed content with that. The remaining guards looked lost. Aro threw out some orders for his surviving twenty members, mainly patrolling the high walls and guarding all entrances, he assured them all they were safe in his coven and that they would work out new strategies tomorrow, for now he had to deal with his own guard.


	26. Paying the Price

Paying the Price

The pain was staggering. Sickening even. Felix did his level best to stand still whilst Aro dealt with loose ends in the throne room. Antonio and his merry men had been ordered to clean up the tattered remains of the rogue who killed Didyme – Felix should have been laughing his ass off seeing his arch enemy on clean up duty. Instead he was dancing from foot to foot wiling himself not to rub at the stings from Aro's whip. "Master, I feel really sick." He knew he should keep quiet, but he could feel the venom pooling in his mouth and blood bubbling up in his throat. Aro rolled his threw a disgusted look to his boy. _Okay, so you don't care, I get that. But I still feel sick,_ "Master…" Felix couldn't say anything else, his last feed had only been a day ago and now that whole human body worth of blood he had taken down so hungrily came back up! Clutching both hands to his mouth the congealed crimson liquid spurted between the gaps in his fingers and splashed to the floor – a few drops hitting Aro's sleeve!

Aro shot his eyes to his boy, and then slowly to his own clothing splattered with blood. Antonio couldn't contain his laughter, though his band managed to keep their mouths shut, thinking Antonio must have a death wish to be laughing at Aro. "You can clean this up." Aro directed at the foolish bruin who looked back in revulsion. Aro stared his boy's adversary down, daring him to resist. Antonio saw sense and his laughter soon ceased - suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore. "Of course, master." He replied respectfully. He left to find the cleaning equipment whilst coming up with new plans for tormenting Felix for the humiliation of having to clean up after the little prick.

Felix chanced a look at Aro, he wanted to apologize but was scared to open his mouth again in case anything else came out. _Is he smirking at me! Aro! You bastard! You did this to me and now you mock me! Fuck this hurts. Surely Aro didn't mean what he had said to Caius,_ _'_ _I will whip this insolent whelp until his clothes fall away in tatters'._ The words rebounded around his head. _I can't take that! I won't make it through that! Perhaps Sully will intervene, Sulpicia please talk him out of this plan, please._

As the last of the guards scattered to their posts Aro turned to his boy. "Start moving!" Aro's tone was harsh and cold. Not like it had been to the guards he'd just instructed, or to Caius, or Demetri when he had him leave. "Now!" Aro slapped him hard across the back of the head. Felix sprang into action, at half speed he walked up the marbled steps and passed the three thrones, leaving the hall. They made their way to the far wing of the castle towards Basileus' family tower. Aro pushed Felix up the stairs, nudging him along the whole way until they reached the door to their abode. The thickness of the walls and doors in this castle made for excellent sound proofing, so Felix could relax a little knowing only those close would witness the rest of his punishment, still, even that horrified him. "Quit stalling, boy, you're crimes are great enough as it is!" Aro growled out to Felix as he shoved his son through the door so forcefully he landed on the floor. Felix hissed in pain where his already bruised body made contact with the marbled tiles.

"Carlisle and Eleazar are below us, Aro, I told them you would speak to them once you were through with here. Would you like me to leave, my love?" Sulpicia's loyal, heavenly voice was tonic for the leaders stressed senses. Ignoring the four scared vampire children in the room with them, he took his wife's hand and pulled her close until she bounced playfully off his strong chest. He planted a single delicate kiss on her rich brown hair and breathed in her sent, allowing it to fill him up from the inside and relaxing in her hold. "My brothers will wait, and I want you under the same roof as me, stay here, I will deal with our young vampires in their room." Aro spoke so casually now that one could be forgiven for doubting the seriousness of the day.

Felix, ever hopeful, wondered if a reprieve may come after all. Demetri, brooding as ever knew all too well it wouldn't! "Okay my love, I will draw a bath for Alec, poor boy is exhausted!" she lightly punched into her husband's ribs, "what did you do to my baby vampires Aro?" He faked pain at her punches and looked hurt, he knew this would come, but sheesh, _kick a man while he_ _'_ _s down sweet heart!_ "They performed well today, you would have been proud, my queen. Thank you for sending them out when you did, our losses would have been far greater had they not arrived. Though yes, Alec certainly over exerted himself" Aro said as he took in the boy's hunched stance and greying skin tone. Alec looked disgusted at his words! _Over exerted myself, Ha!_ "Hmm, I think maybe you didn't give the boy a choice Aro, you need to remember they are children, my love." Jane was grinning and swinging her legs back and forth from where she sat in the love seat. She looked such an innocent, beautiful little girl right. _Who would believe the pain you could inflict if you so wished_ , thought Aro.

Sulpicia reached up to kiss Aro passionately, they held their embrace, and just as Aro was forgetting where they were and who was watching, she pulled away… "later, my love" She said as she removed his wondering hands looking sheepish. Aro smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Sulpicia left him there as she collected Jane and Alec and headed to the bathroom.

 _So she gets him all riled up and then leaves us to his mercy, great, just great._ Demetri's thoughts were full of self-pity, he did well to keep his thoughts in his head; Aro didn't approve of self-pity. Allowing the whip uncoil in his hand, Aro swished it gently from side to side following its movements and getting a feel for it under his influence. _Crack!_ Aro whipped the implement through the air and was pleased greatly by the noise it made, and the look of horror on his miscreants faces! "Right my boys, now to deal with you…"

…

Aro wearily dragged his aching hand across his face. His whole arm felt bruised from the hiding he'd given his sons. He smiled at that, not the whipping he'd given them, and especially not the reason it was due, but _his sons_. He let the words play in his thoughts, they brought him comfort. It had been a very long night and he'd just left Felix, broken and shaking, and no doubt in agony, for his wife to tend to. He was making his way down to speak to his brothers to explain himself and his actions… and maybe to tell Carlisle off a little too if Eleazar hadn't already done so.

Knocking gently on the door to middle floor suite, Aro waited for a response. Eleazar opened the door, "Come in brother, we have been waiting for you." The sadness in Eleazar's eyes was not disguised by the forced cheery tone he employed. _Poor bastard looks exhausted_ , thought Eleazar as he closed the door behind him. "May I go to Sully, Aro?" Carmen asked, sounding desperate. He would usually be far more polite but he was emotionally spent and could offer the kind woman no more than a simple nod. Carmen flew from the room, shoving the door closed on her way out and went straight to Aro's suite to help her sister in law in whatever way she could.

Carlisle's thoughts were similar to Eleazar's when Aro entered the room. "Aro, I am so sorry, please forgive my earlier intrusions. Had I realized what was going on I…." "So Eleazar has explained, yes?" Aro interrupted. Carlisle looked shyly to the floor, Eleazar had delivered a verbal tongue lashing their father would be proud of! "Yes, I should have realized you were ensuring their safety, I should have seen that you were not the danger in the room… But I just don't understand why you don't finish Caius and allow everyone to be happy. Aro you have the power, and you have the backing! Aro?"

 _Not again Carlisle, I have been through this with you already!_ Before Eleazar's thoughts could continue on, Aro was in Carlisle's face, squaring up to his little brother - his words were delivered as menacingly as intended. "Of course you wouldn't understand, how could you understand? You are barely passed your newborn year. We have all lived through many millennia already! We know how our world works, we know the dangers of vampire kind, even to itself! I cannot rule all of vampire society alone Carlisle! Marcus is wise, Caius… Caius offers vengeance. Vampires are a highly emotive race and our rage is as passionate as our love, vengeance is sought out and it is expected to be meted out - Caius offers that to all vampires. I offer order, control, I AM THE LAW as far as vampires are concerned. We three know Basileus and the involvement he has had in our kind, but there are very few other vampires that do. He is a myth to them, just another fantastical fairy tale. The. Law. Starts. And. Ends. With. ME!"

Carlisle hadn't dared move through Aro's verbal tirade, he held still while Aro jabbed into his shoulder with each of those final words. He understood now. What Aro had said was very similar to Eleazar earlier when the two of them were alone with Carmen, but Carlisle was still hot headed then. He was still struggling to keep his temper in check even though he was officially out of his newborn year. Aro said it was down to his insistence that he feed from animals now he no longer needed human blood like in that first horrible year. Eleazar was doing the same and he seemed fine, Carmen too for that matter. Though El was much older than Carlisle, and Carmen was a woman...

Feeling his middle brothers rage slowly dissipating, Carlisle decided to apologize and move things along, both he and Eleazar were keen to find out exactly what Aro saw in Felix and Demetri's thoughts. "Aro, I'm sorry. I truly respect what you do… " "Well don't. I don't want to do it anymore!" Aro cut his brother off with his quite response, Eleazar and Carlisle were shocked! "Don't want to do it anymore? Is that even an option? What has Basileus said to this, Aro?" Eleazar threw out the questions as soon as they entered his mind!

Aro flopped into the corner chair, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. A thousand thoughts flew through his head about what the hell was going on with his life! Eleazar moved over to stand beside him, and Carlisle took a seat on the rug at his feet. Aro poured open his heart as he talked of his sister, his dear Didyme. His brother listened intently, offering encouragement as he spoke. Aro explained to them everything he saw in Demetri's mind, and then in Felix'. How they both viewed him and their set up here in their quarters - their castle within a castle. He told them he had only just finished picking through Jane and Alec's minds also, who feel the same.

Aro shared that not one of them see him as their coven leader, this wasn't a shock to either of his brothers. Eleazar had spoken to Aro about this already. Aro told him he'd been right, all four saw him as their father. It was there worry of a father's disappointment and punishment that had kept Felix from talking to him the first time Didyme tricked him.

Aro told them of his grief, not for just losing his sister, but for being responsible for her death too. Carlisle and Eleazar tried with their words to show Aro it wasn't his fault, he had no blame, as he had no way of knowing. But their words fell on deaf ears. His guilt was as bound to his heart as his love for her had been. And then he moved to more sombre themes, if there was such a thing. He told them that the wailing they could here through the ceiling above was that of his eldest son who he had just whipped into a bloody, venomous mess, until his clothes fell in rags from his body. Just as he'd promised Caius. He told them it broke his heart over again to do it, but that by doing so he had saved high guard, his family from Caius' retribution. Felix would heal, and knowing Felix as he did, he would hold no malice towards his father figure, but the pain he'd caused the boy burned Aro's insides as though Jane was setting him ablaze.

Carlisle had flashes of the good pastor whipping his human self and using a similar line - this was for his own good, saving him from himself, setting him free of the devil… in this case Caius was the devil alright, but he wasn't sure whether Aro was the pastor or not. Though, Basileus had spent most of the last twelve months strapping his hide for one thing or another and he held no ill will towards the man, he loved him in fact, and could see that Basileus' love for him too was genuine… hoping Aro is more like Basileus than the pastor he set his thoughts aside for now, they would do good voiced at this time.

Sulpicia had not been happy with Aro's handling of her vampire children, he told them. That was why he was here now in their quarters, "she attacked me, and when I wouldn't fight back, she pushed me out the door!" He whined to his brothers. "You didn't fight back?" Eleazar questioned with a knowing eye on his brother. "Well, not properly!" Aro answered, he sounded like a child. All three laughed lightly at his tone, quite desperate for some relief from the tension. They fell into a comfortable silence thinking over recent events. Aro played over in his mind the damn good hiding he'd just delivered to his young vampire boys.

"Right my boys, now to deal with you…" Demetri sat rigidly in his seat, Felix, who was still on the floor started to push himself backwards, not daring to take his eyes off either Aro, or the whip in his hand. Aro walked right through the middle of them and made straight for their shared bedchamber. "Come." He called darkly as he passed by.

Neither willing to anger the formidable vampire further, they both hurried to their feet and through the arched hall way and into their bed chamber, crashing into each other at the doorway as they did so. It was a large room, a bed for each of them against opposite walls, with a closet each nearby and drawers flanking either side of their beds. Simple, but comfortable, and everything they needed. In the centre of the wall facing the door way was a fire place where a few logs burned pleasantly away. Aro was already standing over the fire place, leaning on the wooden surround and watching the fire crackle. It reminded him of the blazing bodies in his castle grounds comprised of the rogue, unlawful vampires.

Looking back at his boys lingering in the door way he wondered whether to forget the whole thing and lie to Caius. But if he was caught out, it would add fuel to Caius' insistence that his bond with them was a danger to coven security… he couldn't risk that. And he knew he would have to parade Felix and Demetri around Caius' quarters after he'd belted them anyway for Caius' wrath to be put at ease. _Should I talk to them about their thoughts? Should I tell them I know how they feel about me? No, it_ _'_ _s not the right time, I need to check Alec and Jane first, and talk with Sulpicia…_ _she's going to kill me for this_ , he thought sadly.

With neither one coming into the room, the pair just stuck in the door way together, Aro moved towards them to take charge. Felix assumed he would be first, but no, Aro grabbed Demetri by his right hand and guided him over to his bed. He readied the folded whip in his swing arm and with his left hand, pushed Demetri's head into the bed clothes, face first. He didn't wait, he didn't talk, there was no warm up, before Demetri had realized what was going Aro started his onslaught. Most of the vicious strikes caught Demetri's upper legs and ass, a few errant swings landed on the top of his back. Demetri reacted the same way to them all though, he was screaming into the bed sheets, arms and legs flailing around behind him; as Aro had tight hold of him by his head he was getting nowhere, fast.

 _Why muffle his cries?_ Felix thought. _Hahaha, you pussy, you_ _'_ _re scared Sulpicia will hear this! Hahaha! Brilliant._ Aro happened to look over at Felix as the youthful grin appeared on his face. Raging at the boy's complacency he released Demetri and ordered Felix to spread himself across his own bed. All good feelings gone now, Felix was terrified. Unneeded breathes hitched in his throat and stray venom tears rolled down his cheeks. Aro hadn't started yet and he was crying… _for the love of god what is wrong with me._ Appalled at his own weakness, Felix mentally berated himself as he listened to Aro talk with Demetri.

Aro sat next to Demetri and pulled the boy up so his full body could rest easily on the double bed. The kid was choking on his own venom, trying to catch his breaths between coughing and spluttering, he was a mess. He didn't seem to notice Aro's presence. _You_ _'_ _re always so dramatic, I hardly whipped you at all for god sake._ Aro decided to be useful to the boy and started to remove his clothes. Demetri was wearing his light guard uniform, as they all had been. Aro removed his tunic and draped it on the chest of drawers. With the boys protest at any movement increasing Aro decided to cover him with a blanket instead.

"Do you know why I did that Demetri?" he asked the boy, gripping his chin sternly as he did so. "Yes master" Demetri's automatic reply. _Hmm, that won't do,_ Aro thought. "You know not to that word inside these walls." His boy nodded, though a little confused. "I whipped you because of your defiance. Not because of what Felix had done, your own defiance. Do you understand? You left Athenodora on your watch without being ordered to. I don't disagree that you had to, you did the right thing in my mind. But Caius has every right to call for your head for leaving her. You know that, yes?" Demetri nodded again. He understood.

Aro smiled softly, "and I know about the newborns you have been playing with!" Demetri's eyes widened in shock at this little revelation, _yes, that's right, I know everything you defiant little sod!_ Aro thought to himself. "I've punished you because if I didn't I would have to turn you over to Caius for his own retribution when he finds out you have been fucking half his newborn trainees. I may not be willing to rip off your head, but I will whip you until you see the error of your ways," he gave the boys chin a pinch to show he expected a response, "I-I-und-understand-Mas, erm, Aro?" Aro smiled at his response. Though looking at the broken boy he wondered how Felix was going to fair, he hoped his clothes tore quickly!

Rising from Demetri's bed, Aro crossed the room to an outstretched Felix and sat near his head. "Aro, I am so sorry" "Quiet! It is time for you to listen Felix. I have read your thoughts already boy, I know how long this has been going on, I know how often you played fast and loose with MY sister's life. I bared witness to your blatant disrespect, and you forced my hand in the throne room - having to punish you in such public manner is not something I take lightly, as you well know. I have been forced into this position now, or risk losing you. I will not risk losing you Felix - any of you." Felix had nodded along miserably to Aro's words, now there was a gap he wanted to show his understanding, "I understand our gifts are precious…" "YOU DAMN FOOL!" Aro roared at his charge.

Rising he went to the foot of Felix' bed. Uncoiling the whip in his hand he looked disgusted with his whole right arm, as though it wasn't his own. Bringing the whip up high, Aro shared his final thoughts with his son, "I will not risk losing any of you Felix, not your gifts, you are worth far more to me than your damn gifts. You are mine, my children, I would protect you all with my life." Demetri and Felix heard the words they had been imaging for many years, the Felix-trademark beaming smile was back plastered across his face.

And then came the whistle, and then the bite, and then the smile turned to grimace, and his face became stricken, contorting in agony. Felix screamed in pain, Aro roared in fury - fury at his son's recklessness, and fury at being forced into this hateful position. He held to the hope, perhaps the hope beyond hope that after this night he could begin to forge new relationships with these two boys, one that was honest in word and deed about what the meant to each other. Of course, Felix had to make it through this biting whip first…


	27. Should Have Seen It Coming

**Should Have Seen It Coming**

Sulpicia looked in on her baby vampires. The twins were now settled in their bed chamber sleeping. She closed their door and went out onto the terrace to join Carmen. "Felix is still sobbing." Carmen said sadly. Sulpicia looked back miserably, they could both hear his moaning and crying. Her dead heart twisted with his suffering.

"Is this how Aro usually punishes them?" Carmen asked, still in shock at the state Felix had been left in. She'd seen Aro slap them, even belt the older two once or twice but the whipping he'd delivered to Felix was outrageous in her mind. Sulpicia wiped at her eyes, tears kept coming no matter how hard she tried to contain them. "no, never like this, ever. It's almost as bad as what Caius would have done!" Sulpicia was still angry at her husband for the pain he had caused her eldest boy.

"Aro has punished them all many times over the centuries we have had them, though Jane has never felt more than his hand." Sulpicia told her sister in law with fresh tears spilling over her eyes. "Has he whipped Alec then!" Carmen almost accused. Sulpicia shook her head, brown curls dancing as she did so, "no, he has belted him once or twice but nothing more than that. Alec really pushed Aro for him to it too." Carmen hadn't even know the family for a year yet but she couldn't imagine anything either of the twins could do that would force Aro to belt one of them. "But Alec is an angel!" she said with a little more force than necessary.

Sulpicia laughed. "Yes, he usually is. But he's still a child - he has his moments." Sulpicia continued her laughter, "he was bloody brave the first time, thinking about it." "What happened?" Carmen asked, intrigued to for details of what really goes on in these quarters beyond prying eyes. "Oh it was years ago, Alec had been antagonising Jane all morning and I'd warned him off plenty of times. I'd swotted him myself, twice! In the end I sent him to his room to wait on Aro's return. I should say, I very very rarely tell Aro when they have been trouble for me so he knew he'd crossed a line already. Anyway, Alec must have been working himself up waiting for Aro and as soon as he opened the door Alec sent out his fog!" Carmen's mouth hung open at the idea of Aro being so powerless. Sulpicia continued, "Thank the heavens Felix was home to drag Aro out of the fog… and then to drag him back from killing Alec!" Both ladies fell burst into delighted giggle with Sully's memories.

"So Alec got away with it?" Carmen asked hopefully. Sulpicia shook her head. "No, me and Aro argued about how he should punish him for hours, in the end Aro won. Neither Jane nor Alec are allowed to use their gifts unless instructed, or for defence of course. Aro was incensed that Alec would turn his gift on him and said he needed a good hiding to make sure he never did so again. To be fair, once Aro was through with his strapping, Alec never dared try that one again!" Carmen bit her lip, "poor boy!" but she agreed with Aro's reasoning.

"Aro has always been much firmer with Felix and Demetri." Sulpicia said darkly. She and Aro often came to blows over his handling of her eldest boys. "Eleazar says the pair of them cause the most trouble around here." Carmen said tentatively, unsure how Sulpicia would take the statement. "Oh they do!" She returned easily, to Carmen's relief. "But they are still my babies and I don't like them being hurt… even if they do deserve it." She added coyly. "Besides, they are trapped as teenagers forever so they aren't always accountable for their actions in my eyes - their screwed up teen emotions are to blame! That doesn't really wash with Aro." Carmen scoffed, "I can imagine it doesn't!"

Sulpicia looked over to her sister in law who seemed to agree with Aro. "What do you mean?" she asked. Carmen realised she had over played her hand and caused offence. "My lady, I am sorry, I have said more than I should, I have no right to talk about such things really, forgive me." Carmen was genuine, she didn't want to offend Sully. "No, please, go on, it would be good to hear someone else's perspective, please." Sulpicia meant it, she wanted to hear what Carmen had to say. "Well, it's just that, I can see where Aro is coming from sometimes. I have said as much to Eleazar – he agrees with you by the way!" Carmen chanced a look to Sulpicia to see if she should proceed, Sully seemed interested more than offended now so she continued, "they want to be treated like adults with the rest of the guard, but they want special treatment to excuse them from the boring parts of guard life and expect perks for being Aro's chosen guards. But when things go wrong they want to hide behind your skirt tails."

Sulpicia sat back in her chair digesting Carmen's words. _Is Carmen right?_ She wondered, thinking back to the great many times Felix and Demetri had ran to her for protection from Aro, and all the strife it had caused between the two of them. "It's true, that's exactly how they act. How have I not realised this before?" Carmen was pleased Sulpicia had taken her words so well. "I really didn't want to speak out of turn, Sully. They do seem to expect the best of all worlds, that's all." Sulpicia nodded slowly, blaming herself. Carmen caught onto her thoughts, "It isn't your fault Sully, Aro is as much to blame. He sets them above every other guard here and then expects them to behave just like the other guards… that is never going to work!" _You're spot on with that too, dear sister._ Sulpicia thought to herself.

"Aro has always preferred to deal with them in private to save their face in front of the guard – to protect their status. That doesn't stop him from issuing a strong slap here and there outside these quarters, but they have to really over step the mark for such a thing to happen… and they pay for it when they come home." Sulpicia spoke freely with Carmen, it was so nice to not have to lie, or pretend. She could be honest with Carmen and she really needed someone to talk with to get this whole mess straight in her head. "Has Caius ever got his hands on them?" Carmen asked.

Sulpicia took the decanter from the small table between them and refreshed both glasses of wine. "He has, once or twice. Aro said he didn't have a choice over the matter, Basileus told him it must happen." She passed Carmen her glass and sipped from her own. "Felix had caused some drama or something along with a group of other guards that led to them failing on a mission with Caius. Their recklessness had cost the lives of a few other guards and Caius was furious. He had the whole group whipped in the throne room as punishment. I still say he was harder on Felix than the others. But he's been saved from the same fate so many times that Aro said he had it coming really." Carmen winced as she took a gulp of wine to steady herself. She could only imagine what it would feel like to be whipped in such a way. "In front of the whole coven, how humiliating! And by Caius no less." Sulpicia looked to her with sad eyes, "I was standing with Didyme watching the whole thing - it was awful. But, their foolishness had cost other guards their lives, I would rather he was whipped, than dead." Carmen gulped down another glug of wine. "I suppose that was Aro's thinking this time, wasn't it?" she said timidly.

Sulpicia smiled to herself, realising how silly she had been to question Aro's motives, _of course that was Aro's thinking this time. Damn it, I hate it when he is right! And now I have to back down. Damn, damn, damn!_ "I'm still not sure what Demetri did so wrong. I know he left Athenodora to chase Didyme, but surely that was the right thing to do?" Carmen interjected, pulling Sulpicia from her thoughts. "I believe it was, but I have no doubt Caius would call for the boy's head for putting his mate at risk. There must be something else too though, Aro wouldn't have been that hard on him for Caius' sensibilities alone. "Did he not tell you? You were talking with him for an hour whilst I was with the twins." Carmen probed. "No, he told me, with a little coaxing, all the events we'd missed while safe inside this tower… he told me of poor Didyme's demise and what Felix had done… he conveniently left out any part he had played. I am sure Aro will tell me later."

"I just can't believe how long all this has been going on for. Since he started guarding Didyme she has been leaving him in her suite whilst she went for a stroll! It's just unimaginable!" Carmen was still genuinely surprised at the two of them. "That's what Demetri told me, since his second guard duty she has been doing this to him. No wonder the boy has been so stressed. I knew something was really troubling him, I should have done something!" Carmen placed a hand on top of Sulpicia's, "there is nothing you could have done, my lady," she said soothingly.

Sulpicia thought back over the last few months and how many times she had worried about their eldest boy, _he's been so stressed, I had wondered if we_ _'_ _d lost our jovial Felix altogether, of course now I understand the reason for his irritability. I thought he was just angry with Aro for punishing him in front of Eleazar and Carmen after he'd teased Jane._ From that day she had noted how moody and dark Felix had become, she thought he was angry with Aro and how harshly he'd punished his disrespect. Aro had mentioned that Felix was avoiding him and that he assumed the boy was embarrassed because he was punished in front of Aro's brother and his mate.

That didn't make sense to Sulpicia, that had happened before and Felix had recovered quickly, he wasn't one to hold a grudge. Now it all made sense of course. _How dare you do that to him, Didyme, you would know he couldn_ _'_ _t resist against your gift. You put him in an impossible position._ Sulpicia felt a flash of anger with her lost sister, but it soon dissipated as she thought of her terrible fate - so callously ripped apart outside their castle home. _Why didn't you come to me Felix, I could have helped you avoid this pain, I could have prevented Didyme_ _'_ _s recklessness… no I couldn't, nobody could stop Didyme doing anything, I loved that about you dear Didyme, I loved you._ Sulpicia had formed a strong bond with Didyme. They'd been coven mates for many years and with their husband's efforts to keep them safe they had little other company. _This prison. That's what Didyme called this place. She had such spirit, being trapped in these walls is what killed her, it wasn_ _'_ _t my boy's foolishness - it was this half-life we live… in this prison._


	28. Caius

**Caius**

"She slapped you! She actually slapped you!" Carlisle was clearly amused hearing Sulpicia's response to Aro's abuse of her boys. She was such a gentle creature in his mind. Now there was a few hours' distance, and a couple of solid walls between them Aro could see the funny side too. "What did you do?" Eleazar's knowing question needed no answer from Aro. Aro had no doubt slapped her back, and harder too. In Aro's mind if she could give it out he would return it. Eleazar knew how Aro was with Sulpicia. He didn't exactly disagree with his brothers reasoning, though he wasn't completely comfortable with it either. Aro held out his hands defensively to his elder brother. "Come on El!" "Hmm" Eleazar replied in a stern fashion, very much the impression of their father. Catching on to each other's mood, the light laughter danced around the room.

Aro soon started to brood again. He needed to present Felix and Demetri to Caius, and he needed to do it soon. He had already been down here a good few hours. _Will Sulpicia be ready to let me back in yet?_ He wasn't too sure but seeing morning light breaking outside Eleazar's window, it was time to try. He asked Carlisle to stay with his wife in their quarters whilst Eleazar accompanied him with the two errant vampires to pay a quick visit to Caius. All agreed so they made their way upstairs.

Sulpicia opened the door, she'd heard them coming. As soon as Aro was visible she threw herself into his arms, the passion that flowed between their gaze was almost tangible. They didn't need words. Aro kissed his wife deeply, enjoying having his woman on side once more. "How are they?" he asked tentatively? "Alec and Jane are still sleeping. Demetri and Felix, well they haven't been able to rest, they are waiting for you. They don't believe me that everything will be alright. It will be, my love? Yes?" Sulpicia's words dripped with hope.

"Of course my queen, they need only do me one more task before we can lock these doors for few days and recuperate together." Aro's words soothed Sulpicia's tattered nerves. She knew Caius would expect to see proof that her boys were suitably punished. She smiled at her husband and clutched his hand to her cheek so he would read her thoughts. _'May we talk privately when you return my love?_ ' Aro nodded and smiled gently. Releasing himself from their embrace he went to check on his guard.

Opening the door to the twin's chamber he saw they were still sleeping, _oh how I envy your ability to sleep little ones!_ Leaving them to their rest he closed the door and crossed the hall to retrieve Felix and Demetri. The boys had sensed their master enter the living quarters and were nervously waiting on him. Sulpicia had tried in vain to placate their worries. They wanted to believe her, but they knew Aro, and more importantly right now they knew Caius! Though they felt properly punished and certainly repentant, they didn't think Caius would agree… he would rather have their heads after all!

When Aro opened their door he was presented with a sad sight. _My high guard, feared throughout vampire kind for their gifts and warrior prowess - two are napping like toddlers and two sat before me sobbing… like toddlers! Sulpicia's always saying these two aren't much more mature than the twins. Looking at them now I'm wondering if she's right. They are all the same to Caius, they are 'guards' and that's it. He doesn't care if some were barely out of childhood before they were turned. He thinks I show too much leniency to the younger ones._

Looking first at Demetri and then Felix, he surveyed the damage. Both were standing, just - Felix seemed to need the support of his bed post. Their eyes were fixed fast to the floor. _They look a mess; I couldn't be any harsher without killing them for Christ sake! But then, that is what you want isn't it Caius._ Aro couldn't understand Caius' issue with his high guard, _is it jealousy? He could do the same, we have enough newborns coming through this place to select a few and train them up. He doesn't want the hassle of keeping his own guard so thinks I should dispatch mine, so it's what? Fair? Felix is right he is an evil cunt._ Stealing himself now for what he must do, willing his boys through his mind to understand and obey for this final necessity. _Don't force my hand again today, please!_

"Can you walk?" he directed his question to Felix with his voice betraying none of the emotion Aro felt at the moment. _Demetri can walk,_ Aro decided, he hadn't been nearly as hard on his younger boy though the lad's theatrics would say differently. Felix replied that he could, with his voice still hitching as he desperately tried to compose himself. "Then follow me, and bring that." Aro pointed to the crumpled heap of rags on the floor. Those rags of course were the tattered remains of Felix' clothing. With that Aro left the doorway knowing they would follow. Demetri moved first to pick up his brothers 'rags'. He felt like his backside was on fire again! He looked sadly to Felix; how the guy was standing was beyond him, and he had to admit to himself - he was pretty impressed with his big brother right now.

In a very quiet voice, once he was sure Aro had return to the main living quarters he spoke to Felix, "hey, did you see Aro just then, he looked, well, he looked sad… Sully might be right?" "Yeah I saw, it's not Aro I'm worried about brother, we've got to see Caius now… oh fuck this hurts." Felix had managed to get the doorway, but it burned, if he didn't know better he would swear Jane was using her gift on him right now. _How the hell am I going to make it through the halls!_ He thought to himself, genuinely not believing he could! Demetri was at his side and Felix leaned into him for support.

They made it into the main room where Aro, his brothers, Carmen and Sulpicia were waiting for them. "For god sake Aro!" Eleazar was shocked at the state of the boys, particularly Felix. Shooting his brother a disgusted look he went to Felix' other side to help Demetri to support him. Though Aro's face remained impassive, his heart ached. He felt like such a bastard right now. Carlisle looked just as pissed with him. _My brothers love those boys. Damn it so do I!_ Eleazar had spoken to him a few weeks ago about his relationship with his guard. He hadn't really listened at the time, but now he was starting to believe it. His bond with them had changed, or evolved as Eleazar put it. He knew in Sulpicia's thoughts, and no doubt her heart - she loved these boys too. Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind for now he decided he would have to work this out later.

"They will have time to recover later, I want this finished with Caius, now." Aro announced. "You can't even look me in the eye brother, I will enjoy you explaining this to Basileus!" Eleazar was rarely so outspoken, but he was honestly shocked at the state of his nephews. That's what they were in his eyes, and his displeasure increased at every hiss each movement elicited from Felix. "I'm sure you will brother." Aro was done with this now. He would have never have gone so far with Felix' whipping if he didn't know it was needed… _Caius wanted them dead, if they weren't 'broken' he would be calling for their heads still,_ he rationalised. Aro walked over to his boys, he crouched down a little and carefully moved Felix over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. "I can carry you through the halls, but you must walk into Caius," he said quietly. Felix heard, he understood. "Shall we go onto the terrace my ladies?" Carlisle spoke softly to his sisters in law. Too fraught with emotion to answer, Sulpicia took the hand he offered and Carmen followed as they left the room. "Come brother, you can berate me to your hearts content later." "Oh I will!" Eleazar returned as he and Demetri followed Aro out of their quarters and to Caius' side of the castle.

Aro moved so swiftly, it was as though he floated above the ground. Felix was glad of that right now, it meant he didn't suffer the extra pain the slight jolts from usual footsteps would cause. All too quickly they reached the more public spaces of the castle. All four listened carefully as they moved through the halls for the sound of approaching guards. Felix hadn't realized what was going on at first as Aro put him down, _we_ _'_ _re nowhere near Caius' quarters yet? Oh fuck, ahhh, fuck._ The pain from being put down took over Felix's thoughts. Aro pushed him gently into the wall, he could see tears in his boys eyes and wanting to save face for him tried to cover him as best as he could. He placed his right hand above Felix's left shoulder and held him in place with his left hand on his chest.

Felix did his best to contain the whimpers hiding behind his lips. As the two low ranking guards passed them Aro leaned into Felix' face and offered him hurried whispers to get through this torture, "they have nearly passed, hold it together, I'm going to deal with Caius, you must trust me…" "Master Aro" the two said in union, Aro nodded once, but didn't look their way. Eleazar saw how interested they were in the scene though. So did Demetri who glared at them as they walked by. "Master Eleazar," the duo chorused again, whilst smirking at Demetri. The rumbling growl in Demetri's chest should have made the two low guards step back - that's what usually would happen.

Not this time. The guards smirk increased and laughter threatened to release from their mouths. Aro knew what was happening, and he wasn't having his boy's status threatened by any of the guards, let alone the low rankers. Eleazar had placed his arm in front of Demetri, expecting the boy to attack at their disrespect. "Let him go brother" Aro said smoothly, "they clearly believe they are a match for Demetri, I for one would like to see them try!" Their pale vampire faces turned grey as they ran from potential destruction. Eleazar removed his restraining arm and Demetri flew forwards but the pain from his hiding slowed him down. He'd hardly made it a few meters before deciding the chaffing wasn't worth it! He came limping back to see Felix standing now. They all continued to walk at a very slow human pace to the sound of Felix' hisses.

They were surprised to see Caius' door open as they approached. "Caius, will you receive us?" Aro called out as they waited by the open entrance. Caius arrived at the doorway in moments. "Aro, I thought you would have called on me sooner than this I have to say, do come in." Aro ignored hid co-leader's tone and guided Felix inside, Eleazar and Demetri followed. "Well brother, have they been suitably chastised?" He looked the errant vampires up and down and a sadistic smile spread across his face. Aro took the crumpled up rags from Eleazar and threw them to Caius' feet, "here, judge for yourself!" Crouching to retrieve the blood soaked mess, Caius looked up at Aro from his place on the floor, "are they his?" he gestured to Felix. Aro confirmed with a short, sharp nod. "And you think my methods cruel, brother!" Caius was happy, _evil cunt_ \- the thoughts of Aro, Eleazar and the two boys were in harmony.

"Are you satisfied dear Caius," Aro's trademark calm tone hid the tension he was feeling perfectly well. Anyone witnessing this scene would truly believe Aro was bored and emotionally unattached. "Well, yes, but.." Caius voice trailed off as he walked over to Felix. "What do you have to say for yourself you petulant fool, you have lost a lady of our coven, your masters sister no less. Who's to say what this loss will do to our dear Marcus…" Slapping Felix' back a couple of times as he spoke. Felix did all he could to remain composed, but he was on fire and he couldn't prevent his hisses or the fresh tears that spilled from his eyes. Caius lifted his hand from the boys back and felt the dampness from the boy's blood soaked tunic. "Take that off Felix, I want to see." Caius took a seat and waited for 'the show'. Felix looked panicked, he turned to Aro who gestured for him to continue! _No no no I can't, don't make me do this please…_ he implored Aro with his eyes to see sense on this.

"Caius leave him alone. I have better things to do that join in on your sick fantasies, you can see they have been punished – that is the end of it!" It wasn't Aro that spoke, it was Eleazar. "Who are you to address me in such an insolent fashion?" Caius had flashed forward to Eleazar and was literally spitting his outraged words in his face. Eleazar wasn't fazed. "I am the eldest son of our almighty creator you damn fool," he walked into Caius threateningly, pushing him back, "you will do well to remember your place here, and you should certainly mind yourself in MY presence!" With a final shove Caius was back in his seat. Demetri and Felix were watching, small smiles dancing on their faces for the first time in too many hours. "Erm, Aro, you let him talk for you now brother?" Caius was unnerved, but he was desperate to save face. "People will question your position Aro. Brother?"

Pulling himself together Aro approached Caius and leaned down low so their eyes were level, "he is my brother Caius, and no one around here has EVER questioned MY position… you would do well to remember that, dear Caius." With that he stood and made for the door, "come!" he called to his boys. Eleazar remained standing over Caius, daring him to reply. "Brother, you were right, we have much to do, let us leave now." Aro called to Eleazar, with a final glare he turned on his heal and followed his nephews. "Aro, Aro, what about Demetri, he left my wife alone, she could have been…" "that will never happen again, Caius, fear not. For you will never use my guard again. I suggest you select your wife's guard from the wider pool." Caius looked shocked. Aro gestured to his boys, "These are mine! The twins, are mine! To make it clear for you - this coven is mine!" Not waiting for a reply, Aro left Caius' quarters and slammed the door behind him. Taking an unnecessary breath to steady himself he could sense the many guards who milled around in the dark corridors, listening to events unrolling. Standing tall, deciding to pay no attention to them for now he took Felix in his hold, trusting Eleazar to do the same with Demetri and flashed back to their family tower.

Aro didn't stop until they were inside and Eleazar had closed the door behind them. Felix released a roar of pain now they were in their private space and safe to do so. No sooner than Aro had set him on his feet, Felix promptly collapsed to the floor. The twins were woken with his noise and flashed to the main living room. Both stood shocked at the state of their brothers. Demetri was clinging onto Eleazar still, though he was at least allowing himself to be led to his bed chamber. Felix looked dead. He was lying on the marble floor not daring to move. When Carlisle and the ladies returned to the room, Aro could see his wife's tears hadn't relented in the time he was gone.

"Carlisle, brother, help me move him." Carlisle looked like he wanted to kill his brother, not help him. But for Felix' sake he assisted with carrying the boy and arranged him on the bed opposite Demetri. Eleazar had settled his charge so he came to see Felix now. Pushing Aro roughly out of the way he took his place next to the boy. Felix was flat on his front. Eleazar ripped the tunic the boys from his back, attempting to disturb him as little as possible. Aro stood back, he was a little scared of his big brother right now - he seemed very much like their father at that moment. Which reminded Aro, _I've got to face Basileus yet, fuck, what else was I supposed to do though?_

As much as he feared his father's rebuke he wished the man would return to help him, he was floundering, and he knew it. Exposing Felix's wounds to fresh air seemed to bring temporary relief. _What the hell have you done to him Aro you bastard!_ Eleazar was appalled at the boy's weak state. "He needs to feed" were the only words Eleazar dared to allow himself to speak. Eleazar rose from the bed and walked to the twins who were hanging around nervously in the door way, he took their hands and looked into their frightened eyes. "We need to fetch Felix some blood, I need to you to find me as many vials, bottles, containers as you can and then we will go to the forest, can you do that?" Both nodded and darted from the room.

Aro walked to his brother's side and tried to touch him, he wanted to read his thoughts. Aro wasn't accustomed to being in the dark, and the cold shoulder Eleazar was giving him unnerved him. Realizing what Aro was trying to do Eleazar pushed him off roughly. Rounding on his little brother he punched him square in the face! Grabbing at his broken nose, Aro fell back in shock! Eleazar closed the space and knelt at Aro's side. Taking his little brother hand roughly, he brought it to his cheek. "Go ahead!" Eleazar ground out through gritted teeth. Aro saw flashes of his brother's thoughts, he saw the dejected state of his boys through Eleazar's eyes, he heard that Eleazar had half a mind to whip his brother into the same state but had decided to leave him to the fate of their father instead. Dropping his hand, Eleazar looked at Aro's face, "that nose is definitely broken," he said darkly, "what was it you said brother, ah, that's it - you will have time to recover later!" With that he left to retrieve the twins and find Felix some blood.

Carlisle sat with Felix, he used the bowl of water Sulpicia had brought him to wipe down his nephew's wounds, picking out the debris of clothing that were starting to heal themselves into the boy's skin. Felix didn't fight him off. Though it hurt, Carlisle was so gentle and worked quickly to clean up the broken boy. "Aro, you should speak with Sully, you have much to talk about." Carlisle spoke softly to his brother, he was glad Eleazar was taking the hard line, it wasn't Eleazar's natural position but it suited Carlisle even less.

Aro looked at the damage done to Felix', he had criss-cross slits covering his back and Aro knew they continued down to his thighs. "Will you take care of him brother?" Aro felt like he didn't have the right to even ask that. "Of course Aro, he will recover." Carlisle offered his brother a small smile, which Aro returned - neither ones reached their eyes. Aro approached Demetri and saw him flinch at his presence. That stung - though of course he couldn't blame the boy. "Rest, alright?" Demetri responded by settling into the bed sheets and closing his eyes. He continued to listen to his brother's soft whimpers as he, through sheer exhaustion, drifted into the trance of young vampire sleep.

Sulpicia had returned to the terrace, it was often where she went to think, or just to breathe! She rarely entered the grounds of the castle, and her terrace was as 'outside'' as she could get. She was starting to question this prison just as Didyme had. She didn't have the spirit Didyme did though, and there were some very obvious differences between the way Marcus related to his wife and how Aro related to her. Marcus was a kind hearted being, even without Didyme's gift of happiness Marcus was a joyful character. ' _Prison', that's what she called this place, 'we are captive for the crime of loving who we love'…_ Sulpicia questioned whether she agreed; she had always been so quick to dismiss Didyme when she talked of such things. But now as she clung to the terrace wall, she hardly dared to lean over to far for fear of what lurked in the dark castle grounds. Aro had told her she wasn't safe outside these walls and that was that. She no longer cared whether it was safe or not, she couldn't live like this anymore. Hearing more quiet sobs coming from Felix she wanted to take her vampire children and leave this place. She rarely spoke out against Aro but this conversation had been coming for a long time.


	29. Realisations

**Realisations**

"My queen?" Aro's soft voice called to his wife. He sounded so unsure of himself, as though he were asking permission to approach.

"My love." Sulpicia returned hazily, though she didn't release her gaze on the woodland that surrounded the town of Volterra. She had followed Eleazar as he led her little vampires and Carmen through the streets, losing them as they entered the covering of the trees.

Aro came up behind her and held her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head. "What are you looking at, my queen?"

Sulpicia sighed deeply, steeling herself for this. "The twins."

She released herself from Aro's grasp and took a seat at the small table. Aro took the seat opposite her.

"How is it those two tiny vampires are so safe outside these walls, yet I am in so much danger?"

Aro was unused to Sulpicia questioning him, but he knew where this was coming from, he had anticipated its coming much sooner in their years at this castle, truth be known.

"Their gifts protect them, you know they are safe. Look what happened to my sister, Sulpicia. I couldn't bear to lose you. Even the idea that your beautiful life could end... " Aro couldn't finish his thoughts. It was far too awful to envisage.

"I don't have a beautiful life, Aro. I am a prisoner here, as much as Didyme was. We both know why she is no longer with us." Sulpicia brought her husband's hand to her cheek so he could read the thoughts she was too upset to speak. She showed Aro all the conversations she'd had with Didyme, conversations where his sister was desperate for freedom, how she had broken down feeling trapped in this place, and how, in a bid to escape this prison, she was willing to do anything. "Felix is not to blame for your sister's death, Aro," she said softly, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

Aro released her cheek and sunk into his chair.

"I know that."

"Then why would you punish him so harshly!?"

"Sulpicia, I have already told you why. I had no choice!"

Aro was annoyed. Not at her - at everything! He left his seat and started pacing. "God damn it!" He punched a hole into the terrace wall, scattering sections of the rock into the castle grounds beneath. Within moments guard were assembled beneath their high keep. "Continue with patrol", he called down to them. They scattered at the sound of Aro's voice.

"Caius has been taunting me for years about our high guards' protected status. If I didn't punish them, he would have made sure he did. I know him. He would wait as long as it took, but he would seek retribution, eventually."

"So you whipped them to near death to what? To save them from Caius whipping them to near death? Aro, can you hear how little sense that makes!"

"For a start, I hardly whipped Demetri at all. Secondly, Caius would hurt them more than I, my queen." Aro spoke darkly, thinking of the methods Caius employed to keep the general guard in line. "And he would do more than punish them ... he would shatter their reputations. They are feared members of this coven, their reputation keeps them safe inside these walls. You must understand this, Sully. I was protecting them. They were punished for their insolence ... and to protect their status."

"Then perhaps you should be punishing yourself, too, dear husband. You created this prison, and that's why Didyme is dead!" Sulpicia clapped her hand across her mouth, her outspokenness had surprised even herself!

Aro didn't react the way she had imagined, though. Rather than his temper flaring, he slid down the wall and hung his head low. "I agree with you. I am torturing myself already... and Basileus should return in a few days…" He let that hang there, for they both understood what his father's return would mean for Aro. To save her husband shame she didn't add comment to his words.

Fast movement at the tree line caught her eye. The twins, Carmen and Eleazar were returning.

"They are just children, Aro. That's what they are to me. You can call them what you'd like ... high guard, prized vampires, whatever. They are my children, and I love them, Aro." Sulpicia had never been so frank about the four young vampires that shared their quarters.

Aro had always known she was fond of them, that's partly why he brought them into their quarters in the first place. She lit up around them and they relaxed around her.

"I know you feel the same, Aro, I know you do. You don't care about the other guards - you may use their skills, and you may value their gifts, but you don't CARE about them like you care about these four."

Aro thought more on that. It was true, he couldn't defend his actions anymore, and he didn't want to, either.

"I do love them, Sulpicia. Very much. They... they... well, they are mine."

Sulpicia went to her husband and cupped his face, "No, my love, they are ours. Our children. We ARE a family"

For the first time since Basileus started pushing Aro to concede to these human terms, he didn't resist. He played the words over in his head. They meant something now.

"Yes, my queen." he said in agreement.

Eleazar returned with Carmen, Jane, and Alec, all of them clutching large fabric bags filled with bottles containing blood. The whole household assembled in the boys' bed chamber and started to hand out the blood.

"How many did you kill, brother?" Aro was surprised at the quantity they had obtained.

"Just two... stags"

"Animal blood! That's no use! He needs to feed properly! What good will stag blood do him, El?!" Aro wrinkled his broken nose at the idea before the shoot of pain from the fractured appendage made him desist.

"Well, we're doing okay on it, brother." Eleazar gestured to Carmen and to their younger brother.

Since the end of his newborn year, only a few short weeks ago, Carlisle had maintained a diet solely of animal blood. Eleazar had been off humans for months and months already... and Carmen had never tasted anything else. Rumours around the castle had spread about the change in the brothers; their eyes were almost honey coloured now, the red fading. No one had assumed it was a change in their diet, instead the most popular theory, which annoyed Aro to no end, was that the brothers where becoming more god-like... like Basileus. He dined on animals as much as he dined on humans and had a similar eye colouring at times. Of course, this would mean that Aro's ruby reds were less god-like... and he didn't like that. Luckily, the bond between father and son was strong and Basileus made sure to show how very much like him Aro really was whenever they were around the guard. Doing so defended Aro's position as the 'king' of the Volturi, which was paramount in Basileus' eyes.

"Urghhh, fine." Aro took the largest bottle from his brother and joined Carlisle on Felix's bed. "You've done a good job with him brother, thank you," Aro offered, sincerely, to Carlisle.

Whilst Aro and Sulpicia had been talking, Carlisle had tended the boy's wounds from head to toe. Now that Felix was properly cleaned and bandaged, the healing process should be much quicker.

Carlisle just nodded in response and took the bottle from Aro. Taking a sip, he returned the bottle. "You should try it brother, it's not so bad!"

Aro brought the bottle to his lips but the smell put him off. "It smells like pig swill!"

Carmen and Eleazar laughed at him and downed a bottle each. Sulpicia did the same and was pleasantly surprised, "It doesn't taste as bad as it smells, my love. Try it."

Alec took his sack of blood to Demetri who was propping himself up in his bed. "I'm not drinking animal blood! That's disgusting!" He turned away, seemingly repulsed at the very idea.

"You will drink it and you will do so now!" Sulpicia sounded every bit like the mother she felt.

Looking embarrassed at the public rebuke, Demetri snatched the bottle Alec offered him, "Have you tried it?" he asked his young brother.

"Yes, its fine! More fun to catch than humans, too!" he added with a cheeky grin.

Demetri downed his bottle quickly, expecting to bring it straight back up... but he didn't, "It's... well, it's blood!" Demetri wore a dopey grin, happy with being served his meal in bed now that it tasted so good.

"How hard did you hit his head, Aro?" Eleazar laughed at the lad's statement.

"Not hard enough!" replied Aro, joining in with the laughter.

Jane took her bag over to her oldest brother. She often found humour in the scrapes Felix got himself into. He was such a prankster, but he was always getting caught! Things were different this time, though. She always felt safe with Felix, he was so big, so strong, and seeing him weak and dependent like this disturbed her.

"Hey little witch." he called out softly as she approached.

"Big oaf!" she replied with a smile. Bringing the bottle she handed him up to his mouth, he took the blood down in big, thirsty gulps.

"Give him some more, Jane." Aro said, as he finally tried his own bottle.

"Well?" asked Carlisle, eagerly.

Aro didn't quite know what to say, "It's... well, its blood!"

A roar of laughter released the tension in the room.

"Like father like son, eh!" Eleazar quipped as he clapped his brother's shoulder.

As the light laughter continued, Aro smiled over to Demetri, who to his relief, returned his smile. Eleazar looked knowingly at Aro who simply nodded, finally at peace with the new dynamics in his coven.


	30. Facing Basileus

Facing Basileus

"Carlisle will you stop pacing! You are driving me crazy." Aro called over to his brother. "If you wear a hole in that rug I won't defend you against Sulpicia!" he added with a smile.

"You know he's due home today right?" Carlisle asked, taking no relief with Aro's quip.

"Yes, brother, I know! I don't understand why you are so worried about it, it is I who will be facing him!"

Carlisle sat next to his brother. How Aro remained so calm was beyond him. "I'm sorry brother, it's just, well, are you going to speak with him about changing things here..." then, with the quietest voice he could manage, he added "…about disbanding the Volturi?"

Aro thought quietly. Was he going to tell his father he wanted out? Was such a thing even possible? He knew well how fraught the vampire world was still. Since the introduction of the Volturi, outbreaks were largely well managed, humans had almost 'forgotten' about vampire existence (which was one of the original main objectives), but still, coven uprisings were a regular occurrence. Rogue vampires were still bringing anarchy to the doors of Volterra. _No, now is not the time to disband_.

"No brother, I will not have to tell him anything - he will read my memories... I can't hide anything in there." He tapped his head, knowingly.

"What about in here Aro?" Carlisle placed his hand on Aro's dead heart.

Aro looked at his brother's hand. Could Basileus sense what truly lay behind there? He privately hoped so. It had been a few days since he admitted his feelings to Sulpicia and in that time he had spoken with each of his high guard, no, his children, that things would be changing. What shocked Aro most when talking to them was that all of them, even Felix, showed no resistance. They welcomed the idea of leaving this place. Though Aro had made certain they understood it would be an 'eventual' move, that the Volturi wasn't strong enough to run without him, and they would be subjecting themselves to a life on the run if they left without an overseeing body governing order in their world. He wouldn't risk that. They understood his reasons.

The only resistance Felix and Demetri showed was when Aro apologized for his chaotic handling of them. Guards one minute, princes the next, men sometimes, children others. He told them he would try to treat them as the privileged children they really were. Tempers flared then. They looked more like children than they ever had when he'd told them that. Still, he remained firm with them. They were 16 and 14 when they were turned. They were boys... they are boys. And that's how he intended to treat them from now on. Aro smiled at the memory as they complained that they were men... whilst pouting. _Hm_ _mm..._ _men indeed_.

Looking back to his brother's hand still placed on his chest, he spoke again, "Basileus will understand, I am sure of that. He has wanted this for a long time. The Volturi cannot disband, not yet, but perhaps he will find a way to move things forward from here." With that, Aro rose from his seat. "We should head to the throne room, brother, for he will be here soon and we should be ready to receive him."

They called out for Eleazar to join them and, leaving Carmen and Sulpicia behind, he returned from the terrace. The three left together.

The brothers had only just made it to the throne room when the doors burst open.

"WHAT THE HELL HAS BEEN GOING ON HERE?!" Basileus roared, shaking the very foundations of the building! Aro nonchalantly took his seat between a bereft Marcus and a smirking Caius. "I read through three guard's heads on my way in here," he came to a stop before Aro, "and I am not pleased!" he finished darkly.

Aro's mind was racing, but his face, somehow remained impassive. The throne room was deathly quiet. Even the impotent lower guard knew not to move in Basileus' presence.

"Well!"

Aro shrugged. He truly didn't know what to say.

"I can offer you an explanation, my lord." Caius crooned, evilly. "We were attacked by a rogue coven, we only lost a few lower guards in the fighting, but alas, poor Marcus suffered a great loss. We lost a lady of the castle. Poor Didyme was outside the castle walls when we were attacked, her personal guard nowhere to be seen."

Caius, you prize prick! If you honestly think he's going to side with you on this one you are a bigger fool than I thought! Aro's thoughts were dark towards his coven mate. Basileus caught them and looked at Aro curiously.

Moving over to Marcus, Basileus offered him his apologies and sympathies, Marcus returned a broken smile and looked away.

"My old friend, what can I do to help you?" he spoke gently to the heartbroken man before him.

Marcus took his hand, signaling Basileus to read his thoughts. Basileus didn't need contact like Aro, but the act did make the process easie. He watched Didyme's demise through her husband's eyes and he watched the scene in the throne room where Aro and Caius were vying for control. He saw as Marcus used his gift to sense the broken bond between Aro and Caius and how much stronger Aro's bond was with two of his own favourite guards - Felix and Demetri. _Okay, things are starting to make sense_ , Basileus thought, though he didn't allow these thoughts to chance his face, he didn't know enough yet to know how to react. "I seldom speak on matters of the heart, for it does little good, but I know the pain of a heart breaking and I wouldn't wish it on any poor soul. Anything you need Marcus, anything, you know where to come." Marcus raised a small smile to the creator's words, though his eyes remained semi-glazed and hollow.

"So Caius, who was the guard? Or have they been dealt with already?" He aimed that second part at Aro, though Caius scoffed at the idea.

"Felix has been dealt with, my lord, and Demetri... he left Athenodora when he sensed Didyme had left the castle walls." Eleazar replied on Aro's behalf, stepping forward from behind Aro's throne to do so.

Basileus was shocked. Looking around the room at the rest of the guards, none of whom could meet his eye, he read a few of their thoughts. Some were embarrassed for the two boys. He saw flashes of Caius dragging them around the room. Others were a little more pleased by the events, particularly seeing Aro whipping Felix here in the throne room! Glancing at Aro, who seemed frozen by his presence, Basileus knew he would need to talk to his son in private, and he wanted to do so soon!

Felix and Demetri stood at the bottom of the steps to the thrones where they, too, had their eyes fast to the floor, though Felix couldn't seem to stay still. Basileus addressed them directly, "You two, here." He pointed to the floor at his feet. Demetri moved easily enough prompting Basileus to wonder if he'd been punished at all! Felix struggled. He woodenly made his way to their almighty creator, fear and pain clear on his face. Aro what have you done to him! "When did this happen?" He addressed Aro now, and stared him down. You'd better start talking!

As if hearing his thoughts, Aro replied, "3 days ago, my lord."

Basileus simply nodded in response. "Well" he directed to the young vampires.

"We apologize for our failings, my lord. We can assure you we will never repeat the mistakes we made."

"Does Demetri speak for you now, Felix? You would do well to answer me boy!"

"Sor, sorry my lord. I, I, we, I mean, HISSS" Basileus roughly shook Felix. There was an audible gasp around the watching guard to the fearsome Felix hissing at a mere shake. Those who had been wondering how their fellow guard member survived after allowing the death of a lady of the castle were now wondering if Caius had managed to get his hands on Felix and flay him … like he did with failed newborns! Basileus raised a questioning eyebrow at Aro.

"They have been punished suitably, my lord." Aro replied to the unspoken question.

"I can see." Basileus responded. Caius scoffed again.

"Dear Caius do you have an issue with your throat?" Basileus flashed to Caius' throne and took him by the neck.

Basileus was a fearsome creature, they all knew that, and he was big. At near seven foot, he stood head and shoulders above most men, even vampire men. He was broad and muscular, truly a son of Zeus. His gifts, his strength, his power – all unmatchable in the vampire world. And now this terrifying creature had his powerful hand around Caius' neck!

Squeezing gently as he spoke, "You seem to lack the respect you expect from others Caius. I suggest if you want your wife guarded in future you find your own guards to do your bidding. When you take my son's high guard you put him at risk... and surely you would not want to put my son at risk. He is your leader, after all... "

Basileus allowed those final words to be spoken loud and clear; he wanted the guard to hear and remember who was in charge around here.

"Well?" he shook Caius' neck as if he were nothing more than a rag doll.

"Of course, my lord."

Basileus released his throat and re-joined Felix and Demetri, putting an arm around each of their shoulders.

Caius' polite reply was delivered with vengeance. He was livid at the humiliation of it all. That wretch, Demetri, failed in his duties! He left my wife in danger, and all to protect that stupid oaf whose insolence caused Didyme's death and now I am to blame for using the guard as they were intended in the first place! Unbelievable! How am I supposed to rule the damn guard if they see me treated this way! I will have their heads if it kills me!

"It will kill you!" Basileus answered Caius' thoughts while every other vampire in the room looked on confused. Caius had forgotten himself - in Basileus' presence nothing was private. He cringed and slunk into his throne, realizing all his thoughts were being monitored.

Demetri and Felix were relieved. With Basileus' strong, protective arms around them they felt safe. He may want to speak more to them later about the events he'd missed, but they were confident now that's all it would be, talking. Aro had told them as much already, but they had seen Basileus tear apart far too many vampires in this room to be confident of Aro's assurances.

"Jeez the tension in this room." Basileus looked around with a beaming smile. The guard perked up at this as everyone took their lead from Basileus.

Caius still looked vexed, but Basileus knew how to get him back on side. "Caius can you take hold of things in here whilst I talk with my sons?"

"Of course my lord," Caius sat straight at this, pleased at the scrap of status he was offered.

Gesturing to the three masters of Volterra, Basileus added, "I will of course need to debrief you properly. I have come across a collection of covens in Mexico, they are trying to get around our laws by breaking their ranks down into sets of four... they will need watching closely. A new outpost is in order."

His words seemed to hardly register with Marcus, Aro nodded, and Caius looked gleeful.

Tightening his comforting grip on the two young vampires, he led them from the room. Eleazar and Carlisle followed. As Aro rose to leave, Caius grabbed his wrist, "Good luck." he whispered with his evil grin.

"I wouldn't be so sure it is I who needs the luck dear one!" Aro replied delicately, as if he were talking to a small child. The grin quickly fell from Caius' face and Aro followed his family to their private wing.

"Sulpicia, my dear, how are you?"

"Very well, Basileus. Were your travels fruitful"

"Always, my dear," he replied whilst kissing the hand she'd offered him.

The twins came running into the room, though they stopped at the doorway. Basileus knelt down and opened his arms wide, Jane ran to his left and Alec to his right. Closing his strong arms around them, he lifted the young vampires high in his embrace. "Tell me you two weren't involved in this mess?"

"Of course not." came Jane's sweet reply.

"Well that's a first!" Basileus laughed as he put them back on the ground, both of them sporting childish pouts. "Carmen, how are you feeling, my dear?" he asked as she walked into view under the arched hallway.

"I am well, my lord."

Basileus looked her up and down. She seemed well. " And still, no human blood?" he asked.

She shook her head, raven locks falling over her shoulders as she did so with a smile.

Basileus nodded to himself. "We still need to talk about this, El. I have many questions!"

Eleazar laughed lightly. _Yes, I am sure you do!_ He thought.

"Come." Sulpicia called and the twins followed her back to the terrace with Carmen.

Turning to face the young men behind him, Basileus decided to get things moving. "So, who's going to start." Getting serious now, he stood tall and posed his question to his sons. All three slunk backwards, no one offered a reply. "Hmm, so I should guess then? Okay. Felix."

"Yes, my lord," the boy stepped out from behind Carlisle.

"You were guarding Didyme, yes?" he waited for the boy to respond but Felix only nodded.

"And you were having a relationship with her?"

"NO!" a resounding chorus came from everyone in the room.

"Well that's something!" Basileus replied cheekily and winked at Felix who, poor soul, looked horrified.

"Okay, okay, so you decided to, what? Take a break and she snuck out? That doesn't sound like you, Felix. I really think it would be wise for you to tell me what happened whilst I was away. I will find out regardless... ", still silence.

"I'm growing tired of this. El, you seem to be the only one with a voice today. Come with me son, let's go down to my quarters and you can fill me in!" With that Basileus left the quarters and headed down to the ground floor.

"It's always me!" Eleazar complained as Aro and Carlisle shared a laugh at their brother's expense.

When the door was closed behind them, Aro released a sigh of the stress he was holding.

"What's wrong with you Aro, why are you ignoring him?"

"I don't know brother," Aro took the seat their father had just vacated, "I can't see how this is going to play out... I, I don't know what to say to him." Aro looked at his boys - would he take them from me if he knew I wanted to leave this place? Would he try and split us up? Would I go against him if he did? Aro's head was reeling, so much had happened in the last few days and he was struggling to set it all straight in his mind.

He looked back at Felix, who seemed to be suffering with the exertion of the day. "You two should go and rest. I imagine you will be called on soon."

They both nodded and made to leave. As they passed Carlisle, he stopped Felix.

"I want to check how you're healing. I'll be in shortly."

Felix offered him a small smile and limped his way behind Demetri to their bed chamber.

"You are going to have to face him Aro. You should give him more credit, he will be supportive of your new roles – he wanted this too."

Aro looked ahead aimlessly. He heard his brother, but didn't react. Carlisle doesn't understand how this place works; how the vampire world is so unsettled. _I could only leave if I could take the Volturi with me, but then what would be the point of that..._

Carlisle could see his brother warring with himself. "You should take your thoughts to Basileus, Aro." Carlisle patted his shoulder and went to check on Felix.

Knowing his boys were safe in Carlisle's hands, Aro made his way to his father's quarters.

On his way down he passed Eleazar in the hallway, rubbing his jaw. "What happened brother?" Aro asked him, concernedly.

"Ha! He slapped me for breaking your nose!" Eleazar laughed lightly and so did Aro, "I've told him everything Aro, well, everything that I know anyway. He's a little pissed we let things become so disturbed, he's worried about our status here... and he has a few things to say to you about Felix, I think. Overall though, he's keen for you to set up in family life!"

Aro's head shot up at Eleazar's words, "You told him!" Aro asked surprised, and a little relieved the subject had been broached.

"I thought I owed you one!" Eleazar said as he gently bumped his fist against his brother's nose. Aro smiled gratefully.

"He agrees with you though, it is not the time to disband the Volturi, but he said he will work on it." Eleazar started walking away, "Oh, he wants to rip Caius to shreds too," he called over his shoulder gleefully.

Aro laughed to himself, Eleazar had made things much easier for him and he was grateful for it.

Basileus was waiting for his son at the open door. "Let's go for a hunt, son."

Aro relaxed as he felt his father place an arm around his shoulders.

"I've heard you are fond of stag now!" Basileus teased his son and laughed.

Aro looked surprised at first, then it dawned on him. _I'_ _m going to kill you Eleazar! Well I would if you weren_ _'_ _t so damn good to me..._

"How was it?" Basileus approached Aro who was sitting beside the large wolf from which he had just finished feeding.

Aro looked up sheepishly. "I actually rather enjoyed it. Alec was right, hunting them is quite exhilarating!"

Taking a seat beside his son, Basileus agreed. "Feeding from animals won't make you weaker Aro, I've been doing it for centuries. Eleazar and Carlisle are just as strong now as they ever were. And I must say, though I would have been entirely against it, Carmen is amazing!"

His son was listening, but he still wasn't talking. Basileus continued, hoping to put his boy at ease. "I'm wondering whether I was wrong to force Carlisle to feed from humans for his newborn year. We could experiment with turning a new vampire and feeding them stag for a year to see how they turn out."

"I can arrange that, my lord, if you wish."

 _Finally speaking, getting somewhere!_ Basileus thought. "Perhaps, when things are settled."

Aro nodded.

"You know, if you want to leave this place, I would support you."

Aro turned to his father, "It's not time, we couldn't disband the Volturi yet, it hasn't achieved what we set out to do... another coven would take over and we would never be safe. I don't want to risk anything happening to them... "

Basileus listened. He wanted to help his son... he would like nothing more than to collect up those vampires that mattered to him and take them away from Volterra right now, but Aro was right. His sons would be hunted down like dogs by whichever coven took their place... _and there are always so many ready to take our place,_ he thought darkly _._

"I agree with you son. Now is not the time. I will work something out, and when we move next it will be to live as a family... all of us. Marcus showed me something in the throne room - your bond with Eleazar is strong, and the one you share with Carlisle is almost equal to that now."

"I love them both, my lord."

Basileus was pleased to hear those words. Carlisle's first year had been fraught beyond the usual 'raising a newborn' standard; Aro had resisted so strongly to Carlisle at first that Basileus had worried they would never bond. "Your bond with Caius is broken," he stated plainly.

"Well isn't that what you wanted?" Aro replied a little too spitefully.

"Be careful there boy, we have much to discuss yet!"

With a sigh Aro leaned back onto his hands, "I'm sorry my lord, I'm just so, so, I don't even know..."

Seeing his son struggling, he took over the reins of their conversation once more. "Yes, I did want you and Caius to separate a little, you were becoming more and more like him, Aro. I know I have told you this many times before, you are better than him, Aro. You've allowed him to torture vampires in the guard as it was easier than stopping him."

"That's not the case, my lord. You told me to delegate responsibility, so I gave Caius the newborns and"

"And he has used them to play out his sick fantasies. Aro, come on."

Aro hung his head. He couldn't defend himself. He knew full well what Caius was doing to those vampires at the lowest end of the ranks - the submissions, the beatings, the executions. That's one of the reasons he had brought his guard into his quarters - to protect them.

"I know." His voice sounded so small.

"Well, we can't get rid of Caius, not yet in any case. We need him back on side. But, Aro," he took his sons face in hand gruffly to ensure these words were heard, "it must be on our terms."

"Yes father."

"You have been too busy protecting your high guard and you've allowed Caius to believe he has the upper hand."

Aro looked incensed, he was ready to blow up at his father, repercussions be damned.

"Calm yourself!" Basileus planted a slap across his boy's face. There wasn't the usual force from the man's slap - it wasn't supposed to hurt just enough to get his attention.

"I know well how you feel about them, I imagine it's much like I feel about you."

Aro nodded, relieved.

"Felix and Demetri, I assume Jane and Alec too, yes?"

"Yes my lord."

Basileus was careful with how he worded this next part, "So why would you whip Felix like that? It's been three days. Eleazar said he's been feeding constantly to speed up healing - he's still limping, Aro! Why would you do that to him, son?"

"El said you wanted to 'talk' to me about that." Aro replied, stiffening as he spoke, expecting his father wanted to do more than talk.

"I have no intention of whipping you for whipping Felix. That's not how this works, son."

Aro seemed slightly relieved, though talking about it made him feel almost as horrid as taking a beating for it would have made him feel. "I believe I was as harsh as I needed to be to placate Caius. He wants their heads simply because I have them in my guard. The way Caius sees it, I have collected the gifted vampires for myself when they should belong to the coven."

Basileus listened without interrupting his son, hoping he would carry on.

"I haven't collected them for my personal gain. I turned them for the coven, I saw their talents and I trained them myself... but something's changed. I don't own them like Caius thinks, Dad, but... they are mine."

Sensing his son struggling again he offer Aro the words he needed. "They are your children, Aro. This has been coming for a while. I am most tempted to say 'I told you so'!"

"So you are okay with this? How open can I be about it?" He sounded like a child, he needed daddy to come in and fix it for him, but Aro long since cared. He DID need his father to make this right for him.

Basileus thought for a moment. Of course he was okay with it, certainly, but it would have to be hidden for now. "I will support you fully, Aro. You know I am certainly okay with it. Though I think it would be wise to keep this change private for now. I have said I will work on a way for us all to live as a family, but for time being we need the Volturi, we need Caius, and we need the guard working at 100%. Will you be able to confine your family life to your quarters?"

"Yes, my lord... that is how we have been living for many years now. I just never believed it before!"

Basileus nodded deeply and taking a small stick from the floor he aimlessly scratched at the earth between his feet.

"You know son we still have a problem. You punished Felix severely, not because you felt he entirely deserved it, but to placate Caius."

Aro felt his stomach flip. _So you are going to discipline me then_ , he thought. "You have left me in a far worse state than I left Felix in – many times!" Aro knew his defence was weak and his voice sullen, but it was the only excuse he had.

"Get your head out of your ass, Aro!" CRACK! Basileus replied with another slap across his face. That one was considerably harder than the first. Aro bit into his lower lip hard to prevent himself from reacting. "Caius should never have had the power to override your decision in the first place. You should have been able to walk into that throne room and tell him they weren't to be punished at all and be sure he wouldn't go against you."

Aro mused darkly on that. _Yeah, Caius should follow my orders, but he fucking doesn't, and I didn't want to leave them vulnerable to his evil retribution_.

"You know I can hear your thoughts, don't you?"

Aro glanced shamefully to his father, but Basileus' smile told him he didn't need the shame.

"You did what you thought you should, I understand that Aro, but Eleazar was the one who spoke up in Caius' chambers, not you. You are the leader of the Volturi, not Caius, and not Eleazar for that matter. You need to redress the balance."

Aro knew he was right, and now that he had finally talked to his father and felt less stressed he could see events a little clearer. _I had allowed my status to slip because I was too concerned about my high guard, no, about my children. If I had only reinforced my status with Caius there would have been no need to worry about Felix or Demetri and they would have been safer._ _We all would actually. And why the hell am I letting Eleazar fight my battles! Damn it, I must have been losing my mind!_

Basileus answered his son's thoughts. "You had just lost your sister, son. You should have been grieving when all of this was going on, so it's no surprise that things got a little out of hand. But you must set things straight now."

Aro thought of his sister. He'd been far too busy to deal with any grief yet. The plan was to bury her body on the grounds when Basileus returned, so they would be putting her to rest today. Venom tears pricked at his murky red eyes.

Basileus put an arm around his son and brought him in close. They sat there in contented silence for a while. Basileus offered Aro the time he desperately needed to set his mind at ease and think over everything that had happened. As he remembered his dear Didyme, silent tears rolled down his cheeks.


	31. 1664, December - A New Order

**1664, DECEMBER - A NEW ORDER**

 **AN:** You will notice a few formatting differences going forward. We have the lovely **doccooper** to thank for this working tirelessly as my Beta and making all my random thoughts more readable for y'all :)

Thanks for the adds, reviews and messages - its very much appreciated. I have just finished pulling together chapter 51 and that's still only a toe in the water compared to what is left to write up so I do hope you will stick around!

Thank you SM for sharing your characters with us all, I don't own anything.

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"Where are you going, Carlisle? To visit Marcus?" Basileus looked up from the game of chess he was playing with Eleazar as his son was leaving his quarters.

"Yes, he hasn't shown any signs of improvement. I think talking helps him, though he won't talk about Didyme much."

"You are definitely helping him, Carlisle. I know he enjoys the time you spend with him. What's that?" Basileus gestured to the books Carlisle carried. "Those had better not be any of mine if they're going for a walk around the castle with you!" Basileus was only half joking; he was precious about his private book collection.

Waving it at his father Carlisle replied, "Marcus was kind enough to loan me some books. He has quite a collection! These are about medicine."

Basileus rolled his eyes dramatically. "Son we have talked about this already. You cannot become a doctor for humans ... you do know you are a vampire, right?" he mocked his son gently.

Carlisle scrunched up his nose and pulled a face at his father, until he caught Basileus raising his eyebrows to him in return, daring him to continue. Carlisle thought better of antagonising the man. "I am well aware of what I am, but I think I could help humans. I want to help them. You said my control around human blood would need to be perfect, I have sat in the throne room many times whilst everyone else fed and I maintained my control." Carlisle beamed.

He was quite proud of his control. It certainly wasn't easy to resist human blood when it was being splashed carelessly around the room in front of him, but he had maintained an animal-only diet since the celebrations for the end of his newborn year. He was so jealous of Carmen's apparent indifference to human blood. _She doesn_ _'_ _t seem to even notice!_ he thought, enviously.

Basileus considered Carlisle's control in the throne room. _He still doesn_ _'_ _t get it_ , he thought tiredly - they had argued about this only a few days ago.

"Yes son, but how did you feel? Were you relaxed? Would you have been able to continue reading a book? Would you have been able to even hold a conversation?"

Carlisle looked to the floor.

"No Carlisle, you may be able to resist human blood, but it's not the same as being unbothered by it. I am not saying you will never have the control you wish for, and if you ever do, we will talk on this again."

Seeing how dejected his boy looked, Basileus thought he should sweeten the deal a little, "but do keep studying for now, so IF it happens, you are ready, yes?"

Carlisle brightened at this and offered a smile to both his father and brother before he left to visit the bereft Marcus. Just before he closed the door, he stuck his head back into the room.

"WHEN it happens!" he said forcefully, adding a sheepish 'my lord' and ducking out before his father could object.

Basileus rolled his eyes to Eleazar who was waiting for his father to play his piece.

"He will do it you know, he will keep on pushing himself until he has full control." Eleazar told him plainly.

"I have no doubt about that, son. The stubborn little sod!" Basileus laughed to himself, "he's just so damn eager for everything to happen right now, he needs to slow down. The sort of control he would need to medically care for humans will only come with time."

Eleazar agreed.

"How are you three finding your diet, Eleazar? Have you noticed anything changing, other than your eyes, of course?"

Eleazar thought for a moment, "No, my lord. I was throwing newborns around in training just this morning." he replied with a cheeky smile.

Basileus laughed lightly.

"Though I do feel calmer," Eleazar added, "and we still only have to feed every month, so it is no less convenient."

Basileus thought for a moment. He was impressed by both Eleazar and Carlisle and their commitment to this new feeding regime. Of course there was one who impressed him far more on the matter.

"Carmen, she has still not developed any oddities with this diet of yours? And still no human blood at all?"

Eleazar smiled broadly, he had been so worried about Basileus finding out about him feeding Carmen animal blood from when she was first turned. It was much easier now that he wasn't keeping secrets from his father, and he'd only had to take a verbal tongue lashing for his deceit. Aro thought it was wildly unfair, he knew full well if it had been him Basileus would not have been so forgiving. In fact, his complaining about Eleazar getting away scott free earned him a slap from the man, much to Eleazar's liking.

"She is still perfect, my lord. Carmen sips at blood as though it were a fine wine. I have trouble containing myself sometimes in my efforts to be as civilized!"

Basileus was pleased by this information.

"Why do you ask?" Eleazar probed.

"Oh no reason, I'm just making sure you three are okay, that is all." Basileus lied successfully to his son.

He wondered if there was a way to make all vampires drink from animals instead of humans ... if they are all calmer, if they no longer offered a threat to humans, we could live freely amongst them again, perhaps. So desperate were his efforts to find a way to release Aro from this existence. Release them all in fact. He wanted to provide his sons with a 'normal' family life. _Huh, what would that be then you old fool_ , he spoke to himself, _vampires kill humans, that_ _'_ s _what we were designed to do, by my own father no less! I imagine one day we all live freely,_

 _but honestly, I just don_ _'_ _t know how to make that happen right now._ _It'_ _s my own damn fault for_ _creating so many vampires in the first place._

Eleazar could see his father was lost deep in his thoughts. He knew Basileus was vexed with Aro's craving for a new life.

"Aro understands now is not the time, my lord." Eleazar offered gently.

"I know that son, but I need to find a way to move in that direction, for dear Sulpicia if not for Aro!" Basileus replied.

Eleazar nodded to his words. Sulpicia, more than Aro, needed to know there was an end point. She had already refused Aro's 'forceful' requests to stay in their quarters any longer. Sully didn't leave the grounds, but she and the twins could often be seen patrolling them. Sulpicia had also point blank refused to spend any time with Athenodora. To be fair, Aro was quite pleased with this. For all Aro's complaints about his wife's safety, the guard seeing her wandering around the halls and addressing her as their queen was certainly helping to readjust the power balance between himself and Caius. Caius hated it - but he couldn't do anything about it.

"How are the young ones getting on?" Basileus asked.

"I believe Aro is having a little trouble with the boys. The twins haven't seen a change. Sully has been caring for them as children for a long time, and they are almost always with her unless Aro needs them in the throne room. Even then, Sulpicia often joins them there. The boys though ... Aro told me only yesterday that they seem to think he's going to be softer on them now that he thinks of himself in a fatherly role rather than a master to be obeyed."

Basileus wasn't surprised to hear that. "Ha, are their memories really so short?"

He shook his head and laughed, "Tell me Eleazar, has it even been six months since we lost Didyme? And they are acting up again already! Aro will have to take them in hand!"

Basileus was chuckling as he spoke but he meant every word.

Eleazar winced thinking of the last time Aro had taken them in hand. Felix was a wreck for a good few days. It baffled Eleazar that the lads could go through that and still be testing out new boundaries again already.

"I believe he has every intention of doing so, they just haven't pushed him far enough yet. They are grumbling about being 'boys' rather than 'men'." Eleazar explained their predicament as he saw it. Basileus looked confused by this.

"But they are boys, Eleazar?"

Eleazar laughed this time. "Well, they see it that until a few months ago they were 'guards', but now Aro has completely removed that title in their quarters and they are children there. I imagine tempers will flare soon enough, I just hope it is in private!"

"Hmm, as do I, son."

Aro entered the ground floor suite, unannounced, and flopped onto the window seat. Laying on his back, he talked to the ceiling, "I have been working with the older newborns all morning, only two out of the fifteen have a gift, and do you want to hear what their gifts are," he didn't wait for a response from either his father of brother, "one can 'hide', not become invisible or anything handy like that, just hide a little, so you have to concentrate to see him properly! What is the point of that? The other can change colour. What am I supposed to do with that exactly?! Honestly I am tempted to turn them back over to Caius! Though Christ knows what he's been doing with them all this time, besides terrifying them! Aahhhh!" Aro finalized his tirade with a growling release of the frustration he felt. "Though I have learned that Demetri has had sex with three of them ... that was a pleasant memory to experience!"

Basileus and Eleazar broke out into deep laughter, with Aro quickly joining them.

Propping himself up on his elbow and actually facing the other men in the room, he continued, "you know I was considering having Felix train them for the field. What do you think?"

"I think that's a good idea, son," Basileus replied, "Though you would essentially be giving Demetri a free pass to those newborns then!" he added, with a smirk.

"Damn it, you're right." Aro looked deep in thought until Eleazar brought him back to the present.

"Let me help you brother. Now that I'm not babysitting Carlisle all the time I am at a loose end anyway."

"What about Carmen?" Aro asked, hoping Eleazar had a plan for her so he could take him up on his offer.

"Pft! She spends half the day with your wife anyway, I doubt she would notice!" Eleazar responded, sounding a little put out.

Aro smiled gleefully at his big brother. "Where is my younger and far less handsome brother ... he could be doing his bit too," Aro crooned playfully.

"He is doing his bit son, he's with Marcus." Basileus told him.

Aro didn't miss the pointed look he gave him – Aro knew he should be doing more with Marcus.

Aro nodded, understanding his coven mate needed someone to talk to. Aro would have liked more time himself to devote to the task, but it was hard to leave once Marcus started and Aro couldn't afford to get stuck in the man's quarters with him. _Wouldn't mind being stuck in my own quarters_ _for a few days though,_ Aro thought wistfully.

"Have either of you seen Sulpicia?"

"has she gotten away from you again, brother," Eleazar teased.

"Very droll, El. I'm coming around to the idea of her spreading her wings a little. And the twins are with her of course." He replied nonchalantly.

"Coming around to the idea? You had little choice in the matter the way Eleazar tells it!" Basileus betrayed Eleazar as his informant and both laughed heartily at Aro's scowling face.

"You are both bastards, you know that!" Aro replied bravely as he threw a cushion at his brother's face.

"Come on, Aro!" Eleazar managed to squeeze out before bursting into fresh laughter as he caught the cushion deftly and threw it straight back at him.


	32. Pushing Aro

**AN:** Sorry for interrupting with an AN here, just wanted to thank my doccooper for re-editing this chapter for me after I added an extra scene. After reading reviews/messages from Guest and csmgarret I thought I should include Aro getting some comeuppance... I hope this is okay guys!

I do not own anything, thank you SM for sharing nicely :)

* * *

 **PUSHING ARO**

"Aro!"

Caius called from across the castle grounds as Aro entered through the outer gates from his walk through the town. Caius looked pissed off. Aro really didn't want to deal with a pissed off Caius right now. He'd taken the moonlit walk to clear his frustrations of his new family set up; walking through those gates felt like jumping straight back into stress of it all. Still, he should be polite if nothing else.

"Caius, is all well?"

Caius flashed over to Aro in an instant. "No! All is most certainly not well. Those two jokers you are so fond of have decided to skip the latter parts of their duties, again!"

Aro scrubbed his hand across his face. He could have predicted Caius' source of conflict before the man had even opened his mouth. "I will talk with them Caius. I am not sure why they think they can act this way, but I will get the bottom of it."

"Talk to them? Aro! For god sake, man!" Caius stalked around in anger at being beholden to those two whelps. "Why can you not just allow me to deal with your high guard the way I do the rest of the guard?"

Caius was clearly frustrated, but Aro was as tired of Caius' arguments for punishing his guard as he was of hearing that Felix and Demetri were fucking up in the first place!

"Because I don't want you permanently damaging some of our best talents, Caius! They are much younger than the rest of the guard, they need a lighter hand, brother."

Caius puffed his cheeks out, trying to contain his real thoughts, "they need a much firmer hand than you apply, brother. They wouldn't get away with their insolence in any other coven in the world. There is no way on this earth that Demetri was so unruly for Amun. He wouldn't have put up with it, and the boy wasn't in a bad condition when we took him from Egypt, was he?"

Aro rarely thought on Demetri's time before he was a Volturi. Caius was right, Amun was a particularly stern coven leader but Demetri was in one piece and working order when they took him.

"Like I said, Caius, I will deal with them."

Caius shook his head in frustration, "I just hope you do, Aro. We are planning the mission to take out those rogue covens that brought chaos to our door and killed your own sister. I am laying this out for you now, brother - I will not be taking either of those two with us until they are under control."

Aro nodded curtly to Caius, he couldn't argue with the sentiment. The two young vampires could not be trusted to follow orders effectively and they would risk the safety of the entire group.

"I agree with you, Caius. Like I said, I will deal with them." Aro rested a hand on his brother's shoulder for a moment and then left to find his disappointing sons.

Aro headed straight for the guard hall. His sons should be back in their private quarters by now and they knew damn well they were still not allowed in the guard hall, but somehow he doubted the boys were where they should be.

 _No, they will be flouting more of my commands by dicking about in the guard hall, that_ _'_ _s where they will be._ Aro's thoughts were interrupted by the raucous sounds coming from the hall. He soon picked out his sons' voices. By the sounds of it, Antonio and Felix were wrestling with a cheering mob formed for each fighter. Aro put on his public face and shouted over the noise as he walked into the guards' general quarters.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!"

Silence.

Aro walked slowly through the hall, fixing each individual guard with a glare as he moved. Reaching the centre of the fracas, he was greeted by his son entangled with Antonio in some sort of wrestling lock. They both seemed too stunned to move.

"And, is this a friendly fight?" Aro asked, sounding dangerous.

The two vampires fell apart and scrambled to their feet as they offered apologies. Aro listened as they ran out of ways to explain why they were fighting in the guard hall. He could see they were torturing themselves trying to find valid excuses.

Aro held up a hand to silence the pair. "Antonio, I believe I have told you this before, but clearly you must have misunderstood - Felix is stronger than you, he is also a highly skilled fighter. You have been a vampire for a fraction of the time he has and you cannot match his abilities."

The whispering going on around the room was almost funny. Aro watched Antonio's reaction. His eyes were cast low, submissively, and though the rather public admonishment would have battered his pride, the man remained respectful as he offered a final apology for overstepping the mark.

Felix on the other hand, he looked like the cat that got the cream. Aro was ready to knock his son down a peg or two.

"Having said that, Felix, you have no business being in the guard hall at all. You know I won't allow you in here, and you know why. Or should I now explain that again for you?"

Felix wanted to curl up and die. _If Aro announces I am too young to play with the big boys in front of everyone I will take my own damn head off!_ He thought petulantly. "No, master." He eventually forced out, though he showed little of the respect Antonio had offered.

"Then I suggest you return to your quarters which is where you should have been for the LAST TWO HOURS!" Aro couldn't help but shout out the last part.

Felix looked mortified but there was no submission in him at all.

Aro pressed further. "Why are you still here? Would you like me to drag you out of here or are you capable of walking?"

The whispers were getting louder now and Felix could make out some of the mocking from Antonio's supporters. He was tempted to fight it out with Aro to try and salvage his pride - if he thought for a moment he could make it out alive, he would have done it too.

Felix had spent too long in his thoughts, before he realized why Aro was moving towards him. _Fuck, no!_

Aro grabbed Felix by the scruff of his neck and began unceremoniously dragging him through the crowd of guards and out of the hall as if he were a defenceless kitten! Demetri had remained silent throughout the proceeding but thought it wise to follow his brother out of the room now. Aro sensed him close by. Aro neither released Felix, nor turned to Demetri until they reached their private quarters. The very few guards who didn't see Felix's shame in the guard room certainly saw him being dragged through the halls of the castle. Rather than disturb Sulpicia and the twins, Aro opened the door to his father's ground floor suite. He couldn't hear Basileus in any of the rooms and believed he wouldn't mind the intrusion anyway. Aro released Felix as Demetri closed the door behind them.

Felix's rage had risen on their journey back to Aro's tower.

"Why the hell did you do that to me?"

Unfortunately for Felix, Aro's rage wasn't any less forceful. Crack! He planted a hard slap to his son's errant mouth. Looking back and forth between his two sons he addressed them both.

"You two are getting on my last nerve. What the hell is going on in those little brains of yours? I have far too much to do to be wasting time dealing with your insolence!" Aro looked like he was blowing smoke out of his ears.

Felix replied, Demetri was sensible enough to stay quiet, "what did we do that was so wrong? We were just relaxing with the other guards after our shift, what was wrong with that?"

Aro began pacing, growing more and more annoyed as his son spoke.

"You are NOT allowed in the damn guard room, Felix! And you both damn well know it! Must I really punish you again? And rolling around the floor with that Neanderthal - is nothing beneath your dignity for god sake! You are my son - you had better start damn well acting like it!"

Felix knew he should back down, but he wasn't ready to yet. "I think humiliating me in there was punishment enough! And don't worry, I won't be gracing my presence on the guard hall anytime soon after that!" Felix felt the ghost of a blush at the scene replaying in his head. _I will never live this down! Never, you_ _bastard_ _,_ _Aro!_

Aro was ready with his retort, "you think that was enough! Have you been drinking? I haven't even begun to address what Caius told me when I returned from my walk!"

Felix rolled his eyes, ducking just in time to prevent Aro from landing another slap across his face! "What? I don't see what we have done that is so bad? It was just one round of the castle grounds; we made all the other tours."

Aro was gob smacked at Felix's audacity. "Are you serious? Caius is ready to snap your damn necks!" Aro paced up and down thinking about the mission they were planning. They needed both of them on top form and right now they were hardly scraping the barrel. "If you skip another guard duty I may well do Caius a favour and snap your necks myself!"

A question caught up with Aro that stopped his dead in his tracks, "Why did you skip the last round?"

Both of his boys looked at him with guilty expressions. Demetri was still maintaining his silence. Felix offered a shaky answer. "Erm, well, we just got caught up with some other guards ... that's all."

Aro moved closer to his guilty boy and reached out his hand for Felix's to read his thoughts. "Which other guards, Felix?"

Felix started to panic, "no, you don't need to do that, it was Ashanti, just Ashanti."

Aro was flabbergasted, "are you really telling me that witch is after you now? And you are seriously falling under the spell of another woman in this coven and skipping your duties so soon after losing my sister for the same damn reason! Give me your hand!" Aro reached out again.

"No, no please, you don't need to read my thoughts."

"Give me your damn hand now, or I will tan your sorry hide where we stand and then read your thoughts!"

Felix could see Aro was ready to snap so he extended his arm and placed his hand into his father's, looking away as he did so. Aro scanned the boy's thoughts and found what he was looking for, though exactly what he found shocked him a little!

"You depraved idiot!" Aro threw the boys hand back to him, "do you think it's funny to fuck your way through out guard?" Felix finally looked bashful. _About damn time you came to your senses!_ Aro thought. "And where were you?" he asked Demetri.

The boy knew he'd have to speak up eventually. "I was with him, I was looking out for ... well, for Caius."

Aro threw his hands in the air at that. _Are they a lost cause, or something sent from above to try me, or what?!_

"You two really do think you are untouchable around here, don't you." Aro pointed an accusing finger at his sons.

"We made a mistake Aro, that was all. A mistake and it won't happen again, will it Felix?" Demetri was desperately trying to avoid being restricted from the coming mission. He'd heard Caius and Aro talking about whether the two of them should be allowed to go.

Aro almost found Demetri's defence humorous.

"A mistake? He planned to skip guard duties to fuck fucking Ashanti." Aro roared at Demetri jabbing a finger in Felix' direction. "Forgive me son, but it seems an odd mistake to make!"

Felix felt his anger rising again. Aro was making out like he was some sort of thoughtless rebel, "Caius is the one being overzealous with the new rota. We don't need as many guards touring the grounds as he wants - you never had this many guard tours when you were in charge!"

Aro had turned away before Felix offered his own defence, but that final part had him spinning on his heel to face his boy and start explaining, again, why he had to just do as he was bid. "Felix I don't care if you think the rota unfair, it is not for you to care, you just have to get on with it! You have been told many times already ..."

"Aro, may I have a word with you? NOW!" Basileus' voice interrupted Aro, none of the three had known he was even near, but clearly their creator was lurking outside the tower's entrance.

Aro sighed; he didn't want to be getting into a row with his own father right now. "You two had better stay here!" Aro left the room and the two exchanged nervous looks at what Basileus' interest could mean for them. They listened intently to their elders' conversation.

"I am sorry for using your suite ... "

Basileus cut Aro off before he could go any further, "forget that. What the hell are you doing?"

Aro was surprised. "Me? I don't know what you are talking about?"

Basileus pushed at his chest, forcing him into the wall behind him, "Aro, you are letting the two of them walk all over you! Why are you trying to talk them into behaving? For god sake, Aro! Set them straight! You have spent the last six months getting things back on track with Caius and those little ingrates threaten to waste your efforts if you don't bring them under control!"

Aro almost rolled his eyes before remembering who was pinning him in place.

"I know this, things are just unsettled right now, there has been a lot of change ... "

Basileus cut him off again, "yes, and I understand this change must be navigated with care, Aro, but this cannot go on. Perhaps I should talk to them ... "

This time it was Aro's turn to interrupt. "No! I do not need your help with this, Basileus! I can deal with them myself!"

Basileus released his hold and took a step back. "Well, I will leave you with this Aro - you bring them in line, or I will, and then I will move onto you!" With that Basileus headed up to the second floor of the tower suites to join his other two sons in their quarters, as his quarters were engaged.

Aro shivered at the idea of Basileus dealing with him again any time soon. Less than a month after losing Didyme, the creator had been forced to take Aro in hand and it had left quite an impression. He shuddered as he clearly recalled the events of that dreadful day.

Aro pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed the door to the tower stairwell. He could already hear the sounds of his children bitching and whining from three floors above and he felt every muscle tense with the stress of it all. For a brief moment he considered turning back around and finding more work to do, but the unmistakable sound of glass smashing could be heard. _After another long day arguing with Caius, this is the last thing I fucking need_!, he thought as he trudged up the stairs as though he was walking to the hangman's noose.

Felix had been antagonising Aro for the last few weeks, since he'd received the harshest punishment of his life to date. He knew Aro felt guilty about whipping him so harshly and good god he was playing on it. Sulpicia, naturally, was siding with Felix. Every time Aro looked ready to discipline the boy for the attitude he was giving, he would remind Sully of the horror of the last hiding Aro had dished out and she would tuck her boy into her skirt tails and protect him, again. _Not that the other three are behaving any better,_ Aro said to himself in annoyance. He was sick to the back teeth of the grief he was getting - in the throne room with Caius, at home with his new family, and fucking everywhere with Basileus.

"AHHHH!"

A pain filled roar filled the air and saw Aro breaking his trudge to fly up the stairs. Throwing the door open, Aro was momentarily frozen by the sight that confronted him: Sulpicia holding Felix in her grasp, both on their knees screaming in pain. The source of their pain, obviously, was Jane, who had the two of them in her ferocious, fire blazing glare.

"JANE!" Aro bellowed as he flashed to her side.

Her father's voice was enough to shock the girl into releasing her hold. The horror of her crime was plastered on her petite face as she realised she had allowed her precious mother to be caught up in the retribution she sought out of her brother.

Abandoning Jane to her own devices for the moment, Aro went to his mate to ensure she was okay. Helping her to stand, the woman was visibly drained and disorientated.

"My queen, you should rest." Aro told her gently as he tried to direct his mate to their bedchamber.

Sulpicia allowed herself to be led, though she wanted to resist and stay with her children. The shock of Jane setting her on fire, not to mention the lingering residues of the unimaginable pain her young daughter's gift brought was enough for Sulpicia to need to lie down anyway.

Aro made sure his bedroom door was properly closed before he turned to face his children. Jane wore an apprehensive expression, but his three sons all looked ready for a fight. _Oh I am so done with this,_ he thought, finally. Catching hold of Alec before he had chance to flee, Aro put a hand to his youngest boy's cheek to see exactly what he had missed. Felix had been winding Jane up until the girl finally blew and threw a heavy book at his head - which missed and crashed through the stain glass window. That resulted in Sulpicia smacking Jane - which was rare beyond words and eventually Jane setting Felix on fire, with Sully being caught in the cross fire! Aro released Alec, having seen all he needed to see.

 _He'_ _s furious_!, Alec thought in trepidation as he looked into his father's jet black eyes.

"Go to your room Alec," Aro warned his son sternly, "don't you dare get involved!"

Alec knew well enough what Aro was referring to. He was going to punish Jane and Alec had a tendency to intervene on the very rare occasions the girl had found herself deserving of such a thing. Alec didn't move, instead he continued to glare at his father.

"Take him!" Aro called to Demetri, who was only too happy to have a good reason to leave. Though when he had to forcibly drag a kicking and complaining Alec from the room, he knew it was going to be difficult to keep his little brother from becoming embroiled in his twin's demise.

Aro spotted the bull whip hanging by the main door to his living chamber. He'd had to whip a guard only a few days before and had yet to return the implement to its usual holding place.

Felix followed his father's eye and felt a wave of nausea in the pit of his stomach when he realised Aro was going to whip him - again.

"You can't punish me! You can't!" Felix spat in disbelief.

"Fetch it." Aro ordered gravely.

Felix looked from Aro to the whip and back again. _No, I can_ _'_ _t feel that whip again, no way!_

"Please dad." He tried, pleadingly.

"FETCH IT!" Aro bellowed in response.

Felix jumped to the half screamed instruction. Jane too, who had focused on the floor until then. Dragging himself slowly to his feet, Felix stomped to the front door. He seriously considered bolting but the idea of Aro catching up with him in front of the guards, and then tanning his ass where he stood put him off. Retrieving the whip, he offered it to Aro with hate-filled eyes.

The angry coven leader wasted no time in throwing Felix towards the plush sofa.

"SIT!" he ordered his bewildered son. "You are seriously pissing me off, boy."

Felix looked panic stricken. He couldn't respond, he couldn't breathe as he thought about the last whipping he'd taken. And then the unimaginable happened. Aro left Felix where he was and crossed the room to Jane!

Jane had never felt any more than Aro's hand and that was a rare occurrence.

"What have you been told about using your gift in MY HOME?" Aro roared at his smallest child.

Jane shook. She was scared, of course. But she was angry too. Much like her father, when Jane got angry she lashed out. It wasn't even a conscious decision as she fixed Aro with her deadly glare and whispered a very quiet 'pain' under her breath. Aro dropped to his knees as the fires of hell engulfed his body.

"Jane, no!" Felix called out as he rushed to her and broke her eye line with their father, ending her short hold over him. "Are you crazy?" he asked his sister in disbelief. Jane shook in complete panic. Felix wanted to take her and run but he knew he wouldn't get very far and it would be worse for the two of them.

Aro got to his feet and had his hands on Felix, "I told you to sit!" he growled as he threw his son across the room. "You will regret that, you little bitch!" Aro roared to his girl. Whip in hand, he snatched Jane clear up from the floor and carried her over to her brother. Felix remained on the floor when Aro took a seat next to him on the sofa. Jane continued to thrash about wildly as her father dumped her over his knee.

Felix was impressed with Jane's resistance. _I would never be so brave_ , he thought.

Of course, Jane's struggles only enraged her father further. Aro wasted no time at all in setting his girl straight about who was in charge in his castle.

"How dare you use your gift in these quarters!" He raged as he brought the doubled over whip down on his daughters behind. As she squirmed and squealed to get out of his hold, Aro simply held her tighter and trapped the slight young vampire child between his legs. When she tried to reach back and cover her backside from the onslaught Aro just continued to whip her - it only took two stripes to appear on her hands before she moved them herself.

Felix couldn't watch, he felt sick sitting so close and hearing his sisters screams. When she called out for his help it twisted his insides to sit there and do nothing. He didn't have much longer to wait before Aro brought his sister's punishment to an end.

When Aro set Jane back on her feet he went to console her. Seeing his girl flinch at his touch and turn to Felix instead tore him apart.

"Have you finished?"

Aro turned to the door. Basileus.

"How long have you been here?" Aro asked, nerves betraying his voice.

"Long enough. Follow me." With that Basileus turned on his heel and headed back down to his own suite.

Felix picked up his sister and carried her silently from the room, neither offered a second glance at Aro.

 _FUCK_! Aro exclaimed inside his head as he slowly followed his father down the stairs.

When Aro arrived, Basileus was standing next to the doorway leading out of their private quarters and into the more populated areas of the castle.

"Come." He said quietly.

Aro wasn't sure where this was going. He was expecting a round of fucks and that would surely take place inside Basileus' suite, not in the wider castle grounds! Basileus didn't speak again until they arrived in he great hall. Marcus had been holding the throne room with a small collection of guards accompanying him.

"OUT! LOCK THE DOORS!" Basileus bellowed as the guards scattered from the room. "If you wouldn't mind, my friend." He said to a bewildered Marcus.

"Of course, my lord." Marcus replied, as he, too, left the room.

Once he was sure they were alone, and he'd heard the doors being bolted, Basileus went to Aro's throne and collected the whip stored underneath. That was the fearsome instrument Aro and the other masters used against guards for serious misconduct ... the ones they didn't dispatch, that is. It was much like the bull whip from Aro's chambers, but rather than a single long line, it was made of five long lines.

Aro eyed the implement dangerously. He had welded the devise a good many times himself, he knew the damage it could inflict on a vampire if delivered with vampiric force.

"Listen, you don't know what you walked in on, I was just…"

Basileus rounded on his son immediately. "I walked in on you whipping your child. AGAIN!" Basileus told him sternly whilst he began rolling up his sleeves.

"I have never whipped Jane before!" Aro implored, "She had just set me on fire!"

Basileus didn't care for his son's excuses. "You know Aro, last month, when you whipped Felix into a BLOODY MESS, I did nothing. Nothing. I thought losing your sister had addled your mind and it wasn't something that I had to worry about going forward. I was wrong."

Aro started to panic, watching intently as his father finished rolling up his sleeves.

"I gave you clear instructions to sort things with Caius, you are still arguing with him. I told you to move forward as a family, instead you have allowed your children to dominate in your private quarters. I TOLD YOU to be the leader of the Volturi and you are still failing in your endeavours! And now you have sunk to the depths of whipping a 12-year-old girl because YOU failed to manage your living situation effectively in the first place!

 _Holy shit he_ _'_ _s going to kill me!_ Aro thought as the formidable creator approached.

Basileus grabbed a fist full of his son's hair before roughly dragging him to his own throne. Standing him in front of the great chair, Basileus placed his son's hands on each of the arm rests, causing him to bend at the waist.

"This throne, your throne, this is who you are! You are the king of the vampire world and you would do well to focus your mind on your position before you throw away all we have built!"

 _So that_ _'_ _s why we are here, nothing like making a point!_ Aro thought gloomily.

"If you let go, even once, we will have to start over." Basileus whispered menacingly into Aro's ear.

Aro gulped down the venom pooling in his mouth. He felt sick already.

He heard the whistle first. That fateful sound of the air reacting against the arc of the whip traveling through its length. And this whip was five times the power. Aro shot up straight with the first lick, releasing the arm rests as he did so. He could feel the biting stripes from all five of those lines now embedded from his shoulders to the base of his back. As he tried to walk off the pain Basileus was back by his side, pushing him over the throne again.

"I warned you about staying in position." He told his son harshly.

"Dad, I ... " Aro tried, but the next strike came too quickly for him to say anything, his voice instead turning to an embarrassing shriek as the next five stripes overlapped the first five. He didn't move this time, instead he damn near crushed the arm rests with his hands. Basileus misjudged the third stroke and aimed a little too high - one tail of the whip wrapped around Aro's neck and rebounded off his chin.

"FOR FUCK SAKE!" he exclaimed as he felt the welts rising with the force of Basileus' temper.

"Focus your mind, boy." Basileus said flatly in response.

Aro gripped the throne with new valour. He couldn't face extending his discipline, so there was no way he was letting go again. Basileus aimed the fourth strike low - Aro howled with that one. Five tail ends of the whip all landing across the back of Aro's legs up to his ass and curling around to catch the front of his thighs. Each of the now twenty welts in his skin were screaming at Aro. The smell of fresh blood hit his nose as he realised he was bleeding from the array of slits that had been forced on his body.

"Is that enough, or do you need more?" Basileus asked.

Aro's bright white shirt contrasted starkly with the bloodied lines that could be seen seeping through.

"Enough." Aro chocked out through his pain.

"If you EVER whip my grandchildren again, I will deliver this thrice fold in front of the full coven."

Aro's breath hitched in his throat. _Again, oh good god, no, never again. I could never face the guard again, or Caius. God Caius! No. No way_.

Aro's thoughts were jumbled and rushed, but the sentiment was clear to his father. _I'_ _ve made my point, then_. He thought. Basileus hoisted his son from his position as they both noticed the damage on Aro's throne from his valiant grip on the arm rests.

"I will have it repaired." Aro said quietly as he attempted to regain his composure.

"No. Leave it. Hopefully it will remind you to do better." Basileus told his boy, though his tone was not unkind.

As Aro got his breathing under control, Basileus banged on the throne room door. When a frightened guard unbolted it, Basileus shooed him away so he could leave with his son without a scene.

Aro woodenly walked along behind his father ... it was certainly cold walking in the shadow of the creator rather than in his usual position at his side. When they were safely inside the privacy of their tower stairwell, Basileus slammed his son into the wall, pressing his bloodied back into the stone work. Aro winced and hissed but Basileus glared at him until he stilled himself.

"Get your house in order, Aro." He said simply before heading into his own chambers.

 _Understood, loud and clear_ , Aro thought before slowly making his way up the stairs.

Coming back to the present from his biting memory of his hideous punishment at the hands of his father, Aro re-entered the room containing his two errant vampire children and asked his sons, "did you hear that?"

Both confirmed they had. They looked quiet and calm now, leaning up against the cold stone wall

"I am putting my neck on the line for you two, I think I deserve just a modicum of respect for that, if nothing else!"

"We are sorry Aro, we will do as Caius bids from now on." Demetri answered for the two of them. Felix nodded along with his brother, but didn't answer.

Aro was so pissed off with his disingenuous sons that he ordered them to go to bed. They complied, though the huffs and sighs nearly drove Aro mad on his way up to the top floor suit as he followed behind them.


	33. Pushed Too Far!

**PUSHED TOO FAR!**

Aro's head spun around when he heard the tower door to his chambers open. "Where have you been my queen?"

Sulpicia came into the main quarters with her young vampire children following. She removed their cloaks and they went to their room to fetch their things. Sulpicia looked radiant with excitement, "we went for a hunt Aro - it was exhilarating!"

"What!" Aro shot up out of his chair, "what do you mean you went for a hunt? Where?"

"Aro calm down, you can see they are fine." Basileus' words were kind but his tone offered a warning to his son. Aro caught it - 'back down'.

Sulpicia smiled sweetly at her husband and brought his hand to her cheek.

Aro saw his dear wife and the twins leave the castle grounds, his stomach twisted as he watched them enter the tree line at the close woodland on the edge of the town. He was impressed seeing his delicate wife take down a wolf.

"My dear queen, you were magnificent!"

"Our little ones taught me what to do, they are quiet amazing you know, Aro." She smiled over to her twins who'd returned with their game.

"As are you, my queen."

Sulpici kissed him lightly and left for her bed chamber. "I'm going to read a while, my love," she called over her shoulder as she left. "Gentlemen," she added with a cute curtsy.

Retaking his seat with his brothers and father, Aro smiled to himself.

"Are you okay, Aro?" Basileus asked. He was curious as to his sons smile. A few months ago hearing his wife was out in public would have caused a vicious rage.

"I really am father. Sully, well, she's come alive these past few months. I am finding new things to love about her every day!"

The twins shared a relieved smile and returned to their game of jacks on the floor in front of the roaring fireplace.

"I'm proud of you son, you've come so far."

Aro's heart swelled a little. Taking up his cards he made his next move.

"El, if we are all here, where is Carmen?" Basileus asked, he had assumed she would be with Sulpicia.

"She is visiting with Marcus."

Aro smirked to Carlisle, who winked in return.

"And you aren't worried, brother?" Aro asked playfully. Eleazar rolled his eyes.

"Aro, stop it!" Basileus wanted to put this to rest before it started.

"What? I was only asking if he was worried at all, you know ... with his new mate ... alone with another man ... a recently widowed man ... "

Basileus had heard enough.

"OW!" Aro exclaimed as he received a crack around the head.

Carlisle burst out laughing. "OW!" He got one too.

Eleazar just shook his head, as it happened, he wasn't worried at all. He trusted Carmen entirely.

"Leave him alone!" Basileus ordered. They quietly returned to their game but Aro and Carlisle exchanged a knowing look, they would wind their brother up later when their father was out of the way.

Aro's eyes kept passing the grand clock by the cloak rack.

"Are we taking up too much of your time, Aro," Carlisle asked, sincerely.

"Of course not brother. Felix and Demetri should have returned by now, their patrol finished an hour ago."

Basileus used his gift to sense the thoughts of those in the castle, he caught onto Felix and Demetri quickly, "They are on their way back here, Aro. They've run into some trouble with Caius, by the sounds of it."

"What has Caius done?" Eleazar voiced Aro's concerns.

"Nothing," Basileus replied to Eleazar, "he's angry though, and intends to inform you of your boys insolence, Aro."

"What have they done then?" Aro was getting irritated now.

"Ask them yourself, they will be here momentarily." Basileus played his card and nudged Carlisle to continue their game.

Soon enough they heard Felix's booming laughter approaching. Demetri was telling him to 'shut the fuck up' rather loudly, too!

As they entered the room Aro addressed them without looking up from his cards. "These walls aren't as thick as you think, Demetri. You would do well to curb your language before entering this room." Aro spoke gently, but Demetri heard the warning.

Felix continued to laugh at his brother's expense whilst hanging his guard cloak next to Sulpicia's. Demetri was getting pissed off now. Felix had been mocking him since their little altercation with Caius.

"I cannot believe how stupid you were, what were you thinking?" Felix managed to ask through his laughter.

"Just shut up, will you! What am I going to do ... do you think Aro knows?" Demetri replied quietly.

Though the four playing cards were making enough noise to drown them out at this point, Eleazar was accusing Aro of trying to read his thoughts when they reached for the deck at the same time, and all were convinced Basileus' winning streak was due to his unfettered access to his sons' minds.

"You can't do anything, brother." Felix replied. Placing his hand on Demetri's shoulder he continued with a smile, "You're screwed!"

Demetri feigned hurt, "you're enjoying this far too much Felix!" Demetri steeled himself to walk around the corner and into the main room.

"Move, you pussy!" Felix shoved him forward and rather than passing through as a church mouse and hiding in his chambers as Demetri had hoped, he spilled flat out into the middle of the room - like an idiot. Felix, as usual, had underestimated his own strength and followed his brother and landed on top of the smaller vampire with an almighty "oomph!"

"Welcome home, boys!"

Both Felix and Demetri scrambled to their feet and nodded to Basileus. They made to leave but Aro's voice stopped them now, "and why are you so late returning from guard duties? I hope for your sakes you weren't in the guard hall again!"

Demetri looked frantically to his big brother, willing him to answer for them ... Felix was far more accustomed than Demetri with lying his way out of trouble.

"Of course not. We got caught up chatting with Caius." Felix breezed.

They both made to leave again, "and what did Caius want with you?"

 _Aro please leave it, please_ , Demetri's thoughts were plastered on his face, he looked like a squirming infant.

"Well, we're waiting ... " Aro stared them down. "You were on patrol, yes?" Aro continued, both nodded,

Felix had been in this position too many times, he knew Aro already knew full well what had happened. _How does he always know! Damn vampire father!_

Aro continued, "and you made your patrols, yes?"

"Yes sir," Felix answered immediately, Demetri searched the floor.

"I really hope you are not lying Felix ... and I strongly suggest you answer me soon, Demetri!"

 _Aro, your damn sing song voice isn_ _'_ _t fooling me_ , Felix thought as he audibly gulped.

Demetri stuttered to his answer, "y, y, yes sir, I made my patrol."

Aro studied his two vampire boys. They were lying through their fangs and he knew it. _What to do, what to do_ _…_ _should I end this now, or do I give you the rope to hang yourselves instead? Hmm._ Aro decided to play with his boys, "wonderful. I'm, glad to see relations are improving between you and Caius."

Carlisle and Eleazar shared a knowing look and quiet smile. _Teenagers!,_ came their unified thought.

Basileus, too, thought similarly to his sons. He was quite enjoying this - he was usually the one being lied to and having to deal with discipline. Being the amused bystander was a new one for him.

"What were you talking with Caius about boys?" He cruelly asked his 'grandsons' with a playful grin. They looked scared to death. _Good. Naughty little vampires should be scared!_ Basileus thought to himself. Kicking out a chair he called to the boys to join the game.

"N, no thank you we really should go to our chamber and rest," Demetri stuttered out.

Felix scrubbed a hand across his face and made his way over. _I haven_ _'_ _t done anything wrong, well, I might have mouthed off with Caius a bit, but I wasn_ _'_ _t the one caught mid-coitus with their latest conquest! Your scared shit-less stuttering has killed any chance you had of escaping from a hiding brother!_

Demetri was left in the middle of the room, alone, abandoned by my own brother, with both his new father and grandfather scrutinizing him. _Aro'_ _s been really slack with us since Didyme ..._ _perhaps he_ _'_ _ll let this slide? Though he and Caius are getting along better now. But still, he told Caius not to touch us, and he did grab me around the throat ... perhaps I should just tell him, he may even side with me?_

"Aro I need to talk with you, please." Demetri gestured to the hallway leading to their chambers and the terrace.

Aro's smile widened and he tapped the seat next to him. "Go ahead."

"No, I mean, I need to talk with you in private. Please, Aro." Demetri responded, there was no way in hell he was saying anything while seated at that table!

"SIT!" All humour was gone from Aro's face.

 _Fuck fuck fuck!_ Demetri didn't want to piss him off right now ... he still hoped to get him on side.

Taking the seat, Demetri looked at his father, grandfather and uncles. They all stared at him intently, waiting.

"Share your news with us son." Aro sat back in his chair, he was so tempted to read the boys thoughts but waited to see if the lies would continue first. "If Caius has hurt you I will tear him apart - is that what happened?" Aro was lying now, he already knew from Basileus, and could see for himself that Caius hadn't laid much more than a finger on him.

Demetri saw this as his chance and took it. "Well, he has pulled me about a bit ... " Looking up at Aro with his puppy dog eyes, he continued, "he's the reason we are late, he wouldn't let us go. Caius was giving me a round of fucks ... Erm, ouch!"

Aro slapped his boy across the back of his head, hard!

"Sorry, Caius was lecturing me about being too close to the other guards, and Felix waited for him to finish with me before we came back. That's why we were late. Sorry, sir."

Aro looked his boy up and down, he didn't look as though Caius had pulled him around, "you do not appear harmed, your clothes are not torn ... " Aro was going to continue but the laughter Felix was stifling erupted from the boy, he had venom tears rolling down his face. Demetri shoved his oafish brother and with Felix too consumed with his own laughter he fell from his chair and crashed to the floor. Felix, forgetting where he was, or more importantly, who was around, lunged at Demetri. They were growling at each other and rolling around the floor within moments.

Aro lifted a snarling Demetri from the fight, with Basileus doing the same to Felix. Eleazar and Carlisle looked on, vaguely amused, as did the twins who had abandoned their game for the floor show their brothers were putting on. Before Aro could reprimand his sons, the main door to their private chambers came alive with hard knocking. Eleazar excused himself to answer the door and quickly returned with a furious Caius.

"I see they are being as much trouble for you as they were for me, Aro." Caius said pointedly.

The boys were dropped to the floor but quickly scrambled to their feet.

"Dear Caius, perhaps you could shed some light on what these two have been up to. According to Demetri, you have been, what was it Demetri? 'Pulling him about', though I do note there isn't a mark on either him or his clothes ... which apparently, according to Felix here, is an hysterical things to even say…" Aro winked at Caius who was relieved to see Aro hadn't believed the insolent brats - for a change.

"I suppose I have been pulling him about, he's telling you the truth, Aro. Perhaps you would like to expand on that, boy?" Caius directed to Demetri, who looked as though he was going to throw up his last feed!

Turning to his father he said, "He thinks I am too close to some of the other guards." Crack! That slap from Aro nearly took his head off, and looking up he was greeted with Caius' smug grin. _Prick_ _!_ Demetri thought to himself.

"Try again!" Aro simply sang out, denoting little of the seriousness of the scene.

"I, I was too close to other guards, sir." Crack! "Ahhhh!" That one landed on his backside with considerable force. Demetri was humiliated at being punished before so many onlookers. Caius' smug grin widened.

"Demetri, I do not believe for a moment that you were simply 'too close' to another guard. So do try again - we can do this all night if you wish?" Aro spoke coolly as he played with the rings on his hands and started taking them off one by one, placing them on the table for safe keeping.

"Why are you taking those off?" Demetri asked, fearfully.

"I don't want to damage them when I give you the thrashing you have coming." Aro replied with a sickly sweet smile.

Demetri was incensed! _How could you do this to me, Aro. I had asked to speak to you in private, this is unnecessary and so embarrassing!_ "I, I, I may have missed the end of a patrol because I lost track of time chatting to some other guards, honestly that's all! Caius thought something else was happening but it ... Ahh, ah, AHH, ahhh, AHH!"

Aro listened to his son but watched for Caius' reaction. At the final incredulous scoff from his coven mate, he unleashed a harsh series of smacks to his young vampire's hide. The twins giggled from the far side of the room and a very quiet "idiot" was heard from Jane before Carlisle went and sat with them and suggested, unless they, too, wanted to join in fully, they should be very quiet.

"Caius, perhaps you could help the boy, he clearly cannot remember the events of the day!"

Aro smiled at Caius who was enjoying being 'on-side' again. His relationship with Aro had vexed him for some time, though he would never admit it. Since Aro regained his authority of the Volturi, things had improved between them immeasurably. _These two though ... they are still swaggering around the castle like the untouchable heroes they believe themselves to be_ , Caius thought to himself. He even considered embellishing the tale a little, but realized quickly after he started there would be no need, "I was performing a spot check on the patrols this week ... we've had a few issues with some guards believing they were above my order, would you believe it Aro?"

Aro looked sideways at his errant sons who desperately tried to avoid his eye.

Caius continued, "so I thought it prudent to do these checks. Demetri was absent for the latter part of his final patrol. Again. When I found him, well, I found him in the dungeons with his latest newborn conquest. His insolence and blatant disrespect were totally unacceptable! I had to drag him off the girl, and no, his clothes wouldn't have suffered any damage - he was not wearing any! Whilst giving him a dressing down, Felix joined us and informed me that I had no power over them. I must say Aro, since we lost your dear sister I believe the coven has come together and improved, I have made no fuss about changes in duties and responsibilities, but, the way these two, and it is only these two, are behaving is deplorable and lacking the standard of a Volturi guard." Caius finished his tirade and offered his hand to Aro so he could read his thoughts.

Aro waved it away, "I believe you Caius, and may I thank you for speaking so openly."

Aro stalked around the room trying to release the frustration he felt. He knew Caius spoke the truth. His disappointment in his sons had gone past displeasure, now he was livid. _But what to do? Should I punish them here, in this room, now?_ He wanted to. _Should I calm down first ... I don't want to calm down, but should I?_ _They have brought this on themselves_ _…_ _and they lied to me, repeatedly._ Though he knew that he'd played with them a little whilst they tangled themselves up. _Why didn't Basileus tell me before they came back up here? I assumed, as he wouldn't say what they had done, that it couldn't be anything too bad._

Aro laid a hand on Felix's neck and read his thoughts. Seeing the altercation with Caius where Felix, in his arrogance and to Aro's disgust, cursed at Caius and pushed him backwards by his chest whilst insisting he couldn't do anything to them, or he'd be decapitated. Felix hung his head, ashamed. Aro could feel his boy shaking under his grasp. "Do you want to repeat that!" Aro spoke loudly and darkly to Felix now.

"W, w, what, sir?" Felix was genuinely baffled as to what Aro was reading inside his head.

Giving his boy a rough shake so he cowered a little, "Repeat what you said to Caius, a master of the Volturi, when you, you arrogant wretch, thought you could tell my brother not only how to do his job, but that his orders WERE BELOW YOU!" Aro roared at his boy. "SPEAK!" he growled out as his forced Felix down to his knees.

"I, I, erm, I mean, well, I said something like Caius was an evil cunt and, erm, that if, erm, he touched us you'd throw him from the wall yourself, Aahhh! HISS!"

The two rapid slaps to the back of his head made him dizzy. "Continue!" Aro ordered.

 _Fuck_ , thought Felix, but he continued, he didn't dare not, though he knew this next part was certain doom, "I might have said that Basileus was looking for a reason to rip Caius to pieces and laying a finger on us would be enough ... hiiiiissss," Aro dragged his son to his feet by the scruff of his neck and threw him towards his own father. Basileus deftly caught the boy who looked up, wide eyed and terrified.

Basileus grinned menacingly at the errant youth in his clutches, but chose to speak to Caius, "Caius, your restraint is impressive, well done. Believe me they will suffer much more this way."

Basileus was genuinely quite proud of Caius. A few months ago he would have attempted to tear the boys in two, witnessing him turning them over to Aro as he had - he was pleased. It showed Caius was sure not only of his own position, he knew Aro would deal with the brats, but also of Aro's position, and didn't overstep that invisible line in the sand. He was still going to belt Felix, but he was pleased to see an end to the troublesome power struggle between the Volturi masters.

"Thank you, my lord," Caius bowed his head respectfully towards Basileus, and continued to Aro, "I assume I can be assured their insolence will be brought to an end, Aro?"

Aro smiled at Caius, "Of course," brother, I will send them to you at sunrise. Perhaps you can find some cleaning duties to keep them occupied for me?"

Both boys, clearly forgetting themselves, 'huffed' in disgust to such menial work - receiving a clout from Aro and Basileus. Caius said his goodbyes and left, beaming smugly - and for once, all adults in the room thought him justified.

"You two should go see your mother," Carlisle whispered to the twins, giving a little nudge to get them going. They wanted to stay so badly but they weren't the disrespectful type - they did as they were told, generally. They went to Sulpicia's bed chamber and closed the door behind them. Sulpicia was pacing the room; hearing what her dear Demetri had done, and how disrespectful Felix had been, _tensions are only just easing and those boys have to go stir up a holy hell of troubles!_ Yes, she was annoyed with her boys.

Jane sat on the over-sized, high posted bed and held Sulpicia's discarded copy of Chaucer out to her mother. "Will you read to us?" she asked sweetly. Alec joined Jane on the bed and waited eagerly to be entertained. Sulpicia could see they all still had an ear on the door and some distraction was definitely needed. She climbed to the middle of her two 'good' children and began reading, hoping to drown out any sounds from her 'naughty' vampires in the main room. It wasn't long before they were lost in the pilgrims' tales, but were all too soon disturbed when Aro flung open the door.

"My queen." He spoke a little more sternly than he'd intended, but the rage was flowing through him now and like a man on a mission he stalked to the large dresser. Ripping the bottom drawer from the unit entirely and leaving it on the ground, he retrieved the strap and just as quickly left the room - slamming the heavy door behind him.

Throwing the strap to Demetri's feet, Aro ordered him darkly, "take that to your chamber and wait."

The boy vanished from the room, strap in hand. Reaching the chamber he shared with Felix, he placed the dreaded implement at the foot of his bed and sat beside it. _I should enjoy sitting, it won_ _'_ _t happen again for a while_ , he thought gloomily. He was grateful for the privacy though, something Felix apparently wasn't going to be afforded by Basileus. The first smack Demetri heard from his room shook the floor. _Is that just his hand?_ Demetri felt bad for his brother. _Felix only had the opportunity to mouth off at Caius because I was down there in the dungeons in the first place_. The repeated strikes Demetri heard coming from their main living room were as strong as the first. _I'_ _m so sorry brother_ , he thought as he cringed with each booming slap.

Felix desperately tried to hold it together; Aro was pacing scarily close and looked beyond pissed with his boys. _Yeah, but you sent your little Lothario off so now you can just be pissed off at me, great! I_ _'_ _m going to cut your cock off for this Demetri - it lands me in more trouble than it does you!_

Basileus held him by his left bicep. Felix's muscles usually rippled but they felt like putty in Basileus' strong hands. With his right hand he tore the clothes from the boy's backside. Holding little back and affording the boy no privacy what'soever, he rained down terror on the Felix's insolent hide.

"You dare to treat your elders in such a way, you are a disrespectful child and you will do well to mind your mouth in future, and don't you dare EVER use my name to save your shame again!" Basileus roared at Felix, who was squirming in his grasp - every single word was punctuated with a sharp smack to the back of the boy's legs.

Felix wailed in pain and Basileus roared in anger. After he finally stopped, Basileus turned Felix to face him. "Will I need to do that again?" he asked simply.

Felix desperately tried to respond through his ragged breathes but his damn voice wouldn't work.

"He really does have very little control over that mouth of his!" Basileus said to his sons.

Eleazar and Carlisle released a nervous laugh, even Aro smiled a little. They all added to Felix's shame.

"Try again boy, do I need to repeat myself?"

"N, n, no, no sir, I, I am" Felix tried again to answer but Basileus raised his hand to signal him to stop.

Looking at the tear stained vampire, he decided nothing more vocal would be gained from him at present. He pulled Felix close and rested his chin on his head. "You either lose your arrogance, or we will take it from you." He spoke quietly, but everyone in the room could make it out.

Releasing Felix from his hold, Basileus lightly slapped his cheek as he looked deep into the boys eyes. _I would rip Caius to shreds if he touched you, but you don_ _'_ _t need to know that right now_ , Basileus thought to himself. Then he left Felix standing there in the middle of the room to re-join Eleazar and Carlisle in the game of cards.

"Do you want dealing in, Aro?" Eleazar called to his stressed little brother.

"No, El, I'll miss this round. Do not touch my coins!" he called back, and then added, "I will know!" as he tapped his temple. Aro started walking to his son's bedchamber. Realizing Felix hadn't moved, he called to him to follow. He did. _All that hissing and gasping is nearly on par with Demetri_ _'_ _s theatrics!_ Aro thought.

Aro held the door open for Felix who walked past him tentatively, fearing further spanking. Aro laughed to himself as he closed the door.

"Felix sit!" Aro pointed to the hard wooden rocking chair near the heavily dressed window.

 _Oh man that_ _'_ _s going to hurt ..._ Felix looked longingly to his bed as he took his seat with a predicted hiss.

"Sit still!" Aro warned. Felix froze.

Assuring himself that his eldest was going to obey him, Aro turned to Demetri. Walking to the end of his bed he collected the strap he sent with his son when he'd dismissed him. Flipping it over in his palm he walked slowly to his boy who had retreated as far up the head board as possible.

"Please, I can explain…"

Aro held his hand up to the boys apologies. "No son, let me explain things to you! YOU are not to have sex with the damn newborns. YOU are to show respect to ALL your elders at ALL times. YOU WILL NOT LIE TO ME!"

Aro caught Demetri's ankle, pulled him down the bed and flipped him over in one swift movement. Once he was close enough, he took his son's arm and pinned him with it to the bed. Demetri fought and struggled but he couldn't go far in this position.

"I won't do it again! I promise you I won't do it again, please…"

Hearing the tirade of false promises spewing forth from his boy, Aro's anger was renewed. With as much strength as he dared, Aro brought his harsh leather strap down on his son's backside. Demetri wailed from the first strike, he always did. _If he thinks I_ _'_ _m going to go easier on him because he_ _'_ _s throwing a fit he has another thing coming!_ Aro thought as he gave his little Lothario a damn good hiding.

When he'd finished, Aro set the strap down on Demetri's table. "I'll leave this with you lads, you will no doubt need it again soon enough!"

Both Felix and Demetri shook their heads vigorously with shock and horror merging in their youthful features.

Aro simply smiled knowingly in response. "I think you two should get into your beds and try for some sleep." Felix looked ready to start his protestations; 'we're not children', 'it's not fair', which Aro generally found amusing but he wasn't in the mood for it today. Aro fixed his boy with a look that told him he was better to keep his mouth shut and get into his bed! He did, though Aro heard the dramatic sighs of his sons when he closed their door.

"I guess the free ride has ended then?" Felix whispered to his brother.

Demetri was just getting himself under control. "You think!" Demetri propped himself up on his elbow, "I'm sorry you got in trouble, brother." He said sadly to Felix.

Felix looked at the sorry state Demetri was in, "Don't worry about it," he said easily with a shrug, "I shouldn't have mouthed off to Caius, and besides, I got away with it last night!" Felix wiggled his eyebrows at Demetri and Demetri couldn't help but laugh.


	34. Mission Plans

MISSION PLANS

Caius and Aro had maps and scrawled out plans littering the meeting table in Basileus' quarters. Demetri had tracked the rogue vampire they'd release after the attack that took the life of dear Didyme. He had already been over and over the maps with Aro but the rogue clearly knew the intents of the Volturi upon his release. He must have also known about Demetri's tracking skills as he was moving around all over the south coast of France. Neither Aro nor Caius were happy about sending a mission to France in the first place, let alone without a direct plan of attack.

Caius was growing frustrated. "Aro I will need Demetri with me, there is no other way to find them."

Aro shook his head but honestly couldn't see another way of making this mission successful.

Caius, sensing Aro was wilting on the issue, decided to press him further, "will that be a problem?"

"Caius I just do not think he is old enough to ... "

Caius cut him off, "he has been on many missions before, Aro. What has changed?"

Of course Aro couldn't tell his brother in arms that in his mind Demetri was his son, and that he'd finally admitted to himself how he felt about his 'high guard'. "I was on those missions too, Caius. And I'm sorry to say it, but I don't know that I can trust you with his safety ... I know you do not value his gift as I do. I would hate to lose such a special talent." Aro lied, but convincingly. It was part of the truth really. He couldn't stand to lose Demetri, full stop.

Truth was Caius didn't relish having to take Aro's brat anywhere with him, but it was entirely necessary to the mission. "I will give you my word, on my honour, I will return your precious pet!"

Aro couldn't see a way forward without relinquishing his son to Caius' command.

"Fine. But you will take Felix too, and they WILL stay together Caius."

Caius thought about it. Having one of them was fine but they seemed to egg each other on to cause trouble when they were together. "If you want me to take them both I expect you to make damn sure they will take orders from me and behave, Aro. I won't risk insolence in the field brother. It could be disastrous. The last time I took Felix without you I ended up losing half my mission along with some talented guards because of his fucking about!"

Aro knew Caius was right. He truly hoped he could make his sons understand the seriousness of the situation. _I won_ _'_ _t be there to protect them, and more importantly I won_ _'_ _t be there to control them either_.

Aro steeled himself for what he was about to say, "I will ensure they know who's in charge before they leave, brother. And of course, if you need to discipline them while you are in charge, I will allow it. I will make sure they know that too."

Caius raised his eyebrows, not having expected Aro to concede over discipline with the two whelps.

Aro qualified the 'discipline' he would allow. "I trust you understand how I discipline them - I expect you to follow my lead on that IF you are forced to do so!"

 _IF_ _,_ Caius thought mockingly, _like they won_ _'_ _t do their level best to fuck about and piss me off!_

Caius understood though, no ripping off any limbs. It was simple enough. He could whip them old school if that was his only option.

Aro continued with his final condition, "if you return without one of them you'd be better not to return at all!"

Caius nodded curtly. _Damn little princes._ "You really are too attached to your pets, Aro, but of course, I will return them to you. We will be in battle though; I hope you understand that." Caius was honest, and he knew Aro was sincere too, he wouldn't dare return without them both.

Aro considered his sons in battle without him, the thought turned his stomach, "I certainly do know what a mission entails, having been in a great many battles myself, Caius. I want you to take them, and I want them returned. That is all."

Caius nodded again. Whatever Aro's fascination with those arrogant little arseholes was, he understood it enough to know it would ruin their coven if Caius was to lose one in battle. "I wish you were coming on this mission, Aro. It would be easier if you were there."

Aro sat back in his chair and released a sigh, "I agree with you there Caius, but Marcus cannot be left to hold the coven anymore. I fear we will be in this position more often than not in the future."

Caius mimicked Aro's position and sat back in his chair, too. Leafing through the documents they'd spread about the table, he thought on Aro's words. "Then we must begin to make plans for ... "

"Caius, I cannot replace him, WE cannot replace him. He is still far too useful to us. We need his gift." The idea was despicable to Aro. Marcus was still his brother-in-law and he would not dispatch him like a wanton guard.

"Do we, Aro? It was useful in battle, we could see who to take out, who to threaten ... but now. Can you see Marcus ever being in battle again? I think he would offer himself up for the taking to any opposing side just to end his grief."

Aro agreed with Caius. He didn't want to, but he did.

"Would you really want to replace him, Caius? After all this time?"

Caius thought carefully. Truthfully no, he didn't like the idea any more than Aro, but their coven needed strong guidance and Marcus was no longer in that position. "No, no, not replace him, but we must think of the future - we are vulnerable now. We have lost him, Aro. Perhaps Eleazar could ... "

Aro held up his hand to stop Caius and smiled coyly, "you know neither of my brothers have the stomach for the life of a Master of the Volturi, Caius. No, I wouldn't feel any safer leaving the coven in their hands whilst we were away - Carlisle would give every rogue that walked through the door a free pass, regardless of their crimes!"

The two shared a smile that soon turned to laughter. Aro was reminded of all the good times he'd shared with Caius. _Things could never be as they once were, but if I could get Felix and Demetri to toe the line a little more carefully things with Caius could be repaired, surely_ , he thought.

"Look, Aro, I am just saying we need to find someone willing and able to hold the castle when we aren't here ... there will come a time when we need to leave together, and when that time comes we should be prepared." Caius spoke calmly; he wasn't often calm and rarely thought of plans that didn't revolve around killing something.

"I agree, brother. I will talk with Basileus, perhaps he knows of someone suitable." Aro thought of something to wind up Caius, he seemed in good spirits enough to take it, "I have the perfect solution brother, let us train Felix and Demetri ... "

"ARO!" You had better be joking, Aro! Are you smiling?! You are joking, you bastard! And you call me an evil cunt!"

Aro fell about laughing at that and Caius soon joined him.

Aro returned to his quarters, dropping the pile of map rolls on the marble table as he tried to listen for his sons. He needed to brief them about this mission.

"My love, have you finished with Caius?" Sulpicia came from her bed chamber and wrapped her arms around her husband from behind. She seemed so contented - Aro was dreading ending that contentment by telling his dear wife that he was sending her boys to battle ... without him.

"My Queen, I need to talk with you, where are the children?" That still sounded a little odd to Aro, he liked it, but it was, odd.

"Demetri is due back from guard any moment. Felix is, no doubt, waiting for him. He should have finished an hour ago, but is yet to return."

"And the twins?"

"They are training with Eleazar, I believe. What is it, my love? You look stressed!"

Aro offered his wife a tight smile. "Come and sit with me, my queen." Aro guided his wife to the sofa by the fire. She liked to sit there and read, so he hoped she may find it comforting.

"Aro, you are worrying me, what happened with Caius?"

Taking her hand gently, Aro decided to just come out with it. "Nothing happened with Caius, my queen. We discussed plans for the mission and it went very well. We have decided for Caius to head the mission and I will stay here to control the coven ... it seems only right as I am now overseeing the newborns and the wider guard. Demetri will be needed, of course. Caius will take him, and Felix and ... "

"Like hell he will!" Sulpicia ripped her hand back from her husband's and stood up in shock. "You would send our two YOUNG vampire boys off with Caius! You know how he feels about them! They will never return - you are sending them to their death! Aro, for god sake why would you agree to such a plan?!"

Aro knew this was coming and there was no way to avoid it. "Sulpicia, please. I would do nothing to endanger their lives. I have made it very clear to Caius it would not be in his interest to return without them."

"Not in his best interest! Aro! You are sending Caius off with our best guards! Our two sons! He won't need to come back - he will have enough to start a new coven on his own!" Sulpicia paced up and down the room, she was a virtual blur, traveling at vampire speed. "Aro do not do this, I have never resisted you, not really, but I beg you now, do not send them with Caius." She threw herself to her husband's feet and clutched at his hands in desperation.

"My queen, please, you have no reason to worry like this. They have seen many battles, they are trained for this, and they will want to go. Most importantly, if they do not take Demetri they will fail. Caius is the better general in battle, I have to concede that. If we cannot both go, and we cannot both go, then I trust Caius to do the job well. He will return, and he will bring them ALL back with him."

Sulpicia saw that Aro was resolved to his plans.

She had never questioned her love for him, but she found herself feeling true hatred at this moment. _If anything happens to either of them you will never see me or the twins again_.

Aro released his wife's hands, dumbfounded. "You know I heard that, don't you?" He was hoping to god it was a careless thought with no true intent!

"I hope you did. You will do well to think on it whilst they are away!" Sulpicia said calmly, too calmly. She rose and left for her chamber without a second glance to her husband.

Aro stood silently, leaning on the marble mantel above the fireplace, watching the flames licking at the wood. He heard the main door to their quarters open and then close, and what sounded like another tussle between Felix and Demetri. He looked at the fire again, there was hardly any wood left. _How long have I been standing here_! Shaking the memory of Sulpicia's parting shot from his head, he turned to his sons as they fell into the room.

"Oh! Aro, we thought you were with Caius still!"

"Clearly!" He eyed his boys who looked guilty. "What have you been up to? You were due back hours ago?" Aro added, as he noted the time. _I have been_ _'_ _watching fire_ _'_ _for three hours, and Sully hasn_ _'_ _t come out in all that time. She really is serious_. Aro felt his heart ache at the idea of his wife leaving him - it just wasn't natural for vampire mates to split. He couldn't comprehend how that would work, and that's probably why it worried him so much.

"We've just been hanging around with the other guards, that's all." Felix answered for them both, which was rarely a good sign.

"Hmm ... you both look guilty as sin. I had hoped we had gotten through to you two last week!"

Fixing them both with a no-nonsense glare, Demetri soon crumbled,

"Aro, we were just talking with the other guards after our shift, we weren't up to any bother."

"You haven't been up to no good with those newborns have you?" Aro asked his younger son.

Demetri offered his hand for Aro to read his thoughts. "I swear, no! No newborns, anyway," he said coyly.

"I have no desire to take a tour of your revolting world!" Aro said with a frown, as he waved off his son's hand.

"Just remember you have pushed me too far already. We are trying a new order of things under this roof but that does not mean I will become suddenly lax in my duty towards you ... either of you."

The younger vampires nodded along to his words. Aro wasn't wholly convinced they were on the same page though, frustratingly. "I need to talk to you both, take a seat." Aro gestured to the sofa before him and watched as his sons sat down, feeling amused at the frantic eyes shooting back and forth between them.

"Caius will be leading the mission to France to fight the rogue covens on their own turf." Aro announced.

The boys huffed in unison, though Felix spoke up of their disappointment. "Great, so we can't go then."

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to, we know what it means." Felix's mood was quickly deteriorating and Demetri's mood looked to be headed the same way. Aro really did not want to end in an argument before he'd had a chance to discuss the mission.

"Well, I wanted to know how you would feel going with Caius?"

Demetri finally spoke up, "are you serious?"

"Without you?" Felix checked.

Aro looked at his sons. _Am I really going to do this? I feel sick at the very idea but I cannot see a way around it_. "Yes I am very serious, deadly serious in fact. And yes Felix, without me. Listen to me, and listen good, I am putting myself on the line here. Sulpicia is dead against the idea and I am not sure whether Basileus would be any more positive. I am trusting you to behave, to be respectful towards Caius at all times, TO FOLLOW HIS ORDERS, and most importantly, to stay together."

They were quiet for a moment whilst Aro's announcement sunk in.

Demetri spoke first, "You are serious! You can trust us and we will be on our very best behaviour."

Felix joined his brother's happy chorus, "yeah we really will, and we will stay together, I wouldn't let anything happen to my little brother." Felix put a protective arm around Demetri, eliciting an eye roll from the latter.

"Just so you know, WHEN you come back ... if I find out that Caius has been forced to discipline either of you, it will be the last time you see outside these four walls ... and I will beat you senseless!"

The boys shot panicked looks between themselves. Felix spoke up, "Caius ... as in Caius ... will discipline us? But you said he wasn't allowed to ... "

Aro interrupted his son, "I know what I said, and around the castle he will always turn you over to me. But I won't be there and he has to have complete control over guards on missions, Felix. You should remember that from the last time you went with him and I wasn't there." Aro stared his boy down for a moment as Felix was reminded of the disastrous mission he had so monumentally fucked up. It was centuries ago, but the whipping he and the other cut ups received from Caius in the throne room upon their return was still imprinted in his memory. Seeing his boy's face turn grave, Aro continued, "this is serious, one guard going off doing what they like, not attending their post, not following exact orders puts the entire mission at risk. I cannot allow either of you to put the mission at risk. So, yes, if you disobey a single command Caius gives you, he will whip you ... and then I will when you get home! And I promise you this, it will make every other punishment you have ever received feel like love taps compared to what I will do to you!"

That had wiped the smiles from their faces. The two sat and contemplated the news that Caius could whip them ... it was almost certain he would find a reason to do so, whether they fucked up or not.

They heard Sulpicia cry out from the bed chamber she shared with Aro. The youths looked questioningly to their father.

"Sully really isn't okay with us going without you is she?" Felix said, sadly. He loved her, he didn't want to be the reason she was so upset.

Aro nodded deeply, "if anything happens to either of you, I won't be seeing her or the twins again."

Both the boys looked shocked to their core, the seriousness of the mission hit home. "I don't want to be the reason for anything bad happening between the two of you, Aro."

Aro closed the short space between the two of them and crouched down on his knees to meet Demetri's eye line, "then you had better make damn sure you come home in one piece ... and for the love of god you must do exactly as Caius commands you, exactly as he commands, do not fuck this up."

Demetri nodded along to Aro's words. He understood.

Aro turned to Felix who was grinning like a baboon. "That goes for both of you, yes?!"

"Of course! We will make you proud Aro, you can trust us." Felix seemed genuine enough to Aro.

"I expect nothing less, Felix." Aro stood back up and noted the time, he had to be in the throne room soon. "You two had better go in there and convince her you are capable of all this. Meet me in the throne room when you are done."

That dropped the smiles from their faces, but neither one wanted to risk Aro changing his mind so they chose, correctly, not to object.

"Aro, where are they?" Caius hissed at his brother in arms.

Aro checked the clock. He'd left Felix and Demetri nearly two hours ago. "Alec, go and see what is keeping Felix and Demetri."

Before Alec stood to leave on Aro's errand, the two young vampires entered the guard room. Aro waved Alec back to his seat and called his boys to his throne. _Whoa, you two look miserable!_ _Sulpicia can_ _'_ _t have been on at them this whole time, surely?_ Aro thought. Pulling the two of them in tightly he asked where they had been.

"Where have we been! We've had Sulpicia ranting at us for nearly two hours! And she slapped me twice!" Felix looked truly put out.

Aro raised an eyebrow to the news of him being slapped. "And, why exactly did you need one slap, let alone two?"

Felix looked offended now, "I didn't 'need' one, let alone two! I told her we would be fine and we have been on missions before and there was no need to be hysterical- and she slapped me!"

Aro covered his mouth with his hand trying to hide his laughter, "I have a lot to teach you about women, my boy!"

Felix pouted like a toddler.

"Do you both still want to do this? Now it is the time to back out if you wish to do so?"

"We are going!" Felix replied, strongly, for the two of them again, though Demetri looked resolved and in agreement, "My ears have been bleeding for two hours, and she slapped me twice, did I mention that! We are damn well going after taking all that."

Aro raised his hand to quiet his son, his hushed whispers were getting louder and louder.

"I will talk with Sulpicia later. For now you two need to fall in line and listen to your orders - and you would do well to add in some bow and scraping to Caius for good measure."

The boys laughed a little and went to take their seats at the table Caius was addressing. Before they got past Aro he reached out and grabbed their wrists, hard. "You understand the seriousness of this mission, don't you? You will not take a step out of line, do you hear me?"

Smiles gone, they both nodded. Aro eyed them hard but eventually released them. They made their way to Caius, rubbing the sting from their wrists and looking back to Aro warily as they did so.


	35. 1665, January - The Victorious Return

**AN:** I do not own the Twi world or characters, obviously. Thanks to SM for letting us play with them.

Thank you to my lovely beta and all you readers, reviewers, and messagers! :) Enjoy!

* * *

 **1665, JANUARY - THE VICTORIOUS RETURN**

Caius swaggered into the throne room, his entourage of guards piling in behind him, each dragging a captured vampire or two. This was Caius' biggest haul in a long time and he was buzzing! The rogue coven, or rather ... collection of covens, that had joined forces in order to overthrow the Volturi, had been hunted and decimated. The ones being crudely dragged into the throne room now were the leaders of those treacherous covens.

Aro smiled to his coven mate, impressed with his find. He looked through the assembling guard and sought out his own two sons, who had accompanied Caius on his mission. Felix, with his excessive strength, proudly and easily had three vampires under control. He looked okay, a few scuffs on his face and his tunic top was torn at his chest, but okay. Demetri looked worse for wear. Demetri was a skilled fighter, all Volturi guard were, but he was smaller than most full guard members. He was only fourteen, after all. He was holding his left arm closely across his chest. He looked a mess.

As she didn't want Demetri to go in the first place, Sulpicia was going to have something to say about this. 'He's far too young, and you are not even going to be there with him, Aro,' she had said to him. But, knowing the boy would not want to be left behind, Aro had argued his case, "Felix will be there, and I'll talk to Caius, he needs Demetri - there isn't a better tracker in the world than Demetri and this is what he trains for, my queen".

 _Yes, Sulpicia will have much to say_ , Aro thought, _however she hasn_ _'_ _t said more than two words to me in the month they have been gone ... and they weren_ _'_ _t nice words._ But _,_ right now he was just glad to see they had returned.

Catching Demetri's eye, Aro crooked his finger at his boy and beckoned him over. Demetri approached the throne steps, walking slowly and with a limp. Aro could see he was trying to hold it together.

"Come up here," Aro called quietly.

Demetri made his way to his father. Aro could hear Caius addressing the captives and the guards, but paid little attention to them right now. Taking the boy's damaged arm in his hands and manipulating it slowly, Aro heard his son hiss.

"You're hurt?" Aro spoke softly. As Demetri only just heard him, the rest of the room certainly couldn't.

"I'm fine, really." Demetri lied.

"What have you been told about lying to me?" Aro questioned with a smile.

"Okay, I can't move my arm, and my chest really hurts."

Aro could see the boy's chest had a gaping wound that had been leaking blood - his black guard tunic was sodden with it. Aro looked him up and down, "and your leg?"

"Just a scratch."

Aro watched his boy. He toyed with the idea of sending him back to their quarters, but knew Demetri wouldn't want to leave before things were finished with these rogue vampires.

"Okay, sit here." Aro stood and placed Demetri in his own throne.

Demetri was so shocked he didn't say anything - _no one sits in these thrones other than the masters of the Volturi, a guard has never sat in these chairs!_ Then it really dawned on Demetri. Everything Aro had said over the last year, they weren't just guards anymore, they were Aro's sons.

A few guards caught this gesture and began discussing Demetri's elevated status again. They could discuss what they liked for all Aro cared about them.

Caius looked over to the focus of the gossip, "He deserves that seat, Aro. We wouldn't have found them without him, he truly is a gifted boy!" Caius gleamed at Demetri, who nodded back awkwardly in reply.

Aro smiled at him, too. Demetri felt pretty proud of himself. He quite enjoyed the attention of the other guards too ... and he knew the news of him sitting in Aro's throne would spread around Volterra quicker than fire. _Felix is going to flip at this,_ he thought playfully.

Aro leaned over his son, placing a hand on each side of the throne arm rests. Demetri was pinned in place. "Did you behave?"

Demetri looked a little panicked now.

 _Well, that_ _'_ _s not a good sign,_ Aro thought.

"I did." The boy finally answered.

"You did ... but Felix did not?" Aro replied.

Demetri cast his eyes down into his lap. That answered Aro's question.

Aro walked around the guards and assessed their captives.

"So Caius, what do we know?" he asked his coven mate. "Is it who were thought?" Aro's questions were guarded, he didn't know the gifts these vampires possessed and he wouldn't risk his thoughts being accessed without his say so.

"We found 15 covens linked together at that cesspit where they were hiding ... ""

"WE WERE NOT HIDING FROM SCUM VOLTURI!" The vampire leader, already missing a leg & at the feet of Alexander, a lower ranking guard, roared at Caius' insult. He swiped at the guards around him. Alexander held him by his arms, which were crossed at his back. He raised his foot high and stomped down on the vampire's remaining leg, snapping it in two. Alexander smiled contentedly at the roar of pain his actions elicited.

"I can see you trained this one, Caius." Aro gestured toward Alexander. Caius joined Aro in light laughter, which seemed totally mismatched with the tension of the room.

Alexander wasn't sure if their laughter was a good thing or not but Caius winked at the young man when he saw the guy's agitation, immediately setting him at ease.

"Brother, you called for me?" Eleazar entered the throne room with Jane and Alec close behind. He knew Aro wanted him to divulge the gifts of these rogues. Before he had chance to speak another word, one of the vampires Felix was managing erupted into laughter.

"They call us unlawful, they call us rogues, and THEY have immortal children in their ranks!"

The vampire broke free from Felix who, due to the fact that he was holding two other vampires in his hands, couldn't defend himself against the outspoken vampire who aggressively clawed at his face.

Before anyone could react, and before even Aro could make it to his son's aid, the outspoken rogue dropped to his knees and shrieked in pain. Felix fell backwards and dropped the two vampires he was holding as they, too, fell to the floor and writhed in agony. The other captured vampires looked around for the source of their comrades' suffering. They looked to Eleazar, he stood smiling at the scene. Not at the suffering, that he didn't enjoy no matter how necessary, but at the bewildered look of these rogues who thought he was the source of pain.

Jane stepped forward, her eyes were fixed on the vampires held within her gift. As she walked towards them, she spoke dangerously and seemed far older than her young years.

"I am not an immortal child. I am a powerful vampire. My brother and I were changed when we were twelve, which is the legal age for turning a vampire from a human, as enforced by the Volturi."

She dropped the vampires from her burning. They lay on the floor, exhausted, but looked at this child with amazement.

"And as you are the ones screaming at my feet, you should be careful how you address me in future!" she added with a breezy voice, quite in the manner of her father.

Aro held out a hand and Jane happily took it, standing by his side.

Eleazar had made his way through the vampires in the room by the time Jane had finished her display. None of them had a gift of any remarkable note. A few with overly heightened natural vampiric ability, such as speed or strength, but nothing to match the Volturi's current resources.

"There's no one of use to you here, brother," he called to Aro, and turning to Caius added, "well done Caius, Basileus will be overjoyed. I assume the Romanians were at the heart of this?"

"You assume correctly, Eleazar," Caius replied, "though those slippery bastards, Stefan and Vladimir, were nowhere to be seen. They skulk in the shadows and play these fools like puppets - and the puppets love them for it! Damn ingrates!"

This time none of the rogues commented. They were quickly learning that they couldn't fuck around in this castle.

Aro walked over to the vampire that had attacked Felix. Well, he may not have attacked him, but he tried to, and there was no way Aro was ignoring that, though he was proud of his girl intercepting on her brother's behalf. Aro knelt down to the rogue vampire and gripped his head tightly in his hands. Aro whispered quietly in his ear, "No one touches my son." He pulled back just in time to see the vampire realize he was going to die, and then ripped his head off. Aro stood up and threw the decapitated head over his shoulder and into the middle of the throne room. As he dusted himself off, he winked at Felix, who smiled in response. _Don'_ _t smile too much just yet, son, I need to find out what you have been up to first,_ Aro thought as he made his way to Caius.

Pulling his brother in close, he whispered in his ear, "I'm relieved to see our whole guard returned brother. Did any of them give you any trouble?"

Caius understood what Aro was asking. Had he disciplined his precious princes?

"Antonio and Felix got into it, luckily before we arrived at the lair. I had to punish them both, Aro. I couldn't not."

Aro nodded, "I understand, Caius. What did you do?"

"Well I couldn't rip a limb off Antonio and not Felix,"

Aro felt his body stiffen and he held the breath caught in his throat, "so…" he prompted.

"So," Caius replied, "I gave them both a good hiding where they stood in the middle of all the other guards. Safe to say they were thoroughly humiliated and behaved for the rest of the mission ... though I intend to speak with Antonio now that we are back."

Caius and Aro looked over to Antonio, who was looking anywhere other than at the masters of the coven. He knew defiance on a mission would be brought up once they were back in Volterra. Felix looked just as skittish now that Aro had spoken to Caius.

"I will 'speak' with Felix too. Thank you, brother." Aro patted Caius' shoulder and then went to look around the rogues.

"What shall we do with the rest, Caius? Shall we end them now, or would you like to have them for a while?" Aro asked Caius, knowing what his coven mate would say before he finished his sentence.

"I will take them down to the dungeons, Aro. Let's see if we can extract any information from them before we finish them off!"

Aro simply nodded his approval and Caius started to lead the guards out of the room.

Felix went to scoop up the two vampires at his feet.

"No! You are done on this mission, Felix."

A few trailing guard's heads shot around at Aro's words.

"What! Why?" Felix responding so forcefully to a master had the guards stop dead in their tracks. "They are mine, I captured them, I'm taking them down!" Felix was full of bravado, he had earned it, he fought deftly in the brief battle and single handedly brought down the three vampires he'd dragged into the throne room.

Aware of Felix's rising emotions, and of the scene he was creating, Aro looked back to the four guards loitering to watch the display as their own rogues struggled in their grasps. They didn't look capable of taking two more. _Damn it,_ _Felix,_ he thought to himself. Aro took the closest vampire and tore his head clean off. Moving to the second, he did the same. Aro looked back to Felix, and fixing him with a stare that made the boys venom run cold, he gestured to the vampires, "Now they are dead, so no need to take them anywhere." Turning on his heel he called over his shoulder, "Come!"

Felix wanted to resist, he wanted to follow Caius down to the dungeons and then to the guard hall where the rest of the mission crew would celebrate their victories. He knew better though. Aro clearly wouldn't allow any of that. He stormed past Aro who was helping Demetri to his feet, he pushed past Eleazar and the twins, _fuck pushing El was a bad move,_ knocking Alec into the wall, _shit_ _, I didn_ _'_ _t mean to do that either!_ He kept storming anyway. Reaching their quarters, Felix slammed the door so hard behind him that the heavy oak splintered and fell from the hinges. _Fuck fuck!_ He didn't mean to do that either, but he was too far gone now - he was pissed! Aro had totally stolen his thunder, he'd ripped it away from Felix as easily as he'd ripped the heads off those vampires.

Sulpicia had been waiting in the main room for her family to return. Hearing the earth shattering thud of their strong defensive door scared her - and the look on Felix's face hardly set her worries at ease! Not that he talked to her, he walked straight past her, blatantly ignoring her questions and headed for the terrace.

Felix paced back and forth across the terrace. _Why the fuck couldn't I go! If this is the joy of being his son, he can stick it! I don't mean that, I just want him to let go of the reins a little._ _Aro forgets I_ _'_ _m a grown man, he sees me as a child. That_ _doesn't even make sense! I am twice the size of half the guard, and I am the strongest of them all! But I_ _'_ _m not old enough to celebrate at the end of a mission? How does that even work?_ _Aro keeps lumping me into the same category as the twins! Demetri may need that sort of care, I do-fucking-not!_ Felix thought back to his very early days with the Volturi. His newborn year should have been spent in the dungeons and training with the other newborns, but Aro had pulled him out on his first day in Volterra and he'd mostly trained the boy himself.

 _Has he ever allowed me to go with the rest of the guard?_ Felix thought hard. He remembered a few times where he had gone along to the guard hall celebrations, but Aro had also been there on those occasions. _Yeah, and taken me home at bed time for fuck sake!_ The bruin thought moodily. _Even in the great hall celebrations where the whole coven is invited,_ _I'_ _m kept on a short leash. Even the fucking newborns get pissed and I have to sit on the sidelines hoping Eleazar will pass me a few glasses of wine. It_ _'_ _s not fair! It_ _'_ _s embarrassing!_ It was true, at the big bashes where the full coven was invited to celebrate, Felix and Demetri were allowed to mingle with the guards but both were regularly called back to Aro for one thing or another - he kept a very close eye on them.

There was always a lot of alcohol at the guard parties, and even more at the celebrations thrown by the masters, but Felix had only managed to get drunk a handful of times since he'd been turned. _Yeah, and Aro had gone ballistic every time,_ he remembered. _'_ _You put yourself at risk if you can_ _'_ _t protect yourself, and you can_ _'_ _t protect yourself if you are intoxicated!_ _'_ _That_ _'_ _s what Aro had said, every time, as he beat my ass! He has never said why, though! Why is it okay for him, for the whole of the fucking guard, but not me or Demetri? We work as hard as everybody else! Well, most of the time!_

Felix booted the terrace wall in frustration, but he didn't stop there, he kept kicking and punching until the terrace wall had reduced from waist height to a level floor of rubble! When he ran out of wall to smash Felix realized what he had done. _Fuck!_ Sinking into the floor, venom tears spilled over his eyes as he heard their quarters fill with the rest of his family.


	36. The Dungeons

**THE DUNGEONS**

Aro reached the door to their private suite. The door, of course, was leaning precariously from its lower hinge. _I'_ _m going to kill him!_ Aro thought. He was so pissed off, he kicked the heavy wood free of its catchment and stood it up against the wall.

"Deal with this later, Aro, it's not important right now." Seeing that Aro was already on his last nerve, Eleazar spoke softly to his brother.

"Oh I will, brother, no doubt about that!" Aro was a little louder than he'd intended and his voice alerted Sulpicia to their presence.

"My love, what has happened?"

"Felix, he just ... he's possessed! What have you done to Demetri?!" Sulpicia's words rushed from her mouth.

Her first concern was their rampaging eldest, but now that Aro had brought their broken Demetri staggering into the room, battered and bruised, her attention turned to him.

"I will deal with Felix later, my queen. Demetri needs tending to first."

He was deflecting, she knew it, but her motherly instinct took over and she helped their boy to his room.

"Alec, fetch Carlisle, he will be with Marcus. Take him to Demetri - he needs cleaning up and his wounds will need wrapping." Aro spoke quickly to his youngest boy, and Alec left just as quickly, partly relieved to escape the tension of the room. Aro watched him go and turned to Jane. Moving close to her, he cupped her delicate face in his strong hands. "Your gift is magnificent but it depletes your resources. You must rest now, yes?"

Jane answered with an exhausted smile and made for her bed chamber, her eyes half closed as she walked.

Eleazar had taken a seat already and Aro flopped down next to him.

"You know you need to talk to Felix, brother."

"I know, El, but I have been through this with him so many times. I don't want them down in those dungeons. I know what Caius does down there, there's limbs flying everywhere, I've seen him flay his victims until their bodies ran out of blood! I don't want them around that. They are too young."

Aro was being genuine, but Eleazar had to make sure of something first. "This isn't because you have changed the order of things around here, is it brother?"

"What? No El, I have never allowed them to go to the dungeons. Or the guard parties for that matter - unless I am there, you know that!"

Eleazar nodded. It was true. Aro had always kept them behind, or attended with them and kept them on a short leash. "So you are going to go with them then, yes?"

Aro didn't commit to an answer.

"Aro, you can't not go! Caius has brought down the largest threat of the century to the stability of this coven, there will be great celebrations and your sons deserve to be there!" Eleazar realized his voice was hitching a little too high and he added quietly, "Aro, these rogue vampires invaded our castle walls, they cost you your sister."

Aro stiffened at that last part, and his heart ached. _I'_ _m hardly over her loss, I_ _'_ _m not ready to celebrate anything right now. But, Caius will see it as a slight if I don_ _'_ _t allow the guards to have their fun to commemorate their achievements ... and it would be noted if I didn't make an appearance. I could intervene; host the coven celebration before the guards had chance to_ _arrange their own. But it would have to be such a huge celebration, there will be a feast of course, and as much wine as we can lay our hands on ... Felix and Demetri performed their duties so well, I can_ _'_ _t deprive them of attending, can I? They will look weak if they don_ _'_ _t attend,_ _but they will look weaker if they attend and have to leave at bed time._ Aro chuckled lightly at his last thought. _I'_ _m lucky Felix can_ _'_ _t read my mind!_ He thought to himself. Releasing a deep sigh he finally replied to his brother, "You're right, El. Fetch him will you, I'll talk to him."

Eleazar clapped his brother's knee as he stood and went to find his nephew.

"Felix, are you out here? Whoa!" Eleazar called out as he entered the terrace ... and then he saw the wall, or lack thereof.

Felix looked up at his uncle form his seat on the floor, his legs were bent and his hands lay on each knee, blood dripping from the splits in his knuckles. He looked quite pathetic, and they both knew it. Eleazar took a seat on the floor next to the sad looking wretch.

"So, you won?" Eleazar gestured to the debris that was the terrace wall and his light laugh lifted Felix's mood just enough for him to raise a smile.

"Yeah, I beat the wall," he laughed a little, "but Aro's going to beat me, I guess!"

Eleazar nudged the dejected boy with his shoulder, "You should think a little more highly of him you know, he's not an ogre, Felix. He wants to talk with you about attending the celebrations."

"What's to talk about, HE won't let me go! Not properly anyway." Felix sounded every bit the angry teen he truly was.

"Well if you talk to him with that attitude, you will be right! Look Felix, you want him to treat you like a man and, quite simply my boy, men don't act like this." Eleazar wasn't meaning to be cruel, but Felix had to pull himself together before he spoke with Aro.

Felix's temper was rising again, "Since he decided to play happy families, I have been demoted - it isn't fair!" _God, I sound whiny, I sound like Alec!_ Felix thought, his anger turning on himself now.

"Felix, have you EVER been allowed in the dungeons when Caius is working?" 'Caius working' was the euphemism they all used to mean Caius was being an evil cunt to captured vampires, and sometimes to the failed guards. "Well! Have you?"

Felix shook his head and spat out a very pissed off "No."

"And I know your attendance at the celebrations has ALWAYS depended on Aro's attendance ... " Eleazar added.

Felix nodded and growled out his "Yes."

"Do you still think you have been demoted? Felix?"

"No! No, I know I haven't but for fuck sake I want to join in with the rest of the guard! I want to finish my job with the vampires I caught, I want to go to the celebrations and get drunk, I want to join in, properly, like all the other guards!" Felix rambled and Eleazar wasn't entirely sure whether the boy was speaking to him, or to himself.

"You should take your complaints to your father, but I suggest you quit whining if you want him to take you seriously." Eleazar stood up and looked down at his nephew. Felix had nodded to reply but didn't move. Reaching down, Eleazar took his nephew by his battered hands and pulled him to his feet. "Go and talk to him." He told him softly.

"What about this ... " Felix gestured to the terrace scattered with misplaced stone rubble from the wall he'd smashed.

"I'll clean it up, we can deal with this later."

"Thanks." Felix replied, shyly.

Eleazar smiled, then smacked him across the back of his head!

"Owww! What was that for?!" Felix asked while rubbing the stinging spot.

"Shoving me and Alec in the throne room" Eleazar replied with a laugh. "Go, now, or you will be cleaning this up yourself!" Felix threw his hands up in mock surrender and left the terrace to face his father.

"Aro?" Felix entered the main room but there was no one there. He could hear Carlisle talking to Sulpicia as they were dressing Demetri's wounds.

"I'm in here, Felix." Aro called from his bed chamber.

Felix steeled himself to face Aro, _I will not whine, I am a man, I want to be treated as such!_ Felix talked himself into being a man! Opening the door, he saw Aro relaxing on his bed, his skin sparkling in the sunlight flooding through the arched windows on the far side of the room.

Aro watched his boy standing nervously in the doorway, he noticed his hands, "What happened to those?" he gestured to Felix's fresh wounds.

Felix wasn't quite ready to tell him about his fight with the wall yet, "Erm, oh, nothing really."

Aro raised a questioning eyebrow but decided not to press him further, yet.

"Come, sit." Aro patted the bed next to him and Felix took his place and lay back into the pillows. He was so tired, and this bed was so comfortable ...

"We need to talk before you sleep, son." Aro could see his boy was ready to drop.

"I'm not tired!" Felix said indignantly, as if offended by the idea. Children slept, adult vampires did not sleep!

Aro chuckled at his boy's ire. "Okay, then. I'll start, I know Caius had to punish you ... you had better explain yourself."

 _Fuck!_ Felix thought, _fuck fuck fuck! I knew that_ _'_ _s what you were asking Caius about!_ "Antonio and I, you know we don't always see eye to eye. Caius totally overreacted." Felix was desperately trying to underplay the whole situation. "Caius hit me really hard." He tried Demetri's puppy dog trick ... it didn't work.

"Caius did not hit you really hard. I already checked." Aro had read Caius' thoughts as he explained in the throne room what he had done on the mission.

 _Shit._ Felix thought. "Well, it still hurt. And it was in front of everyone." Felix crossed his arms and looked like a sulking five year old.

Aro got up from the bed and started unbuttoning the cuffs to his shirt. As he rolled up his sleeves, Felix started to panic.

"What are you doing that for?" he asked his father nervously.

"I believe I told you before you left that if Caius was forced to discipline you I would be doing the same when you arrived home. I may be old but my memory is pretty perfect, son."

Felix freaked! "You don't have to do that! You don't have to though. I learned my lesson, I was good, I did well. It was just one time ... Aro, please!"

Aro ignored the protestations and moved around to his son's side of the bed. "Stand up."

Felix didn't move.

"NOW!" Aro demanded.

"Please Aro!" Felix still didn't comply, choosing to press himself further into the bed instead.

Releasing an annoyed sigh, Aro reached down and dragged his boy to his feet. Putting his left foot up on the bed he dragged his son over his knee. Felix hung precariously but dare not struggle. _This is exactly what Caius had done to me and Antonio ... you really had read Caius_ _' mind,_ Felix thought as the onslaught began. It didn't take long for Felix to start sobbing. His tears were partly frustration, Aro knew that.

"You are damn lucky Caius already punished you, and you had better quit this battle you have going on with Antonio. I'm thoroughly bored of the whole damn thing! Am I making myself understood?"

Each syllable Aro spoke was punctuated with a rather punishing swot. Felix just about managed to reply through his tears, "I understand, I'm sorry, I promise, please ... "

When Aro finally stopped and set Felix back on his feet, the punished vampire immediately went to rub out the burning sting in his backside. Aro shoved his son back onto the bed. "You can quit that right now! Sit back down - I haven't finished with you yet! That was nothing compared to what I promised you'd get, so think yourself lucky boy!"

Felix looked embarrassed. He was pretty pissed off too. _This isn_ _'_ _t fair,_ he thought gloomily.

Walking back around the bed, Aro re-took his place and Felix eventually settled down to lying on his side next to him.

Watching his son, who still seemed annoyed, Aro asked him, "what is going on with you?"

Felix thought how to phrase his argument so it didn't sound like an argument.

Aro surreptitiously laid his hand on Felix's forearm and saw the thoughts his boy was struggling to voice. _How do I tell him I_ _'_ _m not some little brat without sounding like a damn whiny brat? I know there_ _'_ _s no way he_ _'_ _s going to let me in those fucking dungeons when Caius_ _'_ _is working, that_ _'_ _s bad enough when every other fucking guard member is down there! What could be so bad about it? I_ _'_ _m not a child. Jane and Alec are children, I am not Jane or_ _Alec!_

Aro had listened to his son's rather colourful thoughts and wondered if they really had to have this conversation again!

 _I am going to those celebrations and I am getting drunk with everyone else damn it and I do not give a fuck what he fucking thinks_!

"OH REALLY!" Aro bellowed; he had heard enough.

As Felix wasn't aware Aro was reading his thoughts, hearing them being answered so loudly shocked him so much he nearly jumped off the bed!

Both now sitting bolt upright, Aro was staring Felix down, daring him to continue on his path.

Felix should have apologized, made an excuse, something! But instead, feeling the burning pain in his backside just made him more angry so he stood his ground and decided he was willing to fight this one out! He roared at Aro, "YES, I FUCKING AM!"

CRACK!

Aro slapped Felix so hard across his stupid mouth that a split opened on his cheek. It looked like fractured marble and his lip busted and spurted blood across the bed sheets. Aro jumped off the bed and backed up to the dresser. He tried to soothe himself with completely unnecessary breathing - he hadn't really meant to hit him that hard. Not that he would tell Felix that.

Felix hung his head into his lap and clutched his battered hands to his now battered face.

His hissing was relenting enough for Aro to talk and be heard, "You will never be treated as an adult Felix, here or anywhere else, you know why?" Aro didn't wait for an answer, "because you are a child! You may be a very large child, but you were changed at 16, you are 16, you will ALWAYS be 16. I will not keep explaining this to you - we have been going through this for 800 years!"

Felix was looking at him now. He couldn't think of an argument to that, he just stared Aro down with a filthy look.

"You would do well to show me some respect - wipe that look off your face!"

Felix simply narrowed his eyes, "What look?!" he spat.

"You really are begging for it, Felix. I'm not playing with you, if you need to me to take you down a notch or two I will, just keep up this attitude!"

Felix nervously swallowed his pride. Aro sounded dangerously serious ... _he always sounds like Basileus when he_ _'_ _s giving a round of fucks,_ Felix shuddered at his thoughts ... _no, a round of fucks from Basileus is on another level!_

"I'm sorry, sir."

Aro crossed his arms across his broad chest and watched his son. He looked a state - still wearing his torn up clothes from the mission with mysteriously bloodied knuckles and now a busted face! Aro thought about how he was going to get through to Felix without completely taking his pride or exposing his vulnerabilities to the rest of the Volturi.

"Felix, we will all be going to the celebrations, we always do, but if you stayed until the end the guard would see you tiring when they do not. You may be one the largest and strongest of them, but if they saw you as you really are you may lose their respect - that would put you in a dangerous position. You must see sense on this son."

Aro was trying to speak gently to his son, he knew Felix was struggling with this, and the centuries that passed only seemed to make it worse.

"But they know how old I am, that doesn't make any sense! They see Jane and Alec wandering the halls - no one has ever dared attack them and they ARE children!" Felix still didn't get it.

"The guard don't hurt Jane or Alec because they respect them, Felix, they fear their gifts."

Felix had his rebuttal ready, "Well, Demetri then, he's clearly a 14 year old vampire and no one threatens him!"

"I won't allow Demetri in the dungeons with Caius or to get drunk at the celebrations either! And I never have! For much the same reasons as I won't allow you - I don't want the guard to see your weaknesses because I don't want to risk your position and safety!" Aro was feeling exasperated now, but Felix's anger was raging again.

"But all the guard get drunk! You too! Why would I look any weaker than you? And how the fuck does my age make any difference in regards to working in the dungeons with Caius!"

"Rrrahhhhh!" Aro roared in frustration.

Felix reacted by ducking down submissively.

"Fine! Come with me then!" With that, Aro stalked out of the room with Felix quickly following. Aro didn't speak again until they reached the head of the stairwell down to the dungeons. Anguished screams filled the tensioned air between father and son. Aro looked at Felix, he looked so nervous. "Can you hear that?"

Felix nodded and carefully looked down the dark stairs as though he expected something to come rushing up them to attack. He had been in the dungeons many times before, but never during business hours.

The dungeons of Volterra were mainly used to house the newborn guards in their 'feisty' stage, but they served a higher purpose as Caius' torture rooms when required.

"Are you sure you want to go down there?" Aro asked his son, snapping Felix back to reality.

There was no way he was backing out now. _What the hell can be so bad? I_ _'_ _ve killed plenty of vampires and humans. Aro's stressing over nothing ... and going down there will prove it to him once and for all that he doesn_ _'_ _t need to protect me from anything!_

"I'm sure." Felix wanted to show Aro he was a man, but his nerves betrayed him in the sound of his voice.

Aro started to question himself again but this boy was so damn bull headed. _No, if he wants to see what goes on down there then who am I to stop him. At least he will stop whining about being excluded. Damn fool._

"Then put your public face on and go ahead." Aro gestured towards the stairs.

Felix swallowed the venom pooling in his mouth, set his shoulders back, and stood tall. He started his way down the dimly lit stairwell.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs and entering the dungeon rooms, Felix wasn't sure where to head. Screams were coming from every area and he couldn't work out where to go. Aro walked past him, knowing where Caius would be. Felix followed closely. Reaching the end of the corridor, they had passed all the rooms of the dungeons. Felix thought the old man was losing his mind as he stood pointing at the panel wall.

"Go ahead."

Aro pushed on the panel and revealed an entry Felix never knew existed. He was hit with a wall of noise, the screams they'd heard as they passed the other rooms were nothing on this. It was like entering into the depths of hell itself.

Felix had only made it a few steps in when he was splattered with something wet and cold. He wiped the liquid from his face and held his fingers up to his nose - vampire blood! He spun around, trying to work out what he was seeing, feeling like his senses were being assaulted. It was so hot! And the smell of burning flesh made him retch. His eyes were struggling to make out what was going on, the only light in the room came from the fire in the centre. A huge grill lay over the top of the fire and a screaming, thrashing vampire was chained on top of that. He was slowly cooking! Aro came up in front of him, Felix could see his lips moving but the screaming, the shouting, the begging, it was too loud. He couldn't hear Aro's words.

Aro left his son and moved around the room stuffing rags into the mouths of the screaming vampires. The screams where still audible, but muffled now. Felix tried to get his bearings.

"Felix! Good to have you here, boy." Caius approached the stunned youth with a beaming smile and dripping with venomous vampire blood.

It occurred to Felix that he had never seen Caius so happy, so animated! _Evil Cunt_ _,_ he thought.

"Caius, have we learned anything?" Aro asked his coven mate.

"Caius has a way to make his subjects tell him things they didn't even know to begin with." He commented to Felix before spinning around to face his approaching fellow master.

Caius spun around to face his approaching fellow master, "I have much to tell you!" He began to tell Aro the information he had extracted from the rogue leaders his successful mission had brought back.

As they walked away from Felix to discuss matters, Aro called over his shoulder.

"Felix, take a good look around, but watch your step!"

Felix nodded dumbly and looked to where Aro had gestured with his hand - that's when he noticed the collection of limbs scattered around the floor. They were mainly arms from what he could tell, some were still twitching. Refusing to allow any response to show on his face in case Aro was looking, Felix turned away and scanned the room, working out where to start.

There looked to be 10 rogue vampires including the one on the grill. Felix knew they had returned with 15, three were dispatched in the throne room by Aro, so there were two missing. Vampires were chained to the walls in various states of duress. Felix went back to the stair way and took a torch from the wall, he then made his way over to the first vampire. Swallowing hard he held the torch up to see the state of the rogue. He was naked; looking back around at the other vampires chained up it appeared they all were. The clamp around this one's neck looked too tight, like it didn't really fit. It looked painful, but the vampire looked otherwise unscathed - except for his missing arms of course.

Moving onto the next chain, he held up the torch again. Before he stop could himself, Felix threw up his last feed on the floor! Aro looked over from his conversation with Caius but didn't comment, though Caius laughed at his expulsion. Felix looked back up at the half dead vampire hanging from her neck on her chain ... yes her ... this was one of the two female leaders they had brought back. Looking at her face, what was left of it, Felix thought this one was Katherine. She had an eye missing, well not missing, it was still attached, but it was sitting outside of the eye socket and hanging loosely on her cheek. Her hair that had looked so thick and silky when they ambushed the coven now hung limply and large sections had been ripped from the scalp.

Felix brought the torch down lower and faced what had turned his stomach. Katherine's breasts had chunks missing. It looked like they had been bitten, some parts looked chewed! Her nipples had been taken clean off. _How is she still alive?_ Felix asked himself, thinking he would definitely rather be dead.

Caius noticed Felix examining the near corpse and called out from across the room. "I have no use for a woman's body after they are dead, Felix. Too many curves. They make for terrible parchment."

Felix looked back in disgust as Caius' words made sense to him. _You make parchment out of your kills? That's where our manuscripts come from? No, Aro would never allow that, no way._

It was clear to Aro what his son was thinking and he felt a flash of shame pass his face before he looked away, confirming to Felix that not only did Aro know, but he obviously sanctioned the practice too.

Moving on to the next vampire, Felix approached the other woman, Anne. She was far more animated, she was pulling at her neck chain with her left hand, the right one was missing, the whole right arm actually. Anne pleaded with Felix with her eyes to help her. He moved closer to her, almost mesmerized by her eyes.

"Don't get too close!" Aro called over. Felix snapped out of it and stepped back as Anne started lashing out with her feet, kicking her legs out at him while hanging by her neck on the chain. Her legs were dripping with venom and deep gouges ran the full length of her thighs. With hate filled eyes Anne spat a huge globule of bloodied venom at Felix, it landing deftly on his shoulder and splattering to his jaw. Felix was nearly sick again as he wiped it away.

He skipped the next three, they looked dead. Venom pooled beneath them and ran into the channels between the flagstones in the floor.

He skipped the next three, they looked to be dead already. Venom and blood pooled beneath them and ran into the channels between the flagstones in the floor. Following the channel, Felix came across a metal grate where other channels met from around the dungeon hidey-hellhole. The varying flows of vampire liquids were being collected into a vat beneath the grate.

"What is that for?" Felix asked nervously.

Caius looked to Aro, waiting to see if he would answer the lad. When Aro realised Caius would answer if he didn't he came up with an explanation. "Vampire blood is like printing our own money, Felix. We collect it, sell it to passing vampires. It's like a drug to us. I am sure you know that."

Caius mouthed 'what the fuck' to Aro with an incredulous expression. Aro caught his brother-in-arms look and simply waved away his questioning eye whilst prompting Felix to explore further.

 _Sell it? Since when have we sold it?_ Caius thought. He could see that Aro was uncomfortable with Felix knowing the finer details of his old recreational habit's. _Old habit's!_ Caius scoffed at his thoughts, _it hasn't been that long since we were enjoying this side of the job together!_

"Show him the dead-heads." Caius suggested, nudging his co-master.

Aro's chest heaved and his eyes closed. _Fuck, I hadn't thought about the heads. Fuck!_ Felix wasn't sure he wanted to know about 'dead-heads', whatever they were. Seeing that Aro hadn't made to move, Caius flashed to the back of the room and called Felix to him where he stood in front of a huge wooden cabinet.

"Open the doors." Caius instructed gleefully.

Felix obeyed with apprehension. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes when he threw the heavy doors aloft. Shelf upon shelf of heads. there must have been at least one hundred, maybe more. Rotting, deformed and reeking of death. All groaning, eyes flickering, a vision of the depths of hell if ever there was one.

"Why?" Felix asked, horrified by the depravity of the coven leader.

"They wanted to live forever, so we made sure they did." Caius told the repulsed youth as he gestured to Aro.

Felix spun on his heel to face his father. "You?" He questioned, wondering just how well he actually knew the man.

Aro shrugged and looked away again, wishing he'd stuck with keeping his children out of the dungeon hell hole.

"Well yes it was Aro's mastermind to be fair. The trick is in leaving the spinal column intact you see." Caius told the unwilling protégé as he pointed out the trail of vertebrae attached to each of the moaning heads. "It took quite some experimentation to work that one out."

Felix retched involuntarily again. He had nothing left to bring up but venom still pooled in his mouth as though he was ready to spew his guts.

"They can't die?" he asked, examining from afar the varying states of decay the heads were suffering from.

"Not until they have served out their sentence, no. This is vampire prison, Felix." Aro told his son as he approached. He placed a hand on the closest skull, which also happened to be the most rotted and listened for a moment.

"Can you still hear their thoughts?" Felix asked in horror. "they are still conscious?"

Caius laughed at the boy's clear revulsion whilst Aro offered a coy smile. _That will be a yes then!_ Felix thought as he backed away from the cabinet.

"Finish your exploration Felix, I have places to be." Aro ordered as he closed the doors to the 'prison'.

Felix stumbled towards the 6th vampire along the wall, tripping on a discarded limb before righting himself. He wasn't sure what he was looking at. The vampire was blood red ... _how can a vampire be red?_ He stood statue still with the odd jerk. Howls of pain could be heard, though Aro had stuffed a rag deep into the vampire's throat. Felix couldn't work out what was covering his body, he looked odd.

"Caius, what's all over him?" Felix gestured to the chained rogue.

"Nothing!" came Caius' reply, he looked at Aro and they both laughed. Felix didn't understand.

"Take a closer look, son," Aro called back.

Felix moved in closer and held the torch above his head. What is that? _Oh my fucking god!_ _He has no skin!_ Felix threw up again, and after he threw up he tried to throw up again but there was nothing left so he kept retching. He felt dizzy, his head whirled. Stumbling backwards, he crashed into the grate suspended above the fire. The cooking vampire reached out to Felix and grabbed the back of his top.

"Help me!" the vampire managed to strangle out of his hoarse voice.

Felix panicked! He pushed away off the grate with a little more force than he'd intended. The grate broke free of the suspension chains and grate and vampire dropped into the fire. The pleading vampire set alight before Felix could do anything.

"Fuck! Fuck! Help him!" Felix called over to Aro and Caius who stood watching him, amused! "Why the fuck aren't you doing anything!" Felix felt frantic and confused.

"What the hell do you think goes on down here, Felix?" Caius asked him, laughing. Gesturing to the now crisp vampire, "you saved me some work! Perhaps I could borrow him, Aro? I could do with an apprentice."

Aro looked at Felix, something telling him his son wouldn't want to be in this room again.

"Let's start him off now, Caius. Show him how to flay."

Felix looked horrified.

Caius jumped to life and crossed the room to Felix. Draping an arm around the boy's shoulder, he led him over to the flayed vampire that had distressed Felix so much already. "You see, boy, it's quite a skill to learn ... "

"No, no, no, fuck. No." Felix pulled out of Caius' hold and moved back to Aro.

Aro stood waiting for him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"You don't want to learn?"

Felix, wide eyed, shook his head.

"Are you going to keep whining about being allowed down here?"

Felix looked to the floor, _no, he wasn_ _'_ _t going to ask again_ _–_ _EVER!_

Caius walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "If you aren't helping, you should be leaving."

Aro watched his sickly looking son, "I should take him back to my quarters before he loses anymore of his stomach!"

Caius laughed at the weak willed lad. "Give him some vampire blood, that will toughen him up." He offered, "though we never usually waste it on the guards. Do you want some?" he asked Aro.

Felix hoped his father would say no. Aro shook his head, "maybe next time brother." He replied, much to Felix' relief.

Aro and Caius exchanged a few parting words, mainly about the upcoming party Aro was planning, but Felix wasn't listening now. His head whirled. He saw Aro make for the doorway and wondered if he'd called him already. He followed quickly and before his foot hit the first step to the dungeon stairwell, Felix heard the screams begin again - Caius must have un-muffled the vampire. _EVIL CUNT!_ Felix's thoughts screamed at him.

When Felix reached the top step he just stood there, looking back down the stair well, unsure of what he had just witnessed. Aro shook him roughly. He looked at Aro, bewildered.

"Are you listening to me?" Aro asked him.

"Huh?" That was as much as Felix could manage right now.

Aro scraped a hand down his face and with the other he pushed Felix into the wall. "I asked if you were okay?"

Felix nodded, but he looked dejected.

"Felix, I just ... "

Aro didn't finish his sentence, Felix cut him off. "Dad, I'm sorry."

Aro stood back, it was his turn to be shocked now. Felix had never called him that before - no one had ever called him that before! Getting over his shock he reached out and pulled Felix in close, wrapping his arms around his son he leaned into his ear.

"Let's go home."


	37. Facing the Music

**AN:** Hey all :) I am working on future chapter outlines and was wondering if there were any requests? Feel free to jot them in a review or in a PM and I will do my best to accommodate. Huge thank you to doccooper for the painstaking graft you are putting in making my ramblings readable!

I don't own anything, Twi world and characters belong to SM :)

* * *

 **FACING THE MUSIC**

Felix had been in the bathroom about an hour. He'd scrubbed so hard in his efforts to rid himself of any trace of Caius' room of pain that the small tears in his skin from the mission fight split further and deeper. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror he realized the amount of damage he'd done. His body looked wrecked. _At least I_ _'_ _m clean now_ , he thought. He didn't really feel clean though, he could still smell burning flesh and he could still hear the shrill screams of that vampire as he was set ablaze.

He closed his eyes but it didn't help. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Caius' flayed victim. "Ahhhhhhrrrr" Felix released his frustration in his growl.

"Hey brother, you okay? I heard you growling ... what happened? You look in the mirror and scare yourself again?" Demetri's impish smile appearing from behind the door cracked Felix's moody facade.

"You dick," he replied with a cocky smile.

"You look pretty beat up, brother," Demetri looked at Felix's cut up body and winced. His own chest wound was already healing since Carlisle cleaned him up and stitched it shut. His arm still hurt though, his shoulder had been dislocated and though there was instant relief when Carlisle popped it back in, which really fucking hurt, the aching remained.

Demetri was more concerned about Felix right now, he didn't get all those cuts from the battle on the mission.

"Did Aro do that to you? Or Caius? Is that what they did in the dungeon?!"

Felix spun around to face his brother. "Fuck no! No, I think I just cleaned myself up a bit too roughly." Felix re-wrapped his towel around his waist.

Demetri looked back, confused. "Why?"

Felix felt stupid, he could lie, but he didn't want to - and he didn't want Demetri to go down to that dungeon. "I wanted to scrub any trace of that place away."

Demetri still looked confused.

"Look, that place, I didn't even know that place existed. Caius has a room and it's separate from the rest of the dungeons where you fuck your newborns! It's behind the panelling at the end ... "

Felix told Demetri everything; everything he saw, everything that happened, and just how fucked up he felt now. Demetri hung on every word, feeling more and more horrified as Felix went on. By the end they both sat on their bathroom floor, feeling lost.

"Aro, I cannot believe you took him in there! What the hell were you thinking! Why would you do that to him?!" Sulpicia was raging at her husband. She looked at him with disgust.

"I needed him to understand why I protect him from some things that go on around here ... there was no other way to show him that wouldn't risk revealing his weaknesses to the guard! I did the right thing, Sulpicia." Aro spat back at his wife. He sounded confident, but he wasn't.

"What! What kind of crap is that! Aro, you showed him exactly what you were protecting him from! How dare you do that to him!"

Aro was getting pissed off now, he'd already had an earful from his brothers when he came back to their quarters with a shell shocked Felix. He'd ended that by throwing them out of his living room and downstairs to their own quarters. That was going to come back to haunt him. Carlisle had to drag Eleazar out before things got physical between them. _Basileus is going to have something to say about it, no damn doubt!_

"I'm not discussing this with you any more, we are going around in circles. Okay, you don't agree with me, but I make the decisions around here, NOT YOU!"

Now Sulpicia was incensed! "NOT ME! - NOT. ME. FUCK YOU, ARO!" She lunged at him, full attack, it was like a red mist had descended. The once meek and mild Sulpicia was far behind her now, she was like a tigress protecting her cubs. The pair had hardly said two words to each other whilst the boys were away with Caius. Now Sully was relieved to have them back, but in less than a day Aro had inflicted more damage on her boy and she was furious!

Aro deftly caught her hands that were trying to claw the skin from his face. He was concentrating so hard on dodging her snarling mouth, snapping at the air trying to bite him that he wasn't prepared for what she did next.

Sulpicia brought her knee up, hard, into her husband's crotch.

Aro's face paled, even for a vampire, and he dropped to his knees. Sulpicia came to her senses and backed off, her legs buckled and she landed ungracefully on their over-sized bed. "Aro ... I ... Aro ... "

Aro looked at his panicked wife.

"You fucking BITCH!"

Before Aro could get to his feet and repay the favour, Alec had appeared at their open door and cast his mist over his father. Sulpicia took a moment to realize what had prevented her husband from punishing her, she knew he would. She looked frantically to Alec. Her young son looked angry, and so upset. He held out a hand to her. She wanted to go, she felt like hiding, she knew Aro would be just as pissed off when he came out of his induced coma.

"No Alec, it's okay. Go to your room and stay with Jane."

Alec looked incredulously back at his mother. "If I go back to Jane without you, she will come back here and use HER gift instead ... "

Sulpicia thought about that - Jane would! And that would be worse for them all! "Okay." She left her bed and walked out of their room, pulling Alec with her. As she closed the door she heard Aro roar in rage and what sounded like their dresser crash into the large decorative mirror on the opposite wall. Sulpicia didn't stop, she walked to the twins' room and pushed Alec inside. "You two are to stay in here, understood?" Two small, scared, little vampires nodded in sync. Closing their door she made her way out to the terrace.

Aro had joined her in a fraction of a moment. His rage turned to confusion when he saw their demolished wall. They both just stood there, looking at the neatly swept rubble and gaping hole where the stones once stood.

"Did you do that?" Aro was kind of in awe at the idea his fragile little wife could smash down a wall ... _mind you she has just smashed up my cock!_

"Don't be ridiculous, I didn't do this!" Sulpicia gestured to the mess.

"Felix!" they said softly, in unison.

Aro's anger had already dissipated. He walked behind her and enveloped his wife in his hold. With his head resting in Sulpicia's soft brown waves, he breathed in her scent and let it calm the remaining tension he felt ... it stopped him from squeezing her too tightly, too!

"I'm sorry I knee'd you" She said softly.

"Hmm… I'm not quite over that yet. I'm going to have a word with Eleazar about your training!"

She heard the humour in his voice and relaxed into his hold.

Looking back at their missing terrace wall, she asked him tentatively, "What are you going to do about this."

With a tired sigh, he thought about what he wanted to do ... nothing, he did not want to do anything. "I'll order the repairs."

Sulpicia smiled contentedly. She was happy with that. _My boy has suffered enough._ Sensing her husband agreed with her thoughts, she decided to ask whether Felix and Demetri would be attending the celebrations on a slightly longer leash.

Aro caught her thoughts before she vocalized them. "Yes, they will be attending, my queen ... we ALL will."

"And ... the longer leash?"

"Let us cross that bridge we come to it, my queen."

That meant yes, Sulpicia knew her husband's mind without being able to read it. They stayed in comfortable silence until the sun set over the blooming woodland.

As they walked back, hand in hand, through the wide corridor between their children's bedrooms, Aro stopped outside the twins' door.

"Aro, please."

Aro sensed her concern, he intended no harm to her little ones ... he wasn't that stupid! "I just want to talk with them, you should check on those two." Aro gently guided her to their sons' door.

She smiled and went in, closing the door behind her.

Aro squared his shoulders and went in to the twins' room. Alec and Jane were cuddled together on the floor, Alec looked scared, Jane was angry.

"I suggest you calm down, my dear," Aro directed to his princess.

Jane looked down submissively but her shoulders shook with the rage she tried hard to contain.

Aro sat cross legged in front of his tiny vampire children. Taking Jane's hand in his right and Alec's in his left he spoke soothingly to them both. "You do not need to set me on fire, Jane," he could hear she wanted to, "it really wouldn't be in your best interests."

The threat was enough for Jane, she had no will to disobey her superiors, especially Aro.

Alec looked nervous, he knew using his mist was forbidden in these walls. "I'm sorry I used my gift." His voice was so small and soft that Aro almost missed his words.

He wanted to put his son's mind at ease, "It's okay Alec. I want to know why you thought it your place to interfere though ... "

Alec did not want to verbalize why ... _oh I don_ _'_ _t know, because Jane wanted to set you on fire for hurting our mother, because I wanted her to set you on fire for hurting our mother, because I might get away with using my gift on you but Jane definitely would not ... you fucking pick._ Alec tried to withdraw his hand quickly, realizing Aro had heard the unguarded thoughts spewing in his mind. Aro held tightly, he knew Alec couldn't control his thoughts. Indeed, it was difficult for anyone 'not to think' – that's what made his gift so useful to him.

 _Fuck fuck fuck, no no, just stop thinking._

"Hmm, it appears you have been spending far too much time with Felix and Demetri, your language is quite deplorable, son." Aro admonished him coolly as Alec squirmed under Aro's gaze.

"I'm sorry."

Aro looked at his boy, "I'm sure you are!"

Alec gulped the venom nervously pooling in his throat, "Are you going to punish me?"

Aro felt Jane tense again, her head shot up and she looked pleadingly into Aro's eyes. Aro could hear her thoughts, she was blaming herself for Alec going to their mother's rescue in the first place.

"No. These last few hours have been eventful enough for me. But for the record, Sully does not need protecting from me. She did a good enough job on her own! Though I am quite proud of you wanting to defend your mother."

Aro stood up, leaving his bewildered little vampires where they were ... Aro rarely let things go like that. They shared a smile between themselves as Aro made his way out the door. Turning back just before he closed it, he looked back at his children, "I only hope you will protect me so passionately if I ever have the need." Aro caught their glowing smiles to his words; they warmed his dead heart.

Heading straight into his boys' room he found no one there. He checked the bathroom, empty. Listening hard he followed the sound of his wife's voice. _Is she actually chastising her precious Felix!_

Aro made his way back through the marble floored corridor out to the terrace where Sulpicia was giving Felix what the lads would call, 'a round of fucks'!

"Oww, mom!"

Aro had arrived just in time to see his slight wife reaching up and cracking their eldest across the back of his bullish head.

"Don't you 'oww mom' me, Felix Volturi! You have smashed up my wall!" Sulpicia was actually giving him a decent dressing down, Aro was pleasantly surprised to share the load for a change.

"Oww, I'm sorry! Quit slapping me! I was pissed off! OUCH!" That one got him right across his mouth!

"You will not use that sort of language around ME!"

Felix stopped complaining, but chanced a sideways glace at Aro, "Can't you do something?!"

Aro laughed at his son, "You're on your own, I've had my round with her already!"

Sulpicia saw her husband wince. Felix too. _Good_! she thought. "Hey, you're talking to me now, Felix! I want this rubble off my terrace. NOW!"

Felix started picking up the larger pieces and throwing them down to the castle grounds.

Sulpicia looked around at a giggling Demetri, "If you find it so funny, you can help him!"

Demetri stopped laughing, "What did I do?" As Sulpicia rounded on him he threw his hands up in self-defence. "Okay, okay, I'll help him!"

Seeing both boys working together at shifting the rubble, Sulpicia smiled sweetly to her husband and left them to it.

"So, Demetri, do I need to take you down to the dungeons, too?" Aro asked, unsure of how much Felix had shared with his brother. He saw them share a look. _What is that look, guilt? Fear?_ "You told him, I mean, you told him everything?" he directed to a very nervous Felix.

"Well, erm, I mean, yeah. Was I not supposed to?"

Aro chuckled lightly, "I thought you might. Do either of you have anything to say about it?"

"Please don't take me down there!" Demetri spoke so quickly he nearly tripped over his own words.

Aro looked at him sadly, hoping his boy didn't really think him so cruel that he actually wanted to take either of them down there. "I have no intention of it. I should never have taken Felix." Aro paced the stone floor.

"Aro," Felix spoke uncharacteristically gently. Aro stopped his pacing, giving his son his full attention. "Why does he do that? Caius, I mean. Does he enjoy it?"

Aro wanted to excuse Caius' odd hobby, but he couldn't come up with anything plausible. "Yes, I think he does. Caius is charged with extracting information and creating fear ... he does his job rather well, enjoying his work helps. I don't necessarily agree with all of his methods, but I have no complaints with the results."

Demetri and Felix still looked nervous so Aro probed a little further, "Do you want to ask me anything else?"

Demetri butted his shoulder into his big brother. Felix looked down at his brother, wondering why Demetri's mouth only worked for sweet talking; anything serious was down to Felix.

"We understand now why you keep us behind sometimes. We won't keep whining about it. Well I don't whine ... that's his gig, but you know what I mean."

Demetri butted hispbrother's shoulder again, a little harder this time. "Hey! I don't whine!"

Felix took a fist full of the rubble at his side and released it over Demetri's head.

"What the fuck! You Prick!" Demetri jumped to his feet and started shaking out his hair.

"You sound pretty whiny to me!" Felix chortled at his joke.

"If you think you are coming to the celebrations with a mouth like that," Aro gripped Demetri's chin tightly and gave it a rough shake, "you have another thing coming!"

"We can go?" Felix asked hopefully.

Aro released Demetri and moved to Felix who was still sitting in his wreckage. Crouching down on his knees, he was eye level with his son. "Can we behave?" Aro asked in his sing song tone.

"Yes, yes, we can, we will! Can we drink?" Felix was over eager, but he couldn't help himself.

Aro waited just long enough to reply so his sons thought he was considering his answer. Of course, as he'd told Sulpicia earlier in this very spot, he had no intention of committing either way until he had to.

"Let us see shall we."

Felix and Demetri exchanged goofy grins - that meant yes, they knew Aro almost as well as Sulpicia did!

Aro made to leave the terrace, but before closing the door on his two boys he offered a parting shot to remind them who was in charge, "Felix, I think you should make sure my wall, and my door, are returned to their former state if you wish to be allowed to stay for the full length of the party. I would hate to have to announce to the entire guard that it was time for you to go to bed ... "

Felix's mouth hung open like a water starved fish! "You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" Aro answered with a happy sing song as he left his shocked sons to their cleaning.

"He wouldn't ... would he?" Felix asked Demetri, whose smile spread wide.

"Do you really want to risk it?" Demetri asked. Seeing his brother still in shock at the very idea, he offered his help and they started to clean the terrace off with gusto!


	38. Get the Party Started!

**GET THE PARTY STARTED!**

The throne room was buzzing with life as every single member of the Volturi coven was in attendance for the celebrations. Having led the mission to find and destroy the rogue threat that caused the loss of ten guards and dear Didyme, Caius, of course, was the guest of honour. He was sitting tall in his throne, his wife in his lap, preening like lord of the manor.

Aro watched his coven mate from his own throne and smiled contentedly. He was happy for Caius, and they all needed the relief from the tensions in this coven that this night would surely bring.

Aro turned to the right to see how Marcus was holding up. He was still in the depths of despair, but, tonight at least, he appeared at ease. Aro knew he was taking opium in his quarters regularly now, Carlisle had told them earlier in the week. _I bet you regretted telling me and El that with Basileus in the room, little brother!_ He thought back on that night.

"Whoa! Carlisle!" Eleazar called out in surprise as he rushed to his brother's side. Having crashed through Aro's door, Carlisle was now slumped on the floor.

Aro started laughing.

"What are you finding so funny!" Eleazar shot out in irritation.

"Look at him!" Aro gestured to Carlisle's spaced out eyes and goofy grin. "He's just drunk or something ... stop being an old woman, El!"

Eleazar dragged Carlisle to his feet - he was certainly unstable on his legs.

"I'm not drunk." Carlisle slurred. "I've been with Marcus."

Directing his brother into his chair, Eleazar stood back and looked the younger vampire up and down. He's fucked, he assized.

"So what have you been doing with Marcus?" Eleazar pushed as Carlisle appeared to be floating away with a peculiar distance in his eyes.

"Opium!" the blond announced, allowing his head to fall backwards as he enjoyed the last of his drug induced high.

"Oh fuck!" Eleazar exclaimed whilst Aro laughed even harder.

"It isn't funny, Aro!" his big brother hissed. "We need to hide him from Basileus! He will kill him! Help me, Aro! And stop fucking laughing - this isn't fucking funny!"

Aro couldn't contain his laughter, in fact he could barely stand through his doubled up guffawing!

"You're damn right it isn't funny!" Basileus boomed as he stormed into the living room.

Eleazar scrubbed a hand down his face. "I didn't know you were here, my lord," he offered respectfully.

"Evidently, El!" Basileus replied gruffly, as, without warning, he whipped the back of his hand, hard, across Eleazar's face.

Eleazar hissed and cupped his bruised cheek in one hand whilst holding the other up in self-defence. "What did I do?" He called out through his aching jaw.

"You planned to hide this from me, you deceitful shit!" Basileus growled as he pulled Eleazar's face free of his hand and slapped him again.

Aro grimaced and looked away. He always found it oddly awkward when their father punished Eleazar in any way - he looked up to his big brother and seeing him being brought to task unnerved him.

"Sit down unless you want some more?" Basileus warned his eldest boy.

Eleazar backed up until he was a safe enough distance away to turn and sit. He knew he should apologise, but instead Eleazar chose to sit and silently fume over being punished. _Bastard_ _,_ he thought.

Basileus heard, of course. Turning his steely glare on his eldest boy, he considered taking his belt to his disrespectful hide, but hearing Carlisle moan contentedly brought him back to the task at hand.

Aro went to sit with his big brother. It would make a nice change to see the saintly Carlisle brought to task instead for a change.

"What have you taken?" Basileus kindly asked Carlisle as he loomed over him.

Carlisle, completely out of all good sense, didn't realise why he shouldn't have answered that question or fallen for the kind tone his father used. "Tincture of opium! Drops in wine! With Marcus ... " Carlisle would have continued, but the rumbling growl Basileus was producing could be felt as a vibration through the floor - enough to draw Carlisle's attention to the potential danger. Through his hazy eyes he could see Basileus' rage. All too soon the opium high was fading to extinction and the reality of the situation slowly dawned on Carlisle.

Basileus didn't speak, he simply removed the heavy belt he wore from around his dress coat and doubled it over in his hand.

"Why are you doing that?" Carlisle asked, warily.

"Are you confused?" Basileus asked dangerously. "What made you think I would be accepting of you getting off your face on FUCKING OPIUM!"

Carlisle gulped as he squashed himself back into this seat. The drugs he'd taken, now completely dissipated, offered no protection from his impending doom.

Taking a fistful of his son's hair, Basileus dragged Carlisle to his feet and then quickly turned him around and flipped him over the sofa.

"No! Please! Don't!" Carlisle grunted out as he was roughly manipulated into position.

Basileus laughed, a completely humourless laugh that had all three of his sons grimace.

Felix and Demetri appeared in the archway, alerted by all the shouting. Aro flashed to their side as Basileus delivered the first stoke of his belt to Carlisle's backside. The howl that ensued told all in attendance that Basileus, in a rare event, had used his full vampiric force on his son. "Go to your room and stay there." Aro told his sons quietly, though it took a good shove to get them moving.

The second strike was delivered with as much force as the first. Carlisle's breath caught in his throat as he felt his skin crack from the blow. His knees buckled and he splayed out over the back of the sofa. Before he could audibly react, his father issued another razor sharp strike. As his eyes bulged, Carlisle realised Basileus had never before used his full strength when punishing him. "AHHHH!" he began to wail - when Basileus delivered the fourth strike, Carlisle's howl turned to a blood curdling scream.

Aro retook his seat next to Eleazar. Both had been on the end of Basileus' full force enough times to know the pain their brother would be in. They also knew it was pretty much over. Basileus only ever gave a handful of strikes with such valour, though that was more than enough to make a very clear point. Only Aro had ever suffered more than that and he had been rendered unable to walk for a week from the experience.

CRACK! One fifth and final blow and Basileus brought his son's punishment to an end. Refastening his belt around his waist, he asked Carlisle if he was going to take drugs again.

"N, n, no, I ... " Carlisle attempted to reply. He didn't get very far. As he went to move, an unimaginable shoot of pain traversed his body that rendered him a sobbing heap slumped over Aro's sofa.

"He will be feeling that for a few days!" Aro whispered gleefully to his big brother.

"You don't have to enjoy it so much." Eleazar hissed back, still cradling his face.

Aro chuckled to himself at the memory. His thoughts were confirmed upon seeing Carlisle walking a little stiffly over to Eleazar's seat at the head of the long table to the left.

Carlisle was supposed to be sitting at the head of the long table to the right but he seemed to be struggling with sitting at all right now. Aro laughed again at his brother's predicament.

"What has amused you so, my love?" Sulpicia asked him from his side. She stroked a hand through her husband's long black hair, smoothing out any imperfections.

Aro took her hand and held it to his chest. "Oh, nothing, just my little brother's suffering," he replied with an impish grin.

"Oh Aro, you are cruel!" Sulpicia looked over to Carlisle and Eleazar and seeing the younger shifting from foot to foot as he conversed with his brother, she couldn't contain her giggle either.

"Where's that old man of yours, Aro?!" Caius called over. He actually had to raise his voice, which was unusual for vampires with their impeccable hearing. But with nearly 50 people in the throne room, the noise had risen to a low din already.

Aro hardly had time to shrug in answer to Caius' question before the heavy double doors facing the thrones burst open revealing a beaming Basileus with a large beer barrel under each arm.

"And just who are you calling old, Caius?" he shouted. It was in good humour, but the entire room still became motionless and silent at hearing their creator's voice. "Will no one defend me?!" Basileus looked around to the young, grinning guard, "And, to think I have brought gifts for you all!"

Carrying the barrels to the first two guards at the closest bench, he gave instructions for them to place the barrels in the centre of the table. Each table stretched half the length of the room. They were huge banqueting benches that were rarely used day to day, but for celebrations they were great to have somewhere that all the guards could sit together.

"Felix, where are you my boy?"

Felix stood up a little sheepishly, trying to think if he'd done anything wrong in the few hours since he last saw Basileus.

"Aha, there you are. And Antonio?"

Antonio rose from the opposite side of the room, he was nearly as tall as Felix, and nearly as strong. He joined Felix at Basileus' side.

"Right lads, you will find near the entrance to the castle steps a good many more of these barrels. Take a few guards each and start bringing them in. The ones with black bands are to go on the banqueting tables, as many as you can fit on, and the gold bands, I want those by the thrones."

Both Antonio and Felix looked a little confused, they had plenty of wine ready at the back of the room ...

"Go, go, and hurry!"

They may have been confused, but they weren't so stupid that they wanted to look like they were disobeying orders. They took the four guards closest to them, older newborns, and started to bring in the barrels.

"Do we have goblets?"

Many guards threw their hands up, clutching goblets, "Wonderful!" Basileus replied to their gesture.

Spotting his two sons, Basileus crossed the room and walked the length of the first banqueting table, acknowledging guards as he went until he reached Carlisle.

"Why aren't you sitting at your table, son?" he asked Carlisle with a cocky smile, knowing full well that the hiding he'd given his youngest son two days ago was still stinging him a little.

Carlisle looked nervously to his big brother, who helpfully laughed at him. _Thanks,_ _El_ _. Jerk_ _!_

"I was just seeing how things were over here, father."

Basileus slapped his boy hard on his shoulder, "good to hear it!" then leaning in close, he whispered, "it's a party son, try to enjoy it, eh."

Carlisle smiled with relief and nodded to his father as he walked over to Aro.

Taking the five shallow steps easily in one stride Basileus approached Marcus first.

"How are you, my friend?"

"I am good, Basileus. Looking forward to what the night has planned. I believe Aro has arranged entertainment for us all." His words were happy and hopeful, but his voice was maudlin and dejected.

 _The opium must be wearing off again_ , Basileus thought. "I have arranged something a little special myself, my friend and I think you, in particular, will enjoy it."

Shaking the man's hand, Basileus moved behind Aro's chair to reach Caius on the other side. Taking Athenodora's hand in his own, he planted a light kiss to her delicate skin, "My lady," he said courteously, with a soft smile.

Althenodora giggled in return and offered a smile with her 'my lord.'

Caius rolled his eyes at his easily swayed wife - she was always so star struck around Basileus, still!

"Caius, my good man, our guest of honour!" As Basileus theatrically bowed his head to the coven master, Caius' ego swelled a little more.

Aro, watching from the side, wondered if Caius would snap his own neck with the weight of his big head after tonight!

"Father you said you were bringing the feast ... we already have wine, I will be facing off a rebellion if there's no blood!" Aro called over to Basileus, a little annoyed that he'd made his way around half the room without acknowledging him yet.

Basileus' booming laugh filled the room again, "Oh Aro, you should have a little more faith in your 'old man'." He threw a wink to Caius, who slunk slightly into his seat, unsure how to take it.

Basileus approached Aro and took his son's goblet from his hand, "Do not worry so, my son. You will be more than pleased with what I have to offer!"

"That's the last of them, my lord," Antonio shouted up to the head of the room.

"Wonderful boys, wonderful." Basileus replied as Felix brought over the golden rimmed barrel and set it at his grandfather's feet.

"So what's in the gold ones then?" he asked, wondering why they were lugging these great barrels about. It would have taken 4 humans at least to carry one of these oversized barrels, they looked more like whisky barrels than beer or wine.

"Don't you worry about the gold one, son." Basileus replied to Felix, "Come with me." Placing one arm across Felix's broad shoulders and carrying Aro's goblet in the other, Basileus walked his grandson back to his seat in the middle of Eleazar's bench. He pulled the barrel to the edge of the table and with goblet in place, he twisted the tap to release the contents. Crimson red liquid spilled into the cup, Basileus allowed the enchanting fluid to flow until the goblet was almost filled to the brim.

"Felix, tell us all, what can you smell?" Basileus held the cup to his grandson's nose.

Breathing in heavily, Felix couldn't quite believe what it could be ...

"It's blood! But it smells like really strong wine! What is it?"

Basileus laughed again with the whole room looking on eagerlyly.

"Well, it IS blood, and it IS 'really strong wine'! I have infused these barrels of blood with ethanol."

Aro's grin spread wide across his face, as did the grin on many other faces around the room.

"But wont the blood be bad if it's from barrels?" he asked his father.

"No son, the ethanol preserves the blood. It'll doesn't need to be kept cool, or heated afterwards, it can be drank straight from the barrel. I have been testing it myself for a few weeks now, if anything, it gets better with age! We may have to clear some of your dungeons out for a new 'wine' store, Caius!"

Caius laughed politely, but no, no way was that happening!

Felix and Demetri shared a small smile, hoping it might.

"Felix, would you like to have the first glass?" Basileus offered Felix the goblet.

Aro was on the edge of his seat, Sulpicia willing her husband to just allow him to drink the blood.

Felix wanted to take it. He knew Aro would not go against Basileus' wishes. But in the same way, Felix would not go against Aro's. Instead of taking the goblet, he turned and sought the permission of his own father, stretching out his hands questioningly, hoping Aro wouldn't make him verbally ask to be allowed to drink in front of all these guards! Aro felt his heart burst with pride, Felix wanted his approval, even above Basileus.

"NO!" Aro called out.

Felix threw his eyes to the floor, not daring to look at the guards. He could already hear whispering about him not being allowed to drink - again.

Aro left his seat and his wife's pawing and approached Basileus.

Basileus was raising a questioning eyebrow to his son. _You had better remember our conversation,_ _Aro_ _. Don't force me to take you down in this room!_

Standing in front of his father, Aro asked, "May I?" He took the goblet from his hands.

"Demetri." Demetri stood and bowed his head. "I think you should take the first drink," Demetri looked over in disbelief! "It was your tracking skills that lead to us finding the covens after all. What do you say, Caius?"

"I would have to agree, Aro, we would never have found their lair without the boy. Give him the goblet." Caius smiled, sincerely - it was a little unnerving for some of the guards, having only seen his evil happiness; contented happiness looked odd on him.

Felix smiled, too. He knew what Aro was doing, he was giving the two of them approval to drink tonight. No doubt he would be keeping a close eye, but they now had permission. _This is going to be epic!_

Basileus smiled too, happy Aro had made the right choice, a better choice than himself, in fact.

Demetri clutched the goblet that looked too large for his boyish hands and took a decent swig of the infused blood. He could taste the alcohol immediately, it was really strong, much stronger than any wine he'd tasted before. But it hit the burn for blood in his throat and the need for a feed was perfectly sated.

"Well, what do you think lad?" Basileus asked him, watching the boy's reactions intently. The whole room was waiting for him to reply.

"It's amazing!" A roaring cheer filling the air!

"Fill your glasses", Basileus shouted over the noise, "and call in the musicians!"

The roaring didn't end, instead the music joined in with the cheers. While their voices were muffled in the loud din Basileus offered a 'well done' to Aro, who smiled in return and pulled his two sons close to him.

Placing his head between theirs, and pulling Felix down a little to reach Demetri's ear he told them, "Do not make me regret this, or I will pass on that regret to you ... do you understand me?"

"Really? We can just, y'know, drink, like, with everyone else?" Felix thought this sounded too good to be true.

"Yes, but I can smell how strong it is from here, so go steady, yes?" Aro tapped at his son's cheeks in unison to that final part, a small slap punctuating each word. They both looked like goofy teens and Aro wondered if he was taking leave of his senses to allow this. But resigned to it now, he stood back tall and retook his throne, bringing Sulpicia into his lap.

Basileus followed him up the steps, having collected enough goblets for the royalty of Volterra. From the gold rimmed barrel he began pouring full cups and setting them aside.

Carlisle and Eleazar joined the thrones and Eleazar passed out the cups to Caius and Athenodora while Carlisle collected his own and one for Sulpicia.

"Carlisle!" Basileus raised his eyebrows to his son, giving the sort of look that dared you to put a foot out of line and you would be facing the consequences.

Carlisle recognised the threat and he grudgingly gave a goblet to Aro, too. He was still pissed at Aro's ribbing for the beating he'd taken a few days ago over the whole opium affair with Marcus ... _I wasn_ _'_ _t to know Basileus would be against me taking opium for pleasure. Well, I probably could have guessed really, but I certainly didn_ _'_ _t know our father was sitting in the next room! Aro bloody well did, and he could have warned me!_

Standing with his own cup in hand, Basileus asked the group, "Do we all have a glass?" and seeing everyone did, he continued while holding out his goblet, "To Caius, for his spectacular job, and for Didyme, whose loss is felt by us. May we always remember the happiness you brought to our world"

Everyone raised their glass and took down a good gulp. They all seemed impressed ... Basileus was pleased!

"Wow! Amazing! What is that?" Questions flew through the group and Basileus only laughed in reply.

"What's in it? It doesn't smell like the one you opened down there." Aro asked his father, curiously.

"Well it is similar. its blood and ethanol ... and maybe just a little seed of the poppy ... "

Carlisle's full mouth of blood burst from his mouth and sprayed the marble floor.

Basileus came up next to his youngest, who looked whiter than snow! Booming with laughter he said, "I'm sure you can handle a few cups, son, before I have to send you to the children's table!" Basileus motioned to the guards at the banqueting tables and all in their group but Carlisle laughed heartily. "Come on son, relax a little!" Basileus smacked the seat of his pants, it wasn't hard, but with the burning still eminent from the punishment he'd taken over opium already, Carlisle hitched up onto his tip toes with a grimace.

Eleazar decided to save his poor little brother by diverting attention away from him, "You haven't put poppy in the guard's blood, have you father?"

Aro tried not to show his concern, but his head snapped around to hear the answer.

"Of course not! I wouldn't waste it on that bunch of fools. Besides, they seem happy enough with what they have." He looked over to the guards who had jesters moving between them offering entertainment and musicians playing the tunes they knew and loved. They were all happy, celebrations were in full swing.

"What blood is this? You must have killed 500 men to fill all these barrels!" Caius asked Basileus, impressed with the very idea.

"Not a single one, dear Caius. I came upon a deer park a few miles north of here and I drained every one of them.

"DEER?" Caius asked, incredulously.

"YES! DEER!" Basileus shouted back, daring him to complain.

Caius immediately backed down and taking another swig of his cup he replied, "A genius idea, my lord. What did you do with the carcasses?"

Basileus walked to Marcus' side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I gave them to the town elders of Volterra to be shared amongst those in need, as a gift from their saint Marcus, here."

No one could argue with that.

The twins sat at Aro and Sulpicia's feet. Basileus had clearly forgotten about them, or so they thought. They could feel the burning in their small throats. Jane looked up at Sulpicia and tugged gently on her silvery silk dress.

Sulpicia broke away from her conversation with Athenodora to see the two tiny vampires looking up with pleading eyes. She gasped at her own forgetfulness, "Aro, the twins, they have to feed!"

Basileus overheard Sulpicia and flashed in front of her. Crouching down to Jane and Alec, he revealed two large glass bottles from the inside pocket of his thick black cloak. "As if I would neglect my young ones!" he said, kindly. Giving each a bottle, he told them, "No alcohol for you I'm afraid, I caught this fresh on my way over here."

The twins happily indulged their thirst, they didn't care for drinking alcohol anyway, and neither Aro nor Sulpicia would allow it.

The celebrations had been in full swing for hours, everyone had drank enough to relax and join in with the festivities. Aro looked over a little hazily to his youngest brother. He was laying on the throne steps with Ashanti. Her usual gift of infatuation was in full force this evening by the look of Carlisle's starry eyed appearance. He was happily sharing his opium infused bloodwine with her and the two seemed very 'close'.

Aro found it hilarious and walked, well, slightly staggered over to his big brother to share his amusement.

"El, El, look at him!" He pointed out their youngest brother, who was now feeling up Ashanti. The two doubled up in laughter.

Ashanti was welcoming the attention from her master's brother, she'd had her eye on Carlisle since he'd first entered their coven and the quick fumble they had managed before Basileus had thrown her to the dungeons was not nearly enough. Since then, Caius had kept Ashanti down in the newborn hall in the dungeons, much to his pleasure, at Basileus' request. Basileus was intent on casting her from the coven but Aro and Caius had argued passionately for a reprieve. _She may be throwing that reprieve_ _down the drain shacking up with Carlisle again!_ Aro thought as he watch the two pawing at each other on the throne steps.

All the females, and one or two of the males who were so inclined, were attracted to Carlisle and Eleazar; they were handsome, powerful, and rich vampires - who wouldn't want a piece of that? Ashanti saw bagging either one as a way to secure her safety in the coven and raise her from guard status. Her desire for rising through the ranks was no secret and she'd even had hopes that Felix could pull her up from the guard hall. Sadly for Ashanti he wanted nothing more than sex. Basileus had made his displeasure known at the harpy fucking her way through his family and, frankly, she was lucky to still be in the coven at all.

Caius saw Eleazar and Aro laughing like hyenas and followed their eye line to the source of their amusement. He wasn't so keen on Ashanti and Carlisle as his brother in arms was. He had quite enjoyed having Ashanti all to himself and he knew Carlisle was the competition to that continuing. Everyone knew Ashanti really wanted Eleazar, but now that he had Carmen that ship had sailed for the woman. Deciding to put an end to Carlisle's enjoyment, Caius got Basileus' attention. He was talking with Marcus who had yet to leave his throne. Caius gestured to the man's youngest son, Basileus looked over just in time to see Ashanti moving in for the kill - kissing Carlisle deeply with her hand fondling his cock.

Basileus moved closer to the two, they were too busy with each other to notice Basileus had crouched down with his head almost touching theirs. "OI!" he shouted as Carlisle's hand slipped up Ashanti's top! The pair fell apart, startled, and bumped down the steps. "Go and play elsewhere."

Ashanti scrambled to her feet backing away quickly. She sent a quick wink to Carlisle before she turned to hide in the mass of dancing guards.

Basileus pulled his son to his feet, "Carlisle, I'm afraid you were born far too late to enjoy public orgies. A little more decorum, if you please!" he said sternly, and to Carlisle's shame, rather loudly.

Basileus enjoyed his son's mild humiliation. If Carlisle had the ability, he would have blushed. He felt his face burn with embarrassment at being caught in such an uncompromising position, and by his father, no less! That's when he caught sight of his brothers, now crumpled on the floor together and laughing so hard they had actually stopped making any sound.

Carlisle walked over to them, "You bastards! Why didn't you stop her?"

Eleazar got himself together enough to reply, "HER! It was you feeling up one of our guards, little brother!" Eleazar promptly returned to his fit of giggles.

"Bastards, you're both bastards!" Carlisle's resolve weakened and eventually he joined in with their laughter. None of them caught Caius' sly, contented smile.

Sulpicia was busy talking with Athenodora. Aro had warned her not to reveal their new family status to her, the spiteful woman couldn't be trusted. Sulpicia didn't really want to talk to Athenodora anyway, she was only doing so as it would cause issues for Aro if she didn't.

Athenodora told her how much pressure Caius had been under and that was the only reason things between their husbands had gotten out of control. Sulpicia agreed that their men worked too hard, she even managed to remain impassive when Athenodora suggested their husbands were 'equal' again. _They are not equal, you foolish woman. Aro is in charge around here!_ She thought, as she shared her agreement.

Athenodora was desperate to discuss the high guard.

"So, my dear Sulpicia, do you know why I am no longer guarded by the high guard, as you are?" She gestured to the twins who were sitting at their mother's feet. They had joined in with their brothers for a while, but disliked being away from her for too long so had returned just moments ago.

"I believe Basileus ordered it, my dear," she replied smoothly.

Athenodora looked put out to hear that, she continued to push though, she was pissed off having lower guards attend her. It offended her status (or at least the status she believed herself to have.)

"Well I wouldn't want Demetri again, he failed me last time and put my life at risk, deserting me so, but Felix maybe? Or the twins ... you don't really need both. We should take one each! That would be a fabulous idea, lets us do that!"

Sulpucia stiffened, as did Jane and Alec. "No Athenodora, you cannot separate twins, it is unnatural! Besides, I like having them with me ... and Aro supports that. I'm sure you could ask Caius to raise a high guard of his own, if that is what you wished. Otherwise you have your choice of the main guard body to pick from."

Athenodora was caught off-guard, she wasn't used to Sulpicia speaking so openly, she was usually as quiet and passive as a church mouse.

"I have suggested Caius create a high guard before, but he sees the trouble they have caused your marriage and wouldn't wish for anything to come between the two of us in the same way."

Athenodora was so false, Sulpicia knew the conniving vampire was trying to get a rise out of her and she shouldn't reply, but she'd touched a nerve.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh you know, how you have had to take them into your quarters and have them around ALL the time, it must be such a bore!"

Sulpicia felt her hackles rising, "They are a joy to be around, they keep us young!" Sulpicia casually stroked the heads of her perfect vampire children.

"Oh I am sure, I think I am just too selfish to share my dear Caius. I have to say, I would be offended if Caius spent as much time with his pets as Aro does! We must be closer than you and Aro, that's all. And how on earth do you all fit into those tiny rooms! Honestly Sulpicia, why do you put up with it?" Athenodora broke into patronising giggles as she finished her passive-aggressive tirade.

 _Dumb passive aggressive bitch! Two can play this game, sweetheart!_

"Well, we instruct our guard together, so I am not away from Aro actually, and of course you would find it a squeeze in your quarters, but don't forget, as the King and Queen of Volterra our private suites are far larger than yours, my dear. You have no reason to worry about my marriage, though I know how easily confused you get, so think nothing of it. I would be far more concerned if Aro spent as much time in the guard quarters as Caius. I have honestly never understood how you turn a blind eye to his infidelity! You are right, you must be much stronger than Aro and me!" Sulpicia gestured to the main floor where Caius was fawning over Ashanti, who twirled in his arms to the sound of the music.

Sulpicia didn't wait for Athenodora's reaction, instead she rose from Aro's throne and walked to her husband. Taking his hand, they joined the dancers in the middle of the large hall and impressed all with their moves, gliding perfectly in sync, as immortal lovers should.


	39. Drink! Fight! Drink!

**Drink! Fight! Drink!**

The twins remained seated, barely compressing their giggles at Athenodora's murderous expression.

"Shoo you brats, get down there where you belong!" The twins rose and bowed slightly to the conniving bitch before running through the guards to find their brothers and tell them how magnificent their mother was.

Basileus, of course, heard the entire conversation. His mind was hazy with the amount he drank, but knowing what Athenodora was like he'd made sure to listen closely. He didn't blame Sulpicia, but this would cause ructions in their coven, for sure.

He watched diligently over the twins as they moved through the crowd from where he stood near an almost happy Marcus. He saw them telling Felix, and in turn, Demetri. The little foursome were in hysterics, undoubtedly proud of Sully putting that miserable bitch Athenodora in her place! Basileus tutted to himself as he saw Felix give the twins each a few good swigs from his goblet. They looked every bit the real sibling group to Basileus, and a broad smile spread across his face seeing how far they had all come. Though seeing the way the boys were staggering, he thought they should be cut off from the bloodwine soon.

Demetri had his arms wrapped around Adrianna, a newborn reaching the end of her first year. This was the first time the girl had been in the throne room, though Demetri had been visiting her for months in the dungeon hold.

Felix boomed to Demetri, "I think Caius is going after our seconds, brother!"

Adrianna looked offended, "I would never have sex with Caius, my love," as her eyes filled with sadness she added, "not willingly anyway."

Demetri gave her a gentle squeeze. He knew Caius had the newborns submit to him, it wasn't within in Adrianna's control.

Felix laughed, "Not you, sweetheart - Ashanti!" He pointed out the two in the middle of the dance floor, wrapping their bodies around each other. Felix continued to laugh as the realization dawned on Adrianna's face that Demetri wasn't hers alone.

As Demetri felt Adrianna begin to shake with rage, he removed his arms from their embrace and held his hands up, submissively.

"Look, vampires are sexual beings Adrianna."

His words only increased her anger and truthfully sounded odd coming from a 14-year-old!

"Have you been having sex with us at the same time?!" she asked him, her raised voice drawing in a small crowd.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't make what we have any less special, my sweet!" Demetri tried in vain.

"Did she know we were together?" came Adrianna's reply.

Demetri thought about that. HE didn't know they were together, together, they were just fucking in his mind. _Shit_ , _she thinks we are mated!_ _Fuck that!_

"Well … "

"DID SHE KNOW?" she asked more forcefully.

"Yes, I did" replied Ashanti herself, having been drawn in by the growing crowd.

"YOU BITCH!" Adrianna screamed as she flew through the air at a smiling Ashanti. Caius pushed his dancing companion behind him but Adrianna already had a hold of Ashanti's hair, and with her increased newborn strength she pulled the curly redhead over Caius' shoulder and onto the floor between them. That was more than Ashanti was willing to take from this subordinate and a cat fight ensued between the two women, which Demetri mistakenly took as a fight over him.

"See that Caius, they fight at my feet for me. I'll have to give you a few tips!"

Caius looked ready to rip his head off. Luckily for Demetri, who still seemed none the wiser to his own situation, Aro intercepted Caius and told him to make good with his wife before she joined the fight.

Looking back to Athenodora, Caius could see she looked ready to blow and rushed to her side, whispering sweet nothings and putting her mind at ease.

Sulpicia stood with Carmen. She had told her of the little altercation with Athenodora and now the pair watched as Caius deftly lied to his wife.

"Dumb bitch is swallowing every word," Carmen said to Sully.

"My thoughts exactly!" Sulpicia replied, though she felt a pang of heartache wondering how many times she had been the 'dumb bitch' whilst Aro lied to her about his similar exploits.

Aro pulled apart the circle that had formed around the warring females and easily dragged them apart. Holding each by a fistful of hair, he dragged them to their feet, though they still reached for each other.

"Jane, if you please" Aro asked politely. Jane didn't enjoy burning her fellow guard members, but she would never deny Aro. She focused on the two women her father held and set them ablaze. They screamed in agony. She only held the gift for a moment, though. When Jane released them, they were far more compliant.

Demetri was still crowing about his conquests fighting for him, not realising how loud and cocky he was being in his alcohol induced state. Aro was glaring at his boy. Felix nudged his brother to get his attention and that's when Demetri caught his father's eye - it wasn't so funny anymore. _Oh fuck. Aro looks furious. I haven't done anything wrong, I can't help women fighting over me!_

Demetri's inflated ego needed to catch up with the realities of the scene in front of him before it caused him serious damage - unfortunately for the juvenile vampire, he really did believe his own hype.

Caius had returned to the main floor after placating his wife.

"I want him punished, Aro!" Caius spat dangerously, his arm extended toward Demetri.

Demetri gulped, guards near him took a step away, as if worried they'd be caught in the cross fire.

"He will be, Caius, I can assure you of that!"

Caius wasn't happy. He wanted to punish the insolent wretch himself for his disrespect! Now!

"Caius," Aro called him close and whispered in his ear, no one else hearing him.

The sadistic grin all the guards knew and feared spread across Caius' face.

He swaggered over to Demetri.

Felix, confused, eyed Aro. _Are you really allowing him to hurt my brother, your son! What the hell is going on?_

"How dare you speak so freely, so disrespectfully, to me! Caius accentuated each word by jabbing his long finger into Demetri's chest. "You are not my guard, so your full punishment rests with your master, but here," Caius took Demetri's left arm and turned him around so he was sideways, Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! "Aro wanted me to give you a preview!" Caius had released five strong vampire smacks to the errant youth's backside. "You had better watch your mouth, boy!"

Demetri could only stand there, dumbfounded. The alcohol absorbed some of the pain, but Demetri had still reacted embarrassingly to the swots. The public admonishment alone was torture for the boy.

Caius returned to Aro, "I will deal with these two!"

"As you wish, brother" Aro replied smoothly, knowing exactly how Caius would 'deal' with the female guards. He handed the two young women over to Caius, one for each hand and Caius disappeared from the throne room. Aro returned to his seat, beckoning Demetri to follow him.

By the time he was seated, the music had started back up and though a few of the guards had an ear on Aro and Demetri, most went back to their dancing and drunken sing-along.

Demetri complained the moment he'd reached his father, "I cannot believe you let him do that to me!" he said in an angry, hurried whisper.

Aro had been willing to handle Demetri's disrespect privately after the celebrations had ended, but his boy rearing up at him and showing no remorse changed his mind. The bloodwine may have not have helped either.

"Right then, come with me!" Aro stood and grabbed Demetri roughly by his wrist and started dragging him from the throne room.

Demetri panicked, this isn't how he thought things were going to go ... _shit, every single guard is watching this - I know they are! He's going to punish me now, no way, Caius just spanked me in the middle of the fucking throne room, that must be enough? Perhaps he just wants to talk to me?_

"No Demetri, I do not want to talk with you!" Aro answered his son's thoughts, to the boy's horror!

Once outside the throne room, Aro didn't stop. He found he couldn't flash to their quarters as he was too intoxicated, but managed to get them both there quickly enough. He shoved Demetri inside and slammed the door behind them. Aro looked at the stairs. He didn't fancy trying to go up them, he'd stumbled enough on the way to their tower, so he opened the door to Basileus' ground floor suite instead. Demetri just stood there, looking at his angry father, not daring to move.

"Get in there NOW!" That had him shift.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Aro was raging.

Demetri tried to formulate a witty reply but his brain was sluggish from all he'd drank.

"I allow you to join in with the rest of the guard, as you wished, and this is how you repay me! You are a damn fool if you think Caius will let your little comment go - I've half a mind to turn you over to him to deal with!"

Demetri was shocked, _I wasn't that bad, was I?_ _Okay I may have made out the Caius needed tips with the ladies of the coven ... in front of the entire guard ... and his wife ... fuck. But that bastard just spanked me in front of everyone! What could be more embarrassing than that! And you think I deserve more!_

The drink had clearly made Demetri far bolder than he should have been, "Caius has already punished me! Surely that was enough! He humiliated me in there and you just stood and watched!" Demetri wasn't quite shouting at Aro, but he wasn't far off.

Aro's anger renewed, incensed that the boy thought he could first talk to Caius the way he had, and then that he could do the same to him! He took Demetri by his small bicep and dragged him to the large table at the side of the room, practically throwing him over the top of it. The marble table was huge and solidly built, it's where Basileus often held meetings with his sons and Marcus and Caius when they were planning their missions.

Demetri knew this position too well, "No, no, you can't, I haven't done anything wrong!"

Aro began smacking his son's backside with as much force as he could muster, which luckily for Demetri, was considerably less than usual having been weakened by the alcohol! As he punished his son he explained exactly why he was so pissed off!

"You addressed Caius, a master of this coven, as though he were one of the lower god damn guard, then you had the audacity to complain about being punished in the throne room, which was your own damn fault and far, far less than you deserved boy! How dare you mouth off to me! Are you confused? Do you think we are equal? You shouldn't listen to all the hype about yourself, Demetri. You are NOT as untouchable in these walls as the guards believe!"

Demetri could only just hear what Aro was saying, his own cries drowning out his father's voice.

Aro had finally stopped his assault. Before Demetri could get himself together, Aro had him hauled up and spun to face him. "None of that would have occurred if you had stayed away from the newborns in the first place."

Demetri nodded, not trusting his voice just yet.

"Quit your sniveling, Demetri, you brought this all on yourself. Pull yourself together and get back to the throne room. I expect you to apologize to Caius - and you had better make it good!"

Demetri's head shot up, panic in his eyes, "I'm not going back in there! It's humiliating! I'll just go to our quarters instead!" Demetri wasn't asking, he was telling Aro what he was going to do.

 _Stupid boy!_

"It is not up to you what you do! I have told you to go back to the throne room and apologize to Caius, so that is what you will do. I could care less how humiliating it is for you. YOU BEHAVING SO DISRESPECTFULLY IS PRETTY HUMILIATING FOR ME!"

Crack! Aro slapped his boy clean across the face at the end of his tirade. _We need to get out of here, he's just making me more and more angry,_ Aro thought to himself.

Demetri wiped angrily at his face to clear his venom tears.

Aro saw the trace of his own hand on the young vampire's cheek. _And there's your 'badge of honour', son,_ he thought. Aro didn't wait for Demetri to move, instead he pulled him back across the room and shoved him out the door into the hall - Demetri was getting pretty pissed off with all the pushing and pulling.

Aro stalked off in front of his son and was already seated by the time Demetri entered the throne room. Everyone stopped to gawp at him. _Fucking morons! I hate you for this, Aro,_ Demetri thought, murderously! He ignored the questioning looks from the guard filled hall and tried to walk as normally as possible, but by god it hurt! Reaching Aro, who looked too pissed off to even face him, the reality of the situation started to dawn on Demetri. _I've been a bit of a dick, he'd let us join in tonight and I've ruined it. Felix will kill me if this is the end to us drinking too! Fuck, why did I mouth off to Caius? It would have been bad enough having Adrianna fighting Ashanti because of me - she is a newborn and I have been punished so many times for having sex with them ... no one is supposed to do that._

"I'm sorry, Aro," he whispered to his father.

Aro scoffed dismissively and took another sip of his drink. He clearly didn't believe his boy.

Demetri felt like shit. With his head hung he decided to brave the guards in the hope of a better reception.

As he turned, Aro grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Squeezing tightly, he said dangerously "You are not to drink another drop, understood?"

Demetri wasn't going to go against him now. He knew Aro wasn't playing with him and, under the circumstances, was actually grateful Aro had been so private with him.

"Yes sir," Demetri replied politely.

As he made his way to find his brother, Aro stood up, "Anyone who supplies him with bloodwine will be answering to me, is that clear?"

All eyes were on Demetri now, and the giggling only sated long enough for the guards to reply with a very audible and respectful 'yes master'.

 _Oh my fucking god, just kill me now, if there is anything up there could you please just kill me now?_ Demetri's prayers remained unanswered, so he forced himself to find his brother. Felix would be taking the piss like everyone else, but he felt safe with him, regardless.

Fighting through the crowd of jeering guards all waving their full goblets, Demetri suddenly felt very small.

"Demetri!" Felix called for his brother, seeing him looking around as if he were feeling a little lost.

Relieved at seeing Felix, Demetri moved quickly to retake his place at his side. Felix threw an arm over his shoulder and brought him in close.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Demetri didn't trust his voice not to betray him, so he simply nodded at his brother, wishing he could drink to dull the pain in his rear end!

"Do you want some of mine?" Felix asked him.

 _Oh brother, you are as stupid as me!_ "No thanks, I'm not fucking with Aro's orders."

Afton, standing nearby, heard Demetri. He shouted over to the youth in mock disbelief, "You mean to tell me you have any orders, Demetri, the little prince of Volterra! I thought you had free rein around here!" Afton's laughter boomed loudly, as did those of the guards who'd heard the exchange.

"Fuck you, Afton!" Felix replied on his brother's behalf, whilst griping Demetri to his side. He was holding his brother pretty tightly and with his drunken swaying Demetri was being dragged all over the place.

"Felix don't start anything with him, please, Aro ... just don't!"

"I'm not starting anything, that jealous prick is!"

Demetri scrubbed a hand across his face. _This is not going to end well at all!_

"Seriously, Felix ..."

Demetri was cut off by Afton, "You should listen to the little prince, Felix. Don't go picking fights with the big boys. You can't handle it, mate."

Afton turned to walk away. Felix saw red ... he wasn't drunk enough to start a fight in the throne room, but he knew how to hit Afton where it really hurt.

"You know what, Demetri," Felix said loud and proud, "I really wish you hadn't stopped me from fucking Chelsea now! She was gagging for it, after all! She deserved a round with a real man after being shacked up with that prick for so long!"

Afton stopped dead, and the entire guard gasped at the news. Chelsea moved backwards through the crowd, not wanting to be in reaching distance of her mate.

Felix was telling the truth, she'd been after him for a while but Demetri talked him out of going there with another guard's mate, again.

She needed to defend herself, quickly. "Well, we didn't, I didn't, nothing ever happened!"

"Only because I turned you down, sweetheart!" Felix scoffed.

Chelsea needed to deflect the attention she was receiving from the rest of the guard, they looked repulsed by her. Mates being disloyal to their partners was a heinous crime in the vampire world.

"Unfortunately for Antonio you didn't do the same with Renata, hey!" Chelsea regretted the revelation before it had even finished leaving her mouth, but hoped that it would be enough to save her relationship with Afton.

"WHAT!" Antonio had been watching the scene mildly amused, his mate Renata in his lap.

She dived to her feet to create some distance between them, and promptly fell down to the floor with how drunk she was. "Antonio, please, I, I,"

He wasn't interested in her excuses. "Have you fucked him? Seriously? Him! That insufferable little cock!"

Felix, in his drunken idiocy, replied for her, "'Little cock, ha! She said it was bigger than yours, mate! And she fucking loved it!"

The guards laughed hysterically at Felix's mocking retort. Antonio was not a popular guard member; he was too conceited and though it could be argued Felix was too, Antonio had few redeeming features whereas Felix's good humour helped him carry favour.

Antonio roared in rage and flew at Felix. Felix, shoved Demetri out the way, wanting his little brother safe from this overgrown idiot. Felix was drunk, and the amount they'd all consumed as a guard affected Felix more strongly as he was so much younger than the rest of them. Aro had been right on that one. Felix fell back, pulling Antonio down with him. Antonio got a few good punches in whilst they scrambled on the floor but Felix managed to break free enough to get to his feet. Antonio did, too, but this time when he went for Felix, Felix was ready.

He was much stronger, and certainly more adept at fighting than Antonio, though the older guard had never believed it. Felix landed one punch, square in the middle of his attacker's face, knocking the older vampire brusquely on his ass!

"Prick!" Felix spat at the guard on the floor before turning to leave ... and he turned straight into Aro, thumping into his father's chest. "I can explain!" Felix said, desperately.

Aro just glared at him.

Time seemed to stand still for the drunken juvenile delinquent. Felix hadn't noticed the elders all gathering around during the fight. Caius had only just returned from dealing with Adrianna and Ashanti as the two males kicked off with each other. He was now ranting at Antonio who was being held by Carlisle and Eleazar. Afton was still mouthing off about Felix, Felix could hear him some where behind him ... he and Antonio were good friends and the two couples often made up a foursome for dates and things.

"I want him out of the coven!" Afton roared.

Basileus had been happy to allow his sons and Caius to deal with things so far, but he wasn't risking the chance of Caius agreeing with Afton.

"Oh really, come here Afton!"

Basileus left Marcus' side and walked to the bottom off the throne steps to greet a very daring Afton.

"You want WHO out of MY coven?" Basileus asked him, calmly.

"That little cock, Felix! He walks around here like god's gift, who the hell does he think he is? And he's trying to have sex with our mates!" Afton was ranting at Basileus. The drink had clearly gone to his head - Afton was usually so agreeable. A visible cringe went through the guard as they heard him raging in front of their creator.

Basileus considered the young man's request. "Are you saying Felix attempted to rape your mate?"

Afton didn't see the trap Basileus was leading him into, "Well, no, not really,"

Basileus took over again, "Because the way I heard it, Chelsea was the one going after Felix – she didn't deny this fact, the only comment she made was that 'nothing happened' so I assume Felix didn't fuck her at all! And Renata too, she went after Felix, she didn't deny it!"

Basileus hadn't finished, but Afton began speaking over him. Bad move! "You honestly expect us to believe they wanted to have sex with that little prick?"

A gasp went around the guard like a Mexican wave as they heard Afton speaking out so carelessly.

Basileus was done with Afton. Crack! He slapped Afton so hard across his disrespectful mouth that cracks appeared in his marble skin all along his jawline. Afton clutched his throbbing face and dropped to his knees, suddenly coming to his senses. _What the hell was I thinking, I just spoke back to our ancient creator, I will lose my head for this, damn stupid fool, and all over Felix Volturi! They will kill me, what was I thinking,_ Afton continued to berate himself.

"If you would like to lay the blame for this at anyone's door, Afton, it should be your own for picking a fight with Demetri or with your mates for their disloyalty." Basileus spoke soothingly to the man at his feet ... he understood the vampire's argument, he wasn't having it, but he understood it.

Antonio, who was still receiving a thorough dressing down from Caius, heard Basileus' comment on his mate's disloyalty. The anger, which was sating and turning to shame before Caius, suddenly reignited afresh and he growled again. His struggling had long since dissipated, so Carlisle and Eleazar had already released the man. With his anger and freedom combined, Antonio made a lunge for Felix who was standing silently at Aro's side. Caius caught him mid lunge and threw the guard to the floor, diving on top of him and landing with his knees digging into Antonio's back. Without addressing the errant vampire beneath him, Caius took hold of each of Antonio's arms and with a strong pounce backwards he ripped them clean from the shoulders. Antonio screamed in agony at the assault, writhing in pain on the throne room's blood splattered floor.

Caius walked casually over to Afton, "Here," he threw Antonio's arms to the vampire, still on his knees, "you are so concerned about your friend, take him to the guard dorm and re-attach those for him."

Afton scrambled to his feet and scooped up the seeping arms. They were heavier than he expected. Renata and Chelsea helped Antonio to his feet and they followed Afton out of the throne room whilst every other guard tried to distance themselves from all guilty vampires at the scene.

Sulpicia caught Demetri's eye and pointed at the spot in front of her. He went to her immediately, grateful to escape the tension. When he was close, she turned him to face the rest of the room and pulled him close, his back to her chest. Sulpicia was only slightly taller than Demetri so her chin rested comfortably on her son's shoulder. She whispered in his ear, "I think it would be best if you stay up here with me for the rest of the party, hmm."

Demetri nodded his agreement.

Stroking her boy's brown cropped hair, she continued, "We will stay a little while longer, then I am taking you and the twins back to our quarters so you can rest. Sit with Jane and Alec."

Releasing her hold, she was pleased to see Demetri take a seat on the steps between her two youngest children. Caius returned to his throne and Athenodora retook her seat in his lap. Sulpicia filled her goblet from the cask near Caius' feet and listened as Athenodora asked her husband what he had done with 'that whore' – Ashanti, Sulpicia assumed. He told her he'd locked them both in a dungeon cell together and would see who was standing come morning.

 _Lying bastard_ , Sulpicia thought.

Caius adored Ashanti, he would never allow her to be hurt in such a way. _More likely you've exchanged sex for escaping punishment again, dear Caius_ , she thought spitefully. She didn't entirely trust her own husband, she knew he had sex with other women on occasion. But she had to admit, she was happy the only guards Aro bothered himself with at any regularity were their very young high guard, so his path rarely crossed with the little vixen Ashanti! She looked down at Demetri, _little tart has had her hands on him too_ , she thought, _though Demetri is hardly any less of a tart, in all honesty_.

Aro still stood with Felix in the middle of the throne room. The music had restarted, on his orders, but he had yet to address his son. The guards who had gone back to their drinking were still standing close enough to hear whatever he would say, and indeed, they were waiting to see exactly what Aro would do to the highly privileged Felix.

"Aro, I..."

"Shut up, Felix!" Aro cut his son off, he'd no interest in anything the boy had to say.

Felix, as Aro expected, tried to continue pleading his innocence.

"Seriously Felix, shut up!" Aro continued to glare, he was shaking he was so pissed off.

 _Should I deal with you now? Giving you a hiding in the throne room would certainly bring you back down to earth with a bump. You are too full of yourself ... and far too prideful. I don't want to do that to you though. I want to enjoy the rest of my night off like everyone else_.

That's when it dawned on Aro, there were no nights off from his guards - Caius dumped Ashanti and Adrianna in their dorms, or perhaps the dungeons. He could deal with them tomorrow if he preferred. _Can I do that with Felix_? _It feels like I have to be on the ball all the time, there is no break. Aro felt exhausted by it all,_ he decided to talk with Basileus about that soon. _Is this how it is supposed to be_? He wondered before he addressed Felix.

"I'm not going back to my quarters yet, and I do not trust you to stay there alone. You have clearly had enough to drink," Felix tried to butt in, but Aro stepped toward him, invading his personal space menacingly! Aro continued in his faux calm voice, "and I can't have you stirring up any more drama tonight, so what shall I do with you?"

Aro acted as though he was considering his thoughts. He started to circle Felix, who was becoming more and more nervous with each lap Aro completed.

"Aro, please, let me explain."

Aro stopped dead in his tracks, "NO! I require no explanation from you, boy. I will be the one explaining things, but like I said, later, when we are in my quarters."

Aro had an idea, "Come with me."

Felix huffed in irritation - that pissed Aro off.

Aro walked up the steps to the thrones and waited at the top for Felix to follow. When the two were again face to face, Aro guided his son behind his own throne.

"Sit!"

Felix looked at the floor where Aro pointed, "Seriously?" he asked, adding a 'for fuck sake, fucking prick' under his breath.

Aro was done with the boy's insolence, he pushed his son roughly to the floor. "Seriously!" he replied, mocking Felix's tone of voice.

"Aro," Basileus called his son over, "I thought you said you had a handle on those two now! You had better get them in check, Aro. They cannot keep parading around this place like they own the damn castle! Felix has been having sex with the mated females, for god sake! I thought Demetri and his newborn fetish was bad enough! Antonio has every right to fight Felix over this, you know that, don't you? The guards are dividing, Aro ... those who support your sons versus those who resent them! Up until now your boys were most popular, but there are more mated pairs here than not and they will feel threatened if Felix has a free ride with their women! I want them dealt with. Properly!"

Aro took the lecture, he had expected it, though it galled him to be in such a situation because of his sons' behaviour.

"I have no excuses father, I don't know what's going on with the two of them. I will deal with it though. I will get them under control."

Basileus looked his son over. He knew Aro was struggling with balancing the two young vampires as members of his guard, and as members of his family. Basileus had walked a similar line for a long time, he understood the troubles it could cause. Releasing a frustrated sigh, Basileus pulled Aro in closely and whispered to his son, "I don't want things falling apart with Caius again already over their bad behaviour - get him back on side!"

Aro nodded his understanding.

Aro left his pissed off father to play the role of pissed off father himself. Walking the length of the higher platform the thrones sat on, Aro reached his 3 youngest children. Crouching down low behind Demetri, who was still sitting between Jane and Alec, Aro leaned in closely and asked, "Have you spoken to Caius?"

Demetri felt his venom run cold. "I'm so sorry, I forgot with everything kicking off again and ... "

Aro cut him off, "Get up and do it now!"

Demetri rose immediately and, with his hands on his shoulders, Aro guided him over to Caius.

"Master, I apologize for speaking with such disrespect towards you." Demetri bowed his head submissively and sounded genuine enough. Aro knew he wasn't, but he sounded right.

"Are you really, Demetri?" It was Athenodora who answered the boy, "You made out my husband to be a philanderer! And a bad one at that! Is this really an appropriate way to think about a master of this coven, let alone to say so out loud! Really Aro, you should throw their sorry behinds back into the guard dorms and take another couple, who would treat the position with the respect it deserves, in their place."

From Aro's throne, Sulpicia listened closely to Athenodora. _You're as arrogant as your husband, stupid bitch,_ she thought. Sully wanted to jump in and rescue her son but knew she had already probably said too much to Athenodora tonight.

Aro wanted to rip the shit stirring bitch's throat out. But with Basileus listening in to make sure relations with Caius were being improved, not worsened, Aro thought a little more diplomacy may be required instead.

"Brother, forgive his sorry hide and include him in your clean up rota for tomorrow. Felix too, for that matter. We have a cask to finish off ... I suggest we send the guards to their hall with the last of theirs, get rid of the wives and take our bloodwine to Basileus' place to discuss matters of war - what do you think?"

Caius' smile rose. He was happy with that idea ... it would get him out of having to discuss the night's events and revelations with Athenodora, too! He looked to his wife, she looked mutinous! _Definitely a good idea_ , Caius thought to himself.

"Well, I haven't really had chance to go through all the details of the last mission yet, and we need to formulate our next move," he said to Aro, and followed to Athenodora, "it's just work my dear, for the good of the coven and to keep you safe, my love!"

Althenodora rose from her husband's lap, "I shall retire to my quarters, then!" With that she stalked out of the room.

"I hope I haven't upset her, brother?" Aro asked, with his sickly sweet tone.

"Nonsense brother, she should know her place by now," Caius chortled to himself.

Aro caught the raised eyebrow Sulpicia was offering to her husband and compressed any thought of joining Caius in laughter.

"I will take my guard back now, I need to deal with Felix ... " Aro said as he moved to tell Basileus the new plan.

Basileus had heard Aro's offer to Caius and approved. "I'll wrap things up here. Come down to my suite when you are ready, son."

Sulpicia had already collected the twins and Demetri and was waiting for Aro near the exit to their side of the castle. Aro went back to his throne and looked down at the disgruntled teen at his feet. _You really aren't helping my mood, Felix. I hope you show some remorse when we are in the tower or I will throw you in the bloody dungeons for the night_! He thought angrily to the boy as he pulled him to his feet.

Felix walked stiffly along with Aro to join the rest of their family. He wasn't resisting, but he was moving as slowly as possible to piss Aro off.

"I know what you are doing, and you are only making things worse for yourself!" Aro told him sternly.

Felix huffed again in reply as Aro felt his blood boil.

As they joined Sulpicia, she linked her arm in her husband's and they led their four young vampires to their private quarters. Aro apologized to Sulpicia about how he'd referred the 'ridding themselves of the wives' for the rest of the night as she assured him she understood. He loved that about her, she would never disrespect him the way Athenodora did with Caius. _My queen would never be so brash,_ he thought proudly. They continued to walk at a human pace and as Aro and Sulpicia discussed the party as if nothing had gone awry, Felix and Demetri held a glimmer of hope they may escape further punishment.


	40. Fathers and Sons

**FATHERS AND SONS**

When they arrived in their quarters Sulpicia changed into her night wear, a long thin silk gown she wore in the evenings whilst reading in front of the fire. The twins went to do the same and without waiting for instruction, so did Felix and Demetri. Aro stood in the main room of their quarters and lit the fire for his wife. She didn't need the heat, but found having the fire lit and roaring gave her comfort.

Sulpicia returned to the living room with her book in hand and the large wolf skin throw from their bed. Setting both on the plush leather love seat in front of the fireplace, she went to wish her children good night, and in the case of Felix, who was still to face her husband, good luck!

Aro followed his wife and kissed Jane sweetly as she got into her bed. She was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. Swapping children with Sulpicia, he ruffled Alec's hair and took the book from his hands.

"Can I not read for a while?" he whined lightly.

"You can sleep for a while first." Aro said pointedly, though with a soft smile. Alec didn't complain. He rarely did.

Aro waited for his wife in the corridor between their children's rooms. When she had seen to Felix and Demetri, he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her deeply.

"I love you, my queen!" he crooned into her ear as he kissed he neck seductively. She felt her whole body tingle, she really wanted him right now. The alcohol and opium they'd both been consuming all evening no doubt adding to their lust.

Sulpicia's mind kept flitting back to the scared boy in the room behind her. "Will you be very hard on him, Aro?" she questioned sadly.

"I need to make an impression, my queen. They are threatening to bring down this coven, and our family with it. Caius is vying for their venom, and now he has quite a few of the guards on his side ... and it's all down to their deplorable behaviour. If I fail to bring them into line soon I believe Basileus will be bringing me into line!"

Sulpicia gulped at this news and slowly nodded her agreement that Aro must do something with their sons to prevent the coven from fracturing.

"Okay my love, I will be sitting by the fire if you should need me." With that they disentangled their embrace and she left him alone outside their sons' door.

"YOU INSOLENT BRATS!" Aro raged as soon as he entered the boys' bed chamber, slamming the heavy door behind him.

Both Felix and Demetri were startled. Though they'd been expecting Aro any moment, the force with which he came through the door and the strength of his emotions floored them. Felix had only just finished changing, Demetri was already sitting in bed, choosing to get between his sheets for what little protection they could offer.

Aro scanned the room. Felix watched him intently, he seemed to be looking for something. He moved to Demetri's side table, "Where is it?" he asked his scared son.

"W, w, what sir?"

"You know full well what!" Aro spat back, "I left the strap on this table, Demetri, your table, where the hell is it?!"

"I don't know, really, I haven't touched it!" Demetri was telling the truth, Aro could tell.

He spun around to face Felix. "What have you done with it?!" Aro asked him.

His tone of voice scared the shit out of Felix! "I haven't seen it!" He lied.

"Listen to me, boy, either you find it and hand it over, NOW, or I drag you down to Basileus' suite, he has one, but I will be using it down there in front of him, and your uncles ... and Caius! Now, WHERE IS IT?!"

Felix considered his options. He could give Aro his strap ... and show he'd outright lied to him, or he could save himself the extra punishment for the lie and take his hiding downstairs with an audience. _An Audience! I_ _'_ _d rather die in here, in private! Well,_ he looked over to his brother, _in private-ish_. Felix reached under his bed and retrieved the strap Aro had been looking for. Walking the few paces to his father, he handed over the dreaded implement.

Aro looked at his son, his rage increasing more and more. Without turning to face him, Aro addressed his younger son, "Demetri, do I need to go over with you exactly how you fucked up this evening?"

"No sir!" came the very quiet reply.

"You understand I have had it with you, that you have run out of chances at turning your own behaviour around, that you will now be on such a short leash that your life will be stifling for the foreseeable future?" Aro declared through gritted teeth.

Demetri hadn't understood all of that actually, but of course he had no intention of telling Aro.

"I, I understand sir." He replied softly, astonished by the harshness of Aro's decree. _Was_ _I really that bad_? He asked himself.

"Then go to your mother and stay there until I have dealt with your brother."

Demetri scarped from the room. Aro was scaring the shit out of him right now and he had no desire to hang around any longer than necessary. He hung in the doorway just long enough to throw Felix a sympathetic look.

When Aro heard the door click closed again he started circling his son, flipping the strap over in his hand as he did so.

"So, you have been fornicating with mated members of this coven ... " Aro spoke in that fake, calm, sing-song voice he used just before he killed a defecting guard or a rogue vampire. Felix wanted to crawl inside himself and die! "Antonio has every right to demand your head! Quite simply, you have crossed a line one should not ever cross. Having that idiot fucking newborns is bad enough, but that's just a coven rule really ... YOU have crossed vampire law, for god sake!

One of you will die for this Felix!"

Aro grabbed his son's chin to lift his face and look into his eyes. Squeezing painfully tightly he told him, "Do you get that, you will, at some point, no doubt soon, fight Antonio to the death over this. Do you realize what you have done?"

Venom pricked at Felix eyes.

Aro roughly shook his son before releasing his chin, "And you can save your crocodile tears for someone senseless enough to fall for them!" Aro considered how to make Felix see the seriousness of his crimes.

"Antonio ... and anyone who follows him ... will be baying for your blood, son. I, of course, will not risk losing you. Caius, I expect, will happily back Antonio as will the rest of the guards that see you and Demetri swanning about the halls as if you own the place. You are not untouchable, but some guards think you are! You are not untouchable! But for some reason, you and Demetri think you are. I have, until tonight, refrained from punishing you in the ways Caius does with the guards he is responsible for ... would you prefer to have your arms ripped off, like Antonio?"

Felix looked like he was going to be sick! "No!" he replied with disgust.

"Hmm, I would prefer not to either. Perhaps I should whip you bloody in the throne room then? That seems to work for Caius!"

Felix brought up his last goblet of bloodwine hearing that.

Aro saw him and glared at his son until he had swallowed it back down, gaging as he did so. "I will take that as a no?"

Felix nodded, "Please, I am sorry!"

Aro shook his head. "Then what should I do, Felix? What would be enough of a punishment to keep you on the fucking straight and narrow, you fucking ingrate?!" Aro was raging, he rarely swore so harshly at his children, around them, sure, but not at them. "Perhaps I should revisit submission with you?" He threw the strap on Felix's bed and started unbuttoning his shirt until it hung loosely from his shoulders.

Felix began backing up, "No, not that, you don't need to do that!"

Aro placed his hands on the fastenings of his britches, "Are you sure?" he asked, coolly.

Felix nodded vigorously in terror. _He didn_ _'_ _t even threaten me with submission when we lost Didyme ... when I lost Didyme. Fuck_! Felix's head was swimming with possibilities for how this was going to end with Aro and none of them were pleasant.

Noting the boy's fear, and enjoying it a little too much, Aro started rolling his sleeves up, slowly. As he took off his rings and placed them carefully on Felix's bedside table he saw his son shake.

"Please, Dad ... "

CRACK! Aro whipped the back of his hand across the young vampire's face. "How dare you play that card now! I was a 'fucking prick' when we were in the throne room!"

Felix hissed and cradled his face. Aro had caught him right on the cheek bone that had so recently been thumped by Antonio. He could feel his face swelling in his hands from the repeated assault.

Aro stalked around the room. _I am too drunk for this, I can hardly feel my own strength! What is the point of belting him again, it doesn_ _'_ _t change anything! He_ _'_ _s remorseful for five minutes before he starts on a new harebrained scheme to fuck up some more! This has got to change. I am handing my own ass in a sling to Basileus if it doesn_ _'_ _t! What the hell am I going to do with him? I KNOW submission would work, but Sully will cut my cock off if I went there. I would be just as disgusted in myself if I did anyway._ Then Aro had an idea ... _Felix and Demetri both bitch and whine about being shown up in front of the guard, I largely protect them from such shame but maybe ..._

Aro walked back over to Felix and retrieved the strap from his bed. Felix eyed him cautiously, as if he could pounce at any moment and Felix really wasn't sure what he was going to do.

"The embargo on punishing you in public has been lifted. From this moment. I will be instructing Caius in ways I will permit him to punish you and I can tell you now, Caius WILL punish you any chance he gets. He will take great delight in it, in fact. Right now, so will I for that matter."

Felix looked white as a ghost. _This is fucking horrendous! No way do I deserve this! Damn it!_

Aro noticed his boy's stricken features. "You look fearful, son. Do you have any questions?" Aro's concerned tone couldn't have been more fake.

"No sir, no." Felix replied, he didn't want to hear any more, so he certainly didn't want to ask questions and prolong the torture.

"Hmm, okay, you will be making a public apology to Antonio, and to Afton actually." Aro waited for Felix to respond, he knew how easily the boy zoned out when he was lecturing him.

Felix knew what Aro wanted. "Yes, I will, of course I will. I will go to the guard hall tomorrow ... "

Aro cut him off with laughter.

 _Why the fuck is he laughing!_ Felix thought angrily.

"No, no, no, you are not allowed in the guard hall, remember. You will have to do your groveling in the throne room. There may well be an audience, if there isn't I will arrange one." Aro watched as his boy's mouth hung open upon hearing how very public his apology would be.

"But, why?" Felix asked in horror.

Aro smiled, "They were both punished because of your inability to behave, and publicly too. I think it's only fair you apologize to them both for the predicament you placed them in. You may well have broken their relationships. I doubt that Renata and Chelsea's friendship will recover to what it was. You have caused a lot of damage. Your actions are fracturing this coven, Felix! I want everyone in this coven to know your behaviour will not be tolerated by anyone!"

Felix hung his head in shame. He really had fucked up tonight. His head was starting to hurt now though. _Can the hangover be setting in already? Shit! You really need to stop talking now,_ _Aro_ _, and let me get some sleep, man!_

"Do you have anything to say?" Aro shook his boy from his thoughts.

"Erm, sorry?" Felix replied, tiredly.

Aro's red eyes turned black!

 _Fuck, wrong answer!_

Aro grabbed hold of Felix by the scruff of his neck and threw him over his bed. "ERM, SORRY!" Aro repeated, mocking Felix' tone, "Erm. Fucking. Sorry!" Aro ripped the clothes from Felix's backside and with his strap he began raining down a shower of hell on the boy's rear-end. He continued ranting at his son about just how badly he'd fucked up, going over and over all the damage he'd caused, repeating the crimes committed and the punishments to come as he brought the strap down again and again.

Felix begged for forgiveness to begin with, then his begging turned to pleading for mercy and finally the boy was limp, resigned to his punishment and enduring the pain - which felt like a fire Jane would be proud of.

Aro had to catch his breath once he'd finished, quite an achievement of exertion for a vampire! He waited for Felix's sobs to quiet before speaking to him, "Get dressed."

Felix nodded, assuming Aro meant for him to dress for bed and go to sleep.

"No!" Aro said as he snatched the night clothes away from his son, "I cannot trust you or Demetri out of my sight, so you will no longer BE out of my sight!" Collecting Felix's day clothes from his wardrobe he threw them at his son, "You will get dressed and come with me to Basileus' where you can stand in the corner or something while I talk with the grownups!" Aro was being so condescending, it wasn't his usual way, but he was still so pissed off with his sons.

"But, but I can't walk, dad, please, I'm so tired!"

Aro narrowed his eyes to his boy's whining.

Felix looked away sheepishly while pulling on his tunic, gasping at the movement it took and the pain it sent rushing through his body.

"You will be swapping bedrooms when the twins wake, you will be sharing with Jane from now on, Alec with Demetri."

Felix almost forgot his very recent hiding hearing that. "What! I'm not sharing with Jane! Why do we even need to swap? Don't you think that's an overreaction?!"

Aro walked back to his eldest son, staring him down as he approached. "Are you seriously questioning me?"

Felix backed up and fell on his ass onto the bed, the fire that had hardly dulled reigniting on contact. He grimaced and hissed in response.

"I intend to keep you two separate for the foreseeable future. You will be supervised at all times. You and Demetri seem to be struggling with your position in this coven, so the elders of this coven, ALL OF THEM, will work to remind you."

Aro motioned to the rest of the boy's clothes, "Get dressed or I will take you as you are!"

Felix pushed his pain to one side. _There is no fucking way I am going down there half dressed,_ he thought as he clothed himself at vampire speed. _What does he mean by_ _'all'_ _of the elders? Is he seriously going to go through with letting Caius beat us! Sully won_ _'_ _t allow that, no way will she go for it. Eleazar may have tanned me a couple of times but he won_ _'_ _t be breathing down my neck, totally not his style. And Carlisle ... Carlisle is a fucking pussy cat. He won_ _'_ _t do anything to me._ Felix continued ticking off the elders of the coven, working out how much of a threat to his hide Aro's verdict really was.

Pulling Felix to his feet and putting an arm around his shoulders, Aro directed them to the door. With a few fingers placed above his collar, Aro read through Felix's thoughts, first seeing his terror, then his pain, then working out if Aro was serious about getting the other elders of the coven on board to change his errant ways. Aro smiled cunningly, "I hope for your sake you are a quick learner, son." He laughed as Felix shuddered.

"Are you taking Felix with you, Aro?"

Aro walked to his wife and bent low enough to kiss her forehead, "Yes my queen, I will explain to you when I return the changes that we are making. Will you keep Demetri in sight at all times please?"

"Of course, my love. He seems happily asleep there on our bed. I won't wake him."

Aro looked at their son through the open doorway. _How could such a beautiful young being be the cause of so much stress in my life_? He wondered as he guided his eldest out the door.

"What is he doing here?" Caius asked spitefully when he saw Felix.

"Well brother, I have decided keeping him within my sight will prevent him causing any more strife," Aro replied calmly.

"And what about his partner in crime?" Eleazar asked his brother.

"He is within Sulpicia's sight," Aro answered with a smile.

Caius shook his head at Aro, clearly disagreeing with his brother's idea of handling his high guard. "So do we need to watch what we say in front of him, or may we talk plainly?" Caius asked.

Basileus rolled his eyes to Aro from behind Caius' head.

Aro smiled to his father. "No Caius, you are free to speak as you find."

Caius nodded curtly to that.

As everyone was already assembled around Basileus' meeting table, Aro asked his father where he should put Felix. The layout in this private suite was similar to Aro's own, and also Eleazar and Carmen's above, except their bed chambers were larger - Aro had remodelled his bed chambers to make an extra room for the twins. The second bed chamber was Carlisle's.

"He looks drowsy, he must have drank too much." Basileus commented. Everyone but Caius knew it was because Felix was young and needed to sleep, unlike adult vampires.

"I will take him to my bed, I don't want him throwing up in here!"

Basileus' chair scrapped loudly on the floor as he made to stand. The noise went through Felix and his head pounded. He waited for his grandfather to reach him before he moved towards the bed chamber.

Aro took up his father's seat as Carlisle passed him a full goblet of the opium induced bloodwine.

Basileus reached his room, and guided Felix inside, closing the door behind them.

"Are you okay?"

Felix kept face eyes downcast, embarrassed by the tears that still spilled from his eyes. "Yes my lord," he replied with a very small voice.

Basileus hooked a finger under the boy's chin and pulled upwards so he could see his face. "Has Aro given you a good hiding?"

Felix nodded, he wanted to hide his face again but Basileus held him fast - Felix could swear he was blushing! Basileus wasn't done yet though.

"You've been very foolish, Felix. You know this cannot go on, yes?"

"Yes sir, I know. Thank you for standing up for me with Afton," Felix said genuinely.

"Hmm, I hardly had a choice, did I?!"

Felix shook his head.

Basileus released Felix's chin and sat down on the bed.

"Sit."

Felix eyed the bed like it was made of nails. _This is going to hurt_! He sat as he was commanded but hissed in pain, shifting and fidgeting to find a comfortable ... no ... less painful position.

"I have half a mind to tan your hide myself, you know. Though looking at you I think Aro has done a decent job of it. I suggest you get into my bed and sleep while you can. It's midnight now and we are calling a meeting of all the coven at sunrise. Your attendance will be expected."

Basileus rose and watched the boy as he climbed to the middle of his four poster bed. He fetched a heavy woolen blanket to cover Felix and placed it carefully over the youth who was lying on his front _No doubt to lessen the pain in your backside, eh_ , Basileus thought.

Just before he'd made it to the door, a small voice stopped him.

"Basileus?"

"Yes?"

"Will I be thrown out the coven for how much troubled I've caused? Or worse? I've seen Aro kill guards for less than the way I've behaved and ... "

"Felix!" Basileus stopped him, and went back to his side, ducking low so their heads were almost level, "We love you, Aro adores you, I don't think you could ever do anything that would mean your ejection from this coven. And no, Aro wouldn't dispatch you, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to either. Neither would I, for that matter."

Ruffling the boys cropped black hair Basileus stood again. "Besides, you would be amazed what a vampire can live through!" He planted a hard swot to the youth's already stinging backside eliciting a high pitched yelp from Felix. Basileus left the room laughing.

Basileus heard the raised voices of his sons and Caius as soon as he entered the marbled hallway. _I'_ _m too drunk for this shit ... and definitely too god damn old,_ he thought to himself, getting more and more pissed off as the night went on.

As he entered the room silence fell. Standing in the archway, he assessed the scene. _No one appears to have been fighting._ _That's something, I suppose. God, I wish Marcus had come down here with us._ _He acts as a great buffer, and well, an adult! Eleazar is being as much of a fool as the rest of them ... very unlike him ..._

"So, are you going to make me read your minds, or will you just tell me what's going on?"

All four sets of eyes shifted nervously.

"El!"

Hearing his name, Eleazar shot his eyes back to his father. _He always asks me_!

"My lord, we were just discussing the celebrations, that is all."

"No, you were arguing about something. I want to know what!"

Eleazar looked to his brothers. _No help there._ He looked to Caius. _Caius usually speaks up for himself, no, bastard won_ _'_ _t even look at me. Great_ _, I'_ _m on my own then_!

"Well, were discussing what should happen between Felix and Antonio ... Felix has been having sex with Antonio's mate, my lord. Caius is understandably angry about it and is responsible for Antonio ... Aro, of course, has sided with Felix."

Eleazar stopped as Aro interrupted. Caius just looked murderously at everyone.

"I am not siding with Felix! I am doing the right thing for the coven! If I let Antonio go up against Felix he'd be killed and the guy is useful in a fight ... though not as useful as Felix."

Aro smiled coyly at Caius, knowing how much it pissed him off having the weaker of the two.

"So what? Antonio deserves no chance at retribution because Felix might be slightly stronger? That's bullshit, Aro, and you know it. You will bring down our coven protecting you damn high guard ... it's fracturing before your eyes and you do nothing!"

Aro threw his chair backward as he stood up in a rage. It crashed into the far wall and splintered to smithereens. Paying no attention to the chair he'd destroyed, he argued back at Caius.

"Might be slightly! Have you heard yourself? Caius you are a fool! Felix would wipe the floor with Antonio, and then we would likely lose Renata too! What would be the point of that! I will talk to them all and come to an agreement. At the end of the day, Felix is a free agent, Renata is the one who sought him out and she's the one who was already mated. Felix has done nothing wrong!"

Aro knew he'd just lost the argument saying that. Vampires were incredibly emotional beings who mated for life. The Volturi enacted a popular law at the beginning of the reign ... any vampire caught fornicating with a mated vampire could face execution. Aro was clinging onto that 'could'! He couldn't use Felix's age as an excuse because the reason immortal children were banned is because they couldn't be held responsible for their own actions so Aro set the age at 12 when he found the twins. If Aro argued Felix was too young to see sense he could stand to lose all four of them. _That isn't happening_.

Aro steeled himself for Caius' reply. The cocky cunt was already grinning seeing Aro caught in his own defence.

"Well, brother, I do believe we have BOTH executed a good many vampires on exactly these terms! If we don't uphold the popular laws, how on earth can we expect vampires everywhere to uphold the less popular ones? You will bring down this coven!"

Aro racked his brain for a defence. Basileus watched from the archway, leaning casually into the masonry with his arms folded loosely across his broad chest. He would come to his son's aid if he felt he had to, but like Aro, Basileus was a curious being, and he wanted to see where this was going first.

"THIS COVEN!" Aro screamed his reply. "This coven is MY god damn coven, Caius, and YOU are just part of the fucking staff!"

Basileus scrubbed a heavy hand down his face. _There goes your medal in diplomacy,_ _son_ , he thought as he reached forward, grabbing Aro just in time to prevent him from lunging.

Eleazar and Carlisle did the same with Caius. Basileus motioned to his two sons to keep hold of Caius whilst he had a firm hold of a snarling Aro. The two confined vampires seemed to realize at the same time they weren't getting anywhere fast as they gained enough composure to become still.

"Okay, my turn." Basileus spoke with purpose.

The insides of all four other vampires in the room twisted as he threw his son to the far corner of the room. Approaching Caius, Basileus saw the younger vampire cower. He liked that. Grabbing Caius by his throat, he threw him to the opposite corner, "STAY THERE!" his voice was so loud it resounded off the walls, everyone became statue still ... even Eleazar and Carlisle and they hadn't done anything wrong.

"This coven is my coven. I created this coven, and I still govern this coven. I may do it through you two and Marcus, but, IT IS STILL MINE. Do you both understand that?" he asked to Caius and Aro.

They nodded like little boys. _You are so very much like Felix and Demetri when they get caught out_ , Basileus thought.

"I want to hear you both say it!"

"Your coven, my lord," Aro replied quickly.

Caius stumbled over his words, not as used to Basileus' round of fucks as Aro was.

"My lord, of course it is your coven. I apologize for my insolence ... "

"That's enough, Caius!" Basileus cut him off,m.

Caius was mortified. _I'_ _m picking fights with Basileus_ _'_ _son, where the hell did I think this was going to end?_ _He's going to kill me_.

"I am not going to kill you, Caius. Not yet anyway!" Basileus answered his thoughts.

Caius stooped down even lower, feeling humiliated at the intrusion and wondering just how often Basileus did that?

"Now that we have established whose coven it is, let us make a few more things understood. This coven will fall, you are right Caius."

Aro's head shot up and he threw his father a murderous glare. _How can you side with him, he wants to kill Felix_! he thought purposefully to his father.

Basileus caught it and nodded curtly at his son, "I appreciate your annoyance, Aro, but I will wipe that look off your face if you don't do it now!"

Caius couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up. Eleazar and Carlisle were having a similar struggle.

Basileus continued, "This coven will fail. But it will not be because of a couple of young guards! It will be because you two no longer work together to make this coven all it could be. YOU TWO are at war, and that war is feeding through the ranks - Caius, Aro has a high guard because I instructed him to take one. It is his and his alone. He. Deals. With. His. Guard! It that clear to you?!"

Caius wanted to object, but he knew it was pointless. He now realized how close to the end of the line he'd reached and it scared him. "Very clear, my lord."

"Aro ... "

Aro looked up again, a little calmer now.

"You must get those two under control. They are believing the bollocks that's being spread through the guards about them ... they believe they are untouchable. You must set that straight!"

"I am! But every time I set them straight they hear new gossip from the guards about Caius complaining of their princely status! They are just chil ... well, they are young, they are impressionable, more so that some of the older guards and ... "

Basileus cut him off again, Aro was getting pissed off with this.

"I agree son. And this is exactly what I am talking about. Caius, you complain too loudly about Aro's high guard but you haven't bothered to create one for yourself. You are acting like a spoiled child. So, to remedy this, I want you to take two guards from the wider pool ... any you like. They will live in your quarters and you will keep them as your high guard."

Caius looked sheepishly at Basileus, "I do not think I can do that my lord. Athenodora refuses to have guards living in our quarters."

That had Eleazar and Carlisle chuckling from the table.

Basileus had been pacing lightly as he lectured the two vampires in the corners of his living room. Hearing this had him stop dead in his tracks.

"Caius! Are you being serious? I'm not asking your opinion on this, I am telling you to take two guards and to bring them into your quarters. You will do it. I could care less what your wife thinks on the matter!"

Caius bowed his head. "Understood my lord," he replied politely.

"And you two can shut your mouths!" Basileus directed at his two seated sons who were taking far too much enjoyment from something causing their father so much stress.

Eleazar and Carlisle looked to each other, first in concern, though they were soon stifling their laughter again.

"Now to something less pleasant ... I am no longer happy with the workings of this coven. If it is to continue something needs to be very clear between the two of you. Aro, you are my son, and I expect you to lead my coven as I instruct you. Caius, you are his second in command, and I expect you to support his ruling of this coven, knowing it is on my orders. Do you both understand me? If either of you have a complaint about how things are being run around here you bring your complaint to ME."

Both vampires nodded vigorously.

Carlisle was really enjoying this. Aro had ribbed him mercilessly over the opium thrashing he'd received last week so he was going to milk this for all it was worth when Basileus had finished!

"Aro, you MUST make those two respect Caius, and if that means Caius has to punish them, and in public, then so be it."

Caius preened at that. All he'd wanted for a long while now was to knock that pair down to earth.

"But Caius, if you rip so much as a finger from either of them I will take your head!"

That was all the reminder Caius needed not to overstep Basileus' very clear mark with Felix or Demetri.

Eleazar and Carlisle snickered a little too loudly at the terrified face Caius was now sporting.

"I suggest you both take your leave. I will see you both in the throne room at dawn."

Shit! The brothers thought in unison as they gathered their few belongings and the half cask of bloodwine.

"You can leave that where it is, El!"

"Yes, my lord," Eleazar replied, cursing himself for picking it up in the first place.

Basileus waited for the door to close before moving closer to Aro and Caius.

"Then there were three ... what should I do with the two of you, hmm?"

Caius looked frantically to Aro, hoping for an idea of how this might play out. Aro seemed resigned to his fate, whatever that should be.

Caius was panicking now, "My lord, please, I, this was, well it's a mistake, I understand now, I will not let you down again!"

Basileus took a seat on the plush leather sofa in front of the fireplace. He hadn't lit a fire ... he rarely did. He sat back and stretched his arms wide at either side.

Caius and Aro looked at the giant of a man who held their fate in his giant man hands.

"I need the two of you working at your peak and quite simply you haven't been doing that for a good while."

Aro started to sweat venom. _You can_ _'_ _t punish me in front of him! Please, father, don_ _'_ _t do this, you can_ _'t_ , Aro thought to his father, knowing he would hear his words.

"Oh can't I?" Basileus replied audibly to his son.

This only increased Caius' fear. "Can't what?" he asked as Basileus laughed at the younger vampires.

"You see, we are in an awkward predicament here, boys."

Neither appreciated being referred to as 'boys'.

"Caius, you have seen me punish guards before in the throne room ... I don't rip arms off ... "

The realization slowly dawned on Caius where Aro's childish technique of dealing with his high guard had come from.

"Aha!" he said with a small smile. He was relieved, he thought he was going to lose a leg for a few days or something. This was far more preferable.

"Aha!" Basileus replied with a smile to match. _Oh, Caius, you will so regret this_.

"Come," Basileus stood and moved back to the meeting table where their little disagreement began.

Caius rose and followed him, looking to Aro with relief. Aro shook his head at his coven mate eyes wide with warning. Caius scoffed. He knew he was stronger than Aro and this confirmed it for him.

Basileus slipped into his bed chamber where Felix was happily sleeping. _Poor boy must have been exhausted to have slept through all of that noise_ , Basileus thought. Retrieving from his bed side dresser a similar strap to Aro's own, he returned to a now nervously waiting Caius.

"You are no longer smiling," he said to the younger vampire with fake concern, and turning

to his son, "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing, my lord." Aro threw his hands up defensively.

"Liar!" Basileus said back with a faint smile.

"My lord, you really don't have to do this. I understand everything you have said, I will act on it all, I understand. Honestly."

Basileus gripped Caius' wrist and read the man's emotions through his contact.

"Hmm, it appears you are being truthful." Basileus then searched his thoughts, he heard Aro explaining exactly why Caius shouldn't be smiling,

"You remember when I was off duty for a month last year, when I'd been looking after Carlisle whilst Basileus was away ... "

"Yes." replied Caius.

"Well, he'd just returned and found out I'd tried to put his precious new son in the dungeons ... "

"So?" Caius couldn't see where this was going.

"Caius, I couldn't walk! I am a vampire, you know how quickly we heal ... and I couldn't walk for a week! He's indestructible, and he's so much stronger than we are ... a week, Caius! And we have to address the guards in the morning!"

Caius looked stricken as Basileus walked back into the room.

Basileus looked deeply into Caius' eyes.

"If you fail me again after our conversation today, I can assure you, it will be much longer than a week."

Caius nodded so hard his head looked detached from his body. Aro would have laughed his ass off under any other circumstances.

"Aro!"

Aro got to his feet and brushed himself down on his way over to his father.

Crack!

"Fuck!" Basileus hit Aro so hard across the face that he couldn't help the expletive slipping as he tried desperately to control the pain in his now fractured jaw.

"Liar." Basileus said simply.

"Okay, I'm sorry! You've broken my jaw!" Aro backed up.

Caius actually felt guilty. Aro must have known Basileus would check his thoughts. He offered his brother in arms a small smile.

"I'm done with the two of you for now. I will see you in the throne room at dawn!" Basileus began to shoo them out of his quarters.

"What about Felix?" Aro asked.

"I will bring him with me." At that Basileus closed the door on the two shell shocked vampires.

"Aro, you didn't have to do that." Caius said to his brother, gratefully wincing at his out of line jaw.

Aro shrugged and pulled at his mouth until he felt it click.

"Ahhh! Fuck!"

Caius winced again. Aro looked far too used to doing that.

"You would have done the same for me, Caius. We may argue like cats and dogs, but we're masters of this coven ... if we don't look out for each other, who the hell will?!"

Caius nodded at that. It was true. They needed each other, if only to avoid Basileus' wrath in the future.

"Dawn?" Caius questioned.

"Dawn!" Aro replied and retired to his quarters as Caius left their tower and headed to his own.


	41. The Morning After The Night Before

**THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE**

Felix was hung over to hell. He dunked his head into the bowl of water again, hoping to find some relief for his aching head.

"Felix! Get a move on, we are late!"

Basileus was shouting from the bedroom, behind the closed, heavy door - it felt like he was screaming in the boy's ear and Felix whimpered at the booming voice reverberating around his head. He had already changed into his guard uniform. _Thank god Sulpicia brought me clean clothes_! Looking at the crumpled tunic he'd worn the night before, he was reminded of the evening's events, and all he had to face today because of them.

"FELIX!"

 _For fuck sake please stop shouting at me_!

Basileus heard the boy's thoughts and opened the bathroom door ready to rebuke him for them, but on seeing the pitiful state of his grandson he decided to leave it - this time.

Much more kindly ... and quietly ... he told him, "We need to leave, come along, you won't make today go away by hiding in here."

Felix simply nodded, resigned to accepting his fate but still deeply unhappy about it. He trudged over to Basileus.

"Sorry," he said, sadly.

"Come along." Placing an arm around the boy, Basileus led them out of his quarters. Once in the castle halls he pushed the boy ahead of him, noting the stiffness in his step. _Aro really did give you a good hiding last night, but I do wonder if it was enough._

"As you walk you should contemplate what it is to be given a chance and to waste it."

Felix's shoulders slunk even lower as he replied with a very small, "Yes, my lord."

The room was filled with guards, and of course the masters of the coven. Even the wives were present, though relations between Caius and Athenodora looked frosty; she stood next to his throne with her back to him. Basileus barely contained his laughter at the sight.

Aro was in his throne, looking bored already, Sulpicia standing at his side. The twins, along with Demetri, were at the front of the guards for a change. Felix joined them.

Carlisle, Eleazar, and Carmen were standing near Marcus. _The man looks more and more vacant every time I see him_ , Basileus thought sadly.

Greeting his audience, Basileus began his address ...

"I've had reports of plague spreading across the continent; my travels confirm it. There is none in our country, yet. But it will come – it always comes. No one in this coven will drink from humans again until I decide it is safe to do so. Is that understood?"

Basileus addressed the gathered guards from his son's throne as Aro stood to the side, eying the guards, waiting for any objection.

From his own seat to the right of Basileus, Caius looked murderous. He understood the risk, but he still wasn't happy with the demand to feed from animal blood for the unforeseeable future.

Basileus had expected a grumble at least and he suspected there were unspoken questions.

"Aro, have you raised a flock of sheep?"

Aro smiled, slyly. _They aren't sheep, they are respectful. You really don'_ _t know the effect you have on them, my lord,_ Aro thought to his father.

Basileus winked at his boy and addressed his congregation again, "Surely you would like to understand why you must refrain from feeding from humans, no?"

The whole guard stiffened and hurried whispers spread throughout the group. Renata was gradually being pushed toward the front of the guards. After last night's revelations she didn't feel she could resist, as she wanted her fellow guards back on side.

"My lord, surely we can distinguish between infected humans and those not affected?" Renata was a favoured guard, she was also a permanent member. Her gift, being able to block any physical threat by sending the attacker away, would be useful no matter how many other blockers they amassed ... so she had no fear of being replaced like other members of the guard. Even news of her infidelity wouldn't change that in the masters' eyes.

"Ah, Renata, that is a valid point, and yes, we could certainly discern between the healthy and otherwise," The guards began to smile at this news but Basileus quashed those smiles just as quickly as he'd raised them, "although, if we feed from the healthy humans, and the sick humans die, what would happen to our food source?" he asked the guard.

"We would deplete the human stock, my lord."

Basileus nodded sadly to Renata. "My dear, as the mouth piece for this rabble, please, do tell me of the whispers spreading through your ranks."

Renata wanted a hole to appear in the floor so she could curl up inside and avoid the gaze of their ultimate creator.

"Well, my lord, there are discussions about how much of a risk plagued humans could be to vampires ... " Renata knew she was effectively questioning Basileus' direct command with that line, but the guards were questioning the risk, and she knew Basileus could read all their thoughts at once if he so wished.

"Good question, my dear, and the truth is, we do not know. During the last plague, I personally saw vampires so weakened by infected blood that they were easily picked off by this coven. Indeed, it was quite useful to see vampire strength so depleted. I will not risk the safety of our coven and all we have built for the sake of drinking human blood. We are surrounded with woodland, an abundance of food waits for you in those woods. I expect you to feed ... and feed well ... but for now you WILL be feeding from animals. Plagues rarely last long, we are looking at a year, two at most. It is a small price to pay for maintaining our food source long term."

The guards knew Basileus already had an answer to every question.

Antonio stood forward to ask one question that would certainly sweeten the deal, "Will we have more barrels of bloodwine, my lord?"

Basileus boomed with laughter. "I wondered how long it would take for someone to ask that. I was starting to think you had not enjoyed my offerings for the celebrations!"

The guards visibly relaxed.

"Yes, my boy, there will be plenty more barrels. We will be held up in this town for quite a while and I think we will ALL need the light relief of a little alcohol!"

The guard's whispers were now happy ones.

Basileus continued, "That is, except for you, Antonio. You will not be drinking my 'special brew' again for quite some time. Neither will you, Felix, nor you Adrianna ... and Ashanti, that goes for you, too. Demetri, I think it goes without saying, and of course Afton. I think you six will have to spend some time convincing me that you are mature enough for the privilege!"

The six vampires Basileus had named grew stormy expressions whilst the other guards mocked them mercilessly. The elders joined in lightly, too.

Marcus, who had seemed disinterested until now, spoke quietly to Basileus.

"My lord, will we protect our town people? Volterra is protected with high walls, we could maintain the same patrols we do for the castle grounds but also place our guards around the outer walls to quarantine the town. My people will be expecting my protection, my lord."

"Of course, my dear friend. I'm sure Aro will arrange it."

"Ah, not me, my lord. Caius deals with the guard patrols now." Aro replied politely and turned to Caius.

"I will make the arrangements, Marcus." Caius didn't care for the people of Volterra, but as they were the sole source of comfort for their fallen co-master he would do all the man wished to defend them.

Basileus turned again to Marcus, "My dear friend, could you escort our good ladies to their quarters, I need to speak with Eleazar and Carlisle in private."

Basileus nodded curtly to Athenodora, Carmen and Sulpicia, who joined Marcus and took their leave. The twins followed their mother and Basileus took his two sons through the front of throne room and out to the castle grounds. The guards parted like the red sea to allow the trio their exit.

"Caius, I would like you to find some 'extra special' duties for those that brought our celebrations to an end yesterday." Aro told his brother in arms.

"All of them?" Caius asked, a little shocked. _Is he really turning Felix and Demetri over to me_?

"Yes, all of them. I'm sure there are many jobs around here that are no doubt beneath our guards ... I think that should do."

 _Aha, so I can'_ _t beat them. Shame. I will find something humiliating for the insolent brats, though_.

"Consider it done!"

Aro clapped his hands together with a joyful smile, "Wonderful! Felix, step forward."

 _Oh no, please don'_ _t do this, don'_ _t make me apologise in front of_ _everyone!_ Felix willed Aro with his whining thoughts to let him off this humiliation as he walked forward to the base of the throne steps.

"Yes, master," he replied, respectfully, with big puppy dog eyes.

 _Huh! If you think that'_ _s working with me you have another thing coming_.

"I believe you have something to say to the coven, boy." Aro announced, loudly - far louder than necessary for a room full of vampires with impeccable hearing.

Felix cringed and dropped his face to the floor. _Aro_ _, you bastard_.

"We are waiting, Felix." Aro encouraged with a knowing smile.

The guards were whispering behind him, there was no way out of this. Felix was fucked. His pride and those foolish teenage emotions were daring him to resist, refuse, run, something!

Aro could see his boy wavering and joined him on the main floor. Felix looked up just in time to see Aro approach, and ever hopeful, he thought Aro was going to save him. Wrong. Instead, Aro reached around and grabbed the boy by the scruff on his uniform and spun him around to the rest of the guard and pulled him in close.

"I meant every word I said last night. Apologise, or I will punish you where you stand and then you can apologise." Though he spoke quietly, the first line of guards heard every word and Aro was sure they would pass on the boy's scolding through the Volterra rumour mill.

Felix looked to Aro in astonishment, amazed that he was actually going through with his threat from the night before.

"I'm sorry." Felix announced, not really sure what he was supposed to say. He chanced a look to Aro. _Shit, okay, that wasn_ _'_ _t enough_.

Aro's face turned thunderous as he plunged his son to his knees. "You can do better than that!" he sang out as he squeezed tightly on Felix's neck.

Felix hissed at the force of Aro's hold. _How am I supposed to talk while you do that, it hurts too much_!

Felix's thoughts were obviously heard by Aro this time.

"If you are struggling through this pain, just imagine how much worse it will be if I whip you, my boy."

Felix's breath hitched in his throat and his face was hot with the phantom burning of shame he was feeling.

 _Okay, okay_! He thought to Aro, and then he finally addressed the coven.

"I have committed a crime against vampire law. I beg for your forgiveness and that I am allowed to keep my head. I assure all of you, I will never again flout our laws and will, in future, behave in a manner befitting my station in this coven." Felix was whimpering by the end of his speech, with Aro's nails digging into his neck.

"Master, Aro," Magnus, a loyal and original member of the Volturi stepped forward. Everybody liked him, he and his human wife Freyr were turned together by Marcus 800 years earlier when the Viking pair were captured in a raid on Irish covens.

"Magnus, my friend, please speak freely."

Magnus bowed politely and asked what many of the coven were wondering, "I am sure we all do forgive Felix, my lord. I don't believe Felix chased Renata, or Chelsea. None of us do." Magnus looked around the room for back up, he knew he didn't need it as such, but he was glad to hear murmurings of agreement coming from the crowd.

Aro was pleased, too; he had hoped the majority of the guard would see sense on the matter.

"But, my lord," Magnus continued, "I am confused about Felix's status? I, for one, want to be assured that Felix and Demetri will not be enjoying the same status as coven leaders ... particularly over our mates."

Magnus' eyes flickered to Caius as he spoke. Aro understood him perfectly well. _So, you are worried I will be allowing my sons to have your mates submit to them. Hmm. Most definitely not!_ Aro thought to himself.

"You have no need to worry, my friend. My high guard are still guards; they have no rights over or above you – any of you." Aro said pointedly as he made eye contact with as many women in the guard as possible. Aro knew what he was doing, the guards had to agree to spare Felix his life and if they could enjoy his punishment, they more than likely would.

"I can assure you all that in exchange for keeping his head on his shoulders, Felix has been and will continue to be suitably punished for his crimes and his movements around this castle will be both restricted and monitored for the unforeseeable future."

Hearing Aro's decree to the guard, Felix shot his head up. He caught a good many of them smirking at his predicament.

Seeing that the guards were happy now, Aro finalised the meeting, "I believe Caius has additional duties to issue to some of you - you know who you are." Aro looked to Antonio and Afton, and searched out Adrianna and Ashanti in the crowd. His sons knew they were to stay behind. "The rest of you are dismissed to your posts."

Afton, Antonio, Ashanti and Adrianna walked to the bottom of the throne steps with their heads bowed. They showed their submission, but their hidden faces were murderous! Felix and Demetri stayed where they were ... in disbelief.

Once the other guards had exited the throne room, Aro pulled Felix off his knees and beckoned Demetri over. "I expect you to carry out the tasks Caius assigns, woe betide you fail!" he told them at a volume only they would hear.

Demetri's face sank even further, but he offered a slight nod before casting his eyes to the floor.

Felix was less easy to convince, "But you punished us already, I'm still on fire!" It was slightly louder than he'd intended and he heard Antonio snicker a little. _Cunt, I haven_ _'_ _t finished with you yet_! Felix thought dangerously.

"I know that, Felix, which is why I suggest you don't force the same fate for this evening!" Aro pushed his boys towards Caius.

"Antonio, you and Afton will be clearing the grounds outside." Caius began instructing the young men of the required tasks. Antonio rubbed his sore shoulders. Caius had ripped both his arms off last night, and though he'd had them reattached by Afton pretty quickly, they were obviously still aching today.

Afton's jaw felt out of place still. Basileus had slapped him so hard across the face that his jaw fractured for a few moments. He had no intention of objecting, in fact he had decided to never speak again in front of their creator. _I wasn_ _'_ _t even in the damn fight and I'_ _ve been dragged into this shit,_ he thought gloomily.

Antonio listened to the growing list of duties with horror.

"Master, I don't want to fail you ... but my arms, I don't think they are strong enough ... "

Caius held up a hand to the complaining delinquent.

"Your arms were strong enough to brawl with a member of this coven, they will be strong enough to fulfill your punishment ... unless you believe your arms now useless? I will, of course, relieve you of them if this is the case. Well, Antonio?"

Antonio's mouth fell open in shock, "N, n, no, master, I spoke out of turn, please forgive me." _I am going to rip your fucking head off for this, Felix_. He dared not chance a look at the cause for his situation, but he was going to repay the favour, that was for damn sure.

Ashanti and Adrianna had formed an unlikely union. They had to be separated yesterday when Adrianna realized they had both been sleeping with Demetri, but now they united against the little Lothario, deciding they would prevent him from treating any other women in this coven with such disrespect.

"You two, are you to be trusted together?" Caius asked the young women.

Adrianna was an older newborn, reaching the end of her first year. Ashanti had decided during the night that she would take her under her wing. Ashanti held some sway with Caius, as she did with most men, and she'd managed to convince him last night that there was no need to physically punish either one of them. Adrianna was so grateful to Ashanti that she, quite literally, fell to her feet in the guard quarters after they were dismissed.

"Yes master, we have settled our differences," Ashanti informed Caius casually, while both of them shot a looks of revulsion to Demetri, who squirmed under their gaze ... particularly with Aro watching everything so closely.

"Good." Caius replied, "The two of you are confined to the guard room until further notice."

Caius looked shyly to Aro, whop raised his eyebrows in return. Caius rarely resisted punishing the guard, male or female, but Ashanti ... Ashanti could wrap any man around her little finger. Before Aro could object, Ashanti took Adrianna's hand and the two flashed out of the room.

"What about these two, Caius?" Aro asked.

Caius considered all the things he would like to do to them. He thought about having them clear out his private dungeon, but thought better of it. Aro would never go for it.

"Do you have anything in mind, Aro?" Caius asked him with a sly smile.

Aro circled his sons slowly. Felix was very uncomfortable having Aro so close to his rear right now, he was still suffering from his belting. Neither were particularly pleased at being offered up to Caius for more punishment, let alone it being dragged out in this way.

"Well, the floors in this place need freshening - ALL of them."

Caius smiled, "Perfect, brother." Moving uncomfortably close to the boys, Caius instructed them purposefully, "Fetch buckets and scrubbing brushes, I want the two of you on your knees cleaning every inch of this castle." Demetri rolled his eyes dramatically and luckily, as his head was still bowed, no one caught it.

Felix, however, released an irritated huff.

Crack!

Caius slapped the boy roughly across his head. Being slapped by Caius was the final insult for Felix. He spun around to face his father behind him.

"Aro!"

Crack!

Aro slapped his face even harder than Caius had.

Felix hissed loudly, his ears ringing from the blow.

Aro grabbed Felix roughly by the front of his black guard tunic, pulling the fabric tightly around his neck.

"You will learn your place in this coven, Felix. So we are clear, you will always be below ALL masters of Volterra. You should make your apologies and get to work."

Felix wanted to resist so badly, but knew he was on a hiding to nothing.

"Yes, master. Master Caius, I apologize." With his disingenuous apologies made, Felix began to bubble up again.

Aro looked at Caius, he seemed sated with Felix's apology but Aro knew his boy, and he didn't mean it.

"Hmm, brother, may I make a suggestion?" Aro asked, whilst glaring at Felix.

"Of course. Would you prefer they were given a different task?" Caius replied, hoping to god that Aro wasn't going to let them off the hook AGAIN!

"No, the tasks are perfect in keeping with the lowly depths they all sank to last night. I would just rather Felix and Demetri were separated. I believe they would achieve far more if they weren't together."

Caius looked quizzically to his brother in arms, unsure of where this was going.

"I suggest Demetri and Afton clear the grounds, and Antonio and Felix scrub the castle." Aro smiled, feeling delighted with himself and the displeasure he had caused to the four vampires before him.

Caius looked incredulously to Aro, "Are you losing your mind? They will kill each other!" he shot back.

Aro smiled at Caius and approached the younger guards.

"Don't be so dramatic, brother. They won't kill each other, though I dare them to try – I for one will look forward to punishing them if they even think of defying us on this." Aro looked back to Caius - he looked ready to dance with glee.

"Genius idea, Aro!" Caius crooned, already imagining giving Felix a walloping. "Go to your posts!" Caius told the four thunderous looking guards who burst into action at his command.

"Good luck!" Aro called after them. "Feel free to slap them all back into line if they dare to step out of it, brother. And often as it necessary." Aro said to Caius in his fake calm, sing song tone.

Felix stood still for a moment hearing that Caius now had permission to be physical with them and he was infuriated that Aro was going through with his promise from the night before. He soon flashed out of the room, hearing Caius' and Aro's shared laughter at the stiffness in his step.

"Aro, you know Felix and Antonio are going to end up brawling." Caius said plainly once they were alone.

Aro smiled, "I expect you will be keeping a close eye on them, will you not?" Aro asked.

Caius nodded. _Of course I will be. The damn ingrates will end up smashing the castle to smithereens if I leave them to their own devices_ , he thought.

"Wonderful, you dealt with Felix and Antonio successfully on your last mission, I suggest you employ the same techniques when dealing with them here in Volterra." Aro waited for Caius to catch up on his meaning.

"Are you saying you want me to belt them both if they fight today?" Caius asked, hardly keeping the delight from his face.

"No brother, WHEN they fight. There is no IF in the equation."

Caius wore his evil grin upon hearing Aro's confirmation.

There was something else Aro wanted to clear up. "Are you really allowing Ashanti to manipulate you so, brother?"

"I certainly am not! We came to a 'private' arrangement which suited us both better."

Aro knew what that meant, and he made a mental note to warn both his sons from going anywhere near Ashanti in the future.

"Well, we won't be dispatching her when Athenodora finds out. I have already taken an earfull from Basileus for allowing her to continue in the guard after she went sniffing around Carlisle. You're making your bed brother, you will be the one laying in it!"

Caiua smiled coyly. "That I will brother, but I won't be laying in it alone!"

They both laughed heartily before Aro left to find Basileus; being out of the loop didn't suit Aro's mode of leading.

Walking out into the blazing morning sun, Aro's skin sparkled brightly, the heat made his face tingle pleasantly. Aro listened carefully for the sounds of his brothers and father and he soon caught on to Basileus' growling. They sounded to be outside the castle walls, perhaps towards the woods. Aro began walking at a human pace once he was through the castle gates. Humans of the town were milling about, but they were used to the sparkling guards of Saint Marcus, as they believed them all to be. Aro nodded to those he passed and made his way to the woodland.

Basileus saw Aro approaching. "You really need to get those two in check, our coven is under threat! I fear that the guards will revolt against the temporary feeding orders, and I won't have those two undermining authority! Either you deal with them, PROPERLY, or I WILL."

Basileus wasn't so much pissed off with Aro, he was feeling the strain of the last few years mounting up; introducing Carlisle to the coven, raising another newborn, Eleazar taking a mate and being far less available, the change of dynamics in Aro's household, the damn Romanians still rearing their ugly heads. It had been one drama after another and for a man that enjoyed an easygoing life, the vampire world was seriously pissing him off.

Aro threw up his hands defensively, "I know, I know! I am dealing with them, there have been some major events around here recently, but it will settle, my lord!"

Basileus spun to face his son, "Will it, Aro? Will it really? Because from where I am standing, every time I return to this godforsaken place SOMETHING ELSE HAS HAPPENED!"

Aro was a little blown away at the dramatics. Yes, there had been things to deal with recently, and fair enough, quite a few of those things revolved around his own two sons. But Basileus seemed to be falling apart!

Basileus moved a few paces away, trying to calm himself. Aro didn't really deserve his wrath. Without facing his sons he addressed them. "I'm sorry Aro, that was uncalled for. I know you are getting them under control. I have to go away again, and I'm taking Carlisle with me."

This was news to Carlisle! "Me? Why? I like it here!"

Basileus approached his youngest but Carlisle continued, "If this is about the opium, I won't ever be doing that again, I can be trusted!"

"I know that, son, that is not why I want to take you with me. This plague has spread to England. I want to take you back there. This may be the last chance you will have to say goodbye to your human life. I missed the chance with Eleazar," he looked sadly to his eldest son.

Eleazar had expressed a wish to see his family one last time, but Basileus left too late. The black death of the 1300s had wiped out everyone Eleazar knew before they'd returned to the English village Basileus had taken him from.

Eleazar didn't hold it against his father, he understood, and he wasn't the type to complain loudly anyway.

"I left my human life when you turned me, I have no interest in seeing any of those I left behind there." Carlisle was genuine. He'd hated his father and felt nothing but relief at the idea he wouldn't have to see him again.

"I'm sure you think you know how you feel about this, and if we arrive and you do not want to speak to anyone, that will be your choice. But I will give you the opportunity to see your old village with your own eyes one last time ... before it's too late."

Carlisle was a compassionate man, he could sense Basileus needed to do this for him to alleviate the guilt he felt with failing to do the same for Eleazar. He would go along with it, but it would be for Basileus' sake rather than his own.

"Okay. I'm not sure I want to see the pastor, though."

Basileus put a comforting arm around his son's shoulder, "Well, we shall see, son. You will have the opportunity either way."

Basileus addressed his two older sons with concern, "Will you be able to hold things together here? We will be gone for weeks, maybe months. I haven't been away for that long in a while, and with everything that's happening around here ... "

Aro and Eleazar smiled at their father's worry and Aro interrupted him, "We will be fine, I have been running this coven for a millennia, after all."

Basileus stopped, slightly annoyed at the interruption, "Yes, Aro, but I know your heart's no longer in it, so to speak,"

Aro looked offended at that, "It may not be, but it is still my job, father!" Aro spat in response.

"Mind your mouth, Aro!" Basileus wasn't impressed with the condescending tone his boy directed at him.

Before Aro could get himself into any more trouble, Eleazar came to his rescue.

"My lord, things are a little tense around here, but no more than usual. Aro is an excellent leader, he has the respect of the entire coven - all is well in his hands." Eleazar put a protective arm around his brother, who was touched by Eleazar's vote of confidence. Eleazar continued, "Besides, I will be here to keep him in line." He finished with a cocky smile, earning an elbow in the ribs from Aro.

Basileus laughed at his sons, and though Eleazar was joking, Basileus knew Eleazar would keep his brother in check ... and more importantly, he'd keep Caius in check.

Basileus spoke gently to Aro now, with most of his fears allayed.

"You do need to get your own house in order, Aro."

Aro nodded, looking pensive. He knew that. Felix and Demetri were well on their way to driving him insane ... and it had to end.

"They are prideful, and dare I say it, incredibly arrogant ... I will be talking to them before I go," Basileus continued.

Aro's head shot up, "You do not need to do that, I can deal with them!"

"I don't doubt it son, but you are only one man and you have an entire coven to lead ... and we are in the throes of a very stressful period. It will do them no harm to know I will be catching up with the two of them upon my return. I understand why you feel your hands are tied with them sometimes, you don't want them to appear weak to the rest of the coven so your discipline must be in private unless you are to start ripping their limbs off."

Aro shook his head. _That will not be happening_.

"Calm yourself, son. I have no intention of doing so myself, either. But I am in the 'privileged' position of being able to punish who I chose, where I chose, how I chose, without it affecting the status of any individual ... perhaps if the little Volturi princes knew they would be subjected to a public hiding on my return they would be easier to keep in check during my absence, that is all."

Aro considered his father's words. It was true Basileus regularly punished guard members in the throne room, as and when he felt the need - and he's never been one for ripping off limbs like the average coven leader. _It would certainly take the heat off me for a while. I can concentrate on running the coven if I don_ _'_ _t have to worry what those two are up to all the time ... actually_ ,

"You could take them with you?!" Aro thought it was a genius idea!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, no! Not a chance in hell am I taking them with me to England! I may be gone for months, MONTHS! They act like perpetual newborns! I would kill them!"

All three of his sons laughed at their usually steadfast father expressing anything but his perfect ability to take on ANY task.

"No, I will scare them straight before I leave, that's all the help you are getting with them!"

His sons continued to laugh at their father's expense on their way back to the castle.


	42. Never Learns

**NEVER LEARNS**

"So, are you really allowing Caius to have free reign over Felix and Demetri, brother?" Carlisle asked Aro, a little dumbfounded by the idea.

"Absolutely not! But I have given him permission to knock them about a bit, if necessary. Or rather, when necessary."

Aro knew Caius would find just cause to exact punishment on his sons, he also had no doubt whatsoever that Felix and Demetri would give him that just cause on a plate. He just hoped that Caius wouldn't go too far with them.

"There's something I don't understand about all this, Aro." Carlisle folded another tunic and placed it carefully in his case, smoothing out any creases before he moved on to the next item.

"I am sure there is much you don't understand, Carlisle," Aro replied mockingly.

"Very funny! But seriously, you have had your high guard for centuries, how have they never been punished by Caius in all that time?" Carlisle couldn't work out how this could be.

"He has, plenty of times. But only for very minor things where a verbal rebuke or a slap has sufficed. He's whipped Felix a few times for fucking about on missions, Demetri too, once." Aro said as he leaned into Carlisle's bedroom window, watching Demetri and Afton sweep the grounds at a somewhat leisurely pace. "But quite honestly they have rarely done anything necessitating Caius' intervention before. They kept away from him and were respectful when he was around, so he was generally happy with turning them over to me. But now, now he sees the changes I have made, he sees Felix and Demetri lording it around the castle and they seem intent on pissing him off!"

Aro shook his head as he opened the window, "GET ON WITH IT!" he bellowed down to the two miscreants working at a snail's pace. Hearing their master calling out, they sprung into action and Aro couldn't help but giggle at their reaction.

Turning back to Carlisle, who had finished packing for his trip to England, he continued, "Caius feels powerless against my high guard and I believe that is what has caused all this strife. So I have given Caius some power back. If I am right, my sons will be more mindful of the rules, as they generally used to be, and Caius will stop bucking against them, and in turn, me."

Carlisle nodded as he thought on Aro's words.

"I still can't see Caius' problem. Marcus doesn't seem to care!"

Aro smiled sadly to his little brother, "Marcus doesn't care about much at all right now."

Carlisle knew Aro was referring to how devastated Marcus still was over losing Didyme, but decided against voicing it to save Aro the pain. He returned Aro's sad smile instead.

"All four of my high guard have always been a little looser lipped with Marcus though." Aro continued with a smirk, "oddly, the twins are the worst offenders there!"

Carlisle was surprised to hear that. "They are always so respectful! I don't believe it!" he said in genuine shock.

Aro laughed, "Ha! They are far better at keeping their disobedience private than Felix and Demetri. Sully takes the twins with her wherever she goes. She would often visit with my sister and Marcus would be there ... they spent a lot of time together in private quarters."

Aro stopped to look out the window again, having to hang out to see Demetri and Afton directly underneath him sitting against the wall, chatting. He was about to shout down to them again as he saw Caius coming around the corner. The pair jumped to their feet and collected their brooms, but it was too late, Caius had caught them. _Hmm, what will you do, brother_? _Do you know I am up here_? he wondered as he watched.

Caius flashed to the pair and quickly unleashed across each of their heads a thunderous clout that sounded like the heavens were bursting.

Aro winced as he saw his boy's legs buckle before he was caught by Afton. _Well, they are getting along well, at least_. Aro listened to every word Caius said to the guards - there was nothing there he wouldn't have said himself. Feeling far more relaxed about the power he had bestowed upon Caius, Aro pulled the window closed and joined Carlisle on his bed.

"Was that noise Caius?" Carlisle asked as Aro stretched out next to where he sat with his case.

Aro nodded.

"Whoa, I hope your sons are quick learners, Aro!" he said with a sad smile.

"They aren't! My deadly double act seem to be on a mission to test as many boundaries as possible." Aro replied, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Carlisle laughed at his brothers stress and soon Aro joined him.

"Carlisle ... " Basileus called as he opened his sons door. Seeing Aro and Carlisle splayed out on his bed stopped him.

"And this is packing?" Basileus asked, a little annoyed.

"I am packed!" Carlisle replied indignantly, still pissed off he was being dragged back to England in the first place. _At least we are going by boat this time_ , he thought.

"Good! We leave soon."

Basileus spied his own books sitting on Carlisle's writing desk. "And why are these in here?" he asked has he collected them. "Homer?" Basileus announced as he eyed Aro to the side of him. "Have you read these Carlisle?"

His son nodded sheepishly. "I was going to return them ... "

Basileus waved his explanation away with his free hand, "I told you to read whatever you wished, son. I know you will return them. May I ask ... " He looked to Aro again, who was smirking, knowing what was coming next, "which did you prefer? The Iliad or The Odyssey?"

Carlisle was relieved, he'd assumed Basileus would have been pissed off to find his most prized books were out of place.

"The Odyssey, definitely."

Aro started laughing, much to Carlisle's confusion.

Basileus looked disappointed. "Why?" he asked his son rather abruptly.

"Erm, well, the setting, the scenes, I could picture everything so clearly, it feels hopeful; journeying and searching are attainable. I could be Odysseus ... anyone could. I like that ... " Carlisle trailed off as Basileus' features became more and more sneering.

"Damn fool!" he announced in annoyance. Aro couldn't hold his laughter any longer and he burst into tinkling giggles.

Carlisle was getting pissed off now - if he was the butt of the joke he would at least like to hear the punch line!

"What is so funny?" he asked, sounding just as annoyed as Basileus had.

Aro got himself under control just enough to speak. "He's just pissed off you chose my book and not his!"

Seeing their father grimace at his words set Aro off again.

"You wrote The Odyssey? You are Homer?" Carlisle asked in disbelief.

"Yes and no ... I'm not Homer and neither is he. Though I did write The Odyssey, and our father wrote The Iliad. It was a game we played in Greece. We would each write something then get the local bard to recount it at the great games. He found Homer ... he was a blind beggar when we picked him up; his memory was almost vampiric though and we knew he would make a great bard. Very distinct voice, perfect ... "

Aro was going to continue but Basileus interrupted him.

"Shut up, Aro. He hardly has the experience to decipher great works from populist drivel."

Yes, Basileus was a little pissed off ... and that may be an understatement. Aro winked to Carlisle, who not wanting their father to see him enjoying his annoyance, offered a very slight smile in response.

"Why have you written them out again, though?" Carlisle asked. "Didn't you keep the originals?"

Basileus replaced his scowl with puzzlement. "What do you mean? They are the originals, the only ones we penned at any rate, though they have both been written out a good many times by a good many scribes since those days."

Carlisle shook his head; that didn't make any sense.

"But those books, they look brand new, the parchment is brilliant white, and the ink ... well it's dark red, which is odd, but it's perfect. No fading, no wearing ... they are new!" he stated.

Aro looked awkwardly to his father, hoping he would take the lead.

Basileus sighed and sat on Carlisle's bed. "Sit down, son." He told his youngest boy as he flicked through the books in his hands. "These books were written over 2000 years ago."

Carlisle shook his head, it made no sense to him.

"The pages are not made of parchment, that's sheepskin." Basileus stopped, he felt uncomfortable explaining this to Carlisle, he had such a gentle soul.

"Well it looks brand new for velum then!" Carlisle interjected.

Basileus shook his head again. "No son. It's not calf skin either."

Carlisle wrinkled his nose, "What is it, then? What did you make pages from in ancient Greece?" Carlisle asked in genuine wonder.

"Vampires." Basileus said quietly.

Carlisle's eyes flew wide open and his mouth hung low. He couldn't formulate a response, choosing instead to shake his head in disgust.

Basileus watched his boys reaction. _Damn it, he's starting to panic_ , he thought as he tried to speak to him again.

"Carlisle, breathe, just take a breath. That's it, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down! You skin people to make paper and you tell me to calm down!" Carlisle tried to stand but Basileus pulled him back down.

"Don't be so dramatic, brother. They were already dead." Aro added, casually, as Carlisle looked ready to hyperventilate.

"Until Caius took over the proceedings, anyway." He muttered with a chuckle under his breath.

"I could have guessed he would be at the helm of such a disgusting idea!" Carlisle spat as he looked in disdain to his father's hand on his leg.

"It makes good paper - as you observed, brother, it still looks brand new." Aro replied with a shrug, "And the blood, good ink!"

Carlisle looked ready to throw up. "Just when I think I can accept the underworld of vampire culture you add new depths of vulgarity for me to contend with!"

Basileus wasn't sure whether that was directed to Aro or himself, but he wasn't standing for it either way.

"Carlisle, you will calm yourself now, and watch your tongue. I can understand that this may seem shocking to you, but you are overreacting. The only vampires given to Caius are traitors, criminals, and our gravest enemies. They are put to death. Yes, his methods may err on the side of the grotesque, but can you really claim humans are any less grotesque to their fellow man?"

Carlisle looked to his lap. Annoyed by the comparison but unable to disagree with the logic he muttered, "Humans can be equally as cruel, though their methods differ. Significantly!"

Basileus saw Aro's mouth begin to twitch, ready to begin new laughter at his brother's expense. A quick shake of the head from his father stopped that before more offense could be taken.

Basileus felt Carlisle still under his hand and decided to move the conversation on.

"Aro, you will need to keep check on Marcus whilst we are away. Carlisle has been spending a lot of time with him and it has helped, don't let that progress fall to the wayside whilst we are gone."

Aro nodded along to yet another increase to his duties.

"I will go and see him now, father, you need not worry." Aro said as he embraced his father before Basileus left to collect his own belongings. Aro turned back to Carlisle. He was putting the last of his things in his case, all arranged perfectly, just as he liked everything, "Bye little brother!" Aro said as he tipped the case off his bed throwing his clothes across the floor before running out the room.

"ARO!" Carlisle called after him, but it was too late, his immaculate packing had gone to waste. _Cunt_! Carlisle thought after him.

Aro stood outside Marcus' door. He had knocked and was waiting for a response, half hoping he wouldn't get one and he could avoid this 'duty' for the day.

"Aro, please come in," Marcus said as he opened the door.

Aro followed him inside where he was greeted by the twins.

"So this is where you hide whilst there is work to be done?" Aro laughed, surprised by those in attendance.

The pair smiled coyly to their father.

"They aren't in the way are they, brother?" Aro asked, eying Alec as he spoke. He looked nervous.

"Not at all, I enjoy having them here. Sulpicia has asked me to keep them whilst she trains with Eleazar and Carmen. I must say, your dear wife has really come alive these last few months, Aro." Marcus sounded impressed as he retook his seat beside Jane and her open book.

"Tell me about it!" Aro said, mainly to himself, as he sat next to Alec. Alec shuffled away slightly and Aro caught it.

"Whats wrong with you?"

"Nothing, nothing!" the boy replied, a little too hastily.

Aro grabbed his wrist before Alec had chance to withdraw. The boy squirmed under Aro's gaze as he read his thoughts. Aro saw that the twins had been arguing, Marcus split them up and Alec spewed forth a verbal tirade against the man.

"Aro, it is fine, I dealt with him." Marcus waved off Alec's insolence in an effort to spare the boy further rebuke.

"Fine? How dare he speak to you that way!" Aro broke away from Alec's thoughts for a moment to address Marcus. _I have one of my fellow masters wanting to rip my sons into a thousand pieces and the other letting these two get away with murder!_ Aro thought angrily as he turned back to Alec's thoughts. He saw Marcus pull his youngest guard over his knee and spank him hard for his dreadful language.

"Oh, well, okay then." Aro said on seeing that his boy had actually been brought to task. Alec immediately started rubbing his wrist when Aro released him, mortified that Marcus had spanked him and now that Aro had seen it.

"I will speak with you later!"

Alec ducked low hearing his father say that, certain that the 'speak' would be far more physical than verbal.

"Aro, really, there is no need. We are in private in these chambers and they cause no offense to me, they are just children after all." Marcus smiled to his brother in law, "I am happy to keep them here, I will bring them back when we have finished with our reading."

Seeing Marcus was sincere, Aro decided to take his leave.

"If you are sure, I will check on the guards ... and more importantly, Felix!"

Aro exited the north tower as Caius left his own chambers. Aro heard Athenodora shout out after him and what sounded like glass smashing. With a smirk, he raised an eyebrow to Caius.

"Brother, is Athenodora unhappy? I thought you would be keeping watch over our miscreants!"

Caius looked incredulously to Aro. "Unhappy would be one word for it! I have told her we will be taking in a high guard ... she is less than pleased." He added darkly.

Aro laughed. "Have you selected from the guards yet or would you like some fresh meat?"

Caius started walking, Aro quickly joined him. "Aro, I would rather neither! Can you not talk to Basileus about this for me? I have enough to do without warring with Athenodora."

Aro laughed again. "That depends if you are going to keep bitching about my high guard, brother."

Caius stopped and fixed Aro with a no nonsense stare.

"So long as you keep them on a short leash, I will never again complain of your guard. Now get me out of this, please!"

Caius was sincere, Aro could tell that much without having to read his mind. "Consider it done, brother."

Aro wasn't sure he could convince his father to relent on Caius taking a guard, but if it kept Caius from bitching about his own he would do his damnedest to try.

"So, have you had any issues with Felix and Antonio?" Aro asked.

"We can check them together now, brother. Demetri and Afton have formed an unlikely alliance, by the way."

Aro nodded, "I know you had to 'encourage' them to work." Aro slipped in plainly.

Caius eyed his brother in arms, "And, how do you know that?" he asked, a little perturbed.

"I know everything that goes on in this place, Caius. It's my job." Aro replied with a small smile.

They soon caught up with Felix and Antonio 'scrubbing the floor' in the guard hall, which meant they were lounging around with the other guards on opposite sides of the room. As Caius and Aro entered the grand quarters where the guards relaxed and congregated, silence fell across the room.

Aro grinned at Caius, "After you, brother."

Aro walked to the window seat and made himself comfortable. Caius went right first and stalked around the room glaring at each guard individually. When he reached Antonio he threw him to the middle of the floor. Next he went left. Reaching Felix, he took him roughly by his hair and dragged him over to Antonio, pushing him down to the floor. Aro spotted something on Felix's face as Caius handled him roughly.

"Caius, bring them here, I want to check something." Aro told his coven mate, who clicked at the guards to obey. When they arrived, Aro held out his hand to Antonio. The guy delivered his own hand to Aro with a grimace. Aro saw the two of them had spent more time wrestling than scrubbing and the last hour had been lazing about in the guard hall. They each sported damage from their brawling. Aro knew it hadn't been a fight to the death as ... well ... Antonio would be dead. But still, they were warned not to fight ..

Aro smiled to Caius and told him what he had seen.

"So they have flouted us both, Aro?" He returned the same smirk Aro had offered. Felix and Antonio were experiencing a phantom panic sweat between them.

"That is right, Caius. What should we do?" Aro sang out.

"Please, masters, allow us to continue with our duties, we will ... " Antonio was cut off by a sharp slap to his head by Caius.

"No Antonio, I don't think so." Aro crooned. The rest of the guards were enjoying this and Aro allowed them to laugh along. "You will be scrubbing the entirety of this castle, but, sadly, now you will both be doing so after further punishment. Caius, if you would be so kind to see to that now so they can get on."

Antonio released a defeated moan as he rubbed at his sore shoulders, though he knew if Aro was having them both punished it would be his hide that would be burning after this. Felix looked murderously to Aro.

"I suggest you wipe that look off your face, boy! When you are back in my quarters you can expect double of whatever Caius give you now."

 _That's it, humiliation overload, I can't take this anymore_. Felix was ready to flee.

Aro could see his son warring with himself and decided to take the fight out of him quickly. "Him first!" he said to Caius as he shoved his son to the waiting coven master.

Felix didn't have time to resist as Caius caught hold of the young guard and dragged him back to the centre of the room. Guards scattered as Caius placed his foot on the sofa and slung Felix high over his knee. As tall as the boy was, his feet still only grazed the floor as he hung embarrassingly like a child over the master's thigh. Felix didn't have long to think on his humiliation before Caius had removed his belt and began inflicting the sort of pain that he wished he could black out from.

The room filled with hurried whispers and muffled laughter as Felix desperately tried to strangle the sobs daring to leave his mouth.

Aro called Magnus over. "Master if this is about speaking out in the throne room, I thought ... "

Aro cut the man off before he could go on, "There is no need for you to worry, my friend. You have caused no offence. I wanted to clear something up with you. You are the most respected guard in this coven, Magnus. I know that." Aro said as he tapped his temple, "Felix and Demetri, they are different from other guards, and they are treated as such. I can understand why this is disconcerting for the rest of you. But, I want you to understand the difference - they are young, very young for vampires, and with that comes a sort of mind set that needs delicate handling. They are privileged in some sense, as I have taken them in as my own, but if anyone here thinks that means they are not taken to task, well, I would like you to set that right for me. You asked if they had coven leader rights, my friend, what was your concern with that?"

Magnus looked to the floor, unsure if he should actually speak.

"Magnus, please, we have been together a long time, you can tell me." Aro prompted.

Leaning close to Aro's ear, Magnus finally spoke.

"My lord, Renata and Chelsea have excused their behaviour by telling the rest of the guard that Felix forced them to submit. Which doesn't even make sense as Chelsea never had sex with him anyway ... which would be impossible with submission. But I know the worry is that Felix, or indeed Demetri, has that sort of power now, my lord."

Magnus stepped back and looked again to the floor. Aro pulled him back by his arm and for a moment, Magnus wondered if he had said too much.

"Not even my brothers have that right over the coven. That lays with the masters of Volterra and Caius is the only one who exercises it. Though I intend to temper his use going forward."

Magnus was relieved. "Should I pass this on, my lord?"

Aro nodded, "Make sure it is known by all." Aro left it there, he knew Magnus would do his bidding, he was a reliable - perhaps the most reliable - member of the coven.

Aro looked back to Felix and Caius. He didn't want to call an end to the boy's punishment but would have to soon if Caius didn't bring it to an end. As if answering his thoughts, Caius finally threw Felix back to the floor and went to retrieve Antonio.

"I am going to need a pay raise if this is how things will be going forward, Aro, I am wearing out my belts on these guards!" Caius joked to Aro, much to the delight of the wider guard in attendance. "or paying, at all." He added for Aro's ears only. Aro took the pointed jibe with only a coy smile.

Antonio's pride was taking as big a battering as Felix's and he had already thought of a million ways to get even with Felix over this whole situation. Caius brought him from his thoughts as he pulled the hulking man to the middle of the room and began fresh assault on Antonio's behind in much the same way as he had with Felix.

Felix remained on his knees on the floor, waiting for instruction. When he dared to look up, Aro was glaring at him. With a single finger he first instructed his son to stand and then to come to him. Felix struggled to his feet whilst trying to hide his face and tears behind his hands. He eventually limped his way back to face Aro in the window seat.

"Sit." Aro said simply.

Felix eyed the soft seat as though the plush covering were in fact molten lava. One look back to Aro told the young guard this really wasn't optional. Felix used his hands to lift his ass free of the seat.

Aro knew what he was doing. "I really don't know why you do this to yourself? Clearly the belting I gave you last night wasn't enough." Aro whispered to his son as he swiped at the hand closest to him, causing Felix to forcibly land on his well beaten ass.

"AHHHH!" The unsuspected pain that engulfed his rear elicited a loud roar in response. Everyone, even Caius and Antonio, turned to see the source of the noise.

"Continue, brother." Aro called over, and much to Antonio's ire, Caius did.

"It was enough, it was, I'm sorry." Felix squeezed out between muffled sobs and pained gasps for breath. He was still wildly fidgeting, trying to find a position that didn't feel like sitting in a pit of fire.

Aro rested a hand on the lad's leg and pushed down hard, pinning him in place.

"Clearly not, or this wouldn't have been necessary." Aro gestured to his brother in arms, who was now wrapping up Antonio's punishment. _You were slightly harsher with Felix, Caius._ _I wonder if that was deliberate,_ Aro thought as he saw Antonio being deposited on the floor.

"Aro, please, I am sorry." Felix tried again, in vain.

"No, you're not. But you will be, in time." Aro told his boy kindly, though oddly it brought no comfort to Felix.

"Are you finished, Caius?"

Caius nodded sternly, panting a little as he refastened his belt around his dress coat.

"Then the two of you should get back to your cleaning." Aro instructed the two well punished guards. "Could you deliver him back to me when the bell tolls ten?" Aro asked Caius. "I will read his thoughts and inform you of any further issues when you do and we can do this again tomorrow."

Caius returned Aro's smile as he shoved Antonio over to his discarded bucket and brush. Aro pushed Felix off the window seat and toward his fellow offender.

"I do believe it is time we checked on the other two." Aro crooned as he walked past his son scrubbing the floor and outside the guard hall, Caius following close behind.

Approaching the throne room to head through to the outer grounds, Caius and Aro heard laughing. They were both surprised to open the doors and see Afton and Demetri chatting easily with one another. Both quietened and stood straight when the masters came into view. Aro flashed to Demetri's side and took his hand in his own to read his thoughts. He found a few fleeting conversations discussing the masters with derision but other than that, and Caius catching them copping off work earlier, they both had a clean slate. They seemed to have become rather friendly through the experience.

"Anything?" Caius asked his mind reading co-master.

Aro shook his head, "No, Caius. They have completed their tasks and done so without issue. I would say the two of them are free to go. Unless you have further need of their services?"

To say Caius was disappointed would be an understatement. He had quite enjoyed deploying Aro's childish punishment in the guard hall and was hoping for a little more practice on Demetri at least, though he was happy to take Afton to task too.

"I have nothing left for them to do." He replied dejectedly.

 _Oh_ _Caius, you are so transparent,_ Aro mocked in his thoughts.

"Afton go to your post. Demetri, you can come with me to our quarters."

Demetri's dead heart sank and he dropped his head to the floor. Afton didn't hang around, he bowed to the masters and slapped Demetri's back good-naturedly before fleeing from the great hall.

"I will leave you to monitor Antonio and Felix, brother. I have some things to take care of."

Caius nodded, hoping the cleaning crew would fuck up again before the night was through, and he went to seek them out.

"Have I done something wrong?" Demetri asked Aro in a very small voice.

Aro simply smiled, "You have done your duty well, Demetri, AFTER Caius had to bring you to task in the grounds." Aro watched as his son's face fell further, expecting a physical rebuke no doubt. "Calm yourself, son. I have no intention of punishing you for that, but I do have much to do in our quarters and you can help me there. Come." The father son duo flashed from the throne room back to their private chambers.

Demetri was less than impressed when Aro told him he would be sharing with Alec from now on. Alec was equally pissed off, though he was further incensed at being the one to be evicted from his own room.

"Why can't Demetri move into my room?" Alec complained loudly to Aro, who had long since abandoned his youngest sons and was sitting with Jane by the fire in the main room.

Demetri chimed in, "Why should I have to move into your fucking room!"

The two began snarling at each other and soon the telling sounds of a fight broke out. Jane looked up from her book in time to see Aro knocking back his wine and mouthing 'for fuck sake' into the air as he went to divide the two. She giggled to herself hearing the smacks her father delivered to her two brothers.

"The reason you, Alec, are moving into Demetri's room, and not the other way around, is because Jane is the only one of you four not to have fucked up recently!" Aro told him firmly.

"What have I done?" Alec questioned, genuinely, through his snivels over the harsh smack he had received from Aro.

"Marcus had to spank you this afternoon for your vile language in his quarters, or had you forgotten that?" Aro told his youngest dangerously.

Alec's eyes widened for a moment, he'd forgotten Aro knew that. Truthfully, Marcus often had cause to discipline Alec in his chambers but Aro was so rarely informed of the fact that he usually got away with receiving any further chastisement.

"Oh, yeah, that." He replied dejectedly.

"Finish getting your things swapped over and the two of you can go to bed." Aro announced, resulting in more disagreement from them both.

Aro listened to their complaints for a moment, trying to quell the rage that bubbled up inside over their blatant disrespect. They didn't stop complaining to him, and they soon started arguing between themselves again.

"Ahhhhhh!" Aro roared in rage and he started flashing between his childrens' bed chambers - back and forth with the belongings of one then the other until Alec's things were all in Demetri's room and Felix's things in Jane's.

Demetri and Alec stood statuestill as their father blurred past them, one way and then the other. Once he had finished, he took hold of Alec by his wrist and pulled him sharply into his new room. He landed a flurry of punishing swots to his behind before releasing him.

"Bed!" he ordered simply.

Alec obliged whilst crying over his punishment.

"DEMETRI!" Aro bellowed, and was quickly rewarded with the boy appearing in the doorway. Flashing to him and taking a fist full of his hair, Aro dragged him uncomfortably to his bed and flung him over it.

"When I tell you to do something, I expect it to be done." He told his boy before releasing a series of smacks to the back of his legs resulting in shrieks from Demetri.

"I care not if you sleep, but if there is a sound from this room I will come back and belt you properly, understood?" Aro didn't wait for a response, he simply slammed the door behind him as he left and went back to Jane. She was sensible, she kept her mouth shut.

It wasn't long before Sulpicia returned with Eleazar and Carmen. Aro was happy to see his brother, he needed someone to talk to about his children. If Basileus wasn't around, Eleazar would have to do.

Over a glass of bloodwine, Aro explained his predicament to the small group. Jane was still reading her book, Aro had yet to send her away and there was no way she was going unless she had to - this all sounded far too juicy to miss out on! As Jane's interest turned away from her book and to Aro, Eleazar nodded toward the girl. Aro was already buzzing from the opium-alcohol mix he'd been drinking since his return to his quarters and waved away his brother's concern. Allowing Jane to stay to hear just how bad her biggest brother had been.

"So what am I to do?" Aro implored his family for answers to his predicament.

"Aro you cannot punish Felix again tonight, not after last night and today with Caius. It's too much, Aro!" Carmen said, appalled at the very idea.

Sulpicia agreed, adding sadly, "My poor boy must be in so much pain."

Eleazar and Aro scoffed simultaneously.

"Poor boy, indeed!" Aro spat.

"Regardless of what Felix has already been through, Aro cannot go on offering empty threats to these young vampires. Their behaviour is erratic because Aro's managing of them is so. If he says something, he needs to stick to it. Honestly Aro, how you expect your children to do as you bid when you so frequently renegade on your propositions is entirely beyond me!"

Eleazar finished his stern 'talking to' by taking the glass from his brother's hand, "And this," he said as he held up the goblet, "is certainly not helping, brother!"

Aro felt well and truly chastised, and wished now he had sent Jane from the room. Sulpicia and Carmen grinned to each other.

"Thank you, El, I get the point!" Aro responded with a huff as he tried to retake his glass.

"No, Aro." Eleazar refused to return his brother's bloodwine, "Felix will be home soon for you to deal with and you are drunk enough already."

He was softer this time, but Aro thought Eleazar was giving a near perfect rendition of their father right now.

"I should belt him, again?" Aro asked finally, hoping Eleazar would disagree. He wasn't generally one to call for harsh punishment.

"Yes, you must ... because you told him you would. But for god sake, Aro, THINK before you issue these threats in the future!" Eleazar knocked back his own goblet and his brother's, too, before suggesting he and Carmen should take their leave.

Once he was sure his brother was gone, Aro asked Sulpicia to fetch him a fresh goblet of bloodwine.

"But Eleazar said ... "

"Are you mated with Eleazar?" Aro asked.

"No, my love." Sulpicia replied.

"Then fetch me another glass!" Aro instructed, forcefully. Before Sulpicia could refill the cup, Caius arrived with Felix. As soon as Felix walked through the door, Aro immediately spotted the swollen eye and bruised cheek. He was limping, but that could have been from the chastisement he'd taken over the last day or so.

"Aro, you can keep him!" Caius said as he thrust Felix into the room.

Without waiting for a reply, Caius stormed out and slammed the door behind him. Aro looked his boy up and down, "What happened?" he demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance with his usual sing song voice.

"Antonio and I were fighting." Felix replied quietly.

Sulpicia sighed deeply, knowing her son had just sealed his own fate.

Aro glared at him dangerously, "Come with me," he told his son darkly as he left his seat.

Felix obliged.

"In." Aro ordered as he reached Jane's door.

"Oh you haven't?" Felix dove into the room, searching for Alec's things ... they were his own. Felix looked ready to blow up at Aro, but on spinning around to face his father Aro was already rolling his sleeves up. Common sense finally took over.

"You aren't really going to punish me again, are you? I can't take anymore. Dad, please!"

Aro slid the belt from around his waist, ignoring his son's pleas. "Truthfully Felix, I can't take much more either." he told his boy, sadness dripping though his tone. Flipping his belt over in his hand and thinking on Eleazar's words, Aro knew he had to bring an end to his son's constant insolence. "But here we are, again." He added darkly, as he closed the door.

And, with a heavy heart he punished his errant boy.


	43. 1665, January - Travels to England

Just a quick AN to say thanks for reviews & messages, all very much appreciated. And thank you Doccooper who is continuing to make my drivel readable!

Just in case you were wondering, I haven't messed up the dating, the Volturi household has split and I thought we should follow Basileus and Carlisle for a couple of chapters. This section is only two chapters long so I will post the next one tomorrow and after that we will be back in Volterra - it's all kicking off there!

* * *

 **1665, J** **ANUARY** **\- T** **RAVELS** **TO** **E** **NGLAND**

"We don't need to do this." Carlisle tried to sound nonchalant but all Basileus heard was his son whining again.

"We do, son. We do." he replied breezily.

"You do!" Carlisle said under his breath whilst looking murderously to his vampire father. "You know, when you said we would travel by boat I imagined something more than this!" Carlisle complained whilst rowing the two-man dingy.

Basileus smirked, "I know you did."

"No wonder Aro laughed at my luggage." Carlisle remarked moodily.

"How about you concentrate on rowing and keep your sour grapes to yourself." Basileus returned from his seat opposite his son.

Carlisle decided to keep the rest of mutinous thoughts in his head. He knew Basileus could still hear him, but there wasn't much either of them could do sitting in the proximity afforded by a two-man rowing boat.

Basileus held a book in front of him and did a rather good impression of reading it leisurely. He had yet to ingest a word, he didn't even know the title. All his efforts were concentrated on his son's meandering mind and keeping an impassive face to all he heard.

 _Why would I want to see that evil bastard again? He used me as his personal punch bag for as long as I can remember_. _I have the scars for god_ _'_ _s sake! Eleazar told me how severe a wound has to be to keep scars from a human life when you are turned into a vampire. I know Aro has some ... he never has told me what they were from, though. I know what mine are from. The good pastor whipped me until I passed out. I am haunted by Rebecca and I will be for the rest of my immortality ... and now I am supposed to break bread with the evil bastard?_ _I'_ _d like to break his fucking neck, not bread._

As Carlisle replayed the memory of his last horrific hiding from the good pastor, Basileus struggled to retain his composure. He felt hot, stressed and he wanted to rip that bastard to pieces for the way he'd treated his son.

 _My son now, you cunt,_ Basileus thought, as though the good pastor could hear him.

Carlisle could see his father was becoming agitated and realised just how vivid his own memories must have been to the man. "I'm sorry." he offered with a quiet voice.

"It's not for you to be sorry, son." Basileus returned kindly. "You lived in the same town your whole life ... there must be someone you would like to see? Even if you don't talk to them, just to know they are okay, that they are happy?" Basileus prompted, hoping his son could show even the slightest amount of joy in returning to his homeland.

"You aren't going to leave me there, are you?" Carlisle finally asked. The thought had been playing on his mind since Basileus told him they were going back to England. "Because, if I have displeased you I ... "

Carlisle tried to continue but Basileus gripped his shoulder tightly, gave his boy a gentle shake and tried to reassure his son.

"No. No, Carlisle. You haven't done anything wrong."

"I know I have, I must have." Carlisle replied. The closer he came to returning home the more oppressive his self-doubt became.

"Hey, you are my son and I am telling you that you haven't done anything wrong. And even if you had you would still be my son - I wouldn't return you for a newer model."

Basileus sat back and took up his own oars and started rowing.

"If such a thing were even possible, I would have traded Aro in years ago." he said with a broad smile and a wink to his distressed youngest.

"Then why are you taking me back there?" Carlisle whined, though Basileus knew he was genuinely distressed this time, not just complaining.

"Because I know you had many friends in that town and I know disease is going to tear the place apart. I want you to have the opportunity to see your old world with new eyes."

"You won't leave me?" Carlisle asked carefully, sounding more like a small child than a young man.

Basileus shook his head with a kind smile. "No. And if you decide to break the good pastor's neck I will cover your tracks." Basileus added in response to his son's earlier thoughts.

Carlisle's eyes widened and he concentrated on his feet. "I wouldn't really do that." he replied, still looking at the bottom of the boat.

Basileus smiled, he doubted Carlisle had it in him to do such a thing. "He did love you, you know. He just had a very 'confused' way of showing it. Religion can do that to a man."

Carlisle swallowed hard on the pooling venom in his throat whilst willing his tears not to overflow his eyes. The pastor had never, not once, not ever professed to love Carlisle. He had been told many times what an inconvenience he was, a disappointment, a regret ... even hearing the man loved him through a second-hand source was new. They fell into a comfortable silence as Basileus drove the small boat at such a speed that it appeared to fly across the water, barely skimming the waves as it went.

It didn't take long for Carlisle to become restless.

"Will you sit still!" Basileus boomed, shocking Carlisle from mindlessly messing in his luggage. "You are rocking the boat!" Basileus explained whilst he brought the small carrier under control. Carlisle flopped back into his seat. "When did you last see your father?" he asked. He needed some distraction.

"I cannot remember." Basileus replied shortly.

"You're a vampire, vampires don't forget anything." Carlisle breezed, only too happy to turn his father's phrase against him.

"You have some cheek, boy!" Basileus returned with a raised eyebrow. "You can row for that one!" Basileus leaned back into his seat with an arm on each side of the boat.

Carlisle took up his oars and realised, again, just how huge his father was by the gaping distance between himself and the side of the boat compared to Basileus who filled his side easily.

"He hasn't come to land for many, many years, thousands of years. Long before I turned Aro. The years were measured differently then so I cannot give you a precise date." Basileus ran a finger down the length of the scar on his face. From his forehead, over his eye lid and down his cheek. "Zeus gave me this." He said darkly.

Carlisle had never asked how he gained the faint imperfection. No one else had mentioned it and it felt disloyal, somehow, to even ask before. "How?" he asked, intrigued.

Basileus took a deep, steadying breath. "Lykaios, my wonderful werewolf brother, and I had been fighting for days, tearing each other to shreds and healing just as quickly - neither of us was going to win. Zeus had watched us for most of those days and decided that he'd had enough. We didn't listen to his call for us to cease. So he divided us with a bolt of lightning. I caught the main of the blast and it split my head in two."

Basileus told his short tale as though he were mentioning a walk through the park, Carlisle took a moment to digest the information, his arms quit rowing, his lungs quit breathing. He just stared ahead, in shock.

Basileus took over the rowing. "It's not as bad as it sounds, son."

Carlisle snapped out of his zoning. "He hit you with a lightning bolt!" he said, still in shock.

Basileus laughed. "It's not like it could kill me, nothing can kill me. Not even Zeus." Basileus breezed, though Carlisle could tell there was far more emotion hidden behind that breezy tone.

"After that, Lykaios and I went our separate ways and stupidly populated the earth with vampires and werewolves. Each in an effort to eradicate the other."

"Did you see Zeus again after that?" Carlisle asked, uneasily.

"Yes, he came to me a few centuries later, I suppose." Basileus was genuinely unsure of the time that had elapsed. "He basically told me to get my shit in order." Basileus smiled to his son. "My vampires had populated way beyond my control and they were wiping out the humans. Even Zeus didn't want the humans exterminated completely. Lykaios' werewolves are mortal, so they die out at the end of a humans natural life span. He also told me he'd created another child. That wasn't unusual for Zeus - he had many children. You have read the myths, no doubt. But this one was different. Apatouria. That's her name. Zeus hid her from Lykaios and me. Neither of us, to my knowledge at least, even know what she looks like."

Carlisle was entranced by Basileus' storytelling. It reminded him of when, as a child, his nurse read him fantastic tales … until the good pastor discovered the unsanctioned reading material and dismissed the kind woman from her post.

"Why did he tell you about Apatouria if you were never to meet her?" Carlisle asked, wanting to move on from his own dark thoughts.

"Apatouria is a witch. A real witch. Vampire gifts have nothing on Apatouria's repertoire."

Carlisle's head shot up."Witches are real?" A hundred faces went through Carlisle's mind, of all the people, mainly young women, his father had burned at the stake for being a witch. He'd never believed such a thing were real, he'd condemned his father's action. _But, he was right_?

"No Carlisle," Basileus answered his son's thoughts, "no, the pastor wasn't right about anything at all. He murdered those women because his deluded mind told him they were ungodly. 'Witch' was a word he used, but they were not witches."

Carlisle felt sick. "But how do you know?" He needed reassurance, quickly.

"I know because I have met enough witches to know the ones in your memories are false. A witch cannot be killed by fire, nor water, earth or air. They grow old and die, as is natural, but no other man could kill them. No vampire either, annoyingly."

"So a witch can kill a vampire?" Carlisle asked, concernedly.

"Not quite. Between the three of us, Lykaios, Apatouria and myself, I believe Apatouria would have the best chance. But that isn't why Zeus created her. She was supposed to temper Lykaios and me. Lykaios fights for his wolves, though his wolves generally defend humans. I fight for my vampires, though I am aware of how important human levels are to my vampires' mortality. Apatouria doesn't have to worry about her witches and humans separately, they are one. I have spent many years trying to find her. Lykaios has too, I believe. To my knowledge, neither of us has been successful."

Basileus' rapid rowing saw them flying through the water again. They were nearly past the east coast of Spain.

An idea occurred to Carlisle. "That's why you keep disappearing! To find Apatouria!"

It wasn't a question, Carlisle was sure that this is what Basileus' mysterious disappearances were about. He, along with Aro and Eleazar, had considered many options for why their father was so secretive of his plans.

"What are the other reasons you have come up with?" Basileus asked eagerly, whilst displaying a contented smirk.

"Eleazar's convinced you have a woman hidden somewhere." Carlisle replied with a laugh, thinking such a thing was ludicrous.

"Hidden! How exciting!" Basileus retorted, keeping his thoughts to himself.

Carlisle started to wonder if Eleazar was right. He already couldn't wait to get back to Volterra to talk with his brothers about this.

"So he only came to see you about Apatouria?" Carlisle asked, wanting as much information to take back to Eleazar and Aro.

"He who?" Basileus asked.

"Zeus!" Carlisle confirmed. _Obviously_ , he thought.

"Not really, no. It was to tell me to lay low. To hide. There was a great battle of the gods, the Greek gods. They were at war with one another and Zeus wanted to keep Lykaios and me ... and Apatouria I suppose ... hidden from the gods so we weren't destroyed in the war."

"You said Zeus couldn't kill you?" Carlisle questioned.

"He couldn't. I was never sure just how much of a threat the other gods could be, but it was a risk Zeus wasn't willing to take." Basileus breathed deeply, he could feel his emotions rising to the surface.

"Did he die?" Carlisle asked in a very quiet voice. So quiet he wasn't sure his father had heard him. "Did he ... " Carlisle started again but stopped when Basileus looked up at him. His eyes were filled with rare tears.

"No, Zeus didn't die. He talks to me sometimes; I know he's still there. The whole body of gods were destroyed to a point where they lost their strength. They cannot come to the mortal world as they once did and walk among the people. There are signs, though. I know he's still there." Basileus wiped at his eyes and took up rowing with new enthusiasm.

Carlisle didn't ask anything else.


	44. The Good Pastor

**T** **HE** **G** **OOD** **P** **ASTOR**

Basileus waited for his son to return from his hunt. He had planned to dine on animals himself whilst with Carlisle, but the two women in the local ale house had been far too appealing.

Carlisle had stormed away from his feeding father, mainly because he was finding the allure of their blood too difficult to resist in such close proximity. Basileus did feel a little guilty going back on his promise to Carlisle, but still. _He's being such a damn brat about it. I dare him to come back with the same attitude he left with,_ he thought as he lay the second woman next to the first on the woodland floor.

"Goodnight, my dears." he said kindly, as with a gentle hand he closed their eyes.

"Why did you kill them?" Carlisle called over in annoyance as he approached through the tree line. "You could have fed without killing them!" he reiterated, now standing with his father and looking over the two drained women.

Basileus rolled his eyes. "And I suppose you only sipped from your chosen beast?" he commented sarcastically.

Carlisle huffed. "There is a world of difference between humans and animals, father!"

Basileus chortled to himself as he threw an arm around his brooding son. "Not to me, there isn't." he said quietly. Basileus listened to his son's mind for a moment as Carlisle dared himself to confront his father. His inner monologue filled with choice profanities. "I suggest you keep those thoughts to yourself, son. I would rather get to your hometown before sunlight and taking a break to discipline you for your disrespect would hamper my plans."

Carlisle heard the very clear threat even through Basileus' sing song tone. "I would rather not hamper your plans, either." he returned as he ducked his head low.

The pair moved through the night at full vampire speed. Actually, at Carlisle's full vampire speed. Basileus' speed would have surpassed his son's twice over had he been alone. Basileus noticed his son was actually slowing down the closer they came to London. Looking up to the starry sky, he knew they still had a good few hours of darkness to facilitate their passage.

"Let's take a breather, son." Basileus said as he brought them both to a halt.

"Now, Aro would make comment about you showing your age. I, of course, would never be so bold." Carlisle commented cheekily as he took a seat in the crisp grass.

Basileus narrowed his eyes to his son. "Hmmm, Aro would be very foolish to make such a comment!" he retorted playfully, taking a seat beside Carlisle.

"Why have we stopped?" Carlisle asked, though he was glad they had. The sense of foreboding grew inside him every step closer they came to his old home.

"Why were you slowing down?" Basileus asked plainly.

Carlisle looked away nervously. _You know why_ , he thought. _I have no desire to see the good pastor or any of his ilk ever again_!

Basileus smiled to himself. _Even in thought you are sullen_!

"I have told you already, you do not need to interact with anyone if that is what you choose. But, you will be going to Spittle Feylds."

Basileus sounded stern, though not unkind. He understood how conflicted Carlisle felt about his natural father, but that was why he wanted to give his son the chance to face the man one last time - he didn't want Carlisle to feel so conflicted for the rest of his existence. "I could kill him for you, if you wish?" Basileus offered quietly, as though saying so too loudly would make the offer more menacing.

Carlisle eyed his father dangerously, knowing 'him' was the pastor.

"If you want him dead, I would do that for you." Basileus pushed.

"I have never said I want him dead!" Carlisle replied indignantly, words dripping with his offence at such an offer.

"I know you haven't. You have thought it, though ... a good many times, too." Basileus continued, paying people no attention to his son's emotions.

Carlisle looked flustered. "Well you shouldn't trespass on my private thoughts!"

Basileus smiled to himself. _That won_ _'_ _t wash with me, son. Silly_ _boy_ , he thought.

"You have wanted him to suffer, too," Basileus continued, "for the pain he caused you, for the women he killed. Your own friends ... and more."

Carlisle flashed to his feet. "Stay out of my head!"

Basileus remained on the floor. He wasn't trying to piss Carlisle off, though he knew he was. He only wanted Carlisle to admit to himself that he did actually care about the pastor and seeing him would, therefore, be worthwhile.

"All I am saying is that I could make those thoughts become reality ... if you so wished." Basileus shrugged as he spoke, sounding so casual.

"He was an utter bastard to me, he committed grievous sins against the people of our town, but I would never want him dead - he was my father." Carlisle wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Basileus or himself.

"I know that. He hurt you, Carlisle. It's not unreasonable to wish harm on someone who hurt you. Only natural, I would say. You are in the position now to do something about it ... or, I could on your behalf, if you wanted."

Carlisle flopped back to the floor, his head whirring with the proposition Basileus offered.

"But, he's still my father. I could never, not even if you did so for me. No, just no." Carlisle looked up in time to see the warmth Basileus projected through his smile.

"Do you still think you feel nothing at all for the man?" Basileus asked quietly.

Carlisle sighed and lay back in the grass. Staring up at the stars he thought about his father, his first one. Not one single happy memory. Not one.

 _I can_ _'_ _t remember a single time I wasn_ _'_ _t scared of the pastor, trying to do the right thing and knowing it didn_ _'_ _t matter because that bastard would beat me anyway. How is it possible to not remember a single smile, a single embrace, nothing but pain and misery? But I still care ... I don_ _'_ _t want him to suffer, nor to die_. _The pastor was right, I am weak_.

Basileus had listened to his son working through his thoughts, but he couldn't let that last bit lie. "You are not weak, son. You care about your father because you are good, you are kind, you are considerate. These are not weak virtues. The pastor was a very misguided man. But that man was still your father."

Carlisle brought himself up to rest on his elbows as he stretched out in the grass. Basileus could see he had tears in his eyes but decided not to comment.

"I'm not saying I will speak to him, but I would like to see the pastor, please." Carlisle asked in a small, but certain voice.

Basileus got to his feet and brushed the debris from his clothing. Offering a hand to his son, he pulled Carlisle up to join him. "Let us get on with it then, yes?" he said cheerily.

Carlisle nodded as they once again took off at vampire speed.

Around an hour before dawn the duo reached Carlisle's former homestead.

"Are you alight?" Basileus asked his son. He'd heard his boy convincing himself he just wanted to look in on the pastor and be on his way, but Basileus could tell his young one wanted more than that.

"Yeah, fine." Carlisle responded curtly, eyes fixed on the pastor's bedroom window.

"You could jump up there, take a look?" Basileus pushed.

Carlisle shook his head; he wasn't ready for that. Their movements near the barn must have alerted Jethro of their presence as they both heard the old mule neighing softly and scrapping his hooves on the ground.

Carlisle's eyes lit up and a broad smile spread across his face. _How had I forgotten you, my old friend,_ he thought as he walked over to the barn door.

Basileus left him to it, hanging back and keeping watch for any movement from the house.

Carlisle crept inside the barn, closing the door behind him. He didn't need the moonlight to see his trusty old friend. To begin, the horse was startled. Most animals had a natural, inherent fear of vampires. As Carlisle approached, Jethro's mulling increased until he placed a steady hand on the ragged mane of the animal. With a few gentle hushes and whispered words, Jethro appeared to be remembering the kind hands of the youth that stood before him and he rubbed his neck into Carlisle's touch.

Basileus listened intently to the sounds coming from inside the barn and laughed lightly hearing his son coo to the animal.

 _I am glad to see your blood lust is under control, son_ , he joked to himself.

A light coming from the small house drew Basileus' attention. It appeared that a candle had been lit.

 _The pastor must have heard the horse! Shit! Do I let him find Carlisle? It may be the only way for my son to face the man!_

Basileus had only moments to decide, and though it felt underhand, he chose to turn a blind eye to the pastor who was now leaving his home with small torch in hand to investigate the barn.

Carlisle was so caught up with his old horse that he hadn't listened out for anyone approaching. The first he knew of the pastor's presence was the when the barn door swung open, flooding the small structure with moonlight.

Holding the torch aloft, the pastor created a menacing shadow on the barn floor, though having recognised the trespasser immediately as his long lost son, he was too shocked to speak.

"The last time I saw that shadow you had come to whip me for my sins." Carlisle said quietly.

Though he had spoken mostly to himself, he had expected the pastor to hear him. Human hearing was not as strong as vampires of course, and the good pastor continued to stare at the young man in disbelief. Carlisle considered fleeing the barn, maybe even taking Jethro with him. But before he could make to move the pastor, his father, spoke.

"Is it you? Have you returned?" his voice sounded soft, full of concern.

Carlisle so desperately wanted to believe that concern was for him, though he doubted the man could ever feel such depth of emotion for his only son. Gulping down the venom pooling in his mouth and leaving Jethro's side, Carlisle replied, "It is me, father."

The pastor quickly closed the distance between the two of them, though his gimp leg slowed him somewhat.

Carlisle noticed the limp in his step. _That's new_ , he thought to himself, certain his father hadn't been in any way afflicted when he had last seen him.

The pastor stopped just a step away from his son. Lifting the light high again, he examined the man before him with his mouth hung open in wonder.

"It is you, Carlisle, you are home!" he exclaimed as he threw his free arm around his son in an embrace.

Carlisle felt the force of his father's emotions; surprise, concern(?), elation! In all his life he had never been able to elicit a positive emotion in his father and Carlisle felt floored by the embrace he found himself in. Now in shock, Carlisle found himself unable to return the gesture.

"You are cold to the bone, boy! Come, come, we have much to discuss, son." the pastor announced, pulling Carlisle along to the house they once shared. As they left the barn Carlisle looked around for Basileus, unsure of what he hoped for. Rescue? Intervention of some kind? No, he just needed to know he was there. Carlisle caught the fleeting image to the side of the house. No human would have noticed," but Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief knowing his vampire father was near.

Samuel Cullen threw open the door to his home and ushered his son inside.

"Light the lamps, son." he called gruffly as he guided Carlisle to his small study. Taking the tall backed chair at the desk, Samuel waited for Carlisle to complete his task before instructing him to light the fire that would offer heat to the small, untidy room.

 _Giving out orders already. I suppose my homecoming is over then,_ Carlisle thought in annoyance at being instructed by the man.

"Sit, sit!" the pastor called out, gesturing to a chair strewn with folded parchments.

Feeling agitated already, Carlisle was wondering if this whole thing was such a good idea.

 _Why didn_ _'_ _t Basileus alert me that the pastor was heading for the barn?_ he questioned as he cleared space to take a seat. As he sat, he wondered what he was supposed to say to the man before him.

Carlisle didn't have to wait for long before Samuel filled the silence. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" His tone was stern and accusing.

 _Back to normal already_! Carlisle thought as he rolled his eyes.

"What would you like me to say?" Carlisle returned, with far more attitude than he would ever have dared in his mortal life.

Samuel looked down his nose at his son and seriously considered skipping the verbal part of this session and going straight for the whip instead.

Carlisle knew that look well and an involuntary shiver coursed through his body as he looked away in trepidation.

Willing himself to stay calm and at least find out where Carlisle had been hiding for the last two years, the pastor decided to push on.

"Let us start with where you disappeared to that night, son. I believed you to have been taken by the monsters we sought to expel from our lands. But you sit here now looking well and very much alive ... so what happened?"

Carlisle felt a venom sweat come over him, he had no idea what to say to that. He was sorely tempted to tell the truth and blow every theory Samuel Cullen had ever had about vampires out of the water, but he wasn't sure if that would be allowed.

 _It goes against vampire law to reveal myself to a human_ , he reminded himself.

Carlisle looked away from his human father and nervously played with his hands. His ring bearing the Volturi crest, given to him by Basileus on his 'first birthday', caught his eye.

 _He wanted me to confront my old demons, I know that_ _'_ _s what this whole charade is about. But what to tell the pastor? I wanted to leave anyway - after Rebecca, I was saving hard to leave this place_.

Resolved to his reasoning, Carlisle answered. "I had to leave. I was angry about Rebecca and I couldn't stay here any longer after what you did to her," With a hard look into his father's eyes he added, "and what you did to me."

The pastor leaned back into his chair and started stuffing tobacco into his pipe. "And what did I do to you, Carlisle?" he asked with a sly smile that reminded Carlisle so very much of Caius.

 _You cannot hurt me anymore, old man,_ Carlisle reminded himself as he spoke quietly to his father. "You beat me ... regularly and without reason. You made my life a nightmare. Gutter rats had a better existence than I did."

Samuel didn't acknowledge his son had even spoken. He continued preparing his pipe and once ready, lit the tobacco and pulled deeply on the smoke.

The smell of that pipe transported Carlisle back to his youth. It would always be the smell of his human father. He grimaced as the smoke hit his nose, as though the very sent assaulted his senses.

 _How many times did you empty that pipe out onto my skin? One of my earliest memories is having to put out my own smouldering hair when you emptied it on my head._ _For what? Disobedience? I can_ _'_ _t have been more than a toddler,_ _for god sake._ Carlisle could feel his father's hard glare boring into the side of his head _. I will look at you, you bastard, and I will have an answer from you, too_.

"Why did you do it? How could you treat your only son so awfully? What reason could you possibly have had?"

Samuel raised his eyes to the heavens and asked for god's guidance in dealing with his ever disappointing son.

Carlisle felt incensed as anger and frustration flooded his body.

Samuel could see the rise he was getting from his boy and he enjoyed it, it proved him right in his own mind. "You are, and always have been fueled by evil spirits. I did god's work in trying to rid you of your demons!" Samuel replied sternly, sounding like a schoolmaster giving a valuable lesson rather than the abhorrent abusive father he was.

The pastor continued to heap his vitriol onto Carlisle. "You are an evil brat! You killed my wife, your own mother! You murdered your own mother!" his voice drawled and his words were delivered through gritted teeth.

Carlisle had heard that tall tale so many times before, and all other times before had succumbed to the ravaging guilt he felt over the loss of his own mother. Living in Volterra and having access to Marcus' many medical texts had supplied Carlisle with the knowledge that no, he had not killed his own mother as the pastor had always told him. She died, most unfortunately, through childbirth. Most likely an infection due to lack of proper medical care.

"She died giving birth to me, it was never my doing!" Carlisle retorted as he got to his feet. He loomed over the pastor who was still sitting dispassionately in his tall backed chair and pulling on his pipe.

"If you hadn't been born she would have never died! Having you killed her and I was left to raise my wife's murderer!" Samuel growled out.

There was no feeling in Samuel. None for Carlisle, as expected, but Carlisle realised that there was no feeling for his dead mother, either.

 _You don_ _'_ _t even believe your own revilement of me. It_ _'_ _s an excuse, it_ _'_ _s always been an excuse. You no more loved her than you loved me_.

"Fuck you, you callous old cunt!"

The pastor leapt to his feet and tried to push Carlisle back. He was surprised that his usual force on his boy had no effect and Carlisle stood tall. Samuel was outraged as his son's defiance.

"Who in god's name do you think you are to speak to me with such venom?" he spat.

Carlisle laughed in his face. "Venom is right!" he said slyly.

"What are you talking about now?!" The pastor was genuinely confused. 'Venom is right' simply made no sense to him.

Before Samuel could say any more, a loud thumping at the front door drew the attention of both men.

The pastor shoved past his son, and this time Carlisle allowed himself to be moved by the old man so he could answer his door.

He listened from the study, but he knew it was Basileus already as he'd seen him flash past the window. Carlisle paced in the small room as he heard the pastor question who the mysterious stranger was.

"I'm here to collect my son." Basileus replied as he pushed Samuel out of his way and walked straight into the study.

"I think you must have the wrong house." Samuel blustered, following Basileus into the now cramped study.

Carlisle ran straight into his vampire father's arms.

"No, I am quite sure my son is here." Basileus replied to the pastor, eyeing him dangerously from above Carlisle's head.

Basileus whispered to his boy. "Venom!" he said pointedly. "If you go any further I will have to kill him, Carlisle."

Pulling out of their embrace Carlisle looked to the pastor with disgust.

"Good!" he said.

No single word ever uttered had ever been delivered with such hate.

Basileus put his hand around Carlisle to grip his shoulder and turned him back to face him. "Don't say something now that you will live to regret later." Basileus sounded concerned.

Carlisle wanted nothing more in that moment to go back to Volterra and forget this entire fiasco. "What makes you so sure I will regret it?" he asked, though he couldn't make eye contact with Basileus as he did.

Taking hold of his son's chin, Basileus forced his son to look into his eyes. "I think you might, son." he said knowingly.

Carlisle pulled away. _This is too intense, I don_ _'_ _t want to be here, I never wanted to come here. I might bite the bastard myself and let him turn into a vampire - he could spend the rest of eternity despising himself_.

"You know our laws. If he knows about us, he dies." Basileus commented plainly. He wasn't against killing the pastor but he needed to be sure that's what Carlisle wanted.

 _He'_ _s acting in haste because he_ _'_ _s hurt, I don_ _'_ _t want him to regret this_ , Basileus thought as he listened to his son's thoughts turning darker and more dangerous.

Their conversation lasted only a few human moments as both conversed at vampire speed. Pastor Cullen had only seen a few blurs of movement and heard a buzzing sound as they spoke.

Pushing out his chest, Samuel confronted the intruder who had barged into his home. "Who in all of hell are you? What are you doing in MY house talking to MY son?!"

Basileus shoved the pastor backward until he fell back into his chair. "He was your son, now he is mine." he said dangerously.

Basileus was an extraordinarily large and intimidating man but the pastor didn't seem to register the danger he was in. Basileus laughed at the blustering imbecile. "We are leaving, NOW!" he said to Carlisle as he placed a protective arm around his boy, cursing his own arrogance for believing this would be a beneficial visit for his son.

"You are not taking him anywhere," the pastor called out as he made to get to his feet.

"Like hell I'm not!" Basileus said darkly, pushing the pastor back down before he had fully stood.

Samuel felt the force of Basileus' palm in his chest and stayed down, but he didn't stay quiet.

"He has making up to do. That treacherous, ungrateful reprobate left me in the lurch, abandoning my mission to save good souls! The spineless ingrate deserted our vampire hunt ..."

"I AM A VAMPIRE!" Carlisle roared at the pastor, unable to take anymore.

"Oh son ... " Basileus sighed as the pastor scurried to his feet and reached across his desk for his cross.

Holding it with outstretched arms, Samuel seemed to go into a trance as he recited the liturgy, calling on the power of the saints to rid the evil in the room.

Carlisle stood to the side of his vampire creator, his growling increasing with every prayer the pastor said. He appeared to be rage personified.

"Carlisle," Basileus called, shaking his boy to break his eye contact with the pastor, "I could turn him instead, if you wish."

Carlisle knew what that meant. Basileus was about to kill the pastor and was giving Carlisle the option of saving his life.

"No!" Carlisle replied forcefully.

"I'd rather die than live as an ungodly creature like you!" the pastor interjected, spitting as he spoke.

"We could turn him and leave him," Basileus offered. He knew his time was short here now.

"That's against the law." Carlisle replied, ready to see that evil old bastard die.

"Well yes, but I am the law ... the pastor as a vampire would offer no threat to vampire kind. I cannot let him live as a human with knowledge of us. You do understand that, yes?" Basileus pushed, he needed to know his son understood the ramifications of the choice he was making.

"Kill him." Carlisle ordered. And it really was an order.

Basileus listened for a moment to his son's mind and he heard that if he didn't kill the pastor then Carlisle would do it himself. Basileus knew his son was going to regret this, he knew it. Not wanting the pastor's death on his son's conscience for the rest of his existence he replied, sadly,

"As you wish."

Basileus ripped the cross out of the pastor's hand and turned it over his own. "You think this can harm my kind?" he said mockingly, as he threw it to the floor.

"I will meet my maker with a proud and honest heart. I have lived my life serving god, I will be welcomed into heaven with an applause." the pastor crowed as Basileus coiled his powerful hand around the man's throat.

"There is no heaven, no life after this. Your god only exists in your imagination." Basileus whispered into the doomed man's ear. "I would like to be sorry for this, but in all my immortality I have never found another so deserving of death."

With a simple twist of the wrist, the good pastor was dead.


	45. 1665, March - News

**AN:** Jump forward three months and back to Volterra we go...

* * *

 **1665, M** **ARCH** **\- N** **EWS**

"Do you know where our young ones are?" Sulpicia asked Aro as she lay exhausted in his arms.

"No, nor do I care." Aro replied, playfully, as he pulled her in closer, feeling so relaxed that he wondered if he could actually fall asleep.

It took a lot for Aro to relax in this way, and Sulpicia had put a halt on his favoured method. _I can_ _'_ _t see why we shouldn_ _'_ _t fuck like this when the children are in the quarters, it never mattered before, why does it matter now_!

"I know what you are thinking, my love."

Aro looked down to see his wife as she spoke. "And what would that be, my queen?" he asked with a smirk, hoping she was ready to go again!

"You are wondering why we can't do this more often." she crooned as she played with the hairs on his chest.

He was a little surprised. "And, you tell me you have no gifts!" Aro replied as he tried to move on top of her.

Sully pushed him back down. "You do understand though, don't you?" Sulpicia wanted to know they were on the same page.

"No! I don't understand. You enjoy it, I enjoy it, we have fucked this way for thousands of years! I don't understand what has changed?" Aro could feel the frustration building up inside him again, he didn't want to feel frustrated right now, he wanted to enjoy being relaxed for a while!

"Aro, my love," Sulpicia stroked at his chest, willing him to calm down, "I don't feel it is appropriate for the children to hear what we do in here. I couldn't enjoy it if they were listening next door."

Aro had a response ready for that.

"But they have been listening next door for hundreds of years, Sully. Why do you care if they hear us now?" Drawing her up his body, he kissed her deeply and as he pulled away he added cheekily, "Any damage to their fragile young minds has already been done."

As Aro leaned in to kiss her again, Sully put her hand to his mouth and gently pushed him away. "Aro, that thought makes my heart stop!"

"Your heart stopped a long time ago, my queen." Aro was trying to keep things light, but he knew a serious conversation was coming. _Why now, why can_ _'_ _t we just make the most of the children being out and enjoy each other for a while longer_? he thought petulantly.

"It was different before, Aro. They were our guard, and they are now our children. It feels different to me. Besides," Sulpicia wasn't sure she should voice her thoughts, but she hoped it would help Aro understand her reasons for keeping their 'fucking' to empty quarters, "with the noises coming out of this room, our children would think you were forcing me to submit again and I don't want Jane setting you on fire in my defence!"

 _Yup, that_ _'_ _ll do it_ , he thought as he felt his erection subside. Aro fell back onto the bed, braking his hold on his wife as he did so. He looked away from his queen in regret, but he couldn't deny that she had a point. _If Felix had heard my roaring these last few hours I have no doubt he would have burst through that door to defend his mother. The other three may have been a little more reticent ... but Felix, the bull-headed fool, he would have intervened. Mother. That still feels odd. It doesn_ _'_ _t to Sully, though. It's the most natural thing in the world for her. If mothering them makes her happy, then who am I to stand in her way_?

"I understand, my queen. I may have to find us a regular babysitter, though!" Aro smiled as he spoke and watched his dear wife melt into his chest as she lay her head back down.

"I am sure between Marcus and your brothers we will have plenty of opportunities to reconnect, my love." Sully promised as she tugged on his chest hair again, far sharper this time and Aro growled happily.

He threw Sulpicia onto her back and straddled her flawless body, kissing her greedily and readying himself for another round but a loud banging on the tower door interrupted them.

"Are you going to see who it is?" Sulpicia pulled away from their embrace.

"No!" he growled, he knew time was short and he wasn't wasting it on visitors. The loud knocking again.

"My love, it may be the children ... go and check." Sulpicia shoved him from on top of her.

Aro narrowed his eyes and ripped the bed sheet away from his wife. "If it is, I will be throwing them in an orphanage!"

Sulpicia threw her pillow at him as he wrapped the bed sheet in half and around his waist.

Opening the door to the tower stair well, Aro was pleased to see it wasn't his miniature beasts of burden.

"Magnus!" he exclaimed.

"My lord." Magnus replied with a smirk, looking Aro up and down. "I apologise for disturbing you."

Few of the guards could get away with such informality but Magnus was more like an old friend than a guard to Aro and he couldn't help his giggles at the master's state of undress.

"A letter has arrived for you." Magnus handed over what looked like a hefty pack of correspondence.

"My father, I expect." Aro said as he took the package.

"I believe so, my lord. A good number of barrels have arrived with it. Where should we put them?"

Aro's interest was piqued, "What colour bands do they have?"

He was hoping there were some gold ones again.

 _That opium mix is just what I need_!

"All black bands, my lord." Magnus knew what Aro was after.

Aro was a little annoyed.

 _I'_ _m going to have to find out how Basileus is making these blood batches up so I can start my own supply_. "Have them brought to my father's quarters. I will meet you down there and unlock the doors."

Magnus smirked again and gestured to the sheet covering Aro's lower regions. "Are you sure you want to do this now, my lord?"

Before Aro could answer, he heard the sounds of his children's bickering filling the tower stairwell. With a sigh he replied, "I think I have had as much fun as I am allowed, my friend."

As the four young guards came into view Aro secured his bed sheet and leaned into the doorway to allow them to pass. Jane and Alec looked away, a little embarrassed by Aro's lack of clothing, and limped passed their father.

"What's happened to you two?" he asked them without receiving an answer as the twins headed straight for their room. "Why are you back so soon?" Aro asked his children, irritated by Jane and Alec ignoring him.

Felix and Demetri wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, sorry. Have we disturbed you?" Felix asked in 'oh so fake innocence'.

"And you call me a Lothario!" Demetri joined in.

Magnus couldn't contain his laughter as Aro clipped them around the ear.

"I am mated and these are my quarters, you cheeky brats!" he told them as he pushed them into the living room. "Go and find something to do."

They laughed, but all of them disappeared to their own rooms.

"I will fetch the barrels, my lord." Magnus said as he flashed from the door. His chortling could be heard until he'd left the tower.

Smiling to himself, Aro closed the door and returned to his wife.

 _Damn it. She'_ _s already dressed_ , he thought.

"Help me clean up in here!" she ordered, panicked that their young ones would see the array of objects involved in their fuck fest.

Aro chuckled and closed the door behind him as he scooped up some leather cuffs.

"Aro! Will you hurry up!" Sully called out as she retrieved their scattered clothing from around the room.

"They are in their rooms, my queen. Don't worry." Aro replied as he casually collected a whip and silk blindfold from the floor.

"Sully, can I come in?"

Aro and Sulpicia froze and looked to the door.

"Erm ... not just yet, Alec." Sulpicia called out as Aro burst into laughter.

"What's going on? I need to talk with you. Sully?" Alec called out again.

Hearing the desperation in her young son's voice, Sulpicia fixed her dress and secured the fastenings at her bust before flashing to her husband.

"My love, if this room isn't cleared by the time I come back, I will be burning all these whips and cuffs and you can find another way to relieve your tension!"

She sang out her words so softly that Aro had to double check what she said.

"I mean it, my love," she said as she pinched his nipple and twisted it painfully.

Aro liked that, though. "Okay, okay!" Aro put up his hands in surrender. "I'll sort it!"

Sulpicia eyed him for a moment, making sure he really would, then she slipped out the door to Alec who was desperately looking around her to see what was going on in his parent's bed chamber.

Aro looked around the room. Even though Sulpicia had already piled up their clothes, the room was still strewn with random shreds of torn bed sheets. He gathered the bedding together and dumped it with their ruined clothes and moved to refilling their 'toy box' under the bed. It didn't take long to have their room returned to a respectable state.

Rather than redressing, Aro went to the bathroom to clean up. The young guards had all joined Sulpicia in the living room.

"You know Aro, togas fell out of fashion centuries ago!" Felix commented as Aro passed them in his bed sheet.

"And what a sad day that was!" Aro replied as he left them.

"He's so old!" Demetri added as he and Felix started laughing again.

"Hey! I'm not much younger than your father!" Sulpicia said with her hands on her hips, daring them to call her old."

Felix stood up and lifted her easily in his strong arms. "You can carry it off, my lady!" he said as he spun her around, delighting in her giggles.

It was a far more sombre scene Aro returned to after washing.

"What's wrong? I was only gone for a moment!"

Sulpicia looked pissed off. "You need to talk to Caius." she said frostily.

"And what should this talk consist of?" Aro pressed, thoroughly checking over his young ones with his eyes for any sign of harm.

"It doesn't matter ... I don't want to cause a fuss." Alec expressed dejectedly.

Aro went to sit with his youngest. "It does matter." he said, gently, as he took the boy's hand. _What have you been up to now,_ _Caius_ , Aro thought, as he started fishing through Alec's memories.

Nothing. No Caius.

"You haven't even seen Caius today." Aro was stumped.

Alec looked ready to cry.

"It wasn't Caius - it was his evil bitch wife!" Jane jumped in, looking thunderous.

Aro raised his eyebrow to Jane's vulgar language. She knew what he was making reference to, but right now she didn't care.

"Well she is!" Jane defended her word choice.

"I agree." Sulpicia said.

Aro looked at the ladies in his life. "No one would ever guess she wasn't yours by birth, my queen!"

Both Sulpicia's and Jane's expressions softened hearing that. Yes, Aro knew his ladies.

Going back to Alec's thoughts, Aro searched for interactions with Athenodora. It didn't take long. Aro watched as Athenodora bumped into Jane and Alec in the north tower stairwell; they had been visiting Marcus and she was on her way up to see him herself.

 _So you rant at my children and push them down the fucking stairs_! Aro was shocked watching his miniature deadly double act topple to the bottom of the north tower. Seeing Athenodora's face through Alec's eyes, he could see she was shocked too. _Quite disbelieving of your own stupidity you evil bitch,_ Aro thought. Marcus must have heard the commotion outside his door as he appeared next in Alec's memories. Ignoring Athenodora's protestations, Marcus went straight to the twins, smoothing out their clothes and tidying their hair. He told them to return to Aro and inform him of what had occurred.

"I will deal with this, don't worry - that evil bitch will be too scared to even look at you again!" Aro told Alec, who could see his father's eyes turning black with rage.

Though Athenodora had shoved them both down the stairs, Alec seemed far more upset than Jane - Jane's personality was much like Aro's; she didn't get upset, she got angry!

"You two," Aro pointed to Felix and Demetri, "go down to Basileus' chambers and wait for Magnus. He will be delivering barrels of bloodwine soon. Have them stacked along the walls."

The pair needed no more instruction. Felix flashed from the room feeling his own anger bubbling up inside him. Demetri threw a sympathetic look to the twins before he did the same.

"What are you going to do, Aro?" Sulpicia asked her brooding husband.

When Aro made eye contact she could see his onyx eyes. "Be careful, my love. Remember we must keep Caius on side." she added, pointedly.

 _She_ _'_ _s right, fuck. I want to rip that bitch's head off, but Caius won_ _'_ _t take me even talking with Athenodora without a fight_.

"My love, if I may, I suggest you should let Caius deal with Athenodora ... make your displeasure known to him and allow him to take care of the rest."

Just hearing his sweet wife's voice was enough to help calm Aro. "You are right, my queen. I will talk with Caius." Aro stood and moved to Sully's side. Cupping her delicate face in his hands he whispered, "Thank you." before leaving their chambers.

Aro knew where Caius would be ... in his dungeon playroom. He wasn't aiming for Caius though, not yet. Instead he made his way to Marcus' suite, hoping to god that Athenodora wasn't still there. He knocked a little more forcefully than intended on his brother-in-law's door and Marcus answered the summons quickly.

"I thought you would visit me soon, brother. Come inside." Marcus droned in the melancholy tone that had become a permanent fixture since Didyme's demise.

"Is SHE here still?" Aro asked through gritted teeth.

Marcus smiled, knowing how 'she' was. "No, brother, I sent her away a good while ago." Marcus told him, much to Aro's relief.

Aro nodded curtly and entered the top floor chambers.

"I imagine you were hoping I could illuminate the altercation between the twins and Athenodora?" Marcus asked. "I am afraid I didn't hear much of what was said between them, though I am sure with a gift such as yours, you could have garnered that information for yourself already."

Aro nodded again. "There was hardly anything spoken by the twins, brother. Athenodora laid in to them for being in her way and for taking up your time. She told them they were the gutter rats of the Volturi!" Aro's voice betrayed his anger, getting louder and more forceful as he spoke. "The twins tutted at her and went to walk past, and that's when she pushed them down the fucking stairs! They weren't expecting such a vicious act, and, tangled up in each other, they fell to the bottom!" Aro had started pacing as he spoke, feeling the anger bubbling up inside him again, it was all he could do not to go down to the evil bitch's chambers and tear her throat out!

"Are they hurt, Aro?" Marcus asked, realising he had only very briefly checked them over before sending them back to their own tower.

"Just scrapes and bruising. But it's hardly the point!"

Marcus shook his head, "No, of course it isn't. I wanted to know they were well, that is all, brother."

Hearing Marcus excuse himself, Aro realised how aggressively he was coming across. "Forgive me, Marcus. You don't deserve my wrath." Aro quit his pacing and took a seat, having to move a pile of books in order to do so.

Marcus mimicked his movements and sat opposite his brother-in-law. "You must talk to Caius, Aro. Athenodora tried to excuse her behaviour to me, she said they goaded her."

Aro made to stand but Marcus raised his hand asking him to still, "Calm, brother. She's a terrible liar." He said with a slight smile. Caius will see through her lies, too and he is far too wary about his position in this coven to rock the boat with you. Turn Athenodora over to him and he will set things straight."

Aro nodded along, much as he had done when Sulpicia recommended the same thing.

"Are you bothered by the twins visiting you?" Aro asked him outright.

Marcus smiled, "I enjoy the company of all of your children very much Aro."

Aro's head shot up and he looked to Marcus fearfully, as though he had just uncovered a deadly secret.

"Worry not, brother. I have seen your bonds grow with those young guards ... Sulpicia's, too. You cannot hide such things from a gift like mine. Your secret is safe with me, Aro."

Aro stared ahead, still feeling the embers of panic alive in his stomach. If he'd had fed recently it would be on the floor by now.

"No one can know, Marcus. No one." Aro implored his brother with his eyes to understand just how grave this situation was.

"I know, brother. No one will find out from me. But to answer your original question, the twins visiting me is a pleasure. Teaching them, reading with them, learning with them - it's almost like I feel alive again."

Aro smiled softly, feeling his own heart break for the absolute loss Marcus had gone through losing Didyme. Aro of course felt her loss deeply, she was his beloved sister, but it didn't compare to the ordeal Marcus had been through.

"Thank you, brother. I will take your advice. Sully instructed me similarly." Aro told him as he made for the door.

"Clever woman you have there, Aro. Take care of her." Marcus responded, sounding as though he were slipping back into his depressive thoughts.

Aro nodded gently and went to seek out Caius.

Caius was exactly where Aro had predicted, in his dungeon playroom burning the fragments of bodies still hanging around from his last torture session.

"You know we have guards for cleaning, don't you." Aro called out as he entered through the panaled doorway.

Caius' head shot up. He had expected Aro to call on him. Athenodora had not long left. She'd run to her husband fearing for her life after what she had done to the twins.

"Brother, we need to talk!" Caius called out as he set aside the mop he was using to clear the flagstones of blood.

"Indeed we do, brother." Aro said in his sickly sweet tone. "Have you spoken to your wife?" Aro tried to keep his tone even, but he knew he'd spat out 'wife'.

Caius turned to Aro, "She has told me the twins goaded her into an altercation, so I expected you would want to talk to me, Aro."

Caius sounded so casual, you would be forgiven for thinking he hadn't realised the seriousness of the situation. He had of course. And he was livid with Athenodora for putting him in such a position in the first place.

"Oh no, no, no, brother, that is not what happened, not by a long shot! Your wife verbally attacked my chil ... guard, my high guard, when they left Marcus' chambers and then where they merely tutted in response to her vulgarity she pushed the two of them down the fucking stairs!" Aro was angry again. He started to stalk around Caius' room of pain.

Caius was shocked. Athenodora hadn't told him that, not even close. He knew Aro was telling the truth - Aro's anger rarely reared it's head in public so if he was this pissed off in front of Caius he had to be telling the truth, Caius reasoned.

"You know this for certain I assume, brother?" Caius asked in trepidation.

Aro looked ready to blow and Caius really didn't want to deal with that right now. Aro stopped dead in his tracks.

"Yes I know for sure, I read it in Alec's thoughts and I have just left Marcus who partly witnessed it. She pushed them down the stairs, Caius! I hope you appreciated that I have come to you and not sought Athenodora out myself? I expect you to rein her in and in the future she needs to stay the fuck away from my high guard!"

Caius was taken aback and could see from Aro's demeanour that if he had chosen to seek out Athenodora he would no longer have a mate! Though he bristled at being forced by Aro to take his wife in hand, he would do so, to keep the peace.

"I do appreciate it, brother. I will make things clear to her. And you have my apologies." Caius said respectfully, though the words stuck in his throat a little.

Caius went to re-take his mop but Aro flashed in front of him before he had chance. "Now Caius, now! And it is the twins who will need to be apologised to, not me."

Caius looked into Aro's black eyes, knowing only too well the danger that lurked behind them and decided today was not the day to butt against his coven mate. "Of course, Aro. If it pleases you."

Caius placed a placating hand on his brother-in-arms' shoulder as he spoke, eventually being rewarded seeing Aro soften his stance.

"I will come with you." Aro declared and started walking to the door.

Caius sighed in annoyance. _For fuck sake, this is just what I need,_ he thought angrily, though most of his annoyance was directed at his wife.

Aro reached the chamber door before Caius, but stood back allowing him to enter first. Aro followed without waiting to be invited.

"Caius! Aro! What can I do for you?" Athenodora called over to the two furious coven masters as they entered her living room. Without word or warning Caius flashed in front of his mate and with a thunderous CRACK he knocked her to the floor with one slap.

Her lip bust open and she cowered from her position on the floor.

Aro stood back, arms folded across his chest and glared at the pitiful wretch now being dragged across the floor.

Caiu pulled his mate to the chaise lounge by her hair and flung her into the seat.

"Aro says the twins didn't goad you, you started on them. And then you shoved the two of them down the stairs!"

Caius roared at Athenodora with such rage that Aro actually felt slightly guilty.

"No Caius! They disrespected me ... I had to act!"

CRACK! Caius slapped her again, this time his mate slumped into the chair, dizzy from the blow.

Caius looked to Aro, waiting for confirmation or otherwise for his mate's remark.

"They tutted to her verbal onslaught, nothing more." Aro told his brother seriously.

Caius raised his eyes to the heavens. "You have brought shame to our door for a tut! Good god woman, what were you thinking?" Caius thundered to his mate who cowered again in response.

"I will leave you to deal with this, brother." Aro said quietly as he excused himself, hearing another deafening blow before he closed the door behind him.

Wanting to check on his young ones again, Aro flashed back to his own guards were still bringing barrels into Basileus' suite under Magnus' guidance.

"Are there many more?" Aro asked in surprise.

Taking a peek inside his father's quarters he could count at least 20 of the oversized barrels already - they filled the room!

"Just these two, my lord. Should we take one to your quarters? And perhaps one for your brother?" Magnus asked politely.

Aro smiled. "That is a wonderful idea, my friend. Take them up." Aro wandered into Basileus' chambers, seeking out Felix and Demetri.

Seeing his father enter the room, Felix shot to his feet. "I didn't think you would back so soon!" he said, guiltily.

Aro scanned the barrels. None appeared to have been tampered with. "Clearly not, whatever hair brained scheme you two had come up with for this bloodwine, you can forget it now!" Aro told his boy, seriously.

Felix laughed nervously but didn't speak.

"And where is that brother of yours? I believe I sent you both down here, did I not?"

Felix laughed again ... more nerves.

"Where is he, Felix?" Aro stopped wandering around the room and came to a dead stop in front of his eldest son. It was then that he heard giggling coming from his father's bed chamber.

"That's not Demetri, that's a girl ... oh, for fuck sake!" Aro threw his hands up in annoyance and burst through Basileus' bed chamber door. He was greeted with the sight of Demetri and two female guards, Adrianna and Lucy, rolling around the grand four posted bed.

"Have you lost your god damn minds?" Aro roared to the three of them, who at least had the good grace to appear shame faced. Aro recognised the two young women. "Adrianna, yes? You are the one that was fighting over my little lothario at the victory celebrations! And you, you look familiar, I have caught you with him before!"

Both women stood searching the floor with their eyes whilst dressing at vampire speed.

"Come here." Aro beckoned Lucy forwards and roughly took her wrist once she was close enough. Aro saw Demetri fetch the pair from the guard hall and tell them that he had a free pass from Basileus to use his quarters for his conjugal visits. Aro was so surprised by the boy's boldness that he laughed.

"You two can go back to the guard hall, but I warn you not to fall for Demetri's lines in future - he has no permission to use these quarters, or any others for that matter. I expect Basileus will want to talk with you both when he returns from England."

That put the fear of god through the pair of them as they scuttled from the room in shame, passing a laughing Felix as they went.

Aro was still laughing at the sheer audacity of Demetri's boldness. Demetri felt awkward sitting on his grandfather's bed, half dressed, with his dad laughing to himself in front of him. So awkward, that he actually joined in the laughter. Bad move! Aro broke his chuckles and switched seamlessly to glaring at his little delinquent.

"Aro, please ... " Demetri stuttered into an apology but Aro held his hand up to silence the boy.

"I don't want to hear it. You can tell Basileus all about it when he returns."

Demetri paled. "No, no please!"

Scoffing, Aro walked to his boy and pulled him to his feet by one arm as Demetri's other arm tried to bundle up the remainder of his clothes.

"Oh yes, I expect he will want all the gory details before he decides your fate! Go to your room. NOW!" Aro delivered a rather stinging swot to his son's backside to send him on his way.

Following him out of the room, Aro was greeted by Felix laughing like a hyena at his brother's predicament.

"Why on earth didn't you stop him?" Aro asked his son in disbelief.

Felix broke his laughter in order to reply. "Why would I do that?"

"Erm, let me think. Because it was a damn stupid idea? Because he is your brother? Because it was obvious he would be caught out?" Aro was ready to continue his list of 'reasons why' but Felix interrupted him.

"Nah, the worse he looks the better I look by comparison - it's survival of the fittest in the vampire world!" He was so pleased with himself and stood there preening at his own ingenuity.

Aro shook his head hard, exhaling deeply in frustration, wondering why, after all the centuries that had passed, his eldest son still had yet to master common sense!

"You think this makes you look better than him? You are still on restriction, you are still banned from the guard hall, you are still sharing a room with Jane - none of this will be changing until you demonstrate the wherewithal of general common sense and maturity! Keeping your younger brother from acting so foolishly would have been a step in the right direction, son."

The smile fell from Felix's face as he puffed the air out of his cheeks, feeling a bit of a dork.

"Go back upstairs, I will lock up here." Aro told him gently.

Felix obliged, whilst sulking like a toddler feeling very sorry for himself.

"Do you know Demetri is walking around half naked?"

Magnus stuck his head inside Basileus' quarters as Felix vacated. Aro nodded and scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly. Magnus decided not enquire further.

"Do you need me for anything else, my lord?"

Aro patted the barrel closest to him. "Aro you free tonight? Not on guard or anything?" Aro asked him curiously.

"No my lord, Freyr and I will be relaxing in the guard hall all evening." Magnus replied respectfully.

"Wonderful. Take a barrel back to the hall with you, it has been some time since the last guard party - to my knowledge, at least." Aro smirked. He knew full well that the guards had regular smaller parties they liked to keep from the masters.

Magnus began to stumble through an explanation but Aro silenced him with a raised hand. "Not to worry my friend. I may stop by if I have chance." Aro said as he rolled the barrel towards the favoured guard.

"I hope you do master, we haven't shared a drink for quite some time!" Magnus sounded hopeful, he enjoyed Aro's company, truthfully most people did. Aro had a way to make people feel at ease and invigorated at the same time - being in his presence was like bathing in sunlight.

Magnus hoisted the barrel onto his shoulder. The sight would have been comical for a human, the barrel was almost as tall as the vampire carrying it and easily weighing four times his weight - it should have been impossible to move, though not for a vampire, naturally.

Aro returned to his own quarters after seeing Magnus out of the south tower.

"Well?" Sulpicia demanded as soon as he stepped into view from her seat by the fire.

"Well what, my queen?" Aro asked, annoyed by his wife's attitude.

"Athenodora! Have you sorted it? Will she be keeping away from my babies from now on? I swear if I see her anytime soon I will ... "

Aro jumped in, wanting to end Sulpicia's rant before it got away from her. "I have followed your advice, my queen and have let Caius deal with it. Safe to say, he has done so. I doubt Athenodora will be leaving her chambers for a good while, let alone seeking revenge on our twins." Aro took a seat next to his mate and pulled her hand free from her lap, planting a delicate kiss to each of her fingers.

"Why? What did he do?" Sulpicia was concerned now, Aro could hear her questioning thoughts wondering what Caius had done to her 'one-time friend'.

"You know Caius, my queen ... " Aro's voice trailed off as his wife snatched her hand back from his hold.

"What has he done to her, Aro?" Sulpicia fretted. "Has Caius hurt her?"

Aro chortled lightly under his breath as he looked into Sully's worried eyes. "Yes he hurt her, well, he has knocked her about a bit ... it's Caius!" Aro responded with a shrug, thinking it was obvious Caius would react violently and wondering why this seemed to be news to Sulpicia - they had been coven mates for thousands of years and they knew each other well enough.

"I should go and see her." Sulpicia stated as she made to leave.

"See her? Fuck her! That bitch threw our children down the stairs, Sully! You were baying for her blood a moment ago and now that retribution has been served you are concerned?" Aro's brow furrowed deeply as he tried to make sense of his wife's change in attitude.

"You don't understand, Aro, how could you? After all, it isn't often husbands are beaten by their wives, is it?!"

Sulpicia glared at Aro as she spoke. He felt the intent of her words and by god they stung. As he watched her leave their quarters, Aro's jaw hung slack, shocked by the force of his own emotions. Though Aro would never see that he had been Caius on a good many occasions through their marriage, it was clear to him that Sulpicia believed herself to have much in common with Athenodora.

"Aro," Felix called out as he entered the main room, shaking Aro from his thoughts. "I, erm, I heard you talking with Magnus after I left and well ... "

"You mean you hung around and listened in on my private conversation after you had been sent to your quarters!" Aro interrupted his boy with a harsh tone, the harshness not truly directed at Felix's - Sulpicia's words had hurt Aro, and when Aro was hurt, he deflected.

"No, no I went, I just heard on my way, that's all ... " Felix trailed off as Aro turned to look at him and he felt the oppressive glare of his father.

Aro sighed in annoyance at being outright lied to over something so trivial.

"What about my PRIVATE conversation has given you cause to seek me out now?!"

Felix almost chickened out of asking altogether, if he wasn't so desperate to get out of the tower for a few off-duty hours he would have!

"Can I come?" he asked quietly, "I won't cause any trouble, I promise."

Aro laughed as he turned to the fire, fixing his glare on the flames, "You really think I will take you to a guard party - which you are not allowed to attend, to drink, which you are not allowed to do, in the guard hall - from where you are banned ... really?" he asked incredulously, so ludicrous was the suggestion that he burst into a fit of giggles, much to Felix's ire.

"I don't see what's so funny!" Felix huffed in response.

"Really, oh really?!" Aro was on his feet and standing in front of his boy in a flash, all humour gone. "In the last 12 months you have broken coven rules, crossed vampire law, fought with other guards, defied your elders, been blatantly disrespectful and caused me nothing but grief!"

Aro stepped into his son's personal space and grabbed the front of his tunic, twisting it tightly in his fist, "You have been restricted to this tower for what? Three months?" Aro asked menacingly.

Felix nodded, trusting his voice would betray his fear. "And I am yet to see you make any effort to improve your behaviour!"

Okay, Felix wasn't having that!

"I haven't done anything wrong in months! This isn't fair!" He tried to take a step back to increase the space between the two of them but Aro held him fast.

"Fair? FAIR!"

Aro's eyes darkened and Felix felt a rush of panic fill his body; his options were flight or fight. It had been a long time since Aro had walloped Felix for his misdeeds and the idea of him doing so now made Felix feel queasy. In fact, the whole of his three-month restriction had been plain sailing in that regard. Felix hadn't fucked up once, really. Unless you counted the usual back chat and arguing with his siblings, which Felix most definitely didn't count.

"I have been good; I haven't put a step out of line! I've been a model guard and I've even put up with Caius busting my ass over nothing every chance he gets! What more do you want from me?" Felix, in usual Felix style, rushed through his defence before the fight in him up and left.

Aro considered his young guard's defence. "You really think you have behaved so wonderfully? Granted, nothing big has happened recently but that is because I have kept you from the opportunity, not because of any great personal effort from you! You defied me the first chance you had today!" Aro spat his explanation to Felix whilst trying to calm himself at the same time. _I'_ _m too wound up to deal with him right now, I can_ _'_ _t take out my frustration on Felix, it isn_ _'_ _t fair_. "When?!" Felix asked in shocked response.

"You were all told to go to Marcus' this afternoon, where the hell were you and Demetri? The twins have been thrown down the stairs by that sadistic bitch - I dare say that wouldn't have happened if you had been there. WHERE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE!"

Aro shoved Felix back as the rage inside him bubbled to the surface.

 _Fuck, I forgot about that ... I hoped he wouldn_ _'_ _t find out, shit_.

"Well? WHERE WERE YOU?" Aro raged into his boy's face, daring him to argue for his innocence again.

Felix knew Aro was ready to tear him a new one and, thankfully, backed down. The drama of the last few years had resulted in untenable pain for Felix as Aro sought retribution and correction. Felix was rather proud that he'd made it to three months without any more than a round of fucks from his father and there was no way he was going to ruin his pain free streak for something as simple as a drink in the guard hall!

"We went to Marcus' but we left before the twins did. You are right, Demetri and I could have prevented their pain ... I am sorry." Felix bowed his head respectfully as he spoke.

Aro wasn't fooled so easily though, he knew his boy was trying to evade punishment. Lucky for Felix, Aro had too much on his mind to bother pushing this any further right now.

"Go to your room and we will say no more on this."

Felix heaved a sigh of relief and flashed from the room before Aro had chance to change his mind.

Retaking his seat, Aro noticed the unopened letter from Basileus sat on the side table. Flicking the wax seal to break it, Aro opened his letter, hoping to discover his father would soon be home. He was to be disappointed. Aro couldn't quite believe what he read. Shaking his head as he mouthed the words to the empty room he stood, absentmindedly, and left his chambers to find Eleazar.

"Another fucking year!" Aro thrust the letter into his brother's chest as soon as he opened the door.

"Hello Aro!" Eleazar replied, unsure what 'another fucking year' actually meant.

"Our wonderful father has taken his new brat on a year-long jolly to fucking London!" Aro was pissed off and he wanted Eleazar to be pissed off too, misery likes company and all that.

"No, he wouldn't go for that long! He's never left for longer than a month or two, why a year?" Eleazar scanned the letter at vampire speed to find his answer as Aro flopped down into the window seat.

"It says the plague has hit London and devastated the population and Carlisle, our saintly little brother, is working as a physician for the doomed townspeople!" Aro sang out in disbelief.

"But why a year?!" Eleazar asked, equally surprised at the turn of events.

Aro shrugged and laughed humorously to himself. "Why not?" he said sarcastically.

Eleazar puffed out his cheeks as his brow furrowed in confusion. "This doesn't make any sense, he knows how fragile the leadership of this coven is, he knows we are still under threat from rogue covens and the damn Romanians - why a year?!"

"I don't fucking know!" Aro responded in misdirected anger.

"Okay, calm down!" Eleazar returned sternly. He wasn't taking shit from Aro because Basileus had fucked them both over.

Silence fell between the two as Eleazar re-read the letter a couple of times and Aro brooded over the extra stress this was going to bring him.

"I'm sorry, El ... it's just that Caius will use this news to be even more of a cunt than usual and keeping things on an even keel with him is hard enough as it is!"

Eleazar nodded along. _That's true enough_ , he thought.

"Then we won't tell him, we'll keep this between us." Eleazar sounded steady but he was unnerved about effectively being the only one around to hold the semi-warring coven masters in place whilst his father was away.

Aro agreed with Eleazar, keeping the news from Caius was certainly the best approach to take.

"There's a guard party tonight, I think we should go together, brother. Keeping the guards on our side may be imperative for lasting the next twelve months!"

Eleazar liked the sound of that, he certainly felt like a stiff drink was in order.

As Aro left his brother's quarters, he questioned, "Shall we take the women?"

Eleazar was considering the options when Carmen called out from his bed chamber, "You don't have a choice, Aro!"

"That settles that then!" Eleazar shyly whispered to his brother.


	46. Guard Party

**AN:** I do not own the Twi-world, thanks SM for sharing.

Thank you csmgarret, Nightingale1692 and 'Guest' for your recent reviews. I am trying to incorporate as many requests into the storyline as possible, but as I am about 20 chapters ahead it may be a while before you see them. I am adding in scenes sooner for you when I can make space for them in the chapters I have ready to go.

Anyhoo, back to the story…

* * *

 **GUARD PARTY**

"Magnus!" Aro called out as he made his way through the swaying guards, already merry with their bloodwine.

Magnus guarded the barrel and distributed the sweet nectar within to the vampires in attendance - he was the only one they all trusted to be fair with it.

"Master Aro, I am pleased you could attend. My queen." he greeted the royalty of the coven.

Sulpicia embraced the guard like an old friend before taking a goblet from the man and searching out some female company.

"I thought you may have brought your high guard along, we haven't seen much of them in the last few months." Magnus commented as he passed Aro a full goblet which he knocked down at once.

"And you won't be seeing much of them for some time, my friend. They cause me too much grief when they roam freely around the castle!"

Magnus laughed lightly, "I don't know how much is their own fault, my lord. There are still certain members of the guard who go out of their way to bring trouble to Felix and Demetri's door."

Aro was intrigued, and moved as close to Magnus as he could without drawing too much attention. Luckily the room was buzzing with life and the incessant chatter and tuneful music provided a perfect cover for them to talk plainly.

"Who? Who and why?" Aro probed seriously.

"I think you can guess who, my lord." Aro followed Magnus' eye line straight to Antonio.

He tutted. "Yes, he has caused more trouble than most."

"I have recently discovered that the Neanderthal has managed to convince others to do his bidding in his war against your high guard."

Magnus rarely insulted anyone, it wasn't his nature, a true gentle giant. To hear him call Antonio a Neanderthal was actually pretty shocking.

"I thought Felix was giving as good as he got there, that's why I have pulled him out of the guard activities ... "

"My lord, if I may interject, you removed Felix from Antonio's path and since then, perhaps, lifted your watchful eye from the situation."

Aro nodded, "I thought things were settling down, or, I hoped they were!" he returned, feeling damn stupid to have believed such a thing now he was confronted with the crowing guard entertaining a growing flock of underlings. Magnus whispered into his master's ear, "The devil grows strongest whilst we are looking the other way."

Aro nodded again. _Very sage, my friend_ , he thought, _I have been focusing on Felix and allowing that bastard to rise through my guard! Damn it_!

"Magnus, I rarely ask you to speak against your coven mates, and if you feel unable to tell me, I will find the information some other way so as not to fracture your position here ... "

Magnus cut his master off mid-sentence. "I will happily speak against Antonio. He is insufferable and far more guards want him out of this coven than want him in. He has maneuvered himself to the top of the guards as he has Caius' ear. When Felix and Demetri were knocking about, they had yours and leveled things up. No one in here has your ear anymore so Antonio has free reign."

Aro knocked back his goblet and refilled it himself whilst digesting the information Magnus offered. He wondered if he had completely fucked up his coven by something as simple as excluding his sons from the guard hall?!

"I am not one for speaking out of turn master, but you need to get Antonio out of this coven before he causes lasting damage."

Aro's head shot up. Looking Magnus straight in the eye he asked him, "Are you prepared to help me?"

Magnus knew what Aro meant. Magnus was strong, very strong. Perhaps even stronger than Felix, and certainly stronger that Antonio. But that wasn't Magnus' gift. His strength was just his natural ability. His gift was being able to manipulate emotions - that's what he preferred his role to be in the Volturi and thus Antonio held the position of strength in the coven as Felix was high guard and therefore not in the competition.

Aro had asked Magnus before to go against Antonio and he had respectfully declined. This time though, he was prepared to do whatever necessary to save the Volturi from splintering with Antonio at the helm of the guards.

"I am master, but what will you have me do? Caius has made it clear Antonio is his favourite."

Aro nodded, though he was already formulating a plan to free his coven from the influence of Antonio. "Yes, Caius will be an issue but I will work something out. For now, I am going to bring my high guard back into the guard hall - I need you to watch out for them in the castle."

"Consider it done, master. I will have Freyr do the same."

"Freyr!" Aro exclaimed as though the final piece of his puzzle had just fallen into place. Magnus raised a questioning eyebrow. "Would your good lady be willing to assist us, my friend?" Aro asked quietly.

"I believe she would be only too happy, my lord."

Aro pulled Magnus in close as he shared his idea with his old friend and trusted guard. Feeling confident that they could pull off his plan with Magnus offering a few amendments, Aro patted the giant man's shoulder as he went to search out Sulpicia.

"Freyr, dear, may I steal my queen for a moment? I believe Magnus needs to talk with you, also." Aro said easily and he took Sulpicia's arm.

"Of course, master." Freyr dipped her head as she sought out her husband.

Aro watched her leave, wondering if the one-time Shield Maiden still had the guts to do what he had in mind. Having fought beside the Viking woman in many battles, Aro thought back to the bravery Freyr had shown in the face of adversaries, but lying to the whole body of guards ... her friends.

 _You and Magnus have been guiding the guards for centuries ... would you be willing to guide them falsely? Could you do that, Shield Maiden_?

"What's wrong, my love?" Sulpicia asked, seeing the pensive look on Aro's face, so telling of problems he was working out.

"I need you to fetch Felix and Demetri, deliver the twins to Marcus and ask him to keep them in his quarters until we fetch them."

Sulpicia was surprised. She knew Aro had refused to allow Felix to attend the party when he had asked only a few hours ago. "Are you sure, my love?" she questioned.

"I am indeed. Tell them I expect model behaviour and I need to talk with them before they mingle. I will explain all when we are alone, my queen." Aro gently pushed Sulpicia towards the door and waited until she flashed from the room before turning on his heel to re-fill his cup.

It didn't take long for Sulpicia to return with her eldest sons. The entire room turned to see the princes of Volterra swagger into the guard hall; a good many of them approaching to greet the long lost pair.

Aro caught Felix's eye and beckoned him over with a crooked finger. Sulpicia had warned them both to be on their best behaviour, and they swore they would be - neither wanted to fuck up their first chance to leave the tower socially in three months.

"Thank you!" Felix said happily. The excited energy coming from the boy was palpable.

Demetri, too, looked just as pleased, if in disbelief that Aro had allowed him to attend after catching him in Basileus' bed with his most recent conquests just this afternoon.

Aro placed his finger to his lips to shush his son as he passed them each a cup of bloodwine.

"Listen to me. Antonio's crew has grown. From reading the odd mind in here I know there are a few who are seeking to bring your downfall one way or another. He is organising a coup and setting himself at the top of the guards. I want you to remind everyone that you are my chosen guards - the top of the tree. Understood?"

Both boys hung their mouths open in shock.

"This is going against everything you have said over the last couple of years, you know!" Felix pointed out, unsure if this was a trick of sorts.

"I know. But things have changed. For tonight you are to stay together and in my sight, understood?"

Felix's earlier buzz at being allowed to attend the guard party had fallen from his face.

Aro saw his sons becoming crestfallen and knew they needed to be in top form if his plan was to work.

"And you are to enjoy yourselves; drink, dance, set up your next conquest ... " he winked to a shocked Demetri, "be your merry jovial selves. You must get as many guards on your side as possible. I am relying on you."

Felix puffed out his chest feeling quite proud that Aro trusted them to be part of his plans - whatever they were! Demetri nodded too, resolved to doing his father's bidding to the best of his ability.

Aro gave his boys a push to get them moving along as he saw Eleazar and Carmen enter the guard hall. A roar erupted from the guards as Felix strolled over to them and raised his glass.

"Where the hell have you been hiding?" Corin asked as she pulled the young guard into an embrace. "And our little Lothario! You have been missed, Demetri!" she crooned as Adrianna and Lucy approached.

"How much have you missed me, Corin?" Felix asked with a sly smile as his hands travelled the length of her back and rested on her ass, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I haven't drunk enough for that yet!" she said, though the playful giggle and coy smile suggested otherwise.

"Have we been allowed out to play boys?" Antonio swaggered over to the returning high guard, looking ready or a fight.

Felix smiled to Demetri and pulled him close, "Let's enjoy this, brother." he whispered as Demetri winked in response.

"I suppose it has been a while since we graced you with our presence." Felix offered to the bullish guard.

Antonio scoffed. "Ha! You speak as though you had a choice!" Antonio spat back to the younger guard, announcing loudly, "The guard hall is no place for children, little boy!" Antonio's hangers on started to laugh mockingly at Aro's high guard.

Interestingly, Afton and Chelsea were standing back, as though they didn't want to be associated with the guffawing head guard. Demetri caught Afton's eye and tentatively offered a small smile, which, to his surprise, was returned.

Felix began booming laughter, drowning out the sly giggles of Antonio's crew ... much to Antonio's ire.

"Oh Antonio, how long did it take you to come up with that witty remark?" Felix smiled to the elder guard.

Antonio hated it when Felix played cool. Gettin go a rise out of the jumped up little prick was what he lived for!

"As the princes of Volterra, we have many draws on our time which take us away from attending the guard hall. I'm sure you can appreciate that?" Felix spoke easily as he began to circle Antonio and Renata. He listened to the guards whispering about his status, pleased to hear they were largely supportive.

The odd one made comment about their living situation. "Has Aro really taken them on as his sons?" Felix heard Lucy ask Adrianna as they hung around Demetri.

"YES!" Felix confirmed loudly to the questioning guards.

More whispers! Felix reveled in revealing his new status to the guards. _Aro may make me retract it at some point, but for now it feels good to be honest about it all,_ he thought contentedly.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" he asked as he passed Renata, purposefully loud enough for Antonio to hear.

"Get away from my mate, you fucking brat!" Antonio demanded as he pushed Felix back towards Corin.

Renata looked to the floor, embarrassed that her disloyalty had been brought to the fore once more. She heard the guards whispering about her again.

"I know enough about you to bring you down, Felix. You should remember that!" Antonio threw out viciously.

Demetri's head shot around to Felix. _Shit, he can_ _'_ _t say anything about that, Felix do something_! _Why are you smiling?! If the guards find out we killed the townspeople they can call for our fucking heads_!

Demetri wore his panic on his face and Felix understood why. _Don'_ _t worry little brother, this oaf won_ _'_ _t say a word_.

"Afton, you may wish to remind your friend what my grandfather told you both!"

Afton's face paled at Felix's words as Antonio looked murderously back to the 'prince'.

"So you do remember, Antonio? You would do well to think on it. Basileus will be back soon, after all." Felix made himself comfortable in the plush sofa as he drained his goblet, feeling rather pleased with himself.

"Antonio, I'm not fucking with Basileus ... " Afton tried to make his coven mate see sense but Antonio cut him off.

"Shut the fuck up. He isn't waltzing back in here like he owns the fucking castle!"

Afton scoffed at Antonio's tone. He wasn't taking that from him, they were equals regardless of what Antonio thought. "If Aro's taken the pair of them as his sons, and Aro is Basileus' son - you do the math - it is their fucking castle!"

Antonio felt a burning rage swelling from deep inside him. He flashed from Afton's side to stand in front of Felix, snatching him up roughly by the front of his shirt.

Felix laughed in his face. He knew where this was going and, for once, he feared no reprisal from Aro.

Hearing the whelp's laughter only fueled Antonio's rage and in an angry stupor he planted a solid fist square into Felix's face. Antonio's huge fist managed to smash Felix's nose and crack his jaw at the same time. Blood spurted from the younger guard's face and landed on Corin who sitting next to him.

She shot to her feet, repulsed at the ruby stain on the lace bodice of her dress and shoved Antonio back with as much force as she could muster, releasing Felix as he went.

Antonio stood back and watched as the younger guard flopped back into his seat in a daze from the blow. The room fell silent as every guard in the hall waited for a response to Antonio's actions.

Aro, Eleazar and Magnus, along with their mates, had watched the scene unfolding.

Carmen had a tight hold of Sulpicia who looked set to match Antonio's rage for punching her son.

Antonio dared a glance to the coven king, fearing greatly for his life now that his senses were returning. _Fuck, Aro_ _'_ _s smiling, why is Aro smiling_? He looked back to Felix, the constant source of his strife. _Smiling too, damn it, he_ _'_ _s trapped me_! _THEY_ _'_ _VE trapped me_! Antonio started to panic realising he had been goaded into his own stupid actions. _Punching Felix Volturi in the guard hall with so many witnesses - including ARO_! His own thoughts berated him, questioning his stupidity for being so obviously drawn into the snare.

Antonio turned to finally face the coven master who no doubt would end his life. As his panic started to rise, he decided to spill his guts in a last-ditch attempt to save his own skin.

"My lord, I implore you to hear my defence!"

Aro continued to smile as he slowly, and purposefully made his way over to the doomed guard.

"Felix - he goaded me, he set this up!"

Aro began to circle the babbling guard whilst maintaining his silence, still smiling - that smile was most unnerving for all in attendance.

"Master, please you must understand, they think they are above the guards! Your high guard are calling themselves the princes of Volterra - we are all concerned what that would mean for the hierarchy of the coven, aren't we?!" Antonio proffered to the rest of the guards in attendance, hoping for some back up.

A few of his crew made indistinguishable mutterings, Aro looked around them carefully. Then he turned to Magnus.

"You have the guards' ear I believe, my friend. I have trusted your counsel on guard matter for many centuries now, what say you? Are you threatened by 'the princes of Volterra'?"

An audible gasp went through the guard hearing Aro repeat the term Felix had earlier used.

Magnus crossed his arms across his broad, solid chest. Looking directly at Antonio he said, "I am very fond of your high guard, master. I see no reason to be threatened by them."

Far more guards muttered their agreement to Magnus than had to Antonio.

 _Fuck_ , Antonio thought, _I need backup_!

"I believe Master Caius would agree with me!" he threw out in an attempt to at least stall Aro from executing him.

Aro stopped dead in his tracks in front of Antonio. In a tone of disbelief, he asked, "Are you saying Caius is threatened by Felix and Demetri? Really?"

Antonio began to stutter but Aro continued before he released anything of sense. "Because I am sure that Caius, my brother-in-arms, as a master of this coven feels no such thing! Though he will be very interested to hear that you believe him to be so weak, Antonio."

Antonio shook his head. _This is wrong, it_ _'_ _s all going wrong, I need to fix this_! "My lord, I meant no such thing, I have drunk too much, my words are only confusing the situation. I apologise for my misdeeds."

Aro smirked. "I wonder just how great your misdeeds are Antonio." he said as he extended his hand.

Antonio gulped down the pooling venom in his throat and viewed Aro's hand as a viper about to strike. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, with a grimace he placed his own trembling hand in his master's.

Aro searched through the guard's thoughts, first checking if the ingrate had spoken with anyone else about his young guards' midnight flit a few months before, and more importantly, about them killing the townspeople. _Renata and Chelsea_. Aro eyed the young women who were both avoiding his gaze, _I think I can trust the two of you_. _Renata_ _'_ _s bond with Antonio is breakable anyway, Marcus confirmed that years ago. I would like to keep you two if I can. Antonio is as good as dead_.

Aro buried deeper into the guard's thoughts. _Afton, you two aren_ _'_ _t as close as you were, and thankfully you_ _have warned Antonio off going after my children, interesting_.

Aro released Antonio's hand, he had seen enough. The guard was doing his best to convince the other guards that he was a greater fighter than Felix ... stronger, higher skilled. Luckily the arrogant arsehole lacked a vital ingredient for leadership on any scale - charisma. Most of the guards disliked Antonio because he simply was an insufferable cock. But he was out and out trying to remove support for Aro's sons and Aro wasn't letting that stand any longer.

Felix had remained silent since the thump in his face, Demetri had long since left centre stage to sit with Sulpicia, who draped her arm protectively around his shoulders.

Aro moved over to his boy and took his face in his right hand. Gripping his jaw gently, he turned Felix's face to see the extent of the damage.

"You have broken his face, Antonio. And forgive me, but I didn't see Felix attack you, or even defend himself ... anyone else?" he asked the surrounding guards, all of whom shook their heads.

"Afton, you were close by, did you see Felix defend himself?"

Afton looked to Antonio. They had been close friends for many years, but he had warned Antonio time and time again that this quarry he had with Felix would be his downfall - he wasn't going down with him!

"No, my lord."

Aro nodded to himself, pleased that Afton had been truthful.

"Is there anything you would like to offer in your coven mate's defence?" Aro asked.

Afton sighed, "I believe hearing Felix and Demetri had been taken on as your sons may have caused Antonio to react irrationally, master."

Aro nodded again.

"So it is true?" Afton asked in shock, clasping a hand to his mouth at his outburst.

Aro took his time ... looking first to Felix and then to Demetri. Smiling to them both, he turned back to Afton and smirked, "I never get involved in the Volturi rumour mill, you all know that." Though he fleetingly questioned what Caius, or indeed Basileus would have to say on the matter, Aro enjoyed the hurried whispers spreading through the guards.

Pointing to Felix he said, "You had better come with me and we will see if we can fix your face. Antonio, you need to go down to the dungeons for the rest of the night - I'll decide on your fate tomorrow."

Felix laughed under his breath as he passed the doomed guard, knocking his shoulder into him purposefully as he passed. "Sucks to be you!" he said quietly, and was rewarded with a rumbling growl from the man. If Aro heard either of them, he let it go.

Catching Magnus' eye, Aro silently asked the man if he was ready by raising his eyebrows questioningly. Magnus nodded curtly. Aro smiled to himself.

"Freyr!" he announced.

The tall, muscular woman stepped forward.

"As your mate is on barrel duty, would you be so kind as to accompany Antonio to the dungeons and find him a cell for the night?" Freyr smiled to Aro.

 _Great, Magnus has explained, wonderful,_ Aro thought.

"Of course, master." she replied as she made her way to the guilty guard and escorted him from the hall.

"Restart the music, refill your cups!" Aro announced, much to the guards' delight.

Aro retook his seat and pulled Felix close. Now that the music had restarted and the guards were once again cheering, the low din created cast a shadow over their voices so they could talk.

"Come here, then." Aro told his boy, ready to set his nose and jaw to the correct position.

Felix threw both hands up to his face, "No, no it's fine!"

Aro laughed as he tapped Eleazar, "You better hold him still, brother." he said, and Eleazar flashed behind Felix, holding him tightly and pushing him towards Aro.

"No, no it's fine, I said it's fine!" Felix whined as he cradled his face, wincing as he spoke.

"Here young one, knock this back, it will help." Magnus passed the boy a goblet brimming with bloodwine.

Felix took the cup and drank it down greedily. When he removed the glass from his mouth, without any warning Aro snapped his nose back into place.

"Ahhhh!" Felix roared in pain at the intrusion.

"Now for your jaw." Aro said matter of fact.

Felix whimpered as Eleazar held his head in a vice like grip. Cocking his head to the side, Aro tried to assess just how out of place his son's jaw was. _He's made a right mess of you, and that was just one punch. What if Antonio is stronger than Felix, what will I do then. This plan is risky. Too risky, damn it_! Aro thought to himself as he made short work of tugging his son's jawline into place.

"You look a state!" Aro told him sternly, "Don't let him get one over on you again, understand?"

Felix looked confused. "Are you saying I should get a punch in first? Can I do that?"

Aro nodded and pulled the boy close, so close Felix could feel his father breathing on his neck as he spoke.

"I am saying that Antonio has reached the end of his career in my coven. If he comes for you again, and he will, you will fight him - to the death." Aro stopped as he felt Felix stiffen beneath him at his words. "You can beat him, yes?" Aro asked tentatively.

"Yeah, yeah, course I can." Felix said, though his nerves betrayed him and Aro could tell from his tone he was considerably less sure of himself than Aro would like. Felix had wanted the opportunity to take Antonio down for years and had bucked against Aro holding him back a good many times ... but now that the chance presented itself, Felix was suddenly questioning whether he actually could.

"Hey, hey!" Aro said as he shook the boy from the beginnings of his brooding. "You CAN take Antonio down. One on one you are stronger, you are faster, and I trained you myself so I know you are far more skilled than he. You can do this. Yes?"

Felix felt his pride bolstered by Aro's words and he smiled quietly to himself. "I can do it." Felix replied, far more confidently.

"With a little luck, you won't have to. I just want you to be prepared. Chivalry is dead, take him down!" Aro patted his son's shoulder before pushing him gently towards the rest of the guards.

Felix puffed the air from his cheeks as Aro released him and he went to search out Demetri.

 _This sounds serious, what the hell is going on around here,_ he thought, hoping Aro would lay things out clearly when they returned to the privacy of their tower.

Aro watched his sons moving through the delighted guards who all looked so pleased to see the pair of them - even some of Antonio's supporters were welcoming them with open arms now that Antonio was out of the hall. He felt so proud as he watched them.

"Master, when should I raise the hue?" Magnus asked Aro, bringing him from his thoughts.

Aro rolled his empty goblet between his hands. "Wait until the barrel is empty, let everyone have their fill – if you could drag it out until dawn I would be grateful. I must apologise for this whole thing Magnus, I truly didn't intend for you or Freyr to get caught up in this, let alone miss out on the night's full festivities."

Magnus waved Aro's apologies away with his hand, "Think nothing of it, my lord. Freyr is just as willing as I to see the back of that brute."

Aro filled his goblet and took Magnus' to do the same before returning it. "And Freyr knows what to do?"

Magnus nodded.

"If we are successful, my friend, I will repay you properly for the great deed you are doing."

Magnus looked quizzically to Aro.

"It's something I should have thought of a long time ago, Magnus. Nothing more."

With that, Aro departed to mix with his guards and enjoy a good drink, knowing that morning would be bringing a whole host of troubles to his door.


	47. Judge, Jury, and Executioner

**JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER**

"ARO! Get out here we need to get to the great hall!" Caius pounded on Aro's chamber door as he bellowed his order.

Aro steeled himself for what was to come - even though it was all through his own orchestration. One slip-up from the few he had instructed could bring the downfall of his coven. _Play it cool, play it cool_ , Aro repeated in his mind as he opened the door to his brother in arms.

"Caius," he said respectfully without reacting to the man's state of urgency, "what can I do for you?"

Caius looked flustered. "Magnus has totally lost it, he's trying to rip Antonio's throat out! It's taken all the newborns to hold him down - we need to get to the throne room, NOW!" Caius turned on his heel and flashed from the stairwell.

Aro looked back to the window as the first rays of dawn threw light into his chambers.

Sulpicia stepped into the room. She'd been watching the skies all night, waiting for the sun to rise and hell to begin.

"Wake them, bring them to the hall, quickly." Aro said as he left their private suite to follow Caius.

Sulpicia ran a delicate hand down her face. Aro had told her and the children his plans. _I hope you are right about this, my love._ _We are dancing very close to the fire again,_ she thought as she went to wake her vampire children from their short slumber.

"Come along, we need to hurry!" she told Jane and Felix as they stumbled around their room gathering clothes and getting ready. "Felix are you up to this? We could keep you hidden?" she offered her eldest boy.

His face was still healing from Antonio's powerful punch at the start of the guard party and he'd only been in bed two hours so he was certainly not well rested. "I'll be fine, don't worry, I can take that jackass on!" Felix boasted.

Though he had always believed he was the stronger of the two, after that thump last night he was questioning himself. _It'_ _s okay, Aro said Magnus would be taking care of it all anyway, it_ _'_ _s unlikely I will have to actually fight him,_ he thought hopefully.

Sulpicia was less than convinced of the whole sordid plan, and she was severely pissed at Aro for using Felix last night to goad Antonio. To be fair to Aro, he hadn't instructed Felix to goad him, it was just a natural consequence of them being in the same room!

"If you are sure, then you must hurry!" she said softly as she left to check on Demetri and Alec.

It didn't take long for Aro to catch up with Caius and the scene that awaited him in the throne room. Magnus looked like a rabid dog, snapping at the air and growling ferociously as he was pinned to the floor by a good ten newborns sitting on top of him.

 _This is going to work wonderfully well,_ Aro thought. It was all he could do to retain a stern pose and not allow the delight to show on his face.

Antonio stood at the other side of the room, alone. Not even his mate accompanied him. Renata, like most of the female members of the guard, was with Freyr behind the raging Magnus.

 _Yes, this is all playing out brilliantly so far,_ Aro thought. His only worry now was the other masters.

He chanced a look to Marcus who seemed more animated than usual. The breaking of bonds between Antonio and his crew, and certainly Renata was playing havoc with his gift but he didn't look suspicious, nor call for Aro to speak with him as Aro would have expected if indeed Marcus did suspect foul play.

Caius looked frantic. His favourite guard's life was on the line ... _but will you believe Magnus and Freyr over Antonio, Brother_? Aro wondered.

The reason Aro had selected Magnus and Freyr for the task is precisely because the mated pair held so much sway with the other guards. They were the oldest guards for a start and acted as parental figures for some of the younger ones, helping the newer guards to settle in, and the like. Many guards sought their counsel and even the masters had used Magnus to help settle guard quarrels. They were also the only guards, other than Aro's high guard, that Caius hadn't had submit to him. Aro had wondered why that was a good many times. He hoped a mixture of fear and respect had kept him away and that he could use those emotions now to rid his coven of Antonio.

Aro walked around the great hall as Caius took his throne. Magnus snapped at his feet as he passed and Aro caught the quick wink he offered as he stepped back.

 _Oh I am so proud of you, my friend_ , he thought as he continued around the room.

When he reached the double door entrance, where Antonio stood, he came to a brief stop. Looking the lonely guard up and down he asked him slyly, "And where are your crew now, Antonio?"

Antonio looked frantically to Caius who held his head in his hands as though weighed down with stress.

Sulpicia and her children entered the throne room before Aro had completed his circle. "Take my throne, my queen. Felix, Demetri," Aro gestured to his sons, "hold him!" he pointed to Antonio and the two young guards quickly flashed to his sides and held Antonio steady.

"I don't need holding, I haven't done anything wrong!" the bruin complained loudly.

Aro spun on his heel, "That really isn't up to you to decide now, is it?"

Antonio saw the smile Aro wore, "You! You planned this! You have done this to me! Because I won't stand for your juvenile guards setting themselves above the rest of us, you have done this and I won't get a fair trial with you as judge, jury and executioner!" Antonio screamed out his complaint, much to Aro's delight.

Both Felix and Demetri felt very uncomfortable, but they were careful to not let it show on their faces. Aro had briefed them all after the guard party that whatever was said, they were to be impassive and let Aro take the reins.

Aro turned to the throne and addressed Caius and Marcus in his best, hurt tone, "Brothers, I must say I am deeply apologetic that this ingrate, our subordinate, believes it is I who run these proceedings alone. I cannot understand why he would accuse me of this, but Antonio appears to be questioning your status in this coven, brothers."

Marcus looked sternly to the offender but didn't comment. Caius, however, blew up!

"What on earth gives you the impression that I am not seated at the same helm as Aro?" he roared from his seat.

Antonio's eyes widened, _no no no - Caius is my only hope of surviving this whole thing,_ he thought.

Aro continued to stir the metaphorical spoon.

"Last night in the guard hall Antonio said you felt threatened by Felix and Demetri. I told him such a thing was preposterous of course ... " Aro allowed his words trail off as Caius blew up again.

"You told him what? You think I am threatened by Aro's high guard? In what way? For what reason? And since when do you speak for me?!" Caius looked ready to end Antonio now.

 _This may be easier than I thought_ , Aro said to himself.

"My lord, please, please hear me out! Aro's brats are calling themselves the princes of Volterra! Aro has taken them on as his sons! You cannot allow this to happen master!" Antonio implored Caius to see his side.

Aro focussed on the floor, he had to in order to hide his growing smile. Antonio had played straight in to Aro's hands and Caius now had a choice - he could argue with Aro about his 'sons' which he would have under any other circumstances, but this would prove that Caius was threatened by Felix and Demetri and their rise in status ... Caius would rather chew off his own arms than allow such a thing to blight his character. Or, he could prove he wasn't threatened by Aro's 'new sons' and dismiss Antonio's concerns.

Aro could feel Caius' eyes boring into his head. He looked up to be faced with his furious co-master. Marcus offered him a warm, genuine smile though.

"Caius ... " Aro started but Caius cut him off.

"Is that true?" Caius asked in surprise.

"Well, like I told Antonio, you aren't threatened by my high guard so it really doesn't matter what ... "

"You're right, Aro, of course." Caius cut in again, deciding to have this out with Aro in private rather than in front of every member of their coven.

Antonio's panic was rising. Caius was his only way out of this whole charade and now Caius was siding with Aro! _I am going to die! They are going to kill me_!

Antonio had one last way out. Often in trials involving the guards, the guilty guard would select one of the masters to hear their case. _It's my last chance_ , he thought to himself.

"Master Caius, please, I would like you to hear this case." Antonio asked, though he didn't dare face anyone else in the room.

Felix and Demetri laughed lightly under their breath. Antonio heard them, though he didn't understand the cause for their humour. They, naturally, knew that part of Aro's plan was having Caius condemn Antonio to death to save repercussions, and Antonio had just done all the hard work for him.

"Whilst I am offended, Antonio, and can assure you of my impartiality, I will of course step aside so Caius can command the proceedings." Aro bowed lightly to Caius as he approached Sulpicia, who stood enough to allow Aro to sit and then took position in his lap.

Caius fumed next to Aro's throne. "We will need to talk, Aro." he said sternly.

"Of course, brother. As soon as you have decided Antonio's fate." Aro sang out whilst inspecting the rings on his free hand, the other hand squeezing his wife who was about to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Fine!" Caius ground out as he took centre stage. With one last look to Antonio, Caius shook his head and turned to the still frothing Magnus.

"You need to get yourself under control if you want justice, my friend." Caius told Magnus, sternly.

' _My friend_ ', Aro repeated to himself. _Wonderful, you do respect Magnus as much as I had hoped_. Aro was pleased, so far everything was going according to his plans.

Everyone watched intently as Magnus got himself under control. Slowly, and one by one, the newborns extracted themselves from their joint effort in holding him down.

Felix watched too; there was something on his mind, over and above the rest of the proceedings and Aro's plan. _If Magnus kills Antonio, he will be the strongest in the coven and everyone will then assess him by his strength not his gift ... and that makes me second strongest_...

As Magnus nudged off the last two newborns holding his arms, Felix gulped. _Fuck, Magnus is fucking huge_.

"Sucks to be you, Antonio!" Felix whispered. The guard was so frazzled he didn't even react, his eyes were trained on the colossal Magnus standing at full, imposing height across the room.

Caius approached the accuser warily, ensuring he made eye contact with Magnus so he could gauge his emotional state.

"Magnus, what is it you accuse Antonio of, exactly?" Caius asked tentatively.

"HE RAPED MY WIFE!" Magnus roared to the room. Hisses came from behind him directed at Antonio by the women surrounding Freyr.

"She's a lying bitch! I never touched her! The old hag!" Antonio's brave, if somewhat stupid defence had Magnus growling again. Caius directed the closest newborns to hold him back once again.

Once he was sure Magnus wasn't going to break away from the newborns, Caius flashed to Antonio and whipped the back of his hand hard across his face, accidentally catching Demetri in the process.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut until you are asked for your response!" he ordered his doomed favourite. He nodded to Demetri as he left the three of them.

 _I suppose that_ _'_ _s as much of an apology as I can expect, huh_? Demetri thought, moodily.

"Will any witnesses step forward?" Caius asked the crowd of guards.

No one did, they all huddled together around Freyr to show their support though.

"No witnesses then ... " Caius trailed off and turned to Aro. "There are no witnesses, brother. Just one man's word against another. Antonio accused Felix of the same thing and was asked to forgive Felix ... should we ask Magnus to forgive Antonio?" Caius asked quickly and quietly, though every vampire in the room heard the exchange.

Before Aro had chance to answer, Magnus took over again, "Renata was willing! My mate is true to me, she returned with her clothes torn and her arm broken, her body is covered in bruises! You cannot see the situations the same! I WANT HIS FUCKING HEAD!" Magnus roared again, the floor shaking with his ferocity.

Freyr collapsed into a heap behind her mate.

"I have to agree with him, brother." Aro said darkly as he clutched Sulpicia close.

"I haven't touched his fucking mate! I was locked in the dungeons, she was sat outside my cell, I haven't touched her!" Antonio was pulling at his arms but Felix and Demetri held him still. Demetri's side wrangled a little further into the room - he wasn't anywhere near as strong as either Felix or Antonio.

Magnus roared again, "I'm going to tear you to fucking pieces, you ingrate scum!"

The guards soon joined in with Magnus and accused Antonio of all sorts of slights over the years - they became a baying mob thirsty for his death. Even Renata, who stood protectively over Freyr, called for his head.

Caius called for order and the room eventually fell into fuming whispers rather than out and out shouting. That was the best Caius could hope for under the circumstances.

"Do we have any evidence of the claim?" Caius asked hopefully. If he had to be the one to let the axe fall, so to speak, he wanted proof to ease his guilt.

Marcus offered his counsel, and Aro's heart dropped into his stomach as he did so. "We have the dress ... what's left of it. We could also check Freyr for the breaks and bruises Magnus claims?"

Caius clapped his hands together, relieved to have some guidance.

"Perfect, let's do that. Freyr, you will come with me." Caius stood and waited for a frightened Freyr to join him.

The usually steadfast woman emerged skittishly from her protectorate.

Aro started to panic. _Fuck, she won_ _'_ _t have any bruises, fuck! Fuck! Fuck_!

"Brother, after all Freyr has been through we cannot ask her to expose herself to you now, that would be most unbecoming. It's an unreasonable request, Caius!"

"We don't know what has happened yet, brother, it's an allegation - nothing more. You have agreed to sit this one out, yes?"

Aro nodded curtly. _FUCK_ _,_ his mind screamed at him.

"Although you are right, if the allegations are true I wish to cause Freyr no further pain. Sulpicia, would you accompany us to act as chaperone?"

Sulpicia rose from Aro's lap and joined the fretful woman at her side. "All will be well, my dear. Come along." she told Freyr as she guided her from the throne room with Caius following behind.

Aro looked to Magnus. _He doesn_ _'_ _t seem worried, why isn_ _'_ _t he worried_? Aro thought, wishing he had his father's gift to read minds without contact.

The guards were growing rowdy again, Aro left them to it, he was far more concerned about coming up with a backup plan to save Magnus and Freyr when their lies were discovered.

Caius returned to the throne room first, quickly followed by Sulpicia leading Freyr to Aro's throne.

"She needs a seat, Aro!" Sulpicia said, far more forcefully than she would ever usually dare, in public at least.

Aro eyed both women suspiciously but moved from his throne all the same and offered it to Freyr. Freyr couldn't make eye contact with him, but thanked him politely as she grimaced trying to settle into the master's chair.

Aro caught Sulpicia's wrist for a moment and read her thoughts. He saw Freyr turning naked in front of his wife and Caius. _She's black and blue! Her arm is broken, ribs too. Someone has beaten her badly! Magnus? No! No way would Magnus do that to his mate_! Aro's thoughts trailed off as he realised he had put Magnus in an impossible position, and more than that, Aro knew he hadn't thought through his plans well enough either. _Thank god Magnus saw this coming, thank god he_ ... Aro's thoughts stuttered as he realised he was thanking the gods that Magnus had beaten Freyr bloody - for him.

Aro looked to Magnus, but the man turned away in shame. _I will make this up to you, my friend_. Aro willed Magnus to hear his thoughts but, of course, there was no way he could.

"Caius, I have read Sulpicia's thoughts, I have seen what you have seen. What's your decree?" Aro asked his coven mate, feeling much less self-assured than he usually did.

Caius was visibly upset as he approached Antonio. "I have no choice." he said to him sadly as he embraced the doomed vampire.

"No, no, Caius, please!" Antonio's sobs were muffled by Caius' shoulder, but he knew it was too late. Caius ordered Felix and Demetri to release his favourite guard.

They did and flashed to the throne floor to stand behind Aro's throne with the twins. Jane looked to Felix and offered a nervous smile as he put his strong arm around her. Alec leaned back into Demetri.

"Don't watch." Demetri told his little brother kindly. It wasn't that Alec and Jane, or anyone else in the coven for that matter, were particularly sensitive to seeing the death of a vampire, but there was always an awkwardness seeing a fellow guard meet their end. Antonio was an insufferable cock and he had managed to piss off every single member of the coven at one time or another, but he was still a fellow guard - many had fought alongside the vampire and even with all the bad memories of him there were many good ones too.

Caius waited until he was safely on the throne platform before he ordered the newborns holding Magnus back to release him.

Magnus approached slowly. No one else would know, but he was taking as many steadying breaths as he could to give him the strength to go through with the task at hand.

Antonio considered his options; a fight to the death was guaranteed now, and there was a vanishingly slim chance he could win against Magnus. He had a greater chance against Felix, and he wanted the chance to take the brat down before he died.

"WAIT" Antonio called out, though Magnus didn't stop his approach. "I revoke my forgiveness for Felix, I want to take him on one-on-one first!" Antonio called out to Caius.

Caius was unsure of protocol for such a request and turned to Aro with a shrug.

Aro looked behind him to Felix, "I see no reason why not, but if Felix wins you can drag Magnus back when he loses his chance for retribution, brother."

Aro spoke plainly, but he hoped Caius would see sense and allow Magnus to fight Antonio instead. His insides twisted in agitation whilst Caius considered his words – how he kept the panic from his face was anyone's guess.

Eventually, Caius nodded and looked back to Magnus, the great hulking bear of a man appeared menacing. There was no way in hell Caius was putting himself in front of that juggernaut. Looking back to Antonio, Caius shook his head sadly.

That was it, his last chance of reprieve was over, all that was left now was to fight!

Magnus started to circle Antonio. Fighting wasn't his natural state of play, he was much like Eleazar - the placid mediator. But that didn't mean he couldn't fight, he had trained just as hard as every other guard in the coven, he knew what he was doing.

Antonio though, he was famed for his warrior prowess. He wasn't just another Volturi guard, he was used to being sent into battles before the other guards and taking down twice as many vampires as any other could. His death toll loomed in the tens of thousands through his career in the Volturi.

This wasn't going to be an easy kill for either vampire.

Magnus took one last look back to his mate. Freyr offered him a broad smile that hid all of the angst she felt. _If this is the last time you see me, my love, remember how much I loved you_.


	48. Aftermath

**A** **FTERMATH**

"Aro, my love, please ... speak to me." Sulpicia tried tentatively as she stroked her husband's arm.

Aro stared at the burning pyre of their lost guard. He didn't move. Neither did anyone else, for that matter. The entire coven surrounded the funeral pyre until the flames began to die down. As they did so, Aro was confronted with Caius standing on the opposite side of the castle court yard.

Catching each other's eye, Aro wondered what Caius would do next. This was the first executed guard that Caius had ever allowed to be given a funeral - he usually took the half dead guard to his dungeons for torture, or the dead ones for skinning.

Thinking about it, Aro realised this was actually the first time Caius had presided over a case alone – usually guards requested Aro's judgement, not Caius'. His co-master clearly felt the blood on his hands from the decree he'd issued. Caius ordered the funeral this time and Aro wondered if he had, in fact, gone too far in his manipulation of his coven to suit his own agenda.

Caius broke first. As the last of the flames licked at the scorched wooden frame of the pyre, he made to leave the castle courtyard.

As he passed, Aro held out his arm to stop his brother, "Caius, I ... "

"It's okay, Aro. We will talk tomorrow or something." Caius offered before he disappeared into the castle.

Aro's heart sank for his coven mate but he had to move things on for the rest of his coven.

"Sully, go back to the tower please, I will join you shortly. Take Freyr."

Sulpicia extricated the fragile woman from the other female guards and helped her along into the castle.

"I will join you shortly." he told them quietly again as they parted company.

He had lied, however. Aro took his time getting back to the tower. First, he had to dismiss the guards and issue directives, ensuring that Antonio's followers were well dispersed around the grounds and teamed up with guards who had preferred Felix.

Next he instructed a handful of newborns to clear the grounds - it would be easier for them than longer standing guards, Aro reasoned, as they wouldn't have known the slain vampire as well or for as long. They were also only too happy to be given duties that kept them from being locked back in the newborn hall in the dungeons.

Aro oversaw the whole procedure, keeping an eye on the newborns and their clean-up task. When they were finished, far too quickly for Aro's liking, he personally escorted them down to the newborn hall and secured them inside.

That was it, nothing else to do, nothing else to feasibly keep him from his private quarters. He considered going to Caius or even to Marcus to discuss the day's events but he knew he was stalling and he had to face his family eventually. With a heavy heart, he went home.

"Why won't you tell me what happened?!"

Aro heard Felix demanding information from someone as soon as he opened the tower door from the castle floor. He made his way up the steps to his top floor apartment quietly, so as not to alert anyone of his presence.

"Felix, Aro sent the four of you away for good reason. Telling you what happened would defeat that reason!" Sulpicia sounded exasperated.

 _I do hope you haven_ _'_ _t been giving her a hard time in my absence, Felix,_ Aro thought as he approached.

"Please!" Felix whined again.

"I am not going against my husband, Felix! Just leave it!" She sounded pissed off.

"Sully, come on, he's not even here! Stop treating me like a fucking child!"

Aro grimaced hearing his son talking to his wife in such a way. He didn't have enough reserves of emotional energy left in him to deal with Felix being a brat right now so before the boy could dig a deeper hole for himself, Aro flashed to the doorway and allowed it to swing open with force.

"You are a 'fucking child'! An arrogant, ignorant and rude child at that!" Aro told his boy as Felix shuddered.

 _Shit, how long has he been listening_?

"I'm going to go to my room ... " Felix backed out slowly, his wide eyes watching as Aro

mimicked his movements. As soon as he was under the archway to the inner hall, he fled to his bed chamber.

"Brat!" Aro called after him in annoyance.

"My love, you have taken forever to get back here!" Sulpicia said as she embraced her husband in relief. She had been worried there may have been an altercation with the guards, or even Caius! Aro read as much in her thoughts.

"All is well, my queen. Where are they?" he asked simply.

"They are resting on our bed; to be totally honest, I wasn't sure what else to do with them." she whispered into his ear.

Aro nodded curtly in response and led them both to their own bed chamber.

Eleazar stood from the bed as he heard his brother enter the room. Carmen did the same from the opposite side as Aro approached.

"Well played, my friend." Aro offered with a warm smile as he held out his hand.

Propping himself up and leaning on one arm, Magnus extended the other and shook Aro's hand with a broad grin extending across his face.

"Well played, indeed!" Aro repeated as he embraced the hulking guard.

Magnus hissed at the force of Aro's embrace.

"Sorry, sorry!" Aro said as he stepped back. In absolute awe he looked at Magnus and his mate who was sitting to his side. "You have both undergone more to aid this coven than any other guard that's ever walked the halls of this castle. I will see to it that you are properly recompensed for your troubles." Aro offered and couldn't help the delight showing on his face.

"Master, I have already ... " Magnus began a reply but was shushed by Aro.

"No Magnus, no. I am no longer your master. Please, call me Aro. We have been friends too long and your deeds are too great for you to go on with such formalities. I have a new position to offer you," Aro turned to Freyr, "to offer you both. Once you are recovered, of course."

Magnus looked guiltily to his mate.

"Magnus, my love, please do not fret. I am fine." Freyr told him, gently.

Sulpicia moved to the woman's side. She had been shocked and deeply saddened to see the damage to Freyr's body - the idea that the gentle and compassionate Magnus could have done such a thing was almost unimaginable. Though after witnessing the guard rip Antonio to shreds in the throne room it was a little more conceivable!

"My dear, I must express my deepest gratitude and my sorrow for all that you have been through on our behalf." she told the woman, genuinely.

"My lady, honestly, Antonio has been a blight on our coven for centuries and his quarry against Felix was reaching dangerous levels. Antonio wanted you whole high guard dead for nothing more than holding more favour then he. We did what was necessary, nothing more." Freyr replied, though she winced with even the mildest of movements required to talk.

Magnus' guilt reached new levels and the empath couldn't hold his emotional gift any longer. The whole room felt what he felt.

"Whoa, Magnus you need to calm down, my friend. The only one that should feel that level of guilt over this situation is me." Aro told him as he pushed the juggernaut of a guard back to lie on his bed. "Relax, let your body heal. That was quite a fight, after all." Aro said as he stepped out of the room.

"It certainly was! For a moment I worried you would lose." Eleazar said, still in a state of shock over the battle he'd witnessed. "It was the most horrific guard fight I have ever seen."

Magnus scoffed lightly, "Antonio put up a fair fight ... but you had no need to worry, Eleazar. I had it planned out from the start. If I had just taken Antonio down, Caius would have suspected something was amiss."

Aro returned with a table-barrel over his shoulder and a clutch of goblets in his hand. "I thought we were done for when Caius asked to see the evidence of Antonio's crimes!" he commented as he set down the barrel.

Sulpicia perked up. "So you didn't know about ... Freyr?" she struggled to say it out loud, but it was clear to everyone in the room that Sulpicia was referring to the battered and bruised state Freyr was in.

"No! I will admit I was racking my brains to come up with an explanation or something. I was expecting Caius to come back in defence of Antonio and calling Magnus out as a liar!" Aro had missed the look of relief on his wife's face as he spoke.

"I thought we should be covered for all eventualities. Though it pained me greatly to be the one to inflict such horror on my mate ... "

Magnus took the goblet Aro offered and offered it to Freyr, "Can you every forgive me?" he asked, his voice dripping with sorrow and regret.

Freyr, ignoring the bloodwine for a moment, took her mate's face in two hands, cupping his huge jawline. "We did what we had to do, and I have nothing to forgive you for ... it was my idea, after all."

"You are a genius, and I will be forever in your debt." Aro told her kindly as Magnus finally begun to accept his wife held no ill will towards him.

Eleazar set to work filling the rest of the goblets and offering them around the room.

"So Aro, what's this new position you are offering then?" Eleazar asked, trying to break a little tension in the room.

"I'm glad you ask, brother." Aro started. Turning to Magnus and Freyr he said, "I would like to offer you the apartment in the north tower, and with it, a new role. I would be honoured if you would take positon as 'Masters of the Guard'."

Magnus wore his surprise on his face. In all his years under the Volturi he had never heard of anyone rising out of the rank of guard. Aro's high guard had always been special, but other than that, a guard was a guard until they died, and that was it.

Freyr, though equally surprised, was far more animated. "Oh, my, I, erm! Our own suite? Really?" She stuttered through Aro's offer, trying to make sense of it all.

Magnus was still silent so Aro thought he had better explain a little more.

"It is no secret that Marcus has fallen from coven life since we lost my dear sister. Without Marcus to share the load, Caius and I are experiencing ever increasing demands on our time. We need help." Aro spoke genuinely. "And both of my brothers are useless!" he added, with a smirk towards Eleazar.

"My job is making sure you don't make too much of a prat of yourself, little brother!" Eleazar said pointedly as he topped up his goblet.

Aro rolled his eyes as the others in the room laughed lightly.

Magnus and Freyr had been with the coven a long time and had seen the inside of Aro's quarters plenty, but never had they enjoyed this level of informality before. It felt like family, and they both enjoyed it. Freyr took Magnus' hand in her own and squeezed gently, allowing her emotions to flow for her husband to read. It was how they privately communicated. Magnus returned the same feeling of contentedness as he'd felt from Freyr and he looked to her happily.

"So what do you say? Will you take the positon?" Aro pushed for an answer. He wanted some good new to take to Caius - easing his load seemed like the least he could offer after taking his favourite guard.

"Let them rest awhile, my love. They need to discuss this." Sulpicia told her husband as she fetched the pair another cup of bloodwine, "Drink ... it will help you heal." she said as they took the cups she offered.

"I believe I can speak for the two of us, master ... "

"Aro." Aro corrected.

"I speak for the two of us, Aro." Magnus corrected with a happy smile, "We would be honoured to take a more active role in the coven."

Aro clapped his hands together in delight before raising his glass and inviting the other four vampires in the room to toast the appointment.

"How will Caius take this news, Aro?" Eleazar asked, ending the jollity for them all.

Aro's broad smile never faltered though. "I believe he will be grateful for the help, brother. If it were anyone else, we may have an issue, but Magnus, well, everyone loves Magnus!"

It was clear as day to Aro. This was a perfect solution to all their woes.

"Yes, I agree brother, but," Eleazar turned to Magnus, "forgive me my friend, but Caius just witnessed Magnus tear his favourite guard limb from limb ... after snapping every bone in his body ... and drinking the blood that spurted from his wounds. Are you sure, Aro?" Eleazar finished, feeling a little queasy remembering the bloodied mess of a corpse that would be Antonio's legacy.

Aro held up his hand for silence and listened to the door. _Brats,_ he thought as he heard his young vampires scuttle away.

"Yes, El, I am sure. Trust me. Now if you will all excuse me, I need to talk to my child ... guards, my guards. I need to talk to my guards." Aro left the room, cursing his slip up and wondering if he should just be honest with Magnus. _Half_ _the coven know I have nominated Felix and Demetri as my sons now anyway, but I know Caius is pissed off with it ... so it may have to be_ _retracted yet. I can trust Magnus though, and Freyr_. Aro worked through his thoughts as he sought out his children.

Standing in the hallway between his children's rooms, Aro listened closely for movement.

 _Aha_! Shoving Demetri and Alec's door wide open he was confronted with all four of his young

vampires.

"Do you believe me to be some sort of fool?" Aro asked, irritated.

Suddenly the floor appeared to be very interesting as Demetri and the twins trained their eyes to tracing the patterns in the Persian rug. Felix looked moodily back to Aro.

"Felix, I warn you, your attitude problem had better not rear it's ugly head right now."

Felix huffed indignantly, biting his lip to keep his thoughts from spilling into words. Aro watched as his boy warred with himself.

"Who was listening at my door?" Aro asked in annoyance. No answer.

Aro watched Alec. He always gave the game away. Eventually the young boy's eyes flickered first to Felix and then to Demetri. Aro couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips.

"It's always you two!" Aro said as he pointed out his eldest sons.

Felix bit hard enough into his lip to draw blood. Aro threw up his hands.

"Say it, whatever it is, just say it!" he demanded.

That was all Felix needed to hear. "Why did you send us away? We've been in battles against rogues, we've seen plenty of vampires meet their makers! Damn it, we have sent enough there ourselves! So why did you send us away?" Felix's thoughts rushed through his mouth before he had chance to lose his nerve.

Aro growled. "I had to send you home! Antonio announced your midnight flit to the coven. You know, the one where you killed humans in our town - against coven law!"

Felix shrugged. "So? Afton denied it, so did Chelsea and Renata. No one believed Antonio anyway."

 _F_ _elix, so help me…_ Aro forced his internal monologue to shut up before he threatened something he would regret.

"You were lucky Afton and their mates denied all knowledge of Antonio's claim - it could very easily have gone the other way, son." Aro pointed out gruffly. "Besides that, eliminating our enemies is not remotely the same as seeing a member of our coven lose their life. Antonio was a fellow guard, and I knew Magnus wouldn't just send him on his way merrily to the afterlife. He tore the guy to shreds, blood and bone scattered to every inch of the throne room - that isn't something I wanted you to witness."

Demetri and the twins looked away. It sure sounded horrific. They weren't exactly upset at losing Antonio from the guard, but they wouldn't have wished such a grizzly end to any of their coven mates.

Felix scoffed. "After everything he put me through, I would have paid to see it! I can't even count the amount of beltings I've ended up with because of that prick!" He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at his father. Aro matched his glare and then some as he closed the space between them.

Ducking down onto his knees so he was level with his son, Aro grabbed his chin and forced Felix to look into his angry black eyes. "It was a vicious fight, and to start it looked like Antonio may have the upper hand. I didn't want you to see Magnus lose ... he has been a dear friend to us all for many years. IF Antonio had won, he would have called you out next and frankly, if he could take down Magnus you would have been easy pickings! I wasn't willing to risk that."

Aro pinched his grip on his son as Felix tried to turn away. _Oh no, my boy. You wanted to know what happened, you will bloody well listen now_!

"Magnus smashed every single bone in Antonio's body, he ripped him limb from limb, he tore a hole in his gut and let his innards spill out onto the floor and he licked the oozing blood from his mangled body before finally crushing his skull between his two hands so Antonio's eyeballs popped out of their sockets. Antonio may have brought you some strife, but most of your pain you caused yourself. If I really believed that seeing him come to such an end would illicit no feeling in you at all, I would throw your heartless hide to Caius myself!"

The twins huddled together, feeling disturbed by Aro's vivid, if short, retelling of Antonio's death. Demetri wiped a stray tear from his cheek and tried to suppress the others building in his eyes.

"Yeah, well," Felix started full of bravado, "you know what he said about Jane ... "

Aro's Achilles heel, a man threatening his princess of darkness - Felix knew being reminded of Antonio's threat to rape Jane would make Aro see red.

"Me? What?" Jane asked, interest piqued. No one had ever told her what Antonio planned to do to her!

In one deft movement, Aro released Felix's chin and whipped the back of his hand across his son's face, creating the perfect impression of four fingers in his cheek - complete with the outline of Aro's rings.

Felix hissed as he went to cover his face to hide his tears but Aro pushed his hands away and took the boy loosely by his throat.

"I read your thoughts. I know your stomach flipped hearing how Antonio's life was extinguished." Aro was deeply disappointed in Felix, even more so when he failed to respond. "You shame yourself staying silent when you should speak, and speaking when you should stay silent!" he growled, giving Felix a shake and gesturing towards Jane.

Felix looked at his little sister and into her questioning eyes. _I can_ _'_ _t tell her Antonio planned to rape her! I can_ _'_ _t tell her that,_ he thought to himself. Of course Aro 'heard' through his grip on Felix's throat.

"Indeed!" he agreed whilst raising his eyebrows pointedly.

Felix sighed, and lied, "Antonio planned to find a way to turn you against Alec, Jane."

Jane's face scrunched up, Alec's too.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, rather disappointed.

"As if!" Alec commented with a tut.

Aro released Felix, resulting in an audible gulp from the poor boy as he swallowed his pooling venom.

"Did you hear I offered Magnus a new position as Master of the Guard?" Aro sounded much calmer now, his light singsong tone had returned.

Felix and Demetri nodded. The twins knew too, naturally, but they hadn't heard Aro say it - their big brothers had told them.

Aro nodded, "Not a word to anyone outside our tower, got it?" he asked a little more forcefully.

All agreed.

"I will be telling Magnus of our set up. It will make life a bit easier, I imagine, especially if Caius asks me to retract the whole 'Princes of Volterra' thing." he commented with a sly smile.

Demetri huffed. He really didn't want to lose that title - he'd already planned a million ways to use it to his advantage with the female guards. Aro knew what the youth was thinking without reading his mind.

"I don't want any of you talking about Antonio's death outside of our private walls, it could permanently damage relations with Caius if he heard of you gloating." Aro spoke generally but everyone knew he was really talking to Felix.

"I won't say anything!" Felix responded, pissed off that Aro felt the need to remind him how to act cordially.

Aro's eyes flew back to Felix before he had even finished speaking, "Do you want another slap or can you keep that attitude of yours under control?" _Hmm, that rug is far too interesting_ , Aro thought as he watched his son study the intricate weaving work rather than answering his question.

Aro could hear the voices of those he had left earlier getting louder. _They must have moved to the living room_.

"I'm going back out there. You can come if you wish." he offered his young guards.

All were on their feet before Aro had made it off his knees. Laughing lightly to himself, he held the door open for the four of them and then followed them out. Felix didn't get very far before Aro pulled him back by his shoulder.

"You may wish to thank Magnus, and Freyr for that matter, for what they have put themselves through on your behalf. They clearly think a lot of you to go to such efforts."

Felix knew Aro's 'you may wish' translated to 'you had better, or else' - he wasn't stupid. He nodded quickly and sprung away from Aro as soon as he was released, joining his brothers and sister in the big open room of their chambers.

Taking a deep breath and steadying his nerves at the idea of letting someone else into their secret world, Aro followed.


	49. Easily Offended

**AN:** Even with major tech issues my lovely beta has managed to get my rabbling's sorted for us! doccooper is amazing :)

Thanks for all those reading and reviewing. I am working on some really complicated chapters at the moment and knowing people are actually reading this story makes it that bit easier!

* * *

 **EASILY OFFENDED**

"Good evening, my lady. May I speak with Caius."

Aro greeted Athenodora as she opened the door to Caius' ground floor suite. Without speaking, she stood back to allow Aro to enter. He caught the limp in her step as she did so, and the blackening around her jaw.

 _Jesus Christ_ _,_ _Caius_ _, what have you done to her_? Aro's thoughts wandered back to the blow he had witnessed Caius deliver two days ago. _Does Sully really believe I am on par with that_? He pushed the thoughts from his mind, he had other things to focus on right now.

"He's in our bed chamber, Aro." Athenodora told him, though her speech slurred and she appeared to find it difficult to open her mouth properly.

Aro winced in empathy as he bowed lightly and headed for his brother-in-arms.

"Caius, I need to talk to you, brother." Aro said as he entered the room.

Caius' bed chamber was huge. Aro's wasn't small exactly, but it had been chopped in half to make a room for the twins. Aro looked around. _Big enough to throw a bloody orgy_ , he thought, _and we have,_ he added to himself grinning at the memories.

"Brother, will you talk with me." Aro tried again.

Caius remained as still as the dead as he lay on his bed looking on to the woodland just visible through the far window.

Aro closed the door and crossed the room, taking a seat on the plush four poster next to his co-master.

"I am sorry for your loss, my friend." Aro offered genuinely.

Caius scoffed.

 _Well, it_ _'_ _s a start,_ thought Aro.

"Are you really, Aro?" Caius asked in disbelief. "It's no secret you hated Antonio!"

Aro shook his head. "I didn't hate him. He's caused me some trouble over the years, but I didn't hate him, brother." Aro spoke quietly and calmly, he didn't want to antagonise Caius right now. The man looked broken.

"I wish you had let me make the final decision, brother ... I could have eased your suffering a little." Aro offered. He meant it, too. He truly cared about Caius, though he knew that care was not returned.

Caius shook his head. "No. It was my duty, Aro. I did only what I had to do." he replied sadly.

 _Fantastic_! Aro thought. _You_ _don'_ _t blame me, then. Nor_ _suspect_ _. Fantastic_!

Aro realised how inappropriately pleased his thoughts were, yet he just couldn't help them. He knew Antonio had wanted his children dead and he would do anything to protect them. Having the guy killed was simply a matter of survival as Aro saw it.

"I have been dealing with Magnus, Caius." Aro started tentatively. "He has talked of leaving the coven."

Caius sat up and started paying attention now. "Why?" he asked in genuine confusion.

Aro looked solemn. "Well, brother, he has revealed to me that the guards have become a fractious bunch. He says living in the guard hall has begun to feel like a never ending Saturday evening in a rowdy tavern. Magnus and Freyr are in their forties - they don't want such a lifestyle. Our focus is on running the coven and since Marcus has all but departed from leadership, we are spread too thinly. Magnus fears guard life will only become more untenable without proper supervision as time goes on."

Aro stopped there. He could see Caius digesting the information.

"We can't lose Magnus and Freyr!" Caius exclaimed.

Hearing Caius falling into place, Aro felt his lips tugging into a smile. He supressed them, but it was hard.

"I agree, brother. I have an idea to keep them." he interjected.

Caius leaned forward to hear his brother's plan.

"I propose we offer Magnus and Freyr a position above the guards ... 'Masters of the Guard', if you will. Everyone likes them, everyone respects them, they can run guard relations and take the duty out of our hands - we don't have time to deal with the pettiness of guard life, but we do need someone to deal with it."

Aro stopped to see how Caius was taking his plan. He looked eager to hear more, much to Aro's pleasing.

"Do you think they would take the position, brother? It would certainly be a relief to be able to send guard squabbles to someone else to deal with!"

Aro smiled. _There is nothing you enjoy less than being bothered with the lives of underlings, is there, brother_! Aro thought, pleased that he knew his brother-in-arms as well as he thought.

"I have put out some feelers already. They seem receptive to me, but we may have to sweeten the deal."

"How? What can we offer?" Caius looked quizzically to Aro, sensing his brother already had something in mind.

Aro pointed up.

"What?" Caius asked.

Again, Aro pointed up. "Private chambers" he said simply.

Caius sat back and folded his arms across his chest, one hand went to rubbing his chin.

Aro worried for a moment that Caius was going to object.

"I could think of worse neighbours!" Caius faintly replied with a broad grin.

"Indeed!" Aro added, "You should try living in my tower with Basileus breathing down you neck!"

Caius puffed out his cheeks, "Not a chance!" he said with a look of horror on his face.

"I will give Magnus the news ... unless you would like to be present for any reason? Frankly, I want to find something to calm him down before he smashes my quarters to pieces!" Aro exclaimed.

"He's in your quarters?" Caius asked, surprised.

"Oh, yes!" Aro said, sounding annoyed.

"That is where my bloody brother and his sodding mate took him when they dragged him from the great hall!"

Caius laughed at Aro's plight.

"I could happily wring Eleazar's neck right now!"

Caius laughed harder. "I'd love to be there when Basileus returns to find out, brother! When is he returning, by the way?"

 _Shit, I don_ _'_ _t want to tell you that yet, Caius_. Aro thought to himself.

"Who knows, brother. His letters are very vague." Aro shrugged as he spoke and stood from the bed. "If you want some time off, Caius, I can manage things for a while." Aro offered genuinely.

Caius shook his head. He never wanted time off.

"Lighter duties then, perhaps?" Aro offered again, and to his surprise, Caius agreed.

Before he opened the door to leave his brother's bed chamber, Aro had a final thought, "Caius, you may want to take a look at Athenodora. Her jaw ... it's not healing properly."

He purposefully avoided eye contact as he spoke, not wishing to embarrass Caius in any way.

"I know," Caius called back. "I'll fix it when it's finished healing." he added with an evil smirk.

"Why would you do that?" Aro asked, not really understanding.

"Because it hurts more!" Caius replied, as though it were obvious.

 _You unimaginable evil cunt_! Aro's thoughts raged at him, though to his credit, he managed to keep them from his face.

"As you wish." Aro said, plainly, before heading back to his own tower.

"It's all settled, you are free to move into the private chambers in the north tower and take the position of 'Masters of the Guard'." Aro announced as he entered his own living space.

"Masters ... plural?" Freyr asked.

"Yes, my dear ... it's a two-man job." Aro replied gleefully, feeling rather proud of himself for all that he had orchestrated in one day.

"Well done, brother." Eleazar commented. He knew Aro was giving himself a mental pat on the back already, but to be fair, he deserved it.

"Thank you, Aro. I, I don't know what to say." Magnus looked emotional and so appreciative. "We never expected payment, I hope you know that?"

Aro took a seat next to Sulpicia. "Indeed I do." he responded as he tapped his temple. "It won't be an easy task, my friend. Managing the guards will be a full-time job. You pretty much own the guard hall now ... " Aro trailed off, not wanting to put the pair off their new duties.

"Is that so?" Magnus asked.

Aro nodded happily.

Magnus turned to Aro's four children, all reading ... or, rather pretending to be reading ... at the meeting table to the far side if the room. "Then you are all welcome to join the guards in my hall whenever you wish." He extended his invitation to the young vampires who were all grinning like loons!

Aro threw up his hands in exasperation, though he was playful with it. "Why! Why would you do that?" he asked.

"I will keep my eye on them, Aro, don't worry." Freyr told him kindly.

Aro narrowed his eyes to his eldest boys. He had no worries about the twins, they were generally well behaved.

"If you go to the guard hall you go there as guards and you can expect to be treated as such. Don't come crying to me when Magnus wallops you!"

Felix and Demetri looked the gargantuan vampire up and down. Even in his seated position, he looked as tall as Felix. The adults heard them gulp from across the room, much to their amusement.

"You will behave for me, won't you lads?" Magnus asked as he stood to his full height, seemingly growing taller as he approached them.

All four sank into their chairs, books long forgotten, as they watched the new 'Master of the Guard' come closer. The twins shared a delighted smile as they realised they weren't in the firing line. Felix and Demetri were ready to piss their pants - if such a thing were possible for a vampire. Magnus closed in on the eldest two of Aro's children, easily pulling their chairs together and placing one hand on Felix's left shoulder and the other on Demetri's right one.

"You won't cause me any trouble, will you?" he asked with a kindness unbefitting to his imposing stance.

The duo shook their heads rapidly.

"You know I will be watching, yes?"

They nodded vigorously.

Magnus eyeballed the pair for a moment before removing his encompassing hold and standing back to full height. He started to stretch out his hands, first into a fist the size of Alec's head, bloodied knuckles still healing from his fight with Antonio.

The boys were transfixed as the splits opened to gapping wounds as Magnus tensed his fist - he didn't even blink at the pain it must have caused. Next he opened his hands flat ... they looked like shovels.

BANG! He clapped them together with an almighty boom. That had their attention and they both jumped in their seats.

"You wouldn't want me to have to punish you, would you?" he asked darkly.

"No, no ... no definitely not!" Felix answered. Demetri was still watching Magus in case he decided to give a demonstration.

Aro sighed contentedly to himself.

"What's wrong with you, brother?" Eleazar asked him with a light jab to his ribs.

"I just wish I'd thought of this years ago!" he replied, enjoying seeing his reckless sons finally taking proper notice of authority.

"How long have you been living as, well, as a family I suppose, my queen?" Freyr asked Sulpicia.

"Sully," Sulpicia corrected gently with a smile. "Officially, though privately, a few years. But really it has always been so." She chanced a look to Aro, who thankfully only smiled in return. She found it so deeply upsetting when he tried to deny their family status.

"And why must it remain a secret?" Freyr pushed.

"Caius mainly, my dear." Aro replied. "Relations with Caius are precarious at best. He struggles with our unequal leadership as it is - he has a very odd idea about what is 'fair'. Plus, it would make the four of them targets if anyone outside of this coven learned of my allegiance to them. I can't risk that, not yet anyway." Aro looked over to his young vampires with love filled eyes.

Now that Magnus had returned to his seat they all looked much more relaxed.

"I may have to send them to you when they start acting up next." Aro told Magnus with a wink.

"However I can be of service." he replied and turned to smile at the young ones over his shoulder.

Felix and Demetri laughed nervously as the other adults found such humour in their mild distress.

"Stop winding them up, Magnus. You are scaring them." Freyr told her husband quietly.

"That's just what they need!" Carmen said to Sully.

She had to agree. Carmen and Sulpicia had spoken at length about her wild boys and both believed they needed something, anything, that would bring them in line before they caused irreparable damage to the coven, though they disagreed on what that 'something' was.

"You make it sound like we are criminal! We know how to behave!" Felix injected indignantly, a little louder and certainly stroppier than he'd intended.

"Oh you know alright, not that you behave any better for it!" Eleazar said in good humour. He could see Felix was starting to brood again and he didn't want Aro to have to deal with the boy in company.

"Whatever." Felix responded, with as much teenage attitude as he could muster.

Aro flinched at his son's tone. _It'_ _s been a busy day, don't_ _react, don_ _'_ _t react._ _We are all a little stressed_ , he told himself. Instead he got up to pour everyone another drink.

Once all the adults were replenished, Aro collected another four goblets for his children and filled them, too. As he delivered them he told the kids, "Just one, and try to relax a little." He was mainly speaking to Felix and they all knew it.

The boy scoffed lightly but tried to bring his emotions under control as he sipped at his cup.

Demetri eyed his brother dangerously. "What's your problem!" he asked in an angry whisper.

"They are treating me like a child and I am sick of it!" he replied in the quietest of angry whispers.

Demetri shook his head. He wasn't going down with Felix if he was on another self-destruct mission. Taking his goblet, he gestured to the twins to follow him and they joined Sulpicia by the fireside, sitting on the rug at her feet.

Everyone had fallen into easy conversation as Aro went to fill his cup. _Barrel_ _'s empty._ _Fuck, have we really drained a whole barrel in a couple of days? Damn_.

"Felix, will you take this barrel downstairs and bring up a new one?" he asked his eldest, though it sounded far too demanding to Felix.

Felix knew he was lucky to be let off with fronting so much attitude, especially in front of guests, but he didn't feel lucky right now.

"You've drank a whole barrel in two days!" Eleazar accused.

"No, brother," Aro replied whilst flicking his brothers cup, "WE'VE drank a whole barrel in two days! Besides, these are only table barrels."

Eleazar laughed and turned to Felix, "Fetch the one from my chambers, Felix. We'll use that up, first."

Felix looked murderous. "Prince of Volterra, huh? More like the royal fucking skivvy!" he said under his breath as he scraped his chair back loudly across the floor. Of course, in a room full of vampires, even in a relatively large living space like Aro's, 'under his breath' was subjective.

Shaking his head, Aro flashed to his son and dragged him back to the barrel by the scruff of his neck. "Pick it up."

Felix obeyed whilst giving Aro a filthy look.

"Now, take it down to the castle floor and bring the barrel from Eleazar's suite, got it?"

Feeling his face burning with shame, Felix dared a look to the others in the room; they all looked at him sadly, except his siblings, they looked on in disbelief, and slightly pleased. _Bastards,_ Felix thought.

He should have backed down and taken the time Aro was offering out of their chambers to calm down. But no, that wasn't how Felix worked. When he was backed into a corner he came out fighting.

"Can't, not allowed outside the tower, MASTER!" Felix spat with venomous emphasis on the 'master'.

Aro roared fiercely.

Rather than backing down, Felix threw the barrel into the wall and growled. It sounded pitiful really, next to Aro's rage, but Felix wasn't trying to be threatening ... he just wanted to prove he wouldn't back down!

Snatching him up by the front of his tunic, Aro easily lifted Felix clear from the floor with one hand and carried him half strangled to the door before exiting and slamming it closed behind them both. Aro didn't stop at Eleazar's door, he went straight down to Basileus'.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" Felix asked through the venom gurgling in his throat. _God, I sound pathetic_ , he thought angrily, tugging at Aro's hand for all he was worth.

Once inside Basileus' chambers, Aro dumped his boy on the floor. As Felix scrambled to get to his feet, Aro pushed on his head, knocking him back down to his ass.

"STAY HERE UNTIL I FETCH YOU!" Aro raged into his son's face before turning on his heel.

"Where are you going?" Felix asked in a small, frightened voice.

"TO CALM DOWN!" Aro roared as he exited the ground floor suite, leaving Felix sitting like a lost soul on the rug.

Aro returned to his quarters with the barrel from Eleazar's apartment. The three couples fell into relaxed conversation, with Magnus and Aro going over ideas for managing the guards and drawing up plans for implementing the changes. They went on drinking late into the evening and it was close to midnight before Aro or Sulpicia noticed the time. Truthfully, they perhaps wouldn't have noticed if it were not for the twins' falling to sleep in front of the fire.

It took Magnus and Freyr by surprise to see them sleeping so peacefully.

"I always assumed the young ones would need more downtime than adult vampires, but to see them sleep ... they look like children!" Freyr exclaimed.

"They are children, my dear." Carmen said plainly.

Magnus thought back to the many battles he had fought in for the Volturi. "I've been on missions with your guard before, Aro. I have seen them rest after the exertions of battle ... but never sleep!"

Aro smiled. "They did sleep, for a short time. I generally had them huddle together so they could catch a few hours at a time. They aren't human so they can stay awake for a few days if they absolutely have to."

"I assume this is something else no one can know?" Magnus directed to Aro.

"I would prefer that, yes." he answered genuinely.

He had been worried about letting new people into his secret life, but now Aro was sure he'd made the right decision. He trusted Magnus and Freyr completely.

Sulpicia returned from settling her baby vampires into bed and placed a loving arm around her husband.

"My love, you should fetch Felix ... he needs to go to bed." Sully told him quietly.

Aro nodded, though he didn't offer the same smile she did in return. _I hope you have calmed yourself down,_ _boy_ _... I will punish you in front of our guests if you force my hand_.

Aro had only been gone a moment before he was back in the stairwell doorway.

"He's not there, I'll wring his bloody neck when I find him!" he exclaimed in annoyance.

Eleazar turned to Demetri, their highly skilled tracker. "Do you know where he is?"

Demetri looked offended, and he didn't like having every other vampire in the room watching him so intently.

"How would I know? I've been here with you!" he returned forcefully.

Aro flashed to his boy and knelt down to him on the floor, "Demetri if you know ... "

"I don't!" the youngster interrupted, not wanting his father to finish his threat in front of their house guests.

"Well you can find him, can't you?" Eleazar pushed, knowing the boy was holding out on them.

Demetri concentrated for a moment, though it wasn't easy to do with Aro breathing down his neck.

"He hasn't left the castle, but I don't know where he is."

Aro scoffed and placed his hand around the back of Demetri's neck to read his thoughts, not that it would do any good. Demetri hadn't pushed his gift enough to actually find Felix, just enough to show willing.

"Yes you do, where is he?" Aro ground out through gritted teeth.

"I don't know. I've had a couple of glasses of this, my gift is woozy." Demetri whined as Aro tightened his grip.

Aro stood up and shook his head. Looming over Demetri, he created an imposing sight.

"Woozy?! Don't give me that rubbish! And you only had one!" Aro accused.

Eleazar caught his brother's attention and nervously admitted, "I might have given him another ... "

"I did too." Carmen interrupted sheepishly.

"You told me you'd only had one." she accused Demetri, who laughed nervously from the floor.

A rumbling growl was rattling in Aro's chest as he snatched his boy from the floor with one hand and planted a series of sharp smacks to his rear end with the other.

Demetri hissed and jumped about, but he was quite impressed with himself for staying relatively quiet. The bloodwine had certainly dulled his senses; though not his shame, sadly.

"Go to bed. Go on." Aro ordered as he set him back on the ground.

Demetri didn't need telling twice, but as it was his first time on his feet since downing three goblets of bloodwine, he stumbled as he tried to flash from the living room and crashed into the wall with enough force to knock the gilded mirror from its fixings causing it to smash into a hundred pieces as it hit the stone floor.

"I'll kill them all at this rate!" Aro called out, hoping Demetri heard him.

Sulpicia was far more concerned about Felix than she was a broken mirror. "You don't think he would have ... not again?" she asked her husband, worry dripping through her words.

Aro knew what Sully was referring to - last time Felix did a midnight flit it was to commit a crime against coven rules and kill humans in Volterra.

"No, no my queen. Certainly not." he told her gently. He truly didn't believe Felix would be so stupid again. "I'll find him." he said as he kissed her forehead.

"I'll come with you, brother." Eleazar offered as he collected his cloak.

Magnus got to his feet. Most of his wounds were only scrapes and bruises and he had healed well already. "I will help!"

Aro smiled kindly to his friend. _I do trust you Magnus, but if my son has done something, well, something Felix-like, I would rather not implicate you in his crimes_.

"No, you should go and tell the guards of your new appointment and get settled into you new chambers - you have done more than enough for my son today, Magnus." Aro clapped the vampire's shoulder before flashing from his suite with Eleazar.

After expressing their gratitude for their new fortune again to Sulpicia, Magnus and Freyr left for the guard hall as instructed.

"I will help you clean up, Sully. Don't worry, they will find him." Carmen told her, kindly, as the pair set to work clearing goblets and mirror shards from the main quarters.

…

"I think that went rather well, my dear." Magnus told his wife as they headed to the north tower. "The guards seemed pleased to hear of our new duties, I must say I was expecting some objections!" Magnus exclaimed.

Freyr tucked into his side and pulled his arm around her as they walked at a human pace together.

"Really my love, they witnessed you ripping Antonio to shreds this morning. I think those guards will be putty in your hands for a good while yet."

When they reached the stairwell leading to their new private quarters, Magnus scooped his wife up in his arms and carried her up the stairs. Kicking the door to the middle floor suite open, they both peered inside.

"Fit for a queen, my dear." he whispered, softly, before kissing her deeply.

The sound of something dropping on the floor startled them both. Magnus set Freyr on her feet and they both focused their eyes towards the source of the noise.

Felix.

"So, this is where you're hiding." Freyr said, kindly, as the boy got to his feet.

"I'm not hiding!" Felix spat, giving a filthy look to them both.

"Sitting in the dark in a place no one would think to look for you ... sure looks like you are hiding to me, young one." Magnus said whilst looking him up and down.

 _He'_ _s drunk, oh damn it,_ he thought. Turning to Freyr he whispered, "Go tell Aro to call off the search party, I'll bring him along shortly."

Naturally, Felix heard. "Yeah, grass me up quick ... that's your new job, after all."

Freyr squeezed her husband's hand in support before leaving her new home.

Magnus closed the door behind her and approached the young vampire, collecting his discarded goblet from the floor.

"Don't mouth off to me, boy. I have never stood for your cheek." he told the youth, plainly.

"Fuck you!" Felix slurred in reply. He took a swing at Magnus but missed by at least a full arm's length.

 _Pissed up little brat_! Magnus thought, annoyed that the usually jovial youngster would have the audacity to try and punch him in the first place!

"Would you like to try that again?" he ground out dangerously.

"FUCK YOU!" Felix roared as he swung a second time – closer, but still miles off the mark.

Magnus grabbed the boy's fist, enveloping it with his own huge hand, as he pulled him close and landed a booming slap to the boy's ass.

Felix started to cry and mentally berated himself. _It was only one smack,_ _for fuck sake_ _. Get it together, stop being a dick_!

Magnus used the boy's minor melt down to pull him in close and tried to use his gift to force Felix to relax.

"Calm yourself." he said gently.

Felix felt Magnus' emotions licking at the edge of his psyche. _No, no I don_ _'_ _t want to be calm!_

He forced his way out of Magnus' grip and stood back, panting at the exertion.

"Do you have something you would like to say to me?" Magnus asked him, unsure what was really going on with the young guard.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked whilst looking at Magnus as though he were something he'd trodden in.

"I assume you chose to hide in my chambers because you wished to talk me," Magnus offered, though seeing the boy's stance, he changed his thought process, "or was it a fight you were after?"

Felix scoffed. "I could fight you!" Magnus smiled.

 _Patronising prick_ , Felix thought.

"You could give it a try." Magnus crooned, knowing the boy didn't stand a chance. But he would show him up if that's where Felix wanted to go to. He opened his arms wide, "Come on, then." he said with a cocky smile.

Felix lunged forwards, hoping being quick off the mark would take Magnus by surprise. It didn't.

Like a Spanish bullfighter luring in his beast, Magnus deftly guided Felix towards him and then side stepped to avoid any contact. As the young vampire barrelled passed him, Magnus landed another sharp swot to his backside.

"Ahhhh!" Felix roared with the sting.

"You will have to put a bit more effort in than that, son." Magnus said, leaning coolly against the far wall as though nothing had happened.

"I'm not your fucking son!" Felix roared to the elder as he ran at him again. This time Magnus allowed the boy to get close but caught his first swing and held him just a little too far away to make contact.

Felix was swinging around, legs and free arm flailing in his attempt to attack Magnus whilst the elder simply looked on without pause for concern. Every now and then he would give him another smack to his ass.

"No, you're not my son. You're Aro's . And what do you think your father is going to have to say about this, huh?"

Felix stopped his thrashing about immediately as Magnus' words sunk in.

"Hmm, starting to see sense now, are we?" Magnus appraised as he set Felix on his feet.

Magnus turned Felix by his shoulders to face him, though Felix refused to look at him. He felt a bit of a tool now, truth be known.

"I don't understand why you have suddenly developed a problem with me, Felix, but I am choosing to forgive you anyway. Call an end to your quarry with me now before you do something you will regret." Collecting the boy's goblet, Magnus headed to the door. "Come along, let's get you home."

"I have something that belongs to you, Sully." Magnus called out as he pushed Felix through the door. "Although, I'm not sure who's this is." he said as he handed over the empty cup.

Sulpicia took Magnus' offering and set it on the table as she felt her annoyance bubble over into anger.

"Thank you, Magnus. I hope he didn't give you any trouble?" Sulpicia said politely, knowing full well Felix would have given their friend as much trouble as he possibly could.

"I am sure Aro will see, my lady. But think nothing of it." Magnus said as he took his wife's hand and left for their own quarters.

Sulpicia closed the door behind them and then rounded on Felix.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, punctuating each word with a slap across her bullish boy's head.

"Ow!" Felix called out as he tried to deflect his mother's slaps.

"Your father and Eleazar have gone to search for you. Demetri and Carmen have had to go and search for them to tell them you have been found. And it sounds like you gave Magnus some trouble, too. You bring shame to yourself and your father and me. Magnus has done you a great deed this day and this is how you repay him?" Sulpicia's voice became louder and higher with every word until she was shrilly screaming at her wayward son.

Felix couldn't listen to anymore. He turned towards the bed chambers and started stomping off in a drunken sway. "Saint fucking Magnus!" he called over his shoulder. Not that he got very far,

Sulpicia was soon in front of him, pushing him back to the living room. "Where do you think you are going?" she asked.

"To bed!" Felix spat back.

"I don't think so. You can sit down here and start coming up with some way to excuse your abhorrent behaviour." She pushed him down onto the sofa and turned her back on him.

Felix was starting to feel tired now. He'd cracked open a barrel and started to drink the delicious bloodwine as soon as Aro had left him in his grandfather's suite. He'd told himself he was only going to have one to help him calm down ... one turned to two, then five, then ten. He was fucked. And rather than calming down, Felix now felt more pissed off than ever and he wasn't even sure why.

 _The room's spinning, oh fuck_! Felix clasped both hands to his mouth but didn't dare move in case that movement made him sick. Too late. Felix spewed his guts up with his fingers splaying across his mouth acting as a grate forcing the regurgitated bloodwine to spurt in all directions.

Sulpicia's heart sank seeing the ruby liquid hit every nook and cranny of her perfect living room. _I will bloody murder you,_ _Felix Volturi_ _,_ she thought furiously, whilst fetching a bowl for her delinquent.

Felix heard movement in the stairwell as he finished his first round of up-chuck.

Demetri walked in first to be confronted with Felix sitting with his head between his legs and vomit dripping from his finger.

"You are so dead, brother!" he said mockingly to Felix as he burst out laughing.

Aro came in next and cuffed Demetri across the top of his shaggy brown bed head hair-do. "Thank you, Demetri. Take yourself back to bed, please."

Aro shook his head looking at the state Felix was in. _You won_ _'_ _t be sleeping that off until I_ _'_ _ve finished with you,_ _boy_ _,_ he thought. _I need to get rid of Demetri first._

"Demetri, would you like to discuss how you were able to track me down at a mere moment's notice but Felix's whereabouts have been evading your gift for a good few hours?"

Demetri's head ducked low and his shoulders slumped forwards.

"Thought not." Aro added as he pushed his son towards the arched inner hallway. "BED!" he ordered.

Demetri made a dash for it. Felix made to stand but crashed back into his seat.

"Not you. We need to talk first." Aro told him as he took the cleaning equipment from his wife. "He will be doing that, my queen." Aro said sternly.

Sulpicia agreed and went to sit at the meeting table to read, leaving the rest of the room free for Aro and Felix.

"Go and clean yourself up, now!" Aro ordered as he dragged the drunken lout to his feet.

Felix swayed as soon as Aro released him and his eyes were already half closed.

 _Ugh, there_ _'_ _s no point talking to him when he_ _'_ _s like this_. Before he could direct his son back into his seat, Felix had crashed to the floor. Aro looked to his feet. Felix lay in his own sick, fast asleep.

"There really is no hope for your son, my queen." Aro sad mockingly as he nudged the lad with the toe of his boot.

"Ah, ah, ah. That one's yours." Sulpicia replied whilst dealing two places with the deck of cards she held. "Come and play with me, my love. He will keep until morning." Aro stepped over his son and joined his wife at the table.

"Eww, what's that smell?" Jane asked as she came through to the living room. Aro and Sully had been sat at the table playing cards and chatting for a good five hours and it was already dawn.

"Aww, Jane, be nice. That smell is your brother, dear." Sulpicia replied with a smirk to her husband.

Jane peered over the sofa to see Felix on the floor, snoring in a pool of bloodwine.

"Is he bleeding?" she asked with little emotion.

"Not yet, but your concern is duly noted." Aro said sarcastically as he made his way over to Felix. "Get up and start cleaning!" Aro ordered with a rough shake.

"It's too early." Felix whined without opening his eyes.

"Jane, fetch your brothers. I think we will go for a walk." Sulpicia asked her princess of darkness before flashing to her own bedchamber to change. Less than a minute had passed before the four of them were assembled by the front door. "We won't be too long, my love." she told her husband before directing her young vampires out of their home.

Aro dragged Felix to his feet.

"Please, just a bit longer. My head is killing me!" Felix whined again.

"After last night it will be me killing you, you stupid brat. Now go and clean yourself up!" Aro's voice was dark and angry; it cut straight through Felix's hangover as the memories of the night before flashed through his mind.

"Oh god." he exclaimed glumly.

"He won't help you!" Aro retorted as he shoved his son in the general direction of the bathroom.

Following him in, Aro went to the sink and pumped up water, filling the bowl. Next he dramatically offered Felix the soap with a mock bow. "I assume you can take care of the rest, yes? Or have we gone so far in my cleaning up of your messes that I am now to clean you, too?" Aro asked sarcastically.

Felix took the soap aggressively before pushing past Aro to get to the sink.

"I will fetch your clothes, your highness." Aro said as he walked backwards out of the room.

 _Prick,_ Felix thought, knowing he had hell to pay today for yesterday's crimes. Pulling his tunic off in one swift movement, he dumped the bloodied article on the floor. Next he lathered up his face and hair, scrubbing at the congealed bloodwine which had made a sticky, matted mess of his black locks, before dunking his whole head in the water bowl. The cool water felt amazing on his raging hangover induced headache.

"That will do, your highness. You have a busy day ahead of you." Aro said as he pulled his son free of the water.

"Can I go to bed for a few hours first? Please Dad, I feel ill."

Aro scoffed at his son's pleading. "You are not ill, you ingrate, you are hungover! And you will find no sympathy from me for that. Particularly when you are hungover from drinking stolen alcohol!" Aro shoved a fresh set of clothes into Felix's chest. "Get dressed." he ordered as he turned and left the room.

Felix dressed as quickly as he could, but his head ached afresh with every single movement he made. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed, but it didn't seem that Aro was going to allow that anytime soon. Feeling very sorry for himself, he sought out his father in the main room.

"What is your problem?" Aro questioned as soon as his boy came into view.

 _Why are you talking so loud,_ Felix thought to himself, the pain just increasing his self-pity. He walked over to the sofa to flop down into the comfy coverings, but Aro clicked his fingers and pointed at the hard wooden chairs at the marble meeting table instead. Shooting daggers to his father, he eventually settled into the chair he was offered. "I don't have a problem - you lot have the problem!" he mumbled in reply.

Aro looked at his boy, wondering where the hell all this was coming from. _I'm_ _not playing sock puppets with you son, you need to talk properly_!

"Felix you had better start making sense soon, and DROP THE ATTITUDE!" Aro boomed as he leaned in close to the lad's ear.

Felix threw his head into his hands, resting his forehead on the table. _Why is he shouting_ , Felix thought sadly. _It's making me feel sick again and the smell in here isn_ _'_ _t helping_ , he thought moodily before it dawned on him that the smell was the bloodwine he'd thrown up the night before. _Eugh! My ass is burning! Magnus doesn_ _'_ _t mess around - note to self, stay out of that fucker_ _'_ _s way_!

Aro had placed a finger lightly on his son's arm and had heard his thoughts. He was annoyed at the boy's level of self-pity but he didn't hear anything surprising. He'd read through the entirety of Felix's evening last night whilst he was passed out.

"Sit up and look at me!" Aro ordered and waited for Felix to comply. "I already know what happened yesterday - quite an eventful evening, wouldn't you say?"

Felix groaned. Any hope he had of lying his way out of this had just been ripped away from him.

Aro continued, "What I want to know is why you acted like such a prat? Why you drank yourself into a stupor on MY bloodwine? Why you ran off in the middle of the night? Why you sought out Magnus and why, for the love of the gods, you would try and fight with the biggest vampire this coven has ever seen? And whilst we are at it, you can add to all that, why you think you can run your mouth off with pathetic 'woe-is-you' remarks and shouting and swearing at your elders?"

Felix's head started to hang again. He mumbled a very quiet 'for fuck sake' to himself that Aro caught and slapped him across the back of the head for.

"You had better keep your mouth under control whilst you are talking to me, got it?" Aro said threateningly.

Felix sniffed and wiped at his tears but didn't reply.

CRACK! Aro slapped his head again, far harder than the first time.

"I said, GOT IT?" he thundered.

"Yes!" Felix exclaimed through his sobs. In his hungover state that slap felt like the worst pain he'd ever experienced.

 _He looks pitiful_ , Aro thought. _You brought all this on yourself though,_ _boy_ _._ _AGAIN_!

Aro waited for Felix to get himself under control before he continued with a much kinder tone. "Let's start again. Why are you so angry?" he asked as he drew Felix'a hand away from his face. His mottled honey coloured eyes, evidence of a strict animal blood diet over the last three months, glistened through his subsiding tears.

"Why are you all fawning over Magnus?" he finally spat.

Aro sighed. _Why can_ _'_ _t you just have a conversation? Why must everything turn into a battle of wills_? Aro thought exasperatedly.

"Felix, the guy just took out your biggest adversary, do you not think you owe him even a modicum of respect?" he asked gently.

"No!" Felix spat again, looking dead into his father's eyes.

"No?" Aro questioned in disbelief.

"I could have taken out Antonio at any point if you had just let me fight my own battles!" Felix argued as he tried to stand.

Aro pulled him back down before leaning back into his own seat.

"So this is it then, you feel cheated? Felix I am telling you now, after seeing him fight Magnus I couldn't honestly say I would have backed you in a bet. He was highly skilled, far more than I had given him credit for."

Felix scoffed, "Thank you very much!" he shot back as he puffed out his chest.

Aro shook his head, raven locks falling into his face before he scooped them away with his hand.

"Felix, stop being a brat. Whether you like it or not, some people will be better than you at some things. You were certainly stronger than Antonio but he may have been more skilled at fighting, that's all I am saying."

Felix scowled. He didn't want to hear how Antonio was better than him in any way. "Still don't see why I should be grateful to Magnus. He only did what he did to get set up in his own private quarters and leap up the hierarchy."

Aro slammed his hands into the table and jumped from his seat. It was one thing Felix being an ungrateful brat, quite another to be bad mouthing one of Aro's oldest friends to his face.

"You ungrateful wretch, he knew nothing of my plans. He killed that damn guard, and even beat his own mate because Antonio had started making plans to kill you!"

Felix looked away to hide his surprise. He didn't actually know Antonio had gone that far. "I'd like to have seen him try." he bustled, not sure what else to say ... but still refusing to lose face.

Aro put an arm around Felix's shoulders and leaned down close to his ear, "You still don't get it, do you?" he ground out through gritted teeth.

Felix tried to push him away, "I don't get why you were having a go yesterday because I wasn't showing enough compassion for Antonio and now you are breathing down my neck because I'm not grateful enough to the guy that killed him!" Felix laughed to himself, thinking he finally had the upper hand in this round of fucks.

"Antonio was a cunt who was out to see you dead, but he was still a member of this coven and someone you had fought with side by side in many battles. I would think you should feel something knowing he's just been torn to shreds!"

Aro stood up to full height and loomed over his boy. "Magnus risked his own life to prevent that animal having the chance to kill you. And you really feel you owe him nothing?!" Aro knew Felix felt more than nothing, he knew his son was conflicted, but until last night he had liked Magnus very much and this turn around was most unprecedented.

Felix sat brooding trying to think a way out of his argument with Aro - he always lost in a war of words with his father.

"Yeah, well, he tried to fight me back in his quarters!" That was the best he could come up with and he knew it was a lie.

"YOU ATTACKED MAGNUS! He just held you back." Aro bellowed, pissed off at more outright lies from his son.

"But he hit me, Dad!" Felix whined with his best puppy dog eyes. _These things always work for Demetri_.

"He smacked your backside, he did not hit you." Aro replied sternly. _I'_ _m not having you lying about my friend, you little shit_! Aro thought angrily.

Felix crossed his arms across his chest "Same thing." he mumbled petulantly.

Aro threw his hands up in the air, "You're acting like a damn child."

"I am a child." Felix retorted, mimicking Aro's tone.

"That's it, there's no point talking to you, I'm not wasting anymore of my time." Aro started unfastening his belt. "Three months, you made it three months. Well done." he told him as he pulled the youth to his feet.

"No, no, I won't let you!"

 _There_ _'_ _s no way I am taking a hiding today, no way,_ he thought. Felix put all his efforts into pulling himself free, but he had nowhere to run though - trapped between Aro and his chair.

Aro laughed, "You won't let me? What the hell makes you think you have a choice?" Aro bent low and slung Felix in a fireman's lift over his shoulder. "Like you said, you are a child." He mocked as the boy's struggles proved fruitless.

In his panic, Felix did something neither of them expected and bit hard into Aro's back!

"Ahhhh!" Aro called out as he flipped Felix off, sending the younger vampire crashing to the floor.

Felix came to his senses as he hit the deck and spat out a chunk of Aro's fresh and a ragged strip of his shirt. _Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_ _Why did I do that? FUCK_! He started backing away, scooting himself across the floor.

Aro walked towards him, keeping in time with Felix's retreat.

"You will regret that, you little bastard!" he told him menacingly as he whipped his belt viciously across his boy's errant, bloody mouth.


	50. Try Again

**AN** : I do not own the Twi-world, thanks SM for sharing.

I am having the odd request come through for scenes you'd like to see. I will try and accommodate anything that I can work into this current story, but I don't want to start a new story, yet. I just don't have the time at the moment. Thanks

* * *

 **TRY AGAIN**

"Aro! ARO, STOP!" Sulpicia screamed out at the scene with which she was confronted when she returned home.

Felix was curled up on the floor trying to defend himself with his flailing arms whilst Aro rained down strike after strike, wielding his belt as whip against their son.

Sulpicia suspected her husband had flown into a blind rage and was unaware of his actions. She didn't dare go near him.

"Fetch Eleazar, quickly!" she whispered to the twins, who both darted from the entranceway.

Aro wasn't in a blind rage though, he knew what he was doing. Spinning to face his wife and Demetri she could see his eyes, though black, were still Aro. They weren't the eyes of the animalistic vampire within - that just made what she'd witnessed even more horrific.

"What the hell are you doing, Aro!" she ordered as she flew to Felix's side. "Aro, what have you done?" she screamed as she helped her boy to stand. _He doesn_ _'_ _t seem as damaged as I thought he would be actually_ , she considered as Felix easily pounced to his feet.

"ME?" Aro replied in shock.

"What's going on?" Eleazar boomed as he strode through the door, straight past Demetri who still clung to the door frame.

"I, I'm not entirely sure, Eleazar." Sulpicia answered, looking from Aro to Felix.

"Why are you covered in blood?" Eleazar asked slowly, wondering what the hell his little brother had done now. "Is that his blood?" he asked Aro while pointing to Felix.

"No! It's mine!" Aro answered in annoyance.

"YOURS?!" everyone in the room responded with the same word in the same shocked tone.

"Yes, that little bastard has bit a chunk out of my back," Aro lifted his blood soaked shirt and spun around to show them the wound Felix had inflicted, "and my fucking arm!" he continued, offering his right arm to show them the deep impressions of Felix's teeth, oozing blood from the ragged edges. "He's damn lucky I haven't ripped his bloody teeth out!"

"I'm surprised you haven't." Eleazar said genuinely as he walked over to Aro to inspect his brother's gaping wounds.

"I still might!" Aro growled through gritted teeth as his brother turned his arm to take a better look.

Wincing, as he knew it must be incredibly painful, Eleazar started pulling Aro towards the door, "Aro we need to get this bandaged, Felix can wait."

Felix had tucked himself behind Sulpicia but now she turned on her boy, "You can get this mess cleaned up. Now."

Felix nodded as he backed up. Sulpicia was rarely angry, but right now her jet-black eyes told him she was ready to tear him a new asshole.

"I want my living room put back together and free from the stench of your drunken vomit!" She continued to growl out her orders as Felix agreed and apologised over and over again. But he had yet to move. "NOW, FELIX!"

 _Shit, Sully never shouts,_ Felix thought as he jumped into action.

"Demetri, can you take the twins with you to the guard hall." Demetri agreed, happily. "I suggest you don't cause any trouble." she said sternly.

They all agreed before fleeing from their chambers. The twins were relieved to be out of the firing line and Demetri was stoked to be allowed out at all, especially to the guard hall!

"All hormone and adrenalin, he's a fucking liability!" Aro complained loudly about Felix to Carmen as she dressed his arm.

"Does vampire flesh grow back, Aro?" she asked with a grimace. "Your arm is in a bit of a state!"

Aro winced feeling another stitch go through his wound. Eleazar was impressed with his brother's restraint, he wasn't sure he could be quite as stoic with the amount of pain Aro must be in.

"No, it doesn't grow back, but it will heal over in time." Eleazar answered for his brother as he passed him a glass of bloodwine. "It's first thing in the morning, Aro - medicinal amounts only!" Eleazar commented, seeing his brother gulp at the ruby liquid.

"What are these needles made from, anyway? They look like bone!" Carmen continued, desperate to make conversation to break some of the tension.

"Claw, not bone." Aro ground out through his pain. "Werewolf claw, my lady. The only thing that can penetrate a vampire's skin."

Carmen stopped stitching Aro and took a good look at the needle Eleazar had given her. "Really?" she said to herself.

"Silver cuts vampire hair, that's why we use it for shaving, though it takes great effort to keep the blade sharp." Eleazar told his mate. "I expect, with enough force, silver could give us a decent paper cut!"

Eleazar ripped Aro's shirt from his back to look again at his wound. "Felix has actually bitten a chunk out of you Aro ... he didn't swallow it, did he?"

Carmen looked repulsed at the question.

"I don't know, El. I was a little preoccupied at the time!"

Eleazar slapped his shoulder lightly, "I will see if I can find it, then."

Carmen looked ready to throw up. "As in a 'chunk of flesh' … and you want me to do what with it? Sew it back in?"

Aro nodded, "Be grateful you are doing the sewing rather than being sewn, my lady!"

Carmen had to take a good few deep breaths to dispel the nausea. "What is going on with Felix? He's not usually so ... grotesque." she commented as she added a final stitch to Aro's arm.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm not even sure he knows. Damn teenagers! Irrational, volatile beings!" Aro winced as Carmen pulled tightly on the thread before tying it off.

"What are you going to do with him, then?" Carmen pressed.

Aro shook his head, "I could happily beat him senseless - which wouldn't take very long! Damn idiot!"

Carmen laughed lightly as she wound a bandage around Aro's arm.

"Don't make it too thick, my dear. The guards can't know about this. Or Caius. Especially Caius! He has had guards killed for pushing him before! To be fair to Caius, so have I."

Carmen gulped, but she felt a sense of pride in Aro knowing that he would protect Felix - even when he didn't deserve it.

"Would you like to hear what I think, Aro?" she asked tentatively. She knew Aro wasn't exactly accustomed to taking advice from women.

"You usually make more sense than my brother, Carmen. Go ahead." he remarked with a small smile.

"I think Felix is bored. And he's stifled. You have pulled him out of guard life completely and he's going crazy with nothing to do."

Aro nodded along. That sounded like a piss poor excuse for the way Felix had behaved recently, but it also sounded so very Felix-like.

"Hmm, I only pulled him out of guard life because I couldn't trust him out of my sight. For many reasons ... you know some of them, at least." Aro replied.

Carmen agreed. She knew Felix first broke coven ... and then vampire law and Eleazar had told her of the many minor infractions Aro's eldest boys had committed. "Yes he has caused a lot of distress, and I understand your reasons for removing him from the guards ... but now Magnus is running the guard hall and Antonio is gone. Perhaps now would be a good time to reintroduce him to his old life. With new rules, obviously."

Aro considered Carmen's comments. "I would love to let him free in the castle again, but how can I be sure he won't just go out and start a whole new reign of hell for me to deal with - he isn't exactly rational at the moment." Aro gestured to the arm Carmen had just bandaged.

She laughed, "No, he isn't rational right now. But keeping him cooped up is just making him act out more, Aro. Don't you think?" she proffered gently.

"So what ... I just send him out to play after biting chunks out of me?" Aro asked, exasperated, though he was genuinely taking Carmen's comments on board.

"Well, no. I assume you plan to punish him, to talk with him?" Carmen asked.

"And then some!" Aro stated darkly.

"After that then. Send him out with new rules. Give him a way to earn your trust again. Caius has his head down for a while so Felix can't cause trouble with him. Magnus will be managing that guard hall with an iron fist - if he screws up in there Magnus will deal with him. Now would be the perfect time to let him out again."

 _Carmen makes it sound so simple. Could it really be that easy_? Aro questioned.

"Oh my, I wouldn't want to be Felix right now. Sully is giving him a round of fucks Basileus would be proud of." Eleazar said whilst sniggering as he came back into his chambers.

"He isn't giving her any trouble, is he?" Aro asked. If Felix was, then Aro was ready to go back up there and set his boy straight.

"No, brother. Sully has him scrubbing the whole suite and now that the adrenalin from fighting with you has died down he's back to sobbing through his hangover!"

Eleazar found the whole thing quite funny, really. Even Aro laughed lightly at his brother's amusement.

"Did you find it?" Aro asked, regarding the missing piece of his back. Eleazar held out a bowl.

"Washed in bloodwine and ready to be stitched back in."

Carmen looked ill again. "You can do that, my love. I will throw up over him if I have to!" she said as she handed over the needle and cord and moved from her chair. "Don't even show me, just don't!" she averted her eyes and left her chambers to give Sulpicia some moral support.

"Turn around, little brother." Eleazar said menacingly as he waggled the needle at Aro.

Aro sighed, "This is really going to hurt, isn't it?" He sounded exhausted but he turned anyway and straddled the dining chair, resting his arms on the back and bracing himself for the pain. Reattaching vampire body parts stung like a bitch. It didn't matter if it was a finger or an arm, it burned on contact as venom coursed through the body to heal itself.

Eleazar sized up the mouthful of flesh he had recovered from Aro's apartment, ensuring it was the right way up.

"Get it right the first time, El ... I'm not going through this twice!" Aro told his brother.

"You know this goes right down to the bone, brother ... how are you still standing?" Eleazar asked, slightly in awe, before adding with amusement, "How Felix is still standing is the real puzzle!"

Aro laughed, "He's still standing because you interrupted me belting him, and I am sitting."

"Ready?" Eleazar asked.

Aro nodded. "Ahhhh!" he released his pain through gritted teeth with eyes shut tight. "Fuck! I'm going to kill that little cunt!" Aro raged, though somehow he stayed still.

Eleazar set to work stitching the loose piece of flesh back in, blood dripping down his wrist as he worked. "You could really do with a proper feed, Aro. You've lost a lot of blood." Eleazar commented, seeing how Aro looked pale ... even for a vampire.

"I think I will go to the woods when you've finished. I'll take Felix."

Eleazar stopped his sewing, "If you kill him in the woods Sulpicia will still kill you, you know?"

Aro laughed, "I think he could do with a proper feed, too, after how much he drank last night."

Eleazar started stitching again. "So you aren't going to kill him, then?" he asked, still a little unsure of Felix's fate.

"No. But as our dear father has told us many times, you will be amazed at what a vampire can live through!" Aro winced again as Eleazar pulled through another stitch. "You know your mate is much better at this than you!" Aro told his brother, wishing he could punch something to divert his pain.

Eleazar laughed, "She's much better than I at many things, brother. Much like Sully and you."

 _That_ _'_ _s it, I_ _'_ _m punching Eleazar,_ Aro thought wickedly.

Eleazar may have been heavy handed, but he was certainly quicker at stitching his brother back together. "All done." Eleazar pronounced, proudly looking at his handiwork.

"Finally!" Aro complained as he stretched out his arms. "Now, to deal with Felix." He tried to stand up but his legs buckled beneath him and he fell back into his chair.

"You are in no fit state to deal with anyone. Stay here. I will fetch Felix and I will punish him." Eleazar announced firmly.

Aro shook his head. "No, brother. I cannot ask that of you; I know how uncomfortable you are with discipline. I will be fine."

"I am quite uncomfortable with having to stitch you back together but I managed that well enough." Eleazar replied kindly. "I'm not asking for your permission, Aro. You are not up to thrashing his insolent hide and it needs doing – now. I am your big brother, so I will do it."

There was a determination to Eleazar's voice that reminded Aro so very much of their father, and he couldn't argue with the sentiment either.

"Bring Felix down here so he can see the damage he's done." Aro replied, leaning his chest tiredly into the back of the chair, allowing it to support his weight.

"Where is he?" Eleazar asked gruffly as he entered Aro's quarters.

"Felix is in his room, El ... " Sulpicia didn't get to say anything else before Eleazar disappeared from the room, seeking out his nephew.

He could hear the boy sobbing softly before he'd even made it to the bedchamber.

"Is Aro okay?" he asked as Eleazar appeared in the doorway. The look of disgust his uncle shot him froze Felix's insides.

Crossing the room and closing the distance between them, Eleazar dragged a reluctant Felix to his feet. "Someone wants a word with you!" he told the boy through gritted teeth.

Felix whimpered under Eleazar's grasp but he didn't resist as he was directed out of his room and then out of the top floor suite altogether. He didn't dare chance a look to his mother or Carmen as he passed through the large main chamber.

When Eleazar shoved him inside the middle floor suite, his breath hitched in his throat as he was confronted with the sight of his father. _Oh my god, did I really do that,_ he asked himself, seeing the weeping flesh wound in Aro's back.

BANG! Eleazar slammed the door closed, the sound of which startled Felix from his thoughts.

"Take a good look, you vicious little shit!" Eleazar told him harshly as he shoved the boy over to his father.

Felix tried to maintain a safe distance from Aro but Eleazar soon had hold of the scruff of his neck, dragging him into reaching distance. Aro didn't reach out though, he simply turned his arm so Felix could see the blood emerging through his bandage. Of course, the mouthful of flesh that had been sewn into his back was on full display already.

"Anything to say?" Aro asked.

Felix gulped. "I am so sorry."

Aro laughed and shook his head, "You will be." he said, mainly to himself, though it sent a shiver through Felix's core!

"Sorry?" Eleazar repeated as he started rolling up his sleeves.

Felix caught onto what was about to happen. "You?!" he questioned his uncle in shock, though he was a little relieved, too. _Eleazar is soft as shit,_ he thought, careful not to allow his relief to show on his face.

Eleazar merely smiled and took a tight hold of his nephew's chin, pinching a little as he turned the lad's face to look at his swollen cheek. Two deep grey stripes could be seen. _Aro'_ _s belt, no doubt_ _,_ Eleazar correctly assumed. _Caught your eye, too,_ he noticed as the left socket wore a hairline crack – a sign of his skin still healing from a split.

Felix winced at the tight grip of Eleazar's hold and started to wonder if his initial relief at facing his uncle instead of his father was perhaps a little premature.

"I have had to sew my brother back together because of you. You may think yourself lucky your father has lost too much blood to deal with you himself, but you would be wrong, very wrong."

Felix gulped again and tried to look at Aro, or anywhere that wasn't Eleazar! Aro returned his look, with onyx eyes. _No help from you, then,_ Felix thought.

Eleazar released Felix and shoved him closer to the table where Aro sat before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

"Dad ... I am sorry. I really am." Felix tried. He had spent most of the morning sobbing or in a vicious rage and between the two he felt not only exhausted but emotionally drained, too. His hangover was still raging, no doubt adding to the effect.

"Like I said, son, you will be." Aro returned, laying his arm on the table for Felix to see again.

Felix felt disgusted in himself and genuinely shocked by his own behaviour. Not that it made facing his punishment any easier to bear.

Eleazar rarely wore a belt around his dress coat, but he had in his grasp something even more fearsome when he returned from his bed chamber.

"What's that?" Felix asked, backing away from his uncle, gesturing to the thick piece of worn, brown leather in his hand.

Eleazar flipped the implement over in his right hand, slapping it against his left.

"A razor strap." Aro answered on his brother's behalf, grimacing to his son. _He looks scared to death, should I put a stop to this_? he wondered, though as the stinging increased in his back when he tried to move again, he thought better of it.

Felix started to cry softly, though he kept a hand across his face to hide his ever increasing shame.

"Bend over." Eleazar ordered, paying no attention to his tears.

"Please! I am sorry!" Felix wailed in a final attempt to evade punishment.

Eleazar ignored his cries as he slammed the youth over his table. Felix tried to turn away from Aro but Eleazar held him down fast with his left hand by the back of his tunic.

"Dad?" Felix asked, begging with his eyes for help.

Eleazar was intent on bringing his nephew to justice, but he wouldn't overstep Aro if his brother didn't want him to go ahead. He looked to his brother for guidance.

"Get on with it, El. I need to get these wounds bandaged before I lose any more blood." Aro answered his brother's questioning eye whilst watching his boy's reaction.

Hearing Aro wasn't coming to his aid, Felix started sobbing harder – he knew he didn't deserve a reprieve, but that didn't make him want one any less.

First gathering Felix's guard tunic up to his neck, exposing his lower back, Eleazar next ripped every shred of clothing from his behind.

Felix felt a fresh flood of shame being so uncovered and vulnerable in front of his father and uncle. He didn't have long to think on his embarrassment before Eleazar began his assault.

"Ahhhh! FUCK!" Felix roared as his uncle delivered the first strike with his razor strap. Eleazar had punished Felix enough times in his life at the castle, but NEVER with such force.

"Watch your mouth." Aro warned plainly. He was surprised by the harshness of that first strike, but he didn't want to undermine his brother in front of Felix and frankly, he was in no fit state to take over. Aro instructed Eleazar to continue.

Bringing the strap up high above his head, Eleazar delivered the second strike with even more power than the first!

"Ahhhh!" Felix called out again, a shrillness to his voice in reaction to the pain as he rose onto his tiptoes. He desperately tried to break free of his uncle's grasp.

Aro grimaced, _for fuck sake El!_ he thought, though as Felix was still begging him for help with his eyes Aro kept his feelings from his face.

"Again." Aro ordered.

"No, no, no!" Felix called out ... not that it stopped Eleazar from releasing another punishing strike.

"FUCK!" Felix roared as his legs buckled beneath him, his full weight dropping onto the table.

Aro whipped his hand across his boy's face, "I told you to mind your mouth." he sang out, hiding his true thoughts expertly as usual. With an uncertain nod to his brother, Eleazar went again.

Felix gasped for breath. _You have never whipped me this hard_! he thought to his father. _Even_ _Basileus_ _goes easier on me than this_!

Both the oak table and Felix's backside cracked with the force of the next blow.

Eleazar appraised the damage. _The table can hold for more_ , he thought, _but Felix won_ _'_ _t last much longer_. Aro must have been thinking the same.

"Once more, El." he ordered.

Felix squeezed his eyes tightly shut and bit into his bottom lip, bracing himself.

Truthfully, Eleazar felt the boy deserved more, but he would concede to Aro. "I had better make this one count then, eh brother?" he sang out cheerily.

Aro sniggered at the look of horror on his boy's face whilst his stomach simultaneously twisted over the harshness of his brothers technique.

CRACK!

Felix didn't make a sound at first. The pain that engulfed his entire body was so sharp, so severe, that instead he bit through his own lip in shock and only gasped for breath, gulping down the air greedily like a fish out of water.

Eleazar and Aro waited ... they knew that sort of pain only too well.

"AHHHH!" he finally roared.

"There it is." Aro commented to his brother with a wink. Eleazar released his hold on the boy and Felix collapsed to the floor, paying no attention to his semi-naked form splayed out on the marble.

Eleazar dropped his razor strap on the table with a pleasing thud and took off his dress coat.

"Here." he offered his nephew.

Felix looked up from the floor, though he refused to meet Eleazar's eye.

"Pft! Take it and go back to your room before I give you another round!"

Felix scrambled to his feet, crying and hissing as he did so.

Aro caught sight of his boy's bruised and welted behind. _He'_ _ll be feeling that for a few days_ , he thought. _Though, so will I,_ he added, thinking of his crudely sewn wounds.

Kicking off the last of his ragged britches, Felix dressed himself in Eleazar's coat. He turned to Aro, hoping for some kind of comfort, but he knew he deserved none.

"What are you waiting for?!" Eleazar asked as he shoved the boy towards the door. Felix left, sobs hitching in his throat and increasing with every step.

"I must confess, I didn't think you had it in you, brother!" Aro admitted when he was sure Felix was gone.

"I have had enough hidings from our father to know how to deliver one when required."

Aro sighed, "Yes, that was very Basileus-like." He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about what he'd just witnessed. _It had to happen_ , he reasoned. _But your full strength, brother - was that really necessary_?

"Stand up, I'll wrap a bandage around you." Aro obliged and held his arms high out of the way. "I could come to the woods with you and Felix, if you like?" he mentioned nonchalantly, not wanting Aro to pick up on his concern for Felix if left alone with Aro.

"I won't kill your nephew, brother. I am quite fond of him myself, you know?! Besides, I think Felix will fear you far more than me for awhile." Aro replied. He knew what Eleazar was doing. "I have decided to take Carmen's advice anyway, so all I need to do is talk to him." Aro announced. "I have no idea if it will work, but I can't come up with anything better than beating the living daylights out of him ... and you've taken care of that ... " Aro trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"So you are going to lift his restriction, then?" Eleazar asked, adding sarcastically when Aro's brow furrowed questioningly, "Carmen and I talk ... shocking, I know!"

Aro shoved him away now that he had tied off the bandage. "I'm not totally sold on sending my children to the guard hall again - Felix isn't Magnus' problem to deal with." Aro said, sounding frustrated.

Eleazar sighed. _You are as bull headed as your son_! "He would be happy to help you, brother. Magnus doesn't see Felix as a problem, and neither should you."

Aro nodded. He would have liked to dispute Eleazar's assumption, but it was true - for a while now he had viewed Felix as a problem that needed fixing rather than his son who needed understanding. Aro turned to his brother, "Come on, let us check on my delinquent."

"It's very quiet in here." Eleazar noted as he followed Aro into his chambers.

Sulpicia and Carmen sat playing chess at the grand marble table and Felix was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the boy?" Aro asked.

Sulpicia smiled. He didn't sound so furious as he had when he left their suite. "How are your wounds, my love?" she asked, adding, "The culprit is changing, he's done a good job cleaning in here, though." She gestured to their large living space - now free of vomit, Aro's blood, and every possible speck of dust.

"You are clearly a hard task master, my queen. I'm going for a hunt; I need some none alcoholic blood, according to my new physician here." Aro pointed his thumb over his shoulder to his big brother.

"I would have to agree with him, my love." Sulpicia said as she made another move.

"Be careful Sully, she cheats!" Eleazar said cheekily as he kissed his mate, sizing up her game.

"You are just a sore loser." Carmen retorted as she played her piece.

Aro took to inspecting his living quarters, wanting to be sure Felix had indeed properly cleaned up the mess he'd caused.

"Where is Demetri? And the twins?" Aro asked casually.

"Jane is in her room, reading. She left Alec and Demetri in the guard hall. Apparently, Demetri had a new interest." Sully said suggestively.

"Not another bloody newborn! Surely Magnus hasn't let them up to the guard hall, too?" Aro asked, exasperated.

"Apparently NOT a newborn." Carmen interjected, surprising both her mate and brother-in-law.

Aro wasn't sure how he felt about that. Truthfully he would rather his sons had no interest in the opposite sex. _Or any sex,_ he thought. But he didn't have a good reason to keep Demetri from seeking his pleasure if it was with someone who posed no threat to him.

Sulpicia and Carmen filled their husbands in on the very few, and rather vague details Jane had offered on her return.

Their quiet conversation was disturbed by Felix screaming in pain.

Both Aro and Sulpicia flew from their seats to their son ... with Eleazar and Carmen close behind. A thousand adversaries flashed through Aro's mind, horrified that one of them had gotten into his children's room and attacked his son.

The door crashed to the floor with the force Aro used to thrust it open. Nothing, no one was there, just Jane and Felix.

"That fucking witch set me on fire!" Felix accused.

Jane sat on her bed looking murderously to her big brother. Eleazar pulled Carmen away from the scene and back to the living room.

"Jane?" Aro questioned sternly.

"He's making me crazy!" Jane defended, knowing that wouldn't wash with Aro.

"What?! You used your gift on him because he's annoying you?" Sulpicia questioned in astonishment.

"He's picking on me! He won't shut up! I just want to read my book but he's stomping around talking to himself and crying!"

"I wasn't crying!" Felix spat back, feeling embarrassed.

Jane was bubbling with anger, which seemed to be quite intense given her explanation of

Felix's relatively minor actions.

"You can't use your gifts in this tower. You know that, yes?" Aro asked as he approached his princess of darkness.

Jane gulped. She well remembered the only time Aro had ever really punished her properly after not only setting Felix on fire, but both of her parents, as well.

Aro was thinking of the same event – it was even more painful for him than it had been for Jane after Basileus had whipped him in the throne room for executing her punishment too harshly.

"Yes, but he won't shut up! He's making me crazy!" Jane eventually replied as she tried to excuse her behaviour.

"You're already crazy, you fucking witch!" Felix interjected.

"Ahhhh!" Jane squealed out in a frustrated rage before setting him on fire again.

"AHHHH" Felix howled again as he dropped to the floor. The pain from Jane's blaze was only superseded by the agony of his ass hitting the deck after Eleazar's unusually punitive punishment. It was short lived, in any case.

Aro snatched Jane from her bed, breaking her scorching hold over her brother as he planted a flurry of swots to her behind. Jane cried from the first one, though it was partly from shame. Aro knew he hadn't been hard on her, but it still hurt him to bring her to tears.

Felix was incensed! "Is that it?!" he complained with tears streaming down his face as Aro deposited Jane back on her bed. "If that was me you'd have killed me! And that's all she gets! Clear who the favourites are around here!"

Aro rounded on Felix. "You kept your head after biting chunks out of me - you are not in any position to complain about my treatment of others!" Aro ground out, trying to contain his anger.

Felix glanced over Aro's bandages, one around his left arm, the other around his chest. "Dad, I am so, so sorry, I will never do anything like that again, ever!" Felix rushed, proffering his apologies to Aro whilst backing up to his bed. He managed to stop himself from falling back onto it, he knew the pain from Eleazar's short, sharp hiding would be more than he could cope with if he made contact with the bed.

"Do you mean that?" Aro calmly asked.

Felix nodded with gusto.

"Because if you do, if you really understand just how awfully you are behaving, we can move forward. You need to know that if anyone outside of this tower bit me, I would kill them. Not figuratively speaking, Felix. I would actually kill them." Aro handed Felix a clean tunic, ignoring Jane's dramatic whimpering.

"I know that, I really do, I don't know what I was thinking, but I am sorry."

The boy looked so dejected as he spoke. Aro knew Felix well enough to know that he was being truthful. As frustrating as it was that Felix had no answer for his actions, at least he was being honest about it.

Aro sighed. "We need to talk." Aro told him sadly. All his earlier rage had now fully dissipated.

"Yeah, I guessed that much." Felix replied whilst pulling on his clean clothes. _Please, just talk though, please. I can_ _'_ _t take any more after Eleazar_ _–_ _the bastard_.

"I'm going out - you're coming with me."

Felix wasn't expecting that! _Out_? _Out where_? _Is he taking me to the guard hall_? _I don_ _'_ _t want to face Magnus yet - I was such a dick last night ... and this morning. Fuck_.

"Where are we going?" Felix asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. He failed.

"The woods!" Aro called over his shoulder as he went to collect his own clothes.

 _The woods_?! _Fuck, he is going to kill me_! Felix thought, depressed.

Sulpicia stopped tending to Jane and approached Felix, taking his whole face in her slight hands. "Don't cause him any trouble, Felix. I mean it." she told her boy sternly whilst lightly tapping his face with her palm to punctuate each syllable.

"Of course not." Felix replied, wincing as Sully tapped the particularly painful stripes on his cheek where Aro had caught him with his belt that morning.

They took down a large stag each. Aro watched as his son sucked his meal dry, causing the dead flesh near his mouth to become ragged with his feeding. They had yet to speak beyond Aro issuing Felix with the odd order to 'follow' and 'kill something'.

"Are we taking the carcasses back to the townspeople?" Felix asked as he allowed his dead stag to fall from his shoulders near to his father's.

Aro was lying on the woodland ground, leaning back into his drained beast with his hands behind his head. "We will, later. We need to talk first." Aro instructed, "Sit."

"I'd rather stand ... " Felix whined. It had been hard enough catching the stag with the rubbing of material on his welted ass without going ahead and sitting on it!

"SIT!" Aro ordered forcefully.

Felix felt a sense of foreboding as he took a seat at Aro's feet. His positioning was purposeful - the furthest point away from Aro should he decide to try and slap his son.

Aro looked down his nose and watched Felix struggling to find a position that wouldn't bring tears to his eyes. He eventually settled, supporting most of his weight on his hands and lifting his ass clear from the floor. Aro couldn't help but smile.

All too soon he could feel the pressure building where his head rested on his torn-up arm.

Felix heard his father wince as he changed positions. "Is that hurting?" he asked, pointing to Aro's arm.

"Would you like it to be?" Aro asked as his eyes bore into his son's, watching for his reaction.

Felix visibly shook at the harshness of his master's tone. "No, of course not. I am so sorry." he implored honestly.

Aro rolled up his shirt sleeve, exposing the bandage around his arm. Untying the knot, he began to unwind the fabric.

"The last time you were acting this irrationally was, well, when you were guarding Didyme. So, I assume something big is going on? This," Aro gestured to the now exposed and stitched wound on his left arm, "all this, can't just be that you are jealous of Magnus? Or because of Antonio? Or ... I don't know what else. Thing is Felix, I have been through your thoughts and I can't see anything that could make sense of your current behaviour." Aro spoke evenly, he didn't want to rile his boy up into another showdown, and frankly he had lost too much blood to fight the lad again.

Felix felt like a bit of a prick. The truth was, nothing. Just nothing. Nothing had happened, nothing was going on. He wasn't jealous of Magnus, he wasn't upset over Antonio - either his death or the fact that he wasn't the one to kill him. There was nothing. He was just sick and tired of being treated like a child. Felix shrugged.

"Oh no, not a chance! We are not leaving these woods until I know we are moving forward from all this." Aro stated plainly, successfully keeping the annoyance he felt far from his tone.

Felix sighed, he didn't know what to say. _I know I_ _'_ _ve been a cock but I have no good reason_ _…_ _I am just a cock,_ he thought, depressed with his own self-image.

Aro glanced over his wound. It was very rare for a Master of the Coven to even have a wound, let alone one inflicted by a member of the guard! Thinking back, Aro couldn't remember a single time since the last major wars with the Romanians that he had been left bleeding, excluding the odd nip from his mate... but he liked that.

"Honestly Felix, you seem so damn pissed off. I haven't seen you so angry since your newborn year." Aro commented as he re-wound his bandage.

"I know!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me, okay?! I don't know why I am getting so pissed off, I don't know why I am being such a jerk! I'm just sick of being treated like a fucking child!"

"I will excuse your language, as you seem incapable of pleasant conversation at the moment." Aro commented pointedly.

Felix looked coyly over to apologise but Aro silenced him with a raised hand. "I am sorry you feel that you are being treated as a child, though I must say with the rather frequent temper tantrums you are throwing, I don't know how else you expect to be treated." Aro was calm, and he hoped Felix could reel his emotions in and actually talk to him.

"I know. I do know that. I just can't cope with being cooped up in the tower all the time." Aro was pleased to hear his son at least recognising that he was being difficult to live with.

Felix repositioned himself, laying out on his side to face Aro, "You know, I've always caused a bit of drama ... you just didn't notice before. So, it's not totally my fault ... "

 _Oh_ _, you're lucky I am in a forgiving mood, you cocky little shit!_ Aro thought as he watched a sly smile form on his son's face.

"Now, I'm not saying I will cause trouble for you if you let me spend time with the other guards again, just that I won't have all this pent-up frustration when I'm home. That's all."

Aro narrowed his eyes and glared at his son. "You think you can steal my father's bloodwine, run off in the middle of the night, attack my friend, throw up all over my chambers, BITE chunks out of me and THEN be sent on your merry way to create havoc with the guards ... are you on opium or something?" _Perfect Felix-logic, again_! Aro thought.

"No, no I know I messed up ... "

"You did far more than mess up, boy!" Aro corrected him.

"I know I did, I know. But it's just that I don't think ... "

"You don't think it's your fault, you think it's my fault. Yes, I got that, too!" Aro interrupted his son again, feeling his own frustration rising once more.

Felix dropped his eyes to the woodland floor. This wasn't going how either of them had hoped. Felix had expected to talk himself out of another hiding one way or another ... his 'reasoning' was just offering him up to the slaughter! Aro wanted a way to end his son's foolishness, and most importantly, a way to move forward. Felix sat berating himself mentally as Aro looked on, desperately trying to quell his own agitation.

Leaning back on his hands, Aro looked to the skies, as if they held an answer to his problem child. Shaking his head at what he was about to do, he decided to take Carmen's advice. But he needed to hear a few things from his boy first.

"Answer me this, do you have a problem with Magnus?"

Felix leaned up on one arm and looked back at Aro with huge puppy dog eyes, "No, I really don't. I don't know what I was thinking ... "

Aro held up a hand for silence. "Because if you do, and you take trouble to his door, I will happily allow Magnus to discipline you. You know that, yes?"

"I don't, I won't!" Felix rushed, not wishing to ever piss Magnus off again.

"And you know that the guard hall is under his command - if you go there you need to really understand that. If Magnus tells you to do something, you listen to him."

Felix felt a ray of hope. _This sounds like he_ _'_ _s going to let me out! He_ _'_ _s lifting my restriction_!

Aro saw his boy start to smile. _He's clearly caught on to where this is heading,_ he thought. "Don't get ahead of yourself, answer me!"

"I understand, I do. I won't cause trouble for Magnus. None at all!" Felix beamed. He tried, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"Magnus won't care if you are a Prince of Volterra, Felix. I am warning you now, he will punish you if he has to and then he will bring you home for me to punish you - and I will!"

Felix winced, but agreed. "I know. But I won't cause him ... or you ... any trouble! I swear!"

Wondering if he was doing the right thing, Aro released the deep breath he'd been holding. _He is bored, and he has been relatively good, well, good for Felix, over the last few months. Eleazar recons Magnus will be happy to help keep my young ones in line in the guard hall and he invited them in himself. If only he realised what he was letting himself in for!_

"Then your restriction is lifted, you can go to the guard hall." Aro told his rather pleased young guard.

"Now?" Felix questioned eagerly, already on his feet.

"Let's take the stags to the townspeople first, yes. And then you can go." Aro replied as he got himself to his feet and started picking up his bloodless carcass.

"Come on, then!" Aro ordered, seeing his son standing uselessly near his charge.

"Are you still going to, well, you know?"

Aro looked confused for a moment, then realisation dawned. "No, I'm not going to belt you. I honestly don't have the energy and Eleazar did a good enough job of it."

Felix grimaced, "He said he'd do it again if I gave you any trouble out here." Felix replied sulkily.

Aro smiled thinking of his protective big brother. "I suggest you keep the whole fiasco to yourself - if the guards knew you had taken a chunk out of me they would be calling for your head - AGAIN!" Aro's raised voice had Felix ducking for cover. "I expect there to never be a repeat, or I swear I will ... "

"No, no, no, you don't need to say it. I will NEVER do anything this stupid again!" Felix confirmed as he picked up his stag.

"Of course not, son. I expect you will find something to surpass this level of recklessness, no doubt!" Aro said as he led the way back to the castle, with a quick divert to lay the dead animals at the rear of the church.


	51. Making Amends

**AN:** I do not own the Twi-world, thanks SM for sharing.

Thank for the recent reviews and adds :) I am going through all of the reviews & messages and making a list of requests - I will try to add as many in as possible over the coming chapters. This is the last chapter for 1665, March. I'm kinda nervous about the next batch... Anyway, lets get things wrapped up!

* * *

 **Making Amends**

The last time Felix had entered the guard hall, he strode in taking great pride in being cock of the walk. He didn't feel the same self-confidence as he had then, only two evenings prior. For one, with the burning welts in his backside still throbbing with every step, he was struggling to walk.

Desperately trying to avoid eye contact with any of the guards, Felix looked around for Demetri and Alec. Neither were in the tower when he popped back with Aro while he went through the new instructions. New instructions on pain of death ... well, more precisely, on pain of pain. _Not quite death_ , he thought, _fortunately_. Having spotted his younger brothers, Felix headed over. He didn't get very far.

"Felix!" Magnus called out.

 _Shit, I have to apologise to Magnus. That was the first_ _instruction_ _... but in here_? he thought gloomily. Felix changed his course. Turning to face the new Master of the Guards, he began to trudge over at a human pace.

"Take a seat." Magnus said sternly to the young guard.

Felix actually felt scared. He wasn't sure if Magnus was using his gift to make him feel that way, but he could have taken his fear away if he'd wished and the new master left Felix feeling scared. Felix put his knee onto the seat offered and sort of crouched down, very careful not to actually sit!

They both knew Felix's presence in the guard hall was down to Magnus now and the boy didn't want to fuck this up.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Felix." Magnus said quietly.

Felix looked around, hoping no one else would hear this conversation. "Aro said I could come, as you invited me ... if I apologised. So I am sorry for, y'know." Felix mumbled his rather pathetic apology in a voice only just loud enough for Magnus to hear.

Magnus raised both eyebrows in surprise, "That's it?" he said, clearly disappointed by the boy's disingenuous response. "I think you can do better than that, Felix." Magnus added as he sat up straight.

Felix felt like he was going to be sick. Looking around, he was drawing quite a crowd. No one had moved closer, but activity had ceased and all ears were on the 'private' conversation at the far end of the room.

"Could we go to your chambers, Magnus?" Felix asked, adding, "Please!" as he quickly remembered Aro's warning about showing respect.

"If you wish," Magnus replied as he stood, "I believe you know the way," he added pointedly as he extended a hand to the youth.

Felix completed a second walk of shame past the guards. It was clear to them all from his step that he'd taken a beating recently. Once Magnus joined him outside the guard hall, Felix shuffled along behind him with his eyes trained on the flagstone floor.

"Close the door." Magnus ordered as Felix finally trudged up the steps. Magnus was already sitting on the sofa waiting for him.

Felix obeyed and went to stand in front of the formidable vampire.

"Would you like to try again?" Magnus asked kindly.

Felix watched the elder as he relaxed into his chair. _He doesn't look like he's going to punish me for last night ... maybe Aro was wrong,_ he thought hopefully.

Felix took a deep breath. "I haven't had chance to thank you for taking out Antonio like you did ... " Felix stopped as Magnus started laughing.

"Yes, you have. You've had plenty of time but you decided to attack me instead." Magnus replied, laughing to himself.

Felix laughed nervously, too. He couldn't argue with that. "Well, I am saying it now. Thank you."

Magnus nodded, "You're welcome, young one. Anything else?" he prompted.

"I'm really sorry for going off on you last night. I was drunk, and I was being a dick. It won't happen again. I won't fuck up in the guard hall either ... if you let me in, that is."

Magnus leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. Using his gift, he could sense that Felix was being honest with him and he was happy with that.

"You can sit down if you wish," he offered politely.

Felix shook his head and kept his eyes on the floor. He could have sworn he was blushing, his shame somehow taking over vampire physiology.

"Why not?" Magnus asked simply. He knew why, obviously, but a bit of humility would do the boy good, he reasoned. Felix merely shrugged. "Aro was hard on you for last night?" Magnus proffered. He wouldn't be surprised if he had of been.

"He was alright ... Eleazar, though!" Felix exhaled slowly, both nerves and embarrassment betraying his voice.

"Eleazar?" Magnus questioned in surprise. Felix nodded, looking deadly serious.

"Aro said I had to submit to your discipline if I chose to go to the guard hall ... " Felix trailed off. _Please don't punish me, please,_ he thought to the giant master of the guards.

Magnus nodded, "You do have a debt going forward, boy. It will need to be paid!"

Felix felt his stomach twist as his nerves got the better of him. He couldn't resist, he knew that – if he didn't submit to Magnus he wouldn't be allowed in the guard hall so he could kiss any chance of a social life goodbye ... not to mention what his father's reaction would be! _Aro may be weak today because of how much blood he's lost but that won't last long – he will skin me alive if I fuck this up_.

"You understand that the guards are under my control now, yes?" Magnus asked sternly.

"Yes, sir." Felix answered politely. Oh, he knew. Aro had mentioned it about twenty times in the last half hour.

"If you come into MY hall you answer to ME." Magnus jabbed his thumb into his own chest in time with his words as Felix nodded, wide eyed.

"I won't cause you any trouble Magnus ... "

"I imagine Aro has warned you against it, yes?"

Felix nodded in reply.

"You would do well to heed that warning, boy. I told you last night, I won't stand for your irrational outbursts and if they occur on my watch I will deal with you. And then I will drag you to Aro and he, I have no doubt, will deal with you himself. Looking at those stripes on your face I would say he's had a word with you already, yes?"

Felix put a hand to his cheek. The sting had faded and he'd forgotten about the strap to his face Aro had delivered before he went feral and bit his father.

"Yeah, something like that," Felix replied, looking shame-faced. "I won't cause you any trouble Magnus. I just want to join in with the guards again, that's all." Felix implored.

Magnus hoped the boy could stick to his word, though he doubted it, somehow. "Alright then, you are welcome in the guard hall. Just remember I will be watching." Felix beamed.

Magnus was hit with a flood of gratitude and happiness coming from the boy. He didn't want to take the lad's glee away, but, he reasoned, he couldn't have the little prince threatening his status with the other guards.

Clasping his hands across his broad chest, Magnus looked the boy up and down. "Now to settle your debt to me," he said threateningly.

Felix's smile fell from his face immediately. "Magnus please, would you consider giving me extra duties or something, cleaning, anything?" he begged.

"I've already offered you privacy. I don't think you are in a position to ask anything else of me, do you?" Magnus replied, steadfast, as he tapped his knee.

Felix looked wide eyed and gaping mouthed back to the new master. _Over your knee! I am a Volturi guard! No, a prince! And you want to put me over your knee like a child_?

Magnus couldn't read the boy's mind like his father could, but he could read his emotions with just as much clarity. _Anger and shame ..._ _a dangerous mixture_ , he thought. Magnus crooked a finger to the boy, beckoning him over.

Felix took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He was a bit pissed off that Magnus was leaving him to be a victim of his own feelings. _You could take this fear away if you chose to, you bastard,_ he thought angrily, as frustrated tears pricked his eyes. _Is going in the guard hall worth this_?

Magnus could see the lad's resolve was weakening. Without a moment's notice, Magnus flashed to Felix's side. He didn't plan on being too hard on him, but he felt the process was important to go through ... if only to put Felix off going against him in future.

"Please Magnus, I can't take it, I can't." Felix whined as tears ran freely down his face. If he was going ass-up over Magnus' knee, then obviously his backside would be taking the punishment _... No ..._ _just no, I'm_ _in too much pain already,_ he thought sadly.

Magnus pulled him along easily and, even with Felix using all his strength, he couldn't match the giant vampire. Magnus sat and moved Felix between his legs, gripping him tightly.

"You can keep fussing but you will only make it worse for yourself, boy."

Yeah, like that made a difference to his attempts to brake Magnus' hold on him. With two hands on Magnus' left leg, Felix resisted being bent over like a child. "You can't do this to me, you can't." he whined.

"The very fact that you are trying to tell me what I can and cannot do now makes this non-negotiable." Magnus told him gruffly whilst still grappling with the boy. "Right then, you have brought this on yourself, young one."

Felix was so horrified he actually stopped struggling, as with one hand Magnus had undone the fastenings on Felix's britches and with the other he had pulled them down to his ankles.

"NO!" Felix roared as he desperately searched for his clothing. Whilst he was distracted, Magnus took the chance to swiftly bend the boy forwards, resulting in his rear-end being up-ended.

That was when Magnus saw the welts across Felix's already well punished backside. He was taken aback by the purple bruising laying in perfect criss-crossed stripes. _No wonder he was begging!_ _Jesus Christ_ _, Aro,_ he thought. Then he remembered what Felix had said about Eleazar. _Eleazar? Really? I just can't imagine him doing this_.

Felix knew what Magnus was thinking and he tried to right himself whilst the master was distracted.

"Oh no, young one. I still owe you a hiding and you are getting one." Magnus told him resolutely as he shoved him back down.

Felix started crying hard, he knew how painful those welts were when he walked, let alone with being smacked by Magnus' shovel sized hands.

Magnus had no intention of doing that, though. Instead he tipped Felix so far forward that he could almost rest his head on the floor. And then he set to work.

Felix shrieked as Magnus began spanking the top of his legs. He wondered, momentarily, if it would have been less painful to take on his welts! Magnus wouldn't be so cruel though, and he didn't smack as hard as he had first intended to either. As soon as Felix stopped fighting back, Magnus stopped.

"Are you going to try fighting with me again, young one?" he asked. Felix didn't answer, he was sobbing too hard. Magnus sighed deeply before adding one more smack to his well punished legs.

"Fuck!" Felix cursed, "No, no! I won't, I won't!" he finally agreed.

Magnus nodded, as he pulled the boy up. Rather than getting to his feet, Felix collapsed to his knees in a sobbing heap between Magnus' legs. The shame flowing from Felix was palpable for Magnus. Believing the boy had suffered enough, he wrapped his arms around him and drew the emotional charge away. Magnus stiffened slightly as he felt the teenager's broiled emotional state dissipate in his arms, and though he still sobbed softly, Felix eventually relaxed into the masters hold and returned the embrace.

Magnus didn't release him until all his tears had dried up – which took longer than Magnus was expecting. But still, he held the boy until he started to break away. Felix had sought his father's affection after Eleazar had belted him, and though Aro didn't reject him, as such, Eleazar had shooed him out of the door. He needed someone. Both vampires were surprised it was Magnus. When he did pull away, Felix looked shyly to the floor and jumped up to redress himself.

"Come on young one, let's get you a drink." Magnus said kindly.

As they walked back to the guard hall, Felix asked, "So what's going to happen when a guard pisses you off? Someone will you know, at some point." Felix was already back to his casual, jovial self.

Magnus couldn't quite believe the change in the boy who was making his emotional readings spin out of sorts. "That will depend how they piss me off, to be honest. I have keys to the dungeons - I could lock them in a cell for the night. Extra duties. An old-fashioned walloping. Many answers to many issues." Magnus returned easily.

Felix gulped. _This is going to be like having an extra dad!_


	52. 1666, September - The Wanderers Return

**AN:** I do not own the Twi-world, thanks SM for sharing.

So we are on chapter 52, nearly 250K words, and over 10k views… and we have only covered 3 and a half years! I have this story mapped out to present day so I hope you all stick around :)

There's so much going on in the '1666, September' chapters and I owe a huge thank you to my lovely beta for battling through it for us!

I feel like I need to warn you all (or perhaps apologise?) Carlisle is a little 'unsettled'. I promise he will return to his senses… eventually! So for the next twenty chapters or so just try to enjoy his monumental fuck ups whilst Basileus attempts to rein him in - eek!

* * *

 **1666, SEPTEMBER - THE WANDERERS RETURN**

"A few months you said! It's been nearly two bloody years!" Aro accused as he slammed the door to his father's chambers. He wore a thunderous expression, thoroughly pissed off with Basileus.

"Did you missed me, son?" his father crooned with a warm smile and arms extended, welcoming a hug as he mocked his boy lightly.

"I don't find it funny!" Aro returned, exasperated. "This is your coven, as you remind me oh so often, and you haven't been here for two years!"

As Basileus took his son's fury, it was all he could do to stop himself from laughing. Aro looked ready to blow smoke out of his ears! "Aro, son, there wasn't a good time to leave. I wrote to you, I sent the barrels over." Basileus tried to placate his boy, he failed.

"Letters and barrels - yes, great substitute for BEING HERE"

 _Okay, I'_ _m not having you shouting at me in my own coven, in my own chambers no less,_ Basileus thought as he raised an eyebrow to Aro with a stern expression.

Aro knew he'd gone too far. Trying to contain his rising temper, and failing, he purposely shoved hard into his father's shoulder as he passed and took a seat at the table.

"Watch it, Aro!" Basileus warned, less than impressed with his son getting physical.

Aro chose not to respond to his father's warning, though took care to temper his tone at least. "I don't suppose you have found a way to end the Volturi yet? Or were you too busy doing, well, doing god only knows what?"

Basileus joined his son at the table. "No. Sadly, I have not. We could just disband, kill off any who would be a threat ... "

Aro scoffed before Basileus could finish, "No, we can't do that. I am not leaving here just to be tracked to the ends of the earth for being ex-Volturi by whoever takes over the royal seat of the vampire world. That's ridiculous."

Basileus leaned back into his chair as he watched his agitated son. His lip pulled tightly across his lower fangs, he flicked his tongue making a clicking sound as he considered leaving this conversation for another time. _I don_ _'_ _t have_ _'_ _another time_ _'_ _, she arrives tomorrow,_ he reminded himself.

"Would you like to know why I have been away for so long?" Basileus broached gently.

Aro looked back to him with hateful eyes brimming of envy. "You have had a couple of years bonding with your new son, what's to know?"

Basileus smirked to himself. "So, now we are getting to it. Are you jealous?"

Aro sat forward, elbows resting on the table. "Hmm, let me think." he started, rubbing his chin in mock consideration. "One of my brothers gets to go on a two-year jolly, the other swans about the castle with no responsibility, duties, or pressures and I am stuck here ruling vampire society, fending off attacks, managing guards, and working every day of my fucking existence!"

Basileus sighed and stood to retrieve two goblets. "Okay, let us calm down, I do have much to tell you but I think perhaps a few drinks are in order first."

Aro snatched his now full goblet, "Calm down! Pft!" and knocked his drink down in one.

Basileus frowned but said nothing as he exchanged his son's empty goblet for his own full one.

Seeing Aro sip more cordially at the fresh offering, Basileus retook his seat, "I wasn't with Carlisle for most of my time, away. He has been training as a doctor, helping people."

Aro looked to his father in disbelief. "Wonderful, something else for me to hide from the coven, just perfect." _Could there be anything more ridiculous than a vampire tending to sick humans_ , he thought. "If he didn't need you, why didn't you come back?"

Reaching across the table, Basileus pulled the small barrel of bloodwine closer and filled his cup. Drinking the sweet nectar down, he realised how thirsty he was.

Taking another cupful from the barrel, Aro noticed something about his father. _He looks nervous_! "What's wrong with you?" Aro pried, inquisitiveness superseding annoyance.

Basileus took a sip as his eyes travelled to meet his son's. "I have met someone, Aro," he confessed.

"I'm sure you have met many people!" Aro retorted, missing the implication in his father's words.

"No, you imbecile! I have met someone ... a woman." Basileus reiterated.

Aro looked blank, "Huh?"

Basileus continued with his drink, "I hoped you might be happy for me." He pushed a little harder for a response.

Aro still looked blank! "Huh?"

"Have you been hit on the head whilst I was away? I have met someone, that someone is a woman, my mate." Basileus spoke purposely slowly.

Aro looked confused now. "A mate?" he questioned, as though it were a foreign concept.

"Bloody hell, Aro!" Basileus brought his hand down hard on the table, the boom it created shook Aro from his confusion.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. Who is she?"

Aro's thoughts were racing. Basileus tried to pick through them to see if there were any questions his son wasn't voicing, but the speed of his wonderings rendered Basileus' gift useless.

"Her name is Atia, she is a vampire, kind of. Has been since the Roman age. I can't believe I have never come across her before ... " Looking back to his son, he realised Aro wasn't listening to him.

"Are you going to say anything?" Basileus pushed.

Aro shook his head and puffed out his cheeks. He looked floored by his father's revelation. "I don't know what to say ... after Xanthe ... "

"She is nothing like Xanthe." Basileus interrupted, wanting to set that straight without delay. He knew Aro would first think of his early attempt to take a mate. It had been disastrous. Though Basileus had loved Xanthe very much, she tried to kill Aro in a jealous newborn rage and Basileus was forced to take her head.

Aro caught the determination in his father's eyes. _If you say so_ , he thought ... but, in all honesty, he did trust his father to be sure of the fact.

Aro passed his cup back to his father. _I need much more than a drink to digest this conversation_ , he thought.

Basileus caught his thoughts and filled his son's cup, "Well, this is as good as it gets for now." he answered.

"Does she know about us? ALL of us and not just Carlisle?" Aro asked, still sounding spiteful when he talked of his brother.

"Yes, she knows, son. Atia hasn't met Carlisle. We decided it would be better to meet you all together." Basileus replied.

' _We_?' Aro repeated in his mind. _Already deciding things together ... it must be serious then_ , he reasoned.

"I know how jealous you get." Basileus slipped in with a smirk.

Aro's mouth hung open with an indignant expression, "I do not!"

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Basileus gave his son time to process the new information.

Aro sat mulling over his thoughts, playing with his rings on one hand and sipping regularly from his cup with the other.

"Hmm, you aren't happy. What's wrong?" Basileus asked, bringing him from his brooding.

"Nothing, just that the last time you took a mate she tried to kill me." Aro answered, coolly.

"I told you, Atia is nothing like Xanthe. At all." Basileus sounded serious.

 _This is obviously something you are worried about too, then_ , Aro thought. "You've only known her a year ... " Aro shrugged as he spoke, as if his father couldn't possibly know the woman well enough to know whether she would try and kill him ... like the last one!

"I've known her for a decade, at least." Basileus revealed as he emulated Aro's shrug. Aro looked aghast. "Yes, son, I have a life outside of this castle." Basileus whispered cheekily with a wink.

Aro was shocked, but as ever he was still ready with a retort. "If only we could all be so fortunate, my lord!" He mumbled, though it was purposefully loud enough for Basileus to hear.

Sitting to his full height with arms crossed, Basileus looked down his nose to his slouching boy. "I will choose to ignore that."

Aro felt the oppressive glare Basileus offered and chose to shut his mouth, quickly.

"So, where is she?" Aro asked casually.

"Atia, Aro. Her name is Atia. And she arrives tomorrow. I think some celebratory drinks are in order. I have brought opium bloodwine for the occasion." Aro's eye lit up hearing that. _Yes, I hoped that would sweeten the deal_ , Basileus thought happily.

"I will make the arrangements." Aro confirmed, already planning to enjoy the festivities with as much of the special brew as he could physically drink.

Basileus smiled, "Good. Thank you."

He allowed his son run through party preparations in his mind for a minute or two before pressing on with the conversation. "I need your help," he said solemnly.

Aro laughed. "Married life not all you expected?"

"Wipe that grin off your face. I am very close to slapping you, just so you know!"

Aro looked away, sheepishly, but couldn't keep the smile from dancing on his lips.

"Carlisle is my problem." Basileus said darkly.

"Saint Carlisle? Surely not?!" Aro proffered playfully.

"Aro!"

 _Okay_ _, that was too far_ , Aro thought, seeing his father eye him dangerously.

"Why is he your problem?" Aro pushed, trying to take the focus off himself.

"I have brought a different son home than the one I took away, Aro. His anger is palpable!" Basileus told his son seriously, seeming very concerned about his youngest son's state of mind. "He didn't react very well to having to leave London. He wanted to stay. The city was burning and I had to drag him back here. I couldn't trust him to walk with me until we were halfway through France."

Aro's eyes widened. "You went through France?" he asked in shock.

"Exactly," Basileus confirmed. "If I went through that damned werewolf ridden place, you must understand just how volatile both his behaviour and attitude were."

Aro nodded to himself. _He must have seriously pissed you off_ , he thought to himself, wincing at the retribution Basileus must have sought against Carlisle for forcing such a thing.

"Give me your hand, I will show you," Basileus offered his son, extending his arm across the table to facilitate contact.

Immediately, Aro had a front row seat to his father's recollections of the trip.

"Carlisle, we need to leave!" Basileus called to his son.

The two of them had worked tirelessly to move as many humans as possible through the smog of the city and out into safety as the burning buildings fell around their ears. Basileus had been flooded with panic seeing London ablaze. Vampires were just so damn flammable and he knew his boy would be trying to help the humans if he could, completely disregarding his own safety. He wasn't surprised to find Carlisle flashing back and forth through the city with his human cargo.

"No, we haven't moved them all yet." Carlisle replied, set to go back inside the city walls for another round ... at least.

"And neither will we, son. We cannot save the whole of London alone!"

Carlisle looked his father up and down in disgust. "You can go if you wish, I am saving my patients."

Carlisle had been serving the needs of the plague-ridden city since arriving in London and he had grown quite attached to them. Sadly, he couldn't cure anyone of the disease, but he offered the suffering care and companionship which others in their communities, even good friends and family, refused to do so for fear of catching the deadly illness.

"I'm not leaving them now, and I'm taking no advice from you on the matter of humanity, either." Carlisle said venomously.

He tried to leave but Basileus blocked his path. "You are not going back in there, son. It's too dangerous. We have spent long enough in England – we are going back to Volterra." Basileus decreed with a finality that enraged Carlisle.

"You can't tell me what to do! I am staying here and I am helping the humans. If you don't like it, you can go!"

Basileus felt his whole body shake, bristling to the open disrespect Carlisle was bringing to the table. With a dangerous grimace, Basileus took hold of his boy's arm before he had chance to leave.

"WE are leaving before you say anything else you will regret."

Carlisle pulled at his father's grasp. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" he roared. "And, I won't regret a thing!"

Basileus started dragging Carlisle away from the humans, "Oh you will, my boy. I promise you, you will. Unless you want me to kill every human in a one-mile radius you had better lower your voice!" Basileus was done.

Carlisle resisted for all he was worth, throwing every ounce of his vampiric strength into digging his heels into the ground. As Basileus dragged his son around the city walls to avoid the blazing fire held within, Carlisle spewed forth a vitriolic tirade against his father. Basileus, somehow, managed to largely ignore his son's diatribe aside from tugging a little more forcefully than necessary now and then. That was until Carlisle decided to up the ante and physically attack his father whilst decrying what a 'fucking hateful cunt' he was. Basileus stopped dead in his tracks whilst Carlisle pummelled his chest with his free fist.

"You ignorant whelp! How dare you!" Basileus roasted his boy before releasing him. "Do you want to fight me? Is that it? Come on then!" Basileus bellowed with arms stretched wide – offering his son an open target. Naturally he didn't actually expect his son to try it ... which of course means Carlisle did!

Carlisle ran towards his father and turned his shoulder into Basileus' chest, hoping to knock him to the floor. BANG! It sounded like an explosion as the two vampiric bodies collided. Basileus barely moved an inch as his son rebounded and crashed to the floor.

Basileus dragged Carlisle to his feet with a hand around his throat before lifting him clear off the ground. Carlisle dangled precariously, but it wasn't an end to his rebellion - he tried again to resist; he kicked, he swung punches, he attempted to bite ... none of it made a difference.

Basileus, with a deadly glare, continued to hold his boy by the throat, squeezing his hand now and then in line with his pulsating fury. It took longer than he had expected for his boy to calm down, but Carlisle eventually realised that not only was he no match for the ancient creator, but he was also digging his own shallow grave with his efforts to attack him.

"Are you calm enough to walk?" Basileus spat to his youngest son. Carlisle simply growled in reply. "Fine. I will carry you!" he announced.

Throwing his son over his shoulder, Basileus made his way to England's southern coast to find a boat to take them home.

Basileus released Aro's hand and sat back in his chair.

"I'm surprised you didn't beat him for all that grief!" Aro exclaimed, knowing full well if it had been him Basileus most certainly would have found the time to tan his ass.

"Oh, I did! Once we were safely in France ... though how safe a vampire can be in that god forsaken place is anyone's guess.

"Why does he feel betrayed by you?" Aro asked quizzically. It was one of the repeated insults Carlisle threw out whilst Basileus had been dragging him around London's walls.

Basileus stared into the bottom of his cup. _Because I killed the pastor, of course_ , Basileus thought, though he wasn't ready to voice his son's reasoning just yet. Basileus shrugged and shook his head as he distracted Aro with more bloodwine.

"I assume his attitude was more than just leaving the city?" Aro asked, believing it would be about their father's new woman, too.

"I told him we had to leave, he wanted to stay on his own in a burning city 'to help people'." Basileus threw his hands in the air at the audacity of his son's desires.

"Vampires are very flammable - that would never have worked." Aro said to himself, scoffing at the idea.

"Yes, I explained that. His first arrogant rebellion was bad enough. I didn't tell him about Atia until we were in the boat and sailing away from England, then he started again!" Basileus confirmed.

 _That_ _'_ _s the real reason he_ _'_ _s still so pissed off, no doubt_ , Aro thought. "He was less than impressed at the idea of having a mother figure in his life, I take it?" Aro guessed, smiling to himself.

"You are less than impressed, Aro. Carlisle went fucking mental." Basileus confirmed darkly.

Aro was surprised by his father tone and word choice. "Oh!"

"Hmm. 'Oh', indeed." Basileus mimicked, taking a large swig of bloodwine and finishing his third cup.

Aro tried to wave off his father's concern. "Well, he never had a mom, did he? It may be a painful reminder, that's all."

Basileus shook his head whilst filling another cup. "No, Aro. I read his thoughts. He's pissed off. With me ... with all of us. With the whole damn world."

Aro laughed. _He sounds just like Felix to me_. Aro waited for his goblet to be refilled, enjoying drinking with his father without the constant nagging over his intake.

"He's so immature, Aro." Basileus moaned, frustrated with the apparent U-turn his youngest son had taken in the behavioural department.

"Well, he's lived in a bubble his whole life - the pastor saw to that. Since he came here, he's lived in the Volturi bubble." Aro thought it was pretty obvious.

Basileus nodded, "Yes, he certainly wants to spread his wings."

Aro raised his eyebrows, suddenly more interested in the conversation. "Will you allow him to?" he asked.

"When he has matured, I will." Basileus conceded.

Aro laughed. "He won't mature whilst he is here."

Basileus' brow furrowed, seeing no reason why not.

Aro explained, "You have given him too much - he expects more from life than living as a guard and he isn't young enough to be kept here, regardless, like my children ... " Aro stopped himself. He worried often that he would lose his children to the dizzying delights of the outside world.

"Eleazar has lived his whole vampire life here." Basileus countered, pulling Aro from his own demons.

"Yes, but you travelled with him. You took him around the world. He's been on many missions with me and the coven. Also, Eleazar was much older when you turned him."

Basileus nodded again to his son, he could find no fault in his words.

"Eleazar matured as a human in the high courts of Lords - Carlisle was dragged up in a backwater parish." Aro continued.

"Harsh!" Basileus said, not enjoying hearing his son be so disparaging about his brother.

"But true." Aro returned quietly. Basileus let it stand.

"You must have heard him making some plans at least?" Aro asked, knowing his father would have been listening in on his brother's thoughts.

"I did. He's wants to push me; test me."

Aro's heart sank. _That doesn_ _'_ _t bode well for your hide, little brother_ , he thought. "So what are you going to do?" Aro asked whilst grimacing, knowing his brother was in for a merry round of hell pushing Basileus.

"I will let him." His father replied simply, "I'm not going anywhere. He can push all he likes ... I will still be his dad."

Aro watched his father curiously. "Why do I feel like I am going to be dragged into this?" he asked in concern.

"Because I overheard him talking with Felix ... "

Aro was on his feet shaking his head before Basileus had finished his sentence.

"I have had Felix on the straight and narrow for a good year now, I can't be dealing with him fucking up again."

Basileus pulled his son back to his seat and offered him another drink. Aro took it. He was already feeling on the way to pissed up and he now realised that had been part of his father's plan all along.

Basileus tried to allay his son's worries. "It won't be Felix fucking up, son. It will be Carlisle - Felix will be going along for the ride, that's all."

Aro looked up with a raised eyebrow. "And, you expect me to allow Felix to be used like this?" he asked.

Basileus nodded with menacing smile.

"No!" Aro exclaimed. "You are being entirely unreasonable!"

Basileus shrugged. He couldn't see why it would matter if Felix went along with Carlisle and got himself in trouble - he would only be causing trouble on his own anyway!

"You could give him a free pass?" Basileus offered.

Aro swigged at his drink, feeling a little light headed as the sweet blood flowed down his throat. "Yeah, because that won't have any repercussions for his behaviour at all, will it?!" he retorted sarcastically. "Not to mention the other three."

Basileus smiled. "Jane and Alec are golden."

Aro laughed heartily, "I like how you left Demetri off that list."

Basileus couldn't counter and his growing smile gave away his agreement.

"Did you overhear their plans at all? I'd rather know what to expect, at least."

Basileus was glad to hear Aro was beginning to concede already. "Only that they plan to live it up in the guard hall."

Basileus hadn't heard much else, no firm plans yet.

Aro shook his head. Suddenly he wasn't so worried. "That won't be happening. Magnus is running the guard hall and Felix is still scared of the guy from his last run-in with him."

"Yes, I heard about Magnus. Good job there." Basileus complemented his son's managerial skills.

"Thank you. One of my more inspired ideas." Aro preened.

"Magnus may ease my worries, actually. He won't take Carlisle's shit, surely?" Basileus asked. _If he can deal with Aro_ _'s tribe_ _, he can certainly manage Carlisle_ , he thought.

"If you tell him he doesn't have to, he won't." Aro said as he chinked his father's cup. Basileus nodded to himself whilst wearing a pensive expression. "What are you thinking?" Aro asked, hoping his involvement in the whole charade ended with allowing Felix to be a pawn.

"I'm thinking it may do Carlisle well to experience a rise before a fall ... "

Aro's eyes widened. He knew that whatever 'rise' Basileus allowed his little brother to feel would not be worth the 'fall' he would receive in return.


	53. Atia

**AN:** I do not own the Twi-world, thanks SM for sharing.

just wanted to give a quick word of thanks for the guest reviewers as I can't thank you through PMs! I really appreciate your kind words and interest in this story! thanks all!

* * *

 **ATIA**

The entire Volturi coven gathered in the throne room awaiting Basileus' return with his new mate. To say this was a monumental event would be an understatement.

The guards, along with the masters, were used to Basileus bringing back another guard to add to their ranks ... and even a couple of sons ... but a mate? Such a thing had never happened before. The guards were a buzz of excitement. Even Marcus seemed to be in good spirits, smiling quietly to himself on his throne.

Only Carlisle and Eleazar had yet to arrive. Aro knew they would be along as soon as Eleazar had convinced their little brother that missing Atia's welcome would have dire consequences for his hide! It wasn't too long before he heard his big brother shoving Carlisle into the throne room, forcibly.

"Talking didn't work, then?" Aro questioned, playfully, as Eleazar approached.

Eleazar rolled his eyes in return. "He has a death wish! I've had to drag him here! Damn idiot!"

Aro laughed lightly, glad that he didn't have to deal with Carlisle and his thunderous mood swings today.

Carlisle huffed indignantly as he walked past both brothers and took a seat in Caius' throne.

"Move, or I will have you removed!" Aro ordered in annoyance.

"Why? Caius isn't even here!" Carlisle replied petulantly.

"Whether Caius is here or not is irrelevant. It's still his throne - not yours."

Caius had been away for almost a year. He'd been sent on an urgent and very important mission to the middle east to check on some outpost covens. The fact that this mission only required Caius and his mate in attendance and was called for following the death of Caius' favourite guard, Antonio, was merely a coincidence. Or, so Aro had convinced the coven.

Carlisle heaved himself out of Caius' throne as he shot daggers to Aro.

Aro laughed at the audacity of his little brother. "He's certainly braver than when he left!" he commented loudly to Eleazar.

"And then some, cocky little shit!" Eleazar agreed as he went to join Sulpicia and Carmen speaking with Marcus - mainly to get away from Carlisle who had chosen to stand behind Aro's throne with Felix and Demetri.

 _At least you two seem happy to see me,_ Carlisle thought gloomily, full of self-centred morose.

Aro had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at Eleazar. He'd rarely heard his big brother display his irritation so audibly and it amused him greatly.

The guards were getting restless. Aro raised his eyebrows to Magnus. Standing at the head of the guards and with a single raised hand, the new master had his charges under control and the room fell into silence.

Aro sat eyeing up the barrels to the side of the throne floor. _All gold bands_ , he thought joyfully. _Ten whole barrels of gold bands_! He wondered if he could possibly have one taken out and hidden in his own quarters before his father returned with his new mate. Before he had the chance to instruct the removal of one, or maybe three, the doors swung open and in strolled Basileus, shaking his head to his middle son having already heard his thoughts.

And there she was.

The woman they had all been waiting for, and what a woman! With one hand draped lightly through the creator's arm, Atia glided into the great hall with the grace and elegance of an angel.

"Oh wow!" Carmen commented to Sulpicia.

"She's stunning, so graceful, perfect for our dear father-in-law." Sully returned, equally in awe of the beautiful brunette.

Atia wore a golden gown, decorated in glittering gems and lace. The train of the dress appeared to float behind her as Basileus escorted his new mate towards the thrones.

Sulpicia and Carmen were hardly dressed in rags; they enjoyed the finest of garments and fabrics. But, compared to Atia's attire, they felt positively dowdy.

Basileus introduced his wife to a few choice guards as they moved through the room, taking time to speak with Magnus and Freyr and congratulate them on their new appointment.

"Oh for fuck sake, she's speaking Latin." Felix complained to Carlisle and Demetri.

"Is that what it is?" Carlisle questioned, resulting in smirks from both the boys.

"What's wrong with Latin?" Demetri asked his brother. He couldn't see the issue.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that we've all been speaking English since Carlisle arrived and now we'll have to switch again." Felix whined. "We were lucky Carmen was already fluent in English, I suppose."

Demetri looked quizzically to Felix. "Brother, you are fluent in every language on this planet. We all are! Who cares if we speak Latin?"

With a sigh and a shrug, Felix returned, "I just can't be bothered to have to think again, and you know Carlisle's Latin is shit so we will be translating all the time."

Seeing Carlisle's annoyance, Demetri burst into light giggles.

"Very funny!" Carlisle replied indignantly, shoving Felix and then Demetri for laughing at him.

"What? You didn't even recognise the language!" Felix said as he shoved his uncle back.

Hearing the exchange behind him, Aro shook his head. "Settle down," he hissed to the three of them, much to Carlisle's annoyance.

 _Who the fuck does he think he is telling me to settle down_!

The boys noticed Carlisle's glare to their father and nudged him. "Not worth it, just don't." Felix whispered, not wishing to antagonize Aro in a room full of people. After a few teething problems, Felix had enjoyed a relatively long winning streak since Basileus left for England - he had no wish to return to the humiliation of public scoldings as soon as the man returned.

Demetri, too, wanted to smooth things over before they turned sour. "His Latin is fine and he can get better - it's not like he can forget what he's already learned," he said, in support of Carlisle. "You are just lazy!" he directed to Felix.

Felix's mouth hung open in mock shock, "I would be offended ... "

"If it wasn't true!" Carlisle interrupted him, though in good humour.

"I wonder if Basileus' new bird has brought any ladies in waiting with her. She seems the type to travel with an entourage, don't you think?" Demetri said, hoping for some fresh meat.

"Okay Lothario, calm down!" Carlisle mocked whilst laughing with Felix.

"Shut the fuck up!" Demetri returned, ready to defend himself.

Before he had chance, Aro was looming over the three of them. "Will ALL of you shut up?!" he ground out dangerously.

The boys backed down and looked submissively to the floor.

Carlisle scoffed and turned away. _Shut up yourself, BROTHER_! Carlisle replied in his mind. He was neither brave ... nor stupid ... enough to say it out loud.

Finally reaching the throne steps, Basileus lifted his lady's hand to guide her up.

"May I present, my lady, Atia," he announced proudly to the waiting guards who roared and cheered in response.

Atia bowed lightly to her new family before addressing the guards. "Such a warm welcome," she gushed, exuding warmth and geniality. "I am so pleased to finally meet you all."

The guards began clapping, already taken with the new addition to their coven.

Basileus stepped forward. "I know coven festivities usually begin in the evening, but today things will be a little different. All duties are cancelled for the day and I have enough opium infused bloodwine for us all in honour of my new mate."

The welcoming guards were now giddy with joy, rejoicing loudly.

Basileus raised his hand for quiet. "Settle down, settle down. Grab the barrels and the goblets. Someone bring a table. We're taking this party into the castle grounds - the weather is glorious," he ordered as he turned to properly introduce his wife to his family.

"My lord ... " Eleazar called before Basileus could make any introductions.

Basileus walked over to his son as Camren and Sulpicia immediately took his place with Atia.

"Welcome, my lady, welcome." Carmen proffered as she took Atia's hand in her own.

"Perfect, you are simply perfect!" Sulpicia proclaimed with genuine joy.

"You must be Carmen, and you Sulpicia," Atia spoke to each in turn. "I have heard so much about you all. I have looked forward to joining your family for some time now."

The younger women shared their happiness over Atia's arrival in the coven and their own personal elation at having another female in the royal ranks.

Carmen could hardly take her eyes off Atia's glittering gown. "Where did you buy that dress, my lady? The lace, the jewels, it's stunning!" she commented, stroking the sleeve lightly.

"Oh, my dear, I make all my own gowns," Atia replied as though she were dressed in wool and sack cloth. Camren's mouth hung open, envious of the woman's skill.

"Are those your children, Sulpicia dear?" Atia asked, gesturing to the twins waiting diligently behind their mother.

"Yes, yes," Sully replied, bringing the pair forward. "These are our youngest, Jane and Alec."

Atia beamed at the vampire children. "You are the twins! Well you two are famed all over the vampire world! I didn't need Basileus to tell me about the two of you. Very impressive vampires."

Jane delighted in the positive appraisal. "Welcome to the Volturi, my lady."

"Atia. Please, call me Atia," the new lady of Volterra prompted the child gently.

"Welcome, Atia." Alec offered as Jane smiled happily.

Sulpicia looked around the emptying throne room. "Where are Felix and Demetri?" she asked generally.

Atia, too, glanced around the room searching for the lads, "Yes, your eldest boys. Basileus has been regaling me of their exploits. They sound such lively characters," she admitted with a coy smile.

"That's one way of putting it." Carmen coughed in an attempt to cover her less than positive comment.

"Oh Carmen, hush. Let us not put off our new mother-in-law on the first day." Sulpicia joked as they linked arms to head out to the courtyard.

As the ladies took their leave, with the twins following, Atia re-joined her mate.

"My dear, may I introduce my sons. This is Eleazar, Aro and Carlisle." Basileus presented his boys with a proud smile, though truthfully he was praying Carlisle wouldn't ruin this first meeting.

For a moment no one said anything.

"Say hello!" Basileus prompted.

Eleazar shook his head, unsure of what had held him back. "I am so pleased to meet you, my lady," he assured as he took Atia's hand and laid a light kiss in greeting.

"Thank you, Eleazar," Atia replied before turning to Aro.

"I hope you are able to make yourself at home in our coven."

"I am sure I will, Aro. Your father and I have talked so often of Volterra that I feel I know the castle inside-out already." Aro bowed lightly as he withdrew to allow Carlisle to welcome their new mother figure.

"Hi," he grunted in English, rather than the Latin everyone else had used.

Basileus released his breath gruffly as he nudged his youngest son. "Carlisle!" he added, in admonishment.

"It's okay, my love." Atia assured Basileus, as Carlisle flashed from the room before Basileus could say ... or do ... more. "We will all need a little time, I am sure," she said easily, as though there was nothing to take offence to.

"Have you tried our father's special brew, my lady?" Eleazar asked, deflecting the situation beautifully.

"No, I have not yet had the pleasure." Atia returned as Eleazar took her hand and led her out to the courtyard. Aro hung back and walked at a slower pace with their father.

"Well?" Basileus asked his son simply.

"She seems very nice, my lord." Aro replied respectfully. "Not the least bit likely to kill me in my sleep."

Crack! Basileus slapped the back of his son's head, though only lightly. "For one, you don't sleep. For another, I have already told you Atia is nothing like Xanthe, so could you please let that go?" Basileus sounded exasperated but he wasn't really. _If Aro is joking about me taking a mate, then he isn't pissed off, really. He will come around to being happy about the idea_ , he thought as they chatted easily about their extending family.

When they reached the courtyard, Basileus pulled his son back. "You may want to remind Magnus of the strength of the gold banded barrels. He will need to keep a watchful eye on intake for some of our younger guards. Save you the job of policing your boys."

Aro nodded sagely. "Indeed!" he replied.

"I need to speak with Marcus, son. Do excuse me." Basileus left Aro to seek out the other master.

"How are you, my friend?" he asked as he approached, arms spread as wide as his grin.

Marcus leaned into the embrace for a moment before replying, "I am well, my lord. Shall we walk?" Basileus agreed and the pair began a lap of the castle grounds at a slower than human pace.

"You appear to have brought a very angry young man home with you, Basileus. What have you done to Carlisle, my lord?" Marcus observed as they both watched Basileus' youngest son bucking against his eldest.

"Oh Marcus, if only I knew!" Basileus said with a chortle. Carlisle was pissing him off, to be frank, but he wasn't the first vampiric charge to buck against him and he had no doubt that he wouldn't be the last.

"I was hoping he could spend some time with you when you go amongst your town folk, it may help him settle back into coven life." Basileus said, hoping Marcus' calm demeanour would aid Carlisle's reintegration now that they were home.

"Of course," Marcus agreed readily, "although that will have to wait until I return."

Basileus stopped dead in his tracks. "You're going away?" he asked with eyebrows raised in surprise.

Marcus smiled. "I am. I have delayed my plans so I could see you on your return, but I am leaving for Greece tomorrow. There is a Volturi outpost Aro wishes me to check on and I intend to spend a little time reminiscing, too." Marcus actually appeared lively as he spoke, something Basileus was glad to see.

"You aren't going alone though, surely?" Basileus asked. He didn't like any of his members unattended outside the castle, it was too dangerous. Though he understood the need for Caius and Athenodora to leave Volterra, he was less than pleased they had travelled without guards to an undisclosed location.

"No, no. I will be taking a few guards with me." Marcus confirmed. "Eleazar and Carmen were planning on joining me but I believe they will be staying in Volterra now that you are home, my lord."

Basileus felt a pang of guilt hearing that. _I could do with Eleazar around right now. I will need his help with Carlisle, that's for sure. I put so much on my son's though and Eleazar and Carmen have had no time away from Volterra since they mated. I should convince him to go, for his own martial wellbeing_.

As they continued to walk, Basileus continued to press for information. "Are there any changes I should know about, Marcus? Any changes in bonds?"

Marcus sighed morosely. "Caius has taken Antonio's death far more deeply than I anticipated he would. He withdrew from coven life almost completely. That is why Aro sent him away ... for some time to recoup before his distancing could damage his reputation. Their bond was better when Caius left than it has been in the last few years, my lord. Caius and Athenodora are in the Middle East if his letters are true, and I have no reason to believe they are not. They've been gone almost a year."

Basileus nodded along as Marcus spoke, though he had heard nothing form Marcus that Aro hadn't already divulged.

Marcus continued, "Magnus and Freyr have been elevated to Masters of the Guards, as I am sure you already know. Their bond with your family has increased exponentially. They know of Aro's private living arrangements, which I believe has taken some strain from Aro's shoulders. Felix and Demetri are once again popular guards amongst all members of the coven."

Basileus breathed a sigh of relief. _Music to my ears_ , he happily thought. "Glorious news, my friend, glorious!" he crowed as they re-joined the royal group at the barrel table.

Basileus accepted a goblet from Magnus before joining Atia who had been accosted by Aro's children.

"Have you got any gifts?" Felix inquired with a cheeky grin.

"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation, my boy." Atia replied whilst coiling her hand around her husband's.

"But have you though?" Felix pushed again, receiving a raised eyebrow in warning from Basileus.

Atia giggled. "I, like all women, possess a good many gifts that would baffle your male brain, but as for enhanced vampire abilities ... I am a pilferer of other's gifts."

The young ones looked to each other in shock. "You can take our gifts?" Jane fretted, worry obvious in her soft features.

"Only borrow, my dear. I can borrow them and use them myself. You will find your gifts will not work in my presence, generally." Atia confirmed to the small girl.

"No way?!" Felix questioned. Atia nodded with a knowing smile.

"Jane, use your gift on me." Basileus ordered his granddaughter.

Jane shook her head. "No, thank you," she mumbled, not wishing to be part of any crazy experiment just to set Felix's questions at ease.

"Your gift will not work, my dear. You have nothing to fear." Basileus prompted confidently.

Wary, but not willing to disobey, Jane fixed her glare on Basileus. Nothing. Nothing happened.

Basileus wore a contented smile. "See. She's remarkable, isn't she?" he addressed his vampire grandchildren. "Ahhhh!" Basileus released a low roar of pain before his knees buckled slightly, catching himself just before he fell to the floor.

"She? 'She' has a name, dear husband!" Atia stated as she fixed her mate with a glare for his mild disrespect.

"Harsh, my lady! Harsh!" Basileus replied as he bit into his lip to stop his smile from spreading. Pulling her in closely, he enveloped her in an embrace and whatever he whispered into her ear had them both giggling like teenagers.

"JANE!" Aro bellowed as he flashed to his girl and snatched her up from Alec's side. "What in the name of the gods do you think you are doing?" he questioned harshly with a raised hand ready to spank the child in full view of the entire coven.

"No, Aro! No!" Basileus interrupted, pulling Jane from his grasp.

"It was my doing, not Jane's. I borrowed her gift for a moment, that is all." Atia spoke up for the girl.

Aro looked dumbfounded. "Why?" he asked, in confusion.

"Why? To teach the old goat a lesson, of course." Atia replied whist smoothing out Jane's hair and pulling her close.

Aro held his hands up defensively whilst retreating and smirking to his father. "It's about time he had someone to answer to, my lady."

"Watch it, Aro," Basileus warned playfully.

"Yes. Watch it, Aro ... or you will be answering to me also." Atia added plainly, sending a shiver down Aro's spine.

 _Not bloody likely,_ he thought, though he managed to keep the thought from his face whilst he laughed nervously. Basileus heard and he couldn't help but smile at his son's naivety.

"Let us go for a walk, son." Basileus whispered quietly to his eldest boy. The two set off on the same track Basileus and Marcus had previously travelled. "I must apologise to you, El. I hardly had time to tell you about Atia before she arrived. My conversation with Aro last night took longer than I had anticipated." Basileus truly did feel guilty about dropping the bombshell on his boy only moments before he left to collect Atia from the coast.

Eleazar smiled warmly, he held no ill will at all. "Think nothing of it."

 _Oh son, if only they were all as easy as you_ , Basileus thought. "You may go to Greece with Marcus if you wish, Eleazar."

"I know that." Eleazar assured. "We are happy to stay, there will be plenty of opportunities to see the world." Basileus read his boy's thoughts, he appeared to be genuine. _I will check on Camren before I push you to go_ , he thought. "I could do with your help here, so long as you are sure about staying?"

"We are, and I am happy to help."

"Tell me, how have things been whilst I was away?" Basileus was certain he was missing something, everything seemed too settled.

"Great, really great!" Eleazar confirmed.

"It is nice to know I am no longer needed!" Basileus joked, clutching a hand to his chest as though his heart were breaking now that he was redundant to his sons.

Eleazar elbowed his father in the ribs. "You know you are needed, Dad. Aro and I missed you very much."

Shoving Eleazar back, Basileus asked, "But, Aro has been okay? No major drama?"

Eleazar smiled at his father's worry. It made him feel safe knowing Basileus was still so concerned about their welfare. "No. With Caius out of the picture for a while and Magnus stepping up in the guard hall things have been pleasantly relaxed around here, to be honest with you."

Basileus threw an arm around Eleazar's shoulders. "That's good to hear. I worried Aro was blocking some horrendous event in his mind to keep me from the details." He finally believed all was well in his coven now.

"There were a few incidents surrounding Antonio's demise, but I will leave Aro to tell you about that. Even Felix and Demetri have behaved," Eleazar noted, and then a fleeting memory passed through his mind that gave him cause to stop and laugh. "Though, just after you left Demetri had two guards in your bed." Eleazar continued to chuckle seeing Basileus' face became stricken with disgust.

"He did what?!"

Eleazar nodded as he kept up his laughter. "Aro must have forgotten about it. I had too, truth be told, but I overheard Demetri's panicked words to Felix."

Basileus looked around the courtyard, zoning in on Demetri within a few moments. "I'll wring that little sod's neck for him!" he said, hoping the brat heard him somehow.

"Good to have you back, Dad." Eleazar whispered as he patted his father's back. Basileus continued to glare at the young guard for the rest of this walk with Eleazar.

"How are you finding married life after all this time as a bachelor?"

Basileus looked coyly to his eldest son. "We have been seeing each other for quite a while already, El," he admitted, feeling shameful that he had not only kept the relationship secret for so long, but also that he hadn't had time to tell Eleazar anything before Atia arrived.

"A decade, so Aro tells me." Eleazar responded without any malice or annoyance in his tone.

Basileus was truly grateful for his son's understanding. Carlisle, and even Aro, were enough to deal with. "There or there about," he concurred.

"She is amazingly gifted, more so than any other vampire I have ever met!" Eleazar commented, though Basileus could hear his son's thoughts; he was wondering what she was ... something more than 'vampire', he thought.

"She's a witch, El. Or was before she was turned. Her powers are incredible – some of them even work on me! I can't read her thoughts, for example. She's amazing!"

Eleazar felt blown away, he wasn't expecting a witch, of all things. "Do you love her?" Eleazar pushed, though he was sure of the answer already.

"You would not be meeting her if I didn't, son." Basileus confirmed.

Taking a look around to ensure their conversation was private, Basileus brought the two of them to a stop. "I haven't dared ask Aro yet, and Carlisle has been a little volatile since I told him about Atia, but how do you feel about me taking a mate?"

Eleazar placed a hand on his father's shoulder, "I am happy for you, Dad, and they will be, too." Watching as his father's face turned from stern concern to contentment, Eleazar smiled to himself.

Starting to walk again, Basileus commented, "Aro will come around. Carlisle is another matter."

Eleazar would have liked to disagree but having already had several altercations with his little brother, who had only been home less than a day, he could see there would be trouble ahead.

"How does Atia feel about taking on a coven of vampires ... a family of vampires, no less?" Eleazar asked, thinking it must have been an interesting conversation between the two of them, if nothing else.

Basileus smiled as he thought back to his earlier meetings with Atia. "She was apprehensive at first. That's partly why it's taken so long for us to get to this point. But Atia was more than ready to join us this last year or so."

Eleazar nodded. "And, what would you like us to call her? Is Atia our mother?"

Basileus' breath hitched in his throat. He wanted that so badly, but it was too soon. That was the sort of love that had to grow and it would take time to foster such a bond. "I am sure, for now, 'Atia' will service. In time, I hope you grow to think of her as a mother. I am certain that is what she wishes, also."

Eleazar readily agreed. "In time, I am sure that will be the case, my lord."

Looking around the grounds again, everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

"Caius is coming back isn't he, El?" Basileus quizzed his son.

"I believe so."

Basileus heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods! Everybody is far too happy!" Eleazar laughed, though he had to agree. Basileus watched the guards for a moment. "Not a single guard fight, no tit for tat, no one's getting mouthy! It's crazy here!"

Eleazar knew the answer to that. "All the guards are scared to death of Magnus' rebuke. They won't step out of line with him around." he commented, approvingly.

"Why though? I can't imagine Magnus being as severe as Caius, or even Aro for that matter." Basileus couldn't work out how Magnus was controlling the guards.

"Well for one, Magnus is in with the guards almost all of the time, whereas Caius and Aro are only involved with the guards whilst they are on duty or there is a dispute of some kind. Magnus is there all the time and he can control emotions, so he settles disputes before they even start. He regularly throws guards in the dungeons for the night if they slightly step out of line. Plus, he's nearly as big as you, dad. When Magnus wallops a guard, they know about it! Just ask Felix or Demetri!"

Basileus was pleased to hear things were going so well and Magnus was managing the guard so expertly – and without Caius' cruelty too! "So our boys have been giving Magnus trouble?" he enquired.

Eleazar shrugged. "To start with there were a few problems with Felix. It was a bit of a mess, to be honest. Like I said earlier – ask Aro about it."

Basileus didn't push further. Eleazar would have told him if there was a real issue, so he decided to take the matter up with Aro as advised.

"Marcus looks well" Basileus commented as the man caught his eye, playing the flute with his fellow composers from the guard. "Certainly less morose," he added, sure he saw the man smiling joyfully for a moment.

"He is, he really is." Eleazar confirmed. "And it's not all opium, either. Freyr has him giving lessons on 'culture' to the guards on a daily basis in the guard hall. Marcus has surprised me; he really is an animated teacher. He is far from the man he once was but at least he is socialising again."

Basileus could only empathise with Marcus. _The pain you must have suffered losing Didyme is unimaginable for me, but to see you taking any joy from life again, my friend, is tonic to my worry over you_. "Well done Freyr!" Basileus congratulated, making a mental note to thank the shield maiden for her contribution to Marcus' happiness.

"Freyr has become the mother hen of the guards since she and Magnus were elevated in status." Eleazar declared.

Basileus laughed, as if that was news! "Freyr has always been mother hen of the guards, it was a perfect appointment. I am really pleased with all I have returned to. I usually walk into a disaster zone."

"Yes, it is quite a turnabout, isn't it? You have brought the disaster zone to us this time!" Eleazar replied, gesturing to Carlisle who was goofing around with Felix, Demetri and some of the younger guards.

Shaking his head in frustrated annoyance over his youngest son's apparent regression to the temperamental newborn stage, Basileus replied, "Hmmm, he was such a good newborn I really thought Carlisle would be plain sailing."

"He will come around, my lord. Give him time." Eleazar offered in comfort, however, Basileus knew better.

"How many hidings do you think he will be getting during that time, El?"

Eleazar guffawed before he answered, "Ha! I'm not betting against you, my lord!"

Basileus ruffled his son's hair playfully. "You've always been my sensible boy, son."

"Carlisle seems to have reverted to a teenager going by his attitude – what the hell happened in England?" Eleazar hadn't managed to get anything out of Carlisle during his brief talks with him since they'd arrived home. Only that Basileus, for an undisclosed reason, was a prick ... which wasn't particularly illuminating.

"Not all that much. We visited his old town, he worked as a doctor in inner London during the plague outbreak. Almost everyone there had the disease and the smell of diseased blood had no allure to him at all. I thought he truly enjoyed helping people, we talked of him doing something with humans when we returned here. Maybe not a doctor, but certainly more access to people so he can build on his control."

Basileus reeled off the events of their trip briefly."I was quite amazed by him ... he did really well." Once again Basileus left out the minor detail that he had snapped the pastor's neck.

Then a great fire broke out and we had to leave. I literally had to throw him over my shoulder and carry him back to the boat to come home."

Eleazar laughed at the imagery.

"It's not funny, Eleazar." Basileus scolded him abruptly with a harsh slap to his closest thigh. The almighty crack drew the attention of a good many guards, much to Eleazar's ire. "The idiot wanted to help people stuck in the fire."

Eleazar rolled his eyes at his brother's stupidity. "You explained how very flammable vampires are, yes?"

Basileus gave his son a withering look. "Of course I did, but he obviously knew better!"

Eleazar could sense his father's growing annoyance. "So that's when his new attitude started?"

Basileus nodded. "Pretty much. Though once we were sailing away from England he eased up a little."

The pair came to a wooden arbour with a bench attached to the side of the castle. Basileus took a seat rather than continuing his walk and Eleazar mimicked his actions.

"That was just Carlisle being frustrated that he couldn't save the humans though, I believe. When I told him about Atia ... that's when things became ... troublesome." _Troublesome_! Basileus repeated to himself. _Understatement of the year. He tipped our damn boat over with his raging tantrum and we had to swim to France, damn ingrate_! Basileus grimaced remembering the thrashing he'd given his son on the shore of Rouen. He had been particularly forceful with his delivery. Though he'd only spanked Carlisle with the palm of his hand, Basileus knew he'd put far more of his strength into each slap than was entirely necessary.

"But why? What are his reasons?" Eleazar's questions brought Basileus out of his memories.

"His thoughts mainly revolved around being the only one without a mate, being treated like a youth, wanting more freedom, NOT wanting another 'parent'. I think that is his main worry."

"But why, though? I don't understand why another parent would be such a worry for him." Eleazar pushed to better understand how to help his brother.

Basileus leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Carlisle is used to male environments, son. He grew up with the pastor, now he lives with me. He spends most of his time with you and Aro. Those four men in his life have all had cause to rebuke him, which is humiliating enough in Carlisle's eyes, but the idea of that rebuke coming from a woman feels wrong to him."

Eleazar's face skewed up in confusion. "Why is that his first thought? That's ... well it's ... so fucked up!"

Basileus looked back to his eldest son. "Your little brother is a bit 'fucked up', El. He has serious issues around trust and the power of those deemed above him in any way. Aro thinks he may have an issue because he has never had a mother and perhaps cannot see any benefit to one."

Eleazar didn't really know what to say, it sounded like Carlisle's problems were going to become everyone's problem with all that was running through his little brother's head. "He will just need time, that's all," he replied confidently, if falsely.

Basileus knew his son didn't believe it but he appreciated his efforts to supress his worries.

The two fell into a comfortable silence whilst watching the rest of the coven mill around the courtyard in general merriment.

"Atia is surrounded, shouldn't you help her?" Eleazar commented, seeing a veritable swarm of vampires encompassing his new mother figure.

Basileus laughed as he leaned back into his chair. "Atia is a strong, independent woman, son - she can hold a room better than I can!"

Eleazar watched as Atia had the gathering guards enchanted, telling them tales of her adventuring across the globe. "It sounds like Atia has lived a daring life up to now – will she settle for family life?"

Basileus smiled contentedly. "I have given her my heart, son, and as the saying goes - for the one to whom much has been entrusted, much will be expected."


	54. The After Party

**AN:** I answered a review about Carlisle's Latin... and thought I should post it up in case anyone else was wondering along the same lines. I should also say, medieval literacy is (part of) my area of research so...

It has already been hinted at that Carlisle has had a poor education, (quite early chapters with his brothers taking the piss about him only having ready the bible) but it will be covered more as we go on. Growing up as the son of a small village pastor, Carlisle wouldn't have had a true clerical education… indeed, it wasn't in the pastors best interest to educate his son at all and we will see how stifled Carlisle had been in his human life as we go on. Its quite pivotal in the coming chapters. Carlisle was 23 and still at home serving his father - he would have been long gone if he'd been destined for the church, proper. And though the well rehearsed sermons were delivered in Latin, generally, the majority of the church service would have been given in the vernacular. (had been since 1215, IV Lat). Under the circumstances, Carlisle would likely have learned Latin sections of the bible by rote, and would likely have been able to read basic texts in both English and Latin… as would around 40% of the population at the time. But Latin was not a conversational language, particularly not for the likes of small parish folk. His real learning in any useful capacity will be taking place at Volterra with access to the huge variety and quality texts and in the castle libraries under instruction of learned men, like Marcus. Carlisle has already been lapping up educational pursuits with his book borrowing and the like… but he has only been a vampire for three years and these things take time, especially as he has taken a year out playing doctor and Marcus is now away.

Anyhoo... back to Volterra :)

* * *

 **THE AFTER PARTY**

The entire Volturi family were gathered in Basileus' main living chamber. Carmen and Eleazar took the window seat, Aro and Sulpicia on one sofa and Basileus and Atia on the opposite one. The twins sat near the fire, playing chess, whilst Carlisle and Felix were whispering to each other privately at the meeting table to the far side of the room.

Demetri had settled in on the wolf fur rug near his mother, who played aimlessly with his bronze, shaggy hair. He should have felt relaxed; he usually would have been in such company, but instead he waited with baited breath for someone to mention his use of Basileus' bed chamber with Lucy and Adrianna. The adults were discussing the minutiae of coven activities that Basileus had missed over the last year whilst also trying to offer Atia a rundown of Volturi life, but Demetri still felt stressed to high heavens in case someone mentioned his little _mistake_.

"Now?" Felix whispered to Carlisle.

Carlisle smiled. "Yeah, if you want to," he replied, also whispering so as not to alert anyone else to their plans.

Felix nodded. _It's just the guard hall, no reason Aro shouldn_ _'_ _t let me go_ , he reasoned.

The pair rose from the table silently and headed quickly to the door.

Though engrossed in conversation, Aro caught them. "Where are you going?" he asked, raising his voice just enough for all other conversation to immediately cease.

Sighing deeply at being questioned by his brother, Carlisle replied for the two of them. "To the guard hall."

Basileus raised his eyebrows to his youngest and gestured to Atia with his eyes. It was clear he didn't approve of Carlisle leaving on Atia's first night in the castle but Carlisle pushed on anyway.

"What?" he questioned, dripping with the sullen attitude he had brought home from England. Seeing Basileus narrow his eyes to his tone, he continued with less abrasion, "I haven't seen anyone in over a year ... I just want to go and catch up, that's all."

Basileus rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance.

"And you?" Aro directed to Felix.

"Well, I thought I'd go with Carlisle," his boy replied, shyly.

"Oh you did? Have you seen the time?" Aro shot back, clearly as annoyed as his father was.

 _Please don_ _'_ _t embarrass me_ _,_ _Aro_ _. Not now, please. I_ _'_ _m not going to fuck up_. Felix knew Aro couldn't hear his thoughts, but he pleaded in them anyway. "Come on, it's like 9, I'll only be a few hours. It's not like I'm leaving the grounds or anything," he responded, sounding more whiney brat than prince of the castle as he'd intended.

Sulpicia could see her boy struggling and she was impressed that he'd remained calm. _Carlisle is showing more sass than Felix,_ she thought. "Let him go Aro, so long as Carlisle doesn't mind," she prompted as she stroked her husband's arm gently.

"I asked him to come." Carlisle offered with a smile to his sister-in-law. Both Felix and Carlisle were grateful for Sulpicia's intervention before things got out of hand.

Aro relented. "I want you back here by midnight, Felix," he said pointedly to his son. Felix readily agreed with a vigorous nod.

Basileus walked over to Carlisle. "You will BOTH be back here by midnight," he said as he eyed the pair, daring either of them to disagree.

Carlisle did. "What! ME?! Since when do I need a curfew?!" he spluttered, feeling the very idea was positively audacious!

"Just leave it, Carlisle, come on," Felix pleaded, pulling on his uncle's arm. _We're so close, don_ _'_ _t fuck it up now_! he thought.

"Do you want to go to the guard hall?" Basileus sang out his question.

"Yes." Carlisle replied, sullenly.

"Then you will be back here by midnight." Basileus returned.

Carlisle knew he should have backed down but he was so damn pissed off with being belittled by his family.

"Miserable Cu ... " he began to ground out.

Thankfully, he didn't finish his final word - a combined effort of Felix pulling him to leave, Basileus shoving him in the chest, and the rest of the room gasping audibly cut Carlisle off. For a moment, no one spoke. Most in the living chamber were expecting Basileus to take Carlisle in hand there and then. Basileus could hear their thoughts. He didn't want to do that though; he knew it would just further fuel Carlisle's quarry against him.

Deciding against creating a scene on what should be a happy occasion, Basileus knew he still had to get this situation under control. "You will be back by midnight and you will both be sober. I dare you to push me further." Basileus threatened with a hand clasped on his belt buckle.

The gesture was not wasted on Carlisle. He shut his mouth, slightly surprised he was so stupid as to try and call his father a cunt in front of an audience in the first place.

"Come on." Felix pleaded, seeing Carlisle was finally subdued.

"I will come and find you if you are late, boys." Basileus said as a parting shot as he turned his back on Carlisle and re-joined Atia.

"Boys?!" Carlisle questioned, both annoyed and embarrassed.

"Come on!" Felix responded, a little more forcefully, as he dragged his uncle into the stairwell and closed the door behind him.

"And why aren't you whining to attend?" Aro asked Demetri, flicking his hair to get his attention.

Demetri's eyes widened as he shot his head to the floor. _Fuck, I never told them about Magnus banning me from the guard hall ... but Magnus hasn_ _'_ _t told them either, perhaps I will get away with it_?

"No reason," he lied, badly.

"With you there is always a reason." Sully joined in teasing her boy, although as she always thought the best of her children, she did believe Demetri just didn't want to go.

"What's her name?" Carmen asked, suggestively.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Demetri shot back with a scowl. _Please leave it, please_ , he thought.

"He's up to something, Aro." Basileus crooned whilst staring down the boy. He was still holding on to his knowledge of Demetri's shenanigans in his bed chamber, waiting to see if the lad would own up when he had the chance.

"Without a doubt," Aro agreed. "I'll ask Magnus tomorrow on our run down."

 _No_! Demetri screamed inside his head. _Oh bollocks_! The look on his face gave away his clear guilt and Basileus couldn't help but laugh.

"How is Magnus working out?" Basileus asked generally, his mind on Carlisle and Felix.

"Amazingly." Aro replied. "He has the guard hall running in perfect order and he's even taken over the rota, too. I should have elevated Magnus and Freyr years ago." The others offered their agreement.

"And Caius is okay with all of this I assume?"

"Magnus is just as bad as Caius!" Demetri commented quietly.

Aro extended his arm across his wife's lap and laid a hand gently on his disgruntled son's head. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. His gift didn't work with Atia in attendance.

"I am sorry, Aro. I can relax my gift so you can use yours, if that would help?" Atia offered, seeing what Aro was trying to do.

"That won't help at all!" Demetri exclaimed as he shuffled away from his parents to join the twins by the fire.

Aro shook his head. "I'll get you whilst you sleep!" he said menacingly.

Demetri looked horrified, though the horror turned to indignant embarrassment with everyone else laughing at Aro's threat.

"Caius is happy that he doesn't have to lower himself to deal with the guards anymore." Aro finally replied to his father. "Other than to fu ... other than the bits he likes." Aro corrected himself before Basileus' thunderous glare turned any more severe.

"Nice save." Eleazar commented quietly.

"Always learning." Basileus added pointedly to his son. Thankfully for Aro, Atia seemed to find their whole exchange vaguely amusing.

"You know, as spacious as your chambers are, I think we are going to have to make more use of the library for our big family meet ups." Eleazar told his father as he moved to sit on the floor to stretch out. Carmen quickly swung her legs into her husband's vacated seat.

"That's a good idea, El. By the way, speaking of space ... you need to move Carlisle's things into your spare room." Basileus remarked as he sipped his bloodwine.

"What! Oh, come on!" Eleazar sat upright, shaking his head and hoping his father was joking.

"You heard me." Basileus confirmed sternly.

 _He is serious,_ Eleazar thought, thoroughly pissed off.

"There really is no need, my dear." Atia attempted to intervene.

"Yes, there is," Basileus replied easily, much to Eleazar's disgust.

Getting to his feet, Eliezer decided this news required another goblet of bloodwine. "Shut up, Aro," he said as he swotted the back of his brother's head when he walked past. Not that it subdued Aro's snickering.

"You can help him top everyone up, Aro." Basileus said, offering Aro his goblet.

Aro rolled his eyes but did as he was bid.

"You spend all your time together anyway, El." Basileus proffered, thinking the new living arrangements would hardly make a difference to Eleazar and Carmen.

"I'm usually babysitting for YOU!" Eleazar responded indignantly.

Basileus sighed. "I think we should talk about this later, son."

If Eleazar noticed the warning in his father's tone, he ignored it and carried on. "He could share with Felix and Demetri?" Eleazar offered. Thinking that would be far preferable to having his newly volatile brother invading his own suite.

"Are you offering to take Felix and Demetri also, El?" Sully interjected cheekily.

Carmen couldn't contain her laughter seeing Eleazar's shocked expression at being mocked by sweet Sulpicia of all people.

"Are you crazy?" Aro, too, replied to his brother's comment. "There are six people in my chambers already and you are going to Greece for the next few months, anyway!"

Eleazar huffed again. "We aren't going to Greece anymore, actually!" he shot back to Aro. "And what about when we, well, you know!" he whispered to his father.

"Carlisle's a big boy, El. I think he will survive. Now leave it, we will talk later." Basileus replied as he took his refilled goblet.

"I am not having him living in my apartment, Dad." _Okay, I sound like a whinging brat now_! Eleazar berated himself for not having a better argument – or any argument.

"I wasn't asking you, son," his father replied resolutely. Not that it helped. Basileus looked his son up and down ... Eleazar was ready to blow. It didn't happen often, and Basileus would rather it didn't happen on Atia's first day in the coven. "Do you really want to do this here ... now?" he asked his eldest boy with eyebrows raised so high it was almost comical.

 _Please blow now!_ _Go_ _on_ _,_ _El!_ Aro thought loudly.

"Shut up, Aro!" Basileus warned harshly, hearing his boy's gleeful thoughts over his big brother's potential downfall.

Seeing he was getting nowhere with Eleazar, he turned to his son's mate. He could hear in her thoughts that she didn't have any objections.

"Carmen do you mind?"

"Not at all," Carmen replied genuinely, receiving a scoff from her husband in return. "Sorry my love, but I think your father and Atia should have some space to settle into new family dynamics. And Carlisle, all of us, will need some time to settle, too. It makes sense for your brother to move in with us."

Eleazar retook his seat on the floor and scowled into his cup which appeared to be emptying far too quickly for his liking. "How come we get stuck with him just as he seems to be entering a second newborn phase or something!"

Basileus bristled to his son's comment, but before he could react Atia laid a hand on his leg and agreed with Eleazar. "Carlisle is rather agitated, my dear." She hadn't said as much to Basileus yet, but she was surprised by his youngest son's demeanour. _Not at all as described_ , she thought.

"He's pushing at the boundaries, that all." Basileus explained to her, hoping to allay any fears of having to deal with an overgrown toddler for the rest of eternity.

"Yes, and dragging my son along with him." Aro added, still annoyed that he was being forced to let the whole charade play out. "You have only been home a few days and my life has turned upside down again!" he continued.

"When I returned we talked at length about 'poor Aro'. I see no reason to revisit the conversation, son." Basileus stated, effectively halting any further complaints from his middle boy.

Eleazar and Carmen didn't stay long after his father's announcement to move Carlisle into their quarters. He decided to make the most of his last night alone with his mate and the two of them left after only one more glass of bloodwine.

Basileus was a little disappointed with his eldest son. _Eleazar is usually so steadfast and reliable, he always sees sense! He_ _'_ _s acting like a brat over this_ , he thought.

Aro left shortly after his brother, taking his family with him. "If Felix isn't home by midnight, come and fetch me." Basileus told his son before bidding them goodnight.

"So, this is what I have signed up to?" Atia asked as her husband closed the door to their chambers.

For a moment Basileus could have sworn his heart started beating with nerves. Nervousness wasn't a usual feeling for Basileus, he could count on one hand the amount of times he had felt anxious in his whole existence. Swallowing hard, he turned to face his new mate, desperately trying to quash the rising apprehension he felt.

"My dear, just teething problems, that is all. Everything will settle soon enough."

Atia pated the seat beside her, which Basileus readily filled. "I didn't expect for our joining to be simple, Basileus. I also didn't come into this blind - I knew you had a family."

Basileus laughed, he wasn't entirely sure if it was in relief or disbelief. "I am a little perturbed by their reactions, my dear. Even if you are not. I expected better from them all, in all honesty."

Atia curled into his embrace. "They seem an interesting bunch, and altogether loveable, my dear. Their reactions are nothing untoward, and certainly not off-putting. You worry too much."

Basileus kissed her soft, chestnut curls, feeling truly blessed to finally have his mate with him in his home. He couldn't agree with her though. "Carlisle is spiraling into an explosive nightmare." Basileus sighed as he played with a ringlet of hair, "I can see him causing us strife before everything eventual settles."

"You know this?" she asked, understanding that one of Basileus' many gifts was to have a 'sense' of the future.

"Naturally, I cannot know for sure, but it is what I 'feel'," he confessed, again concerned this would put Atia off remaining in Volterra.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Then we shall weather the storm together, my dear."

 _How I wish I could read your mind to know what you truly feel about my family_. Basileus had thought of a way to possibly circumvent Atia's mental block. It was underhand, particularly as he had no intention of sharing his plans with his mate, but he needed to have the upper hand in all his relationships. Whether they were business or personal, vampire or human, he always held the last card, romantic relationships were no different.

"I, for one, am just glad there will be no more cloak and dagger theatrics to enable us to spend time together," he told her as he led his mate to their bedchamber.

 _Time to see what you think, my dear_.


	55. Reminiscing

**AN:** Guest, in answer to your review - yes, Atia will be playing a parental role in the future... but shall we put them all through hell first? I think so :D

* * *

 **REMINISCING**

Having taken Eleazar's advice about moving family meet-ups to a more suitable venue, the three brothers, along with Aro's children, were gathered in the library.

Marcus was taking control of the throne room, at his own insistence, until he left for Greece. Aro was left wondering if it had been such a good idea taking him up on his offer, as rather than kicking back and relaxing for a few days he had ended up looking after the four most fearsome children on the planet whilst his dear wife swanned about showing Atia every nook and cranny of her new home.

Felix and Carlisle were discussing the younger's entry into the vampire world, though the conversation soon turned to Felix trying to remember his human life that preceded the transformation.

Eleazar put his book down and looked over to the newly inseparable pair seated next to Aro.

"What's with all the reminiscing? Are you unhappy with your life now?" he asked his nephew. His tone was gruffer than intended as he was still annoyed that Carlisle would be moving into his private ... no, no-longer private suite.

"No, of course not. I just hadn't tried to remember much of my human life before. I can remember my parents, a little. But no one else. I can't remember my grandparents."

Aro lightly pushed his boy away by his head. "Felix, for the last time, Atia is not your grandmother!"

Felix just smiled. _Yeah_ _Dad, she is_ , he thought with a smile.

"Can you remember much?" Felix asked his father. They had heard many tales from Aro's early years with Basileus but not a lot from before he was turned.

"Basileus found me nearly three thousand years ago ... " Aro began, though he was quickly interrupted by Felix.

"Man he's so old!" Crack! "Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head. _Worth it_! he thought.

"As I was saying, it was a very long time ago." Aro offered the small group, as though he had nothing to say on the matter.

"But, do you remember your human life at all?" Demetri asked, also interested in hearing more about his father's youth.

"I remember the olive farm I grew up on. I remember working with my father and I can still smell my mother's cooking after those long days in the fields." Aro's smile over his memories was short lived. "I remember why I left," he added darkly, looking away from his sons.

"Why did you leave?" Demetri pushed, not realising the obvious upset Aro felt.

"Because my father was a cunt," he told him plainly.

"Ha! Which one?!" Carlisle jeered.

"Oooo you had better hope Basileus doesn't come across that in your thoughts, brother!" Eleazar mocked as he turned back to Aro. "If your human father was so bad, why would you leave your mother and Didyme with him? That doesn't seem like you." Eleazar asked, realizing they had never spoken about Aro's human life before.

"My mother was as bad as my father, they made quite a team! Didyme was safe ... he only whipped his sons bloody." Aro told them sadly. "One, to death." Aro felt all in attendance staring at him with that little revelation. "I left after that," he confirmed.

"And you think I'm bad, huh?" Aro joked to Demetri, though it didn't change his sorrowful expression. "It was a long time ago. Things were different then," he whispered to his fretful son.

Carlisle scoffed. "I think evil bastards span all of time."

Aro nodded sagely whilst biting on his lip. He had to agree. "I would drink to that, little brother."

"My father sold me." Eleazar announced, ending the short contemplative silence that had fallen.

"What?" Felix exclaimed, echoing thoughts of both Carlisle's and Demetri. Aro already knew his brother's story.

"Yes, sold me. He was a traveling merchant from Spain, as you know. Our family moved with him. When we came to England, the country was poor. Or rather, the common people were. A few years of famine had wiped out the working stock for the lords of the manors. My father sold me to a lord for my linguistic skills." Eleazar told his short tale with little feeling, it had happened so long ago. Not just long ago compared to his vampire life, but to his human life, also. As a man of 29 when Basileus turned him into a vampire, he had long since made peace with his father's callousness whilst he was still human.

"Did you have a mother? Did she not object?" Demetri probed.

"Yes, I did. And no, she did not. I was 14 years old, costing too much to feed and giving too much attitude in return. Apparently."

Aro smirked to his elder brother. "You! I would never believe such a thing."

Eleazar, in return, gave his brother a withering look.

"How did you get the twins?" Carlisle asked his brother.

Aro winced. He knew Carlisle would ask but it wasn't a pleasant memory for anyone. "Basileus had word of a rise in witch activity in England - we have to be vigilant of such things, it could be vampires, or it could be Apatouria. Either way, when 'witches' are being called out we need to make the necessary checks."

Aro sighed sadly as he looked to his young children. They seemed apparently unfazed by the discussion, but he still felt awkward discussing such things in front of them. "When we arrived in England we told those we met that we were pontiffs sent by Pope Leo. They brought their afflicted to us, those they deemed to be 'witches'. It was all born of hysteria, naturally. Not a single vampire, witch or anything else between them. By the time we arrived at the twins' village, their mother had already been put to death for supposed witch activities."

Aro chanced another look to Jane and Alec. Their eyes were trained on the books in their laps, but he knew they had long since read a single word. They were listening intently to everything he was saying.

"Anyway, I knew the twins were special and wanted to turn them there and then. Caius wasn't happy about taking the twins so young, but I had to have them. We argued about it for a few days and by the time I had him convinced and we'd returned to collect them ... " Aro trailed off.

Jane stood up and placed her book on the shelf. Taking a new one and thumbing through aimlessly, she completed Aro's sentence. "We were already on fire," she said casually.

"Those deranged villagers had tied people to logs and made a pyre from bodies. Alec and I were at the top, thankfully, I suppose."

Aro grimaced hearing his young one speak of that day.

"So you saved them?" Carlisle asked, to which Aro nodded. "But I thought vampires were very flammable? Basileus said ... " Carlisle stopped talking as Aro revealed his lower left leg to his brother.

From his knee down, Aro's skin was puckered and grey with deep scaring of melted flesh traveling the length of his leg. "We are very flammable, brother. I was lucky," he stated plainly, redressing himself.

"How on earth did they survive?" Eleazar asked, looking in awe to his young vampiric niece and nephew.

Aro leaned back into his chair, arms stretched wide. "The fire had almost taken them, they were moments from death when I turned them."

Felix grew a mischievous grin. "I told you they were witches," he whispered to Carlisle, completely inappropriately, in a way only a sibling could.

"They were children, victims of flawed mob-mentality and they suffered horribly for no just cause - I don't find your remarks in the least bit humorous."

Felix slunk into his chair and turned away from his father as Jane smiled to herself happily.

"I don't remember anything from before I was turned." Demetri sulked. He wasn't upset about it, he just didn't like being left out.

"Nothing?" Carlisle asked. _I wish I didn_ _'_ _t remember anything_ , he thought glumly.

Demetri shook his head. "No. Amun said I was nearly dead when he found me washed up on the Nile. I have no idea how I got there, though."

"Can't you access his memories?" Carlisle asked Aro.

"There's nothing there, I have tried a hundred times for him but I can't find anything. Amun had seen him around the town, always up to no good by all accounts. A street rat."

Demetri looked offended. "Hey!" he tutted.

Eleazar smiled warmly to his brother. Aro may have only recently officialised the new relationships of his family, but as Eleazar had noted many times before, Aro had been looking after his children's best interest since they joined the coven.

"So how do you know he's 14 years old then?" Felix asked, wondering if his brother could be younger. _He's tiny compared to me ... I would piss myself if he were as young as the twins_!

"Amun." Aro declared. "He feeds the street rats of Egypt, or he used to. Sentimental old fool that he is. He struck up conversation with Demetri and learned a few things about him. Then the next time he saw Demetri, he was half drowned on the riverbank, sinking into the silt. Amun took him home and turned him."

"And then you took him?" Carlisle asked.

Aro nodded as he smiled to the young boy, who looked back to his father in appreciation.

"What are Amun and his mate like?" Carlisle asked, intrigued about vampires outside of the Volturi coven.

"Kebi. Amun's mate is named Kebi." Demetri began. "They were alright, I suppose. It wasn't like living here though. They didn't do anything with the coven members other than issue orders. They didn't care for us or protect us. They didn't even provide for us - we had to scavenge what we needed, make our own kills, and woe betide you break one of the coven's unknown rules!"

Carlisle looked confused. "Unknown rules?" he asked.

Demetri nodded. "Yup. Amun wouldn't tell us what we could and couldn't do, just punished us severely if we acted in a way he didn't like ... and that could change from one day to the next."

Aro knew Carlisle would ask how Amun exacted coven discipline. He caught Carlisle's eye and shook his head discreetly before he could inquire.

"Don't get me wrong ... they were not unkind, generally. They just didn't seem very attached to any of their coven members." Demetri finished, looking quite sorry for himself thinking back to how emotionally void his life had been. "I'm young. I know I moan about being treated like a child sometimes, but truth is ... I like having parents. I need them." When Demetri finished, he went to sit with Aro, no longer caring if his father read his thoughts. He needed to be close to him.

Aro made space and pulled his son in closely.

Eleazar could see how emotional Aro had become hearing Demetri's admission but decided against drawing attention to it.

"He likes being able to hide behind Sully's skirt tails when he's in trouble more like." Felix jested.

"Like you don't?!" Aro answered for his younger son.

"Well, now and again." Felix confessed.

Eleazar chuckled. "And then some!" he added.

"I call it the 'mother buffer'," Aro told his brothers. "These pair," he said, gesturing to his two sons, "and the twins, too, at times" he added, whilst smiling at the youngest two children, who had barely made a sound since they selected their books, "will go running to Sulpicia whenever they may be in trouble ... in the hope that Sully will work her magic on me to deflect any punishment due."

Both Felix and Demetri tried to deny that's what they did, but Eleazar and Aro knew better.

"If you know what Sulpicia is doing, why don't you ignore her?" Carlisle asked, simply.

Aro and Eleazar guffawed at their little brother.

"You really do have zero experience with women, Carlisle!" Eleazar managed to blurt out between bouts of laughter.

"I wasn't being symbolic when I said she uses her magic on me, brother. I am no defence for Sully's womanly wiles and oddly I have little desire to enter into a war with my wife over dealing with our children." Aro told him, having regained his control. "Not that we haven't warred about how I punish them," he added looking to Felix, who had the good grace to look away in shame.

Carlisle bristled, wearing a furious expression. Being the only unmated adult, he already felt left out of the 'grown up' part of his family and having both brothers laughing at his situation hurt, it really hurt. Carlisle was busy turning that hurt into anger.

"Is Atia your mom now?" Demetri asked Aro, though the question easily extended to his uncles, too.

"Most certainly not!" Carlisle replied immediately.

Aro raised his eyebrows. "What's your problem with Atia?" he asked. "Are your mood swings really down to our father taking a mate?" Aro pushed, knowing he was winding Carlisle up and enjoying it just a little too much.

Eleazar knew what Aro was doing. "Leave him be, Aro. This will end badly," he warned his younger brother.

Aro shrugged. Like his sons, Aro firmly believed sometimes the punishment was worth the enjoyment of the crime.

"Fine, you keep pushing and we will see how funny you find it when Basileus takes you in hand ...or maybe he will use the situation as a chance to have Atia flex her metaphorical muscles and ask her to take you in hand!" Eleazar knew their father too well.

 _Fuck, that sounds exactly like something Basileus would do!_ Aro thought, swallowing hard as he did so.

"I won't let her lay a finger on me!" Carlisle appeared horrified by the suggestion.

"Well that won't be up to you, will it brother?" Aro reminded the stressed young man.

"You should give Atia a chance Carlisle. She could prove quite useful in sticky situations with Basileus if these two are anything to go by." Eleazar said as he gestured to his eldest two nephews.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felix snapped.

"We all know you pair have gotten away with murder, literally!" Eleazar replied. "Sully tempers Aro without having to say a word. If it wasn't for your mother, you Felix, would be whipped bloody weekly, I recon."

Aro applauded his brother's assessment, much to his boy's dislike.

"I'm surprised you are so relaxed about Atia to be honest, Aro. You know Atia's gift is to prevent the gifts of vampires in close proximity. I would say you rely on yours most of all." Eleazar pointed out as he returned the now discarded books from their small gathering.

"Really? Is that how it works?" Felix asked, finding himself suddenly liking the woman even more.

"Don't get too excited, she won't be around all the time." Aro commented menacingly.

"We can finally test out Felix - see if his strength is a gift or natural ability." Eleazar added, giving the lad a wink.

"He has no natural ability!" Demetri interjected with a smirk.

"We can do the same with your speed." Felix returned the same smirk his brother had offered.

"No need, that's all me, no gift at work there." Demetri crowed.

"No gifts, period!" Felix replied, sounding more spiteful this time.

Aro fixed them both with a glare. "Settle down," he warned.

"Does Atia's gift block our father's, too?" Carlisle asked his brothers eagerly.

Before Aro could answer, Eleazar jumped in, "Yes, I believe so," he replied, shaking his head curtly to Aro who looked confused.

 _I am sure Basileus said Atia couldn_ _'_ _t block his gifts,_ Aro thought. _I wonder if he wants to keep such information from Carlisle for now_?

Carlisle positively glowed hearing his father no longer had unfettered access to his thoughts. Felix, too, and Demetri seemed to find relief in the knowledge, also.

Aro and Eleazar shared a knowing look.

Hearing the church bells chiming in the town reminded Eleazar of the time. "I thought Magnus was coming? Where is he?" he asked Aro.

Aro nodded. He had arranged to meet Magnus and Freyr today. "Go and find him," he ordered Demetri.

"Why me?" the young guard whined. _Magnus is the very last person I want to find,_ _for fuck sake_.

"Why you? My gifted tracker? Erm ... let me think!" Aro pretended to contemplate his reasoning.

"Fine." Demetri replied as he hauled himself out of his chair and flashed from the room.

"Erm, why is Magnus coming?" Carlisle asked, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

"I asked him to come. We need to run through the last week." Aro said easily, before noting how uncomfortable Felix and Carlisle suddenly looked as they threw nervous glances to each other.

"Why, would you like to admit to anything before he arrives?" Eleazar pressed, having recognised the same change in demeanour.

"No, no, nothing." Felix replied.

 _Guilty as hell!_ Aro thought whilst beckoning his son closer so he could read his thoughts. "Come here."

Felix shook his head and pressed himself into his seat. "I said there was nothing!"

"Leave him be, Aro. It will be more fun if we wait for Magnus." Eleazar told his brother whilst shaking his head to Carlisle and Felix.

"I like your style, brother." Aro relented as he withdrew his own hand.

"Why do you look so agitated?" Eleazar asked Carlisle as he took the seat opposite him.

"Please tell me you two didn't cause any trouble last night? Please!" Aro sighed. He knew Basileus' idea to go along with Felix being dragged into his brother's mess was a bad idea, _but one night!_ He thought, _how can you have fucked up in one night, you were only gone three hours_! Aro scoffed whilst quickly reminding himself of all the other occasions since Felix had joined him where he had created monumental fuck ups in far less than three hours.

"We went out, we had a good night, and we came home. Nothing happened." Felix confirmed confidently. He was a much better liar than Carlisle, having been well prepared through the many and various scrapes he'd had to lie his way out of in the past.

"Though I'm still pretty pissed off with being treated like a child!" Carlisle added, sounding like a child!

"Tell me about it." Felix agreed, though he was used to it, and technically a child - Carlisle had been humiliated by Basileus in Felix's opinion.

Eleazar also agreed that his father had been unnecessarily harsh. "I did think it was a bit off Basileus telling you to be home by midnight."

"Well thanks a lot for standing up for me, brother!" Carlisle shot back, wishing that someone, anyone had backed him up the night before.

"Hey, I'm not one for throwing myself into the firing line unless it's important. I thought it was off, but if you have done something ... " Eleazar let his voice trail off as he looked again between Felix and Carlisle.

"I haven't" Carlisle argued back.

"So Felix has?" Aro asked, hoping to catch his brother out.

"I didn't say that." Carlisle replied quickly. Too quickly.

"Would you like to run to Sully and Atia now? Or do you think you will have time to seek your reprieve after Magnus informs us of last night's shenanigans?"

"Fuck off, Eleazar. You aren't my father." Carlisle replied hatefully.

"This is going to be interesting." Eleazar commented to Aro, choosing to ignore Carlisle for now.

"Indeed, El." Aro agreed.


	56. Lucky Escape

**AN:** I am so sorry about the delay in posting this up, I have no excuse other than Christmas festivities are taking up all of my time! I will hopefully get the next chapter up in a day or two to make up for my lack of posting!

* * *

 **LUCKY ESCAPE**

"Oh fuck," Felix exclaimed quietly as the library doors swung open, allowing Atia, Carmen and Sulpicia to walk through with Basileus following.

"So this is the library! I think this is the most beautiful room in the castle!" Atia gushed. They had walked every flagstone of the castle and it had taken all morning to complete with Atia wanting a full historic breakdown of her new home. The library was the last place to visit.

"Shame about some of the portraits," Carmen commented, looking at the painting of Caius and Athenodora.

Atia caught Carmen's comment. Basileus had only told her how kind and generous of spirit his daughters were. Atia had already banked a good few comments that pushed Sulpicia and Carmen over to 'mean girl status', and she certainly didn't approve. _Most unbecoming_ , she thought. Atia had also noticed how taken with her that her new daughters appeared to be and decided to try and manipulate better behaviour from the pair. She was sure Basileus would agree with her once she explained her observations.

"Is this Athenodora?" Atia asked, walking over to Carmen who wore a look of disgust looking at the painting.

"Yes, she keeps to herself mostly." Sulpicia confirmed.

"Thankfully," Carmen added.

Again, Atia ignored Carmen's jibe. "Is she not lonely in her quarters, alone?" she asked with concern.

"Hopefully," Sulpicia replied, linking arms with Carmen, who giggled in response.

Atia tilted her head to the pair of them and wore a stern expression. Sulpicia noticed first, amusement quickly dissipating seeing disappointment written all over Atia's face.

"Do you mean that?" Atia asked them.

"Well, you know, she's not the nicest of people," Sulpicia attempted to defend her position.

Carmen scoffed. _Understatement,_ she thought. "Athenodora is an evil piece of work. She and Caius are a good match," she stated confidently.

 _Hmm_ , Atia thought, _Carmen will be the hard nut to crack_. _Challenge accepted,_ she told herself. "Interesting." Atia said, nodding sagely. "Do tell me more," she added as she took a seat near Athenodora's portrait.

The younger ladies mimicked her movements and joined her at the small side table, although Sulpicia already felt far less confident in her presence.

Having hung back to overhear the exchange between his mate and daughters, Basileus now strode over to his sons.

"What's happened?" he inquired, seeing half the small group avoiding his eye and the other half scowling.

"Nothing," Aro replied sarcastically.

Eleazar huffed, "Apparantly."

Basileus looked to each in turn. "So, why are you all so quiet?" No response.

Basileus rolled his eyes. He had spent the entire morning traipsing behind the ladies of Volterra and had been looking forward to more lively company. "Where's Magnus, I haven't missed him and Freyr, have I?" he asked, hoping the two of them could offer some light relief.

"No, no, they will be along shortly. I sent Demetri to find them." Aro replied just as the doors to the library opened again.

"Speak of the devil!" Basileus said to himself. "Magnus my friend, how are you?" he boomed as he crossed the room to great the new Masters of the Guards.

"I am well, my lord. Although I would like to speak with you ... in private." Magnus responded with an eye on Carlisle.

Aro caught Magnus' look and followed his eye line to Carlisle. "Sweating now, little brother?" he commented slyly.

"Fuck off, Aro!" Carlisle whispered angrily.

"I don't think I have ever seen a vampire sweat before!" Eleazar commented, taking in Carlisle's appearance.

"Fuck off, El!" Carlisle said a little louder as he wiped at his brow.

"I have" Aro replied to his elder brother. "Extreme exertion or enormous stress. And, he isn't exerting himself so ... " Aro was finding far too much humour in the whole situation in Carlisle's mind. Aro was honestly far more concerned about the extent of Felix's involvement.

"You are worse than Demetri!" Felix commented to Carlisle as his brother joined them.

"Have you told them, then?" Demetri asked in surprise.

Eleazar laughed as Aro shook his head. "And so the plot thickens," they agreed.

Felix jabbed his little brother hard in the ribs. "Demetri, you dick! You should worry about your own confessions, brother!"

Aro exhaled slowly as he fixed his two sons with a deadly glare.

 _Oh fuck,_ came their combined thoughts.

Across the room, Atia was still quizzing Sulpicia and Carmen, both of whom were now feeling ashamed of their hostility towards Athenodora thanks to Atia's innocuous questions around their behaviour.

"So, in three years you have hardly spent any time with the woman at all?" Atia asked, acting shocked.

"I suppose not, no." Sulpicia acceded.

"Yet you have an unspoken agreement to ensure Marcus is brought out of himself regularly - you visit him, yes?" Atia pushed, to show them the inequality of their good doings.

"Yes, that's right." Sulpicia agreed, though she couldn't look Atia in the eye.

"Seeing Marcus is easier; it just sorts of fits into our week." Carmen tried to explain, though even she thought it sounded more like an excuse.

"You have to pass Athenodora's suite to get to Marcus, yes?" Atia questioned, as though she was unsure of the layout of the North tower.

"Yes." Carmen replied nervously.

Atia tilted her head at the younger woman again and allowed her expression to convey confusion in Carmen's agreement. She gave Carmen just enough time to begin to question her own actions before she continued.

"Basileus has mentioned to me that relations with Caius are to be prioritised. Or do I have that wrong?" Atia pushed. She knew she wasn't wrong, of course.

"No, no, you are right. I guess I didn't see Athenodora as part of that, really." Sulpicia replied, feeling like a chastised little girl and wondering how Atia had achieved that with just some simple questions.

"Oh, I would have thought a happy wife would make Caius easier to deal with. It would surely lighten Aro's load."

Guilt. That's what Sulpicia felt in droves. "I guess you are right."

Atia smiled warmly. "I have yet to meet Caius ... or his mate. Can I count on your support when they return?" she asked them, sounding like she genuinely needed their accompaniment.

"Of course, my lady." Carmen readily agreed, suddenly wanting to make things right with Athenodora and realising that, essentially, Athenodora had never done her a scrap of harm.

"Certainly." Sulpicia said quietly, feeling low.

"Wonderful ladies, wonderful." Atia gushed as she gestured for them all to join the men.

Basileus slapped a hand on Magnus' shoulder, delighted to see the new master. "What can I help you with, my friend?"

Magnus looked around the room furtively.

Basileus immediately understood this needed to be a private conversation and had the two of them move to the very back of the large library.

"As you know, Aro has appointed Freyr and I as Masters of the Guard and things are going well in the guard hall. We are throwing parties every week or so and to date none of those parties had gotten out of hand," Magnus began, feeling very uncomfortable having to have this conversation with the creator of vampire kind.

"To date ... " Basileus repeated. "Meaning last night's party did get out of hand?"

Magnus nodded sadly. "It did, my lord."

Basileus released his breath in a long drawn out fashion. He knew this would be about Felix and Carlisle. "And, how do you usually deal with the guards when things get out of hand?" Basileus asked.

"Well, last year when I began in this role, I may have had to slap a few of them around a little to stamp my authority. I threw one or two into the newborn cells for the night. That was enough. I tend to follow Aro's lead for discipline rather than Caius' brand," he said with a small smile. "But hey, I'm a big guy. Usually the threat of punishment from me is enough."

Basileus laughed at the hulking great man. "I can see that Magnus; I tend to have the same effect myself."

Magnus nodded knowingly. Size wise, there was less than half a foot between Magnus and Basileus and the creator was the only member of the coven Magnus had to look up to.

Becoming more serious, knowing he had to get to the cause of the master's distress, Basileus pushed on. "What changed last night?"

Magnus sighed, wondering if he should just let it go, "This is where things could get a little awkward, my lord."

Basileus shook his head. "We both know you are talking about Carlisle. Be straight with me, my friend." Basileus told him warmly, putting Magnus at ease.

"Yes, Carlisle did cause quite a storm," he replied whilst rubbing a hand around the back of his neck, feeling stressed to be having such a conversation with the creator. "Aro has given me free reign over the guards, including his children. I can't say I am entirely comfortable punishing Felix or Demetri, and even less so the twins, but when called for I do my job ... and it is my job. But Carlisle ... he isn't a child, and he isn't a guard. I tried to contain him, but he made it quite clear that I had no jurisdiction over him. He even went so far as to say that whilst he was around, I had no jurisdiction over Felix either."

"Oh, he did?" Basileus commented, eyes turning black and face thunderous.

Magnus quickly interjected. "I don't blame your son, my lord. I wasn't prepared ... that is my failing. I would prefer to be prepared next time he comes to the hall. It's a pleasant place to be now and I don't want that to change. I didn't want to disturb you all last night with it being Atia's introduction to the coven, so I let it go, but ... " Magnus trailed off, having nothing more to say and not wishing to actually divulge Felix and Carlisle's behaviour.

Basileus could feel his temper ready to flare but managed to bring himself under control. "What would you have done with Felix if Carlisle hadn't been there?" he inquired.

"I would have tanned his hide and dragged him home to Aro, who no doubt would have repeated the job."

Basileus nodded. _Yes, I have no doubt that he would_ , he thought with a smile to himself.

"I want you to treat Carlisle as you would Felix from now on." Basileus decreed.

Magnus wasn't so sure about that. "My lord ... ?" he asked, warily.

"I am sure, Magnus. You need to have those guards under complete control and I won't have my son being the one to undermine you. You deal with him severely. Felix and Demetri, too, for that matter. They hold high positions in this coven and they must be held to a higher standard. Right now, we need to focus on something else, though. We cannot have you losing the guards respect because those two idiots think they are above the rules."

Magnus nodded. "I am concerned about that, I must say."

Basileus considered his options for a moment. He wanted to knock his son into next week for being so damn insolent and potentially destructive. _But, that won_ _'_ _t help Magnus_ , he thought. "Here's what we shall do. Our conversation never happened. We talked about daily running, you gave me a full break down of the situation with Antonio and all that went on there. Carlisle and Felix will think they have had a lucky escape and they will come to the guard hall again tonight. Wait for them to act up, and then whip them both and drag them back to my tower, kicking and screaming if you must. Pair of damn ingrates! They won't get away with such insubordination, Magnus."

Magnus looked relieved to have the creator on side. "If you are sure, my lord. I will announce another party whilst we talk."

Basileus threw an arm around the man. "Wonderful. I will fill Aro in on the details later," he said as they made their way back over to his family.

"Just read their minds, Aro." Eleazar prompted, not wanting to wait any longer to find out the bother his brother and nephew had caused.

"Hey, he can't just read my mind, he's not above me!" Carlisle returned angrily.

"Erm, yeah, he is." Eleazar replied, with just as much attitude as his little brother, growing more and more frustrated with the angry young man.

"Is he fuck!" Carlisle huffed.

"I really am. Hierarchy, remember?" Aro sang out as he reached with his hand theatrically.

Carlisle jumped out of his seat and moved away from his brother. "Don't touch me! You aren't reading my mind."

Aro scoffed. "Calm yourself down. I can't read your mind if Atia's here, can I?!"

Carlisle looked relieved. "Basileus' gift won't work either." Carlisle whispered to Felix happily.

"For the love of the gods, will you pull it together. You are throwing us both into the fire!" Felix growled to him quietly.

"Magnus, will you join us?" Aro called out as his father and the new master approached, making space for him on the sofa where he sat.

"Certainly, Aro." Magus agreed, Demetri, Felix and Carlisle all shooting worried, pleading looks to him.

"So, last night?" Eleazar prompted.

"What about it?" Magnus asked with a broad grin.

"Well, these two are acting rather shiftily and we were wondering if you could shed any light on that." Aro pushed.

"Me? What would I know? I'm just a guard." Magnus replied with a smirk to Carlisle as he used the same mocking tone the younger vampire had used against him the night before.

Eleazar appeared confused, as did Aro. "Like hell are you just a guard! You are a master of this coven and they were at the guard hall last night - with you. So, what do you know?" he asked again.

"What can I tell you, Aro? There were no surprises last night. Carlisle looked after Felix, I had nothing to do with either of them," Magnus looked pointedly to Aro as he spoke.

Aro could tell something was going on. "Oh! Understood," he replied, letting Magus know he knew there was more to this but listening ears would have to be removed before he could speak freely.

The boys and Carlisle looked less convinced. "I have also given Basileus a full run through of the events with Antonio, you know, just in case Caius were to ask him anything I wanted to ensure he knew how things were from my side." Magnus commented.

Carlisle and Felix released a nervously held breath hearing that Magnus hadn't been grassing them up to Basileus.

Demetri, however, didn't relax - he knew his deeds would be revealed soon and he was just waiting for someone to blurt out his crimes.

"Aha, also, understood." Aro replied. _So Basileus knows, and you will both tell me later. Got it_ , he thought.

"Shall we have a drink?" Aro asked, eyeing up the small barrel Basileus had brought in with him.

"God, yes!" Carlisle replied. He needed something to settle his nerves and quickly jumped up to join Aro in retrieving the goblets.

Felix hung his head. He was hung over to hell from the night before and doing his absolute best to keep it hidden from all in attendance.

Eleazar knew his nephew well. He'd spotted his hangover when they met up that morning ... so had Aro, for that matter. "So, are the guards all hung over today?" he asked with a hand on each of Felix's shoulders, giving him a squeeze.

 _Please don_ _'_ _t ask me El ... just don_ _'t_ _,_ Felix thought pleadingly.

"Some more than others, El." Magnus replied, looking straight at Felix. If he could blush his face would have been blood red by now. "Though I have been asked if they can continue last night's festivities tonight."

"I'm surprised there's enough bloodwine left to keep them going!" Aro said as he passed them with full goblets for the ladies of Volterra.

"I limit drinks to the guards – I can make it stretch that way. Besides, I have a few barrels of wine to go with the blood. There should be enough for them to have a good time at least." Magnus revealed.

"So you have agreed to it?" Basileus asked, offering goblets to Magnus and Eleazar.

"I know how to manage my guards." Magnus replied confidently.

"Give them bread and circuses," Eleazar noted with a smile.

Magnus nodded happily. "Exactly!"

Gutted to have missed out on the night before, Demetri plucked up the courage to ask if he could attend. "Magnus, may I come tonight? Please?"

Magnus took a gulp from his cup and turned to face him. "Has it been a week already, Demetri?" Magnus asked the boy. He knew it hadn't.

"What's this?" Aro inquired, boring holes into the top of Demetri's head as his son cast his eyes to the floor.

"I was waiting to see if he would tell you himself. I take it he hasn't?" Magnus prompted, giving Demetri a final chance to confess his crimes.

"Told me what?" Aro asked Demetri forcefully.

"We are all ears, Demetri." Eleazar added, giving the lad a shake as he sat next to him.

"Come on son, the floor is yours." Aro dared him dangerously.

Demetri didn't speak, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor and hoping it would open up and swallow him. _You didn_ _'_ _t grass on Felix, you bastard,_ _Magnus_ _,_ he thought.

"He has told me already, Aro. I will talk with you later, my love." Sulpicia sang out from her table with Carmen.

"Lying for them again, my queen?" Aro sang out in mild annoyance.

"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, my love." Sulpicia replied with the same tone.

Aro extended both arms wide. "That would be the 'mother buffer' at work, my friends," he told his brothers, with a tinkling laugh following. Eleazar joined him, even Carlisle raised a smile.

Eleazar nudged Demetri as he took a seat next to the boy, "Luckily for you," he told him sternly.

Magnus leaned forward to catch Demetri's eye. "I suggest you talk to your father first, but you are welcome in my hall from tomorrow ... not today," he told the boy kindly.

Aro scoffed. "Not today, NOT tomorrow, not for a while," he told his son, who shrank back in his seat, and leaned into Eleazar.

Felix saw his chance. "But we can go, right?" he asked his father.

Aro was about to put Felix straight. _I know you have fucked up monumentally, boy. I may not know what you have done ..._ _yet_ _... but I will find out soon_.

Before Aro could answer, Basileus coughed, drawing his son's attention and nodding to him.

Aro furrowed his brown. _Why are you letting them go back out,_ he wondered. "You can, apparently," Aro agreed, thought he wasn't sure why he was agreeing.

"I don't need your permission to go anywhere." Carlisle replied, shooting daggers to Aro.

Basileus tapped his youngest on the shoulder. "You need ours," he told Carlisle as he turned around to face him.

"Ours?!" Aro said quietly to Eleazar, both thinking that it hadn't taken long for Atia to get her feet under the table.

"I'm going." Carlisle said, sounding very resolute.

Basileus stood back to his full height, intimidating his young son.

"I'm going!" Carlisle insisted, sounding a little more teenage than resolute the second time.

The hairs on the back of Basileus' neck stood on end with the anger he felt towards his bucking boy. _I could happily slap you down right now son_ , he thought. "You say you don't need my permission and yet you are still seeking my approval." Basileus told him dangerously. "You won't get it speaking to me like that."

Carlisle heard the warning. A brief look around the room and he realised that everyone was watching him, waiting to see if he dared go up against Basileus. _I'_ _m not that stupid_ , he thought, knowing full well that Basileus would think nothing of punishing him for his disrespect there and then if he didn't concede.

Swallowing his pride, Carlisle addressed his father quietly. "May I go to the guard hall?" he asked.

Basileus raised his eyebrows.

"Please." Carlisle added quickly.

"Certainly." Basileus replied, hoping his plan would work and he'd have Carlisle back in line soon.

Carlisle chanced another look around the room. He couldn't take the knowing stares he received back. "Come on," he called to Felix, who happily scurried from the room with him.


	57. Revelations

**AN:** I doubt I will get another chapter up before Christmas, so I want to wish you all a lovely festive period, however you choose (or not!) to celebrate it :)

* * *

 **REVELATIONS**

Atia came up behind her husband and curled her arms around his waist. "Why are you being so hard on Carlisle?" she asked.

Turning in her arms and returning the embrace, he smiled sadly. "I need him in line," he said plainly.

"And, is there reason to think he won't be?" Atia pushed. They had only spoken briefly about Carlisle's odd demeanour, having not had much time alone yet to discuss things properly.

"I believe Magnus and Freyr have the answer to that." Basileus said, turning them both to face the rest of their family.

"Maybe this conversation would be better somewhere more private?" Freyr said awkwardly, not relishing the idea of talking over the details of the previous night in front of so many people.

"Not at all." Basileus dismissed as he and Atia took a seat.

Magnus welcomed Freyr into his own seat and took over proceedings. "They drank a lot, far more than any other guards, and refused to stop. They were wrestling on the main floor and managed to get a few other guards involved. Two sofas and a table were broken in the process."

Magnus took a look over to Sulpicia who seemed so sad to be hearing of her son's defiance. Aro, however, looked ready to rage.

Freyr fixed her eyes to the floor as she took over. "I caught the pair of them 'sharing' another guard between the book cases at the back of the hall," she admitted, grimacing at the memory of finding the two ... or rather three ... of them.

"Sharing?" Sulpicia asked, confused.

"Sexually, my lady." Freyr told her quietly.

"One at each end ... " Magnus confirmed.

"Oh!" Sully gasped, feeling ashamed of her eldest child.

"Felix and Carlisle?" Carmen asked, as though it were the combination that made no sense.

"Yes, my lady." Freyr confirmed, gloomily.

Demetri couldn't help but snigger. This was so much worse than anything he had done!

"Do you think this is funny?" Aro snapped at his son, black angry eyes turned on Demetri now.

"It's a little bit funny," he confessed, stupidly.

"OW!" he exclaimed as Eleazar brought his hand down hard on the lad's thigh.

"Stop!" he warned him, and continued to whisper about how serious this matter was to Demetri as the others talked.

"Quite frankly, when they left at midnight I breathed a sigh of relief but they were back within the hour and it all started again as soon as they returned." Magnus said, not realising that Felix and Carlisle had been told to be home by midnight and were not supposed to be going back out!

"What time did they leave the second time, Magnus?" Basileus asked, feeling his own rage bubbling to the surface again.

"I'm not sure. Around three, maybe four in the morning?" Magnus guessed. It had been a bloody long night trying to keep the two of them under control.

"Seriously?!" Aro asked, wondering how the hell Felix had managed to slip out undetected.

Sulpicia looked mortified that her son could do such a thing. _He has done so well recently, why would he do this_? she questioned.

Seeing how furious all in attendance were and wanting to save to save Magnus, Freyr grasped her mate's hand. "Please don't blame Magnus for not alerting you last night, my lord. We didn't want to ruin Atia's first day with the coven ... "

Basileus raised a hand to silence her. _The blame is nowhere near your doors my friends_ , he thought. He turned a kind smile to the woman. "Freyr, I understand, and I appreciate that." Atia, too, offered her gratitude.

Aro flashed to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Basileus asked him calmly, betraying none of the shame he, himself, felt over his son's behaviour.

"To fetch my son!" Aro snapped. "I cannot believe you let the two of them go!" Aro was fuming at his father. _What the hell where you thinking_?! Aro thought angrily, intending for Basileus to hear him.

"No, Aro. We need to let this play out. Magnus needs to reassert his authority on the guard hall and I need Carlisle to know he isn't lord of this manor."

 _You are using my son, you bastard_! Aro thought in reply.

A single raised eyebrow from his father had him change his verbal reply. "You have planned this, then?" Aro shot out, thoroughly annoyed.

"Trust me, son." Basileus said confidently, though he didn't feel it.

Aro flopped back down into his seat. He really didn't like this.

Neither did Basileus, for that matter, but he'd started this train of events so he had to push things along now. In an effort to distract himself, Basileus topped up everyone's bloodwine. It was after that that he heard Demetri's frantic thoughts praying no one would mention his fuck up in Basileus' chambers when he'd left for England. Basileus narrowed his eyes to the boy who looked everywhere other than at the imposing creator.

"Demetri, come and sit with me for a moment." Basileus called out, moving only a few seats away and turning his back from the rest of the group.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_! Demetri repeated to himself. "Am I in trouble?" he asked in trepidation.

"You tell me, lad, you tell me." Basileus replied lightly, whilst patting the seat next to him. "I heard something yesterday about you ... " Basileus started.

Demetri was still waiting for the ground to swallow him up.

" ... and two guards ... " Basileus continued as Demetri started to stress.

 _Oh, please not in here. Take me home at least, please,_ he thought.

Basileus hooked a finger under the boy's chin and forced him to look up, "and my bed," he finished darkly.

Aro looked up, he'd forgotten about that.

"Oh!" Demetri exclaimed, as though he had also forgotten. Basileus had heard the boy's head swimming with the memories of his crimes, so he knew it was false. "That was last year!" Demetri whined, as though it was a good defence.

"I don't really care." Basileus replied, much to Demetri's relief.

"Thank the gods," he sighed, relaxing into his seat.

Crack!

Basileus whacked Demetri across the back of his head bringing tears to the young lad's eyes. "No, Demetri. I don't really care that it was last year, not that you treated my chambers as your personal brothel – I care very much about that!"

"Basileus, don't be so cruel." Atia called over, hearing how harsh and threatening his tone was.

"I'm not being cruel!" Basileus held his hands up in defence.

"You are trying to humiliate him and there really is no need." Atia expanded. "Besides," she continued, "I am sure Aro would have dealt with Demetri at the time, yes?" Atia said, turning to her new son.

"Erm, no. I didn't." Aro admitted, much to everyone's surprise. Everyone except Basileus and Eleazar, they knew Aro hadn't done anything about it.

"So you think it's perfectly fine for your son to use my chambers for his twisted little fantasies, do you?" Basileus asked gruffly.

"Of course not!" Aro replied, less than pleased that he was coping flack for Demetri's conquests. "You said you were only going to be away a few months so I thought I would leave him for you ... " Playing with his rings nervously, he added, "I had a lot going on that day."

"Could you add another week onto his hall ban, Magnus?" Basileus asked.

"Make it a month." Aro added before Magnus could reply.

"That's not fair!" Demetri complained, loudly.

Basileus smirked. He knew how to handle the lad. Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, he pulled Demetri over his knee and raised his hand high. "Your choice," he said as he landed a single sharp smack to Demetri's upturned rear.

"No, no, no!" Demetri wailed in response, partly from the pain, but mainly from the humiliation of being reprimanded (and spanked of all things!) in full view of his entire family.

"The ban then?" Basileus offered for a final time.

"Yes please, thank you." Demetri's words rushed from his mouth, still facing the floor and hanging precariously over his grandfather's broad lap.

Basileus hauled the boy up. "Then we shall continue this in private."

Demetri mumbled something in response and ducked, expecting another slap for his comments. Luckily for him, Basileus hadn't heard him, his gift already concentrated on trying to access his mate's thoughts and what Atia was making of his rather 'interesting' family life.

"Isn't that the day Felix tried to pick a fight with me?" Magnus asked, thinking back to how he saw Demetri waltz into Basileus' suite whilst he was bringing in barrels of bloodwine.

Aro shook his head. "No, it was day we came up with Antonio's exit plan! Felix picked a fight with you the day after – the idiot!"

"Poor thing could hardly sit a week!" Sulpicia added, feeling sorry for her eldest for a moment before she remembered how much recent trouble he had brought to her door.

Freyr slapped her husband's arm. "Magnus!" she exclaimed at him harming the young guard.

"That can't have been my doing, I only spanked him," he said to his wife, truly not realising his own strength.

Demetri scoffed. "That would be enough from you," he said petulantly, having received 'only a spanking' from Magnus for his attitude in the guard hall less than a week ago.

"I think it was a joint effort, my friend." Aro added, avoiding his wife's eye and fixing Eleazar with a glare for good measure.

"Hey!" Eleazar responded to the disgusted look he received from his brother. "Felix bit you! That could hardly go unpunished and you were in no state to do it!"

"He did what?!" Basileus boomed, forgetting Demetri for a moment, who slunk away from his grandfather's obvious rage.

Magnus and Freyr were also surprised to hear of Felix biting his father. _Now it makes sense_! Magnus thought, remembering how shocked he had been when he saw the damage to Felix's backside when he'd had to punish the lad the same day.

"Show me!" Basileus ordered his middle boy.

Aro sighed, but walked over to his father anyway. He gave Eleazar a good kick in the shin on his way past. "Idiot," he growled under his breath.

Turning his back on the rest of their gathering, Aro rolled up his sleeve. It had been a good six months since Felix had lost his damn mind and bitten his father, and all that could be seen now was a silvery outline of the boy's mouth in Aro's left forearm.

Basileus pulled his arm roughly so he could get a good look at his son's war wound.

"Dad, listen, it was ... "

"Shut up." Basileus quietened his son as he was busy reading his memories.

Aro's heart sank as he realised what Basileus was about to see. Sure enough, Basileus pulled Aro between his legs and turned him around.

"Jesus! Is there any need for this?!" Aro complained as Basileus set to lifting his shirt.

"Felix did that?" Basileus questioned in shock. "He actually took a chunk out of you?"

Aro sighed, glad he was facing away from the rest of his family. "We had a lot going on, it was dealt with at the time."

Basileus traced the ragged contour of Aro's scar. "Felix bit you down to the bone and you let him go out to play," he said flatly, clearly disappointed in his son's handling of the situation.

Aro pulled himself free of his father's grasp and set to redressing. "That is not what happened!"

Basileus raised his eyebrows, waiting for his son to offer a better explanation. "I had lost a lot of blood, okay. Eleazar punished him ... severely!"

"Bloody hell, Aro - let it go!" Eleazar complained loudly. He had suffered six months of Aro's bitterness over the hiding he'd given Felix.

"No, El! There was no need for you to use your full strength on him!" Aro shot back, this argument had been a long time coming and he was ready for it.

"I didn't see you resisting at the time, brother." Eleazar spat back.

"Well, that would have completely undermined you wouldn't it, and like you say, I was in no position to take over. If I had thought for a moment that you would be so vicious I would never have let you deal with him!" Aro knew his bravery was partly fuelled by the bloodwine, but he didn't let that hold him back from airing his dirty laundry in front of everyone.

"You used your full strength on the boy?" Basileus questioned, getting to his feet. _That_ _'_ _s just as bad as Aro doing nothing,_ he thought furiously.

"It was called for and I am done explaining myself." Eleazar replied before turning his back on his father.

Bad move.

 _You think you can turn your back on me? You think you are ending this conversation? Ah,_ _ah_ _... not a chance in hell, son_.

"Come with me." Basileus called out.

"ME?!" Eleazar asked in shock. "You cannot be serious!"

"NOW!" Basileus ordered, deafening everyone else in the room.

Eleazar stormed past his father, purposefully barging his shoulder into Basileus on the way.

Basileus was hot on his heels and had caught up before Eleazar was clear of the library. "You had better be careful," he whispered menacingly.

"Why are you doing this?" Eleazar shot back under his breath. "Prick!"

Basileus took his son by his arm and took him along at his own vampiric speed to the south tower. As Basileus' speed was far greater than Eleazar's maximum capacity, he pretty much dragged his son back to the Volturi family tower where he slung Eleazar, unceremoniously, into the ground floor chambers.

"You have just humiliated me in there!" Eleazar roared.

"Think yourself lucky I brought you here. I had half a mind to thrash you in the library!" Basileus returned before disappearing into his bed chamber. Eleazar got to his feet and brushed himself down.

"Half a mind is right," he whispered angrily.

Naturally Basileus caught it. When he came back brandishing a razor strap, Eleazar instantly regretted his words. "I'm sorry. It's just all this with Carlisle ... I'm out of sorts, that's all."

Basileus approached, paying no attention to his son's babbled excuses. "How dare you use your full strength on Felix!" he spat, flipping the strap from one side to the other.

Eleazar gulped down a mouth full of venom. "He had just bitten chunks out of Aro, or are you forgetting that?" His words were far more forceful than his tone, which dripped with nerves.

"You could have broken him!" Basileus roared into Eleazar's face.

"You've done that to us plenty of times." That was his last defence. It was crap.

Basileus was done with his boy's excuses. "Take that off," he told his son, gesturing to his long dress coat.

Eleazar shook his head in disgust, but obliged. "Are you really saying he didn't deserve it?" he asked his father.

"He deserved far more from Aro," Basileus confirmed. "But no, he didn't deserve for you to use your full strength on him. He's a child for god sake!"

Eleazar knew there was no way out now. _At least going through this will bring an end to Aro_ _'_ _s bitterness over the whole thing_ , he thought.

Draping his coat over the chair, Eleazar looked to Basileus, waiting for further instruction.

"And the rest," he said simply.

Eleazar's eyes flew open. "Bare?"

Basileus smiled.

"No way! I'm not a child, don't be so ridiculous!" Eleazar scoffed. _There is no way in hell I am submitting to such a childish condition_.

"Oh, you will." Basileus ground out as he slammed Eleazar into the wall, pinning him upright with a hand held fast on his shoulder. His free hand set to work on the fastenings of his son's clothing.

"You have made your point, dad!" Eleazar whined as he tried to pull himself free, sure his shoulder was about to buckle under the intense pressure Basileus was applying.

As his son's britches fell to the floor, Basileus slammed Eleazar over the table, in much the same way as he had seen Eleazar do to Felix in Aro's memories. "Let us see how well you can take your own medicine, son."

Eleazar gulped. "You can't use your full strength on me – that is not remotely the same! You are a demi god!"

Basileus laughed. "You should have thought about that, son. I expect you will next time."

CRACK!

Basileus threw every ounce of strength into one blow of his strap.

The table buckled and fell to pieces, along with Eleazar, and Basileus who landed on top of his son!

"AHHH! FUCK!" Eleazar roared, repeatedly, as he tried to disentangle himself from both his father and the shattered table. "I think you've made your point, dad." Eleazar spluttered. Even though he had a stripe of fire across his ass, and good god it hurt, he couldn't help but laugh at the state they were both in.

Basileus rolled onto his back. "So long as I have," he said, before bursting into deep chuckles, too.

Once they regained some composure, Basileus hoisted his son from the floor. "Get dressed, I'll clean this up later."

Eleazar obliged, relieved that his father wasn't going to continue.

"I'm going back to the library, you can move Carlisle's things into your quarters before you come back, please."

Eleazar continued to laugh. "What! Wait," he called out, as if suddenly hearing his father's words. "You don't mean that surely," he spat as he fastened his coat.

"Oh, I do. I could help you of course, but we will end up smashing your table, too, if I am forced to ... " Basileus allowed his words to sink in whilst he watched his boy having an internal war, daring himself to refuse. "Don't El. Just don't." Basileus warned with a hand on his belt buckle.

That was all it took for the fight to dissipate. Eleazar made his way to his brother's room, silently fuming over the audacity of his father's decree whilst hissing loudly from the pain in his ass with each step.


	58. Out and About

**AN:** Thanks SM for sharing your world and letting us play with your characters.

I'm just going to leave this one here and run back out before the hate mail arrives... Carlisle and Felix are bad, so bad. It's not my fault. Sorry.

Happy New Year everyone!

* * *

 **OUT AND ABOUT**

"This is dangerous. I don't like this, Carlisle," Felix complained as he changed his clothes.

Carlisle watched him from the doorway to Aro's bedchamber. "It's only mid-afternoon, we have hours before the guard party will start. Do you really want to go back and play happy families in the library?"

"No, definitely not!" Felix replied as he dressed himself in one of Aro's shirts and dress coats.

"It fits!" Carlisle exclaimed, as though it were some sort of omen.

Felix knew stealing Aro's clothes to go on a bar crawl was a bad idea. _Either one of those things is a bad idea ... let alone the two_ , he corrected himself. Checking himself out in his parent's mirror, Felix decided there and then that he was going with Carlisle. He looked good. Really good. He couldn't remember the last time he wore anything other than the black guard uniform.

Carlisle came behind him. "It's on my head, Felix, not yours. You won't get the blame for this," he said, confidently.

Felix scoffed at that. "Have you even met Aro? If you think I'm not in this up to my neck you are deluded!"

Carlisle walked to the door and opened it wide for them both to leave the tower. "You are always up to your neck for one thing or another, Felix."

Wearing a cocky smile Felix had to agree.

They stayed silent as they moved through the castle. They didn't pass a single guard.

"Good fortune is shining on us today!" Carlisle crowed as they left the castle grounds.

Felix felt exhilarated! He had never been to the ale inns surrounding their home, ever. He knew Aro would find out. _He always finds out_ , he thought, _but for now he doesn_ _'_ _t know and if I am going to end up having my ass handed to me I am going to make it worth it_! Felix-logic in perfect working order again.

Carlisle looked less happy than Felix did.

"Why are you so pissed off about Atia?" Felix attempted to broach the reason for Carlisle suddenly becoming his best buddy.

"What makes you think this is about Atia?" Carlisle replied defensively.

Felix laughed. He was king of acting stupid because he was pissed off, he could recognise it a mile away. "You are purposely fucking with Basileus because he's taken a mate and he's going to hand you your ass in a sling for it."

Carlisle shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about. Atia has nothing to do with this."

Felix smirked and nudged his uncle. "I know it's about Atia. You know I know. I know you know I know. And we know Basileus knows!"

Carlisle returned the nudge, though his was harder. "We're a knowledgeable family," he said, laughing. Though he didn't confirm anything.

"You know I don't have any money, right?" Felix said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"I have money." Carlisle waved away his concerns.

"Where is it from?" Felix asked with trepidation. He knew Carlisle didn't have any money of his own.

"If I don't tell you, you aren't implicated" Carlisle breezed easily as his rattled his money pouch.

"Oh for fuck sake," Felix exclaimed, bringing the two of them to a halt. "It's Basileus' isn't it." Felix accused. Carlisle didn't answer. "It is though, isn't it? Don't answer, just don't." Felix threw his hands to his head and started to pace. _Fuck, we are in so much trouble already and we haven_ _'_ _t even gotten to the inns yet. Oh my god, Aro is going to fucking flay me_!

"If they gave us money we wouldn't have to take it." Carlisle said easily.

Felix quit his pacing. "I can see that one working when Basileus is tearing a strip off us."

Looking around, Carlisle could make out the bar he had in mind to start their crawl. "First ale house." He pointed out in the distance. "Are you in or out?" he asked a now stressed looking Felix.

Closing his eyes and knowing he was already in for a world of pain for all he had already done, he sighed. "I'm in."

…

Not long after Basileus had returned to the library, Sulpicia took her children home.

Demetri felt like a well chastised little boy every time he had glanced to his mother on their walk there. Once they were safely inside their private rooms, he plucked up the courage to speak. "Sully, I need to talk to you."

Sulpicia rounded on her son. "Yes, you do. What have you done for Magnus to ban you from the guard hall?"

"Oh, that." Demetri's heart sank. He didn't want to talk about that right now. "I may have mouthed off to Freyr," he admitted, biting his lip, "and I pushed Magnus," he added. "But that's all of it, I swear. I didn't see the point in bothering you and Aro with it."

Sulpicia scoffed. "Evidently!" she replied sarcastically.

"Magnus hit me really hard, mom." Demetri said dramatically, trying, and failing to get his mother on side.

Sulpicia rolled her eyes. "And, your other little stunt? The one that saw you over your grandfather's knee in front of our entire family?"

Aro hadn't told her about Demetri taking the guards into Basileus' suite when it happened. _I will be having you about that, dear husband_ , she thought.

"I have taken all the shame I am willing to feel for you and your brother today and it's only the afternoon!"

 _Oh man, she is so pissed off_ , Demetri thought, hearing his mother rage at him. Such an occurrence was rare. Rare, but not unheard of.

"Go to your room, Demetri." Sulpicia ordered, collecting her book from the table.

"But I really need to talk you about Felix and Carlisle." Demetri pushed. He didn't want to disobey Sully, but this needed to be said.

Raising her eyebrows to her boy's defiance and approaching him slowly, she replied. "You should be more concerned for your own hide right now, not theirs."

Demetri had the sense to look to the floor submissively at least.

"You heard Basileus ... there is method to this madness, apparently." Though Sulpicia didn't believe any good was going to come from sending Carlisle out again to cause even more trouble and she was fuming that Aro had allowed their son to be used in this whole charade.

"Yes, but that revolves around Felix and Carlisle screwing up in the guard hall ... and they aren't in the guard hall." Demetri blurted out.

"What?" Sulpicia questioned, hoping she'd misheard.

"They have left the castle. I felt them leave." Demetri confirmed, referring to his tracking gift.

Dropping the book and grabbing hold of both Demetri's arms, Sulpicia shook him a little. "Where are they?" she asked, sounding frantic.

"I can see an ale house," Demetri replied, wincing at the force of his mother's hold on his arms.

"Where?" she asked again, more forcefully this time.

"I wouldn't know without going out to track them, I just see an ale house!" Demetri whined as he tried to pull himself free.

"Should I tell Basileus?" he asked quietly, not relishing the idea of grassing his brother up to the man, but genuine concern would force him to if he had to.

Sulpicia shook her head and fetched their cloaks, handing them out to her three children.

"Please take the twins to Marcus and see if you can all stay with him until I collect you," she told Demetri.

Jane and Alec smiled and put on their cloaks. They enjoyed seeing Marcus; they could get away with far more with him than they could Aro, and he never told on them either.

Demetri was considerably less pleased. "I don't need a babysitter," He huffed, sounding very much like someone who would need a baby sitter.

Sulpicia knew she didn't have time for one of Demetri's tantrum. Ripping the cloak from his hands and swinging it around his back she addressed him sternly. "Demetri, if you want me to help you with Aro you will go to Marcus, and you will behave impeccably whilst you are there."

Demetri's shoulders slunk but he allowed himself to be pulled from their chambers and out to the castle floor.

"Go!" Sully ordered before flashing to the library.

…

"I received word this morning that Caius and Athenodora are due to return. They should be with us within the week." Aro told his father.

They, along with Eleazar, Carmen and Atia were seated in the library. Actually, Eleazar stood - understandably.

"Good, good. I wasn't overly enthused at the idea of having Marcus and Caius out on separate quests at the same time. There is safety in numbers."

Aro rolled his eyes. _Always so conservative_ , he thought to his father. "I think we have enough vampires in attendance to cover coven safety – and that's excluding the 30 or so guards tucked away inside the castle."

Basileus wasn't convinced, but he wasn't cruel enough to remind Aro of the relatively recent attack on the castle by a whole hoard of vampires that killed his own sister and a good ten guards.

"You two could still go with Marcus, you know?" Basileus said, turning to his eldest son and mate.

"It's fine, Dad, I told you already." Eleazar replied quietly.

Basileus watched Carmen's reaction. She seemed so disappointed and the thoughts he intruded on confirmed it. "I think you should go," Basileus said, sounding resolved.

Seeing Carmen perk up convinced him it was the right thing to do.

"But what about ... " Eleazar began, only to be cut off by his father.

"Eleazar, I said you should go."

Carmen looked desperate for her husband to agree, but she understood the family dynamics. "It would be most impolite to leave just as Atia arrives," she said, hoping someone ... anyone ... would disagree.

"Oh nonsense, my dear. We will just have even more to talk about on your return." Atia replied, waving away her concerns.

"Fine, we will go to Greece." Eleazar agreed.

Carmen's excitement was palpable as she dived up from her seat and embraced her husband.

Aro felt a little jealous. He could hardly remember the last time he left the damn castle. "It's not just a holiday El, there are outposts that need looking in on, ear to the ground and all that," he said moodily.

"I know the drill, little brother." Eleazar returned, patronising Aro a little.

"You and Sully should take a break from the coven for a while," Carmen told her brother-in-law, knowing Sulpicia would jump at the chance for some time away from the castle and all the pressures of Aro's work.

"I have too much to do, my dear," Aro replied, feeling sorry for himself again.

"That's true. And, you have made your job even more troublesome if what I have heard is correct?" Basileus asked.

Aro fretted a little, wondering what he had done now. "What's that then?" he asked nonchalantly, keeping his concern from his face.

"I believe you announced to the guards that Felix and Demetri are your sons?"

Aro released his deep held breath in relief. "That was last year."

Basileus smiled to himself. Only earlier that day had Demetri used the same excuse. "Have there been any repercussions?" Basileus asked, looking to Eleazar, too, in the hope of a more impassionate response.

"No. I have had to remind Felix and Demetri to tone it down a little, but I haven't revoked it. Haven't had to." Aro shrugged.

Eleazar nodded along.

"Caius has let it go unchallenged?" Basileus pushed.

"Caius has been too busy grieving his loss to worry about my sons' status." Aro replied with another shrug.

The shrugging was getting on Basileus' nerves. "Hmm, I expect he will return having gotten over his grief - so be prepared."

Aro rolled his eyes. "I know, and I am. I have told them both to stay under the radar when he gets back. I know how to deal with Caius!"

Basileus thought back to the very many times he'd had to intervene in relations between Caius and his son and did a mental sigh at what was, no doubt, another coming storm.

Everyone's attention turned to the library doors swinging open with a frantic looking Sulpicia standing behind them. "My love, there may be a problem with Felix and Carlisle. They have left the castle," she blurted out as she flashed towards her husband.

"WHAT?!" Aro exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Basileus asked, hiding the broil of emotions circulating inside him.

"Demetri." Sulpicia confirmed. "He can see an ale house but would need to leave to track them. For now I have sent him and the twins to Marcus' chambers." Sulpicia was visibly upset, which only escalated Aro's agitation.

"Your plan has backfired spectacularly," he accused his father, rather viciously.

Basileus bit the inside of his mouth in an effort to distract himself from his son's vitriol - he couldn't react to it; he knew he deserved it. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves. If we give them enough rope ... " he started to attempt to placate Aro, but Aro wasn't having that.

"I don't want to give my son any rope. I want him safe! I want him home! This is between you and Carlisle," Aro spat back, pacing the short distance between his own vacated seat and his father's.

"Felix is going along with it of his own free will." Basileus reminded his son.

"Free will?!" Aro repeated in anger. "He's a bull-headed teenager going along with a supposed adult who is telling him this shit is okay!" Aro was half yelling now, all pretence of calm, and there wasn't much to begin with, was now lost.

Basileus knew Aro was about to blow and they would both live to regret that. Getting to his feet and matching Aro's stance, he shoved his son lightly. "If we go out there and drag them back it will only fuel their belief that they are the wronged party rather than the wrong doers."

"We can't just sit here whilst they run about Italy on a bender!" Aro, stupidly, pushed Basileus back!

Bad move. Aro saw his father's eyes blacken. _Shit_ , he cursed himself.

Quickly looking to Atia, who's witnessing of Basileus performing a veritable smack down would cause him the most shame, Aro noticed her pulling on her cape.

"Where are you going?" he asked, hoping to deflect his father's attention, at least.

"Whilst you two stand about arguing, I will go and find Felix and Carlisle." Atia replied plainly, as though she were addressing children and not the creator and king of the vampire world.

Aro thought that was just as ludicrous as it was for his father NOT to go on the search.

"No, no, no ... "

Atia soon hushed him, and to Aro's surprise, he felt compelled to shut up.

"I will find them, and I will watch them. So long as they are under no threat, I will leave them to their own devises and follow them home. If something happens I will bring them home myself."

Aro scowled at the women, feeling patronised by her tone. "Are you going to allow this?" Aro asked his father in shock, mainly surprised that the man hadn't left already!

Basileus smiled mischievously to his boy. "Atia has certain talents that suit her to the task."

Aro, along with his wife, Eleazar and Carmen all turned to face Atia, who had apparently disappeared ... clothes and all ... only for a moment, and then she reappeared in the same space!

"Wow, amazing!" Carmen was amazed and voiced everyone's thoughts.

Sulpicia still was concerned. "Felix is very strong. Very."

Atia smiled kindly. "Not when I am around, my dear." Waving away her concerns. "I suggest you all abide by the original plan unless I bring them home myself. That way something can be saved from this evening." Atia reached up and kissed Basileus. "Goodbye, my dear."

Encompassing her in his huge arms he told her appreciatively, "thank you for doing this."

Atia smiled, as though it were nothing. "And to think I worried family life would bring an end to my adventures," she said, and then disappeared again, leaving to persue her new family members.

…

Felix and Carlisle had managed to get through five ale houses hours since they had fled the castle. They had already been far too free and easy with their vampire abilities in the first two inns, raising eyebrows of the villagers drinking there. By the time they made it to the third bar, both had drunk so much ale that their stomachs were full and they had to vomit before they could consume anymore. Naturally, for vampires, both had blood in their systems and seeing two incredibly well dressed and unbelievably handsome young men throwing up thick blood-red ale had caused the patrons some distress.

Felix, being younger and more susceptible to alcohol, particularly considering he was hardly over lasts nights' intake, became too rowdy in the inn keeper's opinion and he was asked to leave. Felix allowed himself to be forcibly escorted from the bar but accidentally snapped the barkeep's arm in the process.

Carlisle, in his drunken, state found the whole thing highly hilarious.

By the time they entered the fourth inn, both Felix and Carlisle were gunning for a fight. They swaggered into that bar eying every man in there with malicious intent flowing through their glares.

Even though he was well dressed and with an impressive stature, Felix still looked young and a few of the tavern patrons thought they could take on the youth when Carlisle and Felix refused to pay for the ale they supped.

Felix had long forgotten that he was supposed to conceal his vampiric identity and allowed the fools to punch him, increasing in force until one snapped his wrist against Felix' marble-hard torso.

The humans had no sense of the pair being vampires, though they knew what the mythical beings were. They did peg Felix, along with Carlisle, as 'other', as 'mystical', with the qualities of a witch or some sort of demon.

Though Carlisle had enjoyed the release of his frustrations through the floor show Felix had provided, hearing 'demon' thrown around and directed at the pair of them brought an end to his fun. He was instantly transported back to the many occasions he'd been chastised by the pastor, who frequently used the same term.

"We need to leave, Felix." Carlisle said abruptly, shaking with the strength of the memories whirling around his head.

Felix seemed not to hear his uncle, nothing registered on his face as he continued to goad the humans who had now formed a minor mob in response to the boy's impassive damaging of their friend.

"Felix!" Carlisle shook his nephew roughly. "We are leaving! Come on!"

Hearing Carlisle growl, the humans stood back. His feral, guttural noises scared them, and as fear so often does, the mood within the group of dangerously ill equipped humans turned to an angered frenzy!

Being run out of the ale house hadn't been the intention when Felix and Carlisle had walked in there, but if you could have asked either of them, they would have to admit that they found the chase exhilarating.

The fifth, and final inn on Carlisle's hit list for their bar crawl contained rooms to let above the bar. The sort of rooms that are let by the hour or so, depending how quick you were.

Carlisle paid for two rooms, one each for himself and Felix. He felt no remorse over the immoral position in which he had put his young nephew. Indeed, the logical side of his brain was so impaired by all he had drank over the last couple of days that he thought proving how immoral both he and Felix were to Atia would hopefully scare the woman away for good.

Felix had been bang on the nail over why Carlisle was acting so disproportionately petulant to his usual manor and in his mind, at least, Basileus had pushed him there by taking a mate. He hadn't considered, for even a moment, his father's own happiness in all of this, having sunk into a self-centred, self-destructive mode from the moment they'd left England.

Basileus was sure the good pastor's death would have, at least in part, caused his son's personality transplant.

The only times Carlisle had considered the pastor at all he pushed the memories deep down inside, and he had refused to talk to Basileus at all on the matter. The reason for this wasn't as Basileus had assumed – Carlisle didn't blame Basileus at all. It was his own lack of guilt over his human father's death that, oddly, made him feel guilty!

Felix couldn't care less for his uncle's motivations, he was having one hell of a time on the back of Carlisle's mutinous behaviour and this sort of opportunity rarely presented itself to the young guard ... even in his over-privileged, if slightly stifling, coven life.

Felix had stripped off and lay spread out on the well-worn bed before his purchase had even closed the door.

"My, oh my! You are a big boy," the woman swooned.

It was rare she had cause to service handsome young men, and for a change the sultry overtones to her voice and sexual sway as she walked towards her bedfellow were born of genuine desire.

"You are so cold," she told him in surprise. He felt dead to the touch, and hard like stone.

Felix's laughter reverberated around the room. "I need warming up, that's all," he said as he pulled the waif-like whore on top of him.

She bothered her lip. _I cannot believe I have landed this gorgeous hulk and Bea has had to take Pollo, again. I can hear that rancid old fool grunting through the walls! Poor_ _Bea_ , she thought as she looked the adonis in her bed up and down.

"I can help you with that," she replied quietly, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Felix laughed again. "I'm sure you can."

Less than half an hour later, Felix was leaving his room, though not in a post-coitus haze as predicted.

"CARLISLE!" he roared as he threw his uncle's door open.

Carlisle lay on his back whilst his whore sucked on his cock. "Felix, what the hell ... " Carlisle leaned up on his elbows - nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes.

Felix stood in the open doorway wearing clothing only from the waist down with every inch of exposed skin doused in blood.

"Ahhhh!" Carlisle's whore began a muffled scream, her mouth still full of Carlisle.

Wide eyed and panicked, Carlisle held onto his whore's head and forced his cock deep into her throat to quiet her screams. It only took a few moments before her gurgling subsided and her twitching limbs became limp.

Carlisle's eyes flew frantically from the bloodied-up Felix to the dead whore in his lap, back and forth like a frightened child. "What happened?" he hissed as he threw the lifeless woman from the bed. Flashing to the door, he pulled Felix inside.

"I, I, fucked the whore to death!" Felix admitted, eyes full of regret, utterly disgusted in himself. "I drank her blood," he mumbled, as though that wasn't obvious by his eyes alone ... which Carlisle noted had already taken on the red hue of human blood consumption.

He decided not to tell his nephew about that right away.

Carlisle ran his hands through his hair. _What the fuck am I doing_? He questioned himself as a moment of guilt burst through his self-centred façade. He ripped the sheet from the bed noticing how heavily stained the threadbare coverings were and wondering what possessed him to lie on the damn thing as he threw it to Felix.

"Wipe the blood off. We need to get out of here."

Before Felix had made much progress, Carlisle was dressed. "You're a vampire for god sake - hurry up," he called as he peered out the door. Seeing the landing was clear, he flashed to Felix's room to retrieve the boy's boots and coat. Seeing the state of his nephew's conquest, he fell back into the wall.

Blood splattered the walls and even the eves above were dripping with the tempting red liquid. The whore, what was left of her, laid splayed out on the broken bed – hips smashed with one leg barely attached. Her face was missing as though Felix had eaten away at her flesh. The scent of the blood was so strong, so alluring.

Carlisle felt his throat burn with desire for the succulent blood. _I have to get out of here_ , he told himself as he bundled Felix's clothes into his arms and flashed back to his nephew.

"Where are we going?" Felix asked, still in a daze with blood crusting around his hair line.

"Home, Felix. We're going home." Carlisle told him, plainly, as he pulled the boy over to the window.

With a final look over his shoulder Carlisle scanned the room for any forgotten belongings. Seeing the young woman he'd murdered lying carelessly on the floor gave Carlisle cause for pause. _No, its too late anyway, I need to get Felix out of here_ , he told himself resolutely.

They jumped out of the window, free of the inn and the horrors they had left behind.

The evening sky was clouded and gloomy. As the fresh rain pouring from the heavens washed away the last of the blood, the reality of the situation hit Felix in a mountain of shame. He was ready to cry.

"I can't face Aro yet. I can't," he told his uncle, knowing what waited for him when they returned to the castle.

Carlisle laughed. Not a happy laugh, no. A nervous laugh that only served to prove to himself how utterly fucked they were.

"Nor can I. We need a drink first. Nobody knows we were here, we can still go to the guard hall," he suggested as they started to leave the scene of their crimes.

 _The guard hall,_ Felix thought, _are you fucking joking_! "Carlisle, I really fucked up." Felix stated the obvious. He was still half dressed and looked a slouched, sorry state.

"Nobody knows, just keep your mouth shut." Carlisle placated.

Felix shook his head; he knew better than that. "Aro will know, Basileus will know," he glumly replied without even a glimmer of hope to his tone.

"No they won't, they only look for things they think they already know. Just don't think about it and they won't find it in your head."

Felix stopped walking and pushed Carlisle. He didn't really know why; he certainly didn't blame his uncle but he was frustrated with the guy's blasé attitude to the whole situation – to everything, in fact.

"Don't think about it? I just fucked someone to death!"

Carlisle ignored his nephew's physical stance. He knew Felix wasn't angry. _He's_ _upset, he'_ _s just a kid_ , he thought. Throwing an arm around the boy and starting them both walking again, he told him, "Well, we can learn from this. Human whores are a no go. We will stick to vampire whores."

Felix laughed despite himself.

As Carlisle pulled Felix along, they soon hit a steady vampire run.

As she watched her new son and grandson leave the scene of their crimes, Atia returned to her physical state. "Well, well boys, what a deliciously interesting adventure you have had."

…

Carlisle had to dress Felix when they reached the woodland surrounding their castle home. He also had to convince the trembling young guard that his father wouldn't kill him and that they may as well go to the guard party and have a drink whilst they could still walk ... which really didn't ease Felix's fear in the slightest!

"Good evening, your Majesties." Magnus greeted with a mocking bow as the pair strolled into the guard hall.

"Magnus." Carlisle replied abruptly, eying up the guards on offer for round two.

Magnus zoned in immediately on Felix's eyes. "What happened to you, young one?" he asked caringly, trying to move the lad over to the side of the hall where a desk was set up for dealing with guard administration.

Felix resisted. "Nothing, nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." Felix bristled under Magnus touch and tried to pull away.

Magnus held him steady and looked into his glowing red eyes - he could feel the boy's anxiety.

"Your eyes are bright red! What the hell have you done?" Magnus asked, drawing the ear of every guard in the hall.

"What?!" Felix asked in shock. _They can_ _'_ _t be red already, surely not,_ he thought whilst shooting an angry, panicked look to Carlisle who hadn't told him of the state of his eyes.

"Here, drink this." Carlisle ordered gruffly, handing Felix a goblet of bloodwine.

Magnus pushed Carlisle away and focused on the young guard. "Felix do you need to talk?" he asked with a hand on each of Felix's slumped shoulders, choosing not to comment on his attire - he had never seen the lad in anything but the black guard uniform and he recognised instantly that his jacket belonged to Aro.

Felix shook his head and knocked back the bloodwine Carlisle had offered in one, hoping it would steady his nerves and maybe even change his eyes back.

Carlisle attempted to put himself between Felix and Magnus, though to Carlisle's strength, Magnus felt like the immovable force.

"No, he doesn't need to talk to you, he's fine." Carlisle replied, his jaw set tight and amber eyes beginning to blacken. If Carlisle thought his temper flaring would cause Magnus to back down, he was mistaken.

Magnus placed his open hand on Carlisle's chest and walked the younger man towards the wall. "I wasn't asking you, Carlisle."

Magnus was brimming with confidence, something which had alluded him the night before when he'd been totally caught off guard upon encountering Carlisle's attitude. He slammed Carlisle into the wall next to his desk, resulting in an audible huff from the angry blond as his lungs involuntarily emptied by the force.

Magnus didn't relax his hold and Carlisle swore he was blushing as the attention of every guard turned on the cocky, stubborn son of the creator being taken in hand.

"I'm his uncle, if he needs to talk he can talk to me," Carlisle spluttered as he finally managed to breathe.

Magnus just shook his head and laughed. Then he spotted Felix trying to draw another goblet of wine from the barrel. "You aren't having any more to drink," he called over his shoulder.

If Felix had heard him, he chose not to listen as he knocked his drink down in one.

"Felix, I said no. Now back off." Magnus had to release Carlisle to prevent Felix taking a third cup. Slapping the boys hand away from the barrel, hard, caused Felix to drop his goblet to the floor. "Go home." Magnus told him gently. He could see Felix was in a bad way.

Carlisle swaggered over and placed a protective arm around his nephew. "We aren't going anywhere," he spat at Magnus.

Magnus laughed in his face. "This is my guard hall. If I say you are leaving - you are leaving."

Carlisle looked around the hall. Every vampire in attendance was listening to this conversation – if nothing else, his pride wouldn't allow him to back down now.

"You can't pull rank on me, Magnus. I am above you," he said, and then corrected himself, pulling Felix in tight. "We are above you."

Magnus fixed his eye on Carlisle and shoved Felix to the side. "Not in here you're not. And I dare say, outside of here you're not." Every step Magnus took forward, Carlisle took one back until he was against the wall again. "You can leave now or I will escort you out."

Of course, Carlisle ignored the Master of the Guard and made to walk around him. Not that he got very far.

Magnus slammed Carlisle back against the wall and pinned him in place, holding Carlisle's left arm above his head. Carlisle's whole left side was exposed and without the protection of his pined arm - he knew what was coming and he felt incensed as Magus easily removed his belt with his free hand.

The physical difference between the two men was staggering and Carlisle blustered in his humiliation. "You will regret man handling me, Magnus, I will be ... " CRACK!

"Do you think I will regret that?"

Magnus smirked as Carlisle did his level best to hide the pain. A slash of fire burned across the side of his unprotected thigh.

CRACK! "How about that one? Will I regret that one?" Magnus asked matter-of-factly.

Closing his eyes, Carlisle bit into the side of his mouth to distract himself from the sting.

"Do you want some more?" Magnus whispered. Even his voice pissed Carlisle off.

CRACK! Magnus delivered another searing lash of his belt, this time across the very tender area to the side of Carlisle's stomach.

That one caught him out. Carlisle hadn't expected a strike there and released a high pitched squeak in response before he hurriedly got himself back to his stoic facade.

"Take your fucking hands off me!" he ground out through his tightly set jaw. He could taste his own blood running to the back of his throat from where he'd bitten a chunk from his cheek.

Magnus cocked his head to the side and seriously considered giving Carlisle a proper belting there and then. _No_ _, he'_ _s not ready to take that from me._ He considered reading the broiling emotions emanating from the young man in his grasp.

"I think you need to take a break before I'm willing to deal with your attitude." In a single fluid movement, Magnus flung Carlisle over his shoulder, much to the other guards' delight, and to Carlisle's eternal shame, with hooting and jeering!

Felix hadn't watched Carlisle being taken down, his fear for his own ass was a greater worry right now. He grimaced hearing the guards cheer but was startled at suddenly being snatched up from his seat by his neck.

"Walk!" Magnus ordered gruffly.

Carlisle tried to lean up to a less humiliating position but as soon as Magnus felt the young man shift his weight he planted a single swot as hard as he dared to Carlisle's rump before pushing up on his legs, forcing him to dangle unceremoniously over the master's shoulder.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You are going to regret this!"

Magnus laughed heartily. "Yes, you have said that already. Let's see if you're right, shall we?" Magnus breezed through his gravelly voice as he lugged Carlisle along.


	59. Regrets?

**AN:** I do not own the twilight world, thanks SM for sharing.

I hope you are all enjoying the start to the new year :)

* * *

 **REGRETS?**

Felix's shoulder slunk even lower, if that were possible. "Where are we going?" he asked quietly, wishing Magnus would remove his vice like hold on his neck.

"The library." Magnus told him, flexing his grip slightly.

Felix gasped. He had assumed they would be going to the tower. "Is everyone still in there?" He whined, praying for privacy to greet them.

As Magnus felt the lad's misery and then hope, he laughed to himself. "I believe so, young one."

 _No, no, no, no_ _! I can_ _'_ _t face that! No,_ he thought as he tried to break free of the master's grasp.

Magnus flipped him round and threw him against the wall.

"I don't think so Felix," he said as he took a handful of Aro's dress coat that Felix still wore. As he started to drag him along, he reminded Felix whose clothes he wore and what would happen if they tore in his attempt to flee.

That was enough to have Felix walk along very carefully with the Master of the Guards, so as not to cause the slightest of damage to Aro's coat.

Felix opened the doors to the library and after quickly checking that his entire family, except for his siblings, and oddly, Atia, were in attendance, he decided it was best to face the floor for as long as possible.

Magnus delivered a still thrashing Carlisle into the centre of the seating, right at the feet of his father and dumped him on the floor.

Felix traipsed over behind them and remained staring at the floor.

"Are you going to stand by and let him do that?" Carlisle asked his father in an audacious manner from his ground position.

CRACK! Basileus whipped the back of his hand across his boy's face.

CRACK! CRACK! Then the palm and the back of his hand again. Three slaps delivered with such force that Carlisle daren't move - not just from the floor, but from the rather crumpled position in which he'd been delivered. Although, in his pride battered state, he did mumble "Cunt!", resulting in Basileus slapping him again across his disrespectful mouth.

Sulpicia flashed to her son, checking him over for any sign of harm. Cupping a hand under his chin, she felt the tears streaming freely down his face. Bringing his face up to hers, she immediately released her hold and staggered backwards.

"Aro, his eyes!" she exclaimed. "You have red eyes." She was so disappointed with what she saw.

"You broke MY blood ban?!" Basileus half shouted, now thoroughly concerned with just how far the two of them had taken things, and by extension, just how much fault for the whole mess was at his own door.

Aro flashed to his son and dragged him to the fireside for better light, not that he really needed it with his vampiric vision. Aro's jaw set tight, nostrils flaring, growl rumbling low in his chest "Why are your eyes red?"

Felix flinched hearing how guttural his father's voice was ... not at all like Aro.

"Felix 'fucked the whore to death'," Atia announced, answering Aro's question as she appeared in the centre of the scene. "I am quoting," she added simply, whilst removing her cloak.

Sulpicia looked ready to die from shame and Felix and Carlisle weren't far behind the poor woman.

Eleazar had stayed silent so far. To say he was surprised by Felix's actions would be an understatement, but his anger was fully directed at his little brother. Seeing Aro ready to snap his nephew's neck, he wanted to help the boy and went to stand with him, in case he needed any protection.

"And you drank her blood?" Aro ground out, venom spewing with his words.

Felix's tears hadn't yet abated since he entered the library. "I didn't do it on purpose," he snivelled - a rather pathetic defence.

Aro took a deep breath, trying to steady his anger. He failed. "You. Are. A. Damn. Idiot!" Each word was punctuated with a slap across his son's head.

Felix took it. He didn't move. He didn't react at all, aside from the odd hiss.

As Aro forced himself to fall back, Eleazar pulled his nephew close. The fragile boy continued to cry. "Felix isn't the idiot here, Aro," he told his brother sternly.

"I will second that." Basileus agreed, turning his glare on Carlisle again, who was still on the floor.

Carlisle looked back in disgust, earlier reprimand long forgotten. "How did you know what happened at the inn?" he asked Atia, his whole body vibrating from his rage.

Atia remained unperturbed as she linked her arm through Basileus', and stood tall. First she showed Carlisle her gift, disappearing and reappearing before him, and then she answered. "I was there, my dear. I saw Felix obliterate that poor human and consume her blood in his drunken climax. I saw him burst into your room in a state of utter panic and I saw you choke your poor human on your own penis. And then I dropped down from the window and the two of you passed me by as you jumped out the same window, half-dressed, splattered with blood, and tore away from the scene of your crimes."

She wasn't sneering as such, that would be unbecoming of a lady like Atia. She was far more matter-of-fact about the whole thing, as though delivering a report. Not that it mattered, Carlisle still saw red at being followed and grassed on!

"You fucking bitch!" he roared as he dived from the floor, fully intent on taking her down - consequences be damned!

Every other vampire in the room held their breath, all expecting Basileus to step in and wallop Carlisle before he had the chance to reach Atia. Instead he stepped aside, leaving his new mate to face the angry young man on her own.

Atia stood tall as Carlisle ploughed into her. She didn't fall with the force of his assault, instead Carlisle rebounded without so much as disturbing Atia's clothes. It appeared Atia's mental guard had a physical form, too!

Carlisle stumbled. He hadn't truly thought he would get to Atia. He, like everyone else, had expected to end up brawling with Basileus. Though now that his spike of anger had subsided that seemed to be an equally stupid idea.

"Silly boy." Atia told him simply as she dusted off her undisturbed dress.

Eleazar nudged Aro. "Something tells me we won't be privileged to the 'mother buffer'."

Despite the intensity of the events, Aro laughed. "Carlisle is going to combust at any moment," he replied though stifled giggles.

Seeing their father turn a steely glare on the two of them, Eleazar pulled his younger brother in close. "Don't be too hard on Felix, Aro. This is Carlisle's war, he's using Felix."

Aro nodded. He had been hoping to let Felix off with a decent round of fucks but he knew that hope was long gone as soon as he'd heard about the brothel. _Even your mother will want you punished for that, my boy_ , he thought as he looked to the sorry state that was his eldest son.

"I know that, El. I don't understand why Basileus is letting this go on, though," he whispered to his brother, though he knew Basileus could hear if he had chosen to.

"Then, you should talk to him." Eleazar prompted, stressing the 'talk' hoping Aro wouldn't make things worse by arguing with their formidable father.

"I intend to." Aro replied darkly.

"SIT, both of you!" Basileus called out gruffly.

Everyone knew he meant Carlisle and Felix. Carlisle obliged but Felix turned to Aro.

"You heard!" Aro ordered as he shoved his son over to his partner in crime.

Felix noted his father didn't sound nearly as pissed off with him as he'd expected.

Aro walked over to his father. _I don_ _'_ _t want to punish Felix in here, it isn_ _'_ _t fair on him_ , he thought hoping Basileus would hear. No reaction. _Damn your gift,_ _Ati_ a!

"Do we have to do this here?" he asked Basileus in a hurried whisper.

Basileus only raised his eyebrows in response.

"So you did hear me ... and apparently we do," Aro said to himself as he slunk off to Sulpicia.

"Give us the room, please." Basileus called out, though he beckoned Magnus over before he had chance to leave.

"Sulpicia, my dear, shall we collect your young ones from Marcus?" Atia asked kindly.

Sulpicia wiped a stray tear from her cheek before joining the woman and leaving, with Carmen and Eleazar following.

Felix called out to his mother as she walked by, but she refused to turn.

Magnus saw the hurt in Felix's eyes as she passed, and though it was deserved he still felt for the boy. Moving behind his chair he placed a hand on each of Felix's shoulders and used his gift to manipulate the lad's emotional state. Not too much, his distress was warranted, of course, just enough to take the edge off his fraying nerves and so he could get his tears under control.

"I need to return to the guard hall, my lord. Unless you have further need of my services?" Magnus asked Basileus once he felt Felix relaxing into his massage.

"Do you have anything you would like to add?" Basileus asked the Master of the Guards in return. Turning to Carlisle and Felix, Basileus decided it was time to tell them both that everyone knew the extent of their crimes now. "To be clear, boys, Aro and I were informed of your deplorable behaviour yesterday in the guard hall."

Felix's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as his eyes flew wide open in shock. "Fuck. I told you this was a setup," he whispered to Carlisle.

Carlisle ignored him. "Stop calling me a boy! I am not a boy," he half yelled to his father.

Aro interjected before Basileus had the chance, "You are an immature brat and you are about to be brought down from the high horse on which you sit."

 _Aro'_ _s much angrier with Carlisle than he is with me_ , Felix thought, with a glimmer of hope that he may be able to walk after his punishment.

Magnus cleared his throat to attract Felix and Carlisle's attention. "My guard hall is not a cheap whorehouse. Your invitations are revoked until further notice."

"It won't happen again, Magnus." Felix managed to squeak out through his shame.

"You know better than to cross me, young one." Magnus told him with a hand placed on his belt, making Felix shudder.

"Y, y, yes sir," he replied. Felix knew only too well what fucking with Magnus felt like.

Carlisle watched the whole thing with hate filled eyes and arms folded tightly across his chest, refusing to apologise as Felix had done. This did not go unnoticed by Magnus, nor Basileus ... or Aro, for that matter.

Basileus wasn't going to stand for that. "As it appears Carlisle is unable to offer you an apology now, I will bring him along to the guard hall after I have dealt with him so he can do so then."

Carlisle's face was thunderous, but still he refused.

Basileus shook his head. _I can assure you son, you will feel VERY sorry about all this quite soon_. "Thank you for your assistance, my friend." Basileus called out, signaling for Magnus to leave.

After showing the man to the door, and again apologising for their sons' behaviour, Aro pulled Basileus back to clear up a few things.

"So, how are we doing this?"

Basileus looked quizzically to his son. _Surely you know what to do_ , _Aro_ , he thought sarcastically. "I am going to belt Carlisle, severely, but first I intend to deliver a round of fucks to the two of them that Hades would be proud of."

Aro still seemed unsure. "I expect you will deal with Felix, yes? Unless you would rather I did?"

Aro shook his head quickly. "I will. Of course I will ... I just feel a little uncomfortable doing that in here ... with you ... and Carlisle."

Basileus tutted. "What's wrong with you?"

Aro shrugged. "It just doesn't feel right. Carlisle is my brother, Felix is my son."

Basileus put a hand on his son's shoulder and gave him a shake, "Aro, get your head together. Carlisle is insisting on acting like an irresponsible youth so he will be treated like an irresponsible youth. I need you to put your awkwardness aside."

Having Basileus staring deeply into his eyes only made Aro feel more uncomfortable, though he knew he was right. "Alright, no problem," he eventually replied.

Carlisle felt Felix fidgeting beside him and guilt flooded his veins knowing he was the cause for his nephew's upset. "I should have listened to you, Felix. I'm sorry I got you in so much trouble."

Felix chewed on his lip. "Aro is going to seriously beat my ass for this, Carlisle. And Sully, I've never not had Sulpicia on my side." Felix knew he had fucked up worse than this, much worse, and still lived to tell the tale. But something told him this was going to be a serious smack down.

Carlisle laid a hand on Felix's leg. "I will find a way to repay you someday," he said sombrely, seeing their fathers finishing up their conversation.

Felix smirked. "Someday could be today, it's a very minor technicality!"

Carlisle couldn't help but laugh at the lad, especially whilst he sported that damn goofy grin! Even when everything was stacked against him and impending doom was fast approaching, Felix could still crack a joke. Carlisle envied his nephew's positive spirit in the face of adversity.

"I may be a little busy defending my own ass today," he told him, sharing a final chortled laugh before Basileus and Aro stormed over with faces of thunder.

Aro took a seat opposite the pair.

Felix was quite glad his father wasn't in hitting distance for this 'talk'.

"Who's going to go first?" Basileus' booming voice rebounded around the room. "No offers?" he proffered. "No one?" he asked again as he paced in front of his son and grandson. "I'll go first then. Let's start with yesterday," he said as he came to a stop in front of them. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!"

That had the pair of them sitting up and paying attention.

"You drank yourselves into a stupor, you were fighting in the guard hall, you were FUCKING in the FUCKING guard hall!"

Carlisle and Felix looked to each other with the faintest trace of a smirk tugging on their lips upon being reminded about them 'sharing' a guard.

Basileus caught their small exchange. "Do you find this funny?" he accused the pair.

"No, no sir." Felix replied quickly, as he squashed himself into his chair in an attempt to create even the slightest bit of additional distance between himself and his grandfather.

"But you do?" Basileus said pulling on Carlisle's chin to look into his son's eyes.

Carlisle had no remorse, he wasn't willing to concede yet. "It's not like other guards don't fuck in the guard hall ... we weren't doing anything in there that hasn't happened a thousand times before."

Releasing his hold, Basileus shoved his son back into his chair. "You are held to a higher standard, you damn idiot!" he roared. Running a hand through this raven hair, Basileus had another thought, "Which guard was it?"

Magnus and Freyr hadn't told anyone that.

"I don't remember," Carlisle replied, grinning to himself.

"You two were caught hanging out each end of her and you don't remember who it was?" Basileus shot back, he wasn't a fool.

Aro scoffed from his seat, "We're assuming it was a her?" he asked his father sarcastically, looking over just in time to see Felix roll his eyes at his unfunny 'dad joke'.

Carlisle didn't find it so funny either, though his response had more vitriol to it. "Get fucked, Aro!" he spat to his brother.

Aro was on his feet and being held back by Basileus in a flash. "Hey, I'm not the one on a self-destructive rampage!"

Carlisle sat smugly knowing Aro couldn't touch him.

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot you had received your sainthood for the pious life you've lived!" Basileus shook his head as shoved Aro back into his chair before promptly turning on his heel and smacking his youngest son across his disrespectful mouth, again!

Aro struggled to sit still, he was too agitated. "If you have anything to say in your defence feel free to step in," he directed to his own son.

Felix looked ashamed of himself, the image of that dead whore plaguing his mind. "We made it home for your curfew yesterday," he offered.

"Yes, but you snuck out shortly afterwards, you deceitful little shits." Aro replied in a venomous tone.

"I'm sure we don't know what you are talking about, brother." Carlisle replied, though he couldn't hold eye contact with Aro as he said it.

"You are weak when you lie because it shows you aren't strong enough to face the truth." Basileus told the two of them sternly.

"I am not weak." Carlisle huffed.

Basileus scoffed in return. "Yes, you are Carlisle. Today you took your 16-year-old nephew on a bar crawl, ending up in a whore house."

Carlisle knew that sounded weak. _Damn it_ , he thought.

"You send your new woman to spy on us and I'm weak?" He returned, spitefully.

Basileus felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end, bristling with anger.

"Atia went out to find you and keep you safe, you ungrateful wretch," he all but spat back to his youngest.

"Ungrateful?" Carlisle questioned audaciously. "I'm supposed to be grateful to her for grassing me up to you?"

Basileus stepped up to his son, tips of toes touching, and loomed over his boy. "Atia is part of this family now and you will respect her."

Carlisle knew he should have backed down, in truth he knew he should have backed down days ago. He also knew no matter what he did or said now would make no difference to the whipping he had coming. "I don't need a mother figure, thank you very much," he huffed with arms folded tightly across his chest, avoiding all eye contact with anyone else in the room.

"You don't get a choice in the matter," Aro interjected, thoroughly fed up with his brother's petulance and wanting this whole charade over and done with so he could go home to his wife.

"Shut the fuck up, Aro!" Carlisle spat back. _Who the fuck do you think you are?!_ he thought angrily.

"Shut up? You are telling me to shut up?" Aro was back on his feet with his father holding him back. Basileus didn't have to put too much effort in, Aro wasn't stupid, he wasn't really going to touch Carlisle in front of Basileus ... not that Carlisle needed to know that.

"I'm not taking this shit from you. You are my brother, not my father." Carlisle replied, though the way he squished himself into his chair demonstrated he was considerably less sure of his words than his tone would suggest.

Aro clapped his hands together. "You're right! I'm HIS father!" he sang out, pointing to Felix. "You talked my son into disrespecting Magnus, I know for a fact he would not have gone along with that without you paving the way forward. He's too scared of Magnus, for one."

Felix had sensibly stayed quiet throughout the proceedings up to that point, but he couldn't let that one go. "I'm not scared of Magnus!"

Aro laughed lightly. "Oh really? Let's take you to him now then, shall we? He owes you a damn good hiding for yesterday's display!"

Felix wasn't expecting that. _Holy fuck,_ _no_! "No! Please? No way!" he stuttered as he spoke.

Aro shoved past Basileus and snatched Felix up from his seat. "I have no idea why you think facing me is the light option, but I intend to put that misapprehension to rest right now!"

Felix felt a flood of panic overtake his body as he tried to pull away from his father. As he slipped through Aro's fingers with the sheer force of his resistance, Aro gripped tightly onto the dress coat Felix wore - Aro's dress coat. The fabric tore before Aro had chance to release his hold.

Felix fell back into his chair and Aro, left with a fistful of his own torn clothing, looked dangerously close to erupting.

"Can we go home now?" Felix asked in tiny voice, one which would be more suitable for Alec to use than Felix.

Aro played with the tattered fibres in his hand, rubbing finger and thumb together until they turned to dust. _I never did like that coat; cheeky brat to just take it though_ , he thought.

"Please, Dad?" Felix pushed again, hoping desperately for a reprieve.

"Why? Are you hoping your mother will come to your aid?" Aro sang out as he slowly, and purposefully, started to unbuckle his belt. "Do you have any idea how utterly appalled and disgusted we both are by your behaviour?" he asked, speaking slowly and hoping the words sunk in.

Grabbing hold of his boy's face, he forced Felix to look him in the eye. "You fucked a girl to death, Felix!" Aro watched as tears filled those ruby red eyes and one or two trickled down his cheek. "Sully won't be coming to your rescue this time, and I believe she will have a few choice words to deliver herself when we get back."

That was it, full on water works erupted from Felix's eyes. He felt heartbroken to have upset his mother so badly. _Nothing you do will come close to how shit I feel already_ , he thought.

Though as his father pulled him from his chair and placed his foot on the seat, suddenly Felix wasn't so sure about that. Aro had Felix dangling over his knee and had brought his belt downward across his backside at least three times before anything had registered with his son.

Basileus had waited for Aro to start dealing with Felix before he decided to move in on Carlisle. As he removed his own belt, he could see his youngest boy starting to tense up.

"What are you doing?" Carlisle asked his father, horror in his eyes as they looked between Basileus and the belt now coiled in his fist. "You can't punish me here," Carlisle declared, as though he had a choice!

"What's the matter son? Do you have an issue with an audience?" Basileus asked as he took Carlisle the scruff of his neck. "I suggest you lower your britches. You will be paying a visit to the guard hall after this to properly apologise to Magnus. If you don't lower them, I will remove them and you will be walking in there without a scrap of clothing to save your shame."

Basileus' jaw hardly moved as he spoke, instead every word was delivered through gritted teeth with venomous spit escaping every so often.

"You can't do this! You are treating me like a child!" Carlisle whined, though he had the good sense to follow his father's orders and he unfastened his pants.

"You are acting like a damned child! NOW COME HERE." Basileus roared at his son as he swung him over the bench seat. There was no warm up; from the first to the last Basileus delivered biting strike after biting strike, eliciting shameful wails of pain from Carlisle.

Aro kept his back to his father and brother, and he also kept Felix from seeing too much. He found his brother's punishment at the hand of their father so distracting, and actually upsetting that he brought Felix's hiding to an abrupt end before he'd hardly began.

Felix couldn't quite believe his luck, to the point where he looked to his father questioningly.

Aro took Felix's hand in his own and raised an eyebrow, Felix knew he had to 'think' his question.

'Erm, is that it?' Felix questioned in his mind.

Aro smiled, a tight sad smile as he shook his head.

'Are you going to belt me we get back to the tower?' Felix questioned further, fearfully. He knew he deserved more than he'd received but he couldn't help but be scared about what Aro would do when they were alone.

Aro grimaced, he was so disappointed in his son for putting them both in this position in the first place. Hearing Carlisle's language become more and more colourful, Aro knew what would happen next.

As if like clockwork, Carlisle released a shrill scream as Basileus bellowed him out about controlling his mouth and delivered a series of rapid strikes to his son's upper thighs.

Felix tried to peer around Aro to see what was going on but Aro pulled him in close and held him tightly to his chest. "Don't watch, you will make it harder for Carlisle," he told his boy very quietly. Aro felt like shit being stuck in the middle of this, and even worse for having Felix there with him.

"Dad, when we get back to the tower ... " Felix started but Aro hushed him.

"You will be seeing Magnus first. And then Atia. Let us see how you do with grovelling to them before I decide what else I must do. We will be having a very long and detailed talk about all of this though, my boy ... of that out can be sure."

Felix nodded into Aro's chest, breathing in his father's scent, hoping it would calm him as Carlisle continued to be belted harshly by Basileus only a few feet away.

…

"Come here lads." Magnus called out as Aro and Basileus pushed their charges in to the guard hall. It was clear as day to every guard in there that the Volturi princes had taken a hiding recently.

 _Oh fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck_! Felix cursed himself. _Afraid of Magnus_? _Yes!_ _Very_ , he thought.

Basileus cuffed the back of his head for his language - even if It was inside his own head, he knew better.

Felix bit into his lip as he whispered a quick apology to his grandfather before flashing to Magnus' side.

"Aro, I believe we need to speak with Renata." Basileus said pointedly.

Carlisle felt his stomach flip. _So_ _, he knows the guard Felix and I shared was Renata! Great! That puts an end to that then! For fuck sake_!

Carlisle should have been far humbler in his well chastised state than he was, but he was so damn prideful that he just couldn't lose face. Doing his level best to hide the limp in his step, Carlisle attempted to swagger over to Magnus' desk behind Felix.

"Magnus, Freyr, I am sorry for the way I behaved last night." Felix spoke softly, though with a true heart. He had acted like an utter dick, knocking back as many goblets of wine and blood as he could get his hands on and throwing up all over the guard hall. It appeared his vomit had been cleaned up already, thankfully. He had dreaded Aro walking in to see the destruction they caused last night. The pile of broken chairs and book cases were stacked near the door and Felix knew Aro had spotted it all.

Magnus walked around the young guard, staring into the boy's bright red eyes as he passed. Using his gift to feel Felix's emotions, he could tell the lad was truly remorseful. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, Magnus made sure to keep Felix steady as he laid a flurry of swots the boy's rear.

"Don't let it happen again, young one," he whispered when he'd finished.

Felix gasped and hissed but he managed to stay still. He knew that was nowhere near Magnus' usual force and that he'd been lucky to get away with just a short spanking. He tried to apologise again but the words wouldn't come. Felix was exhausted and it wore heavily on his face.

Magnus raised his hand. "You don't need to say anything else, Felix. Wait with Freyr please." He spoke gently and with care as he directed the young guard to his mate's safe keeping.

Whether it was relief or pain or sheer exhaustion, he wasn't sure, but his tears flowed freely anyway as he tucked into Freyr's side. The usually kind and comforting woman had a few things to say to the boy herself, and though she held an arm around his shaking shoulders, she didn't hold back on informing him how disgusted she was by his most recent antics.

Magnus took a seat as Carlisle stepped forward. "And you?" he asked as he eyed the blond prince up and down. Magnus had liked Carlisle until last night - before the man seemingly lost control of his senses! He was sure they would see eye to eye again, though Magnus had a feeling it would take a while for them to get there if his reading of Carlisle's emotions was anything to go by. The younger vampire felt defensive, prideful, embarrassed, and most of all, pissed off!

Carlisle sighed and he shrugged. "I misunderstood your new position. I understand now," he told the Master of the Guards nonchalantly.

"Do you?" Magnus asked as he leaned back in his chair, bracing his huge hands across his broad chest. He looked intimidating, even seated Magnus was a giant of a man.

"Yes, I do." Carlisle replied, nerves betraying his tone a little.

"You were much worse than Felix," Magnus pushed. All he wanted was a genuine apology from the guy. _Why are you being so difficult_? he thought in annoyance.

Carlisle looked over to his father. Basileus was bellowing out Renata on proper decorum in the coven common areas.

 _Magnus_ _, just let it go for god sake, please_! Carlisle thought, just as annoyed as Magnus.

"I know I was," he finally replied.

Magnus scoffed. "It's not much of an apology, is it?"

"I'm sorry that you feel that way. How can I help you feel better about all of this?" Carlisle asked him, patronisingly.

"DONE! I am done!" Magnus declared. He wasn't taking shit from Carlisle, especially not now that Basileus had told him he didn't have to. "Come here," he called out as he grabbed Carlisle by his wrist. "I will teach you to provide a proper apology," he told the younger vampire as he forced him over his solid oak desk.

"Magnus, I am still Basileus' son." Carlisle struggled to talk. The force Magnus was holding him down with was expelling most of the air from his lungs.

"I know that, Carlisle. I have his full support in this." Magnus told him as he started to spank Carlisle's already well punished backside.

Magnus didn't keep it up for long, he didn't have to. Carlisle was proffering his regrets soon enough, though they strangled in his throat as he tried to keep any noise to an absolute minimum with a hall full of guards only meters away.

Soon enough Magnus let him up, though it took another moment or two for Carlisle to realise his punishment had ended. When he looked up he saw a smug looking Aro and a disgusted Basileus watching over him.

"How long are they banned from the hall, my friend?" Aro asked Magnus. "A month. Next time it will be a year." Magnus replied whilst glaring at the two miscreants. "I'm not playing with you boys," he said pointedly, knowing it would rile Carlisle.

Basileus called for Felix to join him and pushed the boy into the middle of the room, getting the attention of the full guard. "As some of you have may have guessed by the colour of his eyes," he started, giving Felix a sharp nudge, "I lifted the human ban today. I apologise for not informing you all sooner, I have been rather busy. I do ask, however, that you all take great care when choosing human hosts for feeding from."

He took a look around the guard hall and tried to pick out some thoughts - one or two were a little dubious as to whether Basileus had lifted the ban before Felix fed from humans, but on the whole they were just happy to have their feeding rights returned after such a long period of forced abstinence. "Am I understood?" Basileus asked with his booming voice reverberating off the walls. A good many 'Yes, my lord' could be heard from the eager guards.

Aro clicked his fingers to Felix who flashed back to his father's side, happy to be out of the limelight. After wishing Magnus and Freyr good night, Aro and Basileus each took their sons in their hold to be dragged back to their tower home.

Basileus pulled Carlisle close by his hold around his neck. "A single sigh, a tut, a roll of the eyes and we will be going for round two."

Carlisle didn't answer. All his efforts, as they had been for the last hour, now were concentrated on not crying.

Basileus shook him roughly. "Understood?"

"Hmm." Carlisle replied, not daring to open his mouth enough to speak, knowing that tears would follow.

Unfortunately, Basileus took his barely muttered reply as insolence. "If you think being belted in front of Aro and Felix was difficult just imagine how humiliating it will be with the other seven members of our family in close proximity."

The squeeze around the back of his neck made Carlisle answer properly. "Y, yes, my lord," he stuttered, biting his lip to keep his resolve.

When they reached the tower, Aro pushed Felix ahead. He wanted done with this whole thing. "Make your apologies so we can leave," he hissed into his son's ear as they went into Basileus' suite.

Felix felt a wave of fear. He wasn't so sure leaving would be a good thing for him. Felix felt his stomach twist as he opened the door to Basileus' chambers. "I apologise for ruining your first few days here, Atia." Felix blurted out as soon as he saw the woman. Everyone turned to face him, he could feel tears running down his face from the emotional state he was in.

"You've made it so exciting, my dear." Atia replied kindly to the young boy who looked relieved to hear her forgiving tone. "But," Atia continued sounding a little more forceful, "I have lived for a very long time, I won't require any more excitement for quite a while now."

Felix smiled slightly before casting his eyes to the floor.

Basileus nudged Carlisle sharply in his back.

 _My turn then, I suppose_ , he thought petulantly. "It wasn't Felix's fault, it was mine. We didn't mean any harm," he said, sounding bored with the whole thing.

Eleazar looked to his father, aghast that Carlisle was still so unrepentant.

"You unnecessarily killed two people tonight," he shot to his youngest brother, astounded in the turnaround in Carlisle's beliefs. "You spent all that time in London helping humans and tonight you killed one apiece and you don't even care!"

Carlisle shrugged. Oh, he cared alright but he wasn't backing down now. "Lots of things happened in London." he replied.

Basileus looked away shamefully, though no one seemed to notice.

Carmen was perhaps the most surprised by Carlisle's apparent careless murdering of the young woman he'd bedded. They had spent many hours conversing about human versus animal feeding for their kind, coming up with possible ways to make their diet more appealing to vampires generally. "I just cannot understand it, Carlisle," she said sadly. "You both harmed countless humans tonight and killed two others!"

Atia had updated the small gathering about the bar brawls the pair had been involved in.

"One was an accident," Felix replied quietly. _I feel guilty enough about it but it wasn_ _'_ _t entirely my fault. More a repercussion of being a vampire - and that isn_ _'_ _t my fault either, Aro turned me,_ he thought, much to Aro's disgust who had a hand on the lad's neck still.

Aro decided not to react yet, he would save that for their discussion later.

Carlisle looked a little coy, but he didn't have a choice with his kill. "The other really was necessary," he said as he nudged Felix with his arm. An incredibly quiet giggle was heard by all.

"Do you think this is funny?" Basileus boomed as he slapped them both across the top of their head.

"No, I really don't!" Felix replied, ducking away from his grandfather.

"But you STILL do?" Basileus accused as he turned on his youngest son.

"No, of course not. Things got a little out of hand. It's my fault, I'm sorry. Okay?" Carlisle replied, saying all the right things with absolutely no conviction whatsoever.

Basileus bubbled up inside over his son's inability to concede and be genuinely apologetic. Snatching him close by the front of his collar, Basileus ground out his final decree to Carlisle.

"You are restricted to the castle. If you dare to leave our grounds I will come and find you myself." With that he flashed his son to his bed chamber and threw him inside, caring not where he landed, before closing the door again.

"Where are my things?" Carlisle complained from inside his old room.

Eleazar scrubbed his hand down his face. "He will ruin my chambers whilst we are away!" he complained moodily. Basileus glared at his eldest son, daring him to keep up his complaints.

Eleazar wasn't stupid. He wasn't bull-headed enough to continue his gripe either.


	60. Clear & Severe

**AN:** I do not own Twi-World/Characters, Meyers shares nicely for which we are all grateful!

I am sketching out future chapters at the moment, so any requests for scenes you'd like to see? PM or leave them in a review and I will try to work them into the story :)

* * *

 **CLEAR AND SEVERE**

Aro opened the door to the stairwell and gestured for his children to leave.

Sulpicia flew up the stairs before them, relieved to finally be leaving the company of her family to have some time to decompress. It had been a humbling day for the queen of Volterra and she felt utterly ashamed of her eldest two sons, although Demetri's crimes had paled into insignificance compared to Felix's crimes!

By the time Aro and his young brood had reached their abode, Sulpicia was already out on the terrace, breathing in the night air in an effort to calm her fraying nerves.

"Go to bed." Aro ordered softly. "Not you," he said as he pulled Felix back. Felix stood in the middle of the room as Aro removed and hung up his cloak.

"I'm really tired." Felix muttered as his father passed him.

Aro tutted, "I'm sure you are!" he replied, pouring himself a drink. "You will stay in the tower until Magnus lifts your guard hall ban," Aro told his son plainly.

"That's a month!" Felix returned, thinking that was far too harsh. _I feel like shit, isn_ _'_ _t that enough_?

"A perfect amount of time for you to think about how foolish you have been!"

Felix had been quite agreeable whilst outside the safety of his home. He knew Aro well enough to know not to push him too far in public - the repercussions were very rarely worth it. But now they were in their own chambers, a little of Felix's trademark bolshiness rose to the surface.

Aro could see his boy readying himself for a fight. _When will you learn_? Aro thought as he knocked back his drink.

"Go to your room and stay there." Aro ordered as he approached.

Felix wasn't ready to back down yet. "Carlisle gets to roam the castle still and I am stuck in the tower?"

CRACK! Aro slapped Felix hard across his mouth for daring to speak out against him now.

"Fuck!" Felix cursed, shocked by the force of Aro's displeasure.

CRACK! Aro slapped him again for his language.

"Regardless of what my idiot brother has put in your head, you are a child. MY child, for that matter and disciplining you is up to ME," he roared at his boy, the fire of his rage dancing in his eyes.

Felix started to back away, only to bump into his mother.

Sulpicia looked her son up and down.

Felix tried to work out what that look was. _Is she angry_? _Sad_? _Both_? he wondered.

Reaching out for his mother he tried to explain himself. "Mom, listen I ... "

Sulpicia batted away his hand, she didn't want him to even touch her. "No Felix, you listen! I don't ever want to hear of something like this happening again."

Felix threw his hands up in self-defence. "It won't, it won't," he promised.

"I am disgusted, completely disgusted ... " Sulpicia started.

Felix wasn't used to his mother being so vocal against him, he felt flooded with guilt and again tried to explain his actions. "It was an accident," he whined, wondering how many times he would have to say that!

Sulpicia stalked past her boy and took her husband's cup from him. Filling it for herself, she downed a whole glass of bloodwine in one. "Yes Felix I got that already - you accidentally what, though? You accidentally went out of the castle without our permission? Or ... perhaps you accidentally got so drunk you were unaware of your actions? Maybe it was an accident that you went to bed with a human girl?" Sulpicia fired off Felix's crimes as she walked back towards him.

"Well?" she questioned when they were toe to toe.

"No, that wasn't an accident." Felix admitted guiltily.

"Then what was?" Sulpicia pushed, jabbing a finger into her boy's shoulder as she spoke.

"Crushing her." Felix replied quietly, a wave of nausea hitting his stomach as he thought of the mangled state in which he had left the girl.

Sulpicia gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "Crushed?" She repeated. "You crushed her to death?"

She asked for confirmation although she didn't really want to hear it.

"I didn't realise what I was doing until it was too late. I was just too heavy handed ... too forceful ... "

Sulpicia shoved him backwards, Felix didn't resist her. "Felix you are an animal!" She growled at him. Felix was taken aback by the force of his mother's vitriol.

"Mom, please ... " he started to beg, only to receive a rather punishing slap for is efforts.

CRACK!

"Mom!" he tried again, cradling his bruised cheek.

CRACK! Sulpicia slapped him again on his other cheek.

"Go to bed! I can't look at you! I love you, I love you so much, but your behaviour disgusts me." With that Sulpicia turned her back on her son and went to join her husband.

Aro had stayed quiet whilst his wife spoke to their boy. It was a rare event for the two of them to be on side about correcting their children. _Even when we lost Didyme Sully was furious that I punished Felix so harshly_ , Aro thought, remembering another hundred or so times where he had quite literally come to blows with his wife on similar occasions.

Felix had yet to move, standing dumbstruck in the archway.

"BED!" Aro bellowed. "I will deal with you in the morning," he told him, menacingly.

 _That thought will send me straight off to sleep_! Felix thought, sarcastically.

"You okay?" Demetri asked as soon as his brother came into their room.

Felix shook his head sadly.

"What the hell happened?" Demetri pushed as Felix closed the door.

Felix crossed the room and flopped onto his bed. "Which part?" he asked his brother. He wasn't up for a full breakdown.

"All of it! You have lost your mind brother!"

Felix sighed. _Yep, full breakdown it is then_ , he thought tiredly. "Well you know about yesterday already. And tonight was an even bigger disaster," he admitted as he kicked off his boots.

"Does Aro know which guard you and Carlisle had yesterday?" Demetri asked with a little too much glee and not enough sympathy for Felix's liking, not that Felix blamed his brother.

"Yup!" he replied, sinking into his bed.

"Oh man, what were you thinking!" Demetri laughed out. _This is brilliant_! "I would say Renata is off the table now that Basileus has scared her to death." Demetri was ready to howl with laughter.

Even Felix raised a smile now that it was all over.

Demetri was literally bouncing on his bed waiting for some more juicy information from his brother. "How pissed off was Aro?"

Felix shuddered. He knew he had a very long conversation coming with his father and he knew a part of that 'conversation' was going to hurt! "Yeah, he's pretty pissed off."

Felix shook his head thinking of the very mild spanking he had received in the library compared to his partner in crime. "I felt sorry for Carlisle, though. Basileus didn't hold anything back and it went on for ages - he really wore him out."

Demetri grimaced. "Humiliating," he said, voicing both of their thoughts.

"Carlisle looked mortified." Felix told him. "So did Aro actually," he added, thinking how odd he found his father's behaviour whilst Basileus dished out a beating right behind them. "And then Magnus ... " Felix started before Demetri interrupted.

"You had to see Magnus, too?"

Felix laid Aro's dress cloak out on the small table next to his bed. His eyes went straight to the torn shoulder. _Shit, I hope Aro remembers he ripped his coat and not me,_ he thought to himself with the usual Felix logic.

Pulling on some clean bed clothes and perching on the edge of his bed, Felix finally replied to his inquisitive little brother. "Oh yes, we were marched back in the guard hall to apologise to Magnus and Freyr. Fryer looked disgusted with me, I don't think she accepted our apologies."

Demetri looked as sad as Felix about that. Having Freyr onside was very useful - losing her favour could be catastrophic for relations in the guard hall.

"Magnus disciplined you?" Demetri asked tentatively.

"TWICE!" Felix replied, still ruminating over how unfair that was. "First time he only slapped my hand, but fuck, it felt like he broke my bones," he said, aimlessly rubbing his throbbing knuckles. "And then when we went to apologise with every fucking guard in there listening in to everything we said. Bastards. He gave me a good five swots then, too, and Aro had only just finished belting me."

Felix knew Aro had let him off very lightly and Magnus, too, for that matter ... but the battering his pride had taken during the whole process is what really hurt.

"I cried," he admitted, "in the fucking guard hall and I stood there sniveling like a brat whilst Freyr told me what a prick I'd been."

Demetri didn't laugh that time; he knew how upset Felix would be about such an emotional display in public.

"What happened with the human girl?" Demetri had only heard snippets in hushed voices whilst they were all waiting in Basileus' chambers for Felix and Carlisle to return.

"I pounded her like she was a vampire and that kind of crushed her." Felix admitted quietly, as though someone may hear him. "I was drunk; I wasn't thinking ... caught up in the moment." He tried to explain himself to his Lothario brother, but even Demetri looked aghast at the idea of fucking someone to death! Felix saw the look in his eyes, it was as though he had swallowed bad blood or something. "Sully just raged at me, she looked ready to rip my head off," he said, tone dripping with self-pity.

"She is." Demetri informed him. "All the women are. They went on and on about your lack of respect and how shameful it is that you used a whorehouse." Demetri wasn't telling Felix about the sentiments he'd missed to hurt him further, he thought Felix should know the truth.

"Oh man, I feel bad enough about it already." Felix replied. "Sully just slapped me, like really properly, hard slapped me," he told his brother.

"I heard!" Demetri replied with a grimace. He couldn't remember the last time he heard Sulpicia even shout at one of her baby vampires!

"Have you seen my eyes?" Felix asked his brother.

Demetri dived out of his bed and across to Felix. "I heard that you drank human blood," he stated, still surprised that Felix had broken Basileus' decree.

"The blood came bubbling up through her mouth! I couldn't help it ... I kind of ate her face." Felix told him, though there was a hint of a smile there.

Demetri sighed as he sat next to his brother. "I have missed human blood so much," he admitted, feeling his mouth salivate venom at the idea of a fresh kill.

Felix nudged his little brother. "Basileus has lifted the human ban now," he told him with glee.

Demetri looked like all his Christmases had come at once!

"How else could he explain my eyes without the guard believing I had broken his decree and then being accused of me being above the law again?" he asked in a tone mocking Basileus' deep booming voice.

"Well, some good has come from your fuck up then!" Demetri said, bursting into loud laughter seeing the look on Felix's face.

"Fuck off!". Felix shoved Demetri off the bed and laughed heartily when his brother bounced off the floor.

"What he did was deplorable, Aro!" Sulpicia couldn't sit, her agitation had been rising all evening and now that she was finally in the privacy of her own four walls she felt tipped over the edge.

"I don't disagree with you; I am just as pissed off with him as you are!" Aro countered, feeling the need to defend himself.

"Are you? Are you really?" Sulpicia shot back. "Because from where I am sitting you appear to have let him go with a slap on the wrist for obliterating a young woman to death whilst having sex with her!"

Sully was actually shouting. She never shouted. Never.

Aro was starting to worry about his wife's state of mind. "My queen, I can assure you I haven't finished with him yet, and I promise you what he did was accidental and ... "

Sulpicia turned on Aro and started stalking towards him. "What?!" she asked, eyes turning black and boring into her husband's. "Felix accidentally left our lands, got steaming drunk, fought with humans, visited a whorehouse and ACCIDENTALLY FUCKED SOMEONE TO DEATH?!"

Before Aro had chance to respond with a few choice words of his own, light laughter travelled from Felix and Demetri's room. Sulpicia heard it too and flashed to her sons' room, leaving Aro fuming with the whole damn situation.

"No, no way! You don't get to laugh about anything, not now!" Sully raged at Felix as she thrust the door open.

Demetri jumped from the floor in surprise.

Felix scrambled to his knees on his own bed. "But ... " he started in defence.

"NO!" Sulpicia screamed back to him.

Aro could hear the exchange and rolled his eyes to the heavens. _Will this bloody night ever be over,_ he questioned as he went to fetch his son.

"Felix get out here," he called from the doorway.

Felix looked nervously between his parents - it was a rare day that Aro looked to be the safer bet!

"He isn't sorry, Aro, he doesn't care. Look at him!" Sulpicia started in on her husband again, jabbing a finger into his chest as she spoke.

Aro closed his eyes for a moment. _I won_ _'_ _t stand for you screaming in my face woman ... you had better back down,_ he thought.

"What do you want me to do?" Aro shot back to his wife, just as agitated as Sulpicia.

Rather than backing down, Sulpicia stormed over to Felix and dragged him back to her mate. "Deal with him! Clear and severe," she ordered, pushing the two of them out of the room. "Unless you wish to join him you should get in bed and go to sleep." Sulpicia instructed Demetri before leaving the three of them to go back to the terrace, willing herself to calm down along the way.

To say Aro was dumbfounded would be an understatement. For a moment he watched as his wife left, wondering how the hell all of this was his fault!

Felix took his father's short inaction as a possible reprieve and tried to lighten the mood. He laughed gently and nudged Aro, as if to share an unspoken joke about his mother's temper… bad move.

"ARE YOU TOTALLY OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!" Aro roared! Taking a fistful of the boy's hair, he dragged him out of his room and down the hall, not stopping until they reached Aro and Sulpicia's bed chamber where he threw Felix towards the bed.

Felix could feel himself start to sweat. "Dad, please. I am sorry, I am really sorry."

Aro slammed the door closed behind him, before flashing to his boy. His whole body vibrated with rage and rather than trying to contain it, trying to calm himself or find his level head, Aro allowed that rage to bubble up inside him as he stepped from one foot to the other, glaring at his son with eyes of coals.

He had to be careful, if his vampiric nature took over, he would have Felix submitting before anyone could do anything to stop him. Coming to his senses for a moment he spotted the dresser from the corner of his eye. _The whip! That's it, I_ _'_ _ll whip him_ , he decided as he flashed first to the dresser, ripping open the bottom drawer and then back to his fear stricken son.

"No, no, no!" Felix started backing up across the bed in panic.

"You can't whip me!" Felix called out. "Basileus - he said you can't!"

It was a desperate plea, but it stopped Aro in his tracks. _The last time I whipped one of them, Basileus whipped me_ , he remembered with a lump in his throat. ' _If you EVER whip my grandchildren again, I will deliver this thrice fold in front of the full coven._ ' Aro replayed his father's warning over in his mind. _Shit_. He cursed as he stormed out of his chambers and down to his father's door, where he knocked and waited.

Basileus came to the door in a bed sheet.

"Did I disturb you?" Aro smirked.

Basileus rolled his eyes dramatically. "How can I help you, son," he asked, adding quickly as he jumped to conclusions, "they haven't gone out, have they?"

Before Aro could stop him, Basileus called for Carlisle who came trudging out his door with a face of thunder still.

"What?" he asked petulantly.

Basileus sighed with relief. He didn't fancy chasing his boy around the castle right now. "Go to your room," he barked back to his youngest son.

Carlisle stormed away muttering a 'for fuck sake!' as he went.

"What is it, then?" Basileus asked Aro.

Nervously, Aro lifted the whip he held in his hand. "May I?" He asked, simply.

Basileus leaned into the doorway and crossed his arms across his chest. "Do you really think that is necessary?" he asked sternly. "Felix is regretful already, isn't he?"

Aro shook his head. "His regret appears to be dependent on the audience he's courting at the time."

"Aha!" Basileus replied, still not answering Aro's question. "You know, you could have just done the job right in the first place, Aro."

 _Great, just what I need. I already have Sully ready to rip my fucking head off_!

"You know I can hear you, yes?" Basileus warned, hearing his son's careless thoughts.

Aro looked to the floor. "I was too distracted, it was awkward," he offered as an excuse.

Basileus scoffed. "Well you had better get used to it. I doubt we have seen the end of this yet."

Aro's head shot up. "I am not letting you use Felix again, Dad! You must be losing your head! Not a chance in hell will this happen again!"

"Hey!" Basileus shot back, annoyed by his son's tone. Pushing his boy sharply in his chest, he reminded Aro who he was talking to. "Are you confused? Who the hell do you think you are coming to my door and talking to me like that?!"

Aro bit his lip, willing himself to stay quiet. Fail. "This whole thing is your fault!" he accused his father, pushing into the hand Basileus held on his chest.

Aro watched as his father's eyes turned jet black before him.

Basileus screwed up Aro's shirt as his palm against his son's chest became a fist, drawing his boy in close. "You should choose your next words carefully," he breathed threateningly into his son's ear.

Aro wasn't ready to back down. _I haven_ _'_ _t done anything wrong, this IS all your fault_! Aro screamed inside his head.

Basileus spun Aro and took hold of his arm in one hand, the other hand raised, ready to strike.

"Basileus?" Atia called out as she came to see what was taking her lover so long to return. "Oh! Aro. Are you okay?" She asked as she approached the pair. Seeing Basileus held his son in a vice like grip gave her cause for concern.

Aro noticed Basileus didn't relax his grip, but Atia's presence certainly halted proceedings.

Once she was close enough, Atia pulled Basileus down just enough to enable her to croon into his ear. "Are you really so intent on punishing all of your sons in one night that I cannot tempt you back into bed, my dear?"

Aro watched as Basileus started to waiver.

"I didn't come here for a fight, just your permission." Aro said quietly, whilst still being held in his embarrassing position.

Basileus leaned into his mate who continued to whisper in his ear.

Aro felt the grip loosening around his bicep.

"Go." Basileus commanded as he finally released his son.

"But what about ... " Aro tried to ask.

"My permission, yes? You have it, though I warn you to tread carefully, son. I am trusting you not to go too far. I would hate to have to make good on my original promise."

Aro felt a shiver go through the entirety of his body. _Being whipped in front of the coven ... I would hate for you to make good on your promise too, Dad_.

Aro re-entered his chambers, brimming with anger: over his father, his son, his wife – they were all pissing him off! He was relieved to see Felix was where he'd left him on his bed, though he was now asleep.

Aro slammed the bedroom door, startling his boy awake, and brandished his whip from the foot of the bed.

"But Basileus ... " Felix started.

Aro interrupted him. "Basileus understands my position. This is happening," he told the youth flatly.

Felix scooted back on the bed in an attempt to increase the distance between them.

Aro cocked his head to the side as he watched his son's attempts to flee.

Felix stopped when he reached the headboard, eyes flicking first to the window and then to the door, wondering if he could make it out of either before Aro caught him.

Aro knew what he was thinking. "You can try, if you like. But I WILL catch you and I can promise you now that you will pay for it." Aro sounded cold, so cold. It sent chills down Felix' spine.

"But you know I'm sorry, you can read my thoughts, you know!" Felix implored, begging his father to see reason.

Aro nodded along, it was true enough. "Yes son, I believe you are sorry but you still don't seem to realise the extent of your crimes! On my idiot brother's say so you have gone against me, your mother, Magnus, Basileus ... anyone else?"

Felix shook his head, feeling like a dick.

"You have shown your vampiric state to humans ... you do know what I do to vampires who break that law, do you not?"

Felix didn't answer, instead he started to sob softly.

Aro approached his son. Kneeling in front of him on the oversized bed, he took his son's head in his two hands. "You know what I do, because you have helped me do it, son," he said as he increased the pressure on his son's temples. "What do I do?" he pushed a final time.

 _You_ _'_ _re going to crush my skull!_ Felix thought as he cried heartily under the pressure. The irony of 'being crushed' was not lost on the boy. "You kill them," he admitted. "You rip off their heads," he called out, cowering from Aro's vice like grip.

"SO WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Aro bellowed at his boy, only an inch from his face.

"I WAS PISSED OFF!" Felix roared in reply. "Carlisle treated me like an adult and I wanted to enjoy myself and then I got drunk and I didn't know what I was doing!" _Why did I say that_?! Felix immediately questioned himself, knowing his rambling confession had just sealed the coffin on being allowed to drink ever again.

Aro heard his boy's thoughts. "That's right, you have," he said, feeling rather pleased. Aro took up the whip again and grabbed Felix by his hair, forcing him to lie across the bed. Aro remained on his knees, pushing Felix's head into the soft bedding to muffle his cries, as he took retribution out on Felix's hide for his most recent crimes.


	61. Welcome Home Caius

**AN: I don't own the Twi-world.**

I've had a fair few requests come through and I am trying to sort through them all to see where they can be fitted in. Everything I have read so far is definitely 'doable', but it may take a while to see yours - some can be integrated relatively easily... others require a little more work. I have sent another batch over to my lovely beta today and thank fully she is happy to keep working on my wittering's to make them readable :)

* * *

 **W** **ELCOME** **H** **OME** **CAIUS**

Aro strolled into the great hall just in time to hear the end of Basileus' address to the guards about lifting the human ban. He had told most of the guards the night before but an official announcement was still required, much to everyone's delight.

Sulpicia took her husband's throne whilst Aro headed straight for his little brother.

"Carlisle, about last night ... " Aro started as he laid a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Carlisle shook him off. "I don't want to talk about it, Aro."

Aro sighed. "Well, I do," he said as he placed a hand on the back of his brother's neck. "I'm sorry about the library," Aro told him, and listened to Carlisle's thoughts over the humiliation of being punished so harshly in front of his brother and nephew. "I didn't have a choice," Aro tried, "but it wasn't what I wanted."

Carlisle nodded. He had thought Aro wanted to have a go at him about involving Felix in his recklessness. Aro heard that.

"Felix has his own mind, brother. Though I would rather not repeat last night for a good while yet." Aro sounded significantly less pissed off than Carlisle had expected, which was a relief. "I think my son will need someone to commiserate with. How about today you act like his uncle and be there for him?" Aro suggested, seeing the sorry state of his son walking in with the rest of his young ones.

Carlisle eyed Aro with confusion. "You want me to talk to him?" he questioned.

Aro nodded. "Eleazar left this morning, he would usually serve as a listening ear to my sons when they believe I am a bastard for disciplining them ... you are their uncle, Carlisle, and Felix needs someone right now. Sully is still too pissed off with him to offer any counsel. So yes, I am asking you to talk to him."

Carlisle smiled to himself. He was genuinely surprised that Aro seemed so forgiving and that he would be allowed anywhere near Felix again. If Aro was offering an olive branch, Carlisle was going to take it with both hands.

Basileus, having finished with the guards, was listening to the conversation between his sons. He wasn't sure if he was proud of Aro's gesture or annoyed. He had not long finished telling Carlisle that he would need to be wary of Aro for a time after getting his son into so much strife.

When Carlisle moved to talk with Felix, Basileus beckoned Aro to his side. "What was that about?" Basileus whispered to his son.

Aro shrugged. "I was pretty hard on Felix, he will want someone to talk to ... someone who will agree how unfair I am," he said with a smirk. "Carlisle will agree with him much more readily than anyone else."

Basileus chortled to himself. "I believe a good many of the guard would have served the same purpose."

Aro looked askance. "Very droll, father!" he replied with a faux hurt expression.

Basileus turned a knowing eye on his son as he fished through his memories to check on his son's actions. When he came across the whipping Aro had delivered to Felix, he could see why the boy may need a shoulder to cry on. "I am glad to see you didn't go too far, son."

Aro laughed nervously to himself. _So am I._

"It sounds like Sulpicia is still a little annoyed with the two of them." Basileus commented, tapping his temple.

 _I bet it does! She_ _'_ _s still pissed off with me, too, no doubt_! Aro thought.

They had spent half the night arguing and Aro still wasn't sure what he had done that was so wrong – to begin with, at least. As Sully was now refusing to speak to him, he garnered it may be a while before he found out.

Crack! Basileus slapped his son across his head.

"We will be talking later!" he told his boy venomously.

"Why?" Aro questioned, attempting to back away. Basileus pulled him in closer with a vice like grip around his bicep. He ground out a single word of explanation in his boy's ear, "Sully!"

Aro rolled his eyes, although he made sure Basileus didn't see. "You don't understand! I was defending myself ... " Aro's words turned into a hiss feeling the pressure building in his arm as Basileus tensed his grip.

"I understand perfectly well, you vicious little cunt!" Basileus ground out his words barely above a whisper. Aro heard them well enough and he felt sick. It wasn't often Basileus talked to his sons in such hateful terms.

A great cheer erupted as Caius came through the open great hall doorway. Basileus was distracted enough for Aro to slip from his grasp and prepare to receive his brother in arms.

Caius made his way through the crowd of welcoming guards towards the royal family. "Brother!" Caius called out, happily, as he approached Aro's throne with Athenodora hooked on his arm.

She appeared far warier than her mate as the two of them came face to face with the rest of their coven leaders. To her absolute relief, Sulpicia came forward to greet her warmly.

"You certainly are a sight for sore eyes, Caius." Aro replied as he embraced his long-gone coven mate.

"I have much to tell you about my travels, Aro."

Aro smiled happily. "You can start by explaining your face!" he commented, flicking the end of the long, unkempt beard just brushing Caius' chest.

Caius laughed and shrugged. "I just couldn't be bothered. Enjoying the sun too much. Are you free now?" he enthused, seemingly totally revitalised after his time away.

Aro chanced a look to his father. _Your timing is impeccable, brother_! he thought, happy to have an excuse to prolong his coming conversation with Basileus. "Indeed I am. Shall we go to the library?" Aro suggested, knowing his own quarters would be over occupied, as usual.

Basileus narrowed his eyes to Aro. _I know what you are doing_. "Felix, Carlisle, with me," he ordered before storming from the throne room. Felix looked fearfully to Carlisle, but the pair jumped into action when they heard Basileus growling from the hallway.

…

"I've decided to take some guards for my own." Caius told his co-leader.

"You have?" Aro's eyes widened at the news. _Well, I wasn_ _'_ _t expecting that_.

"I know you have been arguing my case with Basileus so I didn't have to take my own high guard, I can't put that on you any longer." Caius admitted genuinely.

"Have you convinced Athenodora on the matter, then?" Aro asked, knowing full well the main reason Caius had objected for so long was down to his mate's insistence.

"We have come to an agreement." Caius told him shyly. "After visiting some human nobility, she quite likes the idea of ladies in waiting."

Aro guffawed and Caius soon joined in.

"So, who?" Aro eventually spluttered as he regained his composure. "Ashanti, I assume?"

Caius shook his head. "No, Athenodora couldn't cope with that one! Lucy, for now. I will pick another one from the next batch of newborns." Caius had always liked Lucy, but more importantly, Athenodora did.

Aro's face paled.

"What? You haven't dispatched Lucy whilst I've been away, have you?" Caius asked with concern.

"No, no, it's not that. Demetri ... he is sort of with Lucy." Aro told his coven mate.

 _Sort of with_? Caius repeated to himself. "Are they mated?!" he asked, thinking such a thing to be absurd. _That boy has been happy enough fucking his way through our guard for centuries, surely he hasn't now taken a mate?!_

Aro shook his head. "No, they aren't mated, 'sort of with' is the best way I can describe it."

Caius sat back in his chair. "So, they are just fucking?"

Aro turned his eyes to the heavens - he knew full well that's what Demetri was doing but talking about his son fucking anyone was ... uncomfortable.

"Well, they can carry on doing so, however, I better not catch him in my chambers - he can keep that for your quarters!"

Aro nearly choked on his bloodwine. "He can keep 'that' to the dungeons, the little reprobate!"

Caius fell about laughing at his brother's clear disgust.

Aro joined in as he made a mental note to warn Demetri about the imminent changes to his love life.

"Speaking of Demetri," Caius knew he had to broach this subject carefully, "and the others ... " he prompted Aro, hoping his brother would know where this conversation was going.

"My children." Aro stated plainly.

"Aha, so that's still going on, is it?" Caius asked, as though Aro had bestowed a temporary status on his high guard.

"Yes, it won't be changing, Caius." Aro said rather forcefully.

Caius held up his hands defensively. "It's your call, Aro. So long as you don't expect me to do the same." Caius was genuinely worried that was something Aro wanted.

Nothing could be further from Aro's mind. "You can do as you wish, Caius. No one will be pushing you to do anything."

Caius nodded. He was happy with that.

Aro was relieved. Preserving his children's status as his children, not just his high guard, was of paramount importance to Aro and even more so to Sulpicia. She didn't want to go back to hiding away her relationship with her baby vampires.

"I just don't see the point in children." Caius commented. "Humans seem to need them to continue their line, or to swap with other humans," he mused. "Are we going to marry them off to cement loyalties with other covens?" He asked.

Aro flashed to his feet and was ready to rip Caius' throat out before he noticed his brother-in-arms smirking into his cup.

"Oh, how I have missed winding you up, Aro!" he said before falling into laughter.

"Bastard!" Aro retorted before adding his own chuckles. "Who knew you'd find a sense of humour in the desert?!"

Caius got himself under control. "There is one thing I want to be sure of, Aro," he said seriously. "I need to know this coven is still ours. If Felix and Demetri are above me in any way I would rather leave now, and part as friends."

That was a shock revelation!

"Caius, no. They are not above you. WE run this coven, together. With a little help from Marcus, Freyr, and Magnus ... and Basileus sticking his oar in every now and then. It's our coven, brother."

Caius was reassured. He didn't want to leave the coven but he meant what he said though and Aro knew it.

 _May the gods help you lads if you push Caius to leave_!

"I don't suppose they are any better behaved now, are they?" Caius asked.

Aro laughed. "No! There will be plenty of opportunities for you to test out your swing arm!"

Caius rolled his eyes but he wasn't exactly disappointed.

"Caius!" Basileus boomed as he strode into the library with a miserable looking Felix and Carlisle limping along close behind.

"This is a library, my lord. Noise should be at a minimum!" Aro told his father, bravely. He was still pissed off about being reprimanded for fighting with Sulpicia ... and he knew he had a far more physical encounter to come.

Basileus narrowed his eyes menacingly but chose not to reply to his son.

"How's married life treating you, my lord?" Caius asked Basileus warmly.

"Very well, my friend," he replied, taking a seat near to Aro, "though family life is leaving much to be desired," he added dryly, looking to his son and grandson.

Caius followed Basileus' eye to his youngest son. "Carlisle!" he all but shouted out in shock. _He'_ _s so damn placid_ _,_ _he'_ _s almost a woman_!

Basileus smiled a little hearing Caius' thoughts. "Well, the tides have changed," he replied to the coven leader's thoughts and turning to Carlisle he added, "though they had better change back, soon!"

"So what have they done?" Caius asked, utterly intrigued as to how the saintly Carlisle could fall so heavily from grace. Watching Carlisle and Felix for a moment, the pair of them appeared to be in considerable discomfort, whatever they had done.

"Nothing to worry about, as it will not be happening again." Aro sang out. Not wishing to discuss such private matters with his coven mate. Aro prompted Caius to tell them of his travels and sure enough his co-leader quickly forgot his interest in Felix and Carlisle's recent tribulations.

"We will need to arrange a mission, Aro. The outpost in the Levant has gone, completely gone. I could find no trace of their whereabouts."

Caius' trip had been instigated by his distress over losing Antonio - everyone had been caught off guard by Caius' emotional attachment to the failed guard but he had promised to look in on any Volturi outposts he crossed on his travels.

Aro was staggered by the loyalty Caius had shown not only the coven, but vampire law when Caius himself finally executed Antonio's mangled body. The resolve Caius had shown reaffirmed to Aro that Caius wasn't all bad and he wanted his own relationship with Caius to be more positive going forward. Not as it once had been ... that could never happen again. The orgies, the torturing, the wanton malice they had jointly inflicted on human and vampire alike – no, they wouldn't be returning to that state. But Aro was set on forging an honest and friendly relationship with Caius going forward.

"If an outpost has been destroyed and the destroyers haven't taken the territory then I think we all know WHO we will be leading a mission against." Aro stated plainly. "This has Stefan and Vladimir written all over it."

Basileus sighed. "We must send out envoys to all Volturi outposts immediately - I want to know the 'lay of the land' so to speak."

Aro looked askance to his father. "That will take nearly all of our guards going in pairs, my lord. We will be left in a vulnerable state in Volterra ... exposed. This could be what the Romanians are waiting for."

Basileus knew his son was right about the numbers needed to complete an emergency contact mission, but he didn't believe they had a choice.

"We could round up a group of humans for turning, more than our usual ten. We will need a good many more anyway to replace those on the outposts." Caius suggested.

"You never want more than ten at a time!" Aro replied, knowing Caius would never suggest such a thing if he were still managing the newborn flock.

"I know, but Magnus has control of the wider guard pool now and you and I could manage, say, fifteen newborns each?" Caius replied encouragingly.

Aro nodded, though he couldn't raise a smile to the idea. He ran through every outpost in his mind, ticking off last contact with each.

"We need to send word to Marcus and Eleazar, they only left at dawn. Who are our fastest runners?" Basileus asked. He wanted to push things along and had arrangements of his own to make.

"Lev, but he won't go anywhere willingly without Katarina. We would be better off sending Demetri and Odi – they are both fairly fast and Demetri can track." Aro offered, his mind was only half on his father's question as the other half was still ticking off outposts.

"Demetri? Seriously?!" Basileus retorted, assuming his son had lost his mind.

"You asked who would be fastest." Aro replied with a shrug.

"I don't want that boy outside our walls, Aro." Basileus said sternly.

"Why don't you send Atia." Carlisle mumbled sullenly from behind his brother.

Aro looked back over his shoulder. "Brother?" he said pointedly, questioning Carlisle's attitude.

Basileus, too, fixed Carlisle with a glare.

Caius was enjoying the scene immensely and his estimations of Carlisle had just skyrocketed.

Basileus shook his head at Caius' thoughts. "I will ask Lev and Odi to go, Lev will go for me ... if he knows what's good for him."

Aro and Caius shared a look – they both knew how obnoxious Lev could be, even with Basileus.

Aro was quite concerned about having Marcus and Eleazar out in the open if the Romanians were moving in for the kill and he wondered how adept his brothers would be in fending off an attack if it came their way. "We should send the guards as soon as possible," he said, already working out who to send where. "We should have a drink to celebrate your safe return anyway Caius. Let us roll it into one and throw a proper party in the throne room – the guards leaving and your homecoming. We saved a barrel of bloodwine for the occasion."

Caius was certainly happy with that.

Felix nudged Carlisle with a look of horror on his face. They still stood together behind Aro and Basileus. Caius spotted their brief exchange.

"I wonder if there is any bloodwine left after all, Aro?" he commented, gesturing to the fretful younger vampires.

Basileus rested his head against the back of his chair and exhaled loudly. "If there isn't any left, I know where we can get a barrel of vampire blood to replace it!"

Carlisle and Felix flinched, assuming they would be the source of said blood!

Caius' eyes lit up. He knew Basileus would never do such a thing, but it had been a long time since Caius had the pleasure of torturing a vampire, and god he missed it!

"WELL?" Aro bellowed at his son, ignoring Carlisle's look of disdain.

Felix flinched but refused to look up and make eye contact with his father.

"If I have to whip you again, I will Felix." Aro threatened.

Felix felt his face burn with shame. _Why did you have to say that in front of everyone? You fucking cunt,_ _Aro_! "The barrel from the dungeon may be missing," he finally replied, quietly.

"You've been playing in MY dungeons?!" Caius asked, already making plans to take a full inventory of the lower rooms of the castle.

Hearing the splintering of wood, everyone turned to Basileus. He had a hand gripped tightly on each of the arm rests and hearing Felix confess to yet more of their defiance saw Basileus squeeze too hard and fracture the chair.

"Carlisle, with me." Basileus ordered as he rose from his chair, shaking off the splintered wood as he stood.

"Where are we going?" Carlisle asked in apprehension, though he was brave enough to follow his father immediately, at least.

"To find more bloody wine!" his father replied as he stormed from the room.

Aro, looking over his shoulder from his seat, fixed his eye on Felix. "You just keep begging for more, don't you!"

Felix threw his hands up and backed away, slamming into a low book shelf, shaking his head with his eyes flicking comically between Aro and Caius.

Caius found it quite funny. _Aro seems to have a much better handle on the boy than before I left, thank the gods_! "As much as I would enjoy the floor show, Aro, I have things to be getting on with," Caius announced as he stood. "I have to find Lucy, for one," he added, noting the questioning look on Felix's face. _Oh I do hope I won_ _'_ _t regret taking a guard into my quarters, he thought, and if I ever catch Demetri in there I will skin the little bastard_!

"Until tonight, brother. Perhaps have a shave for the occasion?" Aro threw out in jest as he called Felix to his side with a single click of his fingers.

"We need to see if your mother will allow either of us back in our chambers." Aro told his boy once Caius had flashed from the library. "And I need to speak with your brother!" he added, wondering how the meek and mild Lucy was going to cope living with Caius and Athenodora.

When they reached the door to their home, Aro sighed deeply. He truly didn't want another fight with his mate.

"My queen?" he called out softly as he opened the door, ushering Felix inside ahead of him.

"My love." Sulpicia replied plainly, whilst scowling to both her husband and son.

"Go to your room, send Demetri to me." Aro ordered Felix, who was only too happy to be out of the firing line.

"Am I forgiven yet?" Aro asked as he took a seat beside Sulpicia.

She only huffed indignantly in reply, pulling her dress away from him as if for him to even touch the fabric would offend her.

"You were as bad as I was." Aro tried to defend himself.

When she didn't answer, they both started to think about their fight the night before ...

Sulpicia paced around her living room as she played over in her mind Felix crushing his paid for conquest. She had barely heard her son make more than a murmur since Aro had started and she wondered what the hell her husband was playing at! _Naturally you think nothing of Felix_ _'_ _s crimes, why would you? He only obliterated that young woman on a drunken whim_! she thought sarcastically to her husband. _Women don_ _'_ _t count for anything; we are just to be the playthings of men! You cannot possibly understand why his behaviour vexes me so_!

Sulpicia's pacing at vampire speed had her flashing circles around the sofas. She was going so fast that she had stopped trying to listen to the goings-on in the bedroom and was startled seeing Felix suddenly appear in the doorway.

"Mom ... " Felix called out softly, praying to whatever god there was that she would at least look at him this time.

Instead, she barged past her boy and went straight to Aro who was still sitting on their bed, whip in hand. "Is that it?" she asked in a shrill tone that damn near pierced Aro's eardrums.

He scrubbed a hand across his face. "For the love of the gods' women, will you let me be!" he growled out viciously in reply.

"Let you be? Let you be!" she returned, her voice getting louder and higher with every syllable.

"You sound like a damn harridan!" Aro roared, concerned with what he would do if she didn't back off soon.

"Do you think that's enough? Seriously? For ALL that he has done!" Sulpicia continued, her fragile frame shaking with the anger she felt.

Felix, the 'he' she was talking about, watched from the doorway, unsure of what he should do.

"I have belted him, Magnus has smacked him, I have just fucking whipped him. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?" Aro growled, matching his irate wife's volume.

Sulpicia couldn't verbalise how angry she was, how disappointed, how ashamed she felt over her son's actions, and her husband's apparent (to her) lack of conscience. Her gruelling emotions displayed themselves in a ROAR of rage, right into Aro's face.

CRACK!

Aro knocked Sulpicia clean across the room. Her body smashing into the wall fractured the stonework and made the floor shake.

Felix couldn't catch his breath. He staggered into the doorframe in utter shock. The resulting boom caught Aro's attention. Whilst he was distracted trying to come up with an explanation for his son, Sulpicia dived from the floor in full on attack mode.

"You bastard!" she screamed as she tried to gouge at Aro's face.

Aro held her back by her throat with relative ease, increasing the pressure until her raging became strangled. Just as he was about to let go, Sulpicia brought her knee up hard into Aro's groin with as much force as she could possibly muster.

Aro released his hold immediately and fell back onto the bed. "You fucking bitch!" he called out, followed by a guttural noise of pain. Taking a few breaths to get himself under control, he stood up again and felt the whip still in his hand.

Felix heard the whistle ... he knew that sound only too well ... followed by an almighty CRACK as Aro brought the whip down hard across Sulpicia's back.

Sully howled in pain as the whip lashed her, biting a single stripe of fire into her flesh.

Aro fell to his knees and she thought he was coming to offer comfort, remorse even, but no. He grabbed hold of her face in one hand and pulled her awkwardly so she could look into his jet black eyes.

"What more do you want me to do?" he ground out again through gritted teeth.

"Nothing, nothing." Sulpicia repeated over and over again, desperately pulling backwards in an attempt to remove her face from her mate's strong grip.

Aro let go and watched as her head flew back into the wall. Then she was still.

Gathering up his wife into his arms, Aro laid her on their bed.

As Felix watched, he wondered how many times Aro had done that before - it seemed so rehearsed.

Aro took a pillow from the bed and a blanket from the dresser and walked out the door, pulling Felix with him as he went. He thrust the pillow and blanket into his son's hands and gestured to the sofa. "You can sleep there. I don't want you disturbing your brother." Aro told him, his voice sounded gravelly from all the shouting and growling.

"Yeah, like Demetri slept through that!" Felix retorted under his breath.

Aro turned on him and shoved him down on to the sofa.

Felix tried to jump back up as soon as his ass made contact with the seat - the burn in his backside reigniting afresh.

Aro pushed him down again and held him there with a strong hand on his each of his thighs. Looking straight into his boy's tearful eyes, Aro knew he was scaring his son. It wasn't intentional but he was pleased with the effect nonetheless.

"If you think that was bad, then you should think on this - Sulpicia will forgive me long before she forgives you, that's how disturbing your behaviour has been."

Felix's emotions overtook his pride as his face paled and he looked queasy whilst his tears flowed.

Aro nodded to himself. _Now you get it_. "Go to sleep," he told his boy, _so I can have some peace to think about what a cunt I am_.

As the memory faded, Aro looked to his mate. She had been replaying the same event over in her mind – he didn't need his gift to know that.

"I'm sorry." Aro whispered, his voice croaking as he spoke those two little words loaded with emotion.

Sully didn't look at him, but she laid her hand on his and replied, "as am I."

Felix came back through the archway just in time to see the exchange. "Demetri isn't here," he told his father.

"Get out of my sight." Sulpicia addressed her son tersely without even looking at him.

Felix felt floored. _Aro was right, she did forgive him before me! What have I done_? he thought, full of self-loathing as he slunk back to his room.

Aro pulled his wife's hand to his lips and brushed her fingers against his mouth. "You know, my queen, you are killing that boy from the inside out."

Sulpicia sighed softly. "I cannot forgive his barbaric actions as readily as you, my love."

Aro bit into his lip. _So you still believe I am too lenient with our wayward son_. "If I believed his actions were intentional, my queen, he would not be able to walk."

Aro felt Sulpicia tense beside him to his words. _So ... all is not lost, you don_ _'_ _t actually want me to punish him further_. Aro tapped his knuckles lightly on his temple, "I know he had no intention of bringing any harm to that woman, Sully. I also know he would never in his right mind attend a brothel. He was drunk beyond reason." It felt odd to Aro to be the one defending their child's actions - Sulpicia always rallied to their cause.

She didn't respond, but through Aro's contact with her hand in his, he knew she was thinking on his words.

"I need to speak with Demetri, can I leave Felix with you?" he asked, hoping that if he were out of the way, Sully may talk with their son.

She only nodded in reply, but Aro was happy to take that for now.

As it happened, Aro didn't have time to even leave his quarters before Demetri came barrelling through the door.

"You have to do something! Caius, he, he, you have to do something!" Demetri tripped back and forth over his words, unable to spit out the reason for his distress.

Sulpicia was alarmed and rushed to her son's side, Aro, however, stood still and waited for Demetri to regain his composure, as he had a feeling he already knew the reason for his son's upset.

"Is this about Lucy?" he asked plainly.

"YES!" Demetri yelled as he pushed Sulpicia away. "So you know?! You know and you've just let it happen?!" he continued in his rage, shoving Aro hard when he came close.

Aro moved a step back with Demetri's forceful push. He would have let it go if his son hadn't decided to try it again. This time, Aro grabbed his boy's wrists and pulled him in close. Spinning him around, he enclosed his boy in his own arms to restrain him.

Demetri pulled and tugged to get away but his efforts were futile.

"Calm yourself down, and we can talk."

Demetri continued to fight off his father.

"Or you can keep up with your usual theatrics and I will spank you instead." Aro spoke calmly, not that Demetri felt any better about his options.

Demetri felt Aro increase his grip, he knew he was getting nowhere fast. He stopped struggling, only to be overtaken by the flood of his emotions.

"Why did you let him take her?!" he sobbed.

"Aro, what is going on?" Sulpicia asked as she stroked her boy's face, genuinely worried about his apparent fragile state.

"Caius has decided to take a high guard. But you know what Athenodora is like, she wants a little mouse to boss around, a 'lady in waiting' Caius called it." Aro explained to his wife.

"Aha, and they have chosen Lucy?"

Aro nodded to her as Demetri's sobs increased.

Sulpicia and Aro shared a look between them. Neither had believed Demetri was that serious about the young woman, they thought she was just another in a long line of infatuations that their boy had perused. His reaction to the news that Lucy would now be under Caius was a surprise to them both.

"Are you calm enough to talk to me?" Aro asked.

Demetri hung in his father's arms without bothering to support his own weight at all. He didn't answer Aro, but he didn't resist when his father moved him to the sofa - he didn't attack when he was released either.

Sulpicia took the seat next to Demetri whilst Aro sat opposite him.

"What have you heard?" Aro asked gently.

Demetri looked up with hate filled eyes. "That Lucy has to live with Caius!" he spat venomously.

"Okay, okay," Aro placated. "And, why does that upset you so much?"

Demetri looked ready to blow. _Are you fucking stupid_? "You know what Caius is like! Lucy will be his live-in sex slave whether she's willing or not!" he growled out, disgusted with the words coming out of his own mouth.

Sulpicia stiffened. She would like to be able to disagree with Demetri's concerns, but she believed he was right.

Aro did too, for that matter.

"Are you mated with her?" he asked. "I thought you two were just ... you know."

Demetri looked away, embarrassed. "We're not mated. But that doesn't mean I want to see her used as Caius' wanking bag!"

Aro's eyes bulged. "Hey! Watch your mouth!" he threatened with a hand raised ready to knock some decency into his son if he continued.

"What pleasant imagery, Demetri!" Sulpicia commented, shaking her head in woe.

Aro inhaled deeply. Demetri was so agitated and it had surprised Aro a little. He hadn't expected his boy would actually care about Lucy - exclusivity wasn't something Demetri was known for.

"Listen, I don't mean to be crass, son, but Caius has access to every vampire in this place. Well, almost." Aro tried to explain to his son, gently, though it just fuelled Demetri's anger.

"So, what? If I do ever want to mate with someone I have to share nicely and accept Caius will be fucking her when he likes?!"

Sulpicia's mouth dropped open at hearing her son speak so offensively.

Aro caught on to her clear upset and decided he had to act quickly - he didn't want a repeat of last night's argument and he knew that's where things were heading if he didn't show some solidarity with his wife.

Without speaking to Demetri, Aro snatched his boy up out of his seat and threw him to the archway where he landed in a heap, confused over Aro's sudden, silent reaction.

"Excuse us, my queen," he shot over his shoulder on his way to grab Demetri from the floor.

Demetri scooted backward on the floor as Aro approached. He didn't dare take his eyes off his formidable father. "What are you doing?" he asked in trepidation.

Aro didn't reply, he kept up his approach until Demetri had made it all the way down the marble hallway and was outside his bedchamber door.

"IN!" Aro ordered.

Demetri flashed to his feet and inside his room, not stopping until he was safely on the opposite side of his bed and as far from Aro as possible.

Felix tried to hide his slight, sly grin. He'd listened to the whole exchange and although he sympathized with his brother, it was just too damn good to have someone else on the receiving end of Aro's wrath for a while.

"Do you want me to leave so you can deal with him?" he asked his father.

Demetri scowled at the inference he was to be 'dealt' with.

Aro turned his glare on Felix for a moment. "And just where do you think you are able to go, Felix? You cannot leave these chambers without me and your own mother doesn't want to share her space with you right now ... sit your ass back down!"

Felix gulped and without further comment retook his seat in the window.

"This is not fair! I have a right to be pissed off knowing Caius is going to have his perverted hands on my, my, well, my friend." Demetri was incensed. _Aro can beat my ass but it won_ _'_ _t stop me being fucked off to the far side of fuckery about this_!

Aro saw Demetri retreating to his thoughts and took the chance to get close to him.

Crack!

Aro slapped Demetri hard enough to knock him down to his bed before Demetri realised he had even moved.

"Think before you speak - do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth, you stupid boy? Have you not noticed that your mother is literally teetering on the edge of explosion over HIS treatment of women, and now you sit in front of her bemoaning your diminished conjugal rights with your 'friend'? Idiot!"

Aro started pacing around his son's room, which made them both nervous as hell, and Felix hadn't even done anything ... new.

"Lucy will be living in Caius' suite. She will still visit the guard hall and she will still be involved with guard activities. You may see a little less of her - and you will NEVER see her in Caius' chambers, but you will still see her."

Felix chortled to himself quietly. "It's not seeing her that he's worried about!" he whispered.

Bad move, of course his father heard him. "Don't, just don't!" Aro warned him with black, angry eyes.

"I hate to tell you this, son," Aro started as he took a seat near Demetri, still on his bed cradling his face, "but you have been sharing guards with Caius for centuries now. And with me, for that matter! I thought you knew that." _Surely you did, surely the guards talk about submission, for fuck sake? They must_! Aro reasoned.

"Yes." Demetri spat in disgust. "But YOU haven't done that for years and HE hasn't been here for the last year and that last year is when I have been with Lucy!"

Aro laughed. "I remember catching you and Lucy in bed with Adrianna last year ... you weren't so bothered about sharing then, were you." Aro pointed out. He wasn't trying to be cruel, he wanted to understand why this would be a problem for Demetri now, all of a sudden.

Demetri sat and seethed, feeling a dangerous mixture of pure hatred towards Caius and embarrassment having to talk about his sex life with his dad!

"What if I said we were mated, would it change anything?" Demetri asked, much to Aro's surprise.

 _What?! You are not mating with anyone!_ _You are fourteen,_ _for god_ _'s sake! Don'_ _t say that, it will just piss him off. I can_ _'_ _t lie to him either though ..._ "No, it wouldn't. Caius has said he is taking Lucy and that is the end of it."

Aro hadn't intended to sound as blunt as he had, but he didn't want to leave anything, even the slightest bit, ambiguous for his son.

Demetri scowled. "Why though? You could do something about Caius if you wanted to. We don't exactly live in a democracy here!"

Aro exhaled his frustrations. "There is nothing for me to do something about. I am not causing ructions with Caius for your current fancy piece! He only returned today and you are intent on creating a fuss already!"

Demetri growled. He would never usually be so bold as to growl at Aro, of all people, but it was primal, instinctive, and he couldn't help it.

Aro stood up and towered over his boy. _My god, he is actually falling for her, he_ _'_ _s trying to protect her. This isn_ _'_ _t happening_.

"Just choose someone else," he told his son, simply.

Demetri continued to growl, and he hadn't taken his eyes off Aro yet.

 _Is he challenging me, seriously_? Aro questioned. _Like hell am I standing for that_!

"You must be confused son," he sang out in his trademark tone. "You seem to think you can offer a challenge to me." Aro undid his belt, slowly, not taking his eyes off Demetri as he watched intently for his boy's reaction. "Are you really going to go there?" he asked as he played with the open buckle in his hands.

Demetri's eyes flickered between Aro's eyes and his hands.

 _Good boy, you are coming to your senses_ , Aro thought.

"We can if you wish." he said as he slid the thick leather from around his waist.

Demetri's breathing became laboured and his eyes were concentrating on his father's belt now, he hadn't looked back to Aro's eyes for a good few seconds.

"Well?" Aro asked as he folded the implement in two.

Demetri stopped growling, eyes now concentrating on the floor.

"WELL?!" Aro shouted, glaring at his boy's shaggy mop of hair atop his bowed head.

"No sir," came Demetri's very quiet reply.

Aro knew he had to bring an end to this sort of display immediately. He wasn't being fatherly now, that ship had sailed, this called for a coven leader's decree. Aro sounded soulless as he addressed his son, totally void of all emotions.

"You are allowed to fuck who you like, so long as they aren't already mated I couldn't care less. Caius doesn't care either, for that matter. You can have Lucy. But he will too. You will not mate with her."

Demetri's head shot up, anger beginning to rise up from within and with a daring look of defiance twisting his boyish features.

"You WILL NOT mate with her, or anyone else." Aro stared Demetri down until he had the sense to return his eyes to the floor. "You are too young," he said dismissively, "and you always will be!"

Demetri's heart sank and the tears he'd held back so stoically were now released, completely beyond his control.

"I suggest the two of you stay in here for a while and think about your actions going forward. At some point Sully will want to talk to you and if I hear a word was spoken out of turn by either of you ... " Aro allowed his words to float in the air. He knew both Felix and Demetri knew what would happen if they gave Sulpicia any trouble. As he reached for the door handle, a final thought crossed Aro's mind.

"Demetri," he called out sternly, "you will not visit Lucy in Caius' chambers. Am I understood?"

Demetri looked over his shoulder with tears streaming down his face but he didn't answer.

"If Caius catches you in his chambers, whatever he decides to do about it will be up to him. So, don't be surprised if Lucy ends up sharing YOU with Caius."

Demetri choked on his own venom hearing Aro essentially allow Caius to do as he wished with him. "I won't go to his chambers, I won't," he mumbled miserably.

 _Oh_ _, how I wish I could believe you, son_. Aro thought as he left his boys to their brooding.


	62. Loose Ends

**LOOSE ENDS**

"Dad!" Aro exclaimed as he came back into his living room.

 _Oh fuck,_ he thought upon seeing his father sitting with his wife. "We need to talk ... " he said, not really sure if he was asking or stating a fact.

"We have much to talk about," Basileus agreed darkly. "Come with me, please."

Aro went to follow his father out of his chambers, but with his head hung low he didn't realise Basileus was heading towards him!

"This way, son." Basileus said, turning his boy around to go back down the hallway.

"Huh?" Aro questioned dumbly as Basileus led the pair of them to Felix and Demetri's room.

The boys had clearly heard their father and grandfather coming as both were watching the door when Basileus entered. Aro wasn't too sure what was going on, and said as much to his father in his thoughts.

"I just need a quick word with them first, that's all," he replied easily. "Close the door."

Aro obliged, keeping the confusion from his face as his sons looked to him questioningly.

"So, a lot has happened whilst I was away?" Basileus asked calmly, ensuring he caught both Felix's and Demetri's eye. "I know it was a while ago, but I am sure your memories are as good as mine, lads ... what did I tell you before I left for England?"

Felix released a guttural sigh as Demetri whimpered.

"You do remember then." Basileus pushed, hearing their initial reactions. He walked the short distance, back and forth between Felix's and Demetri's beds - scaring the crap out of them. "I told you both to be on your best behaviour whilst I was away, did I not? Do you think you were?"

Felix gulped audibly, amusing Aro to no end. It wasn't that he wanted his son to suffer unnecessarily, but having someone else be the bad guy for a while certainly lessened Aro's metaphorical load.

"We were good ... for us!" Felix offered in reply.

Basileus growled and flashed to his grandson, throwing Felix down onto his bed. As he loomed over the frightened young vampire, Basileus took hold of Felix's jaw in one hand with a crushing grip. Through his contact, Basileus spoke to Felix privately putting his words into the boy's mind.

"You BIT my son and you think you were good!"

Felix sunk into his bed beneath his grandfather.

"How you survived after doing such a treacherous thing is anyone's guess."

Aro and Demetri exchanged worried looks as all they could hear was the increasing growl, rumbling in Basileus' chest.

"If I hear of you doing such a thing again, I will remove you from Aro's care and you will live with me."

Felix tried to look to Aro in hope he would save him, but Basileus blocked his view.

"If I am forced to take you into my chambers, you can be sure any lenience Aro has shown you will not be repeated by me. Am I understood?"

Felix felt like his jaw was about to crumble as he tried to desperately show he understood. He couldn't move enough to nod his head or even talk - his eyes spoke to Basileus loudly enough.

"I have half a mind to rip out your damn fangs!" Basileus said out loud.

 _Aha_! Aro understood what that little chat was about now. Watching as his eldest son rubbed out his aching face with frightened, tearful eyes, Aro wondered just how threatening his father had been with the boy.

"And you!" Basileus bellowed as he turned on Demetri.

"I haven't done anything! Well, nothing you don't already know about!" Quite vocal for Demetri, but he was sure he had a relatively clean slate.

"You shacked up with your little whores in my bed and you think you did nothing?" Basileus asked as he approached.

"You smacked me in the library!" Demetri complained, backing up on his bed.

"And I told you we would continue later ... you appeared to want a little more privacy at the time," Basileus told him as he reached for Demetri's arm.

Demetri flashed from his bed, deftly escaping his grandfather's grasp, and made for the door.

Aro, naturally, blocked his path.

"Oh dear, Demetri." Basileus crooned as the boy realised he'd just made the situation a million times worse for himself.

Aro shook his head sadly when Demetri looked to him for help. "You know better than to run," he told him, plainly, as he delivered his son to his impending doom.

"Give us the room." Basileus ordered as he took a seat on Demetri's bed.

Felix didn't need asking twice. He was at the door within a fraction of a second, leaving a bewildered Aro to follow him.

"You know, I owe him one for mouthing off to Magnus last week ... " Aro called out over his shoulder as he left Demetri trying to squirm out of Basileus' grip.

"Consider it done, son." Basileus smiled, swinging Demetri over his knee.

"No!"

CRACK!

"Yes," Basileus replied as he set to taking the boy to task.

"What happened to your face?" Sulpicia asked as soon as Felix came into view.

"Basileus said I have to live with him," Felix replied with his voice hitching over the words.

"What? Over my dead body!" Sulpicia rushed to her son's side and wrapped her arms around her eldest boy.

"But you don't want me here anymore ... after what I did! Please don't let him take me, mom!" Felix whispered as Sulpicia held him tightly.

"I do want you here, Felix. I was angry - I am angry! But I love you and I want you here." Taking her baby's bruised face in her hands, she told him softly, "This is your home."

Aro was a little perturbed that Basileus would have said such a thing without even consulting him. He placed a hand on his son's head and read Felix's memories for what Basileus had actually told him.

Pulling Sulpicia aside and pushing Felix away slightly, Aro shared the information with his wife.

"He isn't going anywhere ... so long as he doesn't bite me again. I think his fear has confused him."

Sulpicia clutched her hands to her stomach. She knew how hard it would have been to go against Basileus ... but she would have, and the thought made her feel ill. An hour or so before she couldn't even stand to look at her boy and now she just wanted to wrap him up and defend him with every ounce of her strength.

"He needs his mother, my queen." Aro prompted, seeing he had a chance to reconcile his wife and son.

"Felix, come with me," she called out.

He followed her, still sobbing softly, to her bed chamber and closed the door.

Aro poured himself a drink and sat at his table, leafing through maps and outpost correspondence. He felt his dead heart beat when Basileus joined him there.

"Is it my turn?" Aro asked bitterly.

"Your turn for what?" Basileus returned as he poured himself a goblet of wine.

 _Are you going to make me say it_? Aro questioned in his mind.

Basileus smiled evilly as he swigged from his cup.

"Fine! I assume you now want to settle the score with me," Aro replied without looking up from his maps.

"For what?" Basileus pushed. He knew it hurt Aro to confront his actions but he deserved to be hurt - in Basileus' mind.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Aro huffed. "For hurting Sully, we both know what for."

Basileus calmly took a seat next to his son. "I suggest you stop spitting your words to me and drop the attitude - I wasn't the one beating my mate!"

Aro huffed. _I didn_ _'_ _t beat my mate, either_!

"Sulpicia is as much my daughter as you are my son. If I caught you fighting with Eleazar or Carlisle I would belt you ... it is no different to me when you fight with Sully. Do you understand my position?"

Aro nodded. He did. Although part of him wanted to object. _Sulpicia is my wife, not my brother, it's different,_ he thought.

Basileus shook his head upon hearing Aro's thoughts. "Not to me it isn't, son."

Aro closed his eyes, waiting for his father to instruct him one way or the other.

Basileus looked his boy up and down. _I could happily string you out to dry for hurting her, you little shit ... but I promised Sully ..._ "Luckily for you, Sulpicia has convinced me to let it go."

Aro's head shot up with his mouth hanging open. He had been so sure she was sealing his fate when he saw Sulpicia talking with Basileus.

"I won't be so easily convinced again, son."

Aro blew out his held breath as he offered his promise to do better in the future.

Basileus soon put an end to his rambles. "I don't want to hear it, Aro. I have just listened to similarly disingenuous promises from your son - you know I am not sure whether Demetri gets it from you or you get it from him!"

Aro bit his lip. Any comparison of his sons being like him always melted his resolve.

"Is Demetri still alive?" Aro finally asked, wanting to deflect the attention from his own misdeeds.

"He will survive. That boy!" Basileus exclaimed.

"Dramatic?" Aro questioned with a smirk - he knew only too well how theatrical Demetri could be while he was being punished.

Basileus laughed. "He's a bloody nightmare! I only spanked him! You would think I was using a rod of iron or something!"

Aro glanced to his father's hand as he took a slug of wine. "You may as well have," he replied quietly.

"Very funny." Basileus finished up his drink and left his goblet on the table. "Come. We need to meet with Caius and Magnus to plan the guard envoys."

…

"I can stay here with the children, my love."

Aro shook his head. "No, I want you with me. I have arranged a babysitter!"

Sulpicia smiled. "And, who exactly would be willing to miss the celebrations to guard our children?"

Aro handed his mate her jewels and fixed his own shirt. "Carlisle," he said quietly, unsure how Sulpicia would take it.

"CARLISLE?!" she repeated, loudly.

"Now, hear me out. I personally think my brother's behaviour is a blip, so I want to give him the chance to prove he still has some sort of brain activity before Basileus rips him to shreds. Carlisle has assured me he will be a model babysitter."

Sulpicia looked less than convinced. "He is also the only one not attending party in the great hall."

Aro moved behind his mate and bit gently into her neck. "I want you with me tonight."

Sulpicia melted into Aro's embrace. "If you are sure ... it's on your head though, my love."

Aro laughed. "It's on Atia's head - she convinced Basileus!"

When Sulpicia went into the walk-in robe to change, Aro left to talk with ... or rather to threaten his sons.

"A babysitter!" Felix spat as soon as Aro left his bedchamber.

"You really need to stop listening in on my private conversations." Aro warned, putting both his boys on the back foot.

"We don't need a babysitter!"

"Felix, just shut up." Demetri whispered to his brother. He didn't want to enrage Aro again, and he thought Carlisle being their babysitter was a great idea. _I can go and see Lucy, Carlisle won_ _'t mind_.

"You do need a babysitter; how else can I ensure the two of you stay in these quarters?" Aro said simply as he poured two goblets of wine.

Picking up the table barrel he tested the weight. Feeling he had a good measure of the amount in there, he turned to his sons. "I know exactly how much is in this barrel, if there is a drop less when I return there will be hell to pay."

Felix huffed as he dramatically flopped into the sofa.

"Are we expected to just sit in here all evening whilst you and Sully go to the party?"

Demetri rolled his eyes to his brother's attitude as he took the seat next to him.

"Nope." Aro answered with a smile.

 _Why is he smiling? That_ _'_ _s not a good sign_ , Demetri thought.

"Firstly, the twins are coming to the celebrations. Secondly, you won't be sitting in here ... "

Felix stood up. "The twins can go and we can't! That isn't fair - they are younger than us!"

Aro squared up to his angry young vampire. "They know how to behave and they are welcome to attend for as long as I say they are."

Felix landed back in his seat when Aro gave him a push.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted ... you won't be sitting in here because you will be in bed before I leave and you will still be in bed when I return."

Felix went to stand again but Demetri dug his elbow sharply into his ribs. "Leave it!" he hissed.

"I would take his advice, son." Aro sternly told his eldest.

Felix turned away, muttering mutiny under his breath but at least he stopped arguing with his father.

"My queen, are you ready?" Aro sang out as Carlisle came through the door.

"Hey kids!" he called out to his nephews, both of whom returned a withering glare in response.

"Say good night to your Uncle Carlisle, boys."

Carlisle laughed, expecting Aro was joking.

Felix could feel his face burning. He knew it was a phantom blush but it made him agitated nonetheless.

"I am deadly serious - say good night, now."

Carlisle looked to his brother quizzically. "Aro, the sun is only just setting ... surely they ... "

Aro held up his hand to silence his brother. "They are to be in bed all evening. I am expecting you to keep them there. If they are stupid enough to try and leave their room, you are to fetch me immediately."

Carlisle was a little taken aback. He had been overjoyed to spend the evening with his nephews rather than solitary confinement in his own room, but this sounded boring as hell! Still, he wasn't going to object to Aro - he had big plans for this evening and he needed his brother out of the way to put them into action.

"Understood, brother," Carlisle replied. "Good night, guys."

Felix scowled and stormed to his bedroom without a second glance to anyone, barging into Alec and Jane as he passed them in the hall. Demetri followed quietly behind.

"Are you sure you can handle them, Carlisle?" Sulpicia asked as she joined them in the living room.

"Certainly," Carlisle replied confidently.

Pulling him in close, Aro whispered to Carlisle. "Do not make me regret this, brother."

Carlisle offered a taught smile in return before watching his brother and family leave for the night.

…

"The guards certainly seem happy," Caius commented when he took a break from dancing with his mate.

Aro looked around the large hall to his guards, all enjoying the night's festivities to the maximum. "Of course they are happy - we have just told them their missions; it is what they live for!"

Aro had decided to announce the envoy plans at the beginning of the evening whilst the guards were still sober enough to take in his orders. He had spent the late afternoon organising which guards would go where with his father and two fellow masters, Caius and Magnus.

Along with checking on Volturi outposts, seven covens had been identified for special attention. These covens hadn't been involved in any illegal activity, and Aro didn't expect they would be part of the Romanians master plan, but he hoped that if they could be brought to Italy he could convince them it was in their best interests to pay tribute to the Volturi and receive protection and special allowances in return. It would strengthen his hold on vampire society if the world's major and oldest covens were Volturi sanctioned, and in turn, weaken the Romanian's chances of enacting an uprising. It would also provide Aro with a new revenue stream so he could put his payroll idea ... or rather Felix's payroll idea ... into effect without using any of his personal wealth.

"Do you think the covens will really come, Aro? We haven't had the most successful working relationships with these vampires in the past."

Aro finished his goblet and called the closest guard to collect his cup for a refill. "We can only extend the invite, Caius. The guards have been well instructed on how to convince them that their attendance to our open ball would be in their best interests."

Caius appeared pensive. "I'm still not convinced that filling our halls with possibly disloyal vampires is the best idea you have had."

Aro sighed. _I know Caius, you have told me repeatedly_!

"Stories change their truth as they travel, brother. If we are to get the covens on our side, we will need to talk with them directly and as a whole. I want to promote unity against the usurping Romanians. I am asking you to trust my judgment."

Taking two full goblets from the returning guard, Caius gave one to Aro. "I do trust you, brother," he said genuinely.

"Are you disappointed to not be joining the guard?" Aro asked Caius.

He knew Caius' thirst for blood and knew he lived for missions - much like the guards.

"After a year on a mission, I am more than ready for coven life, Aro. I have new interests now ... "

Aro followed his brother-in-arms' eyeline straight to Lucy. _Poor thing looks miserable_ , Aro thought upon seeing her talking with friends.

"I assume you are keeping Lucy here?"

Caius nodded.

"Demetri will be relieved." Aro commented pointedly.

Caius became serious hearing Aro mention his son. "I hope you have explained about Lucy moving into my quarters."

"Oh, I have. I have made it clear that his relationship with her can continue but that he is not to enter your chambers without your permission. Frankly brother, I can't see it lasting long anyway. You know Demetri! But, if you could be sensitive to young love, I would appreciate it."

Caius sighed. "Young love! They are fucking, Aro! But yes, I will be 'sensitive' to their relationship. But if I catch him in my quarters I swear to god I will ... "

Aro held up his hand. "If you catch him in your quarters feel free to be as severe as you need to be. And then return him to me to receive the same."

Caius smiled and chinked his glass with Aro's. "When, Aro. Not if," he said as he walked away.

 _I wish I could disagree_! Aro thought after him.

Seeing Aro was free, both Magnus and Basileus moved in to speak to the coven king.

"Magnus, have you had much experience with the newborns when we create new vampires?" Aro asked, seeing him approach.

"I have trained them enough times to know how to deal with them, my lord." Magnus replied. "Will I be Master of the Newborns, instead, going forward?"

Basileus laughed lightly. "You aren't being demoted; your guard will return soon enough, my friend. We may need to take on some new members to keep the numbers up whilst they are away, that is all."

Magnus' relief was palpable as his emotions emitted through his gift.

Basileus placed his hand on the master's shoulder. "Your promotion has been the best thing to happen to this coven in centuries, Magnus. You have no need to fear for your position."

Magnus returned a grateful smile.

"We had talked of replacing the whole guard with newborns, but with the strength of Atia's gift she could defend this whole castle single-handedly. The twins will remain here and they can wipe out an entire army, if required ... I think we will be fine for a couple of years while waiting for the guards to return," Aro offered, hoping his father would agree.

He would rather not have the hassle of raising a large group of newborns if he didn't have to, and a couple of years off sharing the castle with so many other people would be as good as a holiday - or at least as close to a holiday - as Aro could get.

Basileus looked less certain than Aro, but he seemed to be considering his son's suggestion at least.

Atia called out for Basileus to join her on the dance floor. The old creator couldn't resist the chance to show the young guards how a real man danced with his lady.

"I assume Felix and Demetri will be staying, also. You wouldn't send them on mission, surely?" Magnus asked when Basileus left, pulling Aro from his thoughts.

"Your assumptions are correct, my friend. I dread to think the damage they could inflict on the world if I sent them out without chaperones. I've had to call Carlisle in to babysit them tonight and that's inside the castle!"

Magnus' eyes widened. "Was it really such a good idea to leave them with Carlisle?" Magnus asked, genuinely worried about the young Volturi princes under their uncle's influence.

"I'm trying to give my brother a reprieve from my father - 'thou shalt not judge' and all that."

Magnus laughed. "Because 'thou' has fucked shit up before, too?"

Aro nodded. "Exactly, my friend."

A cheer erupted from the guards as Basileus spun his new mate around on the dance floor.

"Are you happy, my dear?" Basileus asked as he set Atia back on her feet.

"I am sure you know the answer to that, Basileus," she replied as he nuzzled into her neck.

Pulling her over to the side of the hall, Basileus wormed his way past her mental block and inside her thoughts.

Atia felt the break in her guard. "Surely you, of all people, can sidestep my mental block. We know my physical defence has no effect on you."

Basileus pulled out before he'd had a chance to access his wife's true opinions. "No, my dear, you are a mystery to me," he lied whilst pulling her into his lap.

"Oh Basileus, you should remember how powerful my gifts are ... all of them."

Running his fingers through her hair, he took a light fistful in each and brought her in close, noses touching he replied breathlessly, "I know, my dear."

Atia took over, kissing her way down his face and ending on his neck, sucking along his collar bone. "Especially being able to use other vampires' gifts, all be it, temporarily, " she added between kisses.

"Yep, that one too," Basileus sighed, not paying attention.

Atia waited until Basileus was totally lost in the moment before showing her husband what she was alluding to. 'A door once opened may be stepped through in either direction.'

Basileus heard her. Well, he didn't 'hear' her out loud, but he heard her transfer those words to inside his head. Dropping his hands from caressing her body, he looked to her in shock.

"How did you do that?" he questioned in surprise.

Atia quit her fondling of his body and moved to sit next to him. "I know you can read my mind, my dear. And now that you have broken through my mental guard, I have access to your gifts, too."

Basileus was glad the great hall was so noisy to muffle the sounds of this conversation. "I, I," he stuttered - Basileus wasn't used to being caught in a trap!

Atia stroked a delicate hand down his face. "I know you are used to having the upper hand in your relationships, my dear, but I have lived independently for too long to accept any relationship that is not equal. Your concern that family strife will see me run away is unfounded and unwarranted - deceiving me will be the only thing that causes me to turn my back on you after so long."

Basileus couldn't formulate an answer. "I, I," he tried, stuttering again.

"You are sorry you lied to me and it won't be happening again ... because I can, and I will, check," she told her mate confidently.

Basileus exhaled slowly. "Exactly that, my dear."

"Sulpicia!" Atia called out, leaving her stunned mate to his thoughts as she caught up with her daughter-in-law and Athenodora.

"Atia, my lady," Sulpicia replied.

Athenodora bowed politely.

"Basileus tells me you have settled things with Felix?" Atia asked.

Athenodora had already heard of the young prince's most recent adventures along with his uncle, so there was no reason to hide anything from her.

"We have, my lady - I cannot stay angry with that boy for long," she admitted.

"You should have given him a piece of your mind, Sulpicia!" Athenodora commented, hoping the sort of trouble Felix and Demetri brought to Aro and Sulpicia's door was down to them being boys and that she wouldn't have the same troubles with the vampires she intended to recruit as her ladies in waiting.

"I intended to at first, but I was rather more inclined to give him a piece of my heart instead." Sulpicia responded emotionally.

"I have to say I think I agree with Athenodora on this, Sulpicia. You had the opportunity to really impress upon that boy how dastardly his actions have been and you have given him a free pass instead!"

Sully took a deep, long drawn gulp of her bloodwine before answering. "You are right of course, but I believe Aro got through to Felix well enough for us both. What have you said to Carlisle on the subject?"

Atia stood back and looked down her nose to her daughter-in-law. _Very well played, my dear,_ she thought.

"I haven't had the opportunity to say much at all to Carlisle yet ... "

Sulpicia smiled sweetly as she interrupted her mother-in-law, "Please let me know how it goes when you do have the opportunity," and then she floated away, back to the safety of her husband's side.

"My queen, are you well?" Aro asked as Sulpicia shrank into his arms.

"That woman!" she commented in a shrill whisper.

"What woman? Please don't tell me you and Athenodora are finding fault with each other already?"

Sulpicia shook her head and placed her hand on Aro's cheek. He understood she wanted to show him something, although he was surprised to see it was a complaint with Atia that had brought her running to him. "I think you handled that perfectly well, my queen," he told her, though his thoughts soon turned to questioning Atia's influence on his coven as he saw her laughing heartily with Athenodora at the side of the hall.

When he saw Atia beckon the twins from his side, he held out his hand to stop them. "Where are you two going?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his new mother.

"Only to Atia ... " Alec replied whilst Jane watched her father's reaction.

"No. Its late. You need to go home," Aro told them dismissively.

Jane reared up. "What?!"

She was used to leaving the celebrations before they ended and she understood why they had to and never complained, but the celebrations had only just begun!

"Jane, I said it was time for you to go home. Go. Now," Aro returned.

He knew he wasn't being fair on the two of them but Atia trying to pull rank on his wife had unnerved him and he didn't want her having unfettered access to his children, too.

Sulpicia stroked her daughter's hair, "I will be along soon, my little one."

Jane stood firm until Alec whispered into her ear. Whatever he said softened her stature and they left together through the front of the hall.

Sulpicia watched her baby vampires leave and she felt her heart swell when the pair ignored Atia's attempts to get their attention. However, as they left through the great hall doors, her heart stopped swelling and started sinking.

'I will kill him!' Sulpicia's threatening thoughts startled Aro from his musing over his new mother's intentions.

"Who?" he asked, searching the dance floor for the aim of her threat.

And then he saw him. "I will kill him!" Aro roared as he threw his cup to the floor.

Even with the general merriment of the guards creating a comfortable din, everyone heard the roar erupt from the coven king as he staked through the dance floor.

So to, did Demetri, who was hiding at the edge of the great doors to the throne room. He froze.

"Demetri go, go!" Lucy whispered to him, hurriedly.

"Stay there!" Aro bellowed, assuming his son was about to flee.

Aro was wrong.

Demetri wanted to, sure, but he couldn't move. _Oh fuck! He_ _'_ _s going to kill me, and then he_ _'_ _s going to kill Carlisle and Felix. Fuck_!

"Lucy." Aro nodded curtly to the young guard as she scurried away from her doomed lover.

When she caught Caius' eye, she wondered how her new direct master would react. Seeing the sly smile tugging on his lips didn't really answer her question but as he allowed her to continue her evening, she decided to seek comfort from Freyr instead.

"I assume the tower is on fire and you have sought me out to tell me?" Aro growled out.

Demetri shook his head.

"We must be under attack and you are the only one left alive?" he mocked his son.

Demetri shook his head again, not daring to speak.

"I cannot think of another reason why you would be standing in front of me now and NOT in your room!"

Demetri whimpered as Aro curled his hand around his throat.

As Aro flipped through his thoughts, his grip increased until Demetri was all but strangled in front of him.

"ARO!" Basileus roared into his son's ear.

He released Demetri but continued his glare. "We are going home." Aro said simply as Demetri shook before him.

"My lord, you may wish to leave soon, too." Aro told Basileus cryptically before disappearing with his son.

Basileus caught on to the thoughts Aro had accessed. _Carlisle, I will kill you_!


	63. Restless

RESTLESS

Once Carlisle was sure his brother and family had left the tower, he headed straight into his nephews' room.

"Are we really going to sit in here all night?" he asked them playfully.

Felix's broad grin spread across his face. Demetri had told him Carlisle would be the 'perfect' babysitter but Felix hadn't caught on to what he'd meant at the time - he had been too focused on his anger towards his father.

"What do you have in mind?" Felix asked hopefully.

Carlisle shrugged. "I don't fancy being cooped up in the tower whilst everyone else is at the party."

Felix shook his head. "I am not going to the great hall, Carlisle. That would be certain death!"

"Well, I am!" Demetri interjected. "I have already arranged to meet Lucy. She's going to slip out the front doors to me."

Carlisle patted his nephew's shoulder. "That's my boy!" he told him with a sly grin.

"What shall we do then?" Felix asked his uncle, feeling a little nervous. _If Demetri_ _'_ _s brave enough to go the great hall then I am not sitting in here all night_.

"Well, the way I see it, we have a good few hours before Sulpicia will be bringing the twins home. We can go out and be back before they even notice we have gone." Carlisle took a seat on Demetri's bed and leaned back easily onto his arms.

Demetri could see his brother wavering. It was odd to be the one who was raring to go - that was usually Felix's gig, not Demetri's - unless there was sex involved, naturally. If that was the case, Demetri usually found his balls and followed them blindly!

"Well, I am going. Now!" he declared, with one last look to Carlisle for his approval.

"Go! Just don't get caught!" he offered with a wink.

Demetri didn't need telling twice - he was gone in a flash.

"Come on Felix, get ready!"

Heaving himself off his bed, Felix went to fetch a clean uniform.

"What are you doing - you can't wear a guard uniform to a tavern!" Carlisle told him, taking the garments from his hands.

"I don't have anything else."

Carlisle scrubbed a hand down his face. "Yes, I know that. Just borrow something from Aro's wardrobe again."

Felix shook his head. "How stupid do you think I am? Do you know how pissed he was about me doing that last time?"

Carlisle chuckled. "I can imagine. BUT he won't find out this time - we are going to show them that we are mature enough to go out and enjoy ourselves responsibly. We will be home before they are."

Felix still didn't look convinced.

"Fine! I will get you something of mine to wear." Carlisle growled, leaving Felix to undress whilst he fetched some non-uniform clothing. It didn't take long for Carlisle to return.

"You know you are smaller than me, Carlisle. My arms are the size of your legs!" Felix mocked his uncle as he tried on his clothes. Just as he'd thought, they were a tight fit.

"So long as you can lift your arm to drink, I think you will manage - you overgrown oaf!" Carlisle returned a little bitterly. "Unless you fancy stealing some of Magnus' clothes? I'm sure they would fit you much more comfortably," he added slyly.

"Not a fucking chance!" Felix blustered.

Once he was dressed and checking himself out in the mirror, Felix started to replay Aro's warnings over in his mind.

"I don't know about this, Carlisle. I haven't got over the shame of yesterday yet!" Felix complained. "Let alone the pain," he added as he rubbed his ass. It still stung like a bitch but at least he could walk without a limp now.

Carlisle came up behind him in the mirror. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to," he said, smoothing out his clothes. "You will be missing out though."

Carlisle could see his nephew's head ticking over, trying to judge if the risk was worth it.

"I have done worse and survived," Felix commented, mainly to himself.

"We won't be killing anyone," Carlisle told him cheerily.

Felix thumped his elbow into his uncle, knocking the wind out of Carlisle. "Thank you for bringing that up!" Felix shot back. He still had that whore's mangled body going round and around in his mind.

Carlisle knew his time was getting short and he didn't want to waste any more time in Felix's bedroom - he had to convince his nephew quickly! "Felix, we're young men, we don't have mates, we have plenty of money ... why are we sitting in this old castle when we could get around half the taverns in Italy in one evening?"

Felix rolled that around his head. _'_ _Men_ _'_ _. Carlisle had just said the magic word_.

"Okay," he agreed, his broad smile returned. "Where's the money from?" he asked as he buckled his boots.

Carlisle shrugged. "Found it."

Felix stopped buckling. _It_ _'s_ _Basileus_ _'_ _. I know it. No_ _, don_ _'_ _t ask, and then I_ _'_ _m not implicated_! "Oh fuck it, let's go!" he replied, happily, as the pair rushed out of his room.

The twins entered the main chamber before Felix and Carlisle had made it to the door.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked. Seeing her big brother out of guard uniform only meant one thing - they were sneaking into town again!

"You didn't see us," Felix said. He knew they wouldn't grass on him unless they absolutely had to so he had nothing to worry about.

Jane nodded her agreement but Alec burst out laughing. "You know Aro will find out, Felix," he said between giggles, not quite believing how stupid his brother could be.

Carlisle took Alec's comment as proof he was going to grass them up. Slamming his youngest nephew into the wall, he threatened the boy menacingly. "Don't you dare say a word, not a word! Do you hear me?"

Felix couldn't believe his eyes. "Hey, you don't need to be like that with him."

Carlisle looked to Felix like he'd grown an extra head. "Are you stupid?" he asked, astonished by his idiocy. "They will go straight to Daddy!" he ground out, increasing his grip on Alec's small shoulders.

Felix ripped Carlisle away from the boy and stood protectively in front of him. "I'm telling you to back the fuck off, Carlisle."

Carlisle was taken aback by Felix's strength. He knew Felix was strong but he had never felt the youth's force so intently before. Looking to his sleeve, he realised Felix had torn his coat in the process.

"Felix, I am above you. You should watch how you talk to me."

Pulling Jane to his side to keep her from harm's way, Felix fixed Carlisle with a glare. "Touch my brother again and I will rip your fucking arms off," he ground out. He meant it, too.

Carlisle could see that.

Before either Felix or Carlisle could act on the younger's threat, Carlisle dropped to his knees in agony.

"AHHHH!" he roared as Jane roasted him with her gift.

"That's enough, Jane." Felix said quietly to his sister now that their uncle was on the floor.

Carlisle took a moment to steady his breathing. "You are really going to regret that, you fucking witch!" he grunted out between deep breaths.

Aro and Demetri appeared in the doorway before Carlisle could get to his feet.

"On the contrary, brother. You will."

Carlisle sighed but he didn't resist when Aro dragged him from the floor and deposited him on the sofa.

"You set him on fire?" Aro asked his young daughter, still tucked behind her big brother.

"Dad, he attacked Alec." Felix spoke up, pushing Jane behind him a little further.

"I wasn't speaking to you!" Aro shot back with a disgusted look to his eldest son. "I assume by your attire you were about to break your word to me. AGAIN!"

Felix breathed very slowly, as though to do so too loudly was going to anger Aro further.

Aro nodded to himself, although he didn't need the confirmation from Felix's guilty face.

"You two with me!" Aro directed to the twins. "You three will stay exactly where you are!" he told his sons and brother.

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "You aren't my father, Aro, you don't get to tell me what to do!"

Aro spun on his heel and looked his little brother up and down.

"Come again, brother?" he ground out, stalking towards him.

Carlisle was on his feet and ready for a fight.

"I am not fighting you, Carlisle. I don't fight with children," Aro told him patronisingly.

"I am not a child!" Carlisle roared, feeling enraged by the very word!

CRACK! Aro slapped his brother easily, with far more force than he had ever slapped his sons.

Felix and Demetri winced in unison as Carlisle crashed to the floor from the blow.

"Stay there!" Aro told him before ushering the twins to their bedchamber.

Shooing them inside, he closed the door, leaving it open enough for him to hear if anything happened down the hall. Aro stopped Alec before he had made it too far. Taking his youngest son's hand, he quickly saw the exchange between them and Carlisle.

"Are you hurt?" he asked as he checked over his son with his eyes.

Alec shook his head but Aro didn't believe him. "Take that off," he said, helping his son out of his guard tunic.

Alec had bruising on both of his shoulders from the force of Carlisle's grip. As Aro spun his young son around and saw the bruising to his boy's back he felt his temper rising.

"Sully will be home soon, I need to take Carlisle to Basileus."

"I'm okay." Alec replied quietly, rubbing his sore shoulders.

Jane was sitting on her bed, feeling just as angry as Aro!

"You spoke out against me in the throne room and you set your uncle on fire in our home." Aro stated to his girl.

Jane continued to glare angrily at the floor, muttering indistinctly to herself.

"JANE!" Aro shouted, getting her attention.

"I'm sorry?" she replied spitefully. She wasn't sorry. In her mind she had nothing to be sorry for. Aro was unreasonable sending them home so early and Carlisle was being aggressive with her little brother!

"I do hope we aren't seeing the beginnings of a change in your attitude, young lady?" Aro asked.

"Of course not." Jane replied sweetly in the sing-song tone she'd learned from her father.

Aro knew his daughter was being disingenuous but he didn't have the time to speak to her properly. _Your crimes are nowhere near that of your brothers'_ , he thought.

"Go to bed, I will see you both in the morning."

Jane looked askance to her father ... it was barely nine o'clock!

"Or you could argue with me," Aro offered as he closed the gap between them. "I'm certainly in the mood for an argument!" he added as he loomed over his small girl.

Avoiding Aro, Jane looked past him to her brother - Alec stood behind their father shaking his head, willing his sister to see sense.

"We will go to bed." Jane spat bitterly.

Aro flinched at his girl's tone but left the two of them to settle down on their own. Before closing the door behind him, he watched as Jane started to stomp around her room, still muttering to herself.

"I think we will have that talk in the morning, my dear one. This attitude is most unbecoming."

Jane gasped and was about to defend herself but Aro slammed the door before she had the chance.

Sulpicia was already home by the time Aro returned from speaking with the twins, and she had sent their sons to bed.

"I'm going to my quarters." Carlisle told his brother as soon as he came into view.

"Oh no! You aren't skulking off to your own chambers, Carlisle. I think someone will want a word with you first!" Aro returned.

"Basileus is home. He's waiting on you to call." Sulpicia told her husband before turning to her brother-in-law. "I am so disappointed in you, Carlisle."

Carlisle tutted, showing no remorse whatsoever. "Yeah, you have said. Repeatedly!"

Aro growled as he snatched the brooding vampire from his seat. Spotting his father's money pouch sitting next to Carlisle, Aro's eyes lit up. _Even better_! he said to himself.

Basileus was a little surprised to see Aro throw his brother through his door.

"Here! YOUR son is on a path of destruction and I am not having him drag MY son with him."

When they had spotted Demetri at the great hall doors, Basileus had assumed that the boy had snuck out, either with ... or without ... Carlisle's knowledge. He truly hadn't expected that Carlisle would have done any more than turn a blind eye to his nephew's deceit.

"They were about to go out AGAIN." Aro roared, pacing in front of his father.

"Are you sure?" Basileus asked, praying Aro was jumping to conclusions.

Aro smiled tightly and threw him the money pouch. "I believe this is yours, too?"

Basileus exhaled deeply as the coins landed in his lap. "Thief," he stated plainly to his youngest boy, who at least looked away ashamed. _Ashamed of being caught, not for stealing from me,_ Basileus correctly assumed.

"If he puts his hands on my children again and I will deal with him myself," Aro warned gruffly.

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his son's tone before realising the meaning behind his words. "What has he done, Aro?"

Aro shook his head. "Ask him yourself!" he spat in return, and with that he left.

Basileus immediately set to searching through his son's mind. He saw everything; Carlisle suggesting to his nephews that they have 'a little fun', approving of Demetri going to find Lucy, talking Felix into going out, roughing Alec up and Felix defending him, and finally, Jane setting him on fire. Going back a little further, he saw Carlisle steal the money from his own dresser before Basileus had sent him to babysit. _So, it was all premeditated_ , Basileus deduced.

"Sit."

Carlisle submitted to the command but he refused to look at his father.

Basileus watched while his son struggled to sit still. He knew it was partly his agitation, but he was also sure the belting he'd given him the day before would be adding to his struggles.

"You were told you couldn't leave the castle," Basileus stated with little emotion.

"I'm not Felix. I'm not a child," Carlisle complained over the unfitting decree Basileus had made.

"I know you're not. That is why you are only restricted to the castle and not this tower."

Carlisle started chuntering under his breath over the unfairness of it all, how such a restriction was completely unnecessary. When he turned to face Basileus, his father spotted the bruise on his cheek.

"Was that your brother?" he asked, gesturing to his swollen face.

"Yes!" Carlisle spat. "I hope you are going to do something about him lording it over me!"

Basileus laughed in his face. "If you are intent on dragging his children into your quarry against me, I dare say you can expect more of the same from Aro."

Carlisle looked dumbfounded. "But you have never let any of us get away with fighting before!" he complained, voice rising exponentially in tone and tempo with his increasing anger over the injustice he felt.

"That wasn't fighting, Carlisle. You attacked his child and he slapped you for it. Frankly, you should thank him for not ripping your head off. I wouldn't be so gentle if someone attacked one of you." Basileus sounded calm, so calm. His calmness was, naturally, false, but he wanted to keep Carlisle on an even keel and bellowing at him whilst he was still so antsy would only end in an argument.

Carlisle fumed. If it were possible to blow smoke from his ears at the rate of his anger, the room would have descended into a thick smog by now.

"Jane just set me on fire - are you going to do anything about that?"

Basileus smiled sadly and shook his head. "You are lucky Felix didn't snap your neck for getting so rough with Alec."

"I want them punished!" Carlisle roared. He didn't really. He knew it was his own fault, but he was desperate to deflect the attention from himself.

"Oh, you do? I don't think you are in any position ... "

Carlisle got to his feet. "I haven't done anything wrong," he implored.

"You were about to do something very wrong," Basileus said easily, throwing his money onto the table next to him.

"So what? You are going to punish me for something I might have done?"

Smiling darkly, Basileus tapped his knee with one hand and beckoned Carlisle with the other.

"No way! Just ... no," he complained, backing into the door. _You aren_ _'_ _t putting me over your knee! You are a good ten years too late for me to even think about submitting to that! And then some_!

Basileus heard his son's thoughts. "Really?" he asked with a cocky grin.

They both knew Carlisle didn't have a choice, but Basileus mocking him so openly only increased his son's attitude.

Carlisle put a hand on the door handle as he watched his father carefully.

Basileus shook his head. "Your behaviour is unbecoming of your position in this coven."

Carlisle nearly chocked on his own bitter laughter hearing that! "My position? What position? Your whipping boy?" he scoffed as he swung the door open.

"Carlisle!" Atia exclaimed, not expecting the door to open as she came in from the castle.

Before Carlisle could push his way around her, Basileus had a hold on him by the scruff of his neck.

"You are my son. That is your position," he whispered harshly into his ear.

"Would you like me to leave, my dear?" Atia asked.

"YES!" Carlisle roared as Basileus dragged him back to his seat.

Basileus sat down, still holding Carlisle by his neck.

In the awkward position in which he was held, Carlisle could only see the floor but he knew Atia was still there. "You cannot punish me in front of HER!" he complained desperately, trying to pull away.

The way he spat 'her' sealed his fate in Basileus' mind. "If you don't mind staying, my dear, I think the humility may do him some good."

Atia smiled lovingly to her husband and closed the door. Taking a seat opposite, she gestured for him to begin.

"WHAT?!" Carlisle exclaimed. "You cannot do this!"

Basileus allowed his son to continue his struggles, he wasn't getting anywhere but Basileus wasn't going to fight him.

"I can," he said simply.

"Let go of me!" Carlisle whined. "You are trying to humiliate me!"

Basileus nodded. "That's about the size of it," he agreed.

Carlisle was so startled to hear his father confirm his complaint that he stopped struggling. Basileus took the moment to bring his boy over his lap. Bending Carlisle easily over his left knee, he used his right leg to hold him in place.

"Why?!" Carlisle asked. He knew his fate was sealed now, he had no way out of the vice like grip in which Basileus had him clamped. "Because I am finding your behaviour pretty humiliating, son. What goes around ... "

If Basileus said anything else, Carlisle didn't hear him. As his father rained down one powerful smack after another, Carlisle put all his efforts into staying as quiet as possible. As silent tears ran down his face, splashing to the marble floor beneath him, he recalled the last time he'd felt so humiliated ... it was a long time ago:

"John!" Carlisle whispered outside his best friend's window. "JOHN!" he repeated, a little more forcefully. That was enough.

"Carlisle!" John exclaimed, rushing to his bedroom window and flinging it open. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking past his friend to see if any adults were with him.

John had successfully convinced his mother he was too unwell to attend church that Sunday morning, but he knew his father had been dubious about his sudden illness and John worried the man would have come to retrieve him.

"I noticed you weren't in church so I snuck out when the pastor started his sermon," Carlisle told his friend casually. Truthfully his stomach was a ball of stress over what he had done - such rebellion was very unlike Carlisle.

"Have you lost your mind? The pastor will burn you at the stake, Carlisle!" John replied in shock.

It was an agreement between the pair of 14 year old boys that they never referred to the pastor as Carlisle's father. John had found it odd at first, but soon agreed after witnessing the way the pastor handled his son. His own father wasn't a soft touch; John had received enough straps, belts, canes, and more in his time. The pastor was on another level, though. Not only were his punishments particularly painful, they were also cruel ... and occasionally unusual.

"Not until he finds me. Perhaps he will think one of his made-up monsters has taken me," Carlisle replied cheekily. "He's going to struggle with his sermon today, anyway. I stole his pipe!" He took a short puff on the highly decorated clay pipe, keeping the tobacco smoking lightly. John's eyes bulged in response. "The pastor is never without that pipe, Carlisle! He will know you have taken it."

Carlisle laughed. "Nah, the old coot will think he's lost it."

He was doing a very good impression of 'cool and collect', and John was too kind to his friend to tell him he knew his forced demeanour was bullshit.

"Old coot! He's not even forty yet!" John replied as he fell about laughing.

"So, what shall we do?" he asked once he had settled himself, watching Carlisle trying not to cough up his guts on the small amount of smoke he'd inhaled.

"Let's go and sit in the barn, just long enough to scare the pastor into thinking I was taken." Carlisle replied.

 _He is on a death mission_ , John thought as he climbed out of his window.

The pair climbed to the barn rafters where they often sat and chatted.

Seeing Carlisle now pull easily on the smoke, John soon asked to try the pastor's pipe. One big drawn-in breath filled his boyish lungs with heat and smog and had him coughing his guts up in only moments, causing him to drop the pipe where it smashed below them on the hard barn floor.

The boys panicked.

"Fuck, John! The pastor's going to murder me now!"

All bravado forgotten, Carlisle was visibly stressed. Whilst John tried to placate his friend, neither noticed the embers of the tobacco lighting the dry hay on the floor. By the time they saw the smoke wafting up the rafters, the bales had caught light!

With a frantic look shared between them, the careless young fire starters shimmied along the rafter and back down the ladder before fleeing the barn.

"Water, John, we need water!" Carlisle called over his shoulder as he ran to the horse trough.

John appeared frozen at the sight of his father's barn ablaze. Carlisle ran back with a bucket of water and scattered its contents across the flaming floor.

"JOHN!" Carlisle roared, getting his friend's attention. "Water!" he called again.

John sprang into life that time and the pair went back and forth from the animal troughs to the barn with bucket after bucket. They managed to keep the flames subdued, but no matter how much water they fed to the hay, the fire found new avenues to continue is wreckage.

John lived fairly close to the church, and the smoke billowing out of the barn alerted those parishioners who had bored of the pastor's sermon and were staring out the window instead. It didn't take long for a good many of them, including both John's father and the pastor, to come running.

Carlisle knew his doom was imminent when he saw the town folk coming towards them. He considered running, _it would be the sensible thing to do_ , he reasoned, but he couldn't leave his friend and John was still fighting to put out the fire.

The lads stood back when the men arrived. John's father, Robert, clouted his son around the head before pulling him roughly out of the way and then he set to saving his barn.

Carlisle grimaced as his own father drew near. Samuel didn't touch Carlisle, he didn't move his boy aside either, he just smiled to him - he looked giddy with glee.

Carlisle swallowed hard. He knew the pastor well enough to know the man was already looking forward to punishing him in his usual cruel and blindingly painful way.

It took over an hour for the fire to be sated. During that entire time, Carlisle and John stood with one eye on the barn whilst they were verbally ripped to shreds by Ann, John's mother. When she told the pair to go and cut a birch each, John felt his heart beating in his throat.

Carlisle, however, knew his father would deal with him at home. Or, so he assumed. He did the woman's bidding anyway.

When they were sure the flames were truly smothered, the men, who had worked tirelessly to help their kinsman, all collapsed into the grass and leaned into the barn to catch their breath.

All except for Samuel and Robert ... they sought out their sons, though the pastor stopped halfway to collect his ornate cane from the floor.

Robert didn't say a word to John as he ripped the birch branch from his hand.

Carlisle looked on enviously as Robert checked his son over for any harm, even if he did begin his thrashing as soon as he saw his boy was unhurt by the fire. _You won_ _'_ _t care if I am hurt will you, you cunt?_ Carlisle thought as the pastor made his way towards him.

He was right ... Samuel couldn't have cared less. But rather than taking the branch Carlisle offered and joining Robert in punishing his errant son, the pastor pulled Carlisle towards the group of villagers.

"No, please," Carlisle whispered when he realised what was about to happen.

Samuel simply smiled cruelly to his son as he brought him before his flock. The pastor never missed a chance to offer direction and leadership to his people, and disciplining his boy was just another opportunity to do just that in the pastor's eyes – and he knew how punishing the public humiliation was for Carlisle.

Carlisle tried to zone out whilst his father lectured him. He wasn't talking to Carlisle anyway; this wasn't for his benefit. It was for his flock, so they could all see what a wonderful father he was - how he never spared the rod and certainly never spoiled the child. Carlisle had heard this all before. There was nothing new for him to learn.

He chanced a look over his shoulder to the side of the John's house. Robert was still thrashing John, but it wasn't in full view of half the town. _Lucky bastard_. Carlisle thought, even as he heard his friend's wailing increase to the harsh strikes he was receiving.

Carlisle#s thoughts were so intent on distracting him from the pastor's sermon that he was taken by surprise when the man took the birch branch from his hands.

 _So it begins_.

"Please," Carlisle whispered a final time.

All he received for his efforts were a slap to the mouth and another, thankfully short, lecture on accepting responsibility for one's actions.

Dragging his son in front of him by his arm, the pastor set to thrashing his son before his congregation. So whipped up were the town folk by Samuel's sermon that they cheered the pastor on, much to Carlisle's shame and ire.

The pastor continued to carelessly land strike after strike on his son, from high on his back to low on his legs, not caring if he caught a stray hand that Carlisle threw back to defend his battered body. Samuel continued to instruct his people on the proper way to beat the evil from a child and all that would happen to the future adult if parents failed in this holy mission to ensure children atoned for their sins.

When the branch broke and Samuel released his boy, Carlisle fell to his knees wiping angrily at his face and the tears that kept coming. He could hear the parishioners talking about him; how the pastor didn't deserve such a willfully disobedient boy, and so on.

He felt like shit.

When the pastor dragged him to his feet he assumed they would be going home. Oh, how wrong he was!

Having collected his cane from the floor, Samuel pulled his son close. "Our public want more, son," he whispered menacingly.

Carlisle tried to flee. He pulled with all his might but he was no match for the pastor and without even breaking a sweat his father managed not only to contain him, but to simultaneously cane his hide as well.

Carlisle made deep guttural noises with every strike, feeling each line creating a strip of bruising on his backside as Samuel expertly landed the cane in almost the exact same spot each time.

The pastor paid more attention to his crowd than he did his son, watching for their reaction. He was careful to end his son's punishment before they thought him cruel - that would never do.

It was, however, too late to save Carlisle any shred of dignity. Not only had he embarrassed himself for requiring such correction in public, but he had howled throughout and pissed his pants from the pain of that damn cane.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory of that occasion, along with the many other occasions that were floating through his head, Carlisle attempted to concentrate on ways to express deep regret to Basileus, even if that regret would be false.


	64. A Gentle Approach

**AN:** Thank you Mrs Meyers for sharing the Twi-world.

Last chapter for 1666, September. We will jump forward in the next chapter and see how they are getting on a year after all this strife... (hint - not very well!)  
Thank you for all the recent reviews and PMs, they are very much appreciated, keep um coming :)

* * *

 **A GENTLE APPROACH**

Atia, using her mate's gift, caught onto Carlisle's memories and with concern spread across her face, called for Basileus to bring his son's punishment to an end.

"Basileus, my dear ... a word," she said softly before leaving for the privacy of their bedchamber.

Carlisle scrambled from his father's lap and lay splayed out on his front on the sofa.

"If you move from that seat I will whip you where I find you. And, I will find you," Basileus warned, still furious with his boy.

All Carlisle could do in reply was nod and sob softly as he wiped angrily at his treacherous tears.

"I apologise for putting you in that position, my dear," Basileus said as he closed the door, hoping he hadn't pushed the woman too far.

Nothing could be further from Atia's mind. "You have nothing to apologise for, my dear. That is not why I called for you to stop."

She perched on the edge of their bed. "Did you not hear his thoughts?" she asked.

Basileus hadn't been listening, truth be told. All he ever heard whilst he punished one of his sons was what a bastard he was ... he had stopped listening to that centuries ago.

"No, why?"

Atia smiled sadly. "He was thinking of his father ... the other one. The pastor, was it?"

"Oh!" he exclaimed softly, and puffed the air out of his cheeks.

"You must talk to him about what happened with the pastor, Basileus. I am certain that is where all this unpleasantness is coming from."

Basileus shook his head. _I have tried_ , he thought defensively. _Many times_. _He won'_ _t talk to me_.

"I can hear you, my dear," Atia interrupted his musings.

Basileus smiled slyly. "That is going to take some getting used to," he admitted before fishing through his son's thoughts in the other room. Although he was now mostly feeling sorry for himself, and true to form for the circumstance, he was running through what a bastard Basileus was, he had been recalling a traumatic memory from his human life.

"You should return to the great hall and allow me to talk with Carlisle," Atia suggested.

"I don't trust him not to attack you, my dear," Basileus said honestly, feeling mortified that he should have to worry about such a thing in the first place.

"Nonsense!" Atia rebutted. "Your youngest may be feisty, but he is no match for my powers. You need not worry."

Basileus still wasn't sure. "It feels like you are having a 'baptism by fire' into this family. You must know this is not at all as I hoped it would be."

Atia took her husband's hands in her own. "The propensity for trouble was always there, I am not surprised we are facing these issues. There will be more to come, I am sure. But I am here, and we are together, so we shall face it together."

Basileus sighed nervously, but something told him he had to concede and 'share' the load with Atia if he wanted to keep her on side. _And, you are the only one on my side,_ he thought gloomily.

"You are being granted a reprieve." Basileus told Carlisle as he passed his son, still on the sofa, and still sobbing softly.

"Thank you," Carlisle replied quietly, although he was a little surprised that he needed a reprieve. _Were you seriously going to spank me again_? he thought in disbelief.

"It isn't me to whom you owe your thanks," Basileus told him, choosing to ignore his thoughts. "Atia presented an impassioned appeal on your behalf!"

Atia took the seat opposite her new son. "You make me sound very fervent, Basileus!"

He swung on his coat. "Ha! Wars have been waged with less fervour!"

Seeing his father by the door, Carlisle leaned up on his elbows. "I will be going back to the celebrations. Someone from this family should be there." Then he answered his son's unasked question,"You are to stay with Atia."

Carlisle sighed. _I thought the reprieve may be from both of you_!

"You have proved you cannot be trusted to stay in the castle son, so you will be watched until I say otherwise."

Carlisle lay back down and turned his face into the cushion. "I'm not staying with her," he mumbled into the sofa.

Both Basileus and Atia heard him.

Basileus grimaced upon hearing his son continue his disrespect.

"You will stay here with me or your father can continue to spank your disrespectful hide. It really makes no difference to me, Carlisle." Atia was so nonchalant as she spoke that Carlisle was convinced she meant it.

Basileus simply smiled to himself as he left his quarters, confident his mate could handle his son ... their son.

Atia moved from her seat and stroked Carlisle's hair. "Oh, my darling, what a wildly entertaining mess you are creating."

She received only a grunt in reply.

"I think we should talk, my dear."

Carlisle huffed. "You don't have to talk to me ... you just have to watch me," he spat, voice still muffled by the cushion.

"I do need to talk with you, Carlisle. The reprieve I agreed to with your father was based upon me talking some sense into you."

Nothing.

 _I'_ _m not talking to you, fuck you_! He thought it, but wasn't stupid enough to say it and now that Basileus had gone, Atia couldn't make use of his gift to access inside his mind.

"Unless you would prefer to have Basileus beat some sense into you ... which was the other option ... " Atia pushed.

Still nothing.

 _Fine_ , she thought, and stood up to leave. "Come along then, let us go and fetch your father."

That got him moving! Carlisle leaned back up on his elbows. "No! Wait!" he called out. He couldn't take anymore - either the pain or the humiliation.

Atia retook her seat and fixed Carlisle in her sights. "Why are you on this path of wanton destruction?"

Carlisle shrugged. "I'm not."

Atia stood back up.

"Where are you going?" Carlisle called out in panic.

"To fetch your father. I am not playing with you, Carlisle. You didn't answer me properly - you are clearly unwilling to talk with me ... "

"Alright, alright!" _Talking to you can'_ _t be worse than facing HIM again_. "I'm frustrated okay, and pissed off."

Atia sat back down. "Would this have anything to do with Basileus killing the Pastor, Carlisle. Or is all of your frustration and anger aimed at me?"

Carlisle closed his eyes. He could see his father snapping his, well, his father's neck. It was an image replaying over and over in his mind and had been for a year now. BUT, he wasn't upset by it - he wasn't bothered by it at all, in fact, which in an odd turn of emotions made him feel guilty. he probably should have been distressed by his human father having his neck snapped in front of his very eyes, but, Carlisle had reasoned, the pastor had held only contempt for his son since his birth and all he could feel was glad that the man couldn't ever hurt him again. That didn't mean he wasn't going to use the pastor's death to his advantage, and he could tell by Atia's tone that he would be able to get away with murder if he said the pastor's death was the root of his upset. _The mother buffer_ ... he reminded himself of Aro's explanation of the benefit of having a mother onside.

"Both," he lied.

Atia smiled kindly, just as Carlisle had expected. "We can work with that," she told her new son.

…

Atia pushed Carlisle forward to knock on the door to Aro's quarters. They had spent the whole night talking over what happened in England and how Carlisle felt about it. Quite frankly he was glad it was morning and he could escape - although having to face his brother wasn't quite the escape he'd imagined.

"What do you want?" Alec asked gruffly when he opened the door to his uncle.

"That is no way to greet a guest, Alec. What would your parents say?" Atia replied, shaking her head to his rudeness. "Move along, my dear."

She shooed the boy and directed Carlisle forwards.

"What do you want?" Aro spat when his brother came into view.

Atia rolled her eyes and watched as Alec went to sit with his father, both scowling at Carlisle. _The apple never does fall far from the tree_ , she said to herself.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Aro shot to Carlisle, unsurprisingly still angry with his brother throwing his vote of confidence back in his face. "You are hanging out with a 16-year-old child. MY CHILD!"

Carlisle took it. He had been warned by Atia to expect such a response.

"You first embarrassed yourselves in the guard hall. Then you took my son on a tavern tour complete with prostitutes. I gave you another chance and you went for round three - convincing him to break his word to me about staying in this tower and you threw threatening and pushing a 12-year-old into the bargain."

Aro continued to glare at Carlisle who failed to even respond. Truthfully, Carlisle was staying quiet as he didn't trust his own mouth not to get him into even more trouble.

"You are completely unhinged, brother." Aro crossed his arms and looked ready to breathe fire in Carlisle's direction.

 _What'_ _s the point_? Carlisle thought, and then he opened his mouth ...

"Fuck this, and fuck you," he called out, ready to leave.

CRACK!

Atia surprised everyone, but no one more than Carlisle, when she slapped him across the back of his head.

"Sit down," she ordered.

"Before I knock you down!" Aro added harshly.

"Foolish boys!" Atia admonished them both. "If you force me to fetch your father, I will," she offered.

Carlisle quickly looked submissively to the floor as he quietly took a seat next to Aro.

Aro, too, after first looking askance to his new mother and realising she was deadly serious, looked to the floor.

"Where is Basileus anyway? He should be dealing with him." Aro spat, pointing to his brother.

"Your father hasn't returned from the celebrations yet. I can assure you that he did deal with Carlisle before he left and it is now my turn. I would highly recommend you amend your tone, Aro. Or I will fetch Basileus to deal with you, too."

Atia sounded so stern, she was like a school master - Aro couldn't remember the last time someone had spoken to him in such a way.

"Why have you brought him here?" Aro asked with a far more even tone.

"To apologise." Atia told him, though she spoke as though she were talking to a small child.

 _Sully was right - you are a patronizing bitch_! Aro thought, becoming less and less keen on having this woman in his life.

"Let's hear it then," he said, nudging his brother.

"I am sorry I convinced Felix to break his restriction."

Aro scoffed. "It was a little more than that, Carlisle."

Carlisle nodded. "I'm sorry I put my hands on Alec and that I let Demetri go and meet Lucy."

"What about breaking your promise to me, or does that mean fuck all to you?" Yes, Aro was still pissed off. "You need to get your head together, Carlisle."

Atia leaned down and took Aro's chin in her hand. "We are on the way to doing just that, Aro. Your language is most unbecoming."

He was so taken aback by receiving another admonishment from the woman that he just nodded in response.

"Carlisle." Atia clicked her finger and gestured to Alec.

Aro was amazed to see his younger brother jump into action.

"Alec, I shouldn't have threatened you. Or you, Jane. It won't happen again."

Alec rubbed his shoulders. Carlisle had really hurt him and frankly he wasn't ready to forgive his uncle just yet.

"Then I won't set you on fire again." Jane answered sweetly. The look she gave Carlisle told him she didn't forgive him, either.

"You won't set him on fire again, full stop!" Aro told his girl, "You are lucky I am too angry with Carlisle and your brothers to be angry with you, as well."

Jane looked away. "You still spanked me for it, and he deserved it!" she muttered quietly to herself, quietly enough for no one else to hear.

Atia was satisfied that Carlisle had said all he could to the twins. "May he speak with Felix, Aro?" she asked politely.

"He is in his room."

Atia pushed Carlisle in the general direction.

"I will be checking his memories when you leave so I wouldn't go making any new plans for displaying your immaturity to the world," Aro called out as his brother flashed from the room.

"So has Basileus let you get away with it, then?" Felix asked from his bed.

Aro hadn't belted him again, but the whipping from their first outing was still smarting so he was splayed out on his front reading a book.

"I wouldn't say that. He humiliated me last night!" Carlisle complained, taking up residence on Demetri's bed in a similar fashion to his nephew.

"Humiliated you?" Felix asked, wondering how.

"He put me over his knee in front of Atia!"

Felix's eyes widened. "Oh! That sounds horrific. I think I would rather be whipped in private than that!"

Carlisle nodded his agreement. "And, he's turned me over to Atia for a 'mothers counselling'. Cunt."

Felix laughed. "Atia? She doesn't seem 'warm' enough for counselling!"

Carlisle shrugged. He had actually felt much better since talking with her about the pastor. He still wasn't sold on having a 'mom', but as Atia had got him off Basileus' radar for awhile, he was willing to concede that the experience wouldn't be all bad. Though he was still pissed off that Basileus had upset the apple cart by bringing her into their lives, Carlisle felt quite pleased with himself for devising a way to use the woman to his advantage. He wasn't going to admit that to Felix just yet though.

"I am getting the whole 'you are held to a higher standard' rhetoric."

Felix sighed: He knew that conversation by heart!

"Well, I got a hefty round of fucks for daring to even think about leaving this damn tower," the young vampire complained.

"Looks like you got a slap or two, as well," Carlisle commented, judging by the hand print of his nephew's cheek.

Felix nodded. A hand print on his face was damn near a permanent feature these days. "Luckily for me, Aro spent most of the evening belting Demetri!"

They both winced.

"Where is he?" Carlisle felt guilty about encouraging Demetri to go out.

"He's in Aro's room - we are being separated."

The look of wonder on Felix's face cracked Carlisle up. "Did you really expect anything else?" he asked through his giggling.

"Well, it still sucks!" he whined.

"What 'sucks' is Jane setting me on fire and getting away with it," Carlisle complained as he collected his clothes from Felix's dresser.

"She didn't. Aro smacked her ass this morning - I heard it."

Carlisle felt another pang of guilt. He was only mouthing off about Jane, he didn't really think she deserved that. He knew it was his own fault for grabbing Alec the way he did.

Shaking the thought, and the guilt, from his mind, he went to stand in front of Felix's mirror. "Aro has informed me he will be checking this conversation after I leave and will not doubt go running to Basileus," he smiled to Felix and then looked dead ahead into the mirror, "so fuck the pair of you!"

Felix fell about laughing. "You really are playing with fire."

Carlisle winked to his nephew.

"CARLISLE!" Aro's voice was so loud and clear that he might as well have been standing in the room.

"Time for more talking with Atia, I imagine." Carlisle said was his shoulders slunk. "I shouldn't have involved you in any of this, Felix. I'm sorry ... really sorry."

Felix waved away his apology with ease. "Don't be, we had a good time!"

Carlisle laughed to himself. The boy's resilience was outstanding, if nothing else. "I don't think we are supposed to be having a good time," Carlisle told him cheekily before leaving for more counselling.


	65. 1667, December - Hello, Heidi

**AN:** I don't own the twi-world, I will put it all back where I found it when I'm done.

A little 15 month jump forward... feeling quite sorry for Carlisle and Felix, poor sods, Felix is perpetually young but Carlisle has only been a vampire for 4 years and he's still finding his feet, bless him. Anyhoo... here we go :)

* * *

 **1667, DECEMBER - HELLO, HEIDI**

"Are you ready?" Carlisle asked Felix, the two of them crouched low behind some wooden crates.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. I think this is a stupid idea, for the record, but I'm ready." Felix swore his palms were sweating. He couldn't remember the last time he felt clammy, but this plan was reckless and a sure-fire path to pain when Aro and Basileus found out.

... _and of course they fucking will_.

"You have the easy role, Felix!" Carlisle tried to reassure his nephew. "I will be the one going on the boat to get the barrels, all you have to do is be the lookout." Carlisle made it sound so simple.

"I don't have a problem with being a lookout by the ship, Carlisle, but what about when we get back to the castle? How the fuck are we going to get barrels of wine up to your chambers without anyone seeing us?" Felix was getting louder and louder.

 _Not great for a lookout_! Carlisle thought as he shushed him harshly. "The guards are still away; the castle is empty and no one is on watch - the timing is perfect. We don't even need to get the barrels to my quarters. Any old store cupboard will do."

Felix was ready with a rebuttal but Carlisle held up a hand to silence him before he had the chance.

"Let's take one thing at a time ... it's on me, not you. Don't worry about it."

Felix looked to his uncle, aghast at the simplicity of his thinking. _And, they say I_ _'_ _m the dumb oaf,_ he thought indignantly.

"Has there been a single occasion yet where my ass hasn't been in a sling with yours since you got back from England?" he asked, a few dozen hidings floating through his memories from the last couple of years.

"We've had fun though," Carlisle retorted quietly.

Felix looked to the once saintly Carlisle who now wore a devilish grin - he couldn't stop his laughter rising at the sight.

"Yeah, we have," he agreed a little reluctantly.

"So, are you in or out?" Carlisle pushed.

Felix watched the merchants unloading their ship. _They have plenty of wine barrels, they could spare a few ..._ _I'_ _ve hardly had a decent drink in the last few years with Aro breathing down my neck ..._

"Fuck it. I'm in!" he finally replied, much to Carlisle's delight.

"You know what to do - if any of the humans take notice you just need to knock them out," Carlisle instructed as they moved behind the merchant shed. "Don't kill anyone!" he added forcefully.

Felix scoffed. "If I have to take one down, I am at least going to get a meal out of it!"

Carlisle looked disgusted but he was intent on getting those wine barrels, so he shoved Felix behind the shed and set off to steal from the merchants.

Carlisle managed the first two barrels easily, too easily in fact. They had only planned to take two, one for each to carry. But seeing how simple it was to flash back and forth without any of the busy merchants noticing made them greedy.

"I'll get two more. We can stash them in the woods, we don't even have to take them to the castle," Carlisle suggested eagerly.

Not taking the barrels into the castle certainly perked Felix up - in his mind, that was the dangerous element of their plan. The petty thievery hardly seemed to register with him.

With Felix in agreement and watching out, Carlisle set off for another run.

"Hey."

 _Vampire_! Felix thought. Before he had even turned to the voice that called him he knew it was a vampire.

With a moment of fleeting panic when he remembered he wasn't wearing his guard uniform which offered a symbol of his protected status in the vampire world, he beefed himself up, ready for a fight.

He couldn't have predicted the red-headed beauty that would greet him.

"Hello," he drawled, immediately captivated by the young woman's appearance.

She was dressed like a peasant but she was the sexiest damn peasant he had ever seen. Her low hung neckline was barely fastened at the bust and her ample attributes threatened to burst through the pure white cloth.

 _Stop staring at her!_ _Stop_! he willed himself, but he couldn't convince his eyes to part company with the temptress.

"You don't look like you are from around these parts," he mused as he looked her up and down.

"I'm a long way from home," the young woman replied, drawing Felix in with her soft tones.

 _What the_ ... Felix thought as he realised he was now somehow holding her close to his body. He had no idea how she got there.

"I'm looking for a man. A big strong man who can show me around," she purred as she stroked his muscular arms. "You wouldn't know of anyone, would you?" she asked, looking deeply into his eyes.

Felix could feel himself melting. _I haven_ _'_ _t felt this relaxed since Didyme used her gift on me_ , he thought.

That should have sparked some kind of warning in the young vampire, but it fell on deaf ears as Felix felt the beautiful woman pressing herself against the full length of his body.

 _Be cool, be cool,_ he willed himself.

"Well, I, I, I could show you around."

 _Not cool at all_ , Felix threw his head back as he berated himself.

"Really?" she replied. Putting her arms around Felix's neck and pulling herself clear of the floor, she brought her mouth up to his cheek. "But how could I ever repay you?" she breathed into his ear.

Felix felt every hair on his body stand on end. Next thing he knew, he was on his knees!

 _What the fuck is going on_? he asked himself, though he only had a second to think before feeling the temptress' hand winding its way around his rock-hard cock.

Exhaling with a look of shock on her face, and a well pleased smile, she winked at the young vampire.

"I am penniless, destitute, I have nothing to offer you," she told Felix as she worked her hand up and down his length.

"Oh, I can think of a few things you have to offer," Felix breathed, his whole body tingling with excitement.

"What would that be?" she asked coyly, pushing him down to lie on the ground. "This, maybe?" she asked as she undid the cord on her blouse.

Felix pulled her on top to straddle him. _Carlisle, if you come back now I will rip your throat out_ , he thought, delighting in his good luck.

…

Aro called his brother forward and asked him to survey the gifts of the vampire in his throne room before he would decide on her fate.

Eleazar felt floored by the strength of the woman's power. "Her gift is strong, brother, very strong. Like Ashanti, but this one can overthrow free will rather than just get them on board, so to speak - more of a siren than a temptress."

Aro nodded deeply as he considered his options. "Thank you brother," he said to Eleazar, adding, "and you, Atia." Signally for her to utilize her gift and prevent anyone else from using theirs, particularly the young, scantily dressed vampire kneeling on his throne room floor.

Felix looked frantically to his father, pulling on his sleeve. "So, it wasn't my fault then, was it?" he declared, thanking his lucky stars that he had a way out of blame.

"I will discuss that later." Aro growled to the boy beside his throne, startling Felix with the conviction in his voice.

"But ... " Felix started, only to think better of going any further when Aro turned his furious black eyes on him.

"She attempted to take the life of a member of this coven, Aro," Caius implored, "even if it was only Felix."

Aro laughed hearing Felix huff indignantly at Caius' comment. "Your concern is noted, Caius."

Aro wasn't one for wasting talent, and he could see that with this Heidi they could get rid of Ashanti - she would be surplus to requirements after all, he reasoned.

"Heidi was looking for the Volturi, and she offers her services willingly," Aro told Caius carefully. He knew his brother-in-arms favoured Ashanti, but he also knew how fickle Caius could be with his affections.

Heidi heard hope in Aro's mutterings. "My lord, I wouldn't have tried to kill the boy if he'd been in uniform - I thought all Volturi guards wore uniform?"

Felix looked aghast. "Fucking 'boy'?" he repeated, a little too loudly.

Aro gestured to Eleazar with his chin in Felix's general direction.

Eleazar understood - _get him out of here_!

"Why was he out of the castle without uniform?" Caius asked, only just realising as Felix was manhandled out of the great hall that the young vampire was wearing Aro's rather plush threads.

"I believe Carlisle had taken him out on an errand," Aro replied, though he stared his younger brother down as he spoke. "It's no matter," he finished, waving off Caius' questions.

Aro left his throne and circled the peasant vampire on the floor. _She is beautiful, there are worse reasons for admitting a new member to our guard_ , he thought. Crouching low in front of Heidi, he moved the red curls from her face. _Terrified, so she has some sense then_ , he surmised.

Flicking his tongue between his teeth, Aro came to a decision. "I say we take her on," he announced, turning to Caius who rolled his eyes to the heavens.

Aro flashed to his coven mate's side. "Do you not at least like the look of her, brother?" he asked quietly, for only the two of them to hear. "We haven't taken on any newborns since the guards left ... fresh meat is good for the coven," he pushed.

Caius remained hesitant, though he did indeed like the look of her.

"You could show her around ... " Aro suggested.

" ... initiate her into the coven?" Caius asked.

They both knew he was referring to submission.

"Ashanti is still away - this Heidi could serve as a distraction, if nothing else. Athenodora will have nothing against this one - you can take her into your quarters with Lucy," Aro nodded slowly with a sly smirk as he saw Caius catching on to his suggestions.

"Well, yes, I could do that. That would be the proper thing to do, after all." Caius agreed, feeling quite content with his role.

Aro turned back to the frightened siren who was feeling very vulnerable without the use of her gift. "You will be admitted into our coven. But, you should consider your conduct carefully - this is a trial, my dear," he told her kindly with his sing-song tone.

Caius flashed to Heidi's side and began explaining Volturi coven philosophy as he led her from the throne room.

"I will be along shortly, son." Basileus told Aro, taking Atia with him and leaving the great hall.

After Aro instructed the guards to close the throne room for the rest of the day, he, along with Carlisle, headed to Eleazar's suite to get to the bottom of his son's latest fiasco. Swinging the door open, Aro was greeted with his wife, Carmen and Eleazar all trying to talk Felix into coming clean.

"So, you bring a half-dressed siren into my throne room, who you happened to 'find' while you were taking a walk just outside the castle grounds ... have I got that correct?" Aro asked sarcastically.

Felix felt his face glowing with shame already.

"And this walk you went on with my idiot brother required you to steal MY clothes - again," Aro added sounding dangerously calm as he walked slowly around the room.

Felix stood still, not daring to speak or to move.

"Somehow, on this walk, you managed to pretty much destroy my coat." Aro commented, flicking a piece of fraying fabric on Felix's arm as he passed. "There are grass stains on your back."

Felix flinched as Aro clapped his shoulder.

"How exactly did that happen, Felix?"

Felix looked to his mother, and then to Carmen and Jane. _Just kill me now and have done with it_ , he thought looking up to the heavens. He'd never believed in a greater power, but if there was one, he would have offered his soul for an escape right now.

"Erm, well, you know ... "

Eleazar laughed humourlessly. "No, we don't know. Do explain."

Eleazar had had enough of Felix and Carlisle and their theatrical display of defiance. It had overshadowed the last two years of coven life and he was sick of it.

Felix shot a disgruntled look to his uncle. "She's stronger than she looks, okay!" he replied, with as much attitude as he could muster.

Eleazar stood and stepped up to his nephew. _Cheeky little shit_!

"No, she's not. I would know if she had such a gift," Eleazar responded, giving Felix a sharp push to remind him who he was speaking to.

Felix should have backed down, but this round of fucks was far too public and the need to preserve his pride took over good sense. "I was indisposed, okay, just leave it," he half shouted, pushing Eleazar back!

Sulpicia tried to intervene. "Felix, sweetheart, calm down." She willed her boy to see reason.

Aro reached out to grab Felix's wrist, which was still on Eleazar's chest, so he could read his mind.

"Don't touch me!" Felix roared as he backed himself away from both men.

"I will do more than touch you if you keep up with that tone, boy!" Aro warned dangerously.

Felix could see his father's eyes becoming darker and darker. _Shit, he'_ _s ready to blow!_ _Not here, not here,_ Felix thought, looking around the overpopulated apartment.

"May I go to my room, please?" Felix asked his mother softly. Her only response was to look away forlornly.

Aro clapped his hands together mockingly, like an excited child. "Oooooo intrigue! You are making this all the more interesting, Felix."

Carlisle tutted, repulsed by Aro's glee, even if it was sarcastic joy.

Aro looked Carlisle up and down with equal disgust. _I am done with you, done,_ he thought with finality.

"Perhaps Carlisle would like to shed some light on the 'oh-so-exciting' events of the day?"

Felix looked horrified. "Don't you dare!" he growled to his uncle.

Carlisle held up his hands defensively. "I'm staying out of it."

Aro flashed to Carlisle's side and tried to make contact with his skin.

"Don't touch him!" Felix yelled out.

Aro turned his eyes on his son. "Giving me orders isn't the wisest choice you have made today," he told him with a purposeful hand on his belt.

Felix could feel himself start to shake, his hands were clammy again. "Look, it was stupid, okay, I was stupid," he blurted out.

Jane laughed, "Big surprise for everyone, I am sure," followed quickly by a hiss as Sulpicia smacked her leg for the unkind remark.

Felix shook his head as he admitted, "I let my guard down."

"It wouldn't have mattered if you had been in guard uniform," Sulpicia interjected, wondering why on earth Felix would have gone out without it after last time. Then she remembered what Felix had done last time. _If you have been anywhere near a whorehouse I will whip you myself_!

"Or if you'd been inside the castle grounds where you were supposed to be," Aro added sternly, turning to his younger brother instead.

"Where were you when this, whatever this is, was going on?" he queried throwing his hands into the air.

"Me? How is this turning around on me?" Carlisle shot back. He wasn't taking shit from Aro, that was for damn sure.

"You were with Felix, the two of you left our grounds, again, against my wishes," Aro added, calmly. He felt anything but calm.

Carlisle reared up against Aro's inquisition. _I'_ _ve had enough of this, I will have to take a round of fucks from Basileus but I am not taking one from Aro_! He turned to leave. "I don't have to comply with your wishes, Aro," he shouted over his shoulder.

"Where were you?" Aro repeated, just as forcefully.

Basileus opened the door before Carlisle had a hand on the knob. "Carlisle was stealing barrels of wine from the merchant ships whilst Felix was on lookout duty," he announced as he walked into Eleazar's chambers, Carlisle taking a step back with each step his father took forward.

"What?!" Aro questioned. "Surely not!"

Sulpicia and Carmen voiced their shared thoughts together. "Oh, Felix."

Whilst Sulpicia's tone was sad, sympathetic even, Carmen's was annoyance.

"So, you are thieves now?" she asked, sounding repulsed by the idea.

"Wonderful, absolutely fucking wonderful!" Aro threw out, trying to walk off his rage as he stalked around the room again.

Atia caught up with the angry coven leader and pulled him to one side. "Aro, calm down dear," she whispered, not wanting him to blow up in such a confined space. _Not with the little two ones here_ , she thought, lowering her gift so Aro could hear.

He heard. _I do not need instructing on how to act in front of my own damn children_! Both Aro and Sulpicia had already had their fill of Atia's kind interference when it came to their young vampires, particularly the twins.

Basileus took a seat as he set to informing everyone of the latest instalment of Felix and Carlisle's fuck ups.

"Heidi duped Felix," he began, wondering how to explain the next part in such mixed company. "After they had, erm, 'finished', she tried to rip off his head."

A gasp went around the room, though of course Aro, having already seen it in Heidi's thoughts, knew that part. Not that it stopped him from reacting to the 'revelation' now.

"You stupid boy!" Aro roared, cuffing Felix harshly across the back of his head before Atia pulled him back.

"You could have been killed!" Basileus added pointedly.

"I got her off," Felix whispered back.

"Yes, EVENTUALLY you did." Aro stressed.

"Thankfully Heidi was unaware of your superior strength," Eleazar remarked, wishing he'd taken Felix to Aro's chambers so this whole thing wasn't playing out in his own living room.

"How did that dainty young woman take you down, Felix?" Sulpicia questioned, looking at her great hulk of a boy.

Carlisle grinned thinking of the position in which he'd found his nephew ... rolling around, half naked, trying to contain the wily Heidi. His grin was soon verbalized through an escaped chuckle.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Carlisle!" Basileus boomed, voice reverberating off the walls. "I think we would all do well to use our imagination, my dear." Basileus answered Sulpicia's question gently, and commenting mainly to himself added, "I wish I hadn't seen it myself to be honest!"

Carlisle heard and laughed again.

This time Basileus flashed so quickly to his son's side that Carlisle barely had time to make out the blur before feeling the searing heat in his cheek and the taste of blood in his mouth.

CRACK!

Aro felt the whole room flinch to that slap. Catching Sulpicia's eye, he knew she needed to get out of the tension.

"Take them," he told her, gesturing to their four children.

Sulpicia was grateful for the release. Felix was too, for that matter. Gathering her young vampires close, she directed them out of Eleazar's chambers and upstairs to their own.

Basileus watched them leave. _If Aro is staying here he must want to talk to me_ , he thought.

"My dear, could you take Carlisle to our chambers and keep him in sight?" he asked his mate.

"Of course," Atia agreed, reaching out for Carlisle.

"If he's staying, I'm staying!" Carlisle responded pointing to Eleazar, shaking free of Atia's light grip.

"These are my chambers, you idiot!" Eleazar shot back, wishing they would all bloody leave!

"Carlisle ... " Atia called softly, only for him to push her away again.

"You insolent brat!" Basileus roared, seeing his boy put his hands on his wife. Grabbing Carlisle around his throat, Basileus pushed his son into the wall, squeezing as he spoke. "You will go. Willingly or not - you will go!"

Jaw set tight, each word was delivered venomously. Carlisle was desperately trying to nod but he couldn't move his head with Basileus' hefty hand under his chin.

Aro and Eleazar exchanged nervous glances. On the one hand, they would normally have jumped in to defend their brother from Basileus' viciousness, as they had many times for each other, but they were both so pissed off with Carlisle's constant interruptions to their lives that they just stood and watched ... enjoying it a little.

Atia eventually intervened and pulled Carlisle free of his father. This time he happily went with his mother to the safety of their quarters.

The second Atia closed the door, Aro verbally attacked his father.

"What is it now? Nearly two years you have let this go on?"

Basileus' anger was brimming at the surface already. Jabbing a threatening finger to his middle boy, he replied, "I haven't let anything 'go on' Aro, I have dealt with Carlisle each and every time he has been caught doing something he shouldn't."

Aro wasn't going to back down, no matter how threateningly Basileus was behaving. "Yeah, he looks well dealt with, dad!"

"I could say the same for Felix!" Basileus bellowed back.

Aro saw red. Managing his older two boys and their temperamental characters was hard enough on a good day but Carlisle's influence had made the job a daily battle. "Felix is an eternal teenager! You cannot compare the two." _It'_ _s not the same, you fucking prick,_ he added in thought.

Basileus heard it.

Eleazar was in front of Aro before Basileus had managed to round on him.

"MOVE!" Basileus ordered his eldest son.

Eleazar stood fast. "My lord, Aro is right," he implored, desperate for his father to see sense.

"What?" Basileus spat back. _So now all my sons are against me?!_

Eleazar spoke carefully in calm, dulcet tones. "He is right. You are treating Carlisle like a child and for one, that is making him behave more erratically, and two, he is 23 ... you cannot fairly compare him with Felix."

Basileus backed up just enough for Eleazar take a steadying breath before he proceeded. "You brought Carlisle into our lives to be a brother to us, Dad," he explained gently.

"Yeah, and I have ended up with an extra CHILD to worry about!" Aro interjected, causing Basileus' face to contort with the repeated disrespect!

"Humph!" Eleazar thumped his elbow into Aro's stomach, hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek as he glared at Aro. With another jab from his brother's elbow, Aro had the good sense to look at his feet rather than returning the look of disdain.

Eleazar willed his father with his eyes to see the same sense and back down.

Basileus could hear his eldest boy's thoughtful pleas. Eventually, he relented. "Then what should I do?" he asked as he slumped into Eleazar's chair.

Eleazar exhaled slowly, relieved his father was ready to listen at last. "This has been allowed to go on for far too long, my lord," Eleazar began, taking a seat opposite Basileus. "You said he wasn't like this in England?"

Basileus shook his head and smiled. "No, he was the complete opposite, in fact. He worked tirelessly as a physician, he helped the humans. Carlisle was a marvel to behold."

Eleazar rested his arms on his knees as he leaned forwards. "The devil makes work for idle hands," he said pointedly.

"Hmm," Basileus nodded. "You may be right."

He, again, neglected to tell his sons that he believed Carlisle was still harbouring resentment over the dead pastor ... and had been since they arrived back in Volterra. Basileus had nearly told Aro and Eleazar many times that he'd killed the good pastor, but it never seemed the right time. As Carlisle wouldn't talk about it either, he felt like he had time to play with.

 _Perhaps Carlisle would talk to his brothers about it, he_ _'_ _s talking to Atia ... I need to do something soon or I risk losing the boy forever_.

Aro, scoffing from his place by the door, brought Basileus from his musings. "I have more than enough work to go around if that is what he needs?!"

Eleazar tutted to his younger brother. _Don't be a fool,_ _Aro_ _,_ he thought.

Basileus had to agree with Eleazar. "Carlisle will not work for you, Aro. Such a situation will just compound the problem."

Aro threw his hands up. He wasn't feeling as receptive to a cosy chat as Basileus was! "Then find him something else to do, but keep him away from my son!" With that, Aro stormed out of his brother's apartment to deal, again, with Felix.

Eleazar bit his lip as he shook his head, soft raven curls dancing around his forehead. "If you want Carlisle to keep his head I would suggest you keep him away from Aro, too," he told his father seriously.

"Indeed!" Basileus replied as he sighed wearily. "I have something to tell you, El. And I am going to need your help to set things right ... "

It was rare for Basileus to ask for help, so much so that Eleazar felt an unease in the pit of his stomach. Turning to his mate, he gestured for Carmen to leave.

"No, stay." Basileus instructed. "I would never ask for you to keep secrets from your mate, son."

Eleazar raised an eyebrow. _Oh, yes you bloody would_ , he thought mockingly.

"Well, not this time," Basileus qualified.

"Has Carlisle talked with you about the pastor?" he asked.

It was clear from Eleazar's expression that Carlisle had not.

"So, he hasn't told you that he died shortly after we arrived in England?"

Eleazar shook his head.

"And you don't know that I killed him?" Basileus spoke so quietly, such was his shame over the matter.

Carmen gasped. Suddenly the change in her brother-in-law made complete sense.

Eleazar closed his eyes for a moment as he felt flooded with guilt over Carlisle. _I haven't even asked him about the pastor since he came back. They have both been carrying that around for three years_!

Basileus interrupted his son's thoughts. "You have no reason to feel guilty, El. This one is all on me."

"Would you like some wine, my lord?" Carmen offered. _I certainly do_ , she said to herself as she filled a goblet to the brim. Eleazar and Basileus both accepted her offerings.

Resting his head on the high-backed chair, Basileus took his time sharing the entire sordid event with Eleazar and Carmen.

"So, you snapped his neck ... in front of Carlisle?" Eleazar asked in disbelief. It seemed so callous, _not Basileus' usual way at all!_

"I had little choice, El. I warned him to stop, but Carlisle kept pushing. He told the pastor that we were vampires, he took great delight in it, in fact. But still ... I should never have taken him back there. My own arrogance in believing I know what's best for everyone - even better than they know themselves - that's what caused this. Carlisle knows that, too. He blames me. I blame me." Sipping from his cup, he added in a whisper, "I don't want to lose him."

Basileus had never been so vulnerable - not that Eleazar had ever witnessed, anyway. The usually steadfast eldest son of the creator suddenly felt very out of his depth. "I should fetch Aro. He needs to know about this."

Carmen was at the door before Eleazar had left his seat. "I will go, my love. You stay here."

With one last look to her father-in-law looking so lost and forlorn, Carmen flashed to Aro's suite. _I hope you are done with Felix, Aro. We need you_!


	66. Stripped Bare

AN: I do not own anything... obviously!

Okay, I am kind of nervous about this one...

* * *

 **STRIPPED BARE**

"Where is he?" Aro ground out, slamming the door behind him.

Sulpicia jumped at the boom it created. "How many times have we replaced that door?" she commented, mainly to herself, though the twins raised a smile to her exasperation. "I assume you mean Felix. He is hiding in his room."

Aro caught her terse tone, but he knew it was over Felix bringing further embarrassment to their household rather than his obvious annoyance.

When he reached his sons' room, Aro waited a moment before opening the door, listening in on Felix and Demetri making plans for the wine barrels stashed in the woods! _Yeah, good luck with that boys,_ he thought, whilst making plans to fetch the barrels for his own stores before his sons had the chance.

Aro set his shoulders straight, preparing himself for yet another round with his eldest.

"You, out!" he directed to Demetri as he came through the door.

Demetri felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end - and he hadn't even done anything wrong! As he slunk out of his shared bedroom, Demetri noticed just how angry Aro was by his tight set jaw and eyes as black as coal. _Good luck, brother,_ he thought, without much hope.

Aro slammed the door shut as soon as Demetri was out of its path. "Thief!" he declared, through gritted teeth.

Felix had been full of bravado whilst he was talking with Demetri. He was all, 'I'll tell Aro straight', and 'I'm not taking any shit from Aro'… and now there was Aro. Felix's bravado took one look at his father, (who was looking fucking terrifying!) and left him with only a nervous stutter and puppy-dog eyes for protection.

Aro watched his boy's eyes flicker to the window. "I dare you to even try it," he spat, clearly disgusted by the very idea that his son would be so cowardly as to run.

Felix felt his father's disappointment in droves, and he knew this was only the beginning. "I'm sorry," he proffered, though even Felix grimaced at how hollow his words sounded.

"Sorry?" Aro ground out as he started stalking around Felix's bed like a caged tiger. "You are a lying, thieving, deceitful ... " Aro came to an abrupt stop when he caught Felix roll his eyes. He had a hand coiled around the boy's throat before either of them had realised he'd even moved!

Aro felt a fire burning inside him that he was fearful of releasing. It was the vampire, the core animal within. Aro hid his vampiric side better than most - he was cultured, he was worldly, had self-restraint, he was so very, very human when he had to be. But whilst his son's eyes bulged and his young hands clawed desperately to release the iron fisted grip coiled around his throat, all that pretence was gone.

Felix was getting desperate. He didn't need to breathe, conveniently, as he couldn't, but Aro was increasing the pressure and he knew his neck would snap if he didn't get his father off soon. With a silent prayer that Aro would understand when he came to his senses, Felix punched his vampire father in the side of the head with as much force as he could muster.

Felix's efforts were rewarded with instant relief as Aro staggered backwards, releasing Felix as he went.

Aro's head reeled. Kneeling on the wolfskin rug on his son's bedroom floor, he felt a trickle of blood run from his ear and down his neck, soaking into his shirt. It took a moment for him to realize what had happened.

Felix waited in trepidation, unsure who would turn to face him - his father or his coven leader. "Dad?" he called out softly, his voice rasping from the damage to his vocal chords.

Aro heard the rasp; he knew he'd caused that. For the first time since his children had joined him, Aro actually feared he was in danger of doing something he would regret to one of them.

"Felix, I swear to the gods I will end up killing you if this ridiculous behaviour continues!" He was totally exasperated with his foolish boy.

"Do you really think I am that bad?" Felix asked, although he regretted it as soon as he saw Aro's expression.

"Are you fucking deranged!" he roared getting to his feet. A rush of nausea flashed through his body, Felix had hit him harder than he'd originally appreciated. "Perhaps I should send you to Basileus and he can deal with you," he said as he took a seat at the end of Demetri's bed.

Aro scoffed at his wide-eyed whelp. "Maybe Eleazar then, if you'd prefer?" he offered, enjoying his boy's squirming.

Felix couldn't verbalize his answer, for there would have been one too many 'no fucking way's' than would be healthy for his hide.

Aro laughed to himself at the sight of Felix's gaping fish impression when no words came from his mouth.

"More afraid of Eleazar than of me ... that will do wonders for my reputation."

Felix sighed. "I'd rather not face you, either," he mumbled under his breath.

"Tough! However, as you punched me in the head you will have to wait until I have my balance back before I beat you bloody senseless. Senseless? At least that won't take long, huh!"

Felix scrubbed a hand down his face, cursing his uncle for talking him into yet another doomed escapade.

"Take a seat," Aro instructed, gesturing to Felix's bed.

 _Great, a lecture. I think I_ _'_ _d rather take the beating_! Felix thought as he sat opposite Aro.

"Let us start with allowing yourself to be put into a headlock by a waif of a woman whilst you were half naked!"

Felix fell back onto his bed, head in his hands and groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Do you think this is a trivial matter? You could have been killed, Felix! If Carlisle hadn't returned from his thievery in time you would be dead!"

Felix leaned up on his elbows and fixed his father with a withering glare. "I would have gotten her off on my own if he hadn't come back, I had everything under control."

Aro laughed in his face. "Under control! You were fully under Heidi's influence and you wouldn't have stood a chance in hell if Carlisle hadn't caught her unawares. Not that any of this would have happened if you A, hadn't been stealing wine from the merchants or B, you were wearing your proper guard uniform!" Aro could feel his anger rising. _As soon as my rage takes over my nausea I am going to knock you into next week_!

Felix sat up and crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm rich enough and important enough not to wear a guard uniform!" He sounded like a pompous ass.

Aro smiled. _Stupid_ _boy_. "They aren't even your words, Felix!"

Felix scowled in confusion.

"Carlisle, filling your head with all his self-aggrandizing bullshit, again. You just keep lapping it up, son."

Felix's confused scowl turned to damn well pissed off.

"The pair of you think you are so special. The only thing special about you is that you think you are more special than everyone else."

Felix bristled at the dig, he couldn't keep his annoyance from his face.

Aro saw it. _How dare you be pissed off, you little shit_! "One more thing, Felix, YOU are not rich. More like piss poor."

Felix sprang to his feet. He couldn't take much more of the humble pie Aro was force feeding him. "But, I shouldn't be! You have more money than Croesus!"

Aro raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think that?"

Felix returned his father's expression, with his own sarcastic twist. "I have been down to the treasury with you enough times to know how much money you have."

Smiling to himself, Aro nodded. "I know exactly how much money I have, son, so I wouldn't get any ideas about dipping into the family funds."

Felix hadn't considered that before. _That is a damn good idea! I_ _'_ _ll have to suggest it to Carlisle_! He tutted at Aro's vast wealth being a 'family fund'.

"Pft! It's hardly family money if we don't have any. Why can't you put us on the payroll?" Felix asked, sullenly.

"Us?" Aro asked, hoping to god Felix didn't mean Carlisle.

"Me, Demetri, the twins. We are the high guard after all," Felix proclaimed, feeling incredibly undervalued for his role in the coven.

Aro shook his head. "I don't pay the guards anything, Felix."

 _Oh, I didn_ _'_ _t know that_. "Well, we are your children, we should get something." Felix stamped his foot as he spoke; he could have kicked himself for the involuntary, childish action.

"If I pay you I have to pay everyone else," Aro stated, as though the very idea was preposterous.

"Maybe not the guards, but all the higher-ups around here are dripping with money!" Felix retorted.

"Who? Do you think I pay my brothers? For what? They don't do anything! How Basileus chooses to bankroll his sons is his remit." Aro rested back with his arms supporting his weight. His pose looked fairly casual but the spite with which Aro spat his words to his son left Felix in no doubt how pissed off his father was.

"Well the other masters, then." Felix pushed a little less forcefully, he knew he was dancing dangerously close to the fire with Aro already but he refused to back down until all avenues were exhausted - as always!

The rumblings of an exasperated growl began in Aro's chest. "I don't pay Caius or Marcus either! Nor Magnus and Freyr for that matter."

Felix was genuinely shocked. "Oh. I just thought ... "

Aro held up a hand to silence his boy and stared him down until he had the good sense to look submissively to the floor. "No, you just assumed - wrongly, may I add. I ensure the needs of every single coven member are met ... nothing more. That's a damn sight better than they could expect outside of this coven."

Felix sent a murderous look to his father as he muttered, spitefully, "Some needs are met better than others."

That touched a nerve. Quiet, calm rage spread like a warm glow through Aro's body - but he was in control this time. "So, I am failing to provide for you?" he asked as he got to his feet. "Do tell me, how can I better serve your needs, young prince?" There was nothing servile about Aro's tone, the danger was palpable.

"I, I wasn't saying that," Felix stuttered.

Coming to a stop in front of his boy, Aro loomed over Felix. "That's exactly what you are saying."

Felix gulped as he desperately tried to back track on his accusation.

"Why do you even want money? What on earth would you spend it on that I haven't already supplied?" Aro pushed. With Felix insinuating he wasn't well provided for, he was more pissed off than he had anticipated.

Felix ducked nervously. "I'm a man, men need money."

Aro burst into a sarcastic giggle, really patronising his son. "Human men need money, teenage vampires, however, not so much!"

Felix huffed indignantly. "Fine, but teenagers still need money," he said, adding quietly, "I don't have to explain myself to you."

Aro lifted his son's face up by a fist under his chin. "You do if you want a single florin out of me!"

Felix pulled away from his father. _You don_ _'_ _t fucking own me,_ he thought viciously, although not until he'd broken contact with Aro - he wasn't completely dense. "I wouldn't need to ask you for money if you let me get a job," he said petulantly.

Aro willed himself to keep his cool and started pacing off his rising anger. _You_ _ignorant brat_ , he thought. "Yes of course, young prince. Let us sign you up with the local merchants - I'm sure they would be overjoyed to have a volatile teenage vampire who can't go out in daylight! Especially one who has stolen from them!"

 _Patronising prick_ , Felix thought, scowling. Though he knew he should keep his mouth shut, he couldn't stop himself from blaming Aro for his situation, once again. "Well you were the one who turned me into a fucking vampire."

Aro froze for a moment. "How dare you!" he said menacingly with his back to his son. His head jerked to the side, he could feel his internal vampire desperately clawing its way forward, trying to change his psyche. Aro took a few moments to compose himself before facing his petulant boy. When he did, Felix stopped breathing ... he had never seen his father's eyes so black.

"That's right," Aro said as he steadied himself on Demetri's bed post. "I gave you this existence, and I can take it away again - think on that, son."

Felix gulped and stuttered incomprehensible apologies.

Aro wasn't interested in anything else his boy had to say - he'd long since crossed a line as far as Aro was concerned and he was ready to send Felix back to his own side of the playing field. "You stroll around my castle like you own the place. You live in my quarters and bring trouble to my door. You are even prancing about in my fucking clothes!"

Felix scowled. "I don't prance!"

Aro threw his hands into the air. "That would be all you heard, of course. Damn ingrate, you don't listen to a word I say, do you?!" Feeling a little unsteady still, Aro retook his seat on Demetri's bed as a new way to 'show', rather than 'tell' his son came to mind.

If Felix thought Aro was giving up, he was wrong.

"Take them off."

Felix looked around nervously.

"My clothes." Aro confirmed flatly. "Take. Them. Off."

Felix shook his head. _I'_ _m not stripping in front of you_!

"You take them off, or I will take them from you."

Felix heard the finality in his father's voice, and though he thought Aro was being ridiculous he stood anyway and collected some of his own fresh clothes.

"Fine, if you want me to get changed I will," he replied moodily.

Aro flashed to his son's side. He ripped the guard uniform from his hands and threw them to the floor. "I didn't tell you to get changed. I told you to take off my clothes."

Whilst Aro stared his son down, Felix knew he was entering into a power play with his father. If it had been Demetri standing against Aro he would have broken already, but not Felix. Felix was always ready to oppose and he never backed down in a battle of wills without a fight.

"NO."

Aro didn't break his glare, but Felix saw his eyes widen for a moment as he bristled to his son's defiance.

"Do it." Aro ordered, one last time.

"Do it yourself." Felix replied darkly as he squared his shoulders, ready for Aro's impending assault. He couldn't stop Aro from taking his dignity, but he wasn't going to hand it to him on a plate, that was for damn sure!

Aro smiled evilly. "Oh, you want to play games, we can play." Collecting his son's clothes from the floor, Aro threw open the windows on the far side of the room and dramatically dropped them to the floor.

Felix huffed and crossed his arms. "Whatever," he muttered and looked away.

Next Aro collected another set of his son's clothes and threw those out of the window too.

"What are you doing?" Felix asked, sounding bored with Aro's game already.

"Playing." Aro said happily as he collected another set. "You have stolen my clothes and refuse to return them so I am throwing yours away." Aro's forced happy tone was pissing Felix off.

"I'll get more."

Aro dropped his son's clothes to the castle grounds. "Really? Do tell me, where from? I won't be supplying you with any more." Aro collected the rest of Felix's clothes. Leaving a single set of faded, greying guard robes on his boy's bed, he threw the rest from the window.

"Why have you left those? They are old, I haven't worn those in a century."

Aro smiled. "Well, they are all you have now."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Sully won't let me walk around in those old things," he scoffed.

"You really haven't been paying attention have you, son. I control everything around here - including Sully, and most definitely, YOU." Aro heard Felix gulp. "Are we getting nervous now?"

Felix looked to the floor and bit his lip hard, not trusting himself to answer appropriately.

Aro picked up the old greying uniform and shook it out. Looking the garments up and down he grimaced dramatically. "You are really going to stick out wearing these, son," he sang out, laughing as he walked to the window. "Unless you don't want them anymore?"

Felix's head shot around to his father.

"I can throw these out, too, but then you will be fulfilling your duties wearing ... well, wearing nothing at all."

"You wouldn't make me do that." Felix spat, nerves betraying his voice.

"Wouldn't I?" Aro asked, extending his arm out of the window and dangling his son's last set of clothes to their possible demise.

"How sure are you? Would you really like to risk it?" Aro saw his son's expression, if looks could kill - he would be dead by now. "Take off my clothes," he sang with hollow humour.

Felix watched his last uniform set swinging in the breeze. _Yeah, you would do it, wouldn_ _'_ _t you, you bastard,_ he thought to his father, hoping at some point Aro would read in his thoughts just how much he despised him for this.

"I hate you," he spat as he began undressing.

Aro's dead heart twisted but he kept the pain from his face. "You know Felix, the opposite of love isn't hate, its indifference. If you hate me, I know you still care, and I know I can still reach you."

Felix scoffed as in his head he called Aro every name under the sun.

Aro leaned into the windowframe as he waited for his son to finish - every item Felix removed was thrown to the floor with disgust ... until he had nothing left.

Felix felt traitorous tears pricking his eyes, born of frustration, anger and humiliation as he stood before his father, naked. Felix wasn't exactly shy, he had the body of a young Adonis - he had nothing to be shy about. But there was something wholly shameful about the position Aro had forced him into. Felix was exposed, he felt vulnerable - Aro hadn't only taken Felix' clothes ... he'd taken his dignity.

Aro quietly placed the old guard uniform on his son's bed and collected his own clothes from where they lay scattered on the floor around Felix. Looking into his son's eyes as they came face to face, Aro knew he had pushed his boy to the edge. But he wanted to make his point clear.

"You own what you are standing up in. Everything else is mine to give, and mine to take away."

Felix broke, tears flowed freely down his cheek and he hated his own involuntary response. As Aro turned to walk away, Felix whispered a final, hateful insult.

"Cunt."

Aro spun back around.

CRACK!

Felix felt his mouth fill with blood as he bit into his cheek to suppress the pain from the slap Aro gave him.

"Like I said, Felix - I gave you this life, I can just as easily take that away, too."


	67. Discoveries

**DISCOVERIES**

"Aro, you are needed," Carmen announced as soon as Aro came through the archway. She hadn't been waiting long but she'd had enough time to fill Sulpicia in on the information Basileus had divulged to her and Eleazar about Carlisle and the pastor.

Aro sighed deeply - he just wanted to wrap up with his wife and have an end to family dramas. With a weary nod he gestured for Carmen to go to the door and with sunken shoulders followed her.

"Is Felix to stay in our chambers?" Sulpicia asked before they left.

Aro turned to face her but couldn't meet her eye. "He is to stay in his room and Demetri is to stay out of it."

Sulpicia bristled at his harsh tone, though she knew it wasn't directed at her. The moment Aro left, she sought out her eldest to find out what had happened between father and son.

"What's going on, Carmen?" Aro asked in a hurried whisper as they made their way to Eleazar's quarters.

Rather than trying to relay the information a second time, Carmen stopped them both in the stairwell and offered her hand for Aro to read. When she heard her brother-in-law gasp, she knew Aro had come across Basileus' revelation.

"Should I wait with Sulpicia and leave the three of you to talk in private?" she asked, politely.

Aro shook his head. "No my dear, we may need a runner. You should come with me."

Even though Aro had seen how desolate his father looked through Carmen's eyes, he wasn't prepared for the sorry state the vampire creator was in when he opened Eleazar's door.

Basileus sat with his head in one hand, goblet in the other.

"You took your time," Eleazar accused his mate and brother.

"Going from one family disaster to another takes time, El!" Aro replied with withering look.

After greeting her husband, Carmen escaped to her bed chamber. She could still hear them if they needed her, but she felt uncomfortable encroaching on what would, no doubt, be a difficult conversation.

"Why didn't you tell us that you killed Carlisle's dad when you got back from England?" Aro asked, taking a seat near his father.

"Carmen has told you then?" Eleazar asked as he offered his brother a glass of wine - which Aro readily took.

"Told, shown - same difference." Aro replied.

"I am his Dad!" Basileus eventually responded.

"The pastor then. You killed the pastor and didn't think to mention it!"

Basileus may have felt lost, and he knew he'd fucked up, but he wasn't taking Aro's shitty tone of address. Sitting to his full height, Basileus returned Aro's steely glare. "I hadn't found the right time. The topic doesn't exactly introduce itself, son."

Aro shook his head. "Bullshit! I asked you plenty of times what happened in England and why Carlisle was so out of character - you said nothing happened and it was all down to Atia coming to live with us!"

In Aro's mind it was bad enough that Carlisle was leading his son astray, but to find out that Basileus was the cause of it all tipped him over the edge.

"Aro, I suggest you back down," Basileus told his son firmly.

Eleazar felt like he was getting whiplash watching his father flip between stern creator and depressed father. "Aro, please, I asked for you to join us so we can work out how to help our younger brother - that, in turn, will help your situation with Felix." Eleazar, ever the peacemaker.

Aro had a rebuttal ready, but Eleazar's glare as he filled his brother's cup with fresh wine silenced the man. Choosing to rephrase his question with less abrasion, Aro asked, "Why have you been sitting on this information for three years though, Dad? We have all been to hell and back with Carlisle ... and with Felix going along for the ride."

Basileus heard Aro's annoyance carried through the undercurrent of his tone but appreciated his son trying to rein himself in. "It wasn't my finest hour, son," Basileus replied, although that didn't need stating. "Besides, it's neither here nor there. I need help now before we lose Carlisle for good."

Aro smirked. "We wouldn't want that now, would we!"

Basileus stood up and loomed over his middle child. "I am not in the right frame of mind for your smart mouth and sarcastic commentary, Aro!"

Aro put up his hands in surrender. "Understood, my lord," he replied respectfully - he had no desire to cause a ruck between himself and his father.

Aro's long hair had hung loosely over his shoulders, but now that Basileus was standing over him he could see the red stain running down his son's cheek and the bloodied collar of his shirt.

"What happened to you?" he asked his boy in concern, taking hold of Aro's head in two hands and checking him over.

"What?" Aro asked, before it dawned on him what Basileus had spotted. "Oh, the blood, it's nothing, it was just Felix."

"Felix?!" Eleazar exclaimed, feeling very disappointed with his nephew, again.

"How?" Basileus asked, growling slightly.

Aro pulled himself free of his father. "I don't really blame him. I was trying to strangle him at the time ... tit for tat." Aro sounded so blasé, though naturally he was anything but. "We need to talk about Carlisle anyway, not Felix."

Basileus knew Aro was right. He would talk to Felix later, right now they did need to deal with Carlisle. "What should I do?" he asked his two sons.

Aro looked to his big brother, hoping he had an idea. Eleazar simply shrugged in reply. _Very helpful El, glad you are here,_ Aro thought.

"Well, I personally don't see what else you could have done. Carlisle wanted him dead, he asked you to kill him, he would have killed the pastor himself if he'd had to so what's the problem?"

Eleazar scrubbed a hand through his black curls. "Aro, don't be dense. As far as Carlisle will see it, if Basileus hadn't made him go back to England he would never have been in the position to wish the pastor dead in the first place."

Aro sighed. "Point taken, brother."

The room fell into quiet contemplation as all three men thought of ways to reach Carlisle and bring him back into the fold. The only noise to be heard was the occasional sipping from a cup.

Aro broke first. "We need to talk to him, I assume we are all agreed on that at least?"

Eleazar nodded.

Basileus grimaced, though he, too, agreed. "This cannot continue to be swept under the carpet, regardless of what Carlisle says he wants - refusing to talk to me about the pastor is only making his behaviour worse."

Aro watched his father for a moment, wondering how to voice his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he bit the bullet. "You may need to accept that Carlisle wants to leave Volterra, Dad. At least for a while."

Basileus looked to his son with sad, amber eyes. "I know that. I have even asked him if that is what he wants."

Eleazar closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to lose Carlisle, even if he was being a 'Grade A' dick. "What did he say to that?" he asked, in trepidation.

"He refused," Basileus said. "He wants to stay here, he wants more responsibility, he wants to earn money, he wants, he wants, he wants! And he wants it all handed to him on a silver platter, too."

Aro scratched his chin for a moment. "I could make that happen."

Eleazar narrowed his eyes to his brother. "If this is a plan to punish Carlisle, Aro ... "

"No! I am serious. If our little brother wants some responsibility, I can give him some." Aro announced, already feeling sure of the plan formulating in his mind. "At Easter, the seven major covens of our world will descend on the Volturi, at my request, to discuss plans for forging a mutually beneficial relationship in the future. The guard will arrive home at the same time and I will, quite frankly, be run ragged managing this coven. Carlisle can help."

Basileus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And, why would Carlisle want to help?"

Aro smiled broadly. "I am going to put him on the payroll."

Eleazar laughed. "What payroll?"

"I'm setting one up. Felix gave me the idea."

Basileus shook his head and laughed too. "You never fail to surprise me, son. But, first things first, we need to talk to Carlisle. Or, at least you two do - he won't talk to me."

Both Aro and Eleazar agreed and as neither wanted to prolong the wait, Eleazar excused himself to fetch his brother. For the first time in a few years now he felt hopeful for a happy time coming. He wasn't naive, he knew they would still have a turbulent time to come, but now that they knew the cause for Carlisle's upset they could work on it.

Within a few moments Eleazar had returned with an arm around Carlisle.

"I really don't want to talk about this with him," Carlisle complained as he tucked into Eleazar's side.

"Him who?" Basileus asked, knowing it was him.

"We have agreed not to talk about it," Carlisle stated flatly.

"Will you talk with us?" Eleazar asked, gesturing to Aro.

Carlisle looked between his father and brothers. _They are certainly the lesser of two evils_ , he thought. "If I must."

Basileus' heart stabbed at the rejection, even though it was nothing other than expected. "I will leave you to it then," he announced as he flashed from the room without waiting for a reply.

Carlisle moved to allow his father to pass, but he didn't approach his brothers. Truthfully, he was wary of getting too close to Aro, and though Eleazar had behaved more 'brotherly' when he saved him from Atia's bitching, he was wary of Eleazar too.

"Drink?" Aro asked, generally.

"I think we will all need one." Eleazar replied, fetching a cup for their younger brother. "Come and sit with us," he called, offering Carlisle a goblet of wine.

Carlisle complied, but he sat as far from his brothers as he possibly could.

"Did Felix tell you ... or did Basileus?" Carlisle asked, or rather, spat.

Aro's face scrunched up. "You told Felix?"

"No, the fucking wind whispered it to him!" Carlisle retorted spitefully.

Eleazar placed his arm in front of Aro, holding him back. "Okay, okay, we don't want to say anything we may regret." Although Eleazar was looking at Carlisle the sentiment extended to both of his brothers.

"Why would I regret it?" Carlisle returned like the petulant brat he had become.

"What is your problem with me?" Aro asked, wondering if he could push Carlisle to leave and consequences be damned - he was sick to the back teeth of his brother's constant disrespect.

"As if you have to ask," Carlisle scoffed, folding his arms across his chest and turning away from his brother.

Aro shoved Eleazar off and started walking around the room. He needed to walk off some of the tension he felt. "I do have to ask, actually. Since you came back from England you have been a bloody nightmare. But I've put up with it. I could have disciplined you a hundred times over by now but I have chosen not to and I've left you to Basileus, instead. You keep taking my son along with you for your jollies and cause me no end of grief and still I have your corner - so - what's your problem with me?"

Carlisle looked nervously to Eleazar, hoping their big brother would wade in to defend his position. When Eleazar merely raised his eyebrows and nodded, confirming Aro's rant, Carlisle was forced to come up with his own defence - and he found himself lacking. Carlisle hadn't quite put all the pieces together before. Aro hadn't actually done anything to him. More than that, he had stood up for him on a few occasions over the last couple of years. _Shit_ , he thought, knowing he had to concede to his brother.

"Well, I bitch about Basileus to Felix and he bitches about you ... I suppose I just got caught up in it all." Carlisle offered in his defence, daring a look to Aro. Rather than the raging monster he'd expected, Aro was smirking. "And, you have been talking to me like a child."

Aro smiled softly to his brother's complaint. "You have been hanging around with my child, brother - I would have done the same if it had been a guard, or even someone like Magnus, for that matter."

Aro wasn't being condescending, and thankfully Carlisle took his words with good grace. "Oh," he said quietly to himself.

"Oh!" Aro repeated, hoping his brother's war with him may have finally ended.

Eleazar saw a chance to move their discussion on now that Carlisle was being more receptive. "Carlisle, why didn't you come to us when you returned from England?"

The younger vampire shrugged, staring into his now empty cup. "It was easier to distance myself from you both than it was to talk about the pastor ... Felix, the guard, they are just easier to be around when you don't want anything deep."

Aro laughed. _Felix is as deep as a puddle,_ he thought. "I can imagine."

Carlisle knew what his brother was thinking. "Hanging out with Felix is also much better than playing gooseberry with all the couples in this tower and beyond!"

Eleazar winced. He truly hoped he hadn't been pushing Carlisle out since Carmen joined their coven, though he could see how his brother would feel that way. "You could always take a mate," he suggested genuinely.

Carlisle sighed. "I don't want a mate, not yet anyway."

The irrationality of his brother's complaints was starting to get to Aro. "So, what then, you don't want a mate so you don't want us to have one either?"

Carlisle sighed again. "No, I didn't say that."

Aro scowled. "You are even starting to sound like Felix," he said as he flopped down next to Carlisle. The look he received from Eleazar shut him up quickly.

"Why won't you talk to Basileus?" Eleazar asked, getting to the point.

"Really?" Carlisle spat. "As if that needs an answer!"

There was something about Carlisle's tone that gave Aro cause for concern. _You are cagey, little brother,_ he thought as he decided to sit this part of the conversation out, allowing Eleazar to take the lead whilst he watched for Carlisle's reactions.

"He feels awful for what happened, Carlisle," Eleazar said softly.

"For killing my father, you mean." Carlisle returned flatly.

 _No emotion_ ... Aro thought.

"Carlisle, you know he didn't have a choice ... "

Carlisle cut Eleazar off. "No he didn't - he had a choice about taking me back there though, I asked not to go, I begged. He pushed and pushed and now the pastor's blood will be on my hands forever. I am not ready to forgive Basileus yet."

Aro ran his tongue over his fangs as he sized up his brother. Almost his entire vampiric career had revolved around him reading situations, reading people, and he was pretty certain he was right about Carlisle.

"Brother," he said turning to Carlisle, "will you show me what happened?"

Carlisle willingly gave Aro his hand and waited patiently for his brother to read his memories.

A small smile tugged on Aro's lips, not that Carlisle noticed - but Eleazar did. "I understand now," he said as he released Carlisle's hand. "It must have been a very painful experience." Aro said, looking into his brother's eyes.

Carlisle felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden, it was as though Aro had access to his soul.

"Do you want to leave, Carlisle?" Eleazar asked bluntly.

"No!" Carlisle exclaimed. "Why does everyone keep asking that?" he sulked, fetching himself more wine.

"You aren't acting like you want to live here, that's all," Eleazar said casually. He wasn't sure what Aro had seen in their brother's memories, but he recognized the pensive face his brother now wore, tell-tale of a plan formulating.

"I will be making some changes to the running of this place," Aro announced. "I am going to need more hands, so to speak. I am also introducing a payroll and I will be putting you on it, in exchange for some official royal duties."

Carlisle nearly dropped his cup. "ME?" he all but shouted.

Aro nodded.

"Really?" Carlisle questioned, hoping this wasn't a trap.

"Yes." Aro stated happily.

Carlisle retook his seat next to Aro. "But, after everything I have done ... "

Aro held up his hand. "You are my brother, Carlisle, little else matters. Felix will learn not to go along with your idiocy eventually."

Carlisle rolled his eyes but was pleased to see Aro was joking, mostly.

"You may need to start your lessons with Marcus again ... " Eleazar suggested gently. They all knew how sensitive Carlisle was about his educational deficiencies.

"I would love to, El, but he left for Greece as soon as I returned from England!"

Eleazar sighed. He had been on that trip to Greece but was called back before they had even made it to his father's homeland. _Bloody Caius panicking everybody and sending Lev and Odi to drag us home,_ he reminded himself bitterly. "I could work with you brother," he suggested.

Carlisle appeared to be over the moon. "You would do that?" he questioned, knowing he didn't deserve the kindness either of his brothers were showing him.

"I am not half the scholar Marcus is, but we can certainly try." Eleazar confirmed.

"When will this new role take shape?" Carlisle asked. He was grateful for Eleazar's offer, but he wanted to change the subject to something over which he felt less personal shame.

"Soon. I have a few things to pull together first. I will require something from you in return," Aro smoothed, rolling his empty cup between his hands.

Carlisle's shoulders slumped. "You can't make me forgive Basileus," he spat.

 _Brat_! Aro thought. "I know that, but I ask that you speak with him."

"Just talk to him brother," Eleazar pushed gently.

Carlisle looked between his brothers. _Some proper status around here will be worth a conversation_ , he thought. "Fine. I will. Not yet, but soon."

Aro slapped a hand on Carlisle's back, delighted that he had relented. "First duty - you two can fetch the wine barrels from the woods," he declared happily.

"Me!" Eleazar shot out, nearly choking on his wine.

"Yes, El. Think of it as a very, very small royal duty," Aro replied with a smirk.

"Where shall we put them?" Carlisle asked. He'd had big plans for that wine and didn't want to hand it all over to Aro.

"I can think of somewhere to put them," Eleazar commented, looking Aro up and down.

Aro laughed humourlessly in reply. "There are four barrels, yes?" he asked, turning to Carlisle.

"Yes, but we could get more," he offered in return.

"I'm not a petty thief," Eleazar stated flatly.

"Who's talking petty? We could take the whole merchant fleet. The guards will be back in a few weeks - we will need to stock the wine cellar, surely. And maybe keep a barrel apiece for our quarters?"

Aro smiled gleefully. "He talks sense," he said to Eleazar with an arm slung around Carlisle's shoulders. "When he's right, he's right."

Eleazar couldn't stop himself from laughing at his brothers' goofy smiles. "Fine!" he relented.

"You should go and make peace with Basileus and Atia over this latest debacle and tell them you will be going out with Eleazar."

 _Tell them?_ Carlisle thought. _Basileus will rip my tongue out if I_ _'_ _tell him_ _'_ _anything_! "And if they won't allow me to go?"

"They will if you are with Eleazar. Trust me," Aro said, giving his brother a nudge. "Go. We'll wait here for you."

Once Carlisle was clear of the room and the door closed heavily behind him, Eleazar rounded on Aro. "Come on then!"

Aro shrugged, smirking. "What?"

Eleazar shook his head and flashed to Aro's side. "You saw something in his memories. I know you did! We've played poker together for centuries - your game face isn't as good as you think."

Aro tried to keep up the facade but he soon broke. "Fine. He's lying," he stated.

Eleazar shook his head. "Basileus told me himself that he killed the pastor."

Aro sighed. "Yes, he did, he isn't lying about that." Leaning close to his brother, as though Carlisle may catch him divulging his little secret, Aro spoke very quietly. "Carlisle isn't so distressed about the pastor - Atia put that in his head and he has been using it against Basileus ever since. He feels guilty that he wanted his real father dead, but he is glad Basileus did it for him. I would go as far as to say that he is grateful Basileus killed the guy."

Eleazar felt floored. They had only just come up with the reason for Carlisle's behaviour and now they were back to square one! "Then why is he being such a prick?"

Aro snorted to his brother's word choice. "To begin with, he didn't want Atia around. Now, he is just enjoying himself far too much to bring an end to his foolish behaviour and having a stick to beat Basileus with is letting him get away with murder. He is trapped in a web of his own deceit."

Eleazar leaned back in his chair. "And you have just offered him a prized position in the coven?" he asked, incredulously.

"I have," Aro agreed with a smug grin.

"Why?" Eleazar asked, knowing he was surely missing the link somewhere.

"I want him to stop dragging my son into trouble. If Carlisle enjoys something else, he will dump Felix and then Felix can go back to playing safely with the other guards and my headache goes away," Aro said casually. _Literally_! As he ran a hand over his blood crusted ear.

"Do you really think a royal role will be enough?" Eleazar questioned. He certainly didn't.

"Maybe not, which is why I am planning a little emotional blackmail of my own to bolster the deal."

Eleazar nodded. He should have known Aro would have every base covered. "A dose of his own medicine?"

Aro smiled. "Exactly."

Giggling to himself, Eleazar looked over his younger brother. "You are a conniving little bastard, Aro," he said warmly.

"Many thanks," Aro preened. He was so relieved to know he would soon have family relations running as smoothly as coven relations. Oh how he loved 'order'.

"Shall we tell Basileus?" Eleazar wondered aloud.

"I shall ... you will be stealing barrels of wine with Carlisle!"

Eleazar thumped his elbow into his brother's ribs at the dig.

Soon enough Carlisle returned. "Atia said I can go. But Basileus isn't down there ... he's apparently having a word with Felix."

"Oh fuck!" Aro moaned. "You two get going, get as many barrels as you can. If you see the stable hands in the town they will give you a horse and cart." With that, Aro left his brothers to save his son!

"Dad!" Felix called out, flooded with relief to see his father in the doorway to his bedroom.

"My lord, what are you doing here?" Aro asked breathlessly. He had run so fast up the stairs and through his chambers that he was struggling to breathe naturally - that was some exertion for a vampire!

Basileus stopped towering over Felix and turned to face his son.

Seeing his chance to escape, Felix jumped from his bed and ran to the window - the furthest point away from both men.

"I wanted to have a word with the boy, that is all," Basileus said easily.

Aro looked to his son. Even though Felix was glad Aro had arrived before Basileus could do ... whatever he was going to do, (Felix wasn't sure what that was!) he still hadn't forgiven his father for the way he had treated him earlier that day.

Aro could feel the disdain flowing through his boy's hateful glare.

"What has happened to his clothes, Aro? He looks state!" Basileus commented, bringing Aro out of his thoughts.

"He doesn't appreciate all he has," Aro said, watching his boy huff to his words, "so I have taken everything away. Perhaps he will discover a newfound respect for those that provide for him?"

Basileus fished through Felix's memories to find out what had occurred between the pair. When he saw the power play Aro constructed, he was pleased. "Well played," he congratulated his son. "He has some pretty choice words for you in that head of his," he added, referring to Felix's murderous thoughts about Aro.

"I have no doubt about that, Dad," Aro replied, returning Felix's scowl. "Leave him, my lord. I have something to tell you that cannot wait."

Basileus could see Aro was anxiously holding onto information but he wanted to impress something upon Felix first. "Go down to my quarters, son. I will be along in a moment."

Aro looked warily between his son and his father. "Dad ... "

"Aro, go." Basileus said finally and turned his back on his son, expecting his boy to follow his command.

If Felix hadn't been such a jackass, Aro might have stayed and argued his son's case. As it was, he took a little delight in Felix frantically begging for his help as he left him to his fate.

"Aro!" Atia exclaimed, seeing her middle son stroll into her quarters unannounced. That's what he was to her now, her son.

The eighteen months or so had seen the Volturi family adjust to make way for Atia, who had stamped her authority on the creator's three sons ... and more fretfully, his two daughters, too.

Sulpicia and Carmen had struggled with the alpha female's patronising over how they conducted themselves, their relationships ... even their wardrobe choices!

Basileus had intercepted both young women before they had come to verbal blows with his mate and he had been left wondering if a harder hand would soon be called for. The very thought made him feel uncomfortable, and indeed, worried about whether his relationships with his sons' mates could extend to physical chastisement. Basileus had never had cause to even rebuke Carmen, and though he had played a part in restraining Sulpicia from attacking Aro at times in their very early years together, he hadn't had reason to say ... let alone do ... anything more.

Of her new sons, Carlisle, after his initial warring with the woman, had taken the most naturally to having a mother figure in his life. In fact, he fully embraced the woman in the role of matriarch.

Aro had been spot on with his appraisal of the mother buffer and Atia protected Carlisle from Basileus' rage perfectly - whether he deserved said protection or not.

Eleazar, naturally, had given either of his parents little cause for concern beyond the odd terse word. He bowed to Atia's authority whenever it was called for.

Aro thought him weak. He, perhaps unsurprisingly, had been the most resistant to Atia lording it over him ... as he saw it.

"I'm just waiting for Basileus," Aro said quietly as he refused to meet the woman's eye.

"Oh, Aro," Atia scoffed. _Are you like your sons, or are they like you_? She wondered, seeing him still clearly harbouring resentment towards her. "Sit down."

Aro rolled his eyes. "Does everything with you have to be a command?" he said under his breath.

Atia heard him. "Are you still sore that I slapped you yesterday?" she asked outright.

"Sore would be right!" Aro spat in return as he absentmindedly rubbed his cheek.

"Now you are just being silly. I didn't even mark your face, Aro." _Just your bull-headed pride_ , Atia said to herself.

"It was wholly unnecessary, not to mention embarrassing," Aro spat. He knew his tone was bordering on disrespectful ... _and we all know how you hate that, mother dearest_!

"If you dislike being reprimanded in front of others you should conduct yourself more cordially."

 _Patronising cunt_! Aro was on his feet, too agitated to remain seated. "It wasn't just others!" Aro roared. "It was fucking Caius and his bitch wife!"

Atia paid no attention to Aro's outburst, she seemed to barely register his ferocity, in fact. "Silly boy," she admonished, collecting her needlework from the seat next to her. "You know Aro, you are dancing dangerously close to forcing my hand." Atia was so cool, cooler than Aro could ever force himself to be and that really was his 'thing'.

It pissed him off. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, looming over the alpha female.

Atia laughed lightly to herself as she put down her thread. Pushing Aro back lightly so she could stand, she came eye to eye with her son. "I am just as capable as exacting your father's kind of discipline if required, Aro. I am sure he would lend me his belt," she said threateningly.

Despite his best efforts not to react, Aro gasped. _Are you seriously threatening to belt me! Go to hell_! "And do you honestly think I would submit to such a thing?!" Aro replied, scoffing at the sheer audacity of his mother's proposition.

"I dare say you wouldn't have a choice, son," Basileus interrupted.

He'd been listening outside the door for long enough to have witnessed the entirety of his wife and child's exchange.

"You cannot expect me to bow down to her, did you hear what she said?" Aro asked in amazement - the whole thing was wholly unreasonable in his mind.

"Oh, I heard all right!" Basileus said, walking into the room and slamming the door behind him.

Aro swallowed hard as Basileus snatched him up from the floor by a fist full of his shirt. "When my mate has cause to correct you, in whatever manner she sees fit, you will take it graciously. Am I clear?" Basileus ground out. He was so over prideful boys that he could happily expel every single male from the castle.

"Very clear!" Aro replied with his heart sinking, knowing Atia would no doubt find cause as soon as she possibly could.

Eying his boy for a moment, Basileus wondered whether to turn Aro over to Atia now to get the first time out of the way. He knew the first time would be most troublesome.

"I need to talk to you about Carlisle, Dad," Aro reminded his father.

Thankfully, the distraction worked and Basileus released his boy immediately.

"I suggest you make your apologies so we may begin," Basileus directed to Aro as he settled into his chair.

Bitterly gulping down his pride, Aro turned to Atia and expressed his regrets. They all knew he was lying.

"Sit. Talk. Try not to piss us off," Basileus snapped at his boy.

Aro sighed but took a seat and thanked Atia for the wine she offered.

"You may not like what I have to say ... " Aro said as he tried to find a way to tell his father what he had discovered in Carlisle's head.

"Then at least say it politely," Atia warned.

Oh she was really pissing Aro off! "Carlisle is not going to forgive you, Dad," Aro began carefully, "because he has nothing to forgive you for. He harbours no resentment about you killing the pastor. He is grateful, I believe."

Basileus and Atia scoffed in unison.

"He's lying, Dad. To make you feel guilty so you give him a free pass on his behaviour. Atia gave him the idea, oddly enough." Aro really enjoyed slipping that in, though he was careful to hold off the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Atia's eyes were so wide and dangerous that Aro thought she may combust!

"No, Aro. Carlisle isn't like that." Basileus defended his boy, he didn't believe such cruel deceit was possible, or at least, he didn't want to.

"He may not have been before, but he's had a taste of what life can be like when he isn't blindly toeing the line ... and he likes it." Aro stretched his arms wide in the chair, he knew life was about to take a turn for the better and it felt good. "Carlisle wanted the guy dead. The pastor had been an abusive bastard - why wouldn't he want him dead?" Aro reasoned. It was perfectly logical to Aro.

"Some people suffer from this thing called guilt," Atia interjected sarcastically.

"Very funny," Aro replied with a roll of his eyes for good measure. "My lord, what was the first thing I did when we went to my father's old olive farm after you had turned me?" Aro asked his father.

"You turned Didyme," Basileus stated, not seeing the relevance.

"Okay, the second thing - I ripped my father's throat out," Aro told them both dispassionately. "I felt guilty about it afterward, sure I did, but he still deserved it, and worse." Aro could see his father playing over Aro's reasoning in his mind. "Carlisle may feel conflicted, but he is glad that you killed the pastor so he didn't have to," Aro said, sealing the coffin.

Basileus was reading his son's thoughts as quickly as Aro was voicing them. When he came across Aro's snooping on Carlisle's memories, it was suddenly clear.

"That deceitful little shit! I'm going to flay the little bastard!" Basileus boomed as he began pacing off his agitation.

"Even though I agree with your sentiments, my lord, I have a better plan. One that will meet our objectives with less unpleasantness," Aro offered, before filling his father in on his plans to implement a coven payroll with proper royal duties for his brother.

"And, you think that will work?" Basileus asked.

"Basileus! You cannot go along with this! Aro proposes to give Carlisle all his wants and desires on a silver platter!"

Aro smirked to his 'mother'. "What do you propose? More cosy little chats to give Carlisle even more ammunition in his emotional blackmail of my father?" It was a cheap shot and Aro knew it, but damn it felt good to get one over on Atia.

Before Atia could retaliate, Basileus had flashed to his son and walloped him across the head. "I meant what I said, Aro, I will back Atia in disciplining you if you continue to buck against us! Show some respect!"

Aro breathed slowly, feeling the nausea that Felix had created returning with his father's blow.

"That said, my dear," Basileus said kindly as he turned to his mate, "Aro does have a certain knack for these sort of situations. I am happy to let his plans play out."

Atia glared her best 'death stare' at her mate before flouncing from the room.

Basileus could see Aro was dying to laugh. "Don't!" he warned.

"I haven't said anything," Aro replied, covering his smile with his hand.

Basileus rolled his eyes to the heavens as he began shooing his son from his quarters.

Aro wanted to know something before he left. "Why haven't you read his thoughts properly since you killed the pastor?" he asked. It would have been the first thing he'd have done.

Basileus sighed softly. "Honestly, son, I was too worried about what I would find."

Aro could understand that. He had no doubts about the sort of things he was soon to discover when he read Felix's thoughts. And he had to read them, as Basileus had offered no explanation as to what he'd done to his boy when he'd sent Aro away.

"Are you going to be able to play along until my saintly little brother has returned? It may take awhile," Aro asked. Basileus was the only weak link in the metaphorical chain that was Aro's plan to returning some semblance of family harmony.

Basileus played over all the times he had begged his youngest son for forgiveness over the last three years, and how every single time Carlisle had thrown his apologies in his face. His earlier spike in anger didn't come, he just felt sad, so very, very sad.

"At this point Aro, I don't even want revenge, I just want to know my family is happy again."

Aro winced. "You may be overestimating my managerial skills, my lord."


	68. Fateful Lovers

**AN:** I do not own anything, thank you SM for letting us play in your world.

What can I say about this chapter... Caius is a cunt. I think that covers it.

* * *

 **FATEFUL LOVERS**

Demetri lay flat on his back, naked, in Caius' bed.

Lucy wrapped her legs over his as they took a break from their love making. It wasn't fucking anymore, this was a different kind of sex, a kind Demetri had never tried before. He loved her ... really loved her ... and the sort of sex they were now having only happened between proper mates. He was sure of it.

This wasn't the first time Demetri had been in Caius' chambers; he'd been half carried there by Eleazar after Aro had whipped him when his brother's ineptitude had cost them Didyme's life. He'd visited a few more times - both before and since - on an errand for his father or similar.

This was the first time he had been with Lucy in Caius' quarters though, and most definitely the first time he'd been in Caius' bed with her.

Caius and Athenodora had such a grand bed chamber; gilded mirrors adorned the walls and there was even one in the eaves above the bed. Demetri had wondered why Caius could possibly need a mirror above his bed ... until he had sex with Lucy beneath it - the placement made much more sense once he saw his lover writhing on top of him through its reflection.

"Are you ready to go again, my love? We have hours until Caius will return," Demetri asked the young blond in his arms.

Young! Lucy was at least 20 when she had been turned, but having been half starved when she was found by the coven and turned, she was a tiny waif of a woman. So tiny that the pair didn't at all look odd together.

With sultry eyes fixed on her bedfellow, Lucy straddled Demetri and soon brought the two of them to distraction as they thrashed in ecstasy between her master's sheets.

"FREEZE!"

Caius.

Demetri and Lucy both stopped breathing, neither moving a single muscle. Well, Demetri's hard-on disappeared immediately ... but he wasn't in control of that particular muscle.

"My lord, please, I beg your forgiveness," Lucy pleaded, tears already present in her eyes.

Demetri felt just as horrified at being caught in such an uncompromising position - and by Caius, of all people. _Aro is going to go crazy,_ he thought, panicked.

"Master Caius, I thought you were out for the day ... " he tried to excuse his behaviour.

It sounded so audacious to Caius that the man burst out laughing. "Oh, I am so very sorry," he told the pair as he flashed to the bedside. "You are right, my mistake, I have returned earlier than expected. Please, do finish!"

Neither Demetri or Lucy had turned to face Caius yet, but that had both their heads springing to the side.

The sarcasm dripping dangerously through Caius' tone was reflected in his jet-black eyes. He was ready to blow.

Demetri attempted to move Lucy but Caius shook his head. _What the hell! You don_ _'_ _t seriously expect me to_ _'_ _finish_ _'_ _do you_? Demetri questioned in his head, wondering how the heck he was going to get out of Caius' bedroom alive.

"I told you to finish," Caius instructed the frightened young lovers.

Lucy looked away in shame, still straddling her naked boyfriend.

"I can't," Demetri replied quietly.

"That is a shame," Caius commented as he took off his coat and draped it on the dresser. Next, he pounced onto the bed, moving behind Lucy, who shook in Demetri's arms. Caius lay out on top of young vampire lovers, forcing Lucy down onto Demetri's chest and made sure he had a tight hold on the boy's arms. The two young vampires were pinned tightly together with Caius' strength far outweighing theirs.

"I must do it for you then, Demetri," Caius said slyly, smirking evilly to his co-master's son.

Demetri was so perturbed by what Caius was suggesting that all sense of respect and decorum flew out the window. "What! Get the fuck off her!" He started to thrash about, desperately trying to escape Caius' hold.

Cauis simply smiled and dug his fingers into Demetri's rather pathetic biceps. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Aro will ... " Demetri started, voice quivering.

"Aro will what?" Caius interrupted him.

They both knew that Aro had told his boy to stay out of Caius' chambers at all costs, and that Demetri could expect no backing from him if he foolishly ignored the order.

"I won't let you do this!" Demetri roared.

He knew he couldn't stop Caius, he couldn't fight him off, heck, he couldn't even move! Lucy seemed so resigned to her fate and that twisted Demetri's insides. He loved her, really loved her. He knew Caius had her submit to him but to witness the event was going to drive him insane.

"Please, Caius, I am begging you!"

Caius continued to smile, truly enjoying Demetri's reaction. "SUBMIT!" he commanded into Lucy's ear.

Lucy froze, her silent tears continued to flow and collected on Demetri's chest.

"NO!" it started as a roar, but the boy's voice soon broke into a panicked sob.

"If you move, it will be much worse for her, I promise you," Caius casually told Demetri.

"You can't do this, Caius. Take me instead, take me," Demetri offered genuinely.

"Your father would have something to say about that," Caius said as he released the boy's arms, bruising already apparent on his shoulders. As Caius readied himself to enter Lucy, he made sure to have Demetri in his eye line, "but this," he said as he plunged his cock deep inside Lucy's ass, enjoying Demetri's repulsed reaction and Lucy's pain stricken moan, "is all part of my remit."

Caius continued to fuck Lucy, hard, although he had to put some effort into holding Demetri down too.

Their faces were so close, Demetri could feel the coven leader's grunting breath on his face as Caius pounded into his lover. Caius didn't take long to finish the job, but for Demetri it felt like a lifetime had passed whilst his poor fragile Lucy was torn and abused in his arms.

When he was done, Caius sprung off the bed and swaggered around the room as he redressed and fixed his hair in the mirror. "You are released," he called out to the girl without a modicum of remorse.

Demetri tried to turn Lucy's head to face him but she couldn't meet his eye. Instead, gasping for breath and desperately trying to contain her sobs, she disentangled herself from her lover and slowly dressed her fragile form.

As she turned her back on him, Demetri could see the bruising forming down her spine and the teeth marks at the back of her neck.

As Caius watched the exchange through the mirror, it was clear to him that both young vampires were suitably traumatized by what he had done, and he was pleased.

Demetri had only managed to half dress before Caius scooped up the rest of his attire and walked out the door. Only clothed from the waist down and without any footware, Demetri followed the coven master, silently, back to the south tower.

"I believe this is yours," Caius said as he shoved Demetri through Aro's chamber door. "And, these are his," he said, dumping Demetri's clothes and boots on the floor.

Aro had only just returned from talking with his father about Carlisle and his mind was still on Felix, so he wasn't quite prepared to deal with Demetri, too! Aro's head spun as he saw the bruising to his boy's arms and the state of disarray in which his son had returned.

"What happened?" Aro ground out.

He was surprised to see it was Demetri flinching and not Caius. Caius, in fact, offered Aro his hand so he could see for himself what had happened. Aro closed his eyes and held his breath for what was about to come, but he was shocked when he came across Caius returning to his chambers to find Demetri and Lucy in his bed!

"You insolent brat!" Aro roared, clouting Demetri hard across the head ... so hard that the boy fell to the floor where he had the sense to stay until further instruction. Aro returned to Caius' thoughts. He felt sick when he realised what Caius was about to do, although he was relieved to see he had Lucy submit and not Demetri. It wasn't that Aro thought Lucy deserved such cruelty, quite the opposite, but he would have had to go against Caius if it had been Demetri and he'd rather not travel down that road ... yet.

He felt for his boy, but there was no way Aro was going to let Demetri know that. _Give him an inch he will take a mile_ , he thought. Aro knew if Demetri thought he had Aro's backing now, that before long his son would end up back in the same situation.

"Go to your room ... "

"But ... " Demetri interrupted, although he thought better of it when, in warning, Aro widened his furious eyes to him. Aro waited for the tell-tale door slamming to know Demetri was safe in his chamber before speaking to Caius.

"Was that really necessary, brother?" he asked quietly.

Caius shrugged. He had expected some backlash from Aro, but frankly, he didn't care. _The brat should never have been in my quarters_ , he reasoned.

"Demetri made me an interesting offer," Caius told Aro, before he could close the door on his covenmate.

"What would he have to offer to you?" Aro asked, interest piqued.

"He asked me to take him instead of Lucy."

Aro's face scrunched up in confusion. "Take?"

Caius smiled to himself. "Submission, Aro." Caius delighted in Aro's widening eyes.

"If you ... " the coven king began, then cut himself off seeing Caius continue to smile.

"Of course I haven't. But that boy should be careful to whom he makes such an offer. I don't think he understands what submission really is, Aro."

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Aro sighed. "Why would he even ask that of you?" he asked, mainly himself.

"I think your brat is in love with my charge, brother." Caius said with a shrug.

Aro shook his head, as though the very idea of his teenage son mating was preposterous.

Caius fixed Aro in his sights. "Personally, I could care less. But if I catch Demetri in my bed again, I will consider him to be a 'gift' from you."

Aro folded his arms across his chest as he glared back at Caius. "I am sure, for the sake of our coven, that you could find another way to deal with Demetri if that very, very unlikely event was to occur, again."

Caius smiled evilly. "Of course I could ... but why should I - he has been warned many times already." With that, Caius left the tower.

Aro heard the ground floor door shut behind his co-master as he took a seat on the top step. _What the hell am I going to do now_? he questioned himself, running through as many options as he could in his mind. Yet, they all amounted to the same thing ... Demetri would go back to Caius' chambers at some point, no matter how severely Aro punished him for his stupidity. _Would Caius go through with his threat_? he wondered, fully knowing he would if he had the chance.

Closing his eyes, Aro knew what he had to do. It was time to call in the big guns ... Basileus! As he made his way down to his father's chambers at a human pace, Aro cursed his son for forcing him to beg help from his father on something like this!

"My lord?" Aro called out as he nudged his father's door open.

"Back again so soon! Come on in, son," Basileus called out.

He was in his usual seat at his table, going over correspondence from the guards who had been sent to check on the outposts and deliver Aro's messages to the major covens.

"Are you alone?" Aro asked, listening out for the sounds of their family.

"Indeed I am. Atia has gone to see Freyr and your brothers are still out stealing wine!"

Aro could tell by his tone that Basileus didn't think his idea for replenishing the coven wine stores through completing Carlisle and Felix's thievery was a good idea, but he didn't have time to think about that.

"I need you to talk to Caius."

Not appreciating Aro's tone at all, Basileus rolled his eyes. "And of what would this talk consist?" Basileus asked without looking up from his papers.

"Making Demetri submit," Aro answered.

"WHAT!"

Basileus was on his feet, paper scattered to the floor before Aro had closed the door behind himself.

"He hasn't ... yet," Aro placated his father, though he was pleased by the horrified reaction Basileus had to the idea. That would certainly help Aro drag Demetri out of the hole the boy had thrown himself into.

"You had better explain what the hell is going on," Basileus ordered.

"My darling boy was caught in Caius' bed with Lucy riding him ... by Caius!" Aro explained briefly.

Basileus sunk back into his seat. "That bloody boy!"

Agreeing, Aro nodded. "Caius had Lucy submit to him ... whilst she was still straddling Demetri."

Basileus sucked in the air through his teeth. "Harsh," he said, feeling disappointed by Caius' cruelty.

Aro nodded his agreement before continuing. "Caius told me if he catches Demetri in his bed again, he will consider him to be a gift from me. I think we both know what that means." Aro grimaced as he spoke.

Basileus knew exactly what Caius meant. "Surely that knowledge will keep Demetri from Caius' chambers?" he asked his son.

Aro scoffed. "Doubtful. He actually asked Caius to allow him to exchange places with Lucy."

Basileus gasped. "Tell me you are joking?" He was saddened when Aro shook his head. "Well we can't have that, but I don't blame Caius, either."

Aro shot an incredulous look to his father who held up a hand to signal his silence.

"Aro, if you caught a couple of guards fucking in your bed, what would you do?"

 _Bollocks, you have me there_ , Aro thought. "So, are you saying I should do nothing, let Caius fuck my son?!"

Aro was incensed. He began pacing short laps around Basileus' living chamber.

"I didn't say that," Basileus returned. "You need to find a way to keep Demetri from going to Caius' chambers. Bringing an end to his relationship with Lucy would be a good start."

Aro rolled his eyes. "And, how exactly will I do that? I think he is mating with her!"

Basileus was surprised to hear that. He had never considered Demetri as capable of mating with another vampire, he was so immature. "You could take Lucy, she could live with you, Demetri could mate with her properly?" he suggested.

Aro quit his lap of the living room and tutted to his father as though he were addressing a child. "Are you serious? I am not going to let him mate with her properly - he's too young. I want to bring an end to this ... not add future issues with which to contend!"

Basileus was getting seriously pissed off with his son's smart arsed attitude. "Aro, if you expect my help, you should proceed more cordially," he warned lightly.

Aro took it on board, though he felt the tension in every muscle in his body.

"What is wrong with them?" Basileus asked himself.

"Them, who?" Aro asked, hoping he wasn't one of 'them'.

"Felix and bloody Carlisle have been causing havoc all morning, and now Demetri this evening. Where are the twins? Can you lock them up for the night, please?"

Aro laughed. "Jane and Alec don't cause me any trouble, my lord."

Basileus looked down his nose to his son. "Give them time, Aro! Now, fetch Demetri," Basileus ordered.

"What are you going to do?" Aro asked, anxiously.

"I don't know yet, but I suggest you play along to whatever I decide."

Aro nodded, he trusted his father - he wouldn't have sought his help otherwise.

It didn't take Aro long to return, dragging a depressed Demetri behind. Aro was pissed off to find him out of his room and crying on his mother's shoulder when he went to his chambers, but the poor boy looked so dejected that his anger soon dissipated.

Basileus directed his son and grandson to the sofas by the fire which was crackling pleasingly. Atia, like Sulpicia, liked to keep a warm home. It was a very human custom, but one they all found comfort in.

"Well, you have certainly thrown yourself to the wolves, my boy," Basileus began.

Demetri sank into his chair like the moody teen he was.

"What do you have to say for yourself, then?" Basileus prompted, hoping the boy would open up and give him something to work with.

"Nothing!" Demetri spat in response.

Basileus frowned at the boy's tone. _Cheeky brat_ , he thought.

"Caius caught you in his chambers, no, in HIS BED, and you have nothing to say?"

Demetri shrugged.

"Fine, you don't want to talk, you will listen instead," Basileus told the boy gruffly. "Your relationship with Lucy is over, you are confined to the south tower for three months."

Demetri attempted to stand but Aro pulled him back into his seat.

"That isn't fair!"

Basileus shrugged in much the same way Demetri had only moments before.

"You can't split us up," Demetri whined, "and three months in the tower for seeing my mate in her home? That's unreasonable!"

Basileus and Aro both laughed at the whining young guard.

"You are not mated, Demetri. You are fourteen, fourteen-year-olds don't mate!" Aro told him, laughter bursting through his words intermittently.

Demetri felt powerless and dejected, much the same way Caius had made him feel earlier that day. "You can't tell me what to feel," he sulked.

Aro shook his head, getting himself under control. "No, I cannot, but I know your 'love' for Lucy will pass ... much like it has for many other girls you have been hung up on."

"This is different!" Demetri spat back to his father. "I have been with Lucy, and only Lucy, for three years."

Aro swallowed hard. He hadn't realised his son was quite that serious about Caius' charge.

Basileus could see his son wavering and decided it would be best to move things along. "Whatever you had, or think you had, with that girl - it's over. And you are in this tower for three months. I will hear nothing more about it."

Demetri turned to Aro in hope that his father would help. _Basileus is being way over the top_!

Aro tutted at his son. _As if I am going to help you, silly boy_ , he thought.

"Next on the agenda," Basileus continued, ignoring Demetri's wide eyed pleading, "is the matter of submission."

Demetri looked to the floor, embarrassed.

Basileus wasn't having that. He knelt in front of Demetri and forced his head up by a tight pinch on his chin. "You, you foolish boy, asked Caius to have you submit instead of Lucy. Is that right?"

Demetri wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. _If there is a god, please smite me now and end this fresh round of shame, please._ "Yes, my lord," he eventually replied, after none of the gods came to his rescue.

"You really don't want Caius to do that, Demetri. You need to understand, if you backed Caius into a corner, say, by going back into his chambers, and he was forced to have you submit to him ... it would be most unpleasant."

Demetri squared his shoulders. "I can take it. Better me than Lucy!"

 _Oh, you stupid boy_! Aro thought as he winced for his son, knowing what was coming next.

CRACK!

Basileus backhanded Demetri straight across the mouth. "Are you really so ignorant?" he asked his grandson. "Caius will still have Lucy whenever he likes, you would be saving her nothing. In fact, I dare say you would be making matters worse for her - who do you think Caius will take out his frustrations on when you piss him off?"

Demetri was already crying softly, the realisation that Caius had fucked Lucy because of him had only just hit, and it hit hard.

"WELL?!" Basileus boomed into the fragile boy's face. He expected a response.

"Lucy. He will take it out on Lucy."

Basileus nodded sagely. "It is worse than that though, lad. If Caius ever has you submit, do you really think we would leave you be?"

Demetri scrunched his face up at Basileus' words, they made no sense.

Basileus could see he needed to clarify his point. "Submission is a primal, vampiric action ... if another coven leader tried to lay claim over Aro's charge, do you not think Aro would seek to reclaim that charge."

Demetri's eyes flew wide open, the idea of Aro having him submit was so much worse than Caius. _He's my dad, that wrong, just wrong,_ he thought, disgusted.

Aro didn't look much happier about the idea. "Sulpicia would leave me if I did," he stated, sadly.

Basileus nodded, "I know that son, I would not allow you to risk such a thing as your marriage. I would have to do it for you."

"YOU!" Demetri shouted in surprise, desperately pulling back, but Basileus held his chin firmly.

"Me," the ancient creator confirmed menacingly. "I do not make empty threats. I am careful when I give my word to make sure I can be true to it. Do you understand?" he asked the frightened boy.

Demetri nodded as much as he was able whilst his head was held in Basileus' vice like pinch.

"Then listen well, boy. If Caius has cause to make you submit, I will reclaim you - you will submit to me, too. I give you my word. Is that clear?"

Demetri couldn't breathe. He tried to suck in some air so he could speak but his whole body was frozen in fear.

"Answer me!" Basileus ordered, giving the boy a shake.

"Y, ye, no. I ... " Demetri stuttered, unable to form a single coherent word.

Basileus looked to his son. "Has Caius punished him?"

"No, I don't believe so." Aro replied. Looking his young Lothario over, he wondered if the boy had suffered enough already.

"Have you, then?" Basileus asked, feeling irritated and interrupting Aro's thoughts.

"No, my lord," Aro replied, knowing where this was going.

Apparently so did Demetri ... and he put all his efforts into fighting Basileus off.

Releasing the boys chin, Basileus took hold of Demetri's wrist and pulled him along as he retook his seat. Demetri threw all his strength into resisting as his grandfather effortlessly manoeuvred him between his legs, holding him in position in a thigh lock.

"All this flailing, all this fighting," Basileus commented to Aro, "shall we show him how easy it would be to handle him under submission?"

Aro narrowed his eyes. _Do you mean just making the call for it, or doing it? You cannot do it, Dad_! Aro spoke through his thoughts to his father, praying he was listening.

"Just the call." Basileus replied easily. Aro nodded his agreement.

"What are you doing?" Demetri asked, looking frantically between his father and grandfather.

"Submit!" Basileus commanded, and guided the now compliant boy over his knee.

"Much better, Demetri," Basileus said as he positioned his grandson to his pleasing. As he stripped the boy from the waist down, Basileus, quite patronisingly, told his young grandson, "Now, I know you cannot talk, but I believe this would be the part where you offer your regrets and begin begging for leniency. It is a shame I cannot hear you, as now I will have no indication of when to bring your punishment to an end."

Demetri tried to move, to struggle, to throw a hand back and defend himself - anything! He could hardly move, it felt like his body was made of lead weights and he was powerless. He could feel everything though. Each slap Basileus planted on his upturned backside brought a new expletive screaming inside his head.

Basileus continued to pepper the whole of his ass and the top of his legs with sharp swots until Demetri's skin had turned a deep greying purple, a sign that his body's venom was rushing to the assaulted area to heal the well-tanned skin.

"Have you had enough?" Basileus asked the boy, knowing the poor thing couldn't answer him.

Demetri groaned in pain, it was the only noise he could make - much like Lucy whilst Caius was fucking her on top of him earlier that day. _Let me up you bastard_! Demetri screamed out in his thoughts.

"He just called me a bastard!" Basileus told Aro, who laughed to the news.

"He clearly hasn't had enough then, my lord," he commented whilst concentrating on playing with the rings on his hand. He felt very uncomfortable watching someone else discipline his child.

Basileus agreed and set to work landing slow, hard smacks to Demetri's thighs. One after another he struck with such force that Demetri was sure his legs were going to fracture.

Aro listened to the mild moaning coming from his son. _A damn sight easier than having to fight to keep you under control, and none of the dramatic wailing either, I might have to try this myself,_ he thought.

Basileus leaned back into the sofa. By the time he had finished punishing Demetri, the boy was a sobbing mess in his lap. His face was the same colour as his ass, deep purple grey from his venomous blood rushing to his hanging head.

"Are you going to let him up?" Aro asked, wondering what was going through is father's mind now.

"I was going to, but then I thought, whilst he's so compliant ... perhaps we should give him a chance to experience submission. Just in case he still has it in his head to push Caius."

Aro looked from his son to his father. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Submission, son." Basileus stated plainly. "Should we give him a preview?"

Aro caught his father's wink. _You nasty old bastard_ , he thought. "How?" he asked, knowing his boy would be a nervous wreck by now.

"Well, I don't want to fuck him ... unless you do?"

Demetri's moaning stepped up a notch, though it was still barely audible above his increasing sobs.

"No thanks!" Aro replied. _Jesus Christ, dad!_ He wasn't willing to go that far!

"There must be something around here we could use for entry ... " Basileus said happily, adding a fierce slap to Demetri's backside as he spoke.

 _No_! _No, no, no_! _Please, I beg you, no_! _I won_ _'_ _t go to Caius_ _'_ _chambers ever again, never, not even for Lucy, I_ _'_ _ll end it with her. I swear_.

"Do you mean that?" Basileus asked, referring to Demetri's thoughts.

 _I do, I do_! he said in his head, though it was difficult for Basileus to hear him through his venom snot sobbing.

"You are released," Basileus announced, dragging the boy up.

Demetri's wailing began as soon as Basileus had spoken.

Aro couldn't help but laugh at the seamless return to the dramatic display he was used to from his son. As Demetri scrambled to redress himself standing between his father and grandfather, Basileus issued him a few fateful orders.

"You are to go to Caius and apologise unreservedly, and you will break it off with Lucy. Am I understood?"

Demetri swore he could feel his heart thumping in his chest. "Really? I have to break up with her?" he asked through his tears.

"YES!" Basileus growled, making the young Lothario jump. "Take him."

Aro nodded curtly to his father's order and pushed his son in front of him and out of the door.

Once they were standing outside Caius' suite, Demetri tried one last time to get out of Basileus' decree. "Please dad, we are in love," he whined.

Aro shook his head and rolled his eyes. "If you really loved her, you would end it with her, now. You two being together will only cause her more pain. Caius will take out all his frustrations with you on the poor thing. End it, Demetri. You aren't mating, I will not allow it. You are too young and you will always be too young."

Demetri felt crushed, emotionally and physically battered.

Aro paid little attention to his son's ego for the moment. Instead, he knocked hard on Caius' door.

"He looks a little more subdued than when I last saw him!" Caius crowed when he opened the door.

Demetri scowled but kept his face down so Caius couldn't see.

"He has something to say to you, brother," Aro prompted his son, giving him a jab in the back for good measure.

It took a few attempts, but Demetri eventfully managed an unbroken line of apology without his sobs interrupting. "I am really sorry for being in your chambers, Master Caius."

Aro coughed. "And Lucy!" he said to his boy.

"I want to end my relationship with Lucy, too." Demetri said, fresh tears overflowing his eyes at the statement.

Caius' eyebrows were raised so high that they disappeared into his hair line. "Really?" he asked, looking to Aro for confirmation.

"Yes. I'm taking him to Chelsea next, I suggest you do the same with Lucy at some point, soon." Aro told his co-master.

"Good idea!" Caius congratulated Aro. _That will make my life easier_. "I will take her to the guard hall once she has recovered."

Aro grabbed hold of Demetri by his shoulders, knowing his boy would react to hearing his dear little lover had been punished. W _hat else did you expect_? Aro wondered.

"Come along, Demetri, before you cause any further strife!" Aro sang out, dragging a wincing Demetri to the guard hall and away from a bemused Caius.

On entering the guard hall, Aro pushed Demetri towards Magnus' desk.

"Wait over there for me," he instructed before he left the boy to find Chelsea.

Magnus saw Demetri coming, if he hadn't he would have heard his snivelling. Once he was close enough, Magnus reached out and took Demetri by the hand, pulling him in closer.

"What's happened?" he asked with concern.

Demetri leaned into the hulking master's shoulder and whispered his misdeeds into his ear.

Magnus' heart sank hearing Demetri's short tale, and the emotional bombardment he could feel from the boy was enough to turn his stomach. Knowing he was going against Aro and Basileus, but not really caring at the time, Magnus drew some of the emotionally charged youth's pain away, just to enough so that Demetri could get himself under control and at least quit his tears. Magnus received a very quiet and meaningful 'thank you' for his efforts.

Aro returned with Chelsea in time to see Demetri's relief and looked disapprovingly to Magnus.

"I don't tell you how to do your job," Magnus told the coven king quietly, returning just as much disapproval as he had received from Aro.

That put Aro on the back foot. Magnus had taken to his role as a Master of the Coven without a cross word between the two of them to date. It was clear to Aro that Magnus was pissed off with him for the state Demetri was in, but to his surprise, he felt compelled to take his disapproval without rebuttal.

Feeling more than a little shame for what he was about to do, Aro avoided Magnus' glare and turned to Chelsea. "Would you please sever his bond with Lucy, my dear," he asked kindly.

Demetri started crying again until Magnus withdrew more of his emotional pain. Aro's eyes flickered to Magnus' and then the hold the Master of the Guard had on his son. Magnus refused to release the boy. The stand-off between coven masters didn't last long ... and it was Aro who gave in, not Magnus.

"Master, my gift cannot separate mates," Chelsea implored. Seeing the sorry state Demetri was in she felt awful to bring him more pain.

"They are not mated," Aro stated harshly. "Do it."

Chelsea gulped at the harshness of Aro's tone. Aro was usually so steadfast that little seemed to faze him - the general guards were only used to his calm demeanour, even if it was sometimes obviously, and scarily forced. She immediately turned on Demetri. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on his bond with Lucy and set to work dismantling it.

It took a great deal of effort, but Chelsea managed to sever the young lover's bonds. "My lord, I ... " Chelsea fainted before she could say anymore.

Luckily Magnus had been watching carefully and caught the young woman before she dropped to the floor.

"I do not appreciate you going against me, Magnus," Aro whispered calmly. He felt anything but calm. He was, in fact, for the first time questioning Magnus' appointment as a Master of the Coven.

"If they come to the guard hall, they come as guards," Magnus replied.

Aro narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"That is what you told your children when you made me Master of the Guards. They come to my hall as guards. And, I will look after them as such." Magnus was resolute, and he knew, even if Aro didn't, that his position couldn't be taken away ... Basileus had made that quite clear when he was forced to take Carlisle in hand a few years before.

"Send her to Caius to do the same with Lucy when she recovers."

Scooping her up into his arms, Magnus leaned in close to the coven king. "I'm not against you, Aro, but we won't always be in agreement, either." With that he turned his back on Aro and went to lay Chelsea out on one of the sofas.

"Home," Aro ordered his boy, who was looking to Magnus with a new kind of respect. "Now!" Aro ordered, to get his son moving.

Demetri limped slowly, hissing and gasping all the way until they were safe inside their tower again.

"Go to bed, son. Its late," Aro told his depressed young Lothario. "Ah, ah! Not in your room. I'm not having you and Felix spend all night coming up with new ways to defy me. You can sleep in my bed."

Demetri sighed, but he followed his father's orders without further complaint.

Sulpicia and Carmen looked questioningly to Aro; he hadn't spoken to either of them when he'd fetched Demetri to take to Basileus. They assumed it was over the boy being in Caius' chambers - they had heard Caius' ranting - but they hoped for more details now that Aro was home.

"Well?" Sulpicia asked, when no information was forthcoming.

Aro shook his head and scrubbed a hand down his face. "He is to stay in this tower for three months." That was all he could think to say.

"Three months!" Carmen repeated. "That's a very long time, Aro!"

Aro nodded. "Basileus," was all he offered in explanation, and truthfully, that was enough.


	69. Administration

**AN:** I don't own the twi-world, but I'm happy to play with the characters.

A big thank to the lovely Doccooper for editing all these recent chapters, I have no idea how you fit this into your busy schedule but I am very grateful tat you do!

* * *

 **ADMINISTRATION**

"I hate Aro for this."

Felix stood in front of his bedroom mirror checking himself out in his new, or rather old ... very old ... guard uniform.

Aro kept his high guard in new uniforms ... they always had the blackest of black tunics and looked well turned out for it. The general guard were looked after too, of course. But as they saw more action than the high guard, and their uniforms were replaced with less frequency, their outfits were more grey than black.

The rags Felix had been left with were even worse than the worst of the guards - washed out grey and fraying at the seems. _Why do I even still have these bloody things_! he questioned, genuinely not recalling when he would have worn them last.

 _They aren_ _'_ _t even the same style as the current Volturi uniform,_ he thought gloomily, knowing he was going to stick out like a sore thumb as soon as he left the safety of his bedroom. If he wasn't so bored he would have stayed in there in all day, but he was bored ... bored stupid!

Demetri had been made to sleep in their parents bed the night before and the solitary confinement was driving Felix crazy. The only 'visitor' had been Basileus yesterday evening. _The last person I wanted to see_! Felix thought.

Basileus had been ready to make good on his promise of taking the boy into his own chambers, removing him from Aro and Sulpicia's care after he'd 'attacked' his father again. Thankfully, the man read Felix's memories and agreed that Felix had little choice but to punch Aro to break his hold around his throat. _Still smacked my ass though, the cunt_. Felix really felt like the whole damn world was against him.

He went to his door and opened it just a crack, listening intently for any movement. He could make out Sulpicia and Carmen talking quietly from the living room, but he couldn't hear Aro - and that's who he was listening for.

The sun had only just come up and he hoped to catch the twins before they left their room. Creeping across the hall, he opened their door. The bastard thing creaked like a bitch, so he made quick work of getting inside and closing it softly behind him.

Jane was already awake, and burst out laughing at her big brother's 'new threads'.

"Shush!" Felix begged, flashing to her bed and holding a hand over her mouth. He could see from her eyes she was still laughing. "Shut up will you! I don't know if I am allowed in here - I don't want Aro to catch me!"

Jane closed her eyes, getting herself under control.

Felix released her slowly. "Shush," he reminded his sister of darkness.

"You look like a jester!" she said, stifling her giggles.

"Yeah, I know," Felix replied moodily.

"We heard what happened ... what Aro did," she said.

As Jane wasn't the most emotional being in the castle, Felix couldn't work out if she felt sorry for him or not.

"He's a prick. I hate him, I actually fucking hate him."

Jane's eyes widened. She had never heard Felix talk so disparagingly about their father before. "That's a bit much, isn't it?" she broached.

"NO!" Felix replied, then cursed his volume. It was loud enough to wake Alec. He flashed to the door to listen for any approaching grownups. Satisfied that he hadn't alerted anyone else in their home, he retook his seat beside Jane.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Alec asked cheekily. "And why do prisoners have to wake up so early?"

Felix raised his eyebrows to his brother's jibe.

"He isn't supposed to be out of his cell," Jane added, giggling again.

"Hey! You are supposed to be on my side!" he said to them both.

The twins scoffed in unison.

"Like hell we are!" Jane said.

"Yeah, you have hardly bothered with us since you became Carlisle's pet," Alec added.

Felix was about to react when he noticed the two of them winking to each other. "Very funny!" he jeered.

"So, what do you want, you big oaf?" Jane asked, knowing he'd want something.

"Nothing! I just thought I'd pop in for a chat with my baby brother and sister, that's all."

Alec scoffed. "Bollocks," he said. They weren't stupid.

"Oooooo, you had better hope Aro doesn't hear you speaking like that."

"I'd just tell him you taught it to me, Felix," Alec replied.

 _Yeah, you_ _'_ _d get away with it, too_! Felix thought. "How pissed off is Aro?" he asked casually.

Jane looked at Alec and shook her head, laughing. "That's why he's in here at daybreak - he wants to know how much trouble he's in."

Felix's shoulders slunk and he offered big red puppy eyes to his siblings.

Jane broke before Alec. "Fine!" she said throwing her hands up. "He's raging ... but it's not all down to you."

That had Felix beaming already. "Carlisle?" he assumed the source for their father's ire.

Jane shook her head, blonde bed-hair gracing her shoulders.

"Demetri!" Alec announced happily.

The twins regaled their big brother with Demetri's dance with death from the day before. Just like any good siblings, they all enjoyed each other's triumphs, but their downfalls provided true entertainment.

"I should thank him, he must have taken some serious heat off me!" Felix commented, before falling about laughing.

"I think Carlisle has wormed his way back into Aro's good books now," Jane told her brother. "Aro sent Carlisle and Eleazar out yesterday to fetch the barrels of wine you'd stolen. They were still out when we came to bed. I think they intended to take the whole load from the merchant ships."

"WHAT!" Felix exclaimed, loudly, feeling his hackles raise and the clear injustice of the situation.

"And, just what are you doing in here?" Aro asked his eldest when he waltzed through the door.

Felix should have shown some respect, but he felt none, so he returned Aro's glare instead. "How come when I was a lookout for Carlisle, you were ready to tear me to shreds and next thing I hear, you are sending Carlisle and Eleazar out for more!"

Aro smiled smugly. "And, from where did you hear that?" he asked, eyebrows raised to his young double act.

"I didn't know it was a secret," Jane replied sweetly.

Felix looked askance as Aro merely laughed to Jane and ignored his question. Aro turned on his heel and left the twins' bedroom, clicking his fingers for Felix to follow.

"Hello?" Felix said as he trailed behind his father to their living room.

"Isn't it a bit early in the day to start pissing me off, son?" Aro replied easily, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Aro handed Carmen a roll of parchment to add to the pile she was working through with Sulpicia. "I need to see my brothers, my queen. I won't be gone long," he said to his wife before leaving their quarters.

Felix remained standing in the middle of the room, his temper increasing due to Aro's complete disregard of his questioning.

"What do you look like Felix?" Sulpicia asked with a shake of her head, thinking of how much stress their boys were causing her household.

Felix stomped over to his mother's side. "Mom! Why is it okay for Carlisle and Eleazar to steal wine but it's not okay for me to take it?"

Sulpicia raised her eyes to the heavens. "Can you even hear yourself?" she asked in response.

Carmen tutted to her nephew. "Perhaps there is a difference between two adult vampires performing coven duties by collecting wine for the guards, and a 16-year-old breaking his word when he is restricted to the castle grounds and stealing alcohol, that he isn't even allowed to drink, for his own personal use."

Sulpicia nodded along to her sister-in-law's summation.

"I wasn't asking you," Felix spat.

Sulpicia shoved her son. "Who do you think you are talking to?" she asked dangerously.

Felix maintained his stance. "Sorry," he sneered petulantly.

Carmen scoffed. "Yes, you sound it."

"Just go back to your room, Felix," Sulpicia ordered. She wasn't taking his crap today.

Felix's eyes widened. "No, please! I am going insane in there on my own!"

He pulled the chair out next to Carmen and took her hands in his. "Carmen, I'm sorry," he told his aunt.

"That almost sounded sincere," she mocked the boy lightly, pulling her hands free to return to her paperwork.

"What are you doing anyway? Can I help?" he offered, looking over the scattered scrolls which looked to be Aro's writing.

"And now you are creeping!" Carmen told him, playfully giving him a nudge with her elbow.

"It's your fault actually, so you can help," Sulpicia decided. "Aro has decided to create a payroll."

Felix's mouth dropped open. "No way!" _Brilliant_ , he thought.

"Oh yes, amongst other things," Carmen told him as she passed him a list.

"What's this?" Felix asked, scanning the names.

"New uniforms," she said, tugging on his faded grey apparel.

"Me too?" he asked quietly, as though Aro might hear from Eleazar's quarters.

"Well, your name isn't on the guard uniform list, so I'm not sure what your father is planning," Sulpicia said casually.

"You know, you always know!" Felix replied. "Mom ... " he whined, "you can't let me go about looking like this!"

Sulpicia nodded. "You are right about that, son. But as you aren't allowed outside this tower, I don't suppose it really matters what you are wearing."

Felix sat, sulking.

"He can't wear that when the covens convene at Easter, Sully," Carmen pointed out.

Felix felt a flash of hope but it was quickly dashed when he thought of his father. _Aro will take great delight in humiliating me in front of an even bigger crowd, the cunt. I bet he keeps me in these bloody rags when they come_. "Please talk to him, Sully, please," he begged.

"You could always try behaving yourself, Felix. You have three months before the covens come."

"But mom, I haven't even been that bad! Aro picks on me."

Carmen burst out laughing. "You are a bloody nightmare!"

Sulpicia had to agree, but seeing her boy so downcast broke her resolve. "You are on the list Felix, just not the list for guard uniform. Okay?"

Felix's eyes lit up. "So, there's another list?" he asked, hopefully.

"There are loads of lists!" Carmen complained.

She had offered to help Sulpicia with Aro's new plans, but administration wasn't something she relished and she knew this was going to become their 'royal duty' as Aro put it. _Actually_ , she reminded herself, _it wasn't Aro's idea at all, it was Atia's interfering and insisting the ladies of the tower were fully involved. Why can_ _'_ _t she keep her nose out_!? Atia was a worldly-wise woman and she viewed it as imperative that the young women under her had control of their own lives ... even if those women had yet to appreciate, or even understand, her efforts. _At least it keeps Athenodora_ _'_ _s mitts off the family fund_ , Carmen thought, though she expected Atia to change that soon enough. _Why is she so taken with that evil bitch_?

Seeing her boy on the edge of his seat, Sulpicia decided to put him out of his misery. _Aro never said it was a secret_ , she reasoned.

"Your father will be instructing the tailors as to who will require what, but I believe the guards are all to have new black uniforms with the Volturi crest. The north tower will wear the same with silver detailing, the south tower will have gold."

"I cannot understand for the life of me why he wants us all to be colour coded!" Carmen interjected, thinking of the fabulous gowns she had accrued since she arrived at Volterra and wondering if they would all now be wasted.

"I believe we will only be expected to wear 'coven colours' when in the throne room, my dear," Sulpicia offered, which pleased Carmen greatly.

Felix hadn't said anything to his mother's news. _Gold_? _Wow. Oh fuck. I am going to look a complete reject if he keeps me in these fucking things,_ he thought as he pulled a thread from the hem of his fraying tunic.

Carmen saw her nephew brooding. "Surely this is good news, Felix?"

"Yeah, it would be if I thought for one second that Aro wasn't going to use this as another way to put me in my place - bottom of the heap!"

Carmen rolled her eyes. She wondered how Sully put up with the boys sometimes.

Felix glanced to Carmen's paperwork. _The payroll_! he thought excitedly. _I could buy my own if he won_ _'_ _t but them for me. I_ _'_ _ll buy better clothes, I_ _'_ _ll show him_.

"So ... am I on the payroll?" he asked casually. He was overjoyed that Aro had turned his complaints into reality and was already planning ways to spend his new-found fortune. _Clothes, women, jewels, women, wine, women, ale, women!_

His mother raised her eyebrows to him. "You will be, one day."

Felix narrowed his eyes. "One day?" he repeated, as though the words made no sense.

"You have to 'earn' a wage, Felix," Carmen told him, pointedly.

Felix snatched the list from Carmen's hands. "Is Demetri on here?" he asked as he scanned through the document.

"Put it down," Sulpicia ordered, as Carmen took it from him.

Felix saw his brother's name and before Carmen could roll up the scroll, he spotted Jane and Alec too. "The twins are on that!" he exclaimed. _Is there no justice in this fucking place_?

"The twins guard your mother," Carmen said as she moved the rest of the documents from her nephew's grasp.

"Demetri doesn't guard anyone!" Felix spat in return, his temper flaring.

Sulpicia smiled tightly to her son, hoping Aro wouldn't be long. _I don_ _'_ _t want to deal with this today_ , she thought, _we have too much to do_. "He is still on Magnus' rota for guard duties - you have been restricted to this tower for the best part of three years."

Carmen laughed. "Not that you have stayed in the tower!"

Felix leaned back in his chair. "So, I don't get anything?!" he asked, not quite believing his father's cruelty.

"You still have free board and lodgings," Sulpicia commented, sharing a smile with Carmen and pissing Felix off even more.

"… and clothing," Carmen added, outright taking the piss of her nephew's unfortunate predicament.

Felix puffed out his cheeks, sure he could feel them burning with shame. "He's doing this on purpose," he mumbled to himself.

"He who?" Carmen asked, already bored with the boy's self-pity after all the trouble he was causing.

"Fucking Aro!" Felix spat, though he quickly looked over his shoulder in case the bastard was looming.

Sulpicia sighed. "Felix ... "

He scrapped his chair back noisily across the floor. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Back to my fucking cell!"


	70. Private Party

**AN:** Thank you SM for letting us borrow the twilight world and characters :)

Oh Felix, you are the master of making a bad situation worse... but Carlisle you are supposed to be a grown up for god sake!

Here we go...

* * *

 **PRIVATE PARTY**

Felix slammed his bedroom door so hard that it rebounded in the frame and swung open again. Flopping down onto his bed, he glared at the thing as though the inanimate object had rebelled against him purposely.

 _I am not sitting in this fucking room anymore,_ he decided, going to Demetri's robe and desperately searching for something, anything, that would fit him. There was nothing. _Puny little wimp_ , Felix jeered as he hung Demetri's uniform to his chest. There was no way he could wear it without ripping it to shreds. _Fine then, I_ _'_ _ll go as I am_!

Opening his window wide, he took a look down. There were no guards on patrol as there were so few left in the castle, his only concern was the possibility of his family seeing him in his attempt to pass below. Carlisle's bedroom window in Eleazar's suite was directly below his own ... _can I make it down the wall_? he wondered.

He knew Aro would be in Eleazar's chambers but it was so unlikely that his father would be in Carlisle's room that he thought the risk was worth taking. Climbing out his window, Felix gripped onto the ledge and lowered himself down. He missed his footing once or twice but managed to maintain his grip and scaled the wall until he was below Carlisle's window. To his absolute delight, Carlisle was in his room.

Felix tapping on his window scared the shit out of Carlisle! Once over his shock, he opened it quickly and dragged Felix inside.

"What the hell are you doing?" Carlisle questioned. "Do you have a death wish?"

Felix beamed to his uncle. "I cannot sit in that fucking room any longer, I am going crazy on my own," he whispered, unsure of who could be in listening distance.

"Felix, I have promised Aro I won't be leading you astray anymore," Carlisle told his nephew.

"No way, Carlisle. I have gone along with you and all your plans. I need you, now. I need to get out of here for a while."

Carlisle looked his nephew up and down. "I'm not going anywhere with you wearing that," he said.

Felix pulled on the collar of his old uniform. "This is why I need to get out of here," he said. "Aro has only left me with these fucking rags to wear - his punishments are becoming more cruel and unusual."

Carlisle bit his bottom lip hard as he considered his options ... he really didn't want to break his word to his brother ... again. _Aro is offering me a proper position in the coven, I can_ _'_ _t throw that back in his face_.

"You owe me one, Carlisle. At least one, actually," Felix pushed.

Carlisle had to agree. _How many times have I promised to_ _'_ _pay him back one day_ _'_ _when he_ _'_ _s been caught on my quests_? Carlisle sighed, he had to go along with Felix.

"So, you want to get back at him, is that it?"

Felix nodded. "We don't even have to leave the castle. But I will not be in that room when he comes to give me a round of fucks. He thinks he owns me. I hate him."

Carlisle's eyes widened. "You don't mean that, Felix."

"Yes, I do. You have dragged me around Italy to get back at Basileus ... I am only asking you to come into the castle with me," Felix pushed.

Carlisle had genuinely planned to turn his behaviour around after talking with Aro and Eleazar. He really had. But Felix was right - Carlisle owed him one, more than one really. _Make me good god, but not today_.

"I may have an idea that would show Aro he cannot control you. I think I could even get Basileus to give us a pass on it, too."

Felix's eyes lit up. "Do tell," he prompted, cheekily.

"We could go to Marcus' chambers. He is still away and I know where he keeps his opium stash."

Felix was literally bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. "Yes!" he squeaked happily. "Why would Basileus give you a pass on us smoking opium?"

Carlisle wiggled his eyebrows. "He is racked with guilt over the pastor ... I could tell him I took it to relieve my pain," he said dramatically, clutching his hands to his heart. Carlisle didn't know that Aro had worked out his plan and had already informed their father of his deceit.

"And, why would I be taking it?" Felix asked. He could see how Carlisle might get away with it, but he didn't have such an excuse.

"I talked you into it and I was so distressed that you didn't want me to do it on my own," Carlisle stated casually. It was dumb, really dumb. But the hot headed young vampires thought the fun outweighed the risk.

Carlisle voiced his only concern. "How are we going to get to the north tower from here? Aro and Eleazar are in the living room going over plans for the visiting covens."

"Well, Sully and Carmen are upstairs, so we can't go through there," Felix replied. "We will have to go up and over."

Carlisle sighed. "Scale the castle?" Carlisle asked for confirmation.

Felix nodded, beaming. "Come on, follow my lead." Felix went first, with Carlisle hot on his heels, literally. "You are going to pull me off the fucking wall, back up!" he called down.

"Speed up!" Carlisle retorted, looking to the sheer drop below him and feeling queasy. Logically, he knew the fall wouldn't kill him. _No, the fall will be fine, it will be Basileus that kills me_!

Once they were at the top it was easy to gain access to the north tower with the castle wall walk that joined the buildings together. The pair of them dropped onto Marcus' terrace and couldn't believe they had actually made it there without anyone seeing them.

Felix took a wander around Marcus' suite whilst Carlisle went to retrieve the opium stash in the master's bedroom. Felix suddenly felt a pang of guilt, not for skipping out on his restriction ... he couldn't care less about pissing Aro off right now. His guilt was for Marcus. Breaking into his suite and stealing his happy stash ... the guilt was palpable.

"You know, Marcus is due to return any day now," Felix called out.

"Not today, we would have been told. Relax," Carlisle yelled from the bedroom.

Felix tried to close the door to the terrace but they had broken the fixings to get in and the door no longer fitted as it should. _Oh fuck,_ he thought. "I have never taken opium before, Carlisle ... " Felix mentioned casually, meeting his uncle in the living room.

"You are going to love it, Felix," Carlisle encouraged, passing his nephew a small bag of the drug whilst he prepared the pipe.

Marcus had collected the instrument many years earlier when he and Didyme had travelled to Greater China. Made of bamboo for its length, the lip piece was solid sliver ... as was the ornate dragon head at the end.

Carlisle took some opium from the bag Felix nervously held and crumbled small pieces into the pipe bowl. "Light a candle," he called to his nephew.

Felix obliged. "What's so great about opium anyway?" he asked, bringing the candle to his uncle.

Carlisle smiled. "It banishes melancholy, begets confidence, converts fear into boldness, makes the coward eloquent, and dastards brave."

Felix laughed. "That is so something Marcus would say!"

Carlisle smiled, too, as he held out the pipe for Felix.

Felix didn't take it though. He eyed his uncle as though he were the devil himself.

"Just try it. If you don't like it we will go and do something else," Carlisle encouraged him.

"If Aro finds out about this he will ... "

"Will what?" Carlisle asked, looking his nephew, who stood before him in dowdy rags, up and down. "He's taken everything from you already. What else could he do?"

Felix sighed. "Beat me to a bloody pulp!"

Carlisle shook his head. "He wouldn't. The most we will get is another round of fucks and a belting to contend with ... " Seeing Felix pale before him, Carlisle stopped talking. "Trust me, this is worth it," he said confidently.

"What if he whips me again? Carlisle, you don't know how bad that is!" Felix stressed.

"Basileus won't allow it. Do you not know what happened the last time?"

Felix shook his head and took a seat, he was all too eager to hear about Aro getting some comeuppance for a change.

"When Aro last whipped one of you, Basileus whipped Aro in the throne room ... something about the whip Aro uses on guards instead of just killing them."

The information he was feeding Felix, though true, was misleading. Carlisle didn't know that, actually, Aro had since whipped Felix - he had sought Basileus' permission first, but he had whipped his son.

"Fuck!" Felix exclaimed. He had seen that terrifying implement used on the guards. He'd suffered a single lash himself for fucking up on a mission hundreds of years before - he made damn sure not to repeat that error.

"Basileus said IF Aro ever whipped any of you again, he would whip Aro in front of the guard. And there's no way Aro will risk that."

Felix smiled. He knew Aro would belt him, he could take that. And he wanted to get back at Aro for the humiliation he'd put him through over the debacle with Heidi. "I'm in!" he said with his broad grin stretching to new lengths as he accepted the pipe from Carlisle.

…

It was midday before anyone realised Felix and Carlisle were missing from the south tower.

Basileus tried in vain to trace their whereabouts through their thoughts, but as the pair were passed out on an opium high, there were no thoughts to track. Aro soon called on Demetri for his talents and he led his father and grandfather through the halls of their castle home to the north tower.

Basileus listened at Marcus' door and heard his son laugh. _I will kill him,_ he thought furiously.

Aro pushed his father aside. Bringing his knee up to his chest, he booted his foot square into the middle of Marcus' chamber door. "KNOCK FUCKING KNOCK!" he announced loudly as Felix and Carlisle scrambled on the floor, attempting to hide the evidence of their crimes.

"Go back to your chambers, " Basileus whispered to Demetri.

Scowling, as he would have loved to stay and watch the floor show, Demetri returned home.

Basileus and Aro stalked around Marcus' chambers, one going left, the other right. Felix and Carlisle stood petrified in the middle.

"Please don't be mad," Felix whispered to his father.

Aro looked to his son in utter disgust. Flashing to his side, he took his face in one hand and looked into his mottled red eyes. When Aro turned his boy to the light streaming through the window he could see just how fucked his son was. The boy couldn't even see straight. Whilst Aro could read his sons thoughts, all he could hear was Felix saying 'oh fuck' repeatedly to himself.

"'Oh fuck' is right, my boy."

When Aro released him, Felix fell in a crumpled heap to the floor before promptly throwing up his last feed.

Carlisle chuckled to himself seeing the state Felix was in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Basileus yelled at his son.

"Dad, you see, the thing is, I was really depressed about the losing my dad ... my other dad ... the one you killed, and I talked Felix into helping me get to grips with the pain with a little medicinal opium ... "

Carlisle sounded wrecked, but that didn't stop Basileus from whipping the back of his hand across his son's face.

Carlisle staggered backwards and tripped over Felix in the process.

"I am speechless!" Basileus ground out. "Was this part of your plan?" he shot to his middle boy.

"Obviously not, my lord." Aro replied, rolling his eyes.

"Now what do we do?" Aro asked, nudging his drowsy son with his foot.

"The whip will wake them up!" Basileus commented, dragging Carlisle to his feet by his hair.

The pain was bringing Carlisle round from the retreating opium high.

Aro raised an eyebrow to his father. "Really?" he asked, pulling his boy to his feet.

Basileus put his arm around Aro. "Question," he said, "Afton and Chelsea have been caught stealing from your quarters ... what do you do?" Basileus posed hypothetically.

Aro shrugged. "I wouldn't want to lose them ... "

Basileus nodded. "So, what would you do?"

Aro sighed. "I would have them disciplined before the assembled coven."

Basileus smiled knowingly whilst Aro winced for young son's coming pain.

"Follow me," Basileus announced sternly as he dragged Carlisle along by a fistfull of his hair. _I am going to make you little bastards pay for your crimes this time_ , he thought furiously.

Basileus directed them to the guard hall first.

"MAGNUS!" he yelled from the doorway, drawing the attention of few guards left in the coven to him at the same time. "Throne room, now!" Basileus ground out.

Magnus felt his stomach flip and for a change, it was his own skin he was worried about. _I knew I had gone too far yesterday. Damn you, Demetri, standing up for you and now the creator is going to demote me_!

"I want every member of the coven in attendance, no exceptions," Basileus shouted out. Everyone in the vicinity heard him, loud and clear. "Freyr, could you send word to Athenodora and Sulpicia to bring their households along."

Before Freyr could offer her agreement, Basileus was on the move again, still dragging Carlisle by his hair.

Aro pulled Felix along with similar force, though the boy was grateful he was only being held by his arm and not his scalp!

When they arrived in the great hall, Basileus threw Carlisle to the floor at the bottom of the throne steps and gestured for Aro to do the same with his charge.

The reality of their situation was beginning to dawn on Felix and Carlisle. Both had sobered up from the drugs and now that their earlier bravado had dissipated, and the opium no longer offered any protection, they were both fearful about what being dragged to the great hall meant for their hides.

Aro took his seat in his throne whilst Basileus stalked around the room like a lion encircling his prey.

Felix and Carlisle were on their feet, huddled together as they watched the formidable creator. He was going to take them out, they knew it.

Magnus arrived with the guards from his hall.

Aro noticed that the Master of the Guard looked uncharacteristically anxious, but under the circumstances he had little time to pry as to the cause.

The only guards who had returned from their missions were those sent to the closest outposts. Lev and his mate Katarina and her brother Mikhail had been to the French coven and successfully convinced Henri, the French coven leader, to visit Aro during their Easter Ball to discuss terms for an alliance. Odi, Corin, Turk, and Isolde followed them to the side of the hall where they waited in confusion. It was clear Carlisle and Felix were in trouble of some sort, but Basileus rarely, if ever, chastised his sons in the throne room. Aro didn't make it a regular feature of coven life.

Sulpicia arrived next with Carmen and Eleazar. Sulpicia and Carmen joined the group of guards but Eleazar went straight to his brother.

"Aro, what is going on?" he asked inquisitively.

"I believe Basileus is going to whip Carlisle and Felix ... "

Although, thanks to Demetri, Eleazar knew the reason, Aro couldn't explain further as his brother had already left his side to flash to their father who was still patrolling the great hall like a stalking lion. It appeared Basileus had as little interest in listening to Eleazar as Eleazar had in listening to Aro. Without even addressing him, the creator shoved his son to the side of the hall with the other gatherers.

The twins followed their mother with Demetri limping behind. He had told the twins about Felix and Carlisle's private opium party and Aro and Basileus catching them, pipe in hand. They were all quite excited talking about their brother's latest fuck up, but walking into the throne room and seeing their grandfather baying for blood sent a shiver through their bodies.

"This is really bad, Demetri." Jane said to her brother quietly as they went to stand with the guards.

Demetri nodded, wide eyed and concerned. As soon as the young vampires were close enough, the assembled guards began questioning them, quietly, about what the hell was going on. Demetri left the twins to tell tales as he watched the doorway waiting for Lucy to appear. He didn't have to wait long.

Soon enough, Athenodora arrived with Caius. Lucy followed behind with Heidi and Chelsea helping her. Lucy walked with an obvious limp and her pretty face looked grey and sallow. Caius had really gone to town 'disciplining' the girl.

Aro glared at his covenmate and beckoned Caius over. "What have you done to her?" Aro ground out, gesturing to Caius' young charge.

"I refuse to deal with the constant stream of shit your 'children' cause you, brother," Caius said simply. "She won't go against me again."

Aro watched as Caius took his throne. He wanted to take the guy's head off his shoulders. _He'_ _s right though_ , Aro thought. _He won_ _'_ _t have to repeat his message, Lucy won_ _'_ _t go against Caius again_.

Looking to her ex-bedfellow, Aro had to wonder how soon he would be reminding Demetri of proper behaviour. With Felix's squirming in front of him catching his eye, Aro was forced to admit Caius' management of their vampires was more productive than his own, although he would never tell Caius that.

Demetri felt a little guilty as he looked to Lucy, but not as much as he'd expected. He wanted to feel more, but it wouldn't come. She barely glanced at him as they stood side by side in the guard line-up and he wondered why that did not upset him. Although he didn't feel much about Lucy, he felt full of feelings! His emotions were sparking all over the place ... one minute he felt so manic that he struggled to stand still, but the next, he was ready to sit and sob and he had no idea why!

Magnus could feel the broiling emotional charge in the room - he had assumed it was coming from Felix, or possibly Carlisle, so when his gift zoned in on Demetri he was surprised. _Damn it,_ _Aro_ _, you have screwed his head up by breaking his bond with Lucy_! _It_ _'s_ _unnatural_!

Chelsea looked down the line to the star-crossed lovers. She felt dreadful about using her gift on the two of them - both physically and emotionally. Using her gift on mated pairs was impossible - it had been almost unachievable to sever Lucy and Demetri's bonds, which told Chelsea they were on the way to mating truly. She thought Aro and Caius most cruel to divide their love the way they had.

Soon enough Atia and Freyr entered the great hall and Aro took it as a sign to begin.

"Is this everyone?" Aro asked, talking to his feet.

"Yes, my lord." Freyr answered. They really were thin on the ground.

Aro skipped down the steps to confront his brother and son. "You are lucky most of the guards are still out on envoy duties," he told the pair with his sing song tone, adding, "perhaps we will repeat this display when our full coven returns?"

Felix and Carlisle looked to each other in horror. They weren't exactly sure of what the 'display' was going to consist, but they knew it was going to hurt, and clearly, it was going to be very, very public.

Aro watched them both quiver in front of him.

Carlisle dared to move his eyes from the floor to face his brother. He wasn't sure what he was hoping for; a wink from Aro, perhaps, to show he wasn't serious. When Carlisle met his eye, Aro cocked his head to the side.

Felix had caught the gesture and sucked in his breath. He had been at Aro's side in this room enough times to know what was coming. Offering his little brother a sly smile, Aro slammed his forehead into Carlisle's nose, breaking the appendage with blood splattering across Aro's head and Carlisle's face.

Carlisle immediately clasped his hands to his face, expecting their father to correct Aro's act

"Be still!" Basileus roared, deafening the room.

Carlisle dropped his hands. He could feel blood running down his throat but he daren't spit it out now.

Aro scoffed at his brother's display and barged his shoulder into Felix as he passed him to address the guard. "My friends," Aro began warmly, the sight of the coven king with his own brother's blood on his face unnerved everyone, his cool, calm tone only adding to its effects, "I should explain to you all the reason for interrupting your day. Felix and Carlisle have taken it upon themselves to steal from a master of this coven."

The few in the small crowd who didn't already know, gasped, whilst those who Demetri and the twins had informed looked to the accused, appalled.

"What did they steal, my lord?" Freyr asked as she squeezed her mate's hand.

Aro noticed that Magnus looked aghast, but considerably less anxious. "Opium, from Marcus' private stores." Aro replied. "They broke into his quarters and enjoyed a private party of their own on your fellow master's personal possessions."

Caius looked to Aro, astonished. "Will the Volturi boy's defiance know no bounds, Aro?!" he asked, outraged by the crime.

"Those bounds will have a strangle hold around their necks going forward, brother. I can assure you," Aro sang out, enjoying his brother's and son's whimpering behind him.

"If any other member of the guard had committed such a crime, it is likely they would lose their head ... " Caius began.

Basileus flashed to the coven leader's side. "That is true enough, Caius. But, let us not pretend that Carlisle or Felix are regular members of the coven. They are my descendants and as such I expect them to be treated in a manner beholden to their status."

Caius shrank into his throne. "Of course, my lord," he said, voice cracking nervously as he spoke. "What do you believe would be fitting, my lord."

Basileus took a seat in Aro's throne and reached his hand underneath. A gasp went around the great hall as the assembled coven members realised what he was retrieving.

"Fuck, Carlisle ... " Felix whispered to his uncle, fearfully.

Carlisle knew he had to do something to save the boy. _This is all my fault, I talked Felix into taking the drugs, fuck_! "Please, my lord ... " he tried.

"QUIET!" Basileus bellowed in return, his voice rebounding around the room could be heard in echo for a good minute or so afterward.

Carlisle gasped at the force of his father's reply and decided against speaking out again. For a moment, all that could be heard in the hall was the soft whimpering coming from Felix. Carlisle was too stunned to join him, but he agreed with the sentiment.

Basileus called for Aro to join him at his throne, where he promptly thrust the dreaded five-tailed whip into his son's hands.

"Me?" Aro asked quietly, feeling repulsed by the idea of whipping his own brother and son.

"It's your coven, get on with it," Basileus grunted, pushing Aro away.

 _O_ _h,_ _for fuck sake_ , he thought as he plastered on his game face. "Of course, this should be Marcus' ruling, but until he returns, mine must do."

"Make it count, brother." Caius encouraged. For once, he wasn't being cruel. He knew this would be hard for Aro and wouldn't wish it on him to have to perform the task a second time.

Aro uncoiled the whip and cracked it into the air. Felix and Carlisle both jumped to the noise - it sounded thunderous! Separating the duo, Aro threw Felix to the floor. Respectfully, Felix got onto his knees and kept his head down.

"Magnus, Caius, if you would be so kind," Aro called out to his fellow masters and gestured to Carlisle. "Hold him steady."

Carlisle started to panic but before he'd thought to move, Magnus and Caius flanked his sides. Each holding an arm, they faced Carlisle towards Basileus presiding over proceedings from Aro's throne.

Aro came behind his doomed brother, ripped the clothing from his back with one hand and pushed his head down with the other.

Carlisle could feel the venomous sweat collecting on his brow and he watched as tiny droplets fell and splashed on the floor beneath.

"Your journey of defiance and ineptitude is at an end, Carlisle. I will be not be this lenient a second time," Aro announced loudly.

Felix's quiet sobs increased so much that Carlisle wanted to try and save his nephew again. "Aro, please, this wasn't Felix's fault. It was me, all me," he tried.

Caius hushed the young blond. "The time to speak is over, Carlisle. Brace yourself instead."

Aro stood back and got in position. _No matter how many times I do this, I will never understand the enjoyment Caius finds in whipping our coven members. My own son, my own brother. This is going to hurt us all,_ he thought.

Ari raised his right arm holding the whip high, all five long lines hung around his forearm as he waited for his father to give the initial order.

Basileus stood and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Be sure to count, Carlisle. Aro, you can begin."

Aro's head shot up. "Count?" he asked curiously. "My lord, this particular implement only requires one strike to make its point." The five-tailed whip was rarely used, and when it was it was only used once. Granted that one strike, if delivered effectively, could cause a blinding pain in the recipient ... once was enough.

"I am aware of our traditions son, having implemented a good many of them myself." Basileus replied sternly. "Carlisle, count," he added to his youngest son with equal sternness.

First the whistle, and then the crack, followed by Carlisle's howl of pain.

"One," he gasped, tears already falling from his eyes.

Aro didn't wait for Carlisle to catch his breath and immediately he brought the whip down again, five new stripes crossing the last five.

"Two," Carlisle coughed out as he grasped fistfulls of Magnus and Caius' shirts in his hands, as though if he squeezed tight enough he would dispel the fire burning across his back.

"THREE!" Carlisle screamed on Aro's third strike. His legs buckled, not that it mattered as Caius and Magnus held him in position.

"Please, please," Carlisle begged.

Aro looked to his father, he didn't want this to go on any longer than it had to.

Basileus raised a single eyebrow to his son.

 _I shall continue, then,_ Aro said to himself, annoyed at his position.

Again, Aro brought the whip across his brother's back. He was close enough to be covered in his brother's blood as the criss-crossed wounds split at their intersections. Aro scowled when he saw the blood on his coat. _How many of my clothes will be ruined by your fun_? he thought to his son and brother.

Carlisle hadn't managed to count out the last strike.

Aro waited, hoping his brother would soon speak up. _I wonder if he knows I will start over if he fails to count_?

Magnus gave the Volturi prince a shake. "Four," he whispered gruffly into his ear.

Carlisle breathed just deep enough to utter the solitary word. Breathing, and therefore expanding his back even slightly, was now agony.

Aro saw Basileus hold up a single finger. _One more, brother_ , Aro thought, grateful for them both.

CRACK!

Carlisle's shrill shriek bounced around the room followed by a roared 'five'.

"Leave him there," Aro ordered his covenmates as they allowed the well punished prince to fall to his knees. Carlisle daren't move - he wasn't sure he would be allowed to, and it would hurt too damn much! The sensation of the trickling blood running down his back contrasted strongly with the overall burn coming from the rest of his slashed skin.

Felix knew it was his turn, he wanted to run, to hide. Instead, he sat on his knees frozen in fear. He didn't hear Aro call him over and the boy's apparent ignorance pissed off the coven king even more.

Stalking to his boy, he dragged the youth to his feet by his hair.

"Dad, Dad, no!" Felix called out, desperately pulling away. Aro growled as he shoved his son towards Magnus and Caius.

"Hold him," he ordered.

Magnus caught the boy before he stumbled and easily contained him. When he tried to share the load with Caius, an issue with Aro's plan became apparent. "He's going to break my bloody arm!" Caius complained as Felix continued his desperate attempts to flee.

Aro stifled his laughter over his brother-in-arms' weakness. "Magnus ... " he suggested, gesturing for the hulking leader to take over.

"I've got him, Caius. Sit this one out," Magnus told his covenmate whilst he grappled Felix into position, holding the boy's arms straight out to the sides. He wasn't going anywhere in Magnus' grip. "Just don't get hitting me with that thing!" he said looking to Aro.

Aro smirked, "It's very tempting, very!" he said as he ripped his son's guard uniform from his back. _I suppose I will have to buy him a new uniform now,_ he thought, pissed off that Felix had gotten around his last punishment with relative ease.

Felix would have disagreed strongly with the 'relative ease' part from the position in which he was currently held.

The only benefit Felix had above Carlisle was that his face was pressed tightly into Magnus' chest. Felix breathed in the master's scent, concentrating on all the times Magnus had taken his guilt, taken his fear, his pain, his suffering. He knew Magnus wouldn't be offering the same service this time, but being so close to him made Felix relax.

"Don't forget to count," Magnus quietly told his change.

Felix nodded into the man's chest.

Aro waited again for his father's signal before beginning. As soon as Basileus gave him the nod, he unleashed hell on his boy.

Felix closed his mouth tightly and held his lips together between his teeth. His pain stricken roar burst through the sides of his mouth.

"Count!" Aro ordered loudly.

"One," Felix said, eventually, in a voice so small it broke his father's heart.

Pulling his arm back, Aro released a second strike. He wasn't sure if he had hit Felix harder than Carlisle, he hadn't thought he had, but Felix's skin split on only the second blow.

Felix screamed out and began begging for mercy.

Magnus hooked the boy's head under his chin and pushed so that he was pressed tightly into his chest. "He said two," Magnus told the whip wielding coven leader.

Aro raised his eyebrows to Magnus interceding on Felix's behalf, to which he received a cocky smile from the juggernaut.

"So long as one of us heard him, eh," Aro commented. Truthfully, he was happy that Magnus was helping his boy. Aro laid one more strike on his son's back, and he knew it wasn't as hard as the first two either but that was as much as he was willing to do.

Thankfully, Basileus had caught onto his son's thoughts and he agreed that three was enough for the young prince.

"He said three," Magnus said whilst Felix thrashed his head about under the master's chin, cursing and crying.

Aro laughed to his fellow master. "You can put him down now."

Turning back to the rest of his congregation, Aro swished his whip across the floor as, covered in splattered blood, he paced lightly in front of them. "Thievery will not be accepted from ANY member of my coven," he announced.

The guards, and his children all nodded. He couldn't look at his big brother, or Carmen for that matter. He did notice that at some point in the proceedings, Sulpicia had left the throne room.

"Do I make myself clear?" he asked happily as he threw the whip to their feet.

Everyone agreed whilst taking a step backwards to avoid the torturous implement. The odd 'yes my lord', 'certainly master', could be heard.

Aro nodded. "I expect this scene to be relayed to our covenmates when they return from their missions. I do not want a repeat of this, EVER!"

The whole room jumped to Aro's final word. It wasn't just because of his raised voice - his whole tone changed from casual sing-song to ferocious vampire when he said 'ever'. Believing he had his coven under control, Aro dismissed his members back to their own free time.

Basileus dragged Carlisle to his feet by his hair, in much the same manner as when he had dragged his son into the throne room, and stalked out of the room.

Carlisle dripped blood as he walked and his cries could be heard from the great hall until he entered the south tower.

"Caius, Magnus, a moment if you please," Aro asked as the rest of the coven filed out. Felix remained on the floor in a state of agony. "I want you to take Felix to the dungeons, have him chained up," he told the pair quietly.

"Aro?" Magnus questioned, feeling more secure now that he had spoken against Aro a couple of times without repercussion. He decided if he had to take a stand on this, he would.

Aro knew what Magnus would be thinking. "Relax, big guy. I'm not quite as evil as you think me to be," he told the humongous leader, slapping his back good-naturedly.

"Maybe," Magnus relented, "but he is!" he said gesturing to Caius.

Caius shrugged. "I don't deny it," he said plainly.

Aro laughed, and though Magnus was still unsure what was going on, he, too, joined in.

Aro knew his son would be wondering what was happening and he needed to move things along quickly. "I want it staged well ... for his sake, and for Carlisle's. I am bringing an end to their defiant alliance once and for all."

Caius was certainly happy to help with that. "How long will he be my guest?" he asked.

"An hour or two at most," Aro said, his head ticking with ensuring his plan would come to fruition. "Magnus, you should stay with him in case he tries to break free," he added, jabbing a finger into Caius' bicep as though he couldn't control the young prince himself.

He couldn't, of course, but he didn't enjoy being the butt of Aro's jibe. Unfortunately, for Caius, both Magnus and Aro found it hilarious.

"I hope you know what you are doing ... " Magnus commented to Aro. He planned to keep Caius from hurting Felix, but two hours of battling with the evil bastard wasn't high on his wish list.

"Always. Even if you don't always agree," Aro sang out.

Aro went to his son and crouched down low. Pulling his boy's face up with a fist under his chin, Aro looked into Felix's red, raw, tearful eyes and nearly buckled. _No, I need to do this, it_ _'_ _s for his own good,_ he thought.

"Felix, I am giving you to Caius. I am done with you. Let us see if he can break you ... maybe you can be kept in the coven that way."

Felix gasped, and breathed in his own venom in the process. Coughing and spluttering to clear his lungs he tried to beg for his father's forgiveness.

"Dad, please …"

Aro shook his head and disentangled himself from his boy's grasp. "Take him to the dungeons," he directed to Caius and Magnus. Felix hadn't even noticed they were there.

"You remember my play room ... don't you, Felix?" Caius asked, evilly, as Magnus put the boy over his shoulder. He was as gentle as he could be but Felix's wounds still split further from the short tussle with Master of the Guards.

"Calm down young one, this is for your own good, apparently."


	71. Turning Tables

**TURNING TABLES**

Aro flung open his father's chamber door and flopped down in the chair next to Eleazar.

"Is it done?" Basileus asked sternly.

Aro nodded, dejectedly.

"I am so sorry, brother," Eleazar told him, throwing an arm around Aro's shoulders.

Aro sighed. "I'm really going to miss him."

Carlisle sat in the window seat. He had asked to retire to his room but Basileus had refused, telling his son that he was to remain in his sight. He felt quite uncomfortable sitting in company while still only half dressed. Carlisle wasn't sure what his brothers and father were talking about and it pissed him off that they all knew when he didn't.

"What are you on about? Miss who?" he asked the room generally.

"Felix, of course," Basileus replied, as though it were obvious.

Carlisle moved to the edge of his seat, wincing at the burning stripes across his back. "Where has he gone?"

Looking close to tears, Aro sighed again. "The dungeons," he said quietly, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"What?" Carlisle spat, wondering if his family's idea of discipline knew no bounds.

"I've given him to Caius, Carlisle," Aro admitted.

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long," Basileus added as he fetched his forlorn boy a drink.

"Aren't you going to do anything about it," Carlisle shot to his father.

Basileus simply shrugged. "Like what?"

Carlisle was astounded. "Like fetch Felix from the fucking dungeons!"

"Why would I do that?" Basileus replied. "And, watch your mouth!"

Carlisle ignored his father's warning. His insides twisted at the thought of what Felix could be going through under Caius' control. "Because he's just a child!"

"He's a disobedient child," Eleazar added.

Carlisle scowled to his big brother. "You too?!" he accused. "You support this, El?"

Eleazar shrugged and accepted a glass from his father. Carlisle noticed he wasn't being offered one.

"I can't control him, he's a liability," Aro said with Basileus jumping in to tell his son he had done the right thing.

"A liability!" Carlisle repeated in disgust. "He's your fucking son!"

"I have told you to watch your mouth!" Basileus boomed.

Aro ducked to his father's outburst as Basileus stood behind him with a hand on each of his shoulders. Giving him a squeeze, Basileus thought to his son, 'I hope your plan works, Aro, or you will be joining Felix!'

Aro grimaced. ' _Trust me, Dad_ ,' he replied through is mind.

"Where is he?" Sulpicia asked, bursting through the door.

Aro closed his eyes, his wife could ruin everything.

"Aro has sent Felix to the dungeons! He has given him to Caius!" Carlisle rushed, hoping Sulpicia would save the lad.

Sulpicia was a raging ball of fire and Aro knew she was about to blow his whole plan to smithereens.

"My queen, you must understand ... "

"UNDERSTAND?" she raged, startling everyone.

A part of Aro was glad that his father and brothers could see what he had to contend with living with the 'meek and mild' Sulpicia. Of course, she was meek and mild most of the time, but when occasion called for it ...

"Sully, my dear ... " Basileus tried to interject.

"Are you with him on this?" Sulpicia spat venomously to her father-in-law.

Basileus bristled. He had never before heard his daughter direct even a terse tone to him in their thousands of years together.

"ATIA!" Basileus called out. He needed Sulpicia out of his living space before she did something they would all regret.

Atia appeared in a fraction of a second. She had used Basileus' gift from their bed chamber and she knew that Aro's plan needed to play out. She had been offended when Basileus had backed his boy over her, but she would put that aside for family tranquillity and she had to admit, she thought Aro's plan was going to work.

"My dear, could you take Sulpicia and explain the situation?" Basileus asked, reaching out and kissing her hand as she passed.

"Are you all out of your minds?!" Sulpicia continued to rage. Carlisle was willing her on.

"I will explain, Sulpicia, dear," Atia said as she tried to take her away from the scene.

"I require no explanation from you!" Sully retorted, pushing away her mother-in-law.

That was as much as Basileus was willing to witness. He flashed to his daughter-in-law's side and took her hand in his so he could transfer his thoughts to her. ' _My dear, I understand you are upset about what you have heard._ _This is all staged for Carlisle. Felix will be better off if you let this play out. He will be safe in your home within the hour, I give you my word_.'

Sully visibly calmed in the creator's grasp.

' _Please go with Atia, she will explain all,_ ' he said finally, directing his wife and daughter out of the room.

Basileus closed the door behind them and raised an eyebrow to Aro. _We need to get this back on track,_ he thought. "Carlisle, you need to calm down, son."

Carlisle looked around the room, aghast. "Calm down! I can't believe Sulpicia was so easy to subdue! Felix was her son!" he repeated.

Aro saw his chance. "Felix IS our son, Carlisle," Aro agreed, "but he is completely out of control. I won't risk losing Demetri and the twins because Felix refuses to behave appropriately."

"What does that even mean?" Carlisle asked in return, really starting to panic now. _Why would you lose any of them_?

"I set the age for turning vampires at twelve when I turned Jane and Alec. Anyone younger than that is not a vampire, they are an immortal child; an abomination which must be destroyed. They pose too great a risk to both our world and the human population. If Felix, who is 16, behaves so irrationally that I cannot control him, then it questions my judgment about the age of vampires versus immortal children and I could lose Jane, Alec, and Demetri in the process. I will not risk that."

"Quite right, too." Eleazar added, enjoying Carlisle's squirming.

"So, what is going to happen to Felix?" Carlisle asked in trepidation.

"I have spoken to Caius. He's willing to see if he can break him. If he can, perhaps he can join the guard," Aro said, sounding positive about the possibility.

"Break him!" Carlisle repeated, the words sticking in his throat.

"It's a shame, but better than dispatching him without trying to save the boy," Eleazar said softly, as though it were in any way a comfort to Carlisle.

"There's nothing wrong with Felix, he doesn't need breaking!" Carlisle pulled himself to his feet, his back burned like a bitch with every step he took but he slowly made his way to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Basileus asked calmly.

"To fetch Felix!" Carlisle spat in return, taking his cloak from the hook. He eyed the garment with fear in his eyes. He had to put it on - he had remained shirtless since Aro had ripped his from him in the throne room, but he couldn't go about the castle half-clothed. "You can't just hand him over to Caius!" he called out as he swung the cloak around his back.

The poor young man howled when the fabric made contact with his wounds. He leaned into the wall to support himself whilst he regained his composure.

"It's done, brother," Aro said with finality.

"Dad," Carlisle implored, "do something, I am begging you!"

"What else would you propose, Carlisle?" Basileus asked, sounding bored.

"Felix isn't the problem! I was the one taking him out, I was the one convincing him to be defiant. He never would have gone against Aro without me in his ear."

Aro walked over to Carlisle with eyes of thunder.

"You think I don't know that? I have had Felix here since the year 500! I know him well enough to understand the reason for his behaviour. But it is irrelevant. You could whisper in Jane's ear and she would ignore you, she certainly wouldn't go against my orders unless for a very good cause. She is reliable, I can trust her, she is a vampire. The fact that Felix ignored my decrees, often and willingly, shows he is an immortal child, not a vampire."

Aro stood in front of the door, daring his brother to try and break past him to save Felix.

"No, Aro! You can't do this!"

Eleazar came to Carlisle's side. "If we can't rely on him, Carlisle, then there isn't much else to say on the matter."

Carlisle shoved Eleazar away roughly. "But he's your son, Aro. I thought you loved him!" Carlisle was pretty much screaming in Aro's face.

"I DO!" Aro screamed back. "But he clearly feels little for me. He doesn't care how shit he makes me feel, he lies to my face and doesn't even blink."

That hit Carlisle. Hard. Aro could see his brother flinch and he knew it was because Carlisle felt guilty for the way he had been emotionally blackmailing their father.

"I have sent Felix to the dungeons rather than killing him, because I love him. If Caius can break his will, Felix can be kept in the guard."

"He may be happier in the guard, anyway," Basileus threw in. "He clearly isn't happy with the lifestyle he has now, or he wouldn't be bucking against it so forcefully."

Carlisle felt flooded with guilt for breaking up his brother's family, for landing Felix in such awful circumstances, and for the way he'd treated his father since they left England. He'd been a grade A dick and he knew it, finally.

"This isn't Felix's fault, Aro. It's mine," Carlisle said with tears spilling over his eyes.

"Again, irrelevant, brother," Aro sang out.

"It is fucking relevant!" Carlisle roared. "Felix has never gone against you before, has he?"

Aro took a step back and appeared to be considering Carlisle's words. He wasn't of course, Carlisle was playing right into Aro's hands so perfectly that he might as well have given his brother a script from which to read. "Not quite this seriously, or repetitively," he finally agreed.

Carlisle looked gleeful. "Then it's me, it's all me. He must have had others pushing him to defy you in the past?"

Aro nodded. "Well, yes I suppose he has."

Carlisle put a hand on each of Aro's shoulders. "Then it's my doing, not his. You can rely on Felix if I am out of the picture. I will leave!" he announced.

Aro shook his head. "I don't want to lose a brother as well, Carlisle. And you have already agreed to be a part of my plans for assembling the other covens. I need you Carlisle."

Carlisle remained resolute.

"I'm not losing my son. You aren't going anywhere."

Carlisle looked to his father. _You will agree if I tell you the truth_ , he thought sadly. _I need to do this for Felix_.

"My lord, I have a confession to make. Once I have, you will want me to leave, but it will take some time to explain."

Basileus folded his arms across his chest. He knew what Carlisle's confession would entail and part of him didn't want his son to say it aloud ... it would hurt. "I'm a vampire, I have time," he said plainly, hiding his true emotions.

Carlisle's frustration grew by the second. "Felix doesn't!" he growled.

Basileus nodded. "Then you had better spit it out, hadn't you?"

Carlisle looked between his brothers and father, knowing they would all hate him for what he was about to tell them. He loved them all, and he felt he was sure to lose them forever over something, that on reflection, was a damn stupid and selfish thing to have done.

"I have been using the pastor's death against you. I do not blame you, I do not resent you. I have used your guilt over his death to my advantage."

Aro and Eleazar shared a small, knowing smile as Carlisle made a quick confession of his sins.

Basileus looked between his three sons as he approached Carlisle. "I don't understand, son, what are you saying?"

"I am saying ... " _oh,_ _Jesus he_ _'_ _s going to kill me,_ "when Atia first arrived, and we talked about my attitude ... she suggested it was due to, well, you killing the pastor. It wasn't, but she seemed so pleased to be able to help me, so I let her think she was. And then she said that she'd talk to you so you went easier on me and gave me some space ... "

Carlisle chanced a look to his father, expecting to find a ball of fury in his place. Disappointment. It was rolling off Basileus in droves and Carlisle felt every drop of it.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Basileus asked quietly. It wasn't quite anger, Carlisle could have taken that. It was quiet pain. Basileus sounded like Carlisle had ripped his heart out and threw it to the floor.

"I have loved living in Volterra, it's a whole world I never knew existed. I don't mean vampires, either. Literature, languages, life!" Carlisle looked to the floor again. "Fun," he whispered, as though it were a dirty word. "You have no idea what my life was like with the pastor. He controlled everything. He wouldn't even let me go to school. Keeping me barely literate was part of keeping me with him."

Eleazar looked down his nose to Aro, wondering if Aro had known the full extent of Carlisle's troubled reasoning. _Ha, no_ _'if'_ _about it, you knew_. _You had to make everything sound more malicious though, didn_ _'_ _t you? Conniving little bastard_!

Basileus heard Eleazar's thoughts and was similarly wondering why Aro had made Carlisle's intentions sound so spiteful when he had divulged his little brother's betrayal. _It will keep, for now,_ he said to himself whilst he prompted Carlisle to continue.

"I know I didn't take the news of Atia joining our coven well ... "

"Understatement!" Aro interjected, only to be quickly cuffed around the head by Basileus.

"Quiet, Aro. Let him talk."

Carlisle gulped, "I didn't react well," he said narrowing his eyes to Aro, "but you dragged me back here and immediately started treating me like some huge problem. I was pissed off with you. You replaced me with Atia and I was relegated to the kid's table."

Basileus sighed, loudly. "That wasn't intentional. I was reacting to your behaviour, son."

Carlisle nodded. "I know that. I do. But I wanted to punish you anyway, so I kept on blackmailing you. It was easy, and I was having fun."

Basileus was growling lightly, he couldn't help it.

"I'm so sorry," Carlisle implored genuinely. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Thank you for telling me the truth, son," Basileus said sadly, the hurt apparent in his eyes. "We will discuss things fully later, in private."

Carlisle shook his head. "No, I have to leave so Felix can stay."

"You aren't leaving, Carlisle. You are my son, no matter how despicably you have behaved. I am not done with you yet - you are not half the man I know you can be." Basileus flashed to Carlisle's side and pulled him clear of the door.

 _Fuck_! Carlisle screamed inside his head. "Then I will stop. I will stop convincing Felix to break his word to you all ... just fetch him, please."

Aro shook his head as he leaned into the door frame. "You have promised me that before, brother. Many times."

"It's different this time. I know what's at stake now! There will be no more parties, no more drinking, no more defying you ... either of you ... I swear to all above and below, I will bring an end to it, all of it." Carlisle looked frantically between Aro and Basileus, neither of whom looked convinced.

"El?" Carlisle asked quietly, hoping for backup.

"It might work," Eleazar said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What if he goes back on his word again? Caius won't help twice, I'm amazed he agreed to take Felix this time," Aro directed to his big brother.

"If Carlisle breaks his word I will have to kill my son. I don't know if I would ever recover from that. Sully would leave me - she'd take Demetri and the twins with her. I don't know if I can risk that."

"You can, Aro. You can. I won't let you down. I will be a proper uncle to Felix. I will steer him straight," Carlisle implored desperately.

"Aro, let's try it. If Carlisle lets us down, I will kill Felix so you don't have to," Basileus stated plainly.

Carlisle bristled at his cold, dispassionate tone.

"It might be too late, " Aro said quietly, "Caius may have started already."

"Then let's go and fetch him!" Carlisle yelled, frustrated by the inactivity of the room.

Basileus pulled his youngest son to the side of the room "Are you sure about this?" he asked him seriously "You realise what is at stake? Your brother will lose his whole family if you go back on your word again," he told his boy, pressing Carlisle into the wall.

Carlisle choked on his own venom as the lashes in his back contacted the wall. "That won't happen, I won't let that happen," he said through his tears.

Basileus looked into his son's eyes and for the first time in three years he didn't see a boy, he saw a man. Carlisle was ready to be honest and true and Basileus breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let us fetch our boy home," he said, placing an arm around his Carlisle.

"Caius!" Aro called out as they entered the dungeons.

Both Caius and Magnus appeared outside the newborn hall in a quarter of a second.

"Where's Felix?" Carlisle growled.

"Why?" Caius asked, looking down his nose at Basileus' brat. "You can't expect results so soon, surely?"

"What have you done to him?" Carlisle accused, shoving Caius in the chest.

Basileus pulled his son back. "Mind yourself, son," he warned as he kept hold of Carlisle by a strong grip on his arm.

Caius dusted his clothes down as though Carlisle had messed them up. "Nothing much, yet ... " he said, smirking.

"I'm taking him back, Caius," Aro stated, winking to his brother-in-arms.

"Are you sure?" Magnus asked. He thought this whole charade was to get Carlisle and Felix back in line and Carlisle looked as volatile as ever!

"Are you sure Carlisle?" Basileus asked, giving his arm a painful twist.

"YES!" he roared thunderously.

Aro nodded. "It would appear I am sure, Magnus."

Magnus laughed and returned to Caius' dungeon playroom with everyone else following behind.

When they came to the panelled door entry, Aro stood aside. "Lead the way, brother," he gestured to Carlisle.

The young prince was most unprepared for what he saw when he entered the room. Felix was strung up by his neck with a metal collar and a bag over his head. His feet barely scratched the floor and his arms and legs were shackled to prevent him from moving. All that could be heard was the boy gurgling on his own venom.

Carlisle looked to Caius and Magnus in utter horror. "What the hell were you going to do to him?"

"A good many things," Caius replied evilly.

Carlisle felt sick. "How could you let this happen?!" he accused Aro.

"Hey! As you have already explained, Carlisle - this is your doing," his brother replied before turning to Caius. "Keys?" he asked with his hand extended.

Caius dangled them above Aro's hand. "If you take him now, I won't offer a second time, brother."

Aro snatched the keys. "I wouldn't expect you to, Caius."

Basileus pulled Carlisle in close. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

Carlisle nodded as he watched Aro undo his son's manacles.

Magnus held Felix whilst Aro undid the clamp around his neck. After setting Felix on his feet, he removed the cloth sack covering his head.

"Dad ... " Felix rasped as he crumpled into his father's arms.

Aro held his son for only a moment before spinning him around. "You should thank Caius for his hospitality, son."

"Thank you, Masters." Felix said quietly. It was hard to hear him with his voice as horse as it was.

Carlisle gasped at his brother's cruelty. "This is sick!" he spat, only for Basileus to increase the pressure on his arm to a painful degree.

"Would you like me to take Carlisle in his place, Basileus?" Caius offered.

Carlisle scoffed to the coven master, but seeing his father appear to consider Caius' offer had him shitting himself. "I've said I will put everything right, Dad, and I will," Carlisle said, tugging on his father's arm.

"Next time, Caius," Basileus eventually replied.

"There won't be a next time," Carlisle corrected the creator confidently.

Caius sighed. "That's a shame," he said, looking genuinely disappointed. "But if you are sure, I would like to lock up now. I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"As do I, brother," Aro agreed, looking to his son. _As do I_.


	72. Sealing The Deal

**AN:** I don't own bugger all.

This is the last chapter for 1667, December. Enjoy :)

* * *

 **SEALING THE DEAL**

Felix walked behind Aro all the way back to their chambers. Aro could hear his boy sobbing quietly, but he refused to pay any attention to it. Basileus was paying a similar lack of care to Carlisle's mutterings but he had pushed his son ahead - he wanted Carlisle nowhere near Felix for a good long while.

"Go up. I won't be long," Aro told Felix tersely when they reached the south tower. The lack of affection from his father really stung but it was still preferable to being in the dungeon with Caius taunting him.

Aro waited for his boy to disappear up the stairs and for Carlisle to go into their father's chambers before he pulled Eleazar and Basileus aside.

"Do you think that will be enough?" he asked, looking rather pleased with himself.

Basileus laughed lightly. "Well, Felix looks scared to death and judging Carlisle's thoughts he has no intention of stepping out of line again."

Eleazar sighed in relief and literally collapsed into the wall. "Thank god!" he exclaimed. For the perpetual peacemaker, Carlisle's reign of troublemaking had worn heavily on Eleazar.

"Yes, we know how problematic this has been for you, brother," Aro said sarcastically.

"Hey, they are your sons, but we have all suffered!" Eleazar retorted, shoving Aro away. "And Carlisle lived in my quarters ... "

"For five minutes until you threw him out!" Aro wasn't letting that go.

Carlisle had been Eleazar's roommate for less than a week - he'd taken a veritable round of fucks for it, but Basileus eventually relented to Eleazar's complaining and took Carlisle back. He had only very recently been accepted back into Eleazar's chambers and since that was how Felix had gotten to his uncle to begin the whole debacle, Carlisle would be Basileus' guest again for the foreseeable future.

Basileus listened to his sons arguing back and forth for only another moment or two before his booming voice had them both ducking for cover.

"That enough!" he roared. "We have just got those two on the straight and narrow, I refuse to listen to your damn bickering now!" Basileus pushed his sons up the stairs. "I have to seal the deal with Carlisle. Aro, I expect you need to be doing the same with Felix, yes?"

Eleazar stifled his laughter as he went into his own quarters, relieved to only have himself and Carmen to worry about.

"Seal the deal ... " Aro said to himself as he ambled up the stairs. He could hear Sulpicia fussing over their eldest before he'd even opened the door.

"Was this really necessary?"

Aro bit his lip. He was not in the mood for a war with his wife right now, which was a shame as Sulpicia was going to rip his head off whether he retaliated or not!

"Look at what you have done to him!" she raged, pointing out the tearful teenager she was bandaging.

Aro gulped. He had purposefully avoided looking at Felix's whip wounds when they were down in the dungeons - 15 perfect slices were impressed upon his son's back, and though the bleeding had ceased, it looked painfully raw. He was sure they wouldn't scar though, Aro had made sure he didn't exert enough strength for that.

"Three times, Aro! Three times you hit him with that whip - it has five tails, for god sake! Why would you do that to our son?"

Aro flashed to his wife's side and took the bandage from her hands. "Because he broke into Marcus' chambers and stole his opium!" he shot back as he began winding the linen strip around his boy's body.

Sulpicia looked ready to spit fire! "Aro…"

"SULLY!" Aro stopped her tirade before it could begin. "This had to happen. You need to support me."

Sulpicia considered her husband's eyes ... they weren't as black as she had been expecting. _You aren_ _'_ _t angry, you are calm, why are you so calm_? she wondered. As she watched Aro bandage their boy, she noted the care he took over the task. _You are doing a better job than I was, Felix has barely winced since you took over_. _There must be more to all of this… Atia said taking Felix to the dungeons was for Carlisle_ _'_ _s benefit. Perhaps Basileus ordered the whipping_? _Cruel, cruel man_!

"Sully, you should check on the twins after what they witnessed in the great hall," Aro said pointedly, bringing Sulpicia from her wondering thoughts. "Take your time," Aro called after his mate as she unwillingly left him and Felix alone.

Sulpicia knew Aro would need to talk to their son and as she clasped her hands to her dead heart, she prayed that was all he would do.

Felix had hardly moved in his chair, he appeared to be frozen in Aro's presence. "You are restricted to this tower for three months, the same as Demetri. Understood?"

Felix flinched at Aro's stern tone. "Yes master," he replied with a shaky voice.

It was Aro's turn to flinch! Felix hadn't called him that in years and it hurt to hear it, although Aro chose not to correct him immediately. "All of this; climbing out of your window, breaking into Marcus' quarters, smoking opium ... was to put me in my place, was it?" Aro asked as he tied off the cloth at Felix's shoulder.

"No. I'm sorry," Felix replied quietly.

Aro couldn't see his face but he could tell from Felix's voice that he was crying.

"Yes it was - it's all here in your mind," Aro retorted, pulling his son's head back by his hair.

Standing over his boy and looking into his sad ruby eyes, Aro listened to Felix's memories to see what he'd made of being sent to the dungeons.

 _Disbelief ... that was your first thought, then fear - good to know Caius and Magnus can illicit that in you even if I cannot. Oh, you weren_ _'_ _t scared of them. Losing us, all of us, your family. You were scared you_ _'_ _d lost your family ... that will never happen, my boy, but I must allow you to think you_ _'_ _d come close for a while or your suffering would have been for nothing_.

When Aro let go of his son's hair, Felix sprung his head forward and started rubbing out the ache in his neck.

Taking a seat, Aro pulled Felix's chair around so they were face to face. Felix, however, kept his head down.

"Look at me," Aro said softly. Felix continued snivelling but refused to look up. "Look at me!" Aro commanded a second time. Felix heard the warning in his tone and after wiping his eyes a few times and realising his tears would only keep coming, he finally met Aro's eyes with his own.

"Do you want to be part of this family, Felix, or would you rather join the guard?"

That was it, full on waterworks. "Please don't throw me out! You can't, please!" Felix spluttered his rushed reply.

Aro sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, eying his boy sternly. "Of course I can," he scoffed, "but that doesn't answer my question. Do you want to be part of this family or not?"

Felix winced at his father's tone; he sounded so cold, so uncaring. "I do, yes. You know I do."

Aro shook his head. "You aren't acting like you do."

"I was pissed off, I was stupid," Felix explained. Even he would agree that it was a piss poor explanation.

"Every time you are pissed off with me you do something VERY stupid, and it's getting worse! Each time the tempo on your disastrous schemes steps up a notch. This cannot continue, Felix." Aro bit his lip, he didn't want to say too much. He didn't want to threaten too much either - he was running out of options to bring his boy to good sense.

 _Ha! He will never come to good sense_ , Aro corrected himself.

"I know being an immortal teenager is difficult, but being the parent of an immortal teenager isn't easy either! And I hate to tell you this son, but there will be plenty more times in our future where you are pissed off with me - just how far are you going to go in your mission to get back at me every time I do something you don't like?"

Felix slumped forward over the back rest of his chair and hung his head low.

"Look at me!" Aro roared as his son dropped eye contact again. "If I have to tell you again, you can expect a far more physical reminder!"

Felix took a sharp intake of breath. His back was still bloody ... _I can_ _'_ _t take anymore_ , he thought as he swore to himself to stare at Aro, regardless, for the rest of their not-so cosy conversation.

"I won't do anything like this again, not ever," Felix said solemnly.

"You say that every time," Aro said blankly.

Felix smirked to his father. "But I never do the same thing twice."

Aro stood up so fast that his chair flew out behind him and smashed into the wall. "Do you think this is funny?"

 _Oh fuck, he'_ _s going to kill me_! Felix held an arm across his face, it was the only exposed part of him facing Aro.

"Get up, you can go back to Caius. Fuck Carlisle's promises! You are out of control and I am not wasting any more of my time on your irrational bullshit!" Aro looked furious and Felix was genuinely scared his father was, well, no longer his father.

"I'm not out of control, I won't fuck up again, I won't. I don't want to leave. You're my family, you can't just throw me out when you've had enough. Family doesn't work like that. You said so yourself. Please, Dad."

Aro narrowed his eyes. _Why can_ _'_ _t I keep control of my temper with this boy_? _Don'_ _t escalate the situation Aro, calm down for god sake_!

Felix could see his father was wavering. "I will stay in the tower, three months you said, I will stay - make it longer if you'd like! I will show you I can follow orders, Dad."

Aro folded his arms. "And, if you don't?"

Felix sighed. "Then I will join the guard instead."

Aro scoffed. "If Magnus will have you, you mean. You don't have a glowing resume, son - you are a thief, Felix."

Felix made a guttural noise as though he had been kicked in the gut. It really hurt to hear Aro say that.

"Who knows what Marcus will have to say about this when he returns," Aro added, really twisting the knife.

"I will take whatever Marcus decides. I want to make this right ... if you will give me the chance to." Felix could hear Aro's low growl. He knew his father was deciding on his fate and the pressure of the shitty situation Felix had created now weighed heavily on the youth.

They both turned to see Sulpicia standing in the archway - she'd come to hear Aro's final decree, too.

Aro looked between his son and wife. Truthfully, he wanted to ease both of their suffering. He knew he shouldn't show any weakness in front of Felix but he would have to relent a little for Sully's sake. _You are living on a knifes edge, son_.

"My queen, our son needs some clothes," he called softly to Sulpicia, "will you find something suitable of mine for him, please?"

Sulpicia smiled to herself. _I'_ _m glad you are bringing some of my boy_ _'_ _s suffering to an end_.

Felix released his held breath and relaxed for the first time in many hours. _Oh_ _, thank the gods,_ he thought.

"Three months, Felix ... at least. I may decide to extend your restriction and you will take it without complaint."

Felix nodded with gusto to Aro's words, relief flooding his body.

"Marcus will be home in a week or two - you will be explaining and apologising to him ... along with whatever else he decides is necessary."

Felix continued to nod gratefully, though his stomach flipped over with the prospect of facing yet another master of the coven.

Sulpicia came back into the living chambers with a pile of Aro's clothes for her son. Aro noticed immediately that his dear wife had chosen some of his favourite items. "You know I still wear those," he said pointedly, clearly disapproving of her choices.

"Really? Oh, never mind," Sulpicia replied gracefully, feigning ignorance as she passed the bundle to her son.

Aro rolled his eyes but Felix was grateful to see his father allowed him to keep his mother's offerings. _Perhaps he doesn't hate me, then,_ he wondered hopefully.

Sulpicia stroked her baby's tear stained cheeks and whispered to him, "you needn't worry, my darling, all will be well," before leaving his side and siting by the fire.

Felix longed to go and sit with her; he wanted to ask 'how?' and importantly, 'when?' but he knew better than to move before Aro released him.

Aro glanced at the oak, long case clock. _It's late, he needs to sleep_ , he thought, deciding to wrap things up. He took the clothes from Felix and gestured for him to stand. "I would like these returned in the same condition in which you are receiving them, understood?" he asked as he flipped through the items making a mental note of what Felix was taking.

"Of course, thank you," Felix sensibly replied.

Aro heard his boy gulp before he spoke, much to his amusement. "So, I suggest you refrain from climbing any walls," Felix took a shaky breath in, "or rolling in the grass with random peasants." Aro finished with a wink.

Felix's eyes widened hearing him refer to his tussle with Heidi so casually, especially as she was the reason for the beginnings of this whole mess. Aro laughed lightly and passed his son his 'new' threads.

Felix managed to raise a slightly nervous smile.

"These will do you for a few weeks whilst the new uniforms are being made. Freyr will be taking everyone's measurements over the next few days."

Felix desperately wanted to know what uniform he was going to be in, he felt his fate was less than certain and wondered if Aro would start him at the bottom of the rung.

Aro knew what his boy would be thinking. _He'_ _s suffered enough ... for now_ , he thought. "You are my son. I want you dressed as such, so you will require the gold embellishments on your clothes, yes?"

Felix looked to the floor as his grin spread from ear to ear. He didn't want Aro to think he wasn't taking things seriously enough. He couldn't speak, he didn't trust his voice. Instead he dropped the stack of clothes to the floor and threw his arms around his father, expressing his gratitude physically. He was overjoyed when Aro returned the embrace with as much force, feeling safe, if still well chastised, in his father's arms.

"Do not call me master, ever again," Aro whispered to his boy and kissed the top of his head when he felt his son nodding in grateful agreement.

"Can we talk now?" Sulpicia asked once she was sure Felix was in his room.

Aro sighed, he was exhausted. "I'm not arguing about all this with you, my queen," he eventually replied as he sank into the seat next to his wife.

"I have no desire to argue either, my love," she said genuinely. "I just want to know what happened after was I ordered to leave Basileus' chambers."

 _That sounded a little more abrasive_ , Aro thought doing a mental huff in protest. "It wasn't my idea to whip the pair of them, if that's what you want to know," he said, staring ahead. "Basileus called it, it was out of my hands."

Sulpicia raised an eyebrow to her husband. "It was very much in your hand, my love. But, nonetheless, I understand you had little choice."

Aro sighed deeply in reply. It pissed him off to no end when Basileus interfered in coven matters, unless he was giving Aro his undivided support, of course.

"Atia told me this whole thing with Felix and the dungeons was to stop Carlisle using our son for his own rebellions."

Aro nodded to his mate and noticed her expression - complete disbelief. "I know that face," he said. She looked so pissed off with him.

"You should! I wear it often," Sulpicia replied sternly.

Aro smirked. "Don't use your 'Atia voice' with me, I am not one of your children, my queen."

Sulpicia's face softened until she eventually laughed. "I do not have an 'Atia voice'!" she said, giving her husband a jab with her elbow for the perceived insult.

Aro nodded. "Sure you do," he replied, playfully winding her up, "but you have a heart - that is where you differ, my love."

Sulpicia whistled. "Those are brave words, my love. Your dear mother will read that in your

mind ... "

"I have no doubt about it, my queen," Aro replied with a sigh, "and she will certainly have something to say - that cantankerous old bitch lets nothing go!"

Sulpicia's eyes bulged at Aro's reckless words.

He saw, but waved away her concerns. "I can handle Atia, don't worry." He said it, but he didn't believe it. Aro knew he was on Atia's hit list - she wanted to stamp her authority all over him but he wasn't going down without a fight, that was for damn sure! Though Aro would never admit it, his rationalising when it came to matters with his parents was so very Felix-like.

A huge smile spread across Aro's face as he remembered something he wanted to share with Sulpicia. "I haven't had the chance to tell you, my queen, but guess who gave Carlisle the fuel for his emotional blackmailing of Basileus ... " Aro waited for Sulpicia to guess.

"Atia? No! Surely not?!"

Aro nodded gleefully. "Yes! During her little counselling sessions with Carlisle, she planted the seed that he was being such a prick because he was upset about Basileus killing the pastor - which was rubbish. He felt nothing at all until Atia gave him the idea and he has been using it against Basileus ever since."

He shouldn't have felt as good about his little discovery as he did, but Atia had been lording it over Aro and his brothers - the whole Volturi family, in fact, since her arrival in Volterra and it felt great to be able to throw something, anything, back in her face.

Sulpicia, too, felt the same sort of one-upmanship. Atia took every chance she could get to instruct the vampire queen on how to be a better mother and it was seriously pissing her off. The pair shared a giggle as Aro told his mate how Atia had flounced out of Basileus' chambers when he had told her of Carlisle's trickery.

"Will you tell Felix the truth, Aro?" Sully asked, pulling her mate from his thoughts. "Please," she added when Aro failed to respond immediately.

"I will," he finally agreed, "but he must believe it for a while yet, my queen. Otherwise it will have all been for nothing and frankly, I have run out of ideas for getting him back on the straight and narrow. Carlisle, too, for that matter."

Sulpicia smiled sadly to her husband. She wanted to go to her boy and tell him the whole thing was a charade, that he was their son and they would never send him away, no matter what he did. But she wouldn't go against Aro. "We can't keep Felix and Demetri cooped up in this tower for the next three months, my love."

Aro took his mate's hand in her own. "I agree with you there, but we will be going against Basileus if we let them out ... do you really want to do that?"

Sulpicia's thoughts answered far quicker and louder than she audibly voiced them. She literally screamed 'YES' inside her mind.

Aro smiled mischievously. "You know I cannot protect you from my father, my queen. If you choose to go against him, I have no idea what he will do in return." Aro meant it too, he had no frame of reference for how Basileus would react if Sulpicia were the one leading any defiance against him, simply because she had never gone against the almighty creator before.

"They are my children, Aro. As their mother I will answer to no one."

Sulpicia sounded resolute, but Aro had to wonder where this new confidence would lead his dear wife.

…

Basileus entered his own chambers and closed the door quietly behind him. He had heard Carlisle taking Atia's forceful dressing down without complaint before he'd opened the door, but now that he was in the room, she clearly expected him to take over. He threw them both when he simply took a seat and ignored the pair of them.

"Basileus, aren't you going to say anything?!" Atia implored, still feeling incensed that Aro was going to hand Carlisle a royal position after all he had done. _You must do something_! She spoke through her thoughts.

Basileus heard. "Why must I?" he asked aloud, appearing disinterested at best. "I do not need to hear his excuses or what he has to say for himself - his actions have already spoken the truth."

Carlisle groaned from his corner as though he had been sucker punched. He had stayed quiet whist Atia had taken her turn in telling him what a deceitful piece of scum he was. He deserved it, he knew that. But hearing his father talk so dispassionately about him, sounding so hollow ... it really hurt.

"Please, my lord, I know I have wronged you ... "

Basileus started laughing. "Wronged me?" he repeated. "Hmm, something like that." He laughed again.

Carlisle couldn't see what was so funny, although judging by his father's laugh he knew there wasn't a joke as such. _That laugh sounds dangerous,_ he thought, not daring to move.

"I want to put things right, if I can," he said quietly. Silence. Carlisle looked between his two parental figures - Atia stood behind Basileus, vibrating with anger. Basileus, however, remained cool, relaxing easily into his chair. His eyes though ... they bored into his son as if accessing his very soul.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Carlisle pushed with a little annoyance to his tone.

"Oh, I have PLENTY to say to you!" Atia vented.

Basileus shushed his mate without taking his eyes off Carlisle. "My dear, would you be so kind as to find something suitable to bandage his back. Eleazar may have some supplies."

Atia huffed. "Of course," she replied tersely to her husband before turning on Carlisle. "I haven't finished with you," she spat.

Carlisle flinched. Other than their initial meeting, he had grown quite close to his mother figure and had become accustomed to having her on his side. _That ship has sailed_ , he thought glumly. _What was I thinking_?

"That's what I would like to know, son." Basileus answered his boy's thoughts.

Carlisle gulped. "I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could think to say.

Basileus laughed again. The laughing was starting to piss Carlisle off! Basileus stood up and started wandering aimlessly around his living space. Every time he came close to Carlisle he noticed his boy pressing himself harder and harder into the wall.

"How many times have I told you how sorry I am for what happened in England?"

Carlisle gulped. "Quite a few, my lord."

Basileus mused for a moment, coming to a stop as he rapidly counted the times in his memory. "Twenty-six."

Carlisle winced.

"Twenty-six times you have lied to my face on that matter. Twenty-six times I asked for your forgiveness and you told me you could never forgive my actions." Coming face to face with his boy, Basileus loomed over Carlisle. "Twenty-six times. Two years."

Carlisle felt an oppressive feeling of foreboding come over him. He knew Basileus well enough in their few years together to know that he would use those numbers… somehow.

Basileus continued to stare his son down.

Carlisle wondered if he should say something, the silence was killing him. "I forgive you for killing the pastor," he ventured softly.

BIG mistake!

The small smile fell from Basileus' face to be replaced with the contorted features of pure rage. With a hand on each of his shoulders, Basileus forced Carlisle into the wall and showed no regrets for the gasping coming from his son, nor for the tears running down his cheeks. The pain from Carlisle's whip wounds was blinding.

"Don't you dare try and use that against me, not ever again!" Basileus ground out, only inches from his son's face.

Carlisle shook his head rapidly, as his voice was apparently frozen in fear.

"First thing tomorrow I am going to arrange a proper medical store in the castle, this is quite ridiculous!" Atia announced as she came through the door clutching a collection of linen strips she had managed to obtain from Eleazar.

She stopped in her tracks seeing Basileus holding Carlisle up the wall. "That's more like it," she said, pleased that her husband had taken some action in her absence.

Basileus immediately released Carlisle who gave a shaky sigh as he tried to regain his composure.

"He is not to leave our sight for the next three months," Basileus announced to his mate with jet black eyes.

"Three months?" Atia questioned the timescale - she would have imposed a far greater length.

Basileus nodded. "That's when Aro is filling our halls with outside covens! If at their time of arrival, Carlisle hasn't behaved impeccably, he will be in the dungeons for the duration of their visit."

Carlisle's head was doing somersaults hearing his father's decree. _But he still hasn_ _'_ _t forgiven me_? _Perhaps after the three months_ , he wondered.

"No," Basileus sneered, "I imagine it will be a good while longer than that." He watched as the words sunk into his boy's head. _You have no idea how much you have hurt me, son_.

"What can I do?" Carlisle asked, looking quite bereft.

Basileus shrugged. "You are a thief. You are a liar. You have lost my trust. How do you propose to make amends for all you have done?"

Carlisle stuttered, he couldn't come up with single reasonable suggestion and he daren't suggest more punishment as he would be recovering from his brother's discipline for a while yet!

"I am going out. I need to talk with Magnus ... " Basileus collected his cloak and swung the heavy garment around his shoulder. "He was acting very strange earlier and I want to know why."

 _Oh fuck_!

Turning back to Carlisle, Basileus closed his eyes for a moment. "If he tells me anything new about your little escapades, I swear to the gods I will flay you!"

Carlisle's eyes were wide and desperate. "There's nothing else, nothing, my lord!"

Watching his son for a second, Basileus decided he was being truthful. _That is certainly refreshing_!

Scooping Atia into his arms and nuzzling into her neck, Basileus soaked up her scent, allowing it to heal the frazzled parts of his being.

"I can take him with me if you would prefer, my dear?" he offered, though he privately prayed for a break from family matters if only for an hour or two.

"Not at all. I have some things I would like to impress upon our youngest, too!" Atia returned resolute.

"Hmm," Basileus looked back to his boy. _You are getting off too easily, perhaps I should help Atia's efforts?_ "Here," he said to his mate as he undid the buckle to his belt. Sliding the thick leather from around his waist, he folded it in two and passed it to his mate. "This may help with those things you would like to 'impress' upon him."

Atia raised an eyebrow, unsure how she felt about what Basileus was suggesting.

Carlisle stood dumbfounded. _You cannot be serious, he_ thought, though he managed to stop himself from verbalizing his shock.

Basileus glared at his son, having caught his disbelief. "I am deadly serious, son. I expect you to be compliant to whatever Atia decides to do with you. Understood?" he asked in a deadly stern tone.

Carlisle continued to stare ahead, mouth gaping like a drowning fish. Atia had given him a few slaps since her arrival in Volterra ... _but this_? _I can_ _'_ _t submit to Atia belting me, I just can_ _'t_!

His thoughts were more whiney than Carlisle would like to admit, but he should have been grateful to his inner monologue for reverting to an adolescent tone because it gave Basileus cause to stop and think!

 _Hmm, you will be compliant. You won_ _'_ _t like it, but you won_ _'_ _t put up too much of a fight_ , he surmised from his son's childlike mental tone and embarrassed posture. _Still, I should be sure he understands my allegiance, I suppose_.

"I asked if you understood?" Basileus' strong voice bounced around the room, shaking Carlisle from his silent temper tantrum. "Answer me!" Basileus enjoyed seeing his son flinch. _Deceitful little bastard should be scared_.

"Erm, yes, I suppose," Carlisle eventually replied.

It wasn't quite the response Basileus had been hoping for.

Seeing her mate about to bubble up into an eruption, Atia started moving Basileus to the door. "Everything will be fine, my dear. I could always punish him first and talk to him afterwards," she offered, pleased to hear the panicked and regretful words coming from Carlisle behind her.

Basileus allowed himself to be pushed out the door, but he offered a parting shot to his son before he left. "I dare you to cause me any more trouble, son. I dare you!" Basileus delivered his words venomously and his unspoken threat was crystal clear.

That was one challenge Carlisle wasn't going to accept! "I, I ... understand, my lord," he spluttered.

Atia shut the door and turned on her son as her husband vacated the space.

"I think it's time we talked, don't you?"

The sharp crack of Basileus' thick belt slapping against Atia's hand had every hair on Carlisle's body stand on end. Though he knew he had crossed his new mother is a heinous way, he had felt it was worth it at the time, especially when using Atia's kind counselling to emotionally blackmail his father had resulted in Basileus employing much calmer discipline techniques than Carlisle really deserved.

Now that he was confronted with the idea of Atia punishing him, he wasn't so sure it had been worth it after all ...


	73. 1668, January - Payroll

**AN:** I don't own anything, just playing with the characters :)

Sorry for the delay, we've had some technical issues! Back up and running now with plenty more instalments to come :)

* * *

 **1668, JANUARY - PAYROLL**

"My queen, Marcus is already here," Aro called out as he rushed into his chambers.

Sulpicia's heart sank. She was glad of their covenmate's safe return, for Marcus had been away over a year now and she had missed his presence. When Lev and Odi had tracked down Marcus, Eleazar, and their accompanying guards to bring them home, Marcus had refused and insisted on continuing his travels. He had also taken over Odi's duty of meeting with the Egyptian coven to bring them to Volterra for Aro's offer of amnesty. Though she felt relief that Marcus was home, she was worried for her poor boy who had to face the master over his most recent misdeeds.

"Shall we take Felix to him, my love?"

Aro shook his head. "Not yet, I will meet with Marcus first," he said as he passed his mate on his way to their bed chamber.

Sulpicia scrubbed a hand down her face, discarding her needlework to the side table. "Will he be very angry, do you think?" she asked in trepidation.

Aro heard but he wasn't sure how to answer. If it had been his chambers someone had broken into, he knew how pissed off he would be ... but Marcus? Aro quickly changed and came back to Sulpicia, wrapping his arms around her from behind her chair.

"The old Marcus would have reacted furiously. I have no idea how 'Marcus the widower' will wish to proceed."

Sulpicia stiffened in his arms. "My love, Felix has been through so much recently. You must try and temper any ferocity."

Aro scoffed. "My queen, Felix has only been through that which he has caused himself. Marcus will not hurt him, it's not his way."

Sulpicia knew Aro was right, of course, but her baby was suffering and that was all she cared about, whether it was the boy's own doing or not made little difference to her.

"Where is Felix? Aro asked before nuzzling his wife's neck. "I should warn him at least."

"He's in his room. He's always in his room. You and Basileus have broken his spirit ... "

"Not this again, please!" Aro interrupted as he stalked out of the room. _I cannot listen to any more of your_ _'_ _poor Felix_ _' rhetoric_ , he said to himself as he sought out his son.

Felix was, as Sulpicia had said, in his room. When Aro entered, Felix was lying on his bed staring into space whilst Demetri flitted about the bed chamber.

"Busy?" Aro asked sarcastically.

"I'm bored stupid!" Demetri replied in a huff. "He's just stupid," he added about his big brother.

"Hey!" Felix scoffed. "Unnecessary!"

Aro shook his head. "Let us end this fight before it begins," he said pointedly to Demetri, who looked away in annoyance. "Marcus is home," Aro told his eldest flatly.

Felix felt his stomach flip and he looked to his father with panic clear in his eyes. "Should I go to him?" he asked. _Please say no!_ _Please_!

"Not yet. I will talk to him first," Aro said kindly. Though he didn't agree with Sulpicia's molly coddling of their son, particularly when the boy had been so damn reckless, he didn't want to bring him any additional worry either.

"What do you think he's going to say?" Felix asked, voice shaking as he spoke.

Aro sat next to Felix on his bed. "Well, I have already had the door to his chambers replaced. The door to the terrace that you smashed will be fixed today. I cannot replace his opium, but I will give him the money to do so."

Felix looked shyly to his father. He truly felt embarrassed about what he and Carlisle had done. "Thank you," he said softly, but he was still worried about what Marcus would actually do in response to his chambers being infiltrated.

"Marcus is generally very understanding," Aro told his boy. "I think you may live through it," he added with a smile.

Felix gulped. Aro's gentle joke didn't help ease his worries one bit.

"I will be calling a meeting of the two towers at noon. We will all meet in the library and you will be apologising to Marcus whilst we are there."

Aro's announcement sent a shiver of fear through Felix's whole body. "No, Dad, please! he whined. "Can't I go and see him in his quarters? In private!"

Aro laughed. "I highly doubt Marcus will want you in his chambers again, Felix," he pointed out as he stood to leave. "You have an hour to come up with an apology."

Leaving Felix looking desperately sad, Aro turned to Demetri. "I am assuming Lucy will be at the meeting, she is part of Caius' household," he said, watching for a reaction.

Demetri shrugged. He didn't feel anything about the girl anymore, which was odd. He wanted to feel, but whatever Chelsea had done to his bonds with the one-time love of his life had ended any feelings he ever had, or could have over Lucy.

Aro nodded as a pang of guilt twisted his heart. _It was for his own good_ , he told himself, although, he was starting to really worry about what he had done to his son. Demetri, though calm at that moment, had been a damn nightmare to live with - he'd even come to blows with Felix ... which almost never happened.

"Felix, could you go to Caius, please, and tell him to bring his household to the meeting. Demetri, go to the guard hall and tell Freyr and Magnus to come."

Both boys looked to their father with a raised eyebrow.

"We aren't supposed to leave the tower," Felix said, wondering if this was a trick. After his short stint in the dungeons, he was intent upon proving his place in his family through best behaviour and, if this was a test, he wasn't going to fall at the first hurdle.

Aro smiled. "I know that, but I need you to run this errand. Go straight there and come straight back. Understood?"

They had only been restricted to the tower for a few weeks but they were already going stir crazy held up in their rooms. Demetri, in particular, seemed to be suffering from the lack of stimuli, which was unusual as it was normally Felix who was bouncing off the walls.

Aro had fleetingly wondered if Chelsea's magic had affected his son emotionally as he was so quick to tear and temper ... he didn't think on it long. Facing his faults wasn't Aro's strong point and if Chelsea's gift had damaged his boy in such a way he didn't want to feel or face the blame.

The short time out of their chambers that Aro was offering was more than welcome and both of his sons bounced happily from their room to do their father's bidding. Aro knew he was going against his father, but with the excuse of sending his boys on an errand, he hoped to test the waters with how rigidly Basileus wanted to stick to their restriction. _Three months is a bloody long time,_ he thought.

On his way to seek out Marcus, Aro popped into Eleazar's apartment. "Brother!" he called out from the doorway.

Within a moment Eleazar appeared at the door.

"Would you and Carmen meet me in the library at noon? I need to run through my new plans for coven administration before the guards return."

Eleazar nodded. "Certainly. Should we bring Carlisle?" he asked quietly, in case their little brother wasn't invited and he should overhear.

"Yes, please do." Aro smirked evilly. "Tell him Marcus will be there so he'd better have his apology well rehearsed!"

Eleazar burst out laughing. "Brilliant!" he exclaimed, enjoying Carlisle's predicament in a way only a sibling could. "I haven't had the opportunity to tell you yet," Eleazar whispered, "but guess who our little brother took a thrashing from ... " he let his voice trail off as Aro narrowed his eyes.

"No. Surely not!"

Eleazar nodded. "Our dear mother," he confirmed.

Aro whistled. "And, so it begins!" he said, knowing he would be next. "What has Carlisle said about it?"

Eleazar hushed his brother - he was talking far too loudly and gleefully! "Shush! Not a lot. We could do with getting him on his own so you can read his thoughts."

Aro smirked. "You sound nervous, brother."

"Aren't you?" Eleazar returned with a raised eyebrow. "Of all of us, you require the most correction!"

Aro scoffed. "I require none! Although, granted, I seem to end up with the most. I am vaguely interested in how Atia would go about it, I must admit."

Eleazar placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Curiosity killed the cat, little brother. You should think on that."

Aro laughed. Eleazar often told him that his inquisitiveness was his main downfall. He didn't have time to wonder about his mother's technique for now, he had to get on and see Marcus. "Tell Basileus about the meeting, will you? Oh, and Atia, I suppose."

Eleazar winced at the way his brother spat their mother's name. "You are dancing close to the line, Aro. Be careful there."

Aro shrugged nonchalantly as he went on his way.

Standing outside Marcus' door, Aro sighed deeply before steeling himself to knock. Even so, he wasn't quite prepared for the blustering anger Marcus displayed when he answered the door.

"Would you care to explain to me what the hell has been going on whilst I was away?" Marcus demanded.

Aro stood back and held his hands up defensively. "May I come in?" he asked respectfully.

Marcus stood back to allow Aro to pass.

 _Fuck_! Aro cursed in his head when he realised in his quest to fix Marcus' chambers he had forgotten to order a clean-up ... the entire room stank of the congealed bloodied sick that Felix had brought up when Aro and Basileus had confronted the delinquent vampires. _Must I arrange everything?!_

"Brother, I am so sorry. I will have this cleaned immediately."

Marcus slammed the door. "No, Aro!" he boomed. "First you will explain why that puddle of vomit is there in the first place!"

Aro sighed. _So, Marcus the widower can be just as angry as old Marcus. Good to know_. "I will, my friend. Carlisle and Felix broke into your chambers and smoked your opium. Felix was then sick," he told his co-master, feeling quite ashamed of both his son and brother's actions of late.

Marcus looked ready to explode. "THEY DID WHAT?!" he yelled, much to Aro's surprise.

Aro could tell Marcus was ready to find the pair of miscreants and tear them new assholes! He flashed to the door to cut off Marcus' exit. "Please, brother, they have both been punished severely. I have already replaced your outer door. The terrace door will be fitted today and this should be enough to replace the opium they took." Aro passed Marcus a coin pouch as he spoke.

Marcus threw the purse to the floor. "You think money can make up for their disrespect?" he asked incredulously.

"No, of course it cannot, brother." Aro placated. "I have whipped them both in the throne room, their movements in this castle are restricted until further notice, I even had Felix thrown in the dungeons ... in Caius' playroom ... for a few hours. I assure you, their abhorrent behaviour has not been taken lightly." Aro watched as his words sunk in and Marcus began to soften his pose. "They will both be at your disposal and you may exact any punishment you deem fit."

Marcus nodded deeply. "And why aren't they here now? Why are they hiding?" he spat, disgusted with the pair of Volturi princes.

"I thought it best to explain the situation before they saw you, brother. That is all."

Marcus nodded again and went to take a seat near the window. He opened it wide to allow the fresh air to dispel some of the vomit stench. "I expect my quarters to scrubbed from top to bottom, Aro," he said, sounding much calmer.

"I will fetch some guards ... "

"No! Carlisle and Felix. They can do it under my supervision."

Aro hadn't heard Marcus sound forceful in many years. Though he would have preferred different circumstances, it was good to have the guy back. "That sounds perfect," Aro agreed. "Anything else?" he asked tentatively.

"You whipped them already?" Marcus asked for confirmation.

"I did. Three for Felix and five for Carlisle ... it was mostly Carlisle's orchestrating," Aro admitted, wishing he could wring their necks for the shame they were bringing him.

"Carlisle was certainly an angry young man when I left on my travels. Has he been that way the whole time I was away?" Marcus asked.

Aro nodded. "He has outdone every foolish scheme Felix and Demetri have ever come up with!"

Marcus laughed.

"I am serious, brother. He has been a nightmare and he's taken Felix along as his accomplice. But, I can honestly say that his reign of terror is now at an end." Aro leaned into the window frame with his arms folded.

Marcus noted that his brother-in-law looked confident when he spoke. "If you are sure, Aro, I will concede to your judgment on the matter."

Aro gave himself a mental pat on the back, having averted another disaster. "Come with me to the library, Marcus," Aro requested. "I have called for a meeting to discuss the new payroll I am setting up, everyone else will join us shortly."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "A payroll? Whatever else have I missed, Aro?"

Aro laughed heartily. "So much, brother, so much."

…

It took a good while for Marcus to relax in Aro's presence in the library ... even with Aro using all his tricks to put his fellow master at ease. Once Marcus started talking about his travels around Greece, his agitation began to truly dissipate.

"Did you go to my father's farm, brother?" Aro asked, unsure how he felt about hearing of the old olive grove. He had only been back once himself - when he killed his father and turned Didyme. The place held few happy memories for Aro, even after all the time that had passed since he was turned.

"I did, brother. You wouldn't recognize the place. Much of your old lands have become a new village. It seems to be a happy place."

Aro nodded, but Marcus could tell that he didn't want to hear anymore.

"I went to Egypt after Greece," Marcus said, kindly moving their conversation forward.

Aro's interest was piqued. "Were you successful with Amun?" he asked with some trepidation.

Marcus smiled. "I was, brother. Amun and I have always shared a certain respect. He has agreed to bring his coven to Volterra at Easter, though I must say, he wasn't happy with the rather scant details I could offer as to why he should."

Aro scoffed. "I bet he wasn't!" Aro and Amun didn't share the same mutual respect as Marcus and Amun did - Amun thought Aro to be an evil dictator and Aro thought Amun to be a cantankerous antique.

"I would like to know more about it myself, Aro." Marcus interrupted the coven leader's thoughts.

"Of course, brother. I have sent word to the seven major covens - the Egyptians, the Denali coven, Hilda in England, the Irish coven, the Amazonians, the French, and the African coven. My hope is that I can wrangle them all into becoming one cohesive union who will not so much be under the Volturi, but will be Volturi sanctioned and aid our efforts to keep vampire law."

Aro sat back and linked his hands across his chest. He had been through this conversation with Caius, Magnus and Freyr already and none of them were happy with his plans. Basileus' reaction had been the most brutal, accusing Aro of losing his mind wishing to fill their halls with dangerous enemies. Aro hoped Marcus would offer reasonable counsel for his latest mastermind.

Marcus wore a face of contemplation as he considered Aro's intentions.

"You are being honest with me, brother?" Marcus asked. "You aren't planning on taking them out when they arrive here, are you?"

Aro's tinkling laughter filled the grand library. "No brother, they will be quite safe within our walls, I assure you. I may be testing the extent of my negotiating skills, but I truly hope I can convince the covens to agree to coming together for the common good."

Marcus leaned into his chair and mimicked Aro's pose. "This all sounds very political, Aro."

Aro shrugged in return. "It's a natural progression, Marcus. Look at the humans ... in our lifetime we have seen them grow from bumbling cave dwellers to forming cities and states, organising themselves for defence and then attack. They govern themselves with common goals, they have law, they have order. And yet, here we still are with rogue vampires unable to commit to the most basic covenants vital to our survival."

Marcus smiled to himself. "I can see you have had to defend your position on this idea of yours - that was well rehearsed, brother."

Aro smiled coyly in return. "That obvious?"

Marcus smiled knowingly.

"What do you say, Marcus? I know everyone is waiting for your disapproval so they can bring an end to my plans."

"Who is everyone?" Marcus asked, without answering Aro's question.

"My father, my brothers, the other masters ... so that would be everyone I have told!" Aro sat forward on the edge of his seat, desperate to hear Marcus' thoughts. He knew they were crucial to taking his propositions forward.

"What are you hiding, Aro. Why would you go to such efforts?" Marcus asked whilst looking straight into Aro's eyes.

Aro felt like his soul was on display to his co-master. _How do you do that_? he thought, wishing Marcus would just agree with him.

"This is honourable, Marcus. I will be straight, honest. I want to open our castle to the covens and allow them to see inside. I will show them the gifted vampires contained within and offer them some concessions for taking up my offer. It isn't so much a military conflagration as it is an armistice and a chance to combine forces ... " Aro stopped and added quietly, "it will hopefully provide a new revenue stream, too."

Marcus burst out laughing at Aro's mumbled add on. "So that's it, they have to pay for the privilege. I assume this new revenue will be bankrolling your payroll system, yes?"

Aro threw his head back to rest atop his chair.

"I haven't said I oppose your plans, Aro," Marcus said cautiously, seeing his brother-in-law looked ready to throw a fit. "It's just that with inviting such volatile beings into our castle we will all be at great risk. The rewards have to be worth that risk."

Aro met Marcus' eye. "I agree with you there. Nothing lasts forever, brother. What do you want our legacy to be? We are the royal coven of the vampire world. But, half of those we serve believe us to be tyrannical dictators. The other half hardly consider us at all. In a world where the humans are becoming more cohesive, creating new technologies, governed and managed ... we cannot risk falling by the wayside now. Vampires have had time to become civilised but they have failed to do so under their own volition. So, now we must impose order on them all. I am inviting the covens who live peacefully, legally, to join our cause. It is an invitation, nothing more, or less, than that. They will be free to leave without accepting the offer, if they wish. There will be no need for animosity, but, if there is any, our coven will be well prepared to deal with it."

Whilst Aro implored Marcus to see reason on the matter, he had to wonder what the hell he would do if the man opposed him. They idea of having to cancel all the covens was too horrendous to seriously contemplate. _The shame of telling the other covens that I don_ _'_ _t have control of my own would be too much to bear_ … _and the Volturi would never again be taken seriously_! _Come on,_ _Marcus_ _,_ he begged in his mind.

As if Marcus could hear him, he answered Aro's pleas. "I will back you, brother," he answered, finally.

"You will?" Aro asked, surprise clear on his face.

Marcus laughed lightly. "I am rather interested to see what will happen."

Before Aro could express his gratitude, the library doors sprang to life, allowing both the north and south tower inhabitants to invade their private conversation.

Both masters stood politely to their guests and Aro took the opportunity to speak quickly with Marcus. "About Felix and Carlisle ... "

Marcus waved away his co-master. "You have no need to worry, brother," he said kindly before leaving the coven king's side to greet the creator.

"Marcus! We are so very glad to have you back, my friend," Basileus sang out, happily embracing the master.

"I am glad to return, my lord. Though my chambers were a shock, I must say." Marcus fixed Carlisle and Felix with a deadly glare that had them both stop in their tracks.

As the rest in attendance continued towards the affronted master, the pair of trouble makers were left alone in the doorway.

"Nothing to say?" Marcus asked whilst maintaining his glare.

"They have plenty to say, my friend, but they can keep. How was your trip?" Basileus deflected the situation beautifully.

Carlisle and Felix, however, remained where they stood, unsure what they should do as the rest of their company took seats near Marcus whilst he told them of his travels.

"Carlisle, should we go over there?" Felix asked his uncle quietly.

It was the first time they had clapped eyes on each other since Felix was collected from the dungeons and Carlisle had been as nervous about meeting up with his nephew again as he had about facing Marcus. He knew he had to distance himself from his nephew - Aro had made it clear that otherwise the boy would be cast from the coven, or even killed! He couldn't have that on his conscience, he just couldn't.

Both Basileus and Atia had made their feelings clear on the matter - if Carlisle convinced Felix of anything other than perfect princely behaviour he would be the one in the dungeons next time ... but he didn't want to hurt Felix's feelings either by freezing him out.

Carlisle shrugged, it seemed like a safe non-comital response and he wasn't sure what they should do anyway. When he saw Aro strolling towards them he felt his stomach flip.

"I do hope we aren't making any plans?" he sang lightly.

"No, no, we weren't, you can check!" Felix rambled, wanting desperately not to displease his father.

Aro held up a hand to silence his son. "I was joking, Felix. Come and sit, both of you," he said, turning on his heel to re-join his family.

"What?!" Basileus bellowed before the three of them had made it over. "You agree with Aro?" he asked Marcus incredulously.

Aro smiled triumphantly. "He's told you then," he crowed, unable to keep the smile from his face.

"Marcus, you cannot possibly think Aro's intention to unite the covens will actually work?" Caius asked in much the manner of Basileus.

"I believe if anyone can convince the coven leaders, Aro can. And he is right - we should progress as a race, otherwise, what is the point?"

Basileus had his head in his hands. He had told his son that if Marcus would back him then so would he, but of course, he never expected the usually conservative Marcus to agree with Aro's reckless scheme.

Eleazar clapped a hand on Aro's shoulder. "Interesting times ahead then, brother," he said nervously.

Atia shook her head and took her husband's hands in her own. "I am not happy about opening our coven doors to outside world," she told him, hoping he would put an end to Aro's plans. "Think about your children, Aro!" she added, throwing a look of disdain to her son.

"I have thought about MY children, thank you very much," Aro spat in reply. "Alec can bring an entire room to its knees, if necessary. Painlessly and without arousing animosity."

Alec preened from where he sat sandwiched between Carmen and his mother.

"Of course, if more drastic measures are needed, Jane can burn the bastards," Aro added gleefully, giving his daughter a wink.

"That is precisely what I am worried about!" Basileus interjected whilst Atia admonished Aro for his language.

Choosing to ignore both his parents for the moment, Aro knew just how to move the discussion on to a more palatable topic.

"Shall we discuss the payroll? It is the reason I have called for you all to attend this meeting," Aro announced.

Everyone bar Basileus and Atia were keen to hear Aro's proposals. Atia attempted to return to the matter of the covens convening but with Aro turning his back on her and diving straight into talks of salaries and titles, no one paid her any attention.

"I propose a salary system for each household, the money to be used as you see fit - invest it, redecorate your chambers, stick it under your bed, buy yourself something pretty. Whatever you wish." Aro turned to Marcus first. "Marcus, I hoped you would consider taking your favourite guards into your chambers. We will be increasing in numbers in the coming years and we will need to make room. Talia and Phoebe would be the obvious choice, I know you enjoy their music."

Marcus nodded and accepted the slip of parchment Aro offered him.

"I assume I will be responsible for their wages?" he said as he glanced over Aro's notes.

Aro nodded. "If you are willing, my friend."

"You wish me to take on a new role, also?" Marcus asked, having read as much in Aro's script.

"Nothing you aren't already doing, brother. I would like you take on the role of teaching languages, literature, culture, and the like in our coven. Your new salary should be enough to cover any, and all, supplies you need within that roll."

Marcus beamed. "And then some! Happily, Aro. I will speak with Talia and Phoebe. How much should I pay them?"

Aro simply smiled. "Whatever you deem them worthy, brother."

Turning to Caius, Aro handed him his parchment piece. "This should be more than enough to cover all of your needs, brother, though you must share nicely," he said sarcastically.

Caius snatched the slip from Aro's hands. "Funny, Aro, how very funny," he jeered, pushing Aro away.

Caius looked over his list and raised an eyebrow. "I am to fund my own supplies in the dungeons?!"

Aro laughed. "You will have more than enough to cover all your expenses, Caius. And make sure you pay Heidi and Lucy, too."

Aro looked towards Caius' young guards. Heidi seemed happily interested whilst Lucy had worn the same dejected expression since her relationship with Demetri had been brought to a forceful end. "They should have some perks to living with you so make sure to pay them both well."

Caius scoffed. "Again, very funny, Aro! Though I must say, I am happy with this new arrangement. It's one of your better ideas."

Aro smirked and rolled his eyes to Caius' back-handed compliment.

Magnus smiled broadly when Aro offered him and Freyr a small quire of parchment. Within the little booklet were listed the names of each guard with their associated gift and a suggested ranking for each member.

"Your task will involve more administration, my friends."

Magnus scanned the lists. "I can see that, Aro. Will we be administering all of the guards' wages?" he asked flicking through the pages before handing the booklet to his mate.

"You will, yes. Including any payments due to any other coven members who perform castle duties ... it's all your remit. I suggest you link wages to duties ... you are free to construct your own system."

Freyr glanced up from the pages of Sulpicia's beautiful script. "That's quite a task, Aro," she said, eying the coven king with suspicion.

"I know, my dear. For that, I apologise. Though there are two of you and you will be paid handsomely for your trouble."

"How handsomely?" Caius' jealousy pushed him to ask.

Aro merely smiled, knowing ignoring him would drive Caius mad.

"We can manage it, Aro," Magnus said, breaking the tension and slipping the booklet into the inside pocket of his dress coat.

Freyr was already wondering how to construct a system that the guards would be happy with whilst also ensuring all castle duties were willingly covered. "How will we convince the guards to take on the lesser roles if they will be paid less for them?"

Aro sighed. "For the moment, things like cleaning should be shared equally between them. After the covens leave, we will be taking on a new batch of newborns – going forward, any non-gifted recruits will become our cleaning staff."

Magnus looked worried. "That will greatly concern some of our current 'non-gifted' guards. I will want to assure them they will not be relegated to such a role in the future," he said forcefully.

Aro twitched in response. He was still getting used to being told rather than asked things by Magnus and Freyr. He encouraged them both to be forceful in their status, but it still put Aro on the back foot when it was directed at him. Luckily, Aro did a decent job, generally, of hiding his true feelings, especially when he knew they weren't justified. Unfortunately, Aro couldn't really lie to Magnus. He couldn't stop himself from feeling things, even if he could stop himself from showing it, and, through his gift, Magnus picked up on Aro's feelings immediately.

It only lasted a mere moment, but the two coven leaders eyed each other warily before Aro answered in a way that would reassure Magnus not only of the status of his non-gifted guards, but also of his position as a master of the coven.

"Certainly, brother." Aro had never called Magnus 'brother' before. It was common to hear the three original masters referring to each other in such a way, but Aro referring to Magnus as such had never occurred. That simple word made a bold statement to all in attendance, especially Magnus and Freyr.

"What happens when we have a mission ... who pays for that?" Caius asked whilst doing some sums in his head. _There's no way I am paying for it_! he thought.

"You've never had a wage before and now you can't spare a florin? Really?" Aro responded, mildly, shaming his co-master and his miserly ways. Sighing, Aro knew to expect as much from his brother-in-arms.

"I will pay for missions, Caius," he confirmed, adding to himself, " _as I always have_!"

"Now for you two!" Aro announced, turning to Eleazar and calling Carlisle closer.

Once they were side-by-side, Aro offered them each a small piece of parchment. Before they could take them, however, Aro placed a hand over the notes they held. "Please understand that for now, your royal duties are small, but more will be expected of you in the coming years - your pay packets take account of this already so don't expect a raise when you actually start 'working'."

Eleazar sighed. "There goes my dreams of my own castle, then," he said in good humour. The amount Aro had jotted down on paper would be more than enough to buy his own castle in a few years if he so wished, but without knowing how much everyone else would be getting, he didn't want to make the fact known in present company.

Carlisle, however, didn't hide his knew fortune quite as well. Sporting a goofy grin and eyes wide with shock, Aro had to quickly block Caius' view from his brother's expression.

"What is the reason for all of this, Aro?" Basileus asked his son. He had already discussed with Aro that he and Atia wouldn't be on the new payroll as they both independently dripped with wealth already.

"Well, Dad," Aro began as he took a seat, "you know as well as I do that vampires are led by lust and fear and greed. Our coven should provide an answer to all their wants - it's how we will attract the best and most brilliant to our doors."

Basileus sighed. "More bloody vampires with whom to contend."

Aro didn't understand his father's reluctance for his plans of expansion. Not that he cared to try and understand; he was going to push ahead anyway.

"So ... " Felix spoke up, after much jabbing from Demetri and Alec. "Is there a slip of paper for us in all that?" he asked, pointing to the small bundle of parchment pieces on the table between them.

"Felix!" Sulpicia hushed to her boy.

Aro bit his lip as he considered waiting until he had his sons on his own. _But, where_ _'_ _s the fun in that_? he thought. "Alec, Jane, your payments will begin today. You two, on the other hand," he said, addressing Felix and Demetri, "will have to wait until your three month restriction is up before you will be paid a single florin from me."

Demetri huffed and puffed and sulked but stayed relatively quiet over the injustice.

"That's not fair," Felix grumbled. He spoke in a deathly calm manner which was most unlike Felix. Senseless raging, sure, moody and sullen, naturally. But quiet calm ... no, that wasn't Felix at all. "You have only set up this fucking payroll so you could use it against me."

Basileus looked to Aro, who seemed to be so pleased with himself and his new heights of genius planning that he had hardly registered his son's words.

 _Bloody useless_! Basileus thought to his son before turning on Felix. "Hey! You will watch your mouth, boy!"

If looks could kill, Basileus would have been six foot under with the glare Felix bravely aimed at him.

"Neither of you will be taking on any guard rounds from Magnus and Freyr until your time is up so you won't be picking up any cash that way, either," Aro told his boys. He knew how they worked.

 _Bastard,_ the both thought in response.

Basileus heard them both, but more galling than that was the look of disdain Felix was still shooting him. "Felix, if you keep glaring at me you will lose the use of your legs for the rest of your restriction, too!"

Felix visibly shrank into his seat with wide, frightened eyes now trained to his hands.

"Whilst we are on the subject," Basileus slapped Aro across the top of his head, resulting in a mild hiss from his son, "three months I said, and at no point did I mention they would be running errands for you outside of the tower!"

Aro shrank into his seat a little ... in much the way Felix had, damn it.

Marcus broke the short awkward silence that fell between the group. "Actually, Felix, I will be taking the first three months of Carlisle's pay to redecorate my chambers."

"You will?" Basileus asked, sounding impressed and voicing the thoughts of all in the group.

"Hmm," Marcus murmured with a nod.

Carlisle was incensed but had the sense to keep his head down.

"That is most fitting, Marcus. And, may I take the opportunity to apologise, unreservedly, on behalf of Felix and myself for our trespasses against you." Carlisle's apology was perfectly prepared but he meant it, he truly did.

"Do you have a reason for your actions, Carlisle?" Marcus asked, sitting comfortably in his chair.

Carlisle shook his head. "Not a good one, no," he admitted honestly.

Marcus looked the younger man up and down in disgust. He had felt rampant with rage when he'd returned to find his quarters had been tampered with, but now he just felt disgusted that Carlisle ... especially Carlisle ... would do such a thing.

"I believe I have shown you nothing but kindness since you arrived in our coven, have I not?"

Carlisle nodded. "You have. I can only apologise ... "

Marcus cut him off quickly. "When you first arrived, I invited you into my chambers, I spent many hours reading with you, educating you at your request."

Carlisle's eyes flickered to Basileus - his father could hear his thoughts begging for help.

 _Not a chance son, you deserve your shame, and more_!

Marcus continued. "You were a newborn at the time and I put up with more than my share of your volatile attitude." Marcus wasn't trying to embarrass Carlisle, though he knew he was. He was simply expressing his hurt over Carlisle's betrayal.

"Volatile?" Basileus questioned the master.

"Hmm, yes," Marcus confirmed, "and I am being kind."

Carlisle felt his stomach hit the floor. He knew Marcus had never told Basileus of his less than perfect behaviour whist Marcus had been his teacher. "I am sorry about that, too." Carlisle offered meekly, not daring to look up from the floor.

"I excused your behaviour then, newborns are temperamental beings. But now ... and without even the offer of any reasoning. Disappointing, Carlisle. Violating my privacy and my generosity and for no good cause. Very disappointing."

Carlisle felt his face flush with a phantom blush, his shame burning into his cheeks.

Caius was all but bouncing in his seat, truly enjoying the floor show! _I'_ _d have happily paid an entrance fee to witness such an event and here it is for free,_ he thought gleefully.

Basileus wasn't having that. "Carlisle, sit," he ordered simply once he was sure Marcus was done, much to Carlisle's relief.

"Caius!" the creator called out, snapping the master from his thoughts. "Perhaps we should talk about your treatment of that poor waif whilst we are all together?" Basileus captured the attention of the entire room and cast that attention directly on Caius.

"Huh?!" Caius questioned dumbfounded.

"Lucy!" Basileus confirmed the 'waif' in question.

"I am sure I don't know what you mean, my lord." Caius' earlier glee over public scoldings had, unsurprisingly, completely dissipated now.

"Would you like me to spell it out?" Basileus asked evilly.

Caius stopped breathing as he looked around the room. Most looked on awkwardly. Carlisle and Aro, however, appeared a little smug. "Perhaps we could discuss this in private, my lord?" Caius asked desperately.

Basileus nodded slowly. "That may be for the best, especially if the matter becomes physical between us."

Caius nearly chocked on his own venom. "My lord, I would never ... "

Basileus' booming laughter interrupted Caius. "No, Caius, you wouldn't get physical with me. But, me with you ... we'll see won't we."

The tension in the room was starting to agitate Magnus. He thumbed through the guard lists from Aro in an attempt to distract himself. "The wage packets we decide on for the guards ... " he mused aloud, "can they be sanctioned based on performance, behaviour and the like?"

Aro smiled slyly to his co-master. "Indeed, they can, and I hope you will choose to do so. I think sanctions on their wages will instill model behaviour from our guards."

All the other adults muttered their agreements as Aro's four children and Athenodora's ladies in waiting wore thunderous expressions.

"Especially the younger ones, don't you think?" Carmen whispered to Sulpicia, who readily agreed, earning them both a toddlerish scowl from Felix and Demetri.

"We will never see a penny of that money!" Demetri whispered to his brother.

Felix was about to respond when he looked up in time to see Basileus giving him a very clear warning with his raised eyebrows.

Felix was a little less pissed off with losing his allowance now that Carlisle was also going to be similarly punished, although he knew it was spiteful of him. "I am really sorry, too, Marcus," he said quietly.

Marcus looked the youth up and down. "Well, you will both be coming with me after we have finished here - you are to clean my quarters," he said pointedly.

"You didn't have Marcus' quarters cleaned?" Atia asked Aro in surprise.

"I have been busy!" he shot back. "Some of us have work to do."

Atia slapped Aro's arm, the only part of him in reachable distance.

Aro was ready to respond but he noted the look of daring in his mother's eyes and thought better of it in such large company. "It was an oversight. Although ... Carlisle and Felix cleaning up is sweet justice really, don't you think?" he asked the group.

Caius agreed but he was bored - he had hoped Aro would stand up to Atia so he could enjoy another floor show.

Aro caught Caius' expression and he knew what his brother was thinking. He also knew exactly how to wind Caius up in return. "Sulpicia and Carmen will be taking care of the administration of coven pay matters. Please direct any queries to them," Aro announced, watching Caius and Athenodora's reaction.

He was pleased to see mild annoyance for two reasons. Firstly, they knew well enough not to kick up a fuss, and secondly, they were a little annoyed ... he liked that.

Atia saw the glee chance his face. She most definitely did not like that.

"When is pay day brother?" Eleazar had taken note of Atia's scowl ... even if Aro had failed to notice how close to the line he was dancing ... and attempted to divert everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

Aro clapped his hands together. "I am glad you asked, El. I believe our good ladies have worked out payment schedules to begin at the end of this month." Aro turned to Magnus and Freyr. "That should be enough time for you to work out what you will do with the guards, yes?"

Magnus smiled tightly as he tapped his breast pocket where his booklet was held again. "Plenty, Aro."

"Wonderful. Since a good many of the guards are home now, we shall address them tomorrow. I will leave you to inform the stragglers as, and when, they return."

Magnus and Freyr agreed, both thinking of how to construct their guards' new roles with varied remuneration attached.

"Where is all of this money coming from, Aro?" Caius asked, wondering how much Aro had been holding out on him over the years if he could suddenly afford to dish out such handsome wages to their coven.

Aro spun around to face Caius and Athenodora who was seated next to him. "It will be a combined effort to begin with, brother." Aro bowed to his father. "Basileus has agreed to partly fund the new payroll until the covens pay us tribute. I will put up the rest from my own treasury."

Caius cupped his chin with one hand and wore a rare face of contemplation. "So this, all of this," he said waving his slip of parchment around with his free hand, "relies on the covens you invite to join our forces to be willing to pay us for the privilege?"

Aro smiled as he paced around the group. "That's about the size of it."

Caius shook his head. "That's a huge risk, Aro! What if they refuse? Will you take back the payroll you promised? We will have an uprising!"

Aro's tinkling laughter filled the room, giving the impression that the books which lined the walls were the source of the laughter. "Have faith, brother," Aro said happily, "there's always Plan B."

Caius looked warily around the room, glad to see that everyone else looked just as mystified by Aro's Plan B as he did - no one knew what he meant.

"And Plan B is?" Eleazar asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"We will become money lenders to the humans. We may do that alongside the coven tributes, in fact. I can see no reason why we shouldn't do both."

Basileus had heard enough. He was behind his son with the changes to the administration and the payroll introduction, he had even promised to back him in his plans to unite the covens if Aro could convince Marcus of the same. _But this_? he questioned. _No_!

"Aro you are going too far, this is too much risk!"

Aro shrugged. "It's easy money, my lord."

"I will not have humans coming to this castle, begging for money!" Basileus boomed.

Aro held up his hands placatingly. "I would not wish that either, my lord. It was just an idea."

 _I know you better than that,_ _son_! Basileus thought. "Well you can forget the idea. It isn't happening. Put your efforts into getting the covens on board to pay tribute instead, or you will be funding this whole thing from your own coffers."

Aro felt a flash anger transverse through his body but, save for his eyes widening briefly, he managed to contain himself.

"Are we finished here, Aro?" Marcus asked. "I wish to have my quarters returned to a usable state before the day is out," he said, glaring at Carlisle.

Felix was relieved to see much of Marcus' annoyance was directed towards his uncle but he was still concerned about being alone with the master in his private chambers.

Aro smiled to his brother-in-law. "We are, indeed. Please keep Felix within your sights, brother."

Felix released a shaky sigh as he got to his feet. He bowed to Marcus as he passed. With one last look over his shoulder to make sure Carlisle was following, Felix trudged out of the library behind Marcus.

"I need to have the measurements for the tailors ready by this evening," Freyr said, pulling her mate to his feet along with her. "I will visit your household shortly, my ladies," she offered politely before leaving with Magnus.

The rest of the gathering soon followed, dispersing to their own areas of the castle.


	74. Clean Up Crew

**AN:** I don't own bugger all :)

My lovely Beta has had such a rough time recently so we are a little slow getting these through. I am forever grateful for all the time and effort she gives to this story. Plenty more to come so stick with us :)

* * *

 **CLEAN UP CREW**

Felix heaved when he walked into Marcus' chambers behind the master and his uncle. The stench of his regurgitated blood vomit which had been allowed to ferment for a little over a week was now potent and if felt like the tiny hairs in his nostrils were burning.

"I suggest you put every effort into not adding to the work, Felix," Marcus said, plainly referring to Felix' sickened state.

"Understood, master."

Marcus scoffed to the boy's politeness. "It is a little late in the day to be pretending you have any respect for me, Felix," he said frostily as he slammed the newly replaced door to his quarters. "I suppose I should thank you both for the new door ... though I would rather there had been no need for a replacement."

Felix glanced over to Carlisle for help.

"Marcus, I apologise unreservedly for trespassing against you. Please understand that Felix had little do with ... " Carlisle stopped talking when Marcus turned his back on him.

"You can start cleaning my quarters. Begin in the bathroom."

Carlisle bit his lip as he winced at Marcus' tone. "Certainly," he offered before retreating to the hallway.

Felix looked frantically between his uncle and Marcus. _Fuck_ _, no_! _Carlisle don'_ _t leave me on my own with him_! Felix didn't have too long for the panic to really take hold.

Marcus took the young guard by his arm and directed him over to the rotting rug in the centre of the room where Felix' sick pile was still prominent. "Would you have broken into Caius' chambers? Or Magnus' even?" Marcus asked as he glared at Felix.

 _Oh fuck, this is not going to end well_ , Felix thought solemnly. "Well, no ... "

"Why?" Marcus snapped in return.

Felix had forgotten how ferocious Marcus used to be before he had withdrawn within himself since losing his mate. _Which was my fault_ , Felix reminded himself, adding to his sense of doom. "I guess they wouldn't be as forgiving as you ... " he ventured, hoping to appeal to Marcus' good side.

His short explanation wasn't received as intended. Marcus erupted! "Do you believe me to be weak, Felix?!" He looked ready to tear off the boy's head.

Felix attempted to create a little distance between the two of them and backed up slowly, only to have Marcus take him roughly by the back of his neck and force his head down to his knees. Felix's face was directly above his pile of festering vomit and the smell assaulted his senses.

"No master. I certainly do not think you weak!" he rushed, wanting to quickly please Marcus.

"I have had you quaking in my presence before now. If you think that losing my mate has made me weak, you are mistaken."

Felix could feel himself tremble in the master's hold and his palms felt clammy. "I don't think that, though!" he implored desperately. He was trying to remain respectful and comply with the position Marcus wished him to be in, but bending over double was uncomfortable and the stench of the stale sick only a few feet from his face was forcing Felix to push back on Marcus' force. It was an involuntary response, but when Marcus felt Felix attempting to break his stance he squeezed so tightly on the boy's neck that his own hand turn bright white and shook with the force.

"You do think me weak, you said as much - you wouldn't have trespassed against Caius or stolen from him." Marcus didn't even sound like Marcus, not recent Marcus at any rate.

Felix thought the master sounded strong, steadfast, and very, very capable of tearing him a new asshole if he so wished. "Caius is unusually cruel," he answered, thinking it was obvious why he wouldn't have dreamed of fucking with Caius.

"Magnus isn't cruel," Marcus shot back.

"He's hard as nails," Felix said to himself, though sadly for Felix, Marcus heard him and shoved the boy to the floor ... where he landed on the rug, the rug which was a quagmire of rotting fibres from the venomous regurgitated blood.

Felix heaved. He hadn't fed since before the last time he was sick in Marcus' chambers and he was almost certain that there was nothing in his stomach to bring up, but the sensation panicked him anyway.

"So you do think I am weak, Felix!" Marcus boomed standing over the boy.

"No! Forgiving, Marcus, I think you are forgiving. Forgiveness is not a weakness, master," Felix replied, breaking off now and then to dry retch some more.

"Maybe not, but it appears to have cost me my privacy and my possessions."

There was so much hate in Marcus' tone, but something told Felix that it wasn't entirely directed at him. Nor Carlisle for that matter. He made a mental note to talk to Aro about it when he had the chance.

Felix could feel his knees becoming damp and knowing what the moisture was only served to turn his stomach again. _Oh_ _,_ _for fuck sake_ , _I will never be able to get the smell out of my clothes_. _Shit_! _These are Aro_ _'_ _s clothes, he_ _'_ _s going to go crazy_! "Please master, I give you my word that this will not happen again." He was desperate to get off the floor - even cleaning the sick up would be better than sitting in it!

Marcus scoffed to Felix. "Your word doesn't mean very much at the moment, boy." As Carlisle had appeared in the doorway, Marcus turned his eye on him. "That goes for you both," he said with great disappointment.

"Perhaps in time we will be able to regain your trust, Marcus," Carlisle offered gently before asking what he should do next.

…

"Hello?" Eleazar called out as he rapped gently on the chamber door.

"Come in Eleazar," Marcus replied from his window seat.

"Where are they?" Eleazar asked as he looked around Marcus' main chamber. It was immaculate. _It'_ _s never been so tidy in here,_ Eleazar thought.

"Are you here to collect them, El?" Marcus asked in return.

"I am. Well, Carlisle anyway. Aro will be along for Felix in a moment, I believe."

Marcus nodded. "Well, they have done a grand job. They are cleaning themselves up now, I believe."

Eleazar whistled as he moved around Marcus' living room. "Forgive me, my friend, but I never realised how big this room was before." Marcus laughed lightly, though he had to agree. "Aro has said I will be hosting one of the visiting covens so I have made a little space. Or rather, Felix and Carlisle have!"

Aro entered the chambers, happy to hear Felix had done his duty. "Why are all your books in the hallway? Surely you aren't throwing these away?" he asked.

The piles of books usually strewn around Marcus' living space were stacked neatly in the hallway at the top of the stairs.

Marcus smiled, feeling quite pleased with himself. "They reek of your son's vomit, Aro. So, I have decided Felix and Carlisle can copy them out fresh for me."

Eleazar burst out laughing. "Well, Carlisle did say he wanted to learn ... this sounds ideal!"

Aro, too, was most pleased with Marcus' genius ... and rather appropriate ... idea. "As punishments go, it is unusual. I am happy with that, Marcus," he said, congratulating his co-master.

"They will also have to go and beg Caius for the parchment and ink," Marcus added with a coy smile.

Aro guffawed at the very idea. _Brilliant_! "So, you are going for cruel and unusual discipline, brother. I will oversee the 'begging'." _Overse_ _e ... I wouldn_ _'_ _t miss it for the world_!

"I'm coming, too!" Eleazar spluttered out between laughter.

Carlisle and Felix had heard the conversation ... they couldn't drag out 'washing their hands' any longer.

"Come on, we need to get this over with," Carlisle prompted, pushing Felix out the bathroom door.

"There you are," Aro sang out happily as they came into view, though the smile soon fell from his face when he saw the state of Felix's clothes. _MY clothes,_ he corrected himself. "Couldn't you have kept him clean?" Aro whined to his co-master.

"I could say the same to you about my apartment!" Marcus replied in jest.

Aro offered a coy smile. "Touché, brother."

Aro felt his heart lift hearing Marcus' playfulness - the time away from coven life had done Marcus a world of good. As he glanced around the living space, he noticed many of his sister's things to be missing. Didyme was as much as a hoarder as Marcus and their large, eclectic collection of trinkets and souvenirs from their regular travels had once filled the walls (and much of the floor space). But it was all gone. Aro felt a deep sadness at seeing his sister's removal from his coven, but he didn't blame Marcus. Indeed, if it would help with his brother-in-law's mood, Aro was all for it. _Still, it_ _'s sad_ , he thought.

Aro beckoned his son close and held out a hand.

Felix huffed. "I haven't done anything," he whispered, feeling embarrassed.

"I can't trust you anymore," Aro said flatly as he waited for his boy to comply.

When Felix thrust his own hand into his father's he glared at Aro.

Aro ignored him as he read through the boy's mind. He saw nothing to concern him, and no conspiring with Carlisle either, thankfully.

"See?!" Felix sneered when Aro released him.

Aro merely raised an eyebrow to his boy before turning to Marcus. "Are you sure you don't want to slap him around a bit?"

Marcus pretended to consider Aro's offer whilst Felix whined about how unfair his life was. "I think I'll leave that for you to do, Aro. But," Marcus turned to Felix and Carlisle, "I do expect my books to be rewritten perfectly ... and quickly."

Carlisle agreed. He was looking forward to writing them out and he hoped he would learn something along the way. He was sure Eleazar would help him with the reading if he struggled. His penmanship wasn't perfect, but it had improved immeasurably since his human attempts.

"I will want my originals back, of course, so I can check your work," Marcus added, resulting in Felix scowling.

 _I bet he throws our copies out, I bet he does. Bastard. This is pointless_! _This is the most Aro-like thing you have ever done. Maybe even Caius-like. For fuck sake_!

Aro could see his boy was getting restless and it was time to leave. "Are you done with them, brother?" Aro asked.

"For now, Aro," Marcus replied, seeing them out.

"I'll send someone for the books," Aro sang out as they headed down the stairs.

"To Caius then, I suppose," Eleazar suggested.

"This will be fun," Aro replied happily.

Carlisle and Felix scowled to each other but kept their mouths shut.

They made it to the dungeons in silence, apart from popping to the guard hall to send some guards to deliver the books from Marcus' chambers to Eleazar's. That was the only benefit of Basileus not forgiving Carlisle - he had booted his son out to Eleazar's chambers. Eleazar hadn't been overjoyed, but he could see that his father was still genuinely hurt over Carlisle's actions so he had to suck it up for the time being.

"Will you ask, Dad?" Felix broached as they headed down the stone steps.

"Nope," Aro replied happily. He knew he was taking far too much joy from this but then again, why shouldn't he. He'd already taken the shame of explaining the whole fiasco to Marcus so he felt the pair of them bowing and scraping to Caius was justified.

"But, he won't say no if you ask!" Felix implored, sounding desperate.

"He won't say no to you either, if you ask properly."

Eleazar nudged Aro. "I don't know, they may have to offer some sort of recompense. They will be needing an awful lot of parchment, after all."

Aro nodded. "You may be right there, brother."

Carlisle saw Felix start to sweat. "What sort of services?" he asked, praying it would be nothing sordid ... they all knew Caius' inclination for pain and humiliation. _Fucking sadist,_ Carlisle thought.

"Well you are qualified cleaners now, and you even have a work reference ... " Aro had to stop talking as both he and Eleazar nearly fell down the last few steps in their bellyaching laughter.

"You are both bastards, you know!" Carlisle said as he shoved past them.

Oh, how Felix wished he could have gotten away with saying that.

"Caius!" Aro called out when they reached his playroom.

"I'm not having them, Aro! Find another babysitter," Caius answered when he saw Felix and Carlisle.

"They won't be staying, they have work to do," Eleazar said, giving his youngest brother a nudge with his shoulder.

"Go ahead," Aro prompted, pushing Felix forward.

Felix sighed shakily ... he was scared of Caius. _Hell, everyone is scared of Caius,_ he thought. Truthfully most of the guards were scared of all of the masters - they all had the power, not to mention the skill - to end their immortal lives at will. But Caius was particularly cruel in his ways - fear of his rebuttal always had just cause.

Feeling a jab in his back from Aro, Felix steeled himself for the begging to commence. "Master Caius may we borrow some parchment and ink?" he said, with Carlisle quickly adding on a 'please' for them both.

Caius leaned back into the damp stone wall and folded his arms across his chest. "What is this about, Aro?" he asked.

"Nothing to do with me, brother. Marcus wants the two of them to rewrite his entire library. So …" he said simply, trailing off and giving a shrug.

"His ENTIRE collection?" Caius questioned in shock. "That will take all the supplies we have!"

"Well, we can't do it then can we?" Felix stated more than asked, turning a smug smile on his father.

"I didn't say that," Caius corrected the youth. "But how am I supposed to replace it?"

Felix and Carlisle gulped. They both knew how Caius made the parchment ... they didn't fancy replacing it with their own skin.

"Can they pay for it?" Caius asked, looking to Aro and Eleazar.

Aro shook his head and left Eleazar to reply.

"I suggest a trade of some kind. Services they could provide, perhaps."

Caius cupped his chin with one hand. "They won't work for me, they will be more trouble than they are worth!"

 _He_ _ha_ _s a point_ , Aro had to admit it. He leaned into his son's ear. "You had better convince him you will be a pleasure to have down here or you will be asking Marcus for a different punishment. I doubt he will be so gentle a second time, son."

Felix closed his eyes. He was tempted to take a thrashing from Marcus instead of writing out all those books.

Aro heard his boys wavering thoughts. "Perhaps Marcus will just have you whipped again, and now that he is here to deliver the strokes I have nothing against it."

Felix's head shot up and he began rambling off every offer of help in the book with ... promises of perfect behaviour and even a vow of silence whilst under Caius' direction.

Caius was loving it. He let Felix continue for a few minutes before he turned to Carlisle and gestured for him to join in, too.

"Please, Caius. We need to do this for Marcus, we owe him. We will do whatever you want to cover the use of the parchment and ink."

Caius laughed. "You are looking at skinning over 100 vampires to replace the amount of parchment you need, Carlisle. Are you going to help me with that?"

Felix started dry retching again. _I can_ _'_ _t skin someone_ , he thought desperately.

"You may be better suited to working on the parchment process, Felix. He's gone green, Aro!" Caius mocked the boy to his father.

"If only misbehaviour could illicit such a reaction, eh!" Aro returned.

"If Felix helps with the parchment process I will help with the skinning," Carlisle eventually offered, feeling faint at the very thought.

"Wonderful!" Aro exclaimed and clapped his hands together.

Caius went and opened the storeroom. Deep shelving lined the back wall, upon which were stacked piles of parchment, already cut and arranged in quires and prepared to be written upon.

"But ... " Caius said sickly sweetly, "you two assisting with the replacement of my stock is only payment for the use of the goods. How are you going to convince me to let you have it?"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Felix asked, perplexed.

"Not at all," Caius scoffed. "It will take a few years to replace all of this," he said as he gestured to his stock. "If you are happy to wait those few years then there is no further payment necessary. If, however, you wish to take the parchments and ink today, you must offer me something else on top."

Carlisle cringed. _I should have guessed as much_ , he thought.

Felix scratched the ground with his foot, hoping someone else would sort it all out for him.

"Well!" Aro half shouted at the petulant youth. "What will you offer?"

 _Fuck off,_ _Aro_! Felix thought, like the moody teen he was. _I'_ _ve just spent all afternoon scrubbing for Marcus, I_ _'_ _m not doing it for Caius, too_!

"What do you need doing, Caius?" Eleazar asked. It had been fun watching the troublesome pair and their awkwardness but he wanted to get back to Carmen now.

"Basileus has told me I need the dungeons in pristine condition before Aro's little conference. I was going to have the job put on the guard rota and pay for the service ... but I would accept it as payment from these two instead."

Felix shot a disgusted look to his father who had happily answered 'yes' for him and Carlisle.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Felix asked Caius, hopefully.

Caius would have said yes, it was no difference to him, but Aro butted in before he had the chance.

"No!" he said forcefully. "You can do it tonight. I am not having you ruin another set of my clothes tomorrow."

Caius laughed. "Why is he wearing your clothes again?"

Shaking his head wearily, Aro replied, "it's a long story for another day, brother. We will take their writing supplies now, Caius. Please keep them within your sight and they will be collected at midnight."

"That doesn't leave them much time ... " Eleazar said, thinking it was already late in the evening.

"They had better get started then, hadn't they, because if I have to wait for them to finish when I collect them I will not be pleased."

Though Aro's underlying threat was aimed at his son, it equally applied to Carlisle. Since Aro had whipped him, Carlisle believed Aro would think nothing of punishing him again if he had to and there was no way on god's green earth Carlisle was going to give his brother just cause.

Felix and Carlisle scurried to the cleaning cupboard, much to the amusement of Aro and Eleazar.

Caius loaded a basket with the parchment and gave it to Eleazar whilst Aro collected ink pots and a huge bundle of quills.

"I will see you tonight, Caius," Aro called over his shoulder before leaving the dungeons. He knew when he checked Felix's thoughts later that they would be full of expletives for the lowly position of coven scrubber, into which he'd been forced, and Aro knew those expletives would all be about him! But, as the coven king had spent the last week with Felix hardly talking to him, and Sulpicia moaning at him, he really didn't care anymore.


	75. Tempering

**AN:** I don't own anything, yadda yadda, thank you SM for letting us play with your world.

* * *

 **TEMPERING**

After their minor altercation in the library, Basileus decided to seek out Caius and talk to him in greater depth over his treatment of Lucy. When he arrived outside Caius' door, he could hear shouting coming from within. Rather than knocking, as he usually would have, he threw the door open and invited himself in. Seeing Basileus standing in the doorway, the entire room froze. It wasn't often that the creator visited Caius' quarters, and never so impolitely or unannounced.

"My lord?" Athenodora asked, wondering what the man would want with her.

"What was going on?" Basileus asked, ignoring Athenodora and directing his question directly to Lucy.

She appeared to have fresh bruising to her face, her cheek certainly wasn't so grey and swollen when Basileus had seen her in the library.

"What has he done to you?" Basileus asked gently, ignoring Athenodora's protests.

"My lord, Lucy is quite simply out of control," Athenodora interjected from her seat whilst barely looking up from her needlework.

Basileus narrowed his eyes to the nasty, lying bitch as he took Lucy's hand and pulled her to the window. Gently he turned her face into the light and saw the cracks in her check, evidence of a severe blow.

"This cannot go on any longer." Basileus sounded exasperated. "Where is Caius?"

Athenadora looked up to see Basileus vibrating with rage. "I believe he is tidying up in the dungeons - at your request."

 _Every word you say is delivered with spite_ , Basileus said to himself.

Looking back to the waif, Basileus noticed how black the girl's eyes were. "Are you angry, Lucy?"

"No, my lord," Lucy breathed in response. She seemed so weak, so fragile.

"When did you last feed?" he pushed, though Basileus looked directly at Athenodora, who squirmed under the creator's gaze.

"A few months ago, my lord."

The master's wife's eyes widened hearing Lucy tell Basileus the truth. She had been sure she would lie on their behalf and she was angry that Lucy had betrayed her and Caius so easily.

"Why, Athenodora?!" Basileus ground out to the embarrassed woman who had at least a shred of decency and looked ashamed by the revelation.

"Discipline, Basileus. Lucy is non-compliant, she won't follow the rules."

Basileus scoffed. "And what rules would they be, then?" Shaking his head, Basileus' black hair danced across his forehead. "You and Caius are cruel and I am ending it today," he said resolutely as he began to guide Lucy from the room.

"Where is she going? Athenodora asked. "I need her, she is my servant!" Athenodora rightly shut her mouth when she heard Basileus begin to growl.

"Lucy is not your servant. Your mistreatment of her requires me to remove her from your care. I will do the same with any others I deem you to be treating badly and, believe me, I will be checking."

Lucy waited in the castle hallway for Basileus whist he scanned Heidi's thoughts for any maltreatment. He was quite disgusted by what he saw. Caius' sexual fantasies had seemingly reached new heights with the siren living in his quarters, but he wasn't hurting her ... well, not without her permission, at any rate. _Sick cunt_ _,_ Basileus thought, shaking his head of the memory.

"Athenodora," he called out before closing the door, "I do not like the way you speak to Heidi, I will check again in a week's time and I hope to find your manner improved."

Athenadora looked ready to spit venom in the creator's face.

Indeed, he heard her desire to do just that in her thoughts. Heidi seemed to quite enjoy living with Caius and Athenodora, though for the life of him, Basileus couldn't work out why!

"Come with me," Basileus said gently as he extended his hand to Lucy.

The poor wretch looked scared to death and she didn't have a clue what was going on. Basileus was worried about her mental state and he knew it was, at least partly, his doing. He couldn't blame Caius for it all. It was Basileus, after all, who had ordered Demetri to end his relationship with her, though he feared it was Aro's idea of using Chelsea's gift that would have done this level of damage.

Since Chelsea had broken the young lovers' bonds, Basileus had noted that Demetri seemed a little more volatile than usual ... but he hadn't spent much time with the boy and put it down to Demetri being pissed off with him over the whole affair. Lucy, though ... she appeared to have become a ghost, a shell without any impulse or feeling at all.

"Would you be happier back in the guard hall?"

Lucy looked up to the creator, he was a giant of a man, especially compared to the slight girl Lucy was, and she craned her neck back to see his face. "You aren't going to dispatch me?" she asked plainly, seeming to have little interest in the answer.

Basileus stopped them both and leaned down to cup her face. "You are not to blame for any of this, Lucy. You will have a place in this coven for the rest of your life."

Lucy looked ready to cry, but it wouldn't come. Ever since Chelsea had played with her emotional bonds, she felt like a part of her was missing. She knew when she should feel something, and even what she should feel ... but the actual feeling wouldn't come – good or bad, there was just nothing.

Basileus stood up straight. _Fuck_. _We have broken her_! "I'm taking you to Magnus. If anyone can put this right, he can." He was speaking as much to himself as he was to Lucy, and he truly hoped the guard master could give the girl her emotions back.

When Basileus reached the guard hall, he called out for Magnus and Freyr. They came straight to him, of course.

"What has he done to her now?" Freyr spat, disgusted by her co-leader and his vicious handling of such a fragile vampire.

"He won't be doing it again, I can assure you," Basileus replied, though he heard in Freyr's thoughts that he was doing too little too late. He would usually have called someone out for thinking such a thing of him, but he couldn't in good conscience do that this time - Freyr was right and he knew it.

"Will you take her into your quarters until she is well enough to re-join the guards?"

Although Freyr answered immediately that they would, Magnus eyed Lucy curiously. "What is it, my love?" Freyr asked her mate.

"She doesn't feel anything," he replied, taking Lucy's hands in his own and attempting to draw her emotions. "There's nothing in her," he said sadly.

"Erm, yes, about that ... " Basileus started, but he didn't really know what to say. "She hasn't fed recently ... "

"Months, more like!" Freyr corrected him firmly.

Basileus grimaced. _You are a hard woman_ , _shield maiden_ _,_ he thought, but again she spoke the truth. That was the thing about Freyr ... if you were at the end of a sharp tongue from her you would have earned it.

Magnus didn't need to hear anymore. "I'll take her," he said as he took Lucy into his arms, protectively hugging her to his chest. "I think I can fix this."

Basileus heard Magnus' thoughts were less certain than his tone, but he felt a little relief that Magnus would at least give it his best shot.

Magnus picked up on the creator's feelings and though he nearly held his tongue, one look at Lucy and he knew it needed to be said. "Perhaps we can save Chelsea's talents for our enemies from now on?"

Basileus bit his lip. "I will pass that on to Aro." With that, he left the masters and sought out a few members of the guard to discuss proper decorum. It was a job he was planning to save for later, but as he was already in the guard hall it made sense for him to do it now. He also knew if he didn't have a short interlude before seeing Caius they would be needing a replacement coven leader before nightfall!

Heading straight for Phillipe and Richard, Basileus strolled over to the mated pair hoping to assure himself of their loyalties to the Volturi coven.

Phillipe had been taken as war booty from the French coven almost a century before. War booty or not, Aro was having Phillipe as soon as he saw the French vampire's gift - Phillipe could levitate! His early years with the coven had been fraught with Phillipe struggling to find his place in such a large coven. Chelsea had successfully broken the man's bonds with the French coven but it took until Richard joined the coven as a home grown newborn for Phillipe to settle into Volturi life. They fell in love at first sight.

Though Phillipe had never attempted to leave and he had seemed happy since Richard's arrival, around fifty years now, Basileus still wanted to be sure of where his current loyalty lay. Clicking his fingers once to the pair, Richard and Phillipe flowed Basileus to Magnus' table.

"Take a seat," he offered whist making himself at home in Magnus' chair. Richard sat immediately, having always been particularly obedient, whilst Phillipe, true to form, made more of a meal of it, scraping his chair noisily across the floor and moodily plonking himself down.

"Problem?" Basileus asked him, with a look that dared him to say yes.

"No, my lord," Phillipe returned, though he chose not to look at the creator.

 _Hmm, there clearly is a problem_! Basileus thought, correctly.

It only took him a moment to find Phillipe's concern. _Are they going to give me back to Henri_?

Henri was the leader of the French coven, and although Phillipe's concern was unfounded, it pleased Basileus to hear it. _So you want to stay here, then. This is good news_!

"How do you feel about the covens visiting?" he asked the pair outright.

Richard looked nervously to Phillipe in the hope he would answer for the pair of them.

"That depends on whether I will be going home with them or not," the sullen young man replied.

"Oh Phillipe, must everything be a challenge with you? You are beginning to sound like Lev!" Basileus spoke loudly enough so every guard in the hall could hear his conversation and he had to smile when he heard Lev grunting about what a sarcastic cock the creator was.

Turning back to the two vampires he had before him, Basileus put Phillipe out of his misery. "This is your home. We haven't arranged the covens' attendance as some elaborate plan to send you packing, Phillipe!"

Phillipe's features softened as the relief wore on his face.

"Unless you would like to leave, of course. No one will stop you, but it will not be our desire," Basileus added.

To give a good impression, he wanted everyone as relaxed as possible when the covens arrived. _Relaxed_ , he said to himself, _I will need Magnus to work his magic if I am to relax, damn stupid plan_!

Basileus shook the thoughts from his mind. _Marcus has agreed, so it_ _'_ _s happening now. I need to pave the way for Aro to convince the other covens to join us, so getting any possible troublemakers in shape it is_!

"Well, do you want to leave?" Basileus pushed. He wanted to hear them both say they were Volturi true before he left them.

"No my lord, we are Volturi. I know my beginnings here were fretful, but," Phillipe turned to Richard to ensure he could say this for them both. Richard offered his mate a warm smile that told Phillipe to continue. "This is our home. Volturi guards is all we want to be."

Basileus smiled broadly. "That's what I wanted to hear. I expect you to make a special effort with Henri and anyone he brings. You know him better than anyone else in our coven does and it's important that the visiting covens are welcomed into our halls. Understood?"

Both Richard and Phillipe nodded and Basileus noticed how much more relaxed they appeared already. _Aro_ _, you are going to have to sell this to the guards - everyone in this place is a bag of nerves over your ridiculous plan_!

"Go on, get back to whatever you were doing. Send Lev and his merry band to me."

"I heard you, my lord!" Lev called out as he approached with his mate, Katerina, and her brother Mikhail, passing Richard and Phillipe on their way over. Lev, Katerina and Mikhail were the only three Romanian coven vampires that the Volturi had ever allowed to live. Captured at the scene of the Romanian wars back in 510, the trio had already broken ties with Vladimir and Stefan and were discovered by Volturi guards when they were attempting to kill off Stefan's private troops.

Katerina and Mikhail had similar vampiric beginnings as the twins - they were being burned alive before their transformation. Lev had been stalking Katerina for some time and when on his daily visit to her village he saw the pair tied at the stake and he used his own gift of incredible speed to untie them and carry them both to safety. Lev's lightfooted gift meant he achieved his goal without the scars Aro had been left with when he retrieved the twins.

Before the humans had realised their bodies were missing, Lev had rounded them up and snapped every neck in sight.

When Katerina awoke, she was bestowed with the ability to create ice from thin air and, even for a vampire, she was incredibly cold. Mikhail, on the other hand, didn't develop a remedy to the blaze that killed them. Instead, he became the blaze. Mikhail could self-ignite into a ball of fire without injury – truly remarkable for a vampire. They had joined the Romanian forces shortly after, but it didn't take long for friction to emerge between Lev and Stefan and the trio left before the Romanian leaders could kill Lev.

"What do you want with us?" Lev asked in his gruff Russian tone.

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek. _Not today Lev, not_ _today_!

Lev was the only vampire in the coven who was brave enough (or should that be stupid enough?) to regularly speak out of turn to the creator. On a good day Basileus enjoyed the purposeless battle between them ... but today was not a good day!

"I want to talk to you about the visiting covens ... "

"I am sure Master Aro will provide an address before their arrival," Lev interrupted Basileus and appeared bored by him.

"Lev, I will warn you once. I'm not playing your games today." Basileus stood from his seat and glared down his nose at the Russian vampire. Eventually, Lev turned his gaze to the floor.

"Of course Aro will address the guard body before the covens arrive, that goes without saying. I, however, want to make my own address and it's mainly directed at you!"

Basileus shoved Lev in the chest and when he heard the rumblings of a growl begin, he shoved him again, harder. "I need your assurance that you will be cordial to our guest and respectful to the masters of this coven."

"When am I not those things?" Lev literally spat his reply.

Basileus grimaced to his tone and hooked a fist under the younger vampire's chin, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Most of the time, actually." Basileus answered his question and waited for the reaction he knew was coming.

As if he had been commanded, Lev scoffed and threw a filthy look to Basileus.

With a sad sigh, Basileus put a hand around Lev's throat and lifted him clear off the floor. "Kat, Mik," he said through gritted teeth, "I assume I can rely on the two of you to keep Lev in line when our halls are filled with visitors?"

Both nodded rapidly. They rarely spoke, which is probably why they got on so well with Lev. Lev could cause an argument in an empty room, so with the pair of them not saying a word he had less ammunition.

"Wonderful."

With that, Basileus turned back to Lev who was trying to claw Basileus' hand from around his throat. "You know Lev, you are a brilliant member of this guard." He threw Lev to the floor before continuing, "I know that if you are given a duty it will be completed, if you are taken on a mission you will be successful, if there is a rule you will follow it. But god damn!"

Basileus removed the belt from around his waist. Lev curled into a ball in response, he had been in this position many times. "You have the social skills of pond scum!"

With that Basileus released strike after strike with his belt, not caring where it landed. Lev didn't make a sound, he never did. He was the only member of the guard that Basileus disciplined with any regularity and every time Lev would just take what was given in silence. At around strike 28, Basileus landed his belt across Lev's shoulders with the very tip curling over and caught his neck. Lev gasped in pain, so it must have really, really hurt! That gasp from the ultra-stoic guard was enough for the creator to end his lightning fast assault.

Dragging Lev to his feet, Basileus wrapped his arm around the guard's shoulders and drew him in close. "I know you struggle with authority, and most of the time I let it go ... but this event is important and I need to be assured that you will do everything within your power to convince the visiting covens to join our cause."

Lev's breathing was unsteady and he had to take a few deep breaths before he could answer - his back burned like a bitch! "You know you can rely on me! I do not see the need for all this fuss!"

Basileus rolled his eyes to Lev's gruff tone. _Neither do I_! Basileus thought. _Why_ couldn't you have just said that in the first fucking place?!

"Are we done?" Lev asked as he tried to breathe through his pain.

Basileus simply nodded and watched his guard walk away in silence. Thing was, Basileus did take Lev at his word because Lev, as obstinate as he could be, never broke his word.

Before Basileus could leave, Magnus had returned.

"How is she?" he asked the master, regarding Lucy.

Magnus lifted his wrist and showed Basileus the nearly healed teeth marks in his skin. "Better now she has had some blood."

Basileus was taken aback. Vampire blood was potent to a healthy vampire. It would elicit an intoxicated state similar to humans on magic mushrooms. Indeed, vampires enjoyed magic mushrooms too, but they had to take huge quantities to get the same results as drinking a small cup full of vampire blood. Along with its hallucinogenic effects, some mated couples would blood-swap in their foreplay believing it created a stronger bond between pairs. It could also aid healing and restful sleep, which was Magnus' reasoning for feeding Lucy.

"Did it work? Is she rejuvenated?"

Magnus shook his head sadly. "It will take more, she is very weak, my lord. I am hoping giving her my blood will speed up the process."

Basileus agreed but felt he should warn the master. "She will bond with you, too, Magnus, you know that, yes?"

"Well that is another reason for giving her my blood, my lord. Her emotions have disappeared, Basileus! I have never seen such a thing before. If she bonds with me she will feel something and if she feels something, anything, I can draw out her other emotions ... hopefully."

Basileus grimaced. _Poor wretch_ , he thought. "You will need to keep your own blood intake up Magnus, do you have any supplies?"

Magnus sighed. "We ran out of bloodwine a while ago. The next feast isn't for another week."

The entire coven fed together, historically on humans being drawn into the castle from outside Volterra or very occasionally on captured rogue vampires - that was an incredibly rare treat.

More recently, Basileus' bloodwine had been such a hit with the entire coven that most preferred their monthly feeding to come from the alcoholic animal blood, but as Basileus was behind on his brewing they were planning a human feast this month.

"I will have some blood sent to your quarters, Magnus. Stay with the girl."

Before Basileus turned to leave, Magnus pulled the creator back. "My lord, will Caius be ... "

"Magnus, Caius will never lay a finger on Lucy again, and I will be tempering his actions going forward. He may take another guard into his quarters, and for god only knows why, Heidi seems happy there, but this will never happen again."

Basileus was a little surprised to see Carlisle and Felix scrubbing the dungeon cells at warp speed, but a quick check on their memories explained the situation to him.

"Where's Caius?" he asked them gruffly. He still hadn't given Carlisle his forgiveness, and both Carlisle and Felix remained wary around the formidable family patriarch. They didn't have chance to answer before Caius appeared at the entrance to his playroom with what looked like a bag of blood soaked rags.

"My lord?" he called out to the creator.

"In there!" Basileus ordered as he flashed to the coven leader's side.

Cauis looked nervously between his two charges before following Basileus into his playroom and quietly closing the door.

Carlisle and Felix shared a knowing look before they both tiptoed to the paneled door to listen in on the not-so-private conversation taking place within.

Basileus paced around the dimly lit room, making circles of the central fireplace. "You probably believe that as no one has confronted you about your cruel behaviour, that perhaps nobody knows of its going on or even cares. Allow me to disabuse you of that infatuation, now."

Caius' playroom wasn't huge, a quarter of the throne room at a maximum, but the way Basileus bellowed to the coven leader you would believe he thought himself to be on stage at the Globe!

Caius stood frozen to the spot, catching flies with his mouth hung open in shock. He knew when they were in the library earlier that day that he would be answering to Basileus at some point, but he hadn't anticipated that 'some point' would be so soon.

"I need to be able to trust you with your charges or I must reconsider your role in this coven."

That had Caius paying attention.

"Whatever do you mean, my lord?" Caius asked as he desperately tried to remain composed.

"Don't play stupid with me, Caius, it insults us both!" Basileus roared. "I have removed Lucy from your house, you do not deserve her. I will be checking in on Heidi, too, so play nicely there."

Caius had his back pressed into the wall and every time Basileus passed him on his lap around the fireplace he squished himself into the stonework and up onto his toes, as though it would help if Basileus decided to lash out!

"Caius, let me make this clear," Basileus said sternly as he came to a stop in front of him. "I would like you to temper yourself with your dear mate's ladies in waiting from this moment on."

Caius nostrils flared simultaneously, with his eyes widening for a moment, as he felt his stomach flip. _I do not need instructing on how to manage my household, I_ _'_ _m not Aro_!

"You know I can hear you, Caius, yes?"

Caius looked down to the flagstones. "My apologies, my lord. I was caught unawares," he tried to excuse but Basileus wasn't having that.

"Whilst I have you for a moment, you will, in future, restrain yourself with the wider guard," he added with a smile reaching from one side of his face to the other. That smile offered no solace to Caius.

"What do you mean, my lord?" he asked, praying Basileus wasn't saying what Caius thought he was saying.

"I mean you will treat Heidi, and any other guards you choose to take into your quarters, with the respect they are due as members of a royal coven - MY coven! You will fuck your wife, when you feel so inclined, leaving MY guards to Magnus and Freyr to handle from now on."

Caius began to bluster. "You are taking away my coven leader rights," he said in a voice loud enough for the waiting vampires outside the paneled playroom door to hear.

Basileus smiled to the younger man's clear contempt. He took Caius' face in one hand. "I see it more as protecting my coven, Caius. MY coven," he said, as he flexed his grip on Caius' face.

Caius swore he could feel his jaw bones giving under the creator's force. "I understand, my lord," he squeaked out.

"Do you Caius? Do you really?" Basileus asked, his nose almost touching Caius' as he spoke.

He was menacing and Caius knew he was shaking in fear ... and good god, how he hated the automatic response.

Basileus removed his hand from Caius' jaw but he remained only an inch away from Caius' face. Cocking his head to the side, he wondered how to help Caius grasp how serious he was. He had never exactly punished Caius before. The only discipline he had shown Caius, in fact, was to issue an order, and to be fair to Caius, once Basileus said jump, Caius jumped! But he wanted Caius to suffer this time for what he'd done to Lucy. Leaning his head back and shaking the hair from his forehead, Basileus smacked his forehead into Caius' nose! The thud of the blow, followed by the crunch of bone, was only outshone by Caius' guttural roar.

When Basileus stood back he saw Caius go to clutch his face so he knocked his hands away. "I haven't finished yet," he roared at the coven leader.

"I apologise, my lord," Caius said quietly as he placed his hands by his side. He felt blood running down his face and dripping from his chin but he didn't dare wipe it away.

"I heard once that you broke your mate's jaw - is that right?"

Caius wasn't used to be called out on his actions from within his private chambers and he was greatly unnerved. "That is true, my lord," he replied, feeling more shame at the moment than he had ever experienced before in his life.

Basileus heard the thoughts swimming through Caius' mind. "If you feel so ashamed of your actions now you are called on them, you should amend your behaviour in future, Caius."

Caius closed his eyes. He wanted to disagree - his home life had nothing to do with the Volturi, nor Aro or even Basileus in his mind ... usually. But he couldn't argue with Basileus' reasoning - he was right on the nail.

"Anyway," Basileus said, interrupting Caius' self-deprecating thoughts, "you waited until Athenodora had healed before you allowed the break to be fixed ... which I imagine would have required re-breaking and setting properly. Would I be correct there, too?"

Caius sucked in his breath. He could feel that his nose was smashed to pieces and it would be unimaginably painful to have it smashed again when it failed to heal in shape. "You are, my lord."

Basileus smiled slyly. It was a smile Caius recognised as he wore it often himself. "I think you can see where I am going with this."

Caius nodded. _Fuck, even nodding hurts,_ he thought as he winced and bit into his lip to distract himself from the pain.

"My lord, I have duties in the castle, I cannot walk around with my face ... "

Basileus held up his hand to quieten the master. "You can, Caius. You can, and you will. No one is above the law in this coven and justice will be seen to be done. You have abused your status and been unreasonably cruel towards your charge, a member of Volturi guard. Do you not deserve this?"

Caius couldn't say no, not without telling Basileus he was wrong and there was no way he was going to throw himself into the fire like that. "I deserve it, my lord," he sensibly replied.

Basileus smiled. "Good. Than we are finished here. For now."

Caius felt his stomach flip over and he was glad not to have fed recently as he knew he would be wearing said feed on his shoes otherwise. "For now, my lord?"

"Yes Caius, for now. If I feel you have been abusive towards my guard again, I will whip you in the throne room."

Caius gasped. _You wouldn_ _'t_ _,_ he thought desperately.

Basileus smiled to the master's thoughts. "I saw it done to Carlisle - my own son, remember? I hope it won't come to that, of course."

Venom pooled in Caius' throat. Yes, he most definitely would have been sick if there was anything in his stomach.

Basileus flashed to the door and flung it open without warning, hitting both Felix and Carlisle as he did so.

"Are we cleaning the door?" Basileus asked the two-man cleaning crew.

"Just mopping the floor, my lord," Felix replied quickly as he took up his mop from leaning against the wall.

Carlisle backed away slowly. He thought Felix stupid to have lied so blatantly.

"Get back to your scrubbing, Aro will be here presently and you must be finished when he comes, yes?"

They didn't need telling twice - they ran back to the newborn cells they were finishing up with at break neck speed.

"My lord," Caius called, "where is Lucy now?"

 _You_ _don'_ _t even deserve to say her name_! Basileus thought, though he kept it to himself. "She is with Magnus, who is doing his best to repair the damage you have done. I suggest you keep away from Lucy, and Magnus and Freyr for that matter - your fellow masters would happily string you up by your balls right now!"

Caius gulped, and then winced again at the pressure in his broken face. "Understood," he said simply, before taking up the bag of rags he had been disposing of before Basileus had arrived.


	76. Emotional Nightmare

EMOTIONAL NIGHTMARE

Basileus knocked on Magnus and Freyr's door and waited patiently for a response. No one had seen Magnus all night, he hadn't gone back to the guard hall, or even left his chambers since Basileus had seen him the evening before.

Freyr answered the door and invited the creator inside. "My lord," she said politely as she stood back for Basileus to get a look at Magnus.

"You look very weak!" Basileus said in surprise.

Magnus staggered to his feet to greet Basileus, waving away any concern from his mate. "I've been feeding Lucy on and off all night. Every time she woke up I gave her more ... I think it's starting to work."

Magnus gestured for Basileus to follow him and led them both all to his own bedchamber where Lucy lay asleep in the masters' bed.

Basileus sat with the girl, who took no notice of his presence - she was out cold. "Did you get the blood I sent?" he asked, generally. Basileus had instructed Katarina and Mikhail to drain a beast, a human, anything that would bleed and to take the blood to Magnus' chambers.

"Yes, my lord," Fryer conformed.

Magnus sighed when Basileus turned a knowing eye on him.

 _You should have drunk it_! Basileus thought.

"I planned on taking some myself but the poor thing guzzled it down. She was starved Basileus, literally starved!"

Basileus shook his head. He could see Lucy was still very weak, the blackening around her eyes and her jaw was still evident and the cracks in her cheek still hadn't healed. "Magnus, you need to feed. Take a break, I can feed her," he offered.

Though he genuinely wanted to help Lucy, Basileus felt guilty as sin over what his decree had caused emotionally for the poor girl, and even more guilt over his inaction when he knew Caius would be harsh with her.

"No, my lord, it must be me. How else will I build a bond with her? I need her to bond to me quickly or we could lose her forever."

Magnus staggered back into the wall as he spoke. He was wiped.

Basileus joined the master and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Magnus, we may lose her anyway, you need to know that."

"I do know that, but it won't be for my lack of effort, that's for damn sure."

Magnus' breathing was becoming laboured and Basileus knew he had to act fast. "Sit down," he commanded as he took off his coat.

"Lucy needs my blood, my lord."

Magnus tried to balance but quickly fell to the wall again. Freyr's concern was mounting and her worried eyes flickered to Basileus.

He smiled tightly to the shield maiden as he rolled up his sleeves. "I know," Basileus said to Magnus. "But my blood will do wonders for you."

Magnus looked confused, he was having trouble processing his thoughts.

"Sit!" Basileus commanded, more gruffly this time, and pulled Magnus to the bed.

"My lord, I cannot ... "

"Magnus, you are a master of the Volturi, and I respect your role, more than that I respect you. But I am still the creator of vampirekind, you are all my descendants one way or another and I will be damned if I will stand by and watch a good one go down." Basileus pushed the hulking master down to lie next to Lucy, who instinctively cuddled into his side. "Drink," Basileus said simply as he placed his wrist above Magnus' mouth.

Magnus didn't move. _Biting the creator_? _I'_ _m not stupid_ , he thought, dazed from his blood loss.

Basileus rolled his eyes to Freyr. "Is he always this obstinate and I have just never noticed before?"

Freyr laughed lightly. "He is a little out of sorts, my lord."

Basileus bit deeply into his flesh and forced the spurting blood into Magnus' mouth. "Drink!" he commanded, and this time Magnus did.

He couldn't have resisted even if he'd wanted to. The creator's blood was like sweet nectar flowing down his throat, easing the burn from his need to feed and rejuvenating his entire body in only moments. When he broke away, Magnus felt as light as a feather - quite an achievement for the juggernaut that he was.

"Wow!" he exclaimed as he felt his entire body tingle in response to Basileus' blood gift.

"Yes, I am told its quite special," Basileus commented nonchalantly. Pooling some venom in his mouth, Basileus licked the ragged edges of his wound to seal the severed skin. It stung, but it only lasted a mere moment before the venom did its job.

"It is that, my lord." Magnus replied hazily.

"Are you okay?" Freyr asked, stroking her husband's brow. "Yes. I feel a bit light headed, that's all." Magnus told her with her eyes half closed.

Basileus threw on his coat and did up the fastenings. "Do you need more?" he asked.

"No, no, that was plenty, I feel amazing! Thank you!"

Freyr tucked Lucy into her husband's hold and covered them both with a blanket from the dresser.

Basileus waited by the door. "I will let you rest for a while and come back to check on you all after the address to the guard. Freyr, are you coming?"

Freyr literally bounced to the door, so relieved to see her husband returned to a healthy state. "Yes, my lord."

"Are you alright?" Basileus asked the master of the guard as they walked at a leisurely pace to the throne room.

"Of course - why? Should I not be?"

Basileus looked down to the woman. "Your mate is sharing your marital bed with another woman ... most women would have a reaction to that," he said a little apprehensively, not wishing to put ideas in Freyr's head.

"Ha! No, my lord. Magnus has a huge heart, but it belongs to me entirely. I want him to help Lucy."

Basileus chuckled. "Magnus isn't the only one with a huge heart, my dear."

"We are looking thin on the ground, Aro." Basileus spoke out as he approached his son's throne.

Only Aro and Marcus were on the throne floor, with around three quarters of the guard on the main floor.

"Marcus!" Basileus headed over to the master and shook his hand. "I must say, I am impressed. Genius, just genius!"

Marcus tipped his head slightly. "Thank you, my lord."

"What is this?" Aro asked, not one for being left out of the loop.

"He hasn't worked it out, has he?" Basileus asked Marcus, who simply laughed in response.

"Neither has Caius!" he said, resulting in guffaws from Basileus.

"I don't know what?" Aro pushed, feeling nervous on the outside of the joke.

"Marcus," Basileus started, "has managed to double his supplies to carry out his post as educator using your labour and Caius' supplies, without costing himself a penny. Genius!"

Aro's mouth hung open in shock. _How did I miss that_? "Marcus, you sneaky bastard!"

Looking at Aro's expression, Marcus and Basileus burst out laughing again. "Well played." Basileus sang out as he patted the master's shoulder before moving back to his son.

"Where is your household? And your brothers? And Atia, for that matter?"

Aro smirked. "I believe El is supervising Carlisle and Felix and their scribal skills." _Sneaky bastard, Marcus_! Aro said to himself again. "Carmen and Sully were with the twins when I left – they are working on some treasury projections. I saw Atia heading up to them on my way out ..." _Which will please them greatly,_ Aro appended sarcastically.

"Hey!" Basileus warned with wide eyes to his boy. "Don't!"

Basileus had been concerned when Atia first joined the coven that she would influence his daughters-in-law, as well as the women in the coven generally - he had never imagined they wouldn't get on. Never! It had come as quite a shock to the creator to be fielding complaints from one woman and then the next.

It was mainly Atia complaining about Sulpicia and Carmen's spite, and then Sully complaining about Atia interfering with her children and he was sick of it, quite frankly.

"Demetri?" he asked, wanting to change his thoughts.

Aro scoffed. "In his room, sulking no doubt." Basileus looked pensive but Aro couldn't figure why - Demetri was often sulking!

"No Magnus?" Aro asked, to which Basileus shook his head sadly. "Is he still with Lucy?" Aro was starting to worry about what state the poor girl was in and made a mental note to visit her after he had spoken to the guards.

"Magnus has suggested that we do not employ Chelsea's services against our own guards again, whatever the reason," Basileus told his boy quietly, adding a warning. "Go against him at your peril."

Worried, Aro bit his lip. "Do you think it was the wrong thing to do ... under the circumstances?"

Basileus leaned into his boy's throne. "I think, on seeing the effects it has had on both Lucy and Demetri, that we should procced with extreme caution in future."

"What do you mean about Demetri? He's okay!" Aro said defensively.

Basileus could hear that his thoughts were less assured than Aro would care to admit.

"He's an emotional nightmare ... even more than usual. I think breaking his bond with Lucy may have had more of an effect than we first thought. Once Magnus has finished with Lucy, I am going to ask him to take a look at your son, just to be sure."

Aro gulped. "Demetri has been difficult to live with, but I thought it was because I put Felix in the dungeons for a spell. Perhaps there is more to it?" Aro thought back to the many 'timeouts' he had been recently forcing on his middle son in response to his tantrums and outbursts. _Shit, have I done this to him_? Aro wondered. _The timing could not be worse_! "Amun is going to want to see Demetri ... if he isn't well that will look badly on us all."

Basileus nodded. "As it should," he said to himself, feeling his own guilt over the situation. "Magnus will be able to help him. Don't worry, yet."

Aro's head shot up. "Yet!" _Now, I am worried_!

Basileus shook his head, not wanting to burden his son with his own worries. "Is Caius coming?" he asked, deflecting the conversation.

"After what you did to his face? No!" Aro bristled in reply.

He felt a little protective over Caius, Basileus had left him in a right old mess! When Aro had gone to collect Felix and Carlisle at midnight the night before, he had been confronted with Caius trying to wrap bandages around his own face. His nose was actually caved in.

"I told him to be seen," Basileus said sternly. He knew it wouldn't have been Caius that went against him ... Aro had to have interfered, he reasoned.

"He has been, its unnerved the guards, dad! I told him to stay in his chambers until he's healed." Aro hissed over his shoulder. They were beginning to attract the attention of the guards now Freyr was wrapping up the few items of housekeeping she had to address.

"Have you fixed his nose?" Basileus asked.

Aro didn't answer, he just sunk slightly in his seat.

Basileus loomed over him and leaned down close to his face. "Have you?" he all but barked.

Aro smiled nervously.

"God damn it, Aro!" _Yep, every guard listening to every word now. nice one, my lord,_ Aro thought in annoyance.

Freyr had heard the altercation occurring behind her and decided now would be a good time to measure up the few guards for uniform who she hadn't gotten around to yet.

"My lord, please. This isn't a good time, you know how fraught the guards are, how fraught we all are. I know I went above you this time ... but you know I rarely do that."

"Rarely! You let Felix and Demetri out today!"

Aro sighed. _So you are going to be pretty strict about their restriction, then. Great_. "Please understand, I had no choice."

Basileus jabbed a finger into Aro's chest. "Fine. But you can tell your little playmate that I will be watching him very closely from now on, and I will make good on my threat if need be."

Aro scowled at his father's hand which was doing a good job of pinning him in place. "I'll tell him," he replied flatly, not liking that he was taking the flak for Caius' crimes.

"Make sure that you do," Basileus warned as he raised his hand.

Aro scooted out of his chair and he thought for a moment that Basileus was going to slap him in front of his coven! "Jesus Christ, I said I will!" he said as he sidestepped his father and threw on his game face, ready to speak with the guards.

"Welcome home, my friends, and may I say what a welcome sight you all are." Aro took a look around his assembled coven and breathed deeply, he felt in control, he felt safe, he felt confident. Having their smiling faces hanging on his every word, his every breath, filled the coven king with confidence and he knew he could pull off his plans, even if the other senior members of the coven couldn't quite imagine it yet.

Aro made a short address to the guards, informing them of the new payroll system that would be in operation from the end of the month. Aro had pulled some tricks out of the bag in the past to liven up coven life, but being paid to serve in the Volturi was totally unimaginable. They already had the most cosseted positions of any vampire in their world, and soon those positions would become coveted when outsiders learned of the new perks of the job.

Aro handed the meeting over to Freyr to instruct the guards on the finer details of defined roles and occupations going forward and, of course, the remuneration attached. He was pleased to see that his co-masters had constructed a hierarchy based upon talents and experiences and he raised a small smile to himself when another cheer erupted from his coven in thanks for his offerings. They didn't even seem to mind about having to continue to cover the lesser duties of cleaning and the like until replacement vampire stock could be found. Oh yes, Aro was pleased with himself.

When Freyr retook her seat, Aro had to make a final announcement before he could dismiss his coven.

"My friends, I have been asked by Magnus to reassure you all that our current members who do not posess an additional ability will not be dropped through the ranks when new, enhanced vampires arrive. Magnus will explain in full when he is free to do so, but for now, please feel safe in your positions. As it stands, you are all high ranking Volturi guards and any intake will sit below you as we move forward. Exciting times lie ahead of us, my friends, and we will be embracing them together."

As the whooping and hollering of the guards filled the throne room, with many thanks given to Aro and his fellow masters, Basileus pulled back his son. Neither allowed their game face to slip, but, as his father tightened his grip on his shoulders, it took great effort from Aro to remain so poised.

"Do you hear that, son?" Basileus whispered into his ear. "They think you are a god! If you fall from grace it will come at great cost - you must be certain you can bring us all through this overall plan you have, or we will lose everything."

"Are you with me?" Aro asked.

His words were loaded with emotion, he wasn't just asking if Basileus would back him, he didn't need to ask that. Even if he fucked up monumentally he knew his father would back him. Aro was asking if Basileus was on board, fully, and importantly if he was prepared.

Basileus released his boy as he ran through his own plans for what their coven would do if the outside covens presented as a threat from within their own halls. His main objective would be to ensure his family's safety, over and above everyone else. He cared a great deal for the masters of the coven, even Caius, and of course for the guard, but he would slay every single one of them with his own bare hands if it would deliver his family alive.

Basileus turned his son to face him and looked him dead in the eye.

"Always," he breathed.

And finally Aro believed, for the first time since he started out on this mission to ally the covens, that they would make it out alive ... whatever happened.

From the corner of his eye, Aro spotted Carmen rushing into the throne room. "Dad!" he whispered hurriedly, drawing his attention, too.

"Aro, you have to come home! It's Demetri!"

Aro's heart sank. "What has he done now?"

Carmen shook her head. "He's acting very strange, he's bouncing off the walls!"

Basileus and Aro shared a guilty look. _Fuck,_ came their dual thoughts. Both bid farewell to the guards who, through their elation, hardly noticed the pair swiftly leaving behind Carmen.

When they arrived at the top floor suite, they were greeted with silence ... not what they had been expecting. Jane sat looking sullen in the main chamber.

"How come Alec gets to use his gift? Mine would have been just as effective," she said, mainly to herself.

"On whom is Alec using his gift?" Aro asked sternly.

"Demetri, of course. He's lost his mind." Jane spoke so dispassionately that Basileus wondered for a moment whether Lucy and Demetri were their only problems!

"Oh Aro!" Sulpicia exclaimed as she and Atia came through the archway. "Alec is keeping Demetri under his fog for now, but there is something wrong with him. We need Magnus, really."

Basileus shook his head. "Magnus isn't in any fit state to help at the moment," he admitted.

"Why?" the three women in the room asked in unison. They stood banded together, glaring at Basileus and Aro who looked shiftily to one another, guilt billowing off the pair of them in waves. "We may have hit a snag." Basileus started.

"With Lucy and Demetri ... " Aro added.

"What sort of snag?" Sulpicia asked demandingly.

"When Chelsea severed their bonds ... which was Aro's idea."

"It was not my idea!" Aro shot to his father.

"Yes, it was. It was my idea to separate them. You took Demetri to Chelsea!"

Aro wasn't having that! "Well, what else did you think I was going to do when you COMMANDED they be separated?!"

Atia interrupted the two of them before they could embroil themselves in a war of words. "This is all very interesting, but what has happened to Demetri, and why is Magnus indisposed?"

Neither of them answered.

"Basileus! What have you done to that boy?" Atia demanded.

Carmen and Sully looked on in awe as their mother-in-law had the creator shifting from foot to foot. Atia was certainly a force to be reckoned with, they already knew that, but seeing her stand up against the creator and coven king elicited a new-found respect from them both.

"Lucy has lost all emotion. Completely. She is like a vessel," Basileus admitted. "And, Caius has been mistreating her, so I have taken her out of his charge and delivered Lucy to Magnus and Freyr for now."

Sulpicia cocked her head to the side. _That still doesn_ _'_ _t make sense_. "But what about Magnus?" she asked.

"Magnus has been feeding Lucy his blood to try and make a connection with the girl, which left him very weak. So, I fed Magnus my blood ... now he is sleeping off those effects."

Aro shook his head and sighed deeply. "This is a huge mess," he said, sounding stressed.

Atia scoffed. "I can assure you, Demetri feels a lot, he is not a vessel! He was chattering away, getting faster and faster - so fast that he bit into his own tongue and didn't notice when the blood was dripping from his mouth!"

"I had better take a look at him," Basileus said, softly, as he made his way through the wall of women before him.

They all looked at him like he was something they'd trodden in - it was a very usual situation for Basileus. Aro was far more accustomed to being on the wrong side of his wife but it felt quite oppressive now she had the back up of another two strong women on her side. He followed his father into his son's bedchamber.

Alec sat at the end of Demetri's bed, directing his fog to his brother. Demetri was completely still. Basileus sat one side and Aro moved around the bed to sit on the other. Each taking a hand, they read the boy's thoughts.

"Fuck," Aro growled, seeing his boy's manic mind.

His thoughts were rushed, incomplete, erratic even. Dangerously so.

"We need Magnus, Dad," Aro whispered quickly. "You will have to wake him up!"

Basileus shook his head. "When I left, Lucy was clinging to him with every ounce of strength she has ... if we remove Magnus from her now it may kill of any part of her that makes her, well, that makes her Lucy!"

Aro shot a look of distaste to his father. "Which would be a shame, but I don't care a fuck to be honest! Demetri is my priority!"

Basileus looked to Alec, he seemed to be holding up okay. "Alec, can you keep him sedated for a while."

"For how long? He will have to sleep tonight. How long will Magnus need?" Aro shot back, already on his feet. "I'm fetching Magnus, he can bring Lucy if he has to but I want him here, now."

Basileus held up a hand to call for silence. "I will fetch him. Stay here. And calm down, for god sake."

Aro laughed humourlessly, but sat back with his son and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Basileus completed a walk of shame through the main room and past Atia, Carmen and Sulpicia and flashed at his particularly fast vampiric speed to Magnus' chambers. The relief when he saw Magnus walking around and seemingly looking well wore blatantly on his face.

"Oh, thank the gods!" he exclaimed, enveloping the master in his huge arms.

"My lord?" Magnus spluttered, unsure what was happening.

"Are you well?" Basileus asked, patting the man down while looking deeply into his eyes.

"Erm, yes ... why?" Magnus asked, stepping back and feeling uncomfortable.

"And Lucy?"

Magnus smiled tightly. "She is awake, and her body is healing now. What's wrong Basileus?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Basileus explained the situation with Demetri.

"I will come. I'll have to bring Lucy, too."

"That's fine, bring her, just come."

"Lucy, how do you feel?" Basileus asked the moment she came into view.

"I don't feel anything, my lord," she replied blankly.

"Damn it," Basileus exclaimed.

"It will take time, my lord. Please, do not worry," Magnus said as he scooped Lucy into his arms. She clung to him like he was the only person in the world that could offer her safety. "She's attaching to me, a little more and I will be able to draw her emotions out."

Basileus looked between the two of them. "You are sure about this?" he asked, needing to be certain - _my grandson_ _'_ _s life may depend on your talents now, Magnus, I need you to be sure_.

"Yes, I think so, my lord. Let's see the damage to the boy." Basileus wanted to believe him, but having acces to Magnus' thoughts told the creator that Magnus was just as clueless as he was as to how this would all pan out.

"I hope Freyr knows you are carrying that girl around with you now, Magnus," Carmen jibed when the trio came into Aro's' chambers.

"Indeed, she does, my lady," Magnus replied, trying to extricate himself from Lucy's arms around his neck. He soon gave up when his efforts only increased her hold. "Where's Demetri?"

"In his room with Aro and Alec," Sulpicia answered, sounding fraught.

"We will need blood ... " Magnus mentioned, hoping for someone to offer to collect some.

"We will go," Carmen answered, pulling Sulpicia from the room. "You will feel better having something to do, Sully," she whispered as she pulled the queen from her chambers.

Magnus hadn't even made it to Demetri's door before he felt flooded with emotion. "This is mental Basileus," he commented as he caught his breath. "Demetri is feeling everything at once and Lucy is feeling nothing at all! I'm not sure I am strong enough for this."

Basileus' worried eyes moved to his mate. "Can you help, my dear?" he asked, hopeful.

"I can share your gift Magnus, if you tell me what to do with it."

Magnus thought for a moment. "That could work, Atia. I will draw out Demetri's emotions and, if the strength of them is enough, I may be able to spark some emotions in Lucy. I will tell you if I need you to take on some of the emotions ... so don't use my gift until I say so, my lady."

"Certainly, my dear. I will watch for your signal." Atia walked on ahead and flung Demetri's door open. "Alec, you may leave," she kindly told the boy as she shooed him from the room. "You too, Aro."

"I'm not going anywhere," he responded curtly.

"You are," Atia replied. "Go and wait out there, and take your father with you. The two of you have caused enough damage to these young vampires as it is!"

Basileus pulled his son from the room, but they didn't leave. Instead, they hung in the doorway, looking awkward.

Atia sighed loudly but allowed them to watch.

"The less people in here, the better," Magnus confirmed. Aro didn't need Magnus' gift to know how his co-master felt about him, he was clearly furious about the state of the fateful lovers.

As Alec's fog dissipated into the air, Demetri regained control of his body. His head jerked as his limbs twitched, as though his body was fitting from the intensity of his feelings.

Magnus sat on the boy's bed and grimaced as his gift began to soak up Demetri's emotions. Sitting Lucy in his lap, he put his left hand around the back of the girl's neck and his right hand on Demetri's head. The second he made contact with Demetri, he felt the charge coursing through his body, as though his veins were running with boiling lava! The only situation Magnus could liken it to was the feeling of his transformation from human to vampire.

Atia, Aro and Basileus looked on in concern.

"Should I help him?" Atia asked her mate, assuming he was listening in on the empath's thoughts.

"No. Not yet, my dear," he replied without taking his eyes off Magnus.

Aro watched his son thrashing in his bed. He felt like scum but he tried hard to contain his frantic feeling, not wanting to add to the pressure Magnus was clearly under.

Magnus had begun the rumblings of a growl as soon as he'd made contact with Demetri and those rumblings were now deafeningly loud as Magnus roared and his body became rigid.

"Now?" Atia asked her husband again.

"No." Basileus replied. He could hear in the master's thoughts that Magnus was holding up okay.

Demetri still twitched in his sheets, but he appeared to be settling and his eyes were now open.

 _He looks scared to death_! Aro thought, though he was mostly relieved to see his boy returning to him.

Listening in on Lucy, Basileus heard her mind changing. "It's working," he announced. "I can hear it."

Lucy released her tight hold on Magnus and melted away from him, sinking to the floor.

Aro was about to go to her but Basileus held him back.

"She's fine, just wait," he told his boy.

Magnus fell back on the bed, as though he had been thumped with a lump hammer, breaking his hold on Demetri as he went.

"Atia, touch Magnus. You need to take some of the strain off him."

Atia placed her hand on the empath's arm and simultaneously borrowed his gift. The immediacy of the emotional transference astounded her. "He's hot, Basileus!" she said worriedly. _Vampires shouldn_ _'_ _t be hot ..._ _it's unnatural_! Atia's face suddenly contorted as she put a little more effort into taking away Magnus' emotions. As soon as the master opened his eyes again, she let go.

"Is that it? Has it worked?" Aro asked, eyes still fixed on his son.

Basileus crept towards Lucy, not wanting to startle the girl curled into a ball on the floor. She was shaking and looked so very fragile. Taking her wrist, Basileus used his own emphatic abilities to see what Lucy was feeling, or indeed, if she was feeling anything at all.

"Fear ... " he whispered to the room.

Magnus had come around from his emotional hit and was leaning up on his arms, still a little lightheaded. "It's something, my lord. I might be able to work with that," he said hopefully.

Basileus nodded as he went to sit with Demetri. He was a little surprised Aro was still in the doorway but understood his son's reticence - Aro was scared and fear was not a natural state for Aro.

"Well?" Atia asked her mate.

Basileus cupped his grandson's face. "Normal, he feels normal."

Aro let his head fall back as he released the air from his lungs. "Thank god!"

"Thank Magnus!" Atia corrected her son.

"Of course, of course. Thank you, Magnus!" Aro proffered his genuine thanks whilst the empath regained his composure.

"It may not last, Aro," he said sadly.

"Why?"

Basileus' head shot around to the master and he repeated his son's question.

Magnus sighed. "Demetri will be okay, but it may take a few more purges for him to fully regain control of his emotions."

Aro nodded as he went to sit near Demetri. He could deal with that. _I just hope you are back to normal before the covens arrive_!

Basileus heard his son's thoughts. _You and me both, son_!

Magnus moved from the bed to the floor and pulled Lucy into his lap. Biting into his wrist for what must have been the twentieth time in as many hours, he offered Lucy his blood ... which she took readily.

"She still feels so little, but there's something there now." He spoke mainly to himself but everyone felt flooded with Magnus' relief. He was having trouble containing his gift ... so what he felt, everyone felt.

Atia excused herself so she could wait with the twins.

Aro was about to object. He didn't like them being with Atia on their own, it pissed him off seeing her play parent to them.

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his son, knowing what Aro was thinking. "You have other things to concentrate on," he said simply as he gestured to Demetri who appeared to be asleep and completely oblivious to what was going on around him.

"I hope you are both pleased with yourselves," Atia said pointedly to her husband and son.

Aro huffed in annoyance but said nothing when Atia passed him.

"Demetri," Aro called softly to his boy, "wake up."

Demetri's eyes flickered open for a moment but he soon fell back to sleep.

"He's been through a lot, Aro. Let him rest," Basileus said before turning to Magnus. "You really are quite remarkable, you know?"

"It was nothing. You should keep an eye on Demetri and bring him to me if he becomes over emotional."

Aro laughed lightly. "He's a teenage vampire - over emotional is expected."

"You know what I mean," Magnus returned tersely, though he instantly regretted it. "I apologise Aro, I am out of sorts," he excused as he detached Lucy from his wrist.

"Understandable, Magnus," Aro replied quietly, feeling ashamed of himself for his role in the entire thing.

Soon enough Carmen and Sulpicia returned with blood bottles for Magnus and Demetri. Lucy needed none, as she was feeding from Magnus.

After he fed, Magnus left with Lucy in much the way they had arrived - her clutched to his chest with her arms around his neck, clinging on for dear life.

It took a while to rouse Demetri. Tired of waiting, Aro pulled him into a sitting position and Basileus put the blood bottle to his lips. As soon as Demetri registered the blood, he came around. The scent of blood was like smelling salts for a vampire.

When she was sure Magnus had gone, and her boy was gulping down her blood offering, Sulpicia turned on Aro and Basileus.

"If that girl recovers and they begin their relationship again, we are going to let them mate," she stated flatly, taking inspiration from Atia putting her foot down with the men in question.

Aro scoffed. "Like hell we are! I will say it until I am blue in the face - our children are children and children do not mate."

Sulpicia wasn't going to back down easily this time. "Look at what you have done to my son! Both of you," she accused to Aro and Basileus.

Aro was a bit put out by Sully's tone, whilst Basileus looked on, vaguely confused.

"Sulpicia, dear. Listen ... " he crooned, thinking her attitude was born of anxiety over her son rather than any malice towards him. He was wrong.

"No! He is my son and I am done watching you play with his state of mind to satisfy your unnecessary desires for complete control!"

Atia, who had heard Sulpicia's raised voice, rushed to Demetri's bedroom. She looked aghast to see it was her own mate at whom that the softly spoken Sulpicia had directed her rage.

"Sulpicia, hysterics won't help anyone."

"Have you heard them, Atia!" Sulpicia raged, feeling incensed at the damage the creator and her mate had inflicted on two young vampires for something as innocuous as falling in love.

Of course that wasn't the reason Aro had instructed Chelsea to brake their bonds. He knew Demetri being in love with Lucy would bring lots of stress as she lived with Caius ... he didn't really have a reason to keep them apart now, he just truly felt his son was too immature to mate with another vampire. He wasn't willing to budge on it, either. A quick glance to his father told him that Basileus was quickly replacing his earlier confusion with annoyance and Aro didn't want that annoyance directed at his mate, even if she was giving him an earful.

"Sully, let's talk about this later. In private," Aro suggested gently.

Sulpicia looked ready to back down, for now, until Atia stuck her nose in. "You should mind your tone when you address Basileus, he isn't one of your children!"

Sulpicia's eyes widened and her nostrils flared as she turned her rage on Atia next! "How dare you talk to me in your patronising tones in my own home!"

Atia huffed indignantly. "Really, Sulpicia dear, there is no need for all of this upset."

Atia's clear dismissal of Sulpicia's feelings only enraged her further. Basileus had heard enough in his daughter's thoughts to know that he had to get Atia out of the top floor chambers immediately. Flashing between his mate and Sulpicia, Basileus took hold of Sully by her wrists.

"We have had an emotional day. Atia and I are leaving now," he said calmly, all the time hearing in Sulpicia's thoughts that as soon as he let go she was going to claw Atia's eyes out and Aro's thoughts about how funny the whole charade was.

"Will you think it's so funny if my hand is forced, son?!" Basileus boomed harshly to his boy, expecting his help.

Aro sighed before heaving himself up to stand behind his mate. Wrapping a secure arm around her waist, he nodded to his father to let go of her wrists.

Seeing real anger in her flame coloured eyes, Basileus backed away feeling very uneasy. "I will come and discuss how to move forward once everyone has had some time to calm down," he said slowly, whilst still trying to make sense of the situation in his own mind.

"That may be wise, my lord," Aro answered, kicking Demetri's door closed once his father was out of its path.


	77. A Woman Scorned

AN: I don't own anything, I am just playing with the twi-world.

Thank you again to my wonderful Beta doccoopper who turns my drivel into something readable :)

* * *

 **A WOMAN SCORNED**

Demetri had been confined to his bed for the rest of the afternoon, but he could still hear his parents arguing with each other down the hall. Sure that they were too engaged in tearing a strip off each other, Demetri decided to open his door to get a good grasp on what they were saying, in the hope that he would be able to use their argument to his advantage.

He wasn't to be disappointed - Sulpicia had never sounded so feral! The primal growls punctuating her verbal attack were quite disconcerting to the young Volturi prince.

 _Is this all because of me?_ He wondered in concern. Typical for the young teen, his concern quietly floated away as he caught onto Sulpicia's demands of Aro.

"You will leave my son alone! If Demetri wants to mate, he can mate. You have screwed up his emotions, Aro, so you had better show some leniency towards him whilst he recovers from your disastrous scheming!"

Demetri closed the door after hearing that. _Jackpot_ _,_ he thought delightedly! Free pass!

…

Aro knocked lightly on Eleazar's chamber door before letting himself in.

"Felix, time to go," he called out upon seeing his boy half slumped over his work.

"Thank the gods!" his boy returned, tiredly.

It wasn't too late; the sun was only just setting, but Felix had been writing non-stop since he'd opened his eyes that morning. Part of him wished Marcus would just wallop him instead of this cruel torture he had inflicted.

"How are they getting on?" Aro asked when Eleazar came through from the terrace.

"Very well brother, hardly heard a peep from them."

Aro smiled gratefully. He appreciated Eleazar stepping in to supervise as he certainly didn't have the time to do so himself. Aro flipped through a few pages in front of Felix. "It could be a little neater, son," he said quietly. Though Felix's penmanship was definitely better than Carlisle's, Aro knew it wasn't his son's best work.

Felix folded his arms across his chest and scoffed. "It's good enough!"

Looking over to Carlisle, Felix thought the punishment to be most unfair - Carlisle was enjoying himself! "Do we really have to copy all of them? It's not fair, Dad!"

Aro cocked his head to the side as he considered his son's words, wanting desperately to have misheard. "How so?" he questioned in his trademark singsong tone. Aro was so riled up from arguing with his wife that he could happily tare a strip of Felix and call it downtime!

Felix, however, missed the danger in his father's eyes. "Carlisle is enjoying it and I am hating it, that doesn't seem very fair to me!"

Carlisle placed his quill to the side of his work and looked over his completed page. "I wouldn't say I am enjoying it, Felix. More that I think this is a great opportunity for learning, that's all."

Felix rolled his eyes. "It isn't a great opportunity for me - I have read these books before and I can't forget them, so it's totally fucking pointless!"

Aro placed an arm around his boy's shoulders and held him tightly. With his free hand, he punctuated his words with sharp slaps to Felix's cheek - "mind your mouth!"

Felix grimaced, pulling away from Aro but getting nowhere. "Sorry," he whispered, though he continued to sulk about the injustice he was suffering. "Can I ask Marcus for something else to do to make amends with him?"

Eleazar began laughing, with his brothers soon joining in. "I would love to see that, Felix," he said as he moved some books to sit down. Looking around his apartment, he thought how very like Marcus' chambers it had become - books strewn across every surface and not a seat in sight without the removal of said books.

"How would that go, son?" Aro asked through his laughter. "Marcus, can you give me a punishment I will enjoy, please?" he proffered in a tone mocking Felix's own.

Eleazar burst out laughing hysterically. "Knowing your penchant for sadomasochism, brother, that just sounds all kinds of wrong!"

Aro gasped at his brother's announcement of his sexual secrets, but seeing his poor son looking confused and a little disgusted had him joining Eleazar's hysterics.

Carlisle looked like he had swallowed bad blood! "Nice, very nice," he said quietly as he gave his head a shake to rid himself of the imagery forming in his mind.

Getting himself under control, Aro flopped into the seat next to Eleazar. "Let's just stick with the books, shall we, Felix?" he said through stifled giggles.

"Yeah ... eugh!" Felix replied, refusing to meet his father's eye.

Eleazar nudged Aro. "Why are you taking him so soon, brother? Felix could get a few more hours in before he needs to sleep."

Eleazar knew why, of course. They all did - they had been listening to Aro and Sulpicia arguing for the last three hours.

Felix shot daggers to Eleazar. "I don't want to get a few more hours in, thanks!"

"I'll be working through the night, you just join in when you can," Carlisle offered quietly.

"You really aren't supposed to be enjoying this, you know. It's weird," Felix replied, though he was grateful that Carlisle was offering to continue their task when he wasn't present.

Felix could stay awake for a few days at a time without suffering too badly the effects that lack of sleep would have on a human. He often did such a thing when out on missions, with just the odd cat-nap to keep him going whilst away from the castle. Only two books in, Felix had decided that he would definitely be sleeping every night for the duration of Marcus' punishment - if only to break from the boring task at hand!

"I'm in no rush to get back, El." Aro eventually spoke up, before coughing dramatically.

"Would you like a drink, Aro?" Eleazar asked sarcastically, knowing what his brother's sudden dry cough meant.

"How very kind," Aro replied, eliciting an eyeroll from both of his brothers.

"Where is Carmen?" he asked, on receiving a full goblet of wine from Eleazar.

"With Athenodora."

"What?!" Aro was surprised.

Eleazar merely nodded but his facial expression showed his concern. "I believe our dear mother has insisted Carmen reach out to the woman."

Aro's mouth hung open for a moment. "I am pretty sure Atia has suggested the same to Sully, though she has refused to commit to more than pleasantries. No visiting, as such."

Eleazar placed a goblet of wine near Carlisle but looked over to Aro before taking his hand off Felix's cup.

Aro nodded once to show his agreement, much to his son's delight.

"Just one," Aro told him pointedly.

Eleazar re-joined Aro in front of the fire, with Carlisle and Felix abandoning their work to sit with them, too.

"Sulpicia, no doubt, feels more secure of her position in this castle than Carmen does ... Carmen felt obliged to carry out Atia's wishes."

"Sully feels secure, alright!" Aro replied, though he was speaking to himself. _Oh yes, my dear mate feels secure - she_ _'_ _s content enough to attack Atia, go up against my father, and scream at me! How wonderfully secure you must feel, my queen._

Aro nudged his little brother. "Are you ever going to tell us about Atia, Carlisle."

"What? When she, you know? God no!" Carlisle couldn't even bring himself to say the words.

"When she belted you." Eleazar said the words for him, much to Carlisle's shame as he slunk into his seat.

Aro sat up, eagerly, waiting the details. "Come on, in the interest of brotherly relations, I think you should give us a heads-up."

Eleazar laughed, "Yeah, because we all know Aro is next!"

"Fuck off, El," Aro sang out, though it was true.

Carlisle shook his head again. "No. I can't," he said and looked to his nephew. "Not with him here."

Felix looked affronted. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you, I'm just uncomfortable, that's all," Carlisle replied, still not meeting anyone's eye.

"I saw Basileus beat you in the library ... it can't get much more uncomfortable than that," Felix reminded his uncle _._

 _Great, more shame, that will help!_ Carlisle thought.

"He's right. And I can't send him anywhere, so it's tough," Aro told his little brother as Eleazar nodded along. "Tell us," he added with a gleeful smile.

Carlisle left the table and sat with Aro, offering his hand. "Just read my memories, instead."

Aro was happy with that and went to make contact before Felix sprang to his feet to join the three brothers. "No! I need to know, too!" he rushed.

"Why do you need to know?" Aro asked his boy, knowingly.

"Every adult in this tower has whacked me one ... it's only a matter of time before Atia does. I'd like to be prepared," Felix explained.

"You could always try behaving, you know," Aro said pointedly.

"There's no fun in that, Dad," his boy replied cheekily.

"More like it's impossible for you!" Eleazar added, pulling Felix into the seat next to him.

Felix folded his arms across his broad chest. "If it's so easy to just behave, then none of us need to know, and Carlisle would not have had the experience."

All three brothers shared a smirk. Felix was right.

"I could happily 'whack him one' right now," Eleazar said as he cuffed his nephew's head. "But," he crooned, "I could probably do with knowing ... for academic purposes."

It was Aro's turn to laugh. "Academic purposes?" he scoffed. "Of course you never put a foot out of line, do you brother?"

Aro watched his brother's reaction. He had enough dirt on Eleazar to bury the bastard if he wished, but they both knew Aro loved him too much to tell Basileus. Most of Eleazar exploits were centuries ago.

Eleazar smirked, he knew what Aro was getting at. "I am far better at evading punishment than you are, Aro. That is all."

 _With my help,_ Aro added in thought.

"That's because he is a kiss-ass," Felix announced.

"It's because I conduct myself cordially," Eleazar replied with a slap to Felix's leg.

Felix winced, though it wasn't too painful. "Very cordial," he said, sarcastically.

Aro shook his head. Eleazar was right ... he knew he was next on Atia's hit list and, in all honesty as he had been goading her out of pure curiosity for how she would react, he was amazed it had taken this long.

"We are waiting, Carlisle," he pushed.

Carlisle looked around their little gathering, all eager to hear his humiliation and pain. _Bastards_ _,_ he thought, as he wondered if he could break out of the room before his brothers caught him. A small smile grew on Carlisle's face as he slowly stood.

Eleazar watched his brother, wondering what he was about to do.

Aro didn't have to wait - he knew Carlisle's intentions. Without looking at his brother, Aro waited for Carlisle to make a move and the moment he sensed Carlisle attempt to flee, he pounced.

"Get the fuck off me, Aro!" Carlisle roared as his brother brought him down.

Aro laughed through his struggles to contain Carlisle. "Help me, then," he called over his shoulder to Eleazar. "You shouldn't run, little brother, first rule!" he said gleefully and he sat on Carlisle's back.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Carlisle complained, though with Eleazar's weight compressing his chest it was now a struggle to breathe enough to talk.

"You won't have to," Aro said easily as he held his brother's wrist. "I'll tell them."

Bemused, Felix watched the whole thing as Carlisle's struggles increased.

Aro gestured to his son to help.

"No way," Felix said as he sat back in his chair.

"You help, or I won't tell you what I find out," Aro added, giving his boy a wink.

"Felix, no!" Carlisle complained, still fighting his way free.

"He's feisty!" Eleazar quipped as he bounced about on top of his youngest brother.

Aro couldn't keep his grip on Carlisle with the way he was thrashing about.

"I'm telling dad!" Carlisle cried out. He instantly regretted his whining childlike remark when his the dual teasing of his brothers took new heights.

Felix had fallen into hysterical laughter. He didn't often get to see his father and uncles in such a playful manner ... even if Carlisle wasn't enjoying it, he was!

"Felix, I command you to hold your uncle still!" Aro called through his laughter as Carlisle continued in his efforts to evade his brothers.

Felix sighed. He didn't really want to be disloyal to Carlisle but ... _I really want to know what happened with Atia,_ he thought, a little selfishly.

Once Felix joined the brawl, Carlisle was done for - the boy had him pinned to the ground without either Aro or Eleazar helping.

"Good god he's strong!" Eleazar said in awe as his nephew held his brother easily.

Aro smiled proudly before taking Carlisle's arm and pinning it to his back. "Are you going to tell us?" he asked a final time.

"NO!" Carlisle roared, though even he laughed lightly knowing his silence was futile.

"As you wish," Aro said quietly before invading his brother's memories.

"Oh dear, little brother." Aro was properly winding Carlisle up now.

"Shut up, Aro!" he returned, knowing his brother was about to embarrass him.

"Carlisle tried to run ... clearly, he never learns!" Aro added as he went a little further back in Carlisle's thoughts. "And, he wasn't very polite, either," he said, seeing Carlisle call Atia a 'hateful bitch' as he made it as far as the door in Basileus' chambers.

"What happened?" Eleazar asked. He knew Aro had seen it all by now.

"Our dear mother belted him, properly belted him! With Basileus' belt - ouch!" Aro laughed. Basileus wore a particularly thick and long belt, suited to his stature and height which, quite frankly, scared his three sons.

Carlisle became limp under Felix's hold ... there was no point fighting anymore.

"Oooo, that's interesting," Aro said with a smirk. "Atia made you ask for it."

Carlisle pushed his face into the floor, sure his face would be blood red from the shame.

"What?" Felix asked, confused.

"After he ran and called her names ... silly boy ... Atia had him sit down and Carlisle had to explain why she would be punishing him ... and then he asked her to do it!"

"I didn't ask her to do it!" Carlisle replied. "She asked if I deserved to be punished, and I said yes."

"Why didn't you just say no?" Felix asked, thinking it was obviously the way out of a hiding.

"Because I did deserve it, for fuck sake," Carlisle returned in annoyance.

"Anything else to add?" Eleazar asked Aro as he retook his seat as though nothing had happened.

"Either Atia is stronger than she looks ... or Carlisle is a pussy," Aro replied, joining his brother.

Felix looked down to his uncle, still held easily in his grasp. "Carlisle's a pussy!" he replied to his father's statement.

"Be nice, Felix," Aro said with a smile, "and help him up."

Carlisle shoved Felix hard as soon as he was released but the boy barely move from his crouching spot on the floor.

"I'm stronger than you," he reminded his uncle with a smile.

"I will get you back, don't worry," Carlisle warned with a smile.

"You are all bastards," Carlisle declared as he flopped down next to Eleazar, though he accepted his big brother pulling him into an embrace.

"You should have just told us."

"I'll tell Basileus, that's who I'll tell," Carlisle grunted as Eleazar squeezed him tightly.

"No you won't." Aro smirked. "Basileus doesn't know you called Atia a, what was it, a 'hateful bitch' ... you wouldn't want me to tell him, would you?"

Carlisle narrowed his eyes as his brothers mocked him mercilessly.

"This is all Eleazar's fault, anyway," Aro added to his bemused big brother.

"MY fault? For what exactly."

Aro smirked. "You got shacked up with Carmen and Daddy dearest lost his sidekick so he found himself a woman to take your place and now we will all suffer her wrath!"

Eleazar laughed but told Aro he was a prick and gave him a dead arm for his accusation.

Once they had all settled down, Felix asked about his brother, concern clearly present in his tone.

"So, is Demetri okay now?"

Aro wasn't sure what to say. _How can I answer you honestly?_ "He is well, for now. But Magnus predicts that his emotional state will be volatile for the foreseeable future."

Watching his boy's reaction, Aro noticed the smile tugging at Felix's lips. "Please don't wind him up," he added rather forcefully.

"As if I would!" Felix replied with a mocking hurt tone.

"I mean it, Felix. Your mother may be insisting I give Demetri an easy time of it, but no such embargo has been issued on beating the daylights out of you."

Felix gulped. _Harsh,_ he thought, moodily.

Eleazar's chamber door sprang to life with Basileus' trademark booming voice entering the room before he did.

"Ah, Aro. Here you are."

Aro sighed internally knowing he had a conversation coming with his father after his mate's verbal attack that afternoon.

"How can I help, my lord?" Aro answered, sounding sickly sweet.

"By staying here."

Aro's face scrunched up. "And where will you be whilst I am staying here?"

Eleazar shook his head. "I love running the half-way house," he said sarcastically, nudging Carlisle for a reaction.

Carlisle barely blinked. He was so on edge around Basileus since he'd come clean about his emotional blackmail that he wanted to give the man no excuse whatsoever to have cause to discipline him again, or worse, have Atia discipline him.

Basileus knew Carlisle was desperate for his forgiveness. Every time he thought about telling his son that he was forgiven, he reminded himself of how long Carlisle had left him wallowing in guilt over the pastor's death _. You have a while to wait yet,_ _son,_ he said to himself as he watched Carlisle look shiftily around the room ... anywhere other than at Basileus.

"I need to talk to Sulpicia," Basileus answered Aro.

Everyone in the room stopped breathing for a moment.

"About?" Aro asked bravely.

"I think we both know what it will be about, son. Don't play the fool, it doesn't suit you."

Aro sighed. "Dad, I think I should ... "

"No son, you are to stay here. I only wish to talk with her - she is quite safe with me."

Although Aro would have liked to believe him, he'd been on the receiving end of a good many 'talks' from his father and they rarely ended painlessly.

Basileus heard his son's worries. "I just want to set things straight, Aro. I won't be long." With that he left.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Carlisle asked, once he was sure his father was gone.

Aro bit his lip as he considered Carlisle's question, one look to Felix told him he couldn't answer honestly ... yet. "Sully can hold her own," he said, confidently, before refilling his goblet.

Offering to do the same for the rest of the group, including Felix, he proffered, "why overthink when we can over drink?!"

Basileus steeled himself outside the top suite door. He considered just going back to his own chambers but after the grilling Atia had given him for allowing the vampire queen to speak to them with such disrespect, he daren't go back without having had a word first. Squaring his shoulders for what he predicted to be the most uncomfortable conversation of his life, he entered the chambers.

The twins were sat reading with their mother. Though they greeted the creator lovingly, the room felt frosty with Sulpicia ignoring him completely.

"Would you go to your room, please?" he asked his grandchildren.

They obediently rose and were ready to leave when their mother pulled them back. "No. They have no reason to leave," she said, before realising how uncomfortable the pair of them seemed.

"Though they can go to the guard hall, if they wish," she added.

Basileus sighed internally. "Erm, okay…" he said, kissing Jane and Alec on their young heads as they passed him.

Basileus waited for a moment, hoping the queen would at least address him. Nothing. "We must talk, Sulpicia," he prompted as he approached the woman and took a seat beside her. "I cannot leave things between us as they were."

He spoke gently, assuming his daughter-in-law would be wary of him. He assumed wrongly.

Sulpicia scoffed before replying. "I have nothing to say that you will want to hear, Basileus." Her tone was harsh and full of spite, she even removed herself from his side and moved to the seat opposite.

Basileus felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he bristled to her treatment of him. He had expected to find Sulpicia meek and regretful after their altercation and her abrasion shocked him.

Getting to his feet, he loomed over his daughter-in-law and addressed her sternly. "Listen, I am not sure why you think you can address me in such an impertinent manner, but let me set you straight, young lady."

Sully wasn't so easily manipulated and his bellowing at her barely registered on her pretty face. "You're good at rage, Basileus. I like the way you play it," she replied, fixing a loose section of hair behind her ear.

Basileus felt bowled over. "But you aren't scared of me?" he questioned. He expected her to be scared.

Sulpicia returned the creator's glare. "I'm too angry to be scared," she seethed.

Basileus took a step back, the quiet vitriol with which Sulpicia spoke unnerving him _. I need to turn this around,_ he thought, retaking his seat opposite her. He adopted an informal pose with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his steeple fingers, hoping it would relax Sulpicia.

"I can still remember the first time Aro introduced you to me," he said softly. "You were such a confident young thing, so forward thinking for the time. A real breath of fresh air. I could see immediately why my son had chosen to take you as his mate."

Sulpicia narrowed her eyes to her father-in-law, wondering what trap he was leading her into with his changed tactic. "So much has changed since then," he continued with a sad smile. "The years here had robbed you of your confidence, I am glad to see that returning to you, Sulpicia."

Sulpicia sighed, expressing her boredom. "I know who I was, Basileus. And I know who I am now. What is the point of this?"

Basileus took a sharp intake of breath. "You are developing a sharp tongue, my dear." His stern tone was ignored.

"That is my business," Sulpicia replied with little emotion.

Basileus was growing frustrated. He had expected to be able to lay the law down with his sweet Sulpicia and that would be the end of it. To find her still batting against him was unexpected, to say the least!

"That would depend on who your words are directed at," he corrected, pointedly.

Sulpicia sat up straight and glared at Basileus. "Are you threatening me?" she asked with a smile, thinking such a thing to be entirely audacious.

Basileus returned her smile, _I could happily wipe that smile from your face, girl._ "No. But I think I will be watching carefully from now on."

Sulpicia rose to her feet and mimicked the pose she had seen so regularly on Atia since she'd arrived in their world. Hands on hips and narrowed eyes planted at her adversary, she spoke as though addressing a child. "So long as you are watching and not interfering, we won't have a problem."

 _Oh_ _, I don_ _'_ _t think so!_ Basileus thought as he too stood and towered over his impertinent daughter-in-law. "Be careful, Sully ... you are going where angels fear to tread."

Sulpicia stood firm, though she now had to crane her neck to look up to the creator. "As you have already pointed out, Basileus, I am not afraid of you."

Basileus could hear her resolve, but he was more accustomed to managing disrespectful youths than she was and decided to change tactics.

"Clearly not, but this is more than that ... you sound like you hate me, Sully," he said as though pained by her words. He was really, though certainly more frustrated to not be getting his own way with the conversation.

As Basileus had predicted, Sulpicia softened before him. "Most definitely not. Never," she said kindly, before regaining her composure. "But I will defend my children with my life."

Again, Basileus continued his kicked-puppy facade. "You have no reason to defend them against me," he said as though the very thought gave him pain. It would have if he'd have believed it.

Sulpicia didn't succumb a second time. "You and Aro have rendered Demetri an emotional wreck and Lucy a hollow vessel - so forgive me if I disagree," she scoffed and shook her head as she spoke, feeling her anger rising again.

Basileus reached out and took her hands in his own. "You know that was never our intention," he said, bowing his head slightly to look in her eyes. He failed at winning her over.

Sulpicia snatched her hands back and walked away from her father-in-law, turning her back to him. "Of course it wasn't," she agreed, "but that makes little difference to the outcome, does it?"

Basileus could hear her thoughts, willing herself to calm down. She was ready to blow at him and he was glad that she was, at least, attempting to temper her response. He was far more comfortable dealing with his boys. They would rant and rave, he could smack them for it and they could move on. He was learning fast that the women in his life could not be managed so easily.

"Do you have anything else you would like to say to me?" Sulpicia asked, still with her back turned to him.

Basileus wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, rubbing out his stress. "I'm sorry, Sulpicia," he replied, though cursed himself for doing so _. I was coming up here to get an apology from her, a promise that she would mind herself when talking with me and Atia and now I am apologising! How have I ended up here?!_

Sulpicia interrupted his thoughts. "I neither want ... nor need ... your apologies. Just your promise that you will leave parenting my children to me."

Basileus laughed lightly to himself at her request. "I'm not sure I can agree to that."

Sulpicia spun herself around to face him with eyes as black as coal. "Why?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Because you, understandably, make decisions for your children based on your heart ... occasionally, one must allow the head to supersede ... that's where I come in."

If he thought putting himself up as the font of reason against Sulpicia's motherly instinct would win her over, he was wide off the mark. So wide, in fact, that Sulpicia wondered how such thinking could ever be considered one of the mind!

 _You utter cunt,_ she said to herself, before forcing herself to stay calm in her address. "Are you saying I am incapable of reasoned decisions?!" Her voice hitched to shrill proportions but it was a calm as she could be under the circumstances.

 _Shit_ _,_ Basileus thought as he realised he had put his foot in it. "Incapable? No. But you do tend to lean away from such reason where your children are concerned," he proffered, wondering why she couldn't see the situation as he so clearly saw it.

Sulpicia narrowed her eyes. "Have you learned nothing from your experience with Carlisle?"

Basileus bristled, knowing what she was talking about.

Before he could reply, Sulpicia continued her attack. "You rode rough shod over his feelings, over his wants, believing yourself to know better, believing you knew what was best for him ... regardless of how oppositional it was to his own desires. And look how that turned out ... " she trailed off, leaving Basileus to come to his own conclusions.

She had been saving this piece of 'reason' and was somewhat pleased to be able to use the creator's disastrous handling of Carlisle to such effect.

It stung, it really stung. Basileus had lost and he knew it.

"Sulpicia ... " he broached, the pain in his voice true this time.

"No, Basileus." She cut him off quickly. "We all suffered for your 'reasoned decisions' and Carlisle suffers still for the position you forced him into. It was your doing and yet you punish him by refusing to forgive him!"

"I don't see it that way," he replied, looking to the floor.

Truth was, he hadn't seen it as such until she said it so plainly. It struck a chord with the creator's heart. He was punishing Carlisle still and it was a situation of his own making - not his son's.

"I think I should leave," he said quietly as he walked to the door. Standing at the top of the stairs, he tried a final time to speak to his son's mate. "Sully, I ... "

BANG!

Sulpicia slammed the door and left her father-in-law catching flies to the woman's response.

…

Aro returned to his quarters once his father told him it was safe, taking Felix with him. Basileus seemed less pleased with himself than he had when he'd dropped into Eleazar's chambers before talking to Sulpicia, but he didn't divulge their conversation. That worried Aro. His worry soon dissipated when he opened his chamber door to see his mate pacing a hole in the floor as Demetri watched in vague amusement.

"That man!" she blurted out angrily when Aro came into view.

"Good chat?" he returned sarcastically.

Felix stormed past his father and flopped into the sofa next to his brother.

"What is wrong with you?" Sulpicia asked, seamlessly switching from anger to concern upon seeing her boy looking so down.

"Life!" Felix replied moodily. "It's not fair mom. Carlisle is enjoying our punishment and I am miserable. Can't you do something about it?"

Sulpicia put her hands on her hips, as her concern dissolved and she became shocked by Felix; ingratitude. "You deserve far more than having to copy out some books, Felix," she told him sternly.

Felix looked aghast to his mother. "Oh right! So you will defend Demetri with all your might, even standing up to Basileus for him, but me?!"

Demetri rolled his eyes dramatically. "No one gives a fuck about fucking Felix!" he said loud and proud.

Aro's eyebrows shot into his hair line with the shock of his son's statement. Without word or warning he had flashed to his son's side and snatched him up from his seat with one hand around his arm.

"Do you want to say that again?" he ground out dangerously.

Demetri sighed dramatically. "Didn't you hear me the first time?" He spoke as though he was bored by Aro's presence.

Aro's eyes flashed to black and he had landed three hard slaps to his son's thigh before Sulpicia could pull her boy free.

"For god sake, Aro, you know he isn't himself!" she said, tucking Demetri into her side.

"Isn't himself?" Aro repeated, as though they were foreign words. "I won't stand for him talking that way!"

Sulpicia simply shrugged. "You should have thought about the consequences before you messed with his emotional bonds."

Aro laughed to himself. "Is this how it's going to be? He's playing you like a fiddle, Sully!"

Sulpicia hugged Demetri closer, a part of her knowing that could be true but her need to protect her boy from harm was far fiercer than her doubts.

"I told your father, and I am telling you ... leave my children alone."

Aro raised one eyebrow questioningly. "They are mine, too, my queen," he ground out through gritted teeth.

"Then you should bloody well act like it!" she countered.

Aro could see Felix was really enjoying himself. Demetri, too, for that matter. He didn't want another blazing row and certainly not in front of his sons ... they would hold it over him, he was sure of that.

"Demetri, do you want to mate with Lucy?" Aro asked his boy.

Demetri shrugged. "No thanks."

"Do you see Sully, you are arguing for something he doesn't even want! Do you know how ridiculous you sound?"

Sulpicia rose to the bait. "Don't patronise me, Aro," she spat venomously.

"Our children are too young to mate, Sully. I know you know that, really," Aro replied doing his best to sound calmer, even if he didn't feel calmer.

Felix interrupted his parent's argument. "Why are we?" he asked in confusion.

"Come on, my love, explain why," Sulpicia goaded, joining in on Felix's question.

Aro refused to address Felix so kept his eyes on Sully instead. "It's dangerous. Mated pairs will do anything for each other, which is great for logical adults - but kids? Don't you think teenage vampires are reckless enough without adding in the troubles of a mate to contend with?"

Aro could see Sulpicia turning his question over in her mind.

"We aren't reckless!" Felix said indignantly.

"Interrupt us one more time, Felix, and I swear to the gods I will ... "

That was enough from Aro to have Felix searching the floor.

Turning back to his mate, who was still clutching Demetri, he continued. "And if you allow Demetri, what about the twins ... Jane and Alec are only two years younger than he - can you see them in a sexual relationship?"

 _Rough_ , Aro thought after he'd spoken, the very idea of his precious daughter doing ... _no, no, no, over my dead body!_

Sulpicia appeared to find the idea equally distasteful.

"Can you imagine them staying here with us if they mate?"

That was the money shot! He knew Sulpicia would do anything to avoid losing her baby vampires.

"How long would they last living outside of our protection?" Aro added, finally, knowing he was sealing the deal.

"I don't need anyone's fucking protection," Felix said sullenly.

Aro's calm facade was hanging by a hair width and his son's last remark tipped him over the edge. Stomping towards his boy, Aro pulled Felix to his feet and sent him to his room with a thunderous crack to his backside.

"Really, Aro?!" Sulpicia bubbled up in rage. "Are you so intent on beating all of our children tonight? Should I fetch the twins?"

Aro's sarcastic tinkling laughter filled their living chamber. "I have beaten no one, but please do and I can show you how I won't beat them either!"

Demetri started to sob at his mother's side.

"Why are you blubbering?" Aro asked, feeling incredibly frustrated.

Sulpicia wiped away her boy's tears. "He's fragile, Aro, you know that. You need to be more considerate of his feelings."

Aro was astounded by his mate's gullibility. "He had better quit the dramatical display before I give him something to cry about."

Sulpicia gently directed Demetri towards the archway so he could escape the tension in the room. "You sound like a thug," she told her husband upon her return.

Before Aro could launch into a defence which mainly revolved around Demetri using her love for him to purposely be a brat, the twins returned through the stairwell door.

Aro checked the clock. It was late enough that he'd assumed they were already in bed. "And where have you been?" he asked accusingly.

"With Atia," Alec sang out happily.

Aro turned on Sulpicia. "You sent them to her?!" he half shouted in shock.

"No! I sent them to the guard hall," she replied indignantly.

"Why were you with Atia?" Aro asked the twins.

"Why does it matter?!" Jane retorted in the same terse tone her father had used.

Aro felt incensed. "Don't 'why' back at me!" Aro returned aggressively, towering over his small daughter as he spoke with a hand raised ready to smack her.

Alec could see a stand-off between his sister and father was imminent and it would do no one any good. "We were heading to the guard hall when Atia stopped us and invited us in," he interjected, hoping to smooth things over with his explanation.

Jane folded her arms across her chest. "We didn't think it would be a problem," she said, scowling.

"Have you not been paying attention?" Aro spat. "You know for a fact it would be a problem!"

Jane dared to smirk.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Aro asked threateningly.

When Jane only huffed in response, Aro slapped her face for her ignorant display. He wasn't harsh, but Jane's eyes filled with tears anyway.

Alec, again, attempted to placate his father. "It's okay, Dad, we understand you're stressed with the covens convening."

Aro spun around to face his youngest son. "Don't you dare come back in here regurgitating that witch's crap - you are even using her patronising tone!"

When he turned back to Jane, he caught his girl rolling her eyes at him again. Grabbing Jane by the scruff of her collar, he lifted her clear from the floor so they were eye to eye.

"Roll your eyes at me one more time and I will knock them into the back of your head!"

Sulpicia immediately came to her girl's rescue, separating father and daughter and pushing her young daughter behind her.

"Aro! You cannot take out your frustrations on them, they are children for god sake!"

"So I am abusing them now, as well?" he countered, though he knew he was being trigger happy with deploying physical chastisements.

"I didn't say that," Sulpicia replied.

Aro scoffed and returned Sulpicia's disgusted look of contempt. "You didn't have to!"

The twins attempted to get to the door. "Where are you going?" Sulpicia asked. They knew it was too late to go back out now.

"Atia said we should go back down to her if you started arguing again," Alec replied for the two of them.

This time it was Sulpicia who looked ready to breathe fire at the young guards. "Is she your mother now?" she asked, danger dripping through her tone.

"No ... but ... " Alec tried, but he couldn't formulate a response.

"But what?" Aro asked, wanting to hear a better excuse than they were just blindly following his mother's orders.

"Nothing!" Alec shot back, unsure of how he had ended up the bad guy, and pissed off with being put in the position by his parents. He muttered a quiet, but clear, 'for fuck sake' under his breath.

Aro wasn't standing for that.

"Come here," he ordered his youngest.

"Go to your room," Sulpicia countered, wanting her babies far away from Aro so she could verbally rip him to shreds.

Before Alec could pass, Aro reached out and pulled him close by his wrist. With one flick of his free hand he slapped his boy's face. Again, it wasn't hard, but unused to the whole volatile mess he'd walked into added to Alec's upset and he left for bed in tears.

"Why did you do that?" Sulpicia spat to her mate.

"What? Slap him? Did you hear what he just said?!" Aro shook his head to his queen. _You_ _are losing it, woman_!

"My hearing is as good as yours, dear husband," she replied sarcastically. Stretching her arms wide and offering an open target to her mate, she goaded him further. "You have run out of children to hit, would you like to start on me?"

"Oh I am tempted, woman!" Aro could see Sulpicia was gearing up for another round of fucks, and quite frankly, he'd heard enough of her mindless wittering. "Fuck this," he announced, collecting his cloak from the rack.

"Where are you going?" Sulpicia asked seeing what he was doing.

"Out!" Aro boomed as he left their quarters.

"Out where?" Sulpicia never received a response, unless you could count the door slamming shut behind Aro as an answer.


	78. Light Relief?

**AN:** Oh dear... Aro you dick!

* * *

 **LIGHT RELIEF?**

"Where's Caius?" Aro demanded the moment Athenodora opened her chamber door.

"Aro!" she said, startled by his gruff attitude. "He's in the dungeons, I believe. Why?"

Aro smiled. "Perfect. No cause for alarm." With that, he left Athenodora guessing at the door.

Aro could hear Caius chuntering to himself long before he reached the bottom step of the dungeons.

"Brother!" he called out. Taking the lamp from the bottom of the stairwell, he sought out his co-master.

"Aro ... is all well?" Caius asked, running through in his mind whether he had done anything to have caused any trouble recently.

He was still expecting some rebuttal from Basileus after Aro had set his nose straight. Caius had stayed out of public view but he wasn't stupid - he knew Basileus would know that he'd defied him.

"Everything is better now I am out of my quarters," Aro said in frustration. He was pig sick of fighting with Sulpicia.

"Family life getting you down?" Caius asked with a crooked smirk.

His nose was still healing and when they finally came face to face, Aro could tell his bones were uneven.

"I can fix that for you, brother," he said to Caius who winced in response. "Better to do it now than after its healed, Caius."

"And, what will your father say?" Caius asked, dreading the answer.

"He already knows I fixed your face, he did say to tell you he would make good on his threat ... whatever that meant."

Aro knew what it meant - Basileus would whip Caius if he was caught abusing the guards again. He wasn't so cruel to mention it though, as Caius had already paled hearing Aro's message from the creator. Caius eventually nodded and tightlet closed his eyes. With a simple twist and crack, Caius' nose was in the right place again. Not that Caius could appreciate it right away and he fell to his knees and cupped his face in anguish.

"Man up, Caius," Aro sang out happily as he passed his covenmate. "Come, I think we are both in need of some light relief."

Caius followed him, calling him a cunt on the way.

"We won't find any light relief in here, Aro," Caius said as they entered his playroom. "I have no inmates to torture."

Aro laughed lightly as he made his way across the pristine playroom floor towards the back where a few barrels were stored.

Caius caught on pretty quickly when he saw the direction Aro was heading. "We haven't done that for a long time, brother," he said gleefully.

Aro looked over his shoulder to Caius. "Are you game?"

Caius flashed to the barrels, getting ahead of Aro, and took two small glasses from the shelf above. Wiping each out with the hem of his shirt, he knelt before the barrel and flicked the tap. Dark red blood, so dark it was almost black, glooped out of the spout and he half-filled each glass - just enough to knock down in one gulp. Caius held out a glass to Aro, but didn't release it when his brother-in-arms tried to take it from him.

"Are you sure 'Daddy' will allow this, Aro?"

Aro smirked despite himself, knowing exactly what Basileus would have to say about him drinking dungeon blood - none of it good.

The last time Basileus had caught Caius and Aro partying on the potent liquid he had decided enough was enough and that's how they ended up with Eleazar, _and a damn good hiding_ , Aro remembered.

"How about we don't tell him, just to be safe."

Caius laughed as he chinked his glass against Aro's. "I will drink to that."

"What has brought you down to this level, Aro?" Caius asked, after their second glass.

They were already sitting on the playroom floor, feeling giddy with the effects of the dirty vampire blood.

"Sulpicia is raging at me over this whole Demetri and Lucy thing. If I listened to anymore I would have smashed my quarters ... or her."

Caius whistled. He knew the situation with Lucy was precarious for him, but hadn't appreciated that it would be for Aro, too.

"What's wrong with Demetri?" he asked. He had been told by Freyr of Lucy's loss of emotions and general state of ill health, but he'd heard nothing about Demetri being in the same state.

"He is overloaded with emotions, totally off the scale, very volatile," Aro told him.

Caius shrugged. "And, this is unusual?" he asked in genuine wonderment.

"My point exactly, Caius!" Aro replied. He had been worried, very worried, when he saw Demetri thrashing about in his bed that afternoon, but now he was only pissed off. "That boy is playing on his mother's concerns and winding me up for fun. The cocky brat mouthed off and when I slapped him Sulpicia raged me!"

"I would have knocked him out! Her too!"

One look at Aro's face told Caius he'd said the wrong thing, but with the effects of the vampire blood, the pair fell about laughing.

It took over half an hour before either of them could look at one another without cracking up again for no apparent reason – such was the effect of dungeon blood. When they were a little more resolved, Caius suggested resurrecting one of their other former habits.

"Do you remember what we used to do down here brother?"

Aro smiled to himself as a thousand nights of drugs, blood, and debauchery floated before his eyes.

"Shall I fetch Heidi?" Caius prompted.

"I really shouldn't, Caius," Aro replied, though Caius could tell he was already wondering what she would be like.

"She's very good, Aro. Up for anything."

Aro sighed. _God, I want to, I really want to_.

"We could share her ... it's not cheating if you are sharing, surely." Caius pushed a little harder with the sort of logic Felix would be proud of, such was his inhibited state.

"Fetch her," Aro relented. "If anything happens, well, she's a siren, I am powerless."

Caius smiled broadly as he crawled to his feet using the central fireplace as a brace.

...

"Master," Heidi greeted Aro as she came through the panelled door.

Aro was still half splayed out on the floor, leaning against a large wooden chest to support his upper body. He'd had two more shots of dungeon blood since Caius left and he was enjoying the high.

"Heidi, please, sit," he offered, gesturing to the floor. "I must apologise for the lack of a seat," he said, giggling with the drug effects of the blood.

Caius stumbled back into view and closed the door with a thud before throwing some more wood on the fire.

"Caius, fetch us all a shot," Aro called out, waiving his glass at his covenmate.

"Are your legs broken?" Caius asked sarcastically, giving Aro's shin a kick as he passed. Aro couldn't feel it - they weren't broken, just jellied from his high.

"What is this, master?" Heidi asked curiously as she sniffed the thick dark liquid

"Vampire blood, my dear," Caius told her with a rather sinister smile.

Heidi had indeed been game for anything whilst he'd had her in his chambers, but Caius couldn't help but wonder where his drug of choice would take the coven siren.

"Is this allowed?" she asked generally, before gulping down the shot in one.

The effects were almost immediate. Heidi felt like she had been hit in the head as the room began to spin. She felt hot from the inside out - an effect she had never before experienced as a vampire. Holding a hand up to her face, she couldn't quite make it out and as her eyes tried to focus all she could see was the blurred outline.

Aro laughed at seeing the drug take its effect on the young woman. "I am the king of vampires, if I say it is allowed, it is allowed. Though it must be kept private, my dear."

Heidi turned to Aro and tried to judge where he was. Before she'd taken the drink he was only sat a foot away from her, now he seemed to be across the room. He wasn't, of course, he hadn't moved an inch, in fact, as Heidi found out when she lunged towards him. Landing in his lap, Aro scooped her into his arms.

"Ah, ah. You don't need to do that," he said without conviction as he felt Heidi undressing him.

"I want to, master," she ensured him, and as Aro wasn't exactly fighting her off, she continued to undress him.

"Oh, you are making this very hard," Aro said, knowing he was ready to succumb.

Caius burst out laughing as he drew himself another shot. "What would that be then, brother?"

Aro laughed, too, before turning his attention back to Heidi.

"I have seen to master Caius' needs, even his lady has enjoyed my pleasures," she told him as she tried to focus on his face. Everything was moving beyond her control, she couldn't use her gift to tempt Aro, but she soon realised that she didn't need to.

"Fuck, that's tempting," Aro exclaimed.

"Athenodora?!" Caius questioned in surprise.

"No, you fool. Sully ... she would never go for it, though."

Aro was reminded of what Sulpicia would say if she found out he fucked Heidi ... adding in the offer to make it a three way would likely see her removing his testicles with a spoon!

"Then we can leave her out of it, master," Heidi told him, taking his attention from his thoughts.

"I am the vampire king, my dear. Expectations on my head are different to those of Caius. He can get away with more than I," he said sadly, though his body appeared to be working against his word as he pushed Heidi down.

"Your commitment to your job is very attractive, master," she said finally before taking his cock into her mouth.

Aro leaned into the wooden chest and let it support his weight as his head fell back. "Oh, I do love being king."

…

"Atia!" Caius exclaimed as he fell back ... and 'out' of Heidi.

"My lady." Heidi scrambled to her feet, though it was difficult breaking Aro's hold on her.

"Aro," Caius warned as he pulled Heidi out of his arms. Grinding out again, "ARO!", he turned his co-master's face to see his mother was in the room.

It took Aro a moment to focus, he'd had much more dungeon blood than Caius. "Oh fuck," he sighed upon realising who had interrupted them.

"Well I must say, when Athenodora said I would find you three down here, I didn't expect this!" Atia sounded shrill, and somewhat dangerous, to Caius and Heidi - Aro appeared to barely register his mother's voice.

"We don't need to stop, she will leave."

Caius laughed at Aro's foolishness, the blood clearly making him brave, but he pulled Heidi away and redressed himself quickly. Heidi did the same.

"She?" Atia repeated, venomously.

"Why are you here?" Aro asked, sounding bored.

"Your father and I were worried about you," she stated plainly as she went around the room retrieving items of forgotten clothing. "You should think yourself lucky I am the one to have found you and not him."

Aro went to retake his glass to lick the last remnants of dungeon blood from the cup before Caius took it from his grasp, shaking his head sadly.

Aro scoffed at the gesture, not realising Caius was trying to save him from revealing exactly what they had been up to down in his playroom.

"That's lovely," he told his mother with no sincerity. "Thank you for your concern ... but as you can see, I am a little busy."

Atia stepped over her half-dressed son and took Heidi the cape she had found discarded by the door.

"Heidi, dear, it is time for you to leave."

Heidi accepted the cape gratefully with shame-filled eyes fixed to the floor..

"I am the king of this castle, Atia, not you," Aro butted in, pulling himself up the chest to sit. "Heidi, stay."

Atia turned eyes of fire on her boy. "How dare you command Heidi as though she were a dog!"

Aro simply shrugged. "Like I said, I'm the King ... " he said theatrically giving a (seated) mock bow.

"And I am the king's mother, married to the king's father, the creator and I have caught you mid-coitus with your fellow master and his ward! Who do you think holds more sway in this situation?" Atia replied.

Heidi didn't need to hear anything else. "Good night, masters," she called over her shoulder as she scurried from the room.

"Get dressed before you embarrass yourself further," Atia spat to her son as she dropped his shirt in his lap.

It was then that Aro realised he had conducted all conversation to that point completely exposed - he wasn't wearing anything. As the mild embarrassment pulled at the fraying edges of his drugged-up mind, he could feel his high retreating. _No, not yet,_ be thought and he silently tried to keep the high alive in his mind.

Atia huffed to the sad state Aro was in, he still looked blank! "Caius, can you find your way back to your quarters without assistance or should I call for Basileus."

"Good god, no!" Caius said to himself. "You're on your own, brother," he told Aro as he passed.

"Thanks, Caius, thanks a lot," Aro called after him, thoroughly pissed off that not only Caius, but also his high, was shooting out the door.

"Get up," Atia commanded as soon as Caius shut the door.

Aro tried to do as he was bid, the reality of the situation coming crushing down to greet him as he did had him fall back on his bare ass.

 _Basileus is going to break my legs,_ he thought. He was right, too.

Aro and Caius had shared a penchant for vampire blood and in the early years they would drink from the source of captured enemy vampires.

Basileus had let their games go unchecked until Felix arrived in the coven. When Aro chose to take the boy into his own chambers he felt uncomfortable with his son on the high of vampire blood and called time on their fun.

Caius, at Aro's request, discovered a way of preserving vampire blood with wine, creating the thick tar like quality of dungeon blood and the resulting potent effects of the drug. When Aro and Caius started their games again, their drugged-up orgies found new heights. Basileus had been apoplectic when he found out, mainly because of the way he found out - Aro, still off his face on the fermented blood, had smashed up his chambers, and Sully, and then Basileus ... it didn't end well for Aro.

The coven king had sensibly quit his habit, or so Basileus believed, as he only took the odd couple of glasses at a time with far less regularity than he once had.

The last time Basileus caught him had been the worst. Aro dived new depths of depravity in his fathers mind when Aro's high guard, (as they were then) had witnessed the coven king sexually assaulting his mate. Both Felix and Alec had become embroiled in defending the queen of Volterra. Basileus beat Aro bloody for breaking his word in such a disgustingly low way, and then set out to expand his family to break Caius' hold on Aro ... that's how they ended up turning Eleazar.

As his father's very clear warning floated through his mind, Aro felt sick. 'If I catch you on this shit again, I will break your fucking legs!'

Caius still took it regularly, but it didn't seem to have the same effect on Caius ... Caius could easily be an evil cunt on a good day so no one could tell if he was nasty from the drug. It was far more obvious with Aro. Caius also had a little more self-restraint and mainly used the dirty blood to get him through the some of his more arduous duties as coven torturer where as Aro really was hooked on the stuff - one was never enough.

Atia could see Aro was coming around. "How much have you drunk?" she asked, kneeling at his side and taking his wrist.

Using Aro's own gift, Atia could see what Aro had done. "Fermented Vampire blood! You aren't drunk, you're high!"

Atia left Aro and began to pace. "Wonderful, Aro. Absolutely wonderful!" She was livid.

Aro struggled himself into his clothes and onto his feet, managing to stand with some help from the damp dungeon wall. "What does it have to do with you?" he spat in annoyance.

"I am your mother, now. Your state of inebriation has an awful lot to do with me," she said as she rounded on her boy.

"Pft!" Aro scoffed.

Atia retaliated by taking hold of Aro's face. "Look at the state of you!" she said, sounding like she was talking with an errant child. She was, of course. "Aro you have arranged for the major covens to meet in less than two months, you have thrown this coven ... and all its inhabitants ... into a very dangerous situation and everyone is going along with it on your instance that you can bring us through it safely. AND LOOK AT YOU!"

Aro tried to break free, his head already whirling from his retreating dungeon blood high, the last thing he needed was someone shouting in his face.

"I just needed some light relief ... that's all. I'm under a lot of pressure right now," he reasoned, knowing that his words wouldn't wash with Basileus and not really expecting them to wash with Atia either. He was right.

"Yes you are, and you should be dealing with it. You are more than capable," Atia returned in annoyance. "Your family will fall apart if Sulpicia finds out about this," she implored.

Though Aro tried to hide it, Atia saw the panic in his eyes. Getting himself together, he shrugged. "Who needs family? I have the whole vampire race on my shoulders!" he shot back.

CRACK!

Atia slapped him, hard. "It is not the time for self-pity," she said sternly.

 _I've had enough of this_! Aro said to himself as he pushed past his mother to get some space. "It's your fault, you pissed me off in the first place," he accused.

"Excuse me?" Atia asked with dead calm anger. "Forgive me, but did I cause the situation with Demetri? I believe that is why both you and your mate are 'pissed off'."

Atia only ever swore in quotation and Aro usually found it quite funny. Not today - not when he realised she was right.

"Well no," he said, considering where to go next in blaming her for his stupidity.

"If you had managed that boy better in the first place this would never have happened," Atia told her son, hoping to end his argument before he could get it off the ground.

 _Gotcha!_ Aro thought. "See! That's what pisses us off! You think you can tell us how to parent and you've only been one for five minutes!"

Atia laughed to herself. _Stupid boy_ , she thought. "No Aro, I am not telling you how to parent - I am offering you an objective view. Demetri is allowed his pick of the guards for his sexual exploits - he was going to fall for one eventually, surely you can see that?!"

Aro folded his arms across his chest, looking sullenly to the floor. "I never expected him to want to mate, actually, no," he muttered to himself, knowing how pathetic it sounded.

Atia watched her boy in wonder. "Someone of your position, someone who prides himself on covering every eventuality - and you didn't see that one coming?" she said slowly, making sure he heard.

"I know I fucked up, okay, I know it, I don't need it rammed down my throat," Aro roared, punching the wall in rage.

Atia remained unperturbed. "Did that help?" she asked, looking at his now bloodied knuckles.

"Not really," Aro said quietly.

"Did it hurt?" Atia asked, making him feel damn stupid.

"Yes," he spat in return.

Aro felt sick. He'd drank too much, he'd fucked too much, and now he was moving too much. Spotting Caius' work bench to the side of the room it looked the perfect place to perch whilst he finished coming around from the blood.

Atia gave him the time he needed to get his head together. She didn't speak until he did.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked, sounding so very childlike in that moment. He knew he'd screwed up and he was asking for help to put it right.

Atia knew that.

"You need to be on form, you need your household under control and you need to be ready and able to deal with the fallout of this whole thing with Lucy and Demetri," she said calmly as she perched next to him on the bench.

"What fallout? They will be okay," Aro replied. He wasn't concerned about Demetri and Lucy right now - his worry was for himself.

"It is unlikely Lucy will recover, Aro. I have seen this before," Atia told him as she thought about the soulless shells vampires became without their true mate at their side. She had been shocked to hear Marcus had survived so mentally intact after losing Didyme and he was a relative shell of his former self.

Aro shrugged. "Then we lose Lucy."

Atia tutted and slapped his arm. "Magnus and Freyr have taken her in. Do you think they will be shrugging at the idea of losing Lucy?"

Aro closed his eyes. Atia knew he was thinking hard on her words.

"You need the entire coven on your side before the other covens get here and you are about to fall out with two of your fellow masters."

Hearing that, Aro shook his head. "You don't know that will happen, Atia, its speculation," he said dismissively.

"It's an objective appraisal, Aro. And I am rarely wrong."

Aro sighed deeply. _Fuck_ , he thought. "Fine, I will be prepared."

"Whilst developing an addiction to vampire blood?" she asked curiously.

Aro scoffed. _Hardly,_ he thought. "I'm not addicted, I haven't taken it for years, it's just this one night."

"Basileus told me about your last stint on Vampire Blood."

Aro paled. "You can't tell him, Atia, he will kill me!" He was begging, how he hated begging!

Atia looked her son up and down. "Well, you need to face someone for your severe lack of judgement," she said plainly. "Vampire Blood, having sex with the castle siren, dragging Caius in on the act ... "

"Dragging Caius in?!" Aro scoffed. He wasn't taking the fall for Caius! "Caius needs no dragging from me, he's the bad influence around here!"

Atia raised her eyebrows, looking like a stern matron appraising her charge.

"Yes, your father told me all about what a bad influence Caius has been on you. Well done there for getting him to believe such folly! YOU are the king, Aro, as you so often enjoy telling anyone in hearing distance, and yet you seek to blame Caius for your actions as though you are defenceless against his suggestions. Shameful. Utterly shameful."

Aro had listened to his mother with his mouth hanging open in shock. No one had ever turned around the 'Caius is a bastard and its all his fault' thing before. When she finished, Aro desperately tried to formulate a sentence in his defence. Nothing came. not even a garbled excuse. He groaned as he sank to his knees with his head in his hands feeling like he had been punched in the guts.

Feeling satisfied that she had Aro where she wanted him, Atia pushed him a little further. "Who should we inform first? Your father or Sulpicia?" she asked her boy.

Aro looked up at her from the floor. "Atia, Sulpicia and I are already going through a bad patch ... " he said. _Understatement_ , he added in his head.

"Your father it is, then," Atia said, sounding resolute and making to leave.

Aro grabbed hold of her dress. "Atia, no, you can't. He will crucify me."

"Do you have another suggestion?" she asked.

Aro didn't respond, he felt sick, so sick. He had read this exact situation in Carlisle's thoughts. _She's going to make me ask for it_.

"I'm waiting Aro," Atia pushed him as she appraised him from above with a stern eye.

"You," he said quietly.

"Sorry?" Atia replied, making him say it louder.

"You," Aro responded in a louder voice, adding "please."

"We both know you won't submit to me, you have made that perfectly clear though your attitude since I arrived," Atia told him, dismissing his request.

Aro could see his saviour backing away. _No, if she won't do it Basileus will,_ he reminded himself. "I will. I will. Please, Atia."

"Do I have your word that there will not be a repeat?"

"You do, yes." Aro felt relieved, but he knew it was premature - he was still going to take a damn good hiding if his reading in Carlisle's thoughts was anything to go by.

Atia gestured for Aro to stand, which he did. "What is this?" she asked taking a long black stick, about half an inch thick, from Caius' workbench.

"It's a cane," Aro said with one eye on the implement.

"I can see that. Will it hold against a vampire?" Atia watched Aro for his response.

"I believe so."

"You believe so ... or you know so?" she pushed.

"I know so. It's one of Caius' creations ... he uses it on his victims in here," Aro huffed. _What is the point of questioning me?! I told you it will would for fuck sake,_ he thought with disgust. He knew how much that cane hurt, Caius had hit him with it, once, to prove it wouldn't break. He had never told Aro what it was made of so he couldn't replicate it.

"Have you ever used it?" Atia asked, bringing him from his memories.

"Yes," he sighed. _Again, point Atia?!_

"Then why didn't you say so?" she asked, glaring at him with a whole change of tone.

That put Aro on the back foot. "I, I don't know," he admitted. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just said he knew because he had used it in the first place.

"You do know. It's something you do often, Aro. You distance yourself from your own distasteful behaviour and it allows you to believe yourself to be without blame."

Aro tutted and turned away, neither confirming nor denying Atia's suggestion.

"How else would you explain it?" she pushed.

Aro couldn't come up with anything. He didn't like that she seemed to know him so well. He really didn't like it.

"I will take your silence as your realisation that I speak the truth."

Aro silently nodded, and he felt like a prick.

"Bend over." Atia gestured to the work bench.

As Aro lowered himself down, biting back his pride and wishing some of that damn dungeon blood was still working, he considered facing Basileus instead. _It would at least be less of a humiliation,_ he reasoned.

CRACK

 _Jesus Christ!_ He silently screamed, biting deep into his cheek to keep himself quiet.

"Why are you receiving this punishment, Aro?" Atia asked her boy.

"Seriously?!" Aro replied, thinking to question him now was positively audacious.

CRACK

"I think you need to hear yourself say it."

Aro was saying a lot of things on that second strike, but none were in answer to Atia's question.

"Well?" she pushed.

"Because I didn't want to face Basileus or Sulpicia," he posed, wondering what to say.

CRACK

"I am not playing with you. Try again."

Aro gasped for breath as he did his level best not to scream. As he greedily gulped down the air around him, he took down his own venom with it. Coughing and spluttering, he replied, "because I took dungeon blood and fucked Heidi?" He wasn't used to having a conversation mid-discipline, it wasn't how Basileus rolled!

Atia wasn't happy with that.

CRACK

"Not quite but we are getting there. Try again, a little more respectfully, if you please."

She sounded so nonchalant that Aro was impressed, or rather he would have been if she wasn't beating his ass!

"I am receiving this punishment because I am putting my coven, and more importantly, my family, at risk with my reckless behaviour. And if Basileus knew I was taking blood ... "

Atia stopped him. " … again," she added to his statement.

CRACK.

"Again," Aro agreed, "he would break my legs. And if Sulpicia knew I was with another woman ... "

Atia interrupted him a second time. " … again," she added.

CRACK.

Aro punched a hole straight through Caius' work bench in response to his growing pain. "Again. She would want to leave me," he gasped, realising how true that was and what an idiot he had been.

Atia leaned down close to her son's ear. "You would break her heart," she corrected him quietly.

CRACK.

It took a moment for Aro to recover from that strike. Atia was landing blow after blow in the exact same spot and Aro wore a blazing black stripe where the cane had bruised him.

"I would break her heart," he said. That line did it. He broke. He couldn't hold back his tears once he'd admitted what he was doing to his beloved mate.

"Very good," Atia told him kindly, before adding another strike.

CRACK

"Please no more," Aro spluttered, a sobbing mess now.

"Can you focus on your job, now?"

CRACK

Atia waited for Aro to respond. It took a few more minutes until he could be understood.

"Yes. I will focus. I will."

"Get up." Atia placed the cane back on Caius' desk, ensuring to match up the dust marks so Caius wouldn't know it had been used. "Do you give me your word that your infidelity will cease and you will not drink another drop of that disgusting drug?"

Aro's breath hitched in his throat to the point that he couldn't answer. He did nod though.

"So long as you don't go back on your word, I won't go back on mine and this will stay between us," Atia told him gently.

Aro's concentration on his breathing had worked and he could talk again. "Basileus will find out, he will read it in my thoughts," he said, sounding depressed and praying he would finally be permitted use of the 'mother buffer' that his sons, and even Carlisle had used so often to their advantage.

"He probably will, yes, but I will speak with him."

"He won't settle for that, Atia," Aro implored, wanting more of a conformation that she would save his ass.

"He will have no choice, son. You will have to trust me, won't you?"

Aro melted into the bench before the ignited fire in his backside had him springing to his feet again. He did trust her.

"Thank you."


	79. Close Quarters

**AN:** Hope y'all have a lovely Easter :)

* * *

 **CLOSE QUARTERS**

Aro pushed open the door to his chambers and slunk inside. "Good morning, my queen," he said quietly.

Everything hurt. His head had developed a thumping ache from the dungeon blood and every solitary step was pure pain thanks to Atia's handiwork.

"Good morning? Where the hell have you been?" Sulpicia called back shrilly, stopping suddenly when she saw the state of her mate. "Aro, what's happened to you?" she asked, voice full of concern.

 _Don'_ _t pity me, Sully, I don_ _'_ _t deserve your pity,_ he said to himself. "Nothing, I'm fine," he lied.

"You're limping," she pointed out, as though he didn't know. "And, you're filthy!"

Aro looked down at his clothes. He looked like he'd been rolling around the dungeon half the night ... because he had!

"Are the children still asleep?" he asked before moving any further into the room. If they were already up he wanted to send them back to their room so they wouldn't see the state he was in.

"I believe so," Sulpicia replied, closing the door for him.

Aro limply made his way to their bed chamber and collapsed face first onto the bed. "I went to see Caius. Atia found me ... we got into an argument and she, well ... she ... "

He didn't know what to say. He felt embarrassed and he really wanted to apologise to Carlisle for making him relive his shame the day before.

"I won't be arguing with her again," he said, laughing humourlessly to his own cowardice.

Sulpicia helped Aro out of his clothes, stopping when she saw the bruising to his ass, which seemed to be pulling all the venom from his legs and his back to heal his battered skin.

"Oh my god, Aro!" she exclaimed, covering him over with a sheet. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"My mother, Sully," Aro said flatly, ending Sulpicia's ideas for retribution before they could begin. "And we both know, this has been a long time coming."

Sulpicia threw a blanket over her mate and lay out next to him. "Are you saying that you deserved it?" she asked in surprise … that was almost as much of a shock as the state of Aro's behind.

Aro looked into Sulpicia's eyes and his heart ached. _I love you so much, what was I thinking?_

"Definitely," he confirmed.

"Does Basileus know about this?" she asked, still full of concern for her mate without even thinking to question his crimes.

"He will soon, I expect," Aro said with a shiver that traversed the entire length of his body. "Sully, I am sorry about all of this with Demetri ... we need to come up with a plan for how we are going to deal with him if he falls for someone else. If any of our children do, for that matter."

"We?" Sulpicia asked, eying her mate for his response.

"You and me," he said. _Obviously_.

"And your parents?" she asked, not ready to give-up her authority over her children as easily as Aro might be.

"If we are better prepared, they will have no reason to intervene," Aro answered ... without really answering. "But Sully, we both know that Basileus only acts out of love for us, all of us," he pushed gently.

Sulpicia stroked his face. "I know that, my love."

"Then we could cut him some slack? Perhaps?" he asked, knowing he would very soon be asking for Basileus to cut him a lot of slack.

"I'm not apologising to him, or Atia, Aro."

Sulpicia tried to leave their bed but Aro pulled her back, hissing with the pain it created. "I don't expect you to. Let's just forget about it. What's done is done. We need to get through the next few months and then work out a way to never be in this situation again."

"How do you mean?" Sulpicia asked.

"It's just something Atia said."

That was the last thing she wanted to hear. "What unsolicited opinion did she have to offer this time?" she asked spitefully.

Aro pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "I solicited it, kind of. An objective view," he said softly. "She pointed out that we have been turning a blind eye to Demetri, and Felix too, having sex with whomever they like but we made no plans on what to do if they actually mated with someone."

He felt his mate soften in his arms. "Okay, she has a point," she admitted. "So we need a plan."

Aro nodded into her hair as he kissed the back of her head. He didn't want to ever let her go again. "I don't know what that plan should be, and frankly we have too much going on at the moment to come up with one."

Aro sounded so tired and Sulpicia felt for her poor mate.

"It can wait, my love." she told him. "It's waited this long, after all." They fell into quiet conversation for a while before Sulpicia finally asked, "so, Atia ... "

Aro pulled her in closer.

"Worse than your father?"

Aro snorted. _Worse_? I _don'_ _t know about that. But I am not going there again!_ "Different. I'll give her that," he admitted.

"I think I will stop winding her up." Sulpicia turned in his arms to face him.

Aro still looked stricken. "Basileus is going to ..."

"ARO!" Basileus bellowed from their living chamber and by the sounds of it the door would be lucky to have its hinges still intact with the thud of it rebounding off the wall.

"Oh shit!" Aro squeaked.

Sulpicia was so startled by his fear that she felt compelled to help him. "Stay here, I'll send him in," she said resolutely.

Aro wondered if his father would tell her what he had done. "Sully ... " he called before she reached the door.

Turning to look at him only solidified her resolve. "Trust me, my love," she said sweetly before leaving and closing the door.

Basileus was disappointed that Aro had sent his mate out to see him. _Weak_ _,_ he thought of his boy.

"Ah, Sulpicia, I just need a word with my son."

"May I speak with you first?" she asked, blocking her bed chamber door.

"Of course, my lady." Basileus ran through his daughter-in-law's thoughts before she could voice them.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did, I apologise, unreservedly."

"Oh!" Basileus exclaimed. _That_ _'_ _s not true, though, is it my dear one,_ he thought. _You are trying to soften me up for Aro. He doesn_ _'_ _t deserve your love._

"Mothers protect their children, whether they need it or deserve it, it's what we do," she pushed, taking his free hand in her own.

His other held a black cane ... not that Sulpicia recognised any relevance to him carrying it.

Basileus softened his stance. "It certainly is," he said, thinking on Atia's protective position of their son. "It's a wonderful quality and I know I made it sound lesser when we spoke yesterday."

"I know you only have our best interests at heart, Basileus, and I shouldn't have thrown what happened with Carlisle in your face." Sulpicia was working her way around the creator in such a way, that even though he had read her mind and knew to expect it, it still worked.

"You spoke the truth. I have reconciled with Carlisle because you were right, I was hurting him for my own mistake."

Sulpicia was glad to hear that, but she pushed on anyway. "I would never want to hurt you and I am sorry if I did."

As she looked up to him with those big eyes and soft curls dancing around her face, he broke. "My sweet, Sulpicia, nor I, you," he told her, wrapping her into his arms.

Knowing she had done all she could for Aro, she stepped back. "Aro is in our bed chamber, my lord. I am going to make peace with Atia."

"Thank you," he called after her before she shut the door to the stairs.

He waited for the door to close before he went in to Aro. When he opened the door, Aro jumped out of his skin.

"Dad, I ... "

"Shut up!" Basileus ground out hatefully. "Do you realise what your mate has just done on your behalf?" he questioned, closing the door behind him. "She has apologised to me, and will be to Atia, too, just to soften me up so I am not so harsh with you." Aro closed his eyes. _I can_ _'_ _t believe you did that, Sully,_ he thought, knowing how resolute she had been about apologising to his parents.

"I could read it in her thoughts," Basileus confirmed. "There has never been a woman more loyal to walk this earth and you chose to demonstrate your loyalty to her by fucking, fucking Heidi!"

Aro's head shot up - the last thing he wanted now was for his children to hear.

"Keep it down, will you!" he dared to say.

That's when he spotted it, Basileus brandishing the same cane Atia had used on him in the early hours of that morning. His stomach flipped over and he felt the tar-like dungeon blood come up into his mouth. He swallowed it back down bitterly.

"So you do feel some shame then?" Basileus asked, stalking around his son's bedroom like a predator taunting its prey.

"Shame, guilt, stress ... pain." Aro admitted.

Basileus stopped. "Pain! Ha!"

"Show me," Basileus ordered.

"You must be kidding?" Aro scoffed as he attempted to get up from the very vulnerable position in which he lay. Basileus shoved him back down to lie on the bed.

"Do I look like the damn jester?" he ground out through gritted teeth.

Basileus ripped the blanket away, it was all Aro wore.

"Hmm."

He appraised the damage Atia had done and to be fair to his mate, he thought she'd done a damn good job.

"Still, it's nothing compared with what I promised you if I caught you on that dirty dungeon blood again, is it?"

Basileus threw the blanket back to Aro and he quickly wrapped it around his waist before standing in front of his formidable father.

"No, my lord," he said quietly.

"We are disgusted in you, absolutely disgusted!" Basileus bellowed his boy out only inches from his face.

Aro was genuinely scared, which didn't happen often. Even when he was facing his father he could usually hold it together, bar the odd bit of begging for a reprieve. Right now he wanted to cry! He put the emotional reaction down to the blood rather than the crushing guilt in his heart.

Basileus scrubbed a hand through his hair wondering just what the hell he should do with the supposed coven king.

"What were you thinking?" he asked, expecting a response.

Aro's breath caught in his throat. "Caius suggested it ... " he tried.

Bad move.

CRACK

Basileus cut him off by wrapping the cane across his son's thigh with so much force that Aro was sure he had broken his bone, let alone his skin.

"LIAR!"

Aro flopped down onto the bed holding his leg as though it would help.

"I know the blood was your suggestion," Basileus said venomously. "And Caius never would have fetched Heidi had you not already agreed."

Aro was shaking on his bed, leaning away from Basileus as best he could. It was no good. Basileus kneeled on the bed next to Aro and wrapped his hand around his throat.

"She's a siren I am powerless ... " Basileus repeated Aro's own words back to him.

Aro felt awful.

"SCUM!" Basileus spat.

Aro couldn't disagree. He couldn't breathe for a start, but he agreed with the sentiment anyway.

"I have been to Caius already, so I know it all," Basileus confirmed.

Aro had worked that out already.

Releasing his hold on Aro, Basileus sat next to him instead. Aro daren't try to move away no matter how desperately he wanted to create some space between them.

"Why do you have that?" Aro asked, rubbing his sore thigh and gesturing to the cane in his father's grasp.

"Caius has gifted it to me, at my request," Basileus told him as he pulled Aro's hand away from the blackening stripe of fire on his leg.

Aro knew what was coming. "My lord, please, it was a mistake ... " he tried, knowing it was futile.

"One you have made before, repeatedly!"

CRACK

Aro bit into his free hand, drawing blood from his knuckles in an effort to distract himself. Not that it worked.

"Do you need more?" Basileus asked, holding the cane up high above his head.

Aro felt like a child as he begged for all he was worth. He couldn't even protect himself, as Basileus kept a firm grip on his wrist giving himself an easy target.

"Atia has requested that I leave you able to walk, at least."

"Will you?" Aro asked. As things stood, he genuinely thought he wouldn't make it out with the ability.

When Basileus simply smiled, Aro felt the blood rising in his throat again. The whole lot of dungeon blood he'd drank so happily came up and over the bed.

Basileus moved from the bed in disgust. "How many shots of that shit did you have?" _There looks enough to be a full feed_ , he thought.

"I'm not sure," Aro lied.

Basileus easily picked through his son's memories and counted eight before he had to remove himself from his son's head - seeing what Aro, Caius and Heidi had been getting up to was a sight no father should see.

"I'll make it eight ... at least," he told Aro, who was scooping the bloodied sheets from the bed.

His heart sank. _Six more!_ he thought, knowing how Basileus worked.

Aro dumped the ruined cloth on the floor before turning to face his father. If he hadn't been limping before he certainly was now.

"Not with that," he pleaded, looking at the cane.

"With whatever I like," Basileus told him flatly.

"But Atia said ... " Aro said quietly as he limped backwards, using the bedpost to steady himself.

 _He can hardly walk now,_ Basileus realised, and thought on his promise to his mate. _Fine._ He removed the rings from his right hand, never once breaking eye contact with his son.

Aro gulped. He knew what was coming.

Basileus whipped the back of his hand across Aro's face with such force that he felt his boy's eye socket crack.

Aro gasped in pain, but he took it. He could feel the trickle of blood running down his cheek, but the wound soon healed to leave only a red stain to show it ever existed.

"See. I am loyal to my mate, son," Basileus told him as he stalked towards the door. "Between Atia's request and Sulpicia's efforts ... you really have no idea how lucky you are to have those women in your life," Basileus ground out before opening the door and checking for the young ones.

Happy they weren't in hearing distance he turned back to Aro. "You don't want me interfering and for Sulpicia's sake I will pull back where the children are concerned, but I will be watching YOU very closely. Understood?"

Aro nodded. "Yes, my lord."

Though he was in considerable pain, he knew his father had been lenient.

Basileus swung the cane around and tested it out to walk with. "I think I will be keeping hold of this." With that he left and Aro collapsed, once again, into a heap on his bed.

His peace was soon disturbed with Felix barrelling into his room to complain about Demetri.

"Can you do something about Romeo?! He's doing my head in!"

Felix stopped in his tracks seeing Aro's bruised and battered body. "Did mom do that?" he asked, slightly amused.

"No, of course not," Aro scoffed as he pulled his blanket to cover more of his body, or at least his modesty.

Demetri was hot on his brother's tail. "Where is she? What have you done to her?" he demanded.

"Excuse me?" Aro asked with a raised eyebrow, getting to his feet.

"What have you done to our mother?" Demetri ordered when he saw the bloodied sheets on the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to?" Aro asked threateningly.

He didn't look too threatening right now, barely able to stand and wincing as he tried. His face was swollen from Basileus' back-hander and Demetri must have realised Aro was in no fit state to chase him down.

"You!" he replied with a cocky grin.

Aro stood to his full height and hid his pain. "Demetri, I ... "

"Are we really arguing already?" Sulpicia's voice floated through from the living chamber.

"I thought he hurt you," Demetri said, sounding relieved to see she was still alive. Both Felix and Aro rolled their eyes to his dramatic display.

"Now that you can see I am perfectly fine, you can apologise," his mother commanded him easily.

"Sorry," Demetri said quietly, with little conviction.

"Hmm, saved by the skin of your teeth there, boy," Aro told him, jabbing a finger in his direction. He really did look a sorry state.

Sulpicia shooed her boys from her bedroom so she could check on Aro.

"How did it go?" he asked, before she could question his mounting number of injuries.

"With Atia? Perfectly fine. She understands why I was upset and appreciates it's something we all need to work through."

Aro breathed a sigh of relief. _So,_ _Atia hasn'_ _t grassed me up, thank the heavens._

"Are you okay?" she asked her mate sadly, wiping the crusting blood from his cheek.

Aro winced and pulled her hand away. "Better than I deserve to be, I can assure you."

Before Sulpicia could ask him any uncomfortable questions, like how he had managed to piss off both of his parents during the middle of the night, and to such an extreme extent, he decided to deflect. _It'_ _s what I do best, apparently,_ he thought, reminding himself what Atia had told him.

"Felix, get dressed. I will take you down to Eleazar's," he called through to his boys, who were still bickering over which one of them was being a jerk.

Sulpicia pulled some clothes out for Aro to dress. He had no intentions of going any further than the tower today so she only fetched him his very lightest of clothing.

"I think I can find my way down one whole flight of stairs, Dad," Felix replied happily, still sat on his ass.

Aro made short work of dressing. It was going to hurt however long the task took, so going at vampire speed and taking a moment to catch his breath afterwards seemed to be the best option he had.

"I'm sure you can, but you are not allowed to try it unattended." Aro wanted to give absolutely no opportunity to test out that cane again for a good long while. "Now!" he added as he limped through to the living room where Felix still sat.

Felix splayed out on the sofa dramatically. "I've only just got up. I don't want to start yet," he whined.

"Felix, this isn't optional. If you want to be able to attend the ball in March you need to have finished all of Marcus' books before then and Carlisle is already writing around the clock - you are getting off lightly!" Aro called back, having no interest in listening to Felix's 'woe is me' bullshit – he was busy with his own!

"Lightly!" Felix scoffed. "Carlisle is enjoying it, it's not fair."

"Not this again." Aro ran a hand through his hair and gestured for Felix to stand.

"Well it isn't!" he said, this time directing his hopes towards his mother.

"Felix, I suggest you get on with the task at hand," she told him firmly.

"Before you end up with my hand across your ass!" Aro added.

Felix looked between his parents with an incredulous expression, thoroughly pissed off that neither one would help end his torture.

"For fuck sake!" he boomed before turning to leave. He didn't get past Aro without a sharp slap to his backside.

"OW!"

…

"Demetri, will you please settle down," Aro begged. He didn't have the strength to clobber the little brat but he was tempted to throw him out the window if he didn't stop flitting about the room, annoying everyone.

"I have too much energy, I can't sit still." Demetri replied, flashing from one side of the room to the other. He was driving Aro crazy and he was loving it.

"Force yourself," Aro ground out.

He stood over the table going through Sulpicia and Carmen's administration. Sulpicia was already annoyed with him for asking to see their work - it didn't need to be checked as far as she was concerned but Aro had to oversee everything, it was his way.

"Can I go out?" Demetri asked, flashing to his father's side.

"Is it March?" Aro asked without looking up from his work.

"No."

"Then no."

Demetri huffed. "Not even to the guard hall?" he asked, reaching out to take Aro's paperwork.

Aro slapped his hand away, hard. "No."

Demetri backed up, deciding to go for Alec instead. "What are you reading?" he asked, flashing to his little brother and snatching his book from his hands.

"Give me that back!" Alec whined as Demetri held it out of his reach.

Sulpicia admonished Alec, rather than Demetri. Alec felt incensed at the injustice. "But he's winding me up!" he complained.

"He's winding everyone up!" Aro added.

"Aro ... " Sulpicia turned on her mate.

Aro held up his hands defensively, he couldn't take an argument today. "I know, it's not his fault. However, I am running out of tether, and when I reach the end I will be beating him with it."

Sulpicia caught his smile and appreciated that he was at least trying not to murder their son for his agitated state.

"Perhaps you should go to your room for a while, Demetri," she suggested gently.

Demetri ran to his mother's side and dropped to his knees dramatically. "No, no, no, I can't be in there on my own, mom! Please don't send me away, please. I love you so much, I can't be on my own."

"Sulpicia, he is playing you," Aro sang out. He knew what his boy was doing. _Anything to get a rise out of me, eh? No such luck today, kid._

Sulpicia hugged Demetri. "Aro, let us not argue about this again," she willed as she took Demetri out onto the terrace.

Aro offered a tight smile to the twins before returning to his paperwork.

Eleazar strolled into the living chamber, unannounced, with a sullen looking Felix coming behind him.

"Why are you back already?" Aro asked. Felix had only been gone two hours.

Though it was clear Eleazar had noticed the beat-up state Aro was in, he didn't raise it, for which Aro was grateful.

"He needs a break," Eleazar answered for the pair of them.

"Ha!" Aro scoffed. "He won't get one in here."

"Demetri?" Eleazar guessed, with Aro confirming through his nod.

"You have only been writing for a couple of hours," Aro said, turning to his eldest son.

Eleazar clapped the boy's shoulder before doing his best impression of his nephew. "No one understands, my life is so unfair, rah, rah, rah."

Aro and the twins all began laughing at Eleazar's impression, he was bang on.

"I just don't know how the poor prince puts up with it all," Aro responded, winding up his boy.

When he took a look at Felix, however, his amusement turned to concern. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" he asked, seeing Felix looking murderous.

"Where's Demetri?" Felix ground out in reply.

Demetri clearly heard the call, though he mustn't have sensed the danger in Felix's tone because he foolishly came running with his doting mother trailing behind.

"You called, brother?" the younger boy sang out happily.

BANG!

One punch and Felix put Demetri flat on the floor.

"Felix, what the hell?!" Aro bellowed out in shock as he flashed to his side.

Sulpicia went straight to the floor to drag Demetri back. It took the combined efforts of Eleazar and Aro to stop Felix.

"What was that for?" Demetri asked, holding his bleeding nose.

"Grass!" Felix spat, ducking around Aro so he could continue to glare at his brother.

Demetri was giving some mouth back, but sensibly he stayed on the floor with Sulpicia.

"The second you let me go I'm taking him down!" Felix ground out, looking Aro dead in the eyes. Well, one eye ... the other was swollen half shut.

"I'm not scared of him! He couldn't take me down!" Demetri called out from the floor.

Aro laughed as he struggled to hold onto Felix. "Demetri, he just put you on your ass and he could take down any of us, with the possible exception of Jane."

Eleazar nodded along as he held onto his nephew's arms behind his back.

"You grassed on me! I would never do that to you!" Felix roared.

"I only did it because I was worried about you - and I was right to be worried," Demetri replied.

Aro looked around the room. Although Felix and Demetri appeared to know what this was all about, no one else did. Aro grabbed hold of Felix's face and forced his boy to look at him and not his brother.

"I will ask you again, what the hell is going on?"

"He grassed on me and Carlisle leaving the castle!" Felix spat, furious.

Hearing that, so was Aro. "When did you leave the castle? You have been on restriction ... "

"Last year, when Atia followed us," Felix answered before Aro could finish.

Sensing that Felix wasn't going to try and attack again, at least not now Demetri was pinned to the wall behind their mother, Aro lightened his hold.

"And you are bringing that up now?" he asked.

"Carlisle has only just told me," Felix replied.

Suddenly it made sense to Aro. _Carlisle, you brat,_ he thought. His little brother said he was going to get Felix back for holding him down on Aro's orders. _There_ _'_ _s no way you slipped Felix that little piece of information for nothing, brother. You did it to send him into an angry ball of stupid so he would attack Demetri and I would have to belt Felix. Not gonna happen,_ he thought.

"This is ridiculous," Sulpicia called out, dragging Aro from his thoughts.

"You know what's ridiculous, mom?" Felix asked, "Demetri is lying to you about being unable to control himself. He knows you are worried about him and he's using it to play you off against each other."

"He's lying!" Demetri replied - the boy was a terrible liar and it was plain as day that Felix was being truthful.

"Excuse me?" Sulpicia asked, spinning to see Demetri.

"He told me so last night," Felix confirmed.

"Felix, if you are lying to me ... " Sulpicia began, only to be cut off by Jane.

"Felix isn't lying, I heard Demetri, too," she said plainly, without looking up from her book.

"You witch!" Demetri bawled from behind Sulpicia. She wasn't taking anymore from her deceitful boy - she slapped him so hard and so fast that Demetri heard it before he felt it!

"You are driving everyone crazy, it isn't funny anymore!" Jane said, hearing him curse at her some more.

"It isn't funny anymore? So, it WAS funny?" Aro questioned his girl, wondering why she hadn't backed him up - she usually would have.

Sulpicia joined in with her husband's questioning. "You both knew and you didn't say anything?"

Alec shrugged. "It was kind of funny," he said with a smirk.

He had enjoyed the odd tensions in their home, it was a break from the norm, but he didn't fancy serving out the rest of Demetri's restriction under the same stress.

"You didn't believe Aro, why would you have believed us?" Jane added, thinking her reasoning for keeping schtum was obvious and understandable, which it was really.

"She has a point, my queen," Aro pointed out. _I must have a death wish,_ he cursed seeing Sully turn her angry eyes on him before leaving their chambers entirely and heading out of the south tower to get a break from her family.

When Aro turned back to his big brother, he realised Eleazar was still wearing the same shocked, and stressed expression as he had when they first tackled Felix. Aro laughed.

"Get married, Aro! Have kids, Aro! It's great," he said, mocking their fathers voice. "I will never trust that bastard again!"

Eleazar's face cracked and he broke into chuckles at his little brother's predicament.


	80. The Creator's Wrath

**AN:** I don't own the twi world, just playing with it :)

This is the last chapter in this section, and its... erm... yikes!

* * *

 **THE CREATOR'S WRATH**

Aro managed to stay, recovering, inside his chambers for three days. On the fourth, with an obvious limp to his step and slight swelling to his cracked eye socket, he had to emerge and deal with Lucy.

Magnus sent word to Aro and Basileus that the girl seemed to be getting worse. The only feeling she'd had was the fear she felt when Magnus had attempted to jump start the girl using Demetri's overload. But that was gone now and though she had been talking a little, Lucy had suddenly turned mute and her behaviour appeared to have regressed to that of a primate.

By the time Aro and Basileus had made it to Magnus' chambers, Lucy wasn't even moving. Curled into a ball in the middle of Magnus and Freyr's bed, she repeated low, guttural noises over and over without any awareness of her surroundings.

Aro laid a hand on Lucy's ankle. She didn't move or react in any manner, even the odd noises she made continued.

"There's nothing there, Dad," he said.

Basileus laid a hand on the girl's head after sensing nothing coming through his usual channels. Even with contact, there was nothing. He rested his forehead on Lucy's and tried to force his own thoughts into her, managing to push them through, but Lucy didn't react in any way, not even when he said the names of those she had a connection to. Nothing for Demetri or even Magnus.

"I will have to talk with Atia, Magnus," Basileus said, though his voice betrayed the sadness he felt.

Magnus knew the creator felt hopeless ... he could feel it coming off the man in droves.

"Will Atia know what to do?" Magnus questioned.

"I hope so, my friend."

Aro held his hands together thinking just how close he could have come to losing Demetri to the same fate. _There but for the grace of god, go I,_ he said to himself, suddenly finding some relevance in the scripture Carlisle went on about.

Magnus pulled Aro back before he could leave with his father. "What will happen Aro?" he asked in concern.

"I'm sorry Magnus ... we may lose her," he said.

Magnus looked askance that the king of vampire kind, the protector Magnus knew and loved, could let the girl go without a fight.

"You have done all you can, Magnus. Losing Lucy will be sad, but it may be necessary." Aro saw the master's temper flare and thought it best to remove himself from the juggernaut's path if he was going to blow.

Bidding Freyr good day, he told them to meet him in the library at three where he would have the other masters in attendance to decide on what must be done. With that he left whilst Atia's instruction's floated around his head.

 _'_ _Be prepared_ _'_ , he repeated to himself.

Basileus had no joy with Atia. Though his mate had seen separated lovers before, she had never seen one recover after the loss, other than Marcus that is.

The five coven leaders plus Carlisle and Eleazar all met in the library, as Aro had promised. Felix and Demetri were there too, Sulpicia couldn't cope with their constant bickering when they were together.

When Aro broke the news to Magnus and Freyr that all hope for Lucy was now lost and she was to be put out of her misery … it didn't go well.

Magnus stalked away from the group and looked out the window. "And what if it had been the other way around, Aro? What if Demetri were the one with his head on the block and not Lucy? Would you think your decree, 'sad but necessary' then?" he asked without turning to face the gathering.

Magnus didn't wish the same fate on the boy, not at all, but he was curious to know if the same decree would have been called if the young prince of Volterra had lost his mind instead of the girl.

"I wouldn't want my son to suffer the life to which you wish to condemn the poor girl," Aro replied, gruffly.

 _Not calm, that_ _'_ _s wasn_ _'_ _t calm at all,_ he berated himself. He was still finding sitting to be particularly painful and it was making him agitated. _Get it together Aro, manage the situation,_ he told himself sternly.

"Bullshit Aro! You would do everything in your power to bring him back!" Magnus replied, turning to look at the reactions of the group.

Marcus appeared sad. He had spent some time with Lucy whilst she had been in Magnus' care. Both Eleazar and Carlisle looked quite appalled that the poor girl would lose her life because Aro's idea had gone wrong. Demetri appeared the most conflicted. He really wanted to feel more than he did about Lucy, Magnus could sense that through his own gift. Sadly, or maybe not, Demetri didn't feel anything for the girl anymore.

Magnus started pacing back and forth between the seated group and the window. It wasn't far, but it was enough to keep him using some of his pent-up aggression. He really wanted to kill something and Aro and Caius looked set for the beating if they weren't careful.

"Look at her!" Aro called to his covenmate as he gestured to Lucy, curled up on a chair. "There's no bringing her back! You have tried, Magnus, but Lucy is gone." He spoke softly and gently but it only brought him a look of disgust from Magnus, and Freyr and Marcus and his brothers, actually.

"If you want another pet, take one from the guard pool," Caius said under his breath.

There was an audible gasp from every member of the room upon hearing Caius' cruel quip.

Magnus was in his face within a fraction of a second. "How dare you speak to me that way! You are a vicious little cunt and your actions ... along with that prick's actions ... have led directly to this situation!"

Caius blustered in his seat unable to go anywhere. Magnus had a fist full of his shirt and he threatened to garrotte him with it with the force of his pulling.

"I am a Volturi Master ... " Caius said as he tried to unpick Magnus' fingers to free himself.

"SO AM I!" Magnus yelled before throwing Caius across the room.

Everything that happened next, happened at vampiric speed and would have been a scurried blur to human eyes.

Aro sprang to his feet to protect Caius from harm, whilst Eleazar and Freyr rushed to pull Magnus back. Caius was all too soon back on his feet and baying for Magnus' blood and even with Aro's effort to hold him back he managed to land a few lucky punches on Magnus, with far more of them catching Eleazar and Aro.

Aro felt someone punch him in his broken eye socket and lashed out, realising too late that it was Eleazar he had hit. Not that Eleazar cared - he simply punched him back again.

Carlisle left his nephews alone when he saw his brothers now fighting each other and Marcus took his turn holding Caius back.

Freyr called for Felix to help her with Magnus; Eleazar and Aro were embroiled in their own fight to the side of the main action so neither could offer counsel or help.

"Fetch Basileus," Felix told his little brother, pushing him to leave.

"Are you sure?" Demetri questioned.

One look back to the brawl and yes, Felix was sure. "Hurry Demetri!"

Felix flashed to Magnus and managed to pull both arms behind his back and pin them there. Freyr worked from the front, pushing her mate back. She could feel Magnus relenting until Caius accidentally hit Freyr in his efforts to get to Magnus … then the juggernaut master found his strength renewed as he charged forward, knocking Marcus and Caius down and trampling them underfoot.

"Oh dear, oh dear." Basileus spoke loudly and clearly as he walked into the centre of the fight.

It took a moment for the masters and his sons to realise he was there. When they did, one by one, they quit their assault. Aro and Eleazar kept going at one another, however. It took Basileus physically separating them before they noticed he was in the room. Felix hopped down from Magnus' back, hoping the man wouldn't hold it against him that he'd tried to hold him back.

Basileus walked around the group of brawlers, picking through their thoughts. As he went, he swished his trusty new cane into the air, creating a pleasing swashing sound. Of course, that sound was only pleasing the one brandishing the implement. To the others, particularly Aro, it wasn't pleasing at all.

Basileus kept walking, moving in and out between the group who separated to clear a path for the creator. By the time he came to a standstill in the centre, he had read every thought and managed to ensure all seven of them were standing alone. All that could be heard was the sound of ragged breaths coming from around the room as they fought to regain their composure.

Demetri had stayed near the door and Felix desperately wanted to join his little brother - he had the safest spot in the room.

"Who would like to go first?" Basileus asked happily. The fake joy fell from his face when no one stepped forward. "WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FRIST? He tried again, this time bellowing ferociously.

Eleazar stepped forwards. "My lord," he began, freezing when his father turned to face him, "Aro has informed us that Lucy is to be put to death ... which obviously caused some distress."

"DISTRESS!" Basileus repeated. "The masters of this coven, my own sons, and my damn grandson, brawling in the library and you call it distress?!"

Eleazar stepped back and cast his eyes to the floor. Everyone thought him very brave to have stepped up in the first place and there were no offers for anyone to follow his lead.

"Magnus started it," Caius mumbled under his breath.

Basileus caught the comment as soon as it entered his head. "You are in no position to be casting blame," he accused, making sure to catch Aro's eye when he spoke.

"If it's my fault then it's yours, too!" Aro returned, not standing for that!

"I told you to divide the two of them," Basileus agreed. "You took Demetri to Chelsea," he added, reminding Aro that he was very much at the centre of events.

"You cannot pin this on me alone, Dad."

Basileus continued to pace, using the cane as a cane is intended to be used - to walk. "I don't. Caius' mishandling of the girl certainly had a part to play."

Caius scoffed. "The damage was done before I laid a finger on her!" he said in his defence.

"Hardly!" Magnus spat and he, Aro, and Caius broke into a fresh argument.

"STOP!" Basileus shouted as he pushed his way into the centre of the three of them.

Turning first to Aro, he laid it out for his son. "If you had kept Demetri on a shorter leash this never would have happened."

Aro laughed hollowly. "How short a leash do you expect me to keep him on, for fuck sake?" he asked in defiance. Before the words had left his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to have said. _Understatement!_

CRACK!

Basileus whacked Aro's good leg with his cane, eliciting a deep guttural sound of pain from his son. "Aro, you don't want your children mating ... I agree with you, by the way. But, you allow that boy to fuck his way through the guard without restriction - this was always going to happen!"

Aro nodded as he rubbed out the burn in his leg. He saw Caius' smirk but he didn't care - it hurt too much to do nothing about it.

"And you!" Basileus said as he rounded on Caius.

"Me?!" Caius asked, shocked. "If you had been a little less aggressive towards the pair there would have been no need to divide them."

"I wasn't aggressive," Caius huffed, looking to the floor.

"What was that?" Basileus asked, getting dangerously close to his face. "You fucked the girl as she lay on top of Demetri, Caius! And threatened my grandson that he would be next to submit to you."

Caius' head shot up. "I didn't know that you knew about that," he said in disbelief.

"I KNOW EVERYTHING!" Basileus roared, giving Caius' leg a good whack of his cane, too.

"Are you so squeaky clean, my lord?" Magnus sneered to the creator. _You started this, you could have stepped in, you should have stepped in!_ Magnus' thoughts rolled around his head.

Basileus shoved the oversized master in his chest. "I dare you to use that tone with me again, Magnus, I dare you," he ground out through gritted teeth.

Magnus had the sense to look to the floor but Freyr came to his defence. "Magnus has been the only one to help that girl since all this started!" she stated flatly.

"I agree with you Freyr," Basileus said genuinely, "and I appreciate his efforts very much. I am saddened that such valiant efforts to restore Lucy's health have proved fruitless. But we are where we are," he finished, extending his arms wide. "As monumental fuck ups go, this one is right up there."

Leaving the brawlers, Basileus went to Lucy and laid a hand on her head again. "I cannot reach the girl," he declared. "To keep her alive in this state is a greater cruelty than giving her a peaceful death."

"Dad, no!" Carlisle and Eleazar exclaimed in unison.

"Please, my lord," Freyr begged.

"I am sorry. Truly I am," the creator replied genuinely.

As he looked up, he spotted Aro and Caius sharing a smirk between them. Flashing to their sides, he slapped one and then the other, repeating over and over until they were both on the floor.

"If you think there is anything to smirk about you are mistaken," he spat to the pair who were defending themselves with flailing arms. "This could very easily have been Demetri," he reminded his son, hoping it would hurt Aro to hear and maybe shock him into some proper decorum.

"I know, my lord," Aro replied. He really did and the very idea shook him to the core.

Once he was sure they were submissive enough, he went back to Lucy and scooped her up from the floor. "I will take care of her," he said to Magnus and Freyr, adding softly, "it will be painless, my dear," when he saw Freyr wore a stricken expression.

As he looked around the sorry group, they all had their eyes fixed to the floor. "I will not have the masters of my coven brawling like bunch of ingrates! The covens convene soon, very soon, and I have never been more concerned about the state of our own house!" He sounded exasperated and so very angry.

All in attendance were concerned about the retribution the creator may seek.

"You will all go to your chambers and stay there until I release you," he commanded.

Only Carlisle and Felix looked up, both feeling it was a most unfair decree.

"All of us?" Carlisle questioned. _I didn_ _'_ _t do anything!_

"YES!" Basileus yelled in reply. He was done with them all! With that, he left knowing they would obey him.

Basileus took Lucy to the edge of their lands. He was far enough away from the castle that even with vampiric vision the guards wouldn't be able to make out what he was doing. He was in sight of the north tower and he knew Magnus and Freyr would be watching. He did that on purpose; he wanted them to be able to watch, if that was what they wanted to do. Still, they wouldn't be able to see the act, which he hoped would lessen their distress.

Basileus checked Lucy's thoughts for a final time, and again, tried to reach her through his gift of placing thoughts into her head to see if there was even the slightest of reactions. There were none. In one swift movement, he tore the girl's head from her body and placed it on her chest. Taking the torch he had carried with him, he set her body alight and stood back as the purple smoke carried whatever was left of Lucy away from their world.

"Caius," Basileus called out as he stalked into the man's chambers.

Athenodora and Heidi sat together in the window seat whilst Caius stood nervously by the unlit fireplace.

"Could you excuse us, my ladies?" Basileus asked politely whilst holding the door open for them. It was clearly not a request.

Both Athenodora and Heidi left without word. Caius had still to look up from the floor. He wasn't stupid, he knew what would be expected of him.

"I'm glad you gave me this, Caius," Basileus said, clunking the cane on the floor as he strolled around Caius' quarters. "It's come in handy."

Caius felt his stomach turn over. He had used that particular implement to brake the bones of his victims in his torture chamber - he knew the damage it could do if wielded appropriately. He was sure a man like Basileus could inflict far more damage with such a thing than he ever could. That said, he was aware of how Basileus worked and how to lessen the likelihood of pissing him off.

 _Don'_ _t argue, keep your mouth shut, accept whatever he gives!_ Caius repeated to himself in his mind.

If that had been all Basileus heard he would have been harder on Caius for trying to play him, however, he could also hear that Caius knew he was to blame, at least partly, for the events leading to Lucy's death and most importantly, the fraction between the coven leaders. Caius would be the only one to think in such a way, Basileus knew that. It was one of the reasons Basileus had put up with Caius for all these years - he was a slave to the rules and running of the Volturi and he accepted, even if he didn't like it, that the Volturi was run by the creator first and foremost and that the masters had to be one force, even if they didn't agree.

Basileus had heard enough in Caius' thoughts to know he didn't have to say anything to the man. Instead, he took the master and spun him around to face the fireplace.

"I assume you can guess the rest," he said quietly.

Causing nodded. "Yes, my lord," he breathed in shaky, ragged breaths as he gripped onto the wooden fire surround.

"No objections?" Basileus asked as he took position.

"No, my lord."

 _Very sensible_ , Basileus thought. He took hold of Caius by the scruff of his neck, just in case his senses took leave at some point and he tried to move.

"Very well," Basileus said before releasing thunderous crack after thunderous crack to Caius' hide.

Caius couldn't remain as stoic as he would have liked, but he took all Basileus gave him without daring to move. It was the fear of reprisal that kept him in place.

Basileus knew that, not that he cared. When he was done with the master, Basileus spun him around so he could look into his eyes.

"You are to remain in these chambers until I send word that you may leave," he ground out, inches from Caius' face.

Caius didn't trust himself to talk. He simply nodded his acceptance and fell to the floor as soon as Basileus released him.

"You have pleased me, Caius," Basileus said, glad to have received none of Caius' usual spite.

"Thank you, my lord," Caius replied quietly as he watched the creator leave his quarters.

Next, he went to Magnus and Freyr's chambers. He stalled at the door _. This is going to be awkward,_ he said to himself before walking in. Magnus and Freyr were fairly old for vampires, around the same age as Marcus and Atia and they all looked the same age as Basileus, though of course, he was 'ageless'. Marcus had never given Basileus cause to rebuke him, even slightly, and to date, neither had Magnus. _Yes, this will be awkward._

Freyr immediately launched into a defence of her mate, pleading with the creator to spare his life.

"His life?" Basileus questioned in confusion. "My dear, there is no reason for you to make such a request," he dismissed, much to Freyr's relief.

Magnus, too, seemed to relax slightly from where he stood by the bookcase.

"Freyr, I can understand your complaints but you must also understand mine. Regardless of the circumstances, I cannot permit the masters of this coven to brawl like common fools."

Basileus heard Magnus release a shaky breath as he thought of just how stupid he had been to throw Caius across the room.

Freyr still appeared distressed. Basileus knew who had fought and who had helped to hold the fighters back - Freyr was in the clear.

"It may be a good time to tend the guard hall, my dear," he said as he gestured to the door.

Freyr didn't speak as she left. She and Magnus talked through sending their emotions to one another as often as they used words and Basileus waited for their private emphatic conversation to play out and for the door to close quietly before he turned to Magnus.

"I assume you mean to use that?" Magnus said, gesturing to the cane in Basileus' hand.

"I do."

"Will there be anything else?" Magnus asked nervously.

"What do you mean?" Basileus questioned, hoping there wouldn't have to be anything else. _This is bad enough,_ he said to himself.

Magnus looked at the creator. "Am I to lose my position?" he asked.

"Good god no!" Basileus dismissed before laughing lightly. "If it were so easy to revoke the status of master I would have had Caius out centuries ago."

Magnus breathed easily for the first time in some hours.

"Your position is safe," Basileus confirmed.

Magnus was relieved - he could take the punishment Basileus intended to mete out, he knew it was deserved. His position as master of the coven was something he couldn't stand to lose. He wasn't interested in the power it gave him, nor the money for that matter. He truly tended his guards like a shepherd watched their sheep and he didn't want to have to desert his flock.

Without waiting for instruction, Magnus removed his dress coat and laid it over the table. Bending slightly at the waist and bracing his hands on the wall in front of him, he apologised a final time for his thoughtless actions in the library which caused the fight between the masters of the coven.

Once again, Basileus didn't speak. He simply began the task at hand. He hit Magnus with far more force than he had Caius, their difference in statue was huge and, Basileus reasoned, he could take it.

Take it he did! To begin, he hissed and gasped, but by the finish his grunts had turned to shrieks in response to the pain.

Basileus finished and handed Magnus back his coat. "Grieve for your loss, my friend. But you must end your quarry with Aro and Caius. Our world needs strong and even leadership, it needs you all. You are no use to anyone if you work alone."

Magnus nodded and wiped at his face. He wasn't sure what he had expected from the creator when he'd walked into his chambers, but he was shocked at the reaction it had elicited in him.

Magnus had broken enough bones over the years in coven attacks to know pain, but there was something very different about standing there and taking such an assault without being able to defend one's self.

 _Humbling, definitely, and fucking painful!_ "I understand, my lord," he answered.

"Caius and Aro will be out of coven life for a short time so you will have space to come to peace with recent events. After which, I expect this whole ugly mess to be forgotten."

"That is not necessary, my lord. I will cause no further ructions," Magnus offered sincerely.

"I know that Magnus," Basileus agreed, "but still, I want to give you the space. Marcus will take care of the throne room but he will need your assistance in receiving any visitors."

Magnus thanked Basileus gratefully before he left his quarters.

"Marcus how have you put up with them all these years?" Basileus called out as he entered the top floor suite. Flopping down into the seat beside his old friend, he threw his cane to the floor.

"I ask myself that with some regularity, my lord," Marcus admitted with light laughter. He gestured to the side table near Basileus where a goblet of wine awaited him.

Sipping from the welcomed cup, Basileus allowed Marcus' easy company to help him relax a little. "I am sorry to have included you in such a childish decree ... "

Marcus waved away Basileus' apologies. He understood that the creator couldn't have asked the entire library to go to their chambers without including him, too. "Nonsense, Basileus. Compromises are required by us all from time to time."

Basileus smiled, grateful for one level headed master, at least. "Thank you for your understanding ... I have just come from an awkward 'conversation' with Magnus," he admitted.

"Oh," Marcus reacted, before refilling both of their goblets. "He did throw the first punch," Marcus said as he poured into Basileus' glass.

"Indeed, although I can completely understand his reasoning," Basileus replied, mulling over his own involvement in Lucy's demise.

"As can I," Marcus agreed, retaking his seat. "Have you sought retribution?" he asked.

"Mildly ... " Basileus claimed. _Magnus may claim otherwise,_ he thought with a smirk. "It's Caius and Aro I am intending to drag over the coals," he said forcefully, before adding, "well, Caius is done."

Marcus sighed. "I don't believe either of them thought such a fate could await the girl, Basileus."

 _Always the peace maker_ , Basileus thought. "Neither did I," he admitted his own failings in foresight. "I should have intervened earlier, done something else."

Marcus shook his head. "What is done, is done, my lord," he told the creator.

"We cannot change the past?" Basileus questioned, though he knew it to be true.

"I am starting to realise that. It's been a painful lesson to learn," Marcus agreed, hurt clear in his eyes.

Basileus could hear him thinking of his lost mate. "I'm sorry, my friend."

"Not at all." Marcus again waved away Basileus' concern but it was clear he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

"I should be going," Basileus said as he put down his cup and thanked Marcus for his hospitality.

As Basileus collected his cane from the floor, Marcus asked with a smile, "am I released?"

Basileus threw the master a withering look. "Very droll, my friend," he said, "though you will be losing Caius and Aro from royal duties for awhile, so the throne room is yours."

Marcus sighed dramatically. "I think I would rather be confined to my quarters, my lord."

Basileus laughed to himself as he left the man's chambers, but his foreboding soon returned now that he was about to deal with his sons.

"Aro, go to my chambers," Basileus ordered as soon as he opened the door to the top suite.

"Really?" Aro questioned in annoyance.

"GO!" Basileus boomed, ignoring his son shoving into his shoulder as he passed. "Felix, Demetri." He called his grandsons to him.

Felix left his mother's side, who had been tending his wounds, to sit by the fire with Basileus.

"I am very pleased with you both," he told them gratefully.

"Is this a trick?" Felix asked, unsure of where the man was going with this.

"Coming to find me was the right thing to do," he told Demetri before turning to Felix, "and it would have been much worse had you not been there to contend with Magnus."

The boys shared a goofy smile.

"Cool," Demetri said. He had been nervous as hell about finding Basileus and asking for help on the masters' behalf. Aro hadn't seemed as pleased as Basileus clearly was.

"Have you seen his face, Basileus?!" Sulpicia complained, wiping at the blood dried on her boy's neck. The blood had come from his ear after a particularly nasty blow from person unknown.

"Who did that to you?" Basileus asked the boy, checking him over for any damage.

"I don't really know, to be honest. It was a bit of a blur... " Felix admitted, letting himself trail off as Sulpicia took over.

"Felix, if you know ... " she started.

"I said I don't, stop fussing!" Felix complained as she babied him.

"Don't shame yourself now when you have done so well," Basileus said pointedly to the boy.

Felix sighed and nodded, though he rolled his eyes to Basileus when his mother began cleaning him up again.

"He will heal," Basileus told his daughter-in-law kindly.

"Will Aro?" she asked, worried about her mate.

"Eventually," he said sadly. He wasn't looking forward to what he was about to do. _But do it, I must_.

"We weren't fighting," Carlisle complained the second his father entered the middle chambers.

"You weren't. He was," Basileus replied to his son, jabbing an angry finger towards Eleazar. "When I walked in you and Aro were rolling around the floor, knocking seven shades of shit out of each other," he spat to Eleazar.

Truthfully, of all he saw in the library, it was Eleazar that had surprised him the most.

"Then why did you send me to my room?" Carlisle ordered, sounding like a spoilt brat.

"Carlisle, calm down," Basileus ordered in annoyance. "I sent everyone, it was easier," he explained.

"Oh." Carlisle hadn't realised that was what his father had done, he was worried he was in trouble, too.

His relief was to be short lived, although Carlisle had only acted to hold Magnus back, Basileus was still a little disappointed with his son. "I wonder though," Basileus broached.

 _Here it comes,_ Carlisle said to himself.

"Why was it Felix and not either of you that had the sense to send Demetri to fetch me?" the creator asked generally.

"We were a little busy holding Magnus back!" Eleazar spat, glaring at his father and holding his arm awkwardly across his body. It was dislocated, he was sure of it. _Fucking Aro,_ he thought to himself.

"It was a three-man job ... " Carlisle said, "and one woman," he added, thinking Freyr had done more than her share of the work in stopping the juggernaut.

"I hope that was the reason," Basileus said with little surety.

"What else do you think it could be?" Eleazar accused in a hateful tone.

"Watch it, El." Basileus shook his head. "You don't think, you don't foresee, you are always waiting to be told what to do."

Eleazar sprang to his feet. "I don't think that's fair," he argued.

"Don't you?" Basileus replied. "You've gotten lazy Eleazar."

Basileus thought of all the complaints from Aro about his brothers' easy ride ... it was true. _The pair of you ride through life on Aro_ _'_ _s coat tails!_

"We will address this soon," he told his sons.

"In what way?" Eleazar spat.

Basileus was growing tired of his son's tone. "There's no such thing as a free lunch," he ground out to his eldest.

"What does that mean?" Carlisle asked, looking to his brother for some sort of explanation.

"Fuck knows. He's a prick," Eleazar replied, loud and proud.

Carlisle's eyes widened to such a degree that it hurt! _Oh my god,_ he said to himself. _You've lost your mind!_

CRACK

Basileus hit Eleazar hard with the cane, landing it on squarely on his dislocated shoulder.

"Would you like to say that again?" he asked venomously.

CRACK

"How about now?" he asked with another stroke where the first had landed.

Eleazar grunted with each blow but remained resolute and returned his father's glare.

"Are you challenging me?" he boomed to his boy.

"Are you threatening me?" Eleazar asked. He wanted to sound dangerous, but to Basileus he simply sounded like an arrogant brat.

"Yes!" he said, raising the cane ready for another strike. "You believe yourself to be above reproach, son. Allow me to deprive you of that belief now."

CRACK

Again Basileus hit his son. "Your fight with Aro was for nothing, I've been in your head, there was no reason for it - either of you! You thought you would get away with that?" he asked, laughing humourlessly.

"Fuck you," Eleazar said quietly.

"Fuck me?" Basileus asked, rearing up.

"Yes, fuck you!" Eleazar spat back.

"Carlisle go down to your mother and wait there."

Carlisle didn't need telling twice, he was gone, leaving the door swinging on its hinge in his haste.

"What is this about?" Basileus asked Eleazar, wanting to calm his boy who looked ready to fight! "You won't win, son. Be warned," he said sternly.

"Aro's ripped my arm from its socket and you blame me for being inactive!" Eleazar replied, still reeling from all that had occurred in the last few hours.

"No, I am concerned that you felt the need to fight with your brother when you should have been fetching me!"

Eleazar shook his head and laughed. "I made a judgement call! If I hadn't gone to hold Magnus back, Aro and Caius would be dead by now."

"So you were looking out for your brother? How then did you end up FIGHTING HIM?" Basileus was erupting, the floor shook with his booming voice.

That had Eleazar stepping back, finally coming to his senses. "He hit me, I hit him back ... it went on from there," he said meekly, knowing how it sounded.

Basileus didn't want to hear any more. "Pathetic," he spat.

Stalking toward his son, he grabbed him roughly by his hair and dragged him into his own bed chamber. Carmen stood frozen to the spot.

"OUT!" Basileus commanded, immediately regretting the harshness with which he spoke to her but not giving himself any time to repent before he threw Eleazar across his bed.

Carmen flew past the pair of them and left her chambers all together, in much the way Carlisle had. Eleazar grunted from the force with which he landed on the bed, and with the use of only one arm, he couldn't easily move himself out of the Basileus' path, either. Not that he had time to try. Basileus unleashed hell on his son. Having dropped the cane in the living room to collect Eleazar, he used his hand leaving Eleazar to wonder if the cane would have been the lighter option as Basileus set him on fire with each smack.

It didn't take long for Basileus to bring his son to an apologetic state. He knew Eleazar was disingenuous, but at that point, Basileus didn't care. Eleazar deserved the hiding he was getting for his attitude alone. But he knew when enough was enough. Eleazar would have said about half of what he had received was enough, but as he was currently a sobbing mess on his bed he didn't have the ability to suggest as such.

Basileus stood back, questioning himself. _What the hell am I doing? I am complaining about my son_ _'_ _s lack of foresight and I am managing things as badly as they are._

Eleazar didn't move when his father took a seat next to him on the bed, but he allowed himself to be pulled about so Basileus could get to his damaged arm.

"Stay still!" Basileus commanded, and with a tug and a crack his put his boy's arm back in its socket.

Eleazar winced but he was grateful to have his arm reset.

"What's going on with you?" Basileus asked.

"What's going on with you?!" Eleazar repeated the question back to his father.

Basileus sighed sadly. "Fair point," he said quietly.

"Once you are recovered you can leave your chambers," Basileus said, rising from the bed.

"That will be in a few years time then," Eleazar said, mainly to himself.

"You should pull yourself together quicker than that, you need to find Carmen," Basileus reminded his son, thinking about how vile he had been to his son's mate. "Please pass on my apologies," he added.

Eleazar nodded, staying on his bed as he watched his father leave.

When Basileus stood outside his own door, he could here Atia grilling their problem child - which, for a nice change, wasn't Carlisle.

"I warned you this would happen, Aro. I told you to be prepared," she told him sternly. "Is this what prepared looks like to you?"

Basileus sighed as he shoved the door. "If he had been properly punished for his stint in the dungeons, I dare he say he would have been more focused," Basileus muttered.

Naturally, Atia heard him. "How dare you!" she shot to her mate.

"What happened in the dungeons?" Carlisle asked. He was glad that he wasn't in the same trouble as his brothers but he felt a bit of a fool as he hardly had a clue what was going on!

His parents and Aro shared a nervous look. "Nothing!" they answered in unison.

"You are as bad as him! I dare say that's where he gets it from!" Atia accused her mate, furious that he had tried to turn the blame on her.

Basileus reared up. "Gets what from me?" he shot back.

Though Aro was glad Atia was turning some of the blame on his father, he was worried that getting him riled up would have disastrous consequences for his hide later on.

"Avoiding being blamed for his mistakes," Atia confirmed. _As though it needs stating,_ she huffed to herself.

"I do not avoid being blamed for my mistakes." Basileus laughed off the comment.

Atia felt enraged seeing Basileus laugh to her complaint. "Oh really?" she asked. "This was as much your fault as Aro's," she pointed out.

Carlisle's head had been springing side to side as he watched the verbal tennis match between his parents.

"Carlisle, go upstairs," Basileus ordered when he realised his youngest was still in the room.

Carlisle huffed, but he went. He hoped Eleazar could shed some light on Aro's dungeon goings-on.

"You really are on the war path aren't you!" Atia shot at Basileus, flinging her hands into the air over how he had commanded Carlisle - who had done no wrong. "What exactly had Eleazar done to deserve such viciousness, by the way?"

Basileus shook his head and seethed under his breath.

"What have you done to Eleazar?" Aro wondered. He knew there would be some repercussions for his brother as they were both fighting, but Eleazar usually avoided real punishment as he was so damn good at talking Basileus round.

"It isn't Eleazar you should be worried about," Basileus ground out to Aro. "But that's so typical of you. Anytime you are to blame you look around to deflect," he added, instantly regretting his accusation as Atia burst into laughter at the hypocrisy of his claim.

"What the fuck have I done?" Aro asked. He wasn't being blamed for Lucy - again!

"You were fighting in the fucking library!" Basileus roared.

"I was defending myself!" Aro retorted.

"You should have managed the situation better to begin with," Atia told her boy, turning her glare on him now. _I had given you fair warning of the situation,_ she thought.

Aro looked askance. He had no rebuttal for Atia but he had one ready for his father. "You can blame me all you like but we both know you're as much to blame as I am - you didn't see this coming either."

"I agree with him," Atia added, now siding with Aro against Basileus.

Basileus released his frustrations as a ferocious growl. "Okay, so I didn't see it coming. But it's happened now - dealing with the fallout is my job," he declared.

Aro stood back. "So, you aren't going to hit me with that thing?" he asked, gesturing to the cane his father was wafting around.

"Oh, I am," Basileus replied dangerously.

"Why?" Aro whined. "You have just admitted you share the blame."

"I'm not punishing you for what has happened to Lucy," Basileus explained, "this is for your actions in the library when you could have managed the whole situation much better. You are more than capable, Aro."

"This is about the dungeon blood - you couldn't beat me then so you are going to beat me now." Aro glared at his father. "This has nothing to do with that fight."

Basileus kept his thoughts clear, e knew Atia would be listening to them and he didn't want to agree with Aro in front of his mate. He couldn't take the nagging or the objections. "You are being ridiculous." he replied to his son, though the look on his face confirmed Aro's accusation. "You need to be able to handle the masters, you failed."

Aro's mouth dropped open. "Magnus went fucking crazy!" he complained.

"If you can't manage Magnus how will you cope with the outside covens?" Atia asked.

 _Oh great, you_ _'_ _re on his side again_! "That's different."

Aro couldn't see the connection at all - for one the visiting coven leaders didn't have Magnus' strength and he knew he was capable of bringing any of them down if he had to.

"Is it?" Atia asked, with Basileus smiling menacingly behind her.

Aro knew he was on his own now. _Fuck,_ he thought in defeat. "You can't cane me," he said with little hope.

"I can," Basileus told him as he dragged his son to the sofa, throwing over the back of it.

"I am still bruised," Aro complained, bitterly resenting the fact that his mother was still in the room.

Basileus laughed hollowly and held Aro by the back of his neck to keep him still. "That's a shame, because this is really going to hurt."


	81. 1668, March - Planning

**AN:** I do not own anything, thanks SM for sharing.  
New section of chapters :) Introducing a lot of characters so some chapters are shorter than usual to avoid over complicating things. A quick thank you to my lovely beta for her continued support in making my scrawl legible :)

* * *

 **1668, M** **ARCH** **\- P** **LANNING**

"Where are Magnus and Freyr, they should be here by now!"

Basileus paced around the library at such a speed that he pulled books from the shelves with the force of his passing.

Aro sighed to himself. "I haven't seen them ... " he said, adding under his breath, "but this is the first time you have let me out of the tower in two fucking months."

"What was that?" Basileus shot to his son from clear across the room.

"Nothing, my lord," Aro replied sweetly. Yeah, that wasn't going to work.

"I could hardly let you out when you refused to walk, could I?" Basileus said slyly.

"Refused to walk?! You left me unable to walk - again!" Aro replied, glad that only his brothers were there so he could make the reply. "One of these days you are going to do me permanent damage," he muttered, feeling he'd been treated unfairly.

"One of these days you may grow up and stop requiring my correction."

Basileus was much louder than Aro, so loud in fact that Aro was sure the town folk would have heard him if not at least the guards in the castle. Deciding his reputation was hanging on him shutting his mouth, he didn't reply.

Eleazar rolled his eyes to Aro and went to collect the discarded books before his father crushed them underfoot. "Dad, you need to relax, Aro has everything under control," he hissed from the floor.

"I do!" Aro agreed. "Magnus and Freyr have all their guards back, I'm sure they will be along soon."

Basileus shook his head to his son. "I'm not comfortable with filling our coven with potentially hostile vampires."

Carlisle sighed. "Yes, we know, you have said so repeatedly."

Basileus was in his youngest son's face before Carlisle had even realised he'd spoken loudly enough to draw any attention. As his father loomed over him with a hand on each of the armrests, Carlisle shrank into his chair. Their faces were so close that Carlisle could feel Basileus' breath on his forehead.

"You have given me your word that I can trust you to behave appropriately whilst we have guests in the castle."

Carlisle nodded rapidly. "I will, I will!"

Basileus looked ready to breathe smoke out of his flaring nostrils. "Then let me clear something up for you, son. Answering back with cocky comments is NOT behaving appropriately."

Carlisle continued to nod. "Got it," he replied, very quietly.

"Carlisle will be fine, my lord. He knows how delicate this situation will be," Eleazar replied.

Aro raised a questioning brow to his father instead. He most definitely did not agree with Eleazar!

Basileus was seriously toying with the Aro's idea of locking Carlisle up in the dungeons for the next week or so. "We have invited the seven strongest covens in the world to come and convene in Volterra and we are on friendly terms with NONE of them. This is not a delicate situation, El ... it's damn well dangerous!"

 _Well that_ _'_ _s going a little far!_ Aro thought. "Sit down, please," he urged his father gently. "Magnus and Freyr will be here soon, so will Marcus and Caius and I could do with you being on my side."

Basileus sat in front of his son. "I am on your side, Aro. If anyone else in the world had suggested this idiotic plan we wouldn't have gotten so far with it."

Aro scrunched his face up. "Thank you, I think."

Caius strode into the library, quickly followed by Magnus and Freyr, with Marcus bringing up the rear.

"Finally!" Basileus called out, his annoyance obvious by his tone.

"I apologise, my lord. We were waylaid speaking with the guards. The last of them arrived this morning." Magnus spoke for them all, except Caius, who had been waylaid with only one guard ... Heidi, his willing play thing.

Basileus welcomed them in and asked everyone to sit, willing himself to relax, at least for their meeting.

Seeing that his father was agitated to hell, Aro decided to take over before the man combusted. "We must be prepared for the arrival of the covens, I cannot stress enough how imperative it is that they are all treated with the highest courtesy whilst they are with us. Have the guards been drilled?"

Magnus nodded, as did Freyr.

"We have spoken with them all, Aro. They know what is expected of them," Freyr confirmed for the group.

"I have had a quiet word with a few individuals who I thought may pose a threat to peace with our visitors. Safe to say, they are now under no illusions as to proper decorum," Magnus added.

Aro smiled, knowing who Magnus would be talking about.

"Who?" Caius asked.

 _Nosey bastard_ _._ _Couldn't just let it go could you,_ Aro thought.

From Magnus' face it appeared that he agreed with Aro.

"Ashanti, for obvious reasons," Magnus offered. No explanation was needed for the Volturi temptress. "Renata. She is keen to couple again after Antonio and I thought it wise to issue an embargo on choosing her new mate from our guests."

Everyone agreed.

"And then there is Phillipe ... he came from the French coven many years ago, I was there when we took him from Henri. He has never expressed a wish to return, but I hoped Phillipe could be useful in negotiations with his old coven leader, if required, so I wanted to brief him."

Basileus smiled. "I spoke to Phillipe a couple of months ago, myself," he said.

Magnus laughed. "Yes, my lord, he mentioned it!"

 _Oh, I bet he did,_ Basileus said to himself.

"Wonderful Magnus, perfect in fact," Aro commented, pleased to see his master of the guards taking the initiative to fix problems before they occurred. "Have you spoken with Lev? Aro asked. "He worries me a little."

Basileus and Magnus caught each other's eye and laughed.

"I take it you have both had the pleasure, then?" Aro surmised.

"Lev would consider it less of a pleasure, but yes, we have," Magnus confirmed.

"Don't worry about Lev. He's given me his word that he will be cordial," Basileus added.

 _Cordial_ _... I could do with Lev being more than cordial,_ Aro thought, though he knew he couldn't really expect anything more from Lev.

"What about Felix and Demetri?" Caius asked Aro, bringing him from his thoughts.

"What about them?"

Caius shook his head and scowled. "Those two are more likely to cause ructions than the rest of the guard combined."

Aro returned his covenmate's scowl. "You have no need to worry about my sons, they are not your concern. They have been briefed, also."

 _Briefed_ _,_ Aro repeated to himself. _If you can call 'slamming the pair of them up the wall with a hand curled around each of their throats threatening to lock them in the dungeons if they so much a rolled their eyes', briefed, then yes, they have been briefed._

"I don't understand why it is so dangerous. They wouldn't all come if they weren't interested in joining forces," Carlisle spoke calmly, he didn't want to piss Basileus off and he was intent on using this 'convening of the covens' event' to prove he was part of the grownups again. _I'_ _ve been sat at the kids table for too damn long,_ he told himself as he attempted to join the conversation.

Eleazar smiled nervously to his little brother. "They don't know why they are coming here, Carlisle, and I know the Egyptian coven, at the very least, will be tricky to handle."

Basileus sighed. "Amun is a miserable bastard at the best of times."

"If I can get Amun to agree to my terms, the others will follow, I am sure of it," Aro said confidently.

Trouble was, Basileus has access to Aro's thoughts and he knew that his son was far less confident than he sounded - that's why he was so bloody anxious about the whole thing!

"We may have less to contend with than first thought, Aro." Magnus broached. "Netty and Jennifer didn't return, I assume they were taken out by the African coven."

Basileus shot a worried glare to his middle son who returned a withering look in response. "That is most unfortunate, but we should not assume anything so quickly. Tao and Xola have always been difficult customers. It may be that they are holding our guards there as a safety precaution. The guards were all drilled to expect such treatment before they left. I selected Netty and Jen specifically because they are so affable and adaptable. If anyone can make it back from Africa, they can."

Aro scrubbed a hand through his hair. He was really feeling the stress of trying to keep his coven together and he knew that stress was only going to continue to rise for the next week or so.

"If the Africans do not show, we could use it to our advantage … Amun and Tao are allies, I believe," Marcus offered the small gathering.

Aro nodded along, as did Basileus.

"Amun will be the hardest nut to crack, any leverage we can use against him will be welcome."

Aro agreed with that too, the old Egyptian leader was his biggest concern going forward.

"We could give Demetri back to him ... " Caius said with a smirk to his co-leader.

"Over YOUR dead body, brother!" Aro returned pointedly, digging his elbow into Caius' ribs.

"When do they arrive, Aro?" Marcus asked, sounding thoroughly bored.

"Sunday. I imagine they will be arriving through the night, so we all need to be in the throne room from tomorrow at sunset. The conference will begin Monday at sunrise. Between those hours, all visiting coven members will need to be supervised and I want our guard in the guard hall throughout so we can rally them easily in the VERY UNLIKELY event that we need to defend our coven."

Aro watched his father's reaction and he could almost see the cogs turning in Basileus' mind about how he could ensure his family's safety in that 'unlikely event'.

"I suggest you take the Egyptian coven, Marcus. I know some of Amun's members are young and they will no doubt need to make use of your quarters."

Marcus nodded his understanding to his covenmate. _Young ones need to sleep, of course._ He had looked after Aro's children enough times to know that.

"You will be able to temper Amun better than the rest of us, too," Aro added.

"Of course, Aro. I would be happy to."

Aro turned to Caius next. "You should take the French coven. Don't let Henri out of your sight, he's a sly bastard."

Caius laughed. "Is that why I am getting him?"

Aro smiled. "No one knows evil like you, brother. It may be worth your while to take him down to the dungeons. Knowing Henri, he could give you a few tips."

Caius scoffed. "I doubt that!" He was looking forward to the covens arriving _,_ _It will be quite enjoyable to spend some time with a like-minded fellow._

"I should warn you, Henri will try and undermine you. He sees it that I am the king of the Volturi, rather than the oligarchy that truly rules the organisation we have."

Caius bristled to Aro's words, as Aro knew he would. Caius wasn't stupid, he knew, everyone knew, that Aro was the king but he wouldn't take kindly to a subordinate coven thinking he was somehow lesser.

"Just be prepared to put him in his place," Aro finished, eyeing Caius's reaction.

"How far can I go?" Caius asked, darkly.

"As far as you think you can take him. Let him insult you, he will, you can be sure of that. Then set him straight. AFTER the conference, of course."

Caius nodded along.

Aro knew it would be a struggle for Caius to keep his cool with Henri's insults, but having the opportunity to take some revenge after the fact would help. Aro was playing everyone.

"El, I need you and Carmen to take the Denali's," Aro told his big brother, who smiled in return. Aro caught his eye. "They have some young ones, too."

Eleazar nodded. "Understood."

They both missed Basileus smiling quietly to himself hearing the Denali coven were coming.

"Who does that leave?" Carlisle asked, desperate for Aro to throw him a bone.

Aro looked to his brother and sighed. _Am I really going to risk this?_

"Carlisle, we have the English coven coming - four women."

Carlisle's eyes lit up.

"No! See, that right there is why I can't trust you," Basileus bellowed to his son.

Carlisle ducked for cover. "My lord, please."

 _I have everything under control, Dad,_ Aro said to his father in his thoughts. _Jesus,_ _a t this rate we will be putting you in the dungeons._

Basileus raised his eyebrow to that. _Oh, will we now?_ he thought, though he knew Aro couldn't hear him.

The others in the room waited for the silent conversation to play out, all too used to the way Basileus and Aro spoke to one another in thought.

"Carlisle," Aro started again. "You will be taking the English coven and I expect you to be a perfect gentleman."

"I will be, of course I will," Carlisle replied happily, sitting tall in his chair.

"I trust you, brother," Aro whispered, patting his knee gently. He didn't, naturally. But he was hoping some positive encouragement would help keep Carlisle on the straight and narrow whilst they had visitors in the castle.

Turning to Magnus, Aro next explained what his and his mate's roles were to be. "I need you both in the throne room when we meet there later so the guard will be unattended in the guard hall ... will that be a problem?"

Freyr jumped in before Magnus could answer, she knew he would imagine an issue but she had more faith in her wards. "They will be fine, Aro. I am sure of it."

"I will stop by and ensure that they are," Basileus commented.

Aro fixed his father in his sights. "Don't scare them."

Basileus sighed. "I can play nicely when need be, son."

Aro rolled his eyes and continued to address Magnus. "You will be with the Irish coven. Liam isn't very talkative, but I have heard good things about Siobhan."

Magnus agreed, wondering if there was any Viking blood in the Irish coven.

"Freyr, I am afraid your task will be the most problematic. I need you to shadow the Amazonian coven. They rarely mix with anyone outside of their coven and the envoy reported on how skittish they were to approach. You have learned their language, yes?" Aro asked.

He had instructed everyone in the coven to become aquatinted with the Amazonian tongue but he had heard from Marcus that a few of the guards had been particularly resistant to his request.

"I have, Aro, and I will make them feel comfortable." Freyr had a way about her that put people at ease. It wasn't a gift as such, more very finely tuned social skills. Aro knew she would do him, and the coven, proud.

"Who is going to be at the conference?" Caius asked, curiously.

Aro had been expecting Caius to ask that question. "Me," Aro replied. "I will meet with the coven leaders. I want everyone else in the great hall. Get them drunk, keep them happy, don't let anyone leave unattended, be vigilant at all times."

Basileus wasn't having that. "I will be with you, Aro. I am not having you in there on your own. Anything could happen."

 _No_ _Dad, you are ready to blow as it is, and I need you to be fishing through thoughts in the throne room whilst I am hashing it out with the leaders._

No one else heard Aro, but once again they were all aware of the private conversation father and son were conducting.

"I will not have you in there alone, Aro. I am not negotiating with you," Basileus replied to his son's silent statement.

"Atia can come and go as she pleases without anyone knowing - she can report back to you and you can stay in the throne room," Aro relied flatly. _I'_ _m not negotiating with you either!_

He knew dealing with the coven leaders would be tricky and he was the only one he trusted to retain his composure under such pressure.

Basileus eyed his boy for a moment. _Atia certainly has the talents to get in and out of this room undetected. I hope you know what you are doing, son._ "Fine. I will inform Atia of the plans now, unless there is anything else to cover?"

Aro looked around the room. No one else brought up any concerns and he wanted to spend some time with his wife before the rabbles descended.

"I believe we are all done here. We should make our way to the throne room to address the guards. Magnus, Caius, a word before we go."

Everyone else took the signal to leave whilst Magnus and Caius hung back on Aro's request.

"I think you have covered everything, Aro, what else is there?" Magnus asked.

"Ashanti returned today, did she not?"

Magnus nodded. "I have spoken with her already ... "

Aro's sad smile had Magnus stalling with his words. "Has she met Heidi yet?"

Caius' eyes widened as did Magnus'.

"I have been so busy with the guards, it must have slipped my mind," Magnus replied, a little sheepishly.

Aro waved his hand. "Understandable, my friend. Heidi will be with Athenodora, yes?"

Caius nodded. "I anticipate some friction between the two … their gifts are identical, though Heidi is undoubtedly stronger. Is there any way to keep Heidi in your quarters for the duration of the visits?" Aro asked. It was his last loose end to tie off.

"I will see to it Aro," Caius replied.

Caius and Aro may not always see eye to eye, but even Caius had to admit his brother-in-arms was a genius leader at times - he had everything covered.

"There is one more thing before you go," Aro said sombrely. "Heidi ... she came from the English coven."

Caius' eyes bulged. "Will this be an issue, Aro?"

Aro shook his head. "I don't believe so, but I must tell Hilda that Heidi is here, privately. You should inform Athenodora that the English coven may visit her during their time here and that she should be exceptionally nice to them if they do."

Caius smiled nervously, being nice wasn't exactly Athenodora's forte.

"Seriously, Caius," Aro pushed, he wanted a response.

"Consider it done, brother," Caius replied

…

"I need two guards at the castle entrance," Aro announced to his coven as he looked around the room. "Renata, I would like you to be one, as you will be safe with your gift. Any offers?"

"I will do it, master," Corin offered as she stepped forward. "I could make our guests feel contented before they arrive in the throne room."

"No!" Aro replied forcefully. "I appreciate your offer, my dear, but no one is to use their gift on anyone unless invited to do so and even then, only after my permission has been given. Is that understood?"

Some of the guard looked a little downcast but naturally they agreed with the coven king's decree. "I would appreciate your presence at the castle entrance though, Corin. Thank you."

Corin bowed her head and stepped back to the guard line.

"Your complete cooperation is expected" Aro sang out to the guards, all of whom nodded with 'yes, master' floating around the group. "You are to be welcoming to our guests and feel free to be honest about the inner workings of our coven. I am aiming for complete transparency - it is the only way to ensure we can join forces in an alliance."

Aro took a look around his guards. "If anyone would like to join one of the visiting covens, whether that be permanently or for a shorter duration," Aro stopped himself, _should I really offer you this?_ he thought, but sighing, he continued, "then you should know you are free to do so. You will be missed, greatly missed. But this is your opportunity to fly the nest, if that is your desire."

Aro turned to his father. _'_ _Do any of them wish to leave?_ _'_ he asked silently.

Basileus shook his head, much to Aro's relief.

Aro asked if there were any other questions. The only one to ask anything was Basileus. "When are they getting their new uniforms, they look a state as they are!"

Aro laughed and directed the question to Freyr. She, like all the masters, was sat in her new throne, and there had been a reshuffle. Aro still took the central seat, with Magnus and then Freyr to his left, and Caius and then Marcus to his right.

"The uniforms are waiting in the guard hall, my lord. Everyone will be properly dressed for the occasion."

Basileus nodded, but his agitation was clear to all. Having their creator so unnerved by coming events unsettled everyone.

 _You must relax, my lord. You are worrying the troops!_ Aro said to his father through his mind.

Basileus heard but merely scoffed to his boy. Standing behind Aro's throne with a hand on each side of the backrest, Basileus leaned close to his son's ear. "If things turn sour, son, you will find out just how worried I have been!"

Aro sprang out of his chair, he had no desire to hear any threats from his father at the moment.

"You are all welcome, indeed encouraged, to socialise with our guests," Aro said to his rabble. He needed to divert his own attention from his father, let alone the guards. "This is the first ball we have hosted for vampires from outside of the coven. There will be plenty to drink ... and eat."

Aro heard the disgusted noises coming from his brothers and Carmen but the joy from the guard was far louder, so it was worth it. He could have told them it would be bloodwine rather than humans but his mischievous side took over and he allowed his brothers to worry about a blood bath.

"You are all to have a good time, that's an order."

A raucous cheer erupted from the guards, even the masters were taken in with Aro's jovial decree.

Though Aro stood with smiles reaching ear to ear, he knew how precarious his plans were. _May the gods be on my side._

Basileus heard his son's silent plea. _I am son. I am the only god you need._


	82. Ready to Receive

**R** **EADY** **TO** **RECEIVE** **…**

Aro emerged from his bedchamber fully dressed in his new Volturi uniform. His black clothes were elaborately trimmed with gold and well suited for his position of King of the Vampire World.

Seeing his children come through the archway, stopped him in his tracks. "Why are you wearing those, now?" he asked, seeing them all decked out in their own new finery.

Felix, Demetri and Alec wore uniforms similar to Aro's, though a tad less decorative, whilst Jane, for perhaps the first time ever, wore a dress befitting a princess.

"Just trying them on," Felix answered for them all. "How do I look?" he asked, feeling like the cock of the walk.

"You all look wonderful," Aro replied as he took Jane's hand and twirled her around. He felt so proud of his little family.

"Can't we come with you?" Felix asked, for the umpteenth time.

Aro sighed and released his daughter. "No Felix. As I have already explained, you are to stay here." He quickly added, "don't sulk," when Felix flopped down into the sofa with an almighty humph.

"I'm not sulking!" Felix spat, sulkily.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Aro asked his eldest boys with a raised eyebrow.

Demetri gulped and rubbed the sore spot on his neck where Aro had held him around the throat.

Felix did similar. "Not likely to forget, are we?!" he said pointedly. _There was no need to be so rough with us,_ he thought.

"I have no idea what time any of the covens will be arriving, or IF they will be coming at all, for that matter. Add to that, they may not be entirely agreeable - I want you all here, safe," Aro said simply. He didn't want to scare any of them, but he did want them all under lock and key ... just in case.

"Saying that ... I am pretty sure Amun will show." He watched Demetri for a reaction.

Sulpicia, too, watched her boy.

"You don't look pleased, Demetri ... do you not want to see him? Or Kebi even?" she asked.

Demetri took a seat opposite Felix and scowled to his big brother without responding to either of his parents.

The twins were stifling their giggles, it was clear they knew something.

Aro glared at Alec until he gave up the secret.

"Felix has told Demetri you're sending him back to Egypt."

Felix flounced dramatically. "I was joking!" he said patronisingly, in a way that left Aro in no doubt that he had been winding Demetri up for days.

"Well it isn't fucking funny!" Demetri shot to his big brother, arms folded tightly across his chest and clearly upset.

"Demetri!" Sulpicia admonished her son for his language, only for Felix to join in.

"Don't be such a prick, you know I was joking!" he shot back. He didn't want to end up in trouble with their father over a bit of harmless teasing.

"FELIX!" Sulpicia called out, disappointed in his attitude.

Aro went between his boys and clouted Felix across his bullish head before taking Demetri's hand to access his memories. Aro saw enough and turned back to Felix.

"You know your brother is sensitive at the moment and you think it's funny to wind him up about being sent packing with Amun? That's great Felix, just great!"

Felix glared at the floor. "He isn't sensitive, he's still using that whole emotional blow up thing to get away with being a brat, that's all!"

Aro hooked a finger under his eldest' chin and forced his boy to look at him. "If you think I can be fooled so easily, you really haven't been paying attention, son."

Aro's tone sent a shiver down Felix's spine that told him it was time to shut the hell up before he ended up limping through the coven ball.

Aro released his boy and went to stand with his mate, curling an arm around her back and drawing her in close. "I thought I had made it clear to you pair how important it is that you behave," he said in exasperation to Demetri and Felix.

"Perhaps they should both stay in here during the festivities?" Sulpicia suggested with a secret smile to her husband, she knew how to play her boys.

"No way!" they complained in unison.

This was the biggest event the coven had ever hosted and there was no way they were spending it in bed!

"Dungeons it is then," Aro said with a shrug.

"NO!" they replied, panicked.

Felix tried to smooth things over quickly. "We are just messing around! That's all!"

"Well I am not!" Aro bellowed in return. "I will beat you bloody if you fuck this up," he added in a menacing tone. Though he spoke directly to Felix, Demetri was bright enough to know that threat extended to any single member of the coven.

Aro exhaled his frustrations as he noticed the time. _I need to go_ , he thought. "Demetri, you are my son."

"Our son," Sulpicia corrected him.

"Our son," Aro agreed, giving his mate a squeeze in apology for excluding her. "Even if the whole union relies on Amun taking you back, I still would not agree to it. You are staying here with me."

"With us," Sulpicia corrected Aro again, in a slightly sterner tone.

"With us," Aro amended, raising a smile from his children.

"Amun could take Felix instead?" Demetri said thoughtfully.

"Hey!" Felix threw a cushion to his brother's head, which Demetri easily caught and threw back.

"It's a joke," Demetri confirmed in much the same tone as Felix had used towards him earlier.

Aro was ready to intervene before Sully pulled him back.

"You two," he directed to the twins who dutifully came to his side. "I want you to be prepared for tomorrow but only act on my say so," he told them seriously.

"What about Basileus?" Jane asked. She didn't like the idea of refusing her grandfather.

"If he commands you to use your gifts, Alec, you use yours and flood the room."

Alec preened hearing that, he so enjoyed his gift and the fact that it was significantly more socially acceptable than Jane's.

"I never get to use my gift anymore," she complained to herself.

"Jane, you come and find me immediately. But don't put yourself in any danger – burn anyone who stands in your way," Aro added, giving her a 'job' to make up for being unable to inflict serious pain on their guests.

"Aro, you will scare them," Sulpicia intervened. She was worried herself and didn't want her baby vampires to be frightened by coming events.

"We have nothing to fear. This could be the start of something wonderful, but getting it off the ground may be tricky, that's all," Aro said confidently. "I want you all to enjoy the festivities."

With a final warm smile to his children, Aro led his mate to the door. He kissed her deeply and then went out to the top of the steps. "I will see you in the great hall after the conference, my queen," he told her as he broke away from their embrace.

"I feel good about this, Aro," Sulpicia enthused.

"As do I. But, just in case ... keep this door locked." With that he closed the door on his mate and listened for the bolt sliding across.

"Get out of those clothes!" Aro heard his mate instruct their children.

"But mom!" _Felix would complain, naturally._ Aro thought hearing his boy's objections.

"But nothing! I want you to look your best for tomorrow, go and change." _Aww, Sully. I love how you can manage our brood._

"ARO!"

Basileus bellowing his son's name brought Aro from the few moments he had taken to get his game face ready.

"Here we go then," he said to himself as he headed down to the castle floor. Joining his parents and brothers, Aro led the family group along to the throne room.

"Atia, how strong is your gift?" he wondered aloud.

"Which one, Aro?" she asked.

"Your block on the gifts of others … can you block a whole room no matter how many people are in it?"

Atia considered her son's question for a moment. "I see no reason why not."

"And, can you allow some gifts to work and not others?" Aro pushed on.

"Who would you like to maintain their powers, son?" Basileus asked, wondering where this was going.

Atia already had a job to do in his mind - she would be using her invisibility to keep watch on the conference. "You, me … Alec, possibly," Aro replied.

Atia thought about it for a moment before agreeing. "If you are close to me and I can deflect my guard, perhaps I should keep Alec with me during the conference?"

Aro's shook his head. "No, I need you with me in case talks do not go to plan."

Eleazar nudged Carlisle. "It will really ruin his reputation if Mommy and Daddy have to save him from the big boys!"

Carlisle did his best to remain passive-faced, but soon burst into laughter at Eleazar's imagery.

Basileus heard them both but he was pleased to see his sons were relaxed enough to joke.

"I will keep Alec close in the great hall whilst you are talking with the coven leaders. I will hear of any plans for attack before anyone has chance to act on them. If I hear something, I will have Alec to cloud the room," Basileus offered, only to receive a nervous look from Aro in response.

"What?" he asked.

Aro shrugged. "Nothing, I'm just a little concerned that you will act hastily ... " he said, trailing off before he could say anything to get his father back up.

"You have been kind of mental the last few months, Dad," Eleazar added, confirming Aro's concern.

"I will admit I was against this whole thing to begin with, but it's happening," Basileus said as he smiled confidently, "so now it's show time."

Aro looked his father up and down. "So, you are level headed then?"

"I will show you how level headed I am if you keep it up!" Basileus boomed as he attempted to slap Aro for his comment. Aro deftly avoided the lazy swipe, putting Atia between himself and his father. "Yeah, he's okay now," he said, resulting in hysterics from his brothers.

When the group trouped into the throne room, the other masters were already seated.

"Must you always arrive at the 11th hour, brother?" Caius asked Aro as he took his throne, clearly agitated.

"Relax brother, we have all the time in the world, we are immortal after all," Aro quipped, not that it helped Caius.

"We don't actually - The Egyptian coven is here and waiting for you!"

 _Fuck. Okay, fuck, fuck, fuck._ "Where are they?" Aro asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Corin has them in the gate house, master. Shall I fetch them now?" Renata asked from the doorway, where she'd been waiting for Aro and his father to arrive.

Aro merely nodded to Renata as he made himself comfortable in his throne.

"Don't slouch, Aro!" Atia admonished loud enough for all to hear.

Stifled laughter burst from behind Caius' hand over his mouth as his co-master immediately righted himself in his throne. Magnus had to bite hard into his bottom lip to avoid an outburst of his own.

Basileus and Atia flanked Aro's sides with Carlisle and Eleazar choosing to stand with Marcus. Not a sound could be heard in the throne room, every vampire in attendance waited with baited breath for the first coven to enter their great hall.

"Welcome, my friends," Aro sang out when the great doors parted to reveal the Egyptian coven.

Amun and Kebi walked arm in arm with their young charges, a mated pair, Benjamin and Tia following close behind.

"Is this castle big enough, my lord?" Amun asked, seemingly and surprisingly in good spirits.

Aro walked to the bottom of the throne steps and extended his arms to greet the coven leader. "Says the vampires from the great pyramids ... " he said coyly.

"It has been a very long time since we lived in pyramids," Amun replied, bowing his head respectfully.

"You are hardly slumming it with the peasants, from what Marcus tells me of your hospitality."

Marcus had informed Aro of the great many and very valuable artworks glittering in Amun's home and he had been treated with the highest regard during his visit to Egypt.

Basileus joined his son to greet their guests, mainly so he could zone in on their thoughts. "Amun! It has been a long time," he said pleasantly.

Both Amun and Kebi bowed to the creator before stepping back. Amun pulled Benjamin forward. "It is the creator!" he hissed to the boy whose eyes widened comically at meeting the ancient vampire.

"My lord!" he spluttered with a bowed head. Tia followed his lead. Basileus caught her hand and laid a gentle kiss to her olive skin. She giggled despite herself and stepped back feeling a little star-struck.

"You didn't have these two the last time we met, Amun. I do hope you are still within coven member quota?" Basileus asked, sizing up the young pair behind Amun with their eyes to the floor.

"The two I was left with found mates and abandoned my coven," Amun admitted. He wouldn't say their names, he had been so disgusted by their treachery that he swore to never say their names again. "I found Benjamin and Tia a decade or so ago. There are still only four of us so I fall within your laws."

Aro nodded. "They look young."

"Eighteen-ish," Amun said quickly. He couldn't be sure, as he had only met them in vampiric form, but he was confident that they were over the immortal child age. As was Aro, for that matter.

"Where is Demetri?" Kebi asked quietly, looking around the thrones for their lost member.

"You will be able to see Demetri tomorrow," Aro confirmed.

"You still have him, then?" Amun questioned, watching for Aro's reaction.

Aro smiled. "I do," he said simply before retaking his seat, leaving the Egyptian coven to look up to the king of vampire kind.

Basileus remained on the lower floor with the Egyptians. "Amun let me introduce you and your coven to our expanding high ranks," he said with an arm around the coven leader's shoulders.

The close contact was making Amun nervous as hell but that was partly why Basileus was doing it.

"You know Marcus and Caius, of course. But we have promoted two loyal guards to Master's of the Coven. I give you Magnus and his mate, Freyr."

The named masters doffed their heads politely to the man in Basileus' grip who seemed astounded to hear of new masters in the Volturi.

"I am rather surprised, my lord," he said as he processed the information. "I didn't know such a thing would be possible!"

"Anything is possible here, Amun, anything!" Basileus sang out.

"And of course, my sons - Eleazar and Carlisle."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lords," Kebi said on behalf of their group.

"My lord, you may have forgotten someone." Aro smirked as he spoke, knowing it would piss Atia off to have been last on his father's list.

"Not at all son. Amun, this may shock you most of all. This is Atia, the most powerful vampire on the planet, after me of course. She is my mate."

Amun nearly chocked on his own venom! "What!" he spluttered. "I mean, I'm sorry, my lady. Basileus, I ... "

"It's okay, Amun," Basileus placated the panicking coven leader, before booming laughter into the relatively empty great hall. "This old dog still has a few tricks up his sleeve."

Amun shook Basileus' hand and offered his congratulations to the ancient creator. The idea that Aro would be answering to a woman amused him greatly!

Basileus bowed out of the conversation and retook his place next to his son.

"My lord, Marcus was very vague, if somewhat insistent on our attendance. What is all this about?" Amun asked curiously.

"Reaffirming the need for a civilised vampire society," Aro told him with a broad smile.

Amun raised his eyebrows. "Through the power of the Volturi?"

"Naturally," Basileus added in.

"And, where do I fit into your plans? I assume you haven't dragged my coven halfway across the world just to flex your muscles." Amun pushed, he wanted a clear answer.

"No," Aro replied with a smile, with Caius adding "though it doesn't hurt."

 _Don't start_ _,_ _Caius!_ Basileus thought to the master. Even though Caius had no way of hearing him, Basileus still marked that down as one strike against Caius. _Two more and you will get a damn good strike,_ he thought.

The other covens will be arriving soon. You should take some time to explore the grounds," Aro offered from his relaxed position, almost slouching into his throne.

"What other covens?" Kebi asked nervously whilst her mate looked ready to implode by her side.

"I knew this was a trap," he bristled. "We will not join the Volturi."

Caucus scoffed to the very idea. "What on earth makes you think you are being invited?"

"Caius, please." Aro held up a hand to silence his co-master whilst Basileus said ' _strike two_ _'_ to himself, deciding Caius wasn't getting a strike three.

"We have sent envoys to the seven major covens who we believe conduct themselves civilly and peacefully," Aro began to explain.

"I'm listening," Amun said, softening his stance.

"No. For now, you are waiting," Aro corrected him. "We will talk when ALL covens are in attendance."

Amun squared his shoulders and wondered if his initial instincts that this whole charade was an elaborate scheme to take his coven out were right after all.

"Marcus will accompany you whilst you are in our castle," Aro instructed as Marcus rose from his throne.

"I assume this is none negotiable?" Amun asked, knowing the answer already.

Aro smiled as he nodded. "We convene at sunrise in the library, Marcus. Please ensure all of our guests' needs are met until then."

Marcus smiled and extended a hand to Kebi. She looked nervously to her mate, but took the master's hand anyway - what else could she do?

"My lord, it is late ... Benjamin and Tia are very young ... " she said in concern.

"Marcus will see to your needs, and theirs," Aro assured her, and soon enough Marcus lead the slightly anxious, and vaguely confused, Egyptian coven out of the great hall.

Basileus waited until he heard the door thud shut before moving over to Caius' throne.

CRACK!

He wrapped a thunderous clout around the master's blond head.

As Caius gasped in both shock and pain, Basileus fixed him in his eyeline. "Shall we bring an end to pithy remarks for the duration of this event?"

Caius' eyes bulged. "Yes, my lord," he said, rubbing the dull ache from the back of his head.

Aro cringed when he saw the look of contempt Caius threw to Basileus - he knew his father wouldn't let it pass.

"And wipe that look off your face!" he bellowed. "You can consider yourself lucky that I waited until they had gone."

Caius did everything in his power to not think as he fixed the squiff in his hair. A few 'for fuck sakes' fell through his guard but thankfully Basileus appreciated his efforts and didn't call him out on it.

"Give us a little respite, Magnus," Basileus called out as he went to his mate's side to calm down.

Soon enough the empath had flooded the throne room with contentment, similar to Corin's output. It was just enough to settle the fraying edges of everyone's nerves.


	83. All The Ladies

**... ALL THE LADIES …**

Corin stepped inside the grand doors. "Masters, the Denali coven have arrived," she announced, sounding perfectly professional.

Atia flicked Aro's shoulder. "Sit up."

Aro rolled his eyes and added a huff when he heard Caius laugh at him. Plastering on his game face, he replied, "Wonderful, Corin. Show them in."

Aro bounced down his throne steps to greet the Denali coven. "Ah, Sasha, I believe?" he smoothed to the older of the four. "Welcome to Volterra," he said, taking her hand and kissing it gently, extracting her memories as he did so.

"My lord," Sasha replied, a little awestruck. She had never before met the vampire king and she had expected something a little more ferocious than Aro's cool, calm demeanour.

"And these must be your new members I have heard so much about," he prompted.

"Irina, Kate and Tanya - my daughters," Sasha introduced as Aro greeted each of them personally.

Caius sighed, raising his eyes to the heavens. "Oh wonderful, more vampire children - at this rate, we will have enough for a nursery."

Basileus stepped forward as every member of the Denali coven looked to Caius' disparaging remark. "Which would be most enjoyable, of course," Basileus said with a crushing hand on Caius' shoulder.

"The creator!" Sasha exclaimed, immediately dropping to her knees. "Girls!" she hissed in warning and they followed her lead.

Basileus joined Aro on the main floor. "Though I appreciate the gesture, there really is no need, my dears. Please rise," he instructed as he took Sasha's hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Sasha," he whispered, much to everyone's surprise.

Sasha had been concerned that the creator, whom she had known intimately for a short time, had called their coven in for destruction. Hearing his whisper in the velvet tones that had once seduced her, she was instantly put at ease.

"The pleasure is all mine, Basileus," she replied, swaying as she spoke.

For a moment Basileus forgot himself as Sasha drew him into a private conversation through her thoughts.

"Ahem!"

Basileus spun around to see his mate standing with hands on hips and one eyebrow raised threateningly. _Oh dear,_ he thought. "I should introduce you to my mate, Sasha!"

"Mate?" she questioned.

"Yes, we have been together for awhile now," Basileus replied, wincing as he knew what was coming next.

"How long, exactly?" Sasha asked, pulling her hand back from the creator.

"Oh, a few years ... " he waved away and retook his place next to Atia.

"Ten," Atia said, loudly.

"Ten?" Sasha repeated. It was clear from her expression that there had been some crossover between the two women who shared Basileus' bed. "I am honoured to meet you, my lady," Sasha sensibly said, casting her eyes back to the floor.

"Hmm," Atia murmured as she used her mate's gift to check on his fidelity.

Aro, internally, was literally in hysterics. How he managed to keep his laughter confined to his mind was anyone's guess. Aro's brothers and the other masters were in a similar state, forced to hold hands to their mouths and look away from the scene.

If it hadn't been quite such an important moment, Basileus would have happily slapped all of them before fleeing from his angry mate. "Aro, get on with it," he commanded gruffly.

"Of course, my lord," Aro replied. "Kate, you are gifted, yes?" Aro said, turning to the middle daughter.

"I am, my lord," she replied, willing the vampire king not to ask for a display.

"Would you show me?" he asked.

Sasha blocked Kate's path. "It is a defensive gift, my lord - it may hurt you."

Aro had seen the extent of Kate's gift already in her mother's mind, yet his inquisitive nature forced him to ask for a try. "Perhaps you can lessen the effects ... I will not hold it against you."

Kate stretched out her hand, grimacing at what she was about to do. The second she made contact with the tip of Aro's finger, he went down to the floor.

"Ahh!" he gasped in shock as he felt every cell in his body tingle in mild pain. "Wonderful, my dear, wonderful," he said, getting up from his knees and brushing himself off.

Kate looked terrified. As did Sasha. "Please do not take her from me, my lord, please ... "

Aro waved away her concerns. "You have no need to worry, Sasha. I have no desire to break up your family."

"Family!" Caius scoffed from his throne.

Basileus considered speaking with Caius but one look back to his mate told him he had other things on which to concentrate.

"Eleazar," Aro called his brother forward. "It is late, my brother will accompany you in the castle," he told Sasha as Eleazar approached them.

"If you would follow me, I can take you somewhere to rest before the meeting in the morning," Eleazar told the Denali leader, taking her arm and guiding her from the great hall. "Is this your first visit to our castle, my lady?" he asked, putting Sasha at ease.

"Yes master, it is," Sasha replied.

"May we look around?" Irina asked. She knew her sisters would have to rest but she rarely slept in the way they did.

"I believe my brother has arranged a full timetable of events but there will be plenty of time for exploring the castle grounds tomorrow after the conference," Eleazar replied confidently, though he was surprised to see the young vampire return a surly glare in reply.

"And how well do you know Sasha, exactly?" Caius bravely asked once they were gone.

"After everything you said about me!" Aro added, retaking his throne.

"Quiet," Basileus ordered, staring straight ahead with a military pose.

"I am quite interested in the answer to Caius' question!" Atia said forcefully.

 _I bet you are,_ Basileus thought. "It will have to keep, my dear. The English coven is here." _Thank the gods,_ he added to himself.

"Masters ... " Corin began but Basileus cut her off.

"Show them in, Corin." He needed them inside the throne room quickly to cut off any more uncomfortable questions.

"Do you know any of the English coven?" Atia asked in a frosty tone.

"Not very well, no," Basileus replied, scanning his own memories quickly to check he was telling the truth.

"Hilda, welcome," Aro called when the English coven leader came through the doors. "And your four members ... " he added seeing the four young women follow behind her ... one very young.

"Four?!" Caius called out.

"So it would seem," Basileus said as he narrowed his eyes, joining his son.

Four members of a coven were the absolute maximum allowed and it was safe to say Hilda knew that law as she sheepishly approached Aro and Basileus.

Hilda had a few false starts before she could speak, she knew, and feared Aro - they had met on one of his travels to England and he had impressed her with his self-restraint and calm nature. She knew that his 'work' contradicted the man she'd met, but trusted him, as far as she could.

The others in attendance were a mystery to her and as Hilda paid little attention to the vampire world outside of her coven, she assumed they were just the kings well-dressed body guards.

"Master, Noella is a newborn, and your envoys were insistent on our attendance ... "

"We couldn't leave her," Mary joined her coven leader's cause.

"And you intend to keep her within your coven even though the law clearly states a maximum of four members," Basileus stated.

Hilda eyed the giant of a man with distaste. She didn't appreciate being addressed so forcefully by a bodyguard.

"No, master," she replied, looking to Aro.

"That wasn't a question, my dear," Basileus said, folding his arms across his broad chest.

Aro could see Hilda was ready to retaliate and thought it best to circumvent her efforts before they brought her demise. "Have you met my father, Hilda?" he offered gently.

Wide eyes flew around the group like a Mexican wave. "The creator?!" Hilda asked. She had never seen the man before and truly believed he was a Volturi myth. "Forgive me, my lord, I was unaware." She stuttered as she spoke.

The once great Abbess of the Anglo-Saxon world had earned her stripes in vampire battles since she had been turned, but she had never left England before and never imagined the Volturi legends could be true. Never.

Throwing herself to the floor, prostrating before the legendary creator of vampire kind, she said all she could to save her ladies. "Of course, if you wish it, I will divide my coven, my lords, we will divide, we will divide!"

Basileus looked down to the woman and considered his options. He would usually tell vampires they had no need for such flagellation for his presence but through his reading of Hilda's mind he could tell he would need the woman to know her place if Aro was to be successful in his mission to align their covens. Leaving Hilda on the floor and the rest of her ladies quaking behind her, he returned to his place next to his mate.

"They seem well bonded, Aro. Marcus would have to confirm but I believe too emotionally linked to divide," Magnus told his co-master through his sense of the group's emotional state.

He could sense, through his gift, that the five women of the English coven would be difficult to divide through Chelsea's talents, as impressive as they were. He was also dead against using Chelsea to separate any other vampires for as long as he lived after losing Lucy.

Aro nodded to Magnus. "As it happens, if you agree to my proposals, there would be no issue in you keeping Noella."

Hilda's head shot up from the floor as she looked to Aro with questioning eyes.

"I appreciate your honesty in bringing her with you," Aro whispered as he pulled the coven leader from the floor.

Aro retook his throne. "Some introductions are in order, Hilda."

Hilda nodded rapidly, her breathing was erratic but she brought herself under control. "I turned Anne and Mary about eight years ago, my lord. Anne went back to London and turned her sister, Victoria, three years past. I turned Noella almost a year ago, she is in the last stages of her newborn year."

Aro nodded along. "How old were they when they were turned, Hilda?" Aro asked as he considered the young women before him.

"All twenty, or thereabouts," Hilda replied nervously.

Aro fixed his sights on Noella, the newborn. "This one, really?" he asked again.

"Thereabouts," Hilda replied. Truthfully, she had no idea how old Noella was. Hilda had rescued the young servant girl from her vicious masters and turned her to offer her a better life ... now she wondered if she had just condemned her to a soulless afterlife instead.

"Closer to sixteen, I would say," Aro told her. She looked about Felix's age to him. "Be sure to keep her close. Young ones need more guidance," he said knowingly.

"No gifts?" Caius asked. He was really wondering if there were a way to ban children from any gatherings of the covens in future events but thought better of voicing as such with Aro and Basileus' penchant for the protecting the little sods.

"Not really, my lord," Hilda replied.

"Not really? What are you hiding?" Caius shot back. He wasn't keen on this coven at all. Neither was Basileus, for that matter. Far too insular and he worried Aro had made a bad choice choosing them for aligning.

"Now, now, Caius. There is no need for any animosity," Aro smoothed, "I am sure Hilda will explain."

Hilda didn't really have an explanation. "I'm not sure how to explain, my lord. I was rather hoping you would be able to explain to us. Victoria ... she seems to have the ability to survive. Her experiences in her human life should have killed her long ago but she survived."

Aro hadn't heard of such a gift before, but he was interested in how such a thing could be used for his advantage. "My brother Eleazar can read vampire's gifts. He is currently indisposed but I will have him look over Victoria tomorrow."

Hilda smiled gratefully. "Thank you, my lord."

Aro bit his lip, wondering how the next item on the agenda would be received. "There is one more thing for us to discuss ... Heidi."

Hilda shook her head. "She is no longer part of our coven, my lord."

Aro smiled. "No, she is part of mine."

"Heidi is here?" Mary asked.

"She made it?" Anna questioned.

Aro nodded. "She sought us out. We admitted her to our coven over a year ago, but as most of my guards were out on envoy missions at the time she has yet to be formally introduced to the Volturi. If you wish to see her, Caius will take you to his chambers to do so privately."

"After the conference?" Hilda checked, to which Aro nodded again.

"Is she well?" Hilda asked quietly. It was clear the entire English coven were concerned for their ex-member.

"Naturally," Aro replied. _Very well,_ he thought cheekily.

"Thank you, my lord." Hilda's relief was palpable.

Corin pushed through the grand doors. "Master, the Amazonian's are here."

Aro looked in her direction and held up a hand, asking her to wait a moment. "Carlisle," he called his brother forward.

Carlisle flashed to Hilda's side and bowed politely to her. "My lady, I am here to accompany you whilst the covens are still arriving."

"English?" Hilda guessed, pleased with their choice of supervisor.

"Yes, my lady," Carlisle confirmed shyly.

Mary made a beeline for the 'guard'. "He's cute!"

Hilda pulled the woman back into line. "Put him down, Mary, we have no idea where he's been." She didn't approve of her ladies fornicating with common vampires - she was a great Abbess after all.

Carlisle felt a little affronted at being deemed unclean or something. "Forgive me," he said with his hands up defensively. "My name is Carlisle, I am Basileus' youngest son."

The Mexican wave of eye-widening happened again through the English coven as Hilda instantly regretted her attitude towards the prince of Volterra.

Aro laughed from his seat, taking far too much glee from the situation in Atia's opinion. Brushing her son's cheek with her hand, he heard her think 'get on with it Aro, we have more guests waiting'.

Aro rolled his eyes. "My brother will see to your needs until we convene at sunrise," he told the English coven. "Be gentle with him," he added, giving a slightly bewildered Carlisle a wink.

No sooner than Carlisle had led the English coven through the back doors, the Amazonian coven arrived through the front. Three dark-skinned women wearing light animal skins as clothing and their hair in braids huddled together with their eyes darting in every direction. They appeared to be scared, but Aro knew better from the reports of his envoys. It was their defensive stance - they moved as one, they knew the entire layout of the area including any weak points or danger zones and they, somehow, shared that knowledge through intense intuition.

It wasn't a gift as such, more a natural development occurring through the three women living in such close proximity for a thousand years and defending themselves in hostile territory.

Basileus was most keen to extract their memories for his own purposes. The Amazonian tribe were the only known vampires living in the lands far to the west and all reports from any passers through - those that somehow survived, reported of the Amazonian coven living peacefully with werewolves ... yes, Basileus was very interested in this coven. He already had a better idea of how they lived in werewolf ridden lands - all three women had bright amber eyes.

 _They only feed on animals ... the werewolves must believe they pose little threat to humans ..._ _that could be the way in to the Americas!_ Basileus' mind was already running overtime, concocting future expeditions.

Though Aro knew of the connection the three coven members shared, he was surprised to see how physical that connection was. They moved together towards the thrones as though they were one person with three heads.

"Kachiri?" he asked, unsure which one the coven leader would be.

"We haven't broken Volturi law," the woman to the left spoke _._

 _I'm going to assume you are Kachiri,_ Aro thought. "I know that," Aro replied as he carefully and slowly approached the three of them.

Kachiri tilted her head. "You speak our language?" she asked.

Aro bowed his head. "I speak all languages," he told her as he took her free hand - the other remained fixed to her coven mate. "When you accepted our invitation, I ensured a good many of our coven learned your tongue so you are free to converse in a manner with which you are comfortable."

Aro was drawing her in and Kachiri visibly relaxed a little as he spoke.

"That was most thoughtful, master," she told him sincerely.

Aro smiled. "All in an effort for good relations."

He learned through his hold on Kachiri's hand that she spoke more than her own language, a good many languages in fact. Aro chose to continue in the Amazonian tongue as it had obviously pleased the coven so greatly.

"You are Senna?" Aro guessed as he turned to the next woman. She nodded curtly. Senna didn't speak. Ever. Zafrina conversed on her sister's behalf.

"She is. And I am Zafrina."

Aro took Zafrina's hand and looked to the woman in awe when he saw her gift. "Your gift, my lady, is quite astonishing. Would you do us the honour of a demonstration?" he asked, taking a step back and gesturing to his parents and fellow masters.

The throne room was transformed into the rain forests of South America, or more specifically, the Pantanal wetlands.

"How is she doing this!" Caius asked, spinning in his throne to take in all the wonders around him.

"Being a vampire is a wondrous thing!" Atia replied. The sights and sounds of the Amazonian coven's homeland were a bewildering experience for the Volturi elite, until Atia used her blockade to bring Zafrina's efforts to an end.

Both Aro and Basileus were glad their side was stronger with such an immersive talent in their midst.

"That was quite spectacular, my dear. I assume we have just seen your homelands?" Aro asked in Latin, forgetting himself for a moment.

"Yes master," Kachiri replied. Mimicking Aro's tongue. Aro smiled _. I must remember not to underestimate you,_ he thought. "I can understand why you were so reluctant to leave," he smoothed back in Kachiri's own language. "You will return to your beautiful lands soon, my ladies, we will only take a few days of your time."

Aro was glad he had tasked Freyr with the job of supervising the mysterious coven, he had a feeling they would take well to female guidance and Freyr was simply perfect for the job.

"Kachiri, may I introduce you to Freyr. She is a master of this coven and well equipped to see to your needs."

Freyr began to guide the women out of the throne room.

"I will speak with you again at sunrise, Kachiri," Aro called after her, he was quite taken with the mystique of the tribe.

"Yes, master," Kachiri replied as the three, once again, moved as one behind Freyr.

"You are so very good at this, son." Atia whispered to her boy as he retook his throne. Aro smirked. "You almost sound proud of me, Atia." "Almost." She joked.


	84. And The Rest

**…** **AND** **THE** **R** **EST**

Aro was truly dreading the French coven's arrival more than anything else. "Welcome ... " _scum,_ he thought, "friends."

Henri laughed at Aro's choice of words. "Friends?" he questioned sarcastically. "Who are you trying to impress Aro?"

Basileus held Aro down with a strong hand on his shoulder. "Calm," he whispered to his son.

"What is all this about? Why have we been called to this godforsaken place?" Henri spat, casting a disapproving eye around the palatial Volturi throne room as though it were hell's own cesspit.

Both Aro and Caius were ready to respond, luckily Basileus heard their thoughts before they could voice them. He proceeded down the throne steps, commanding them to 'sit' as he passed.

"Do you know who I am?" Basileus calmly asked the French leader.

"Ptf! No. Should I care?"

Basileus smiled showing his fangs and looking scarily close to tearing Henri's throat out. Leaning down to catch the coven leader's ear, he whispered, "I am Basileus."

Henri staggered back. "No!" he gasped. "You aren't real!" Henri stated confidently to the very real demi-god stood before him. Basileus raised an eyebrow and looked around to his son. "Are you sure we have the right coven, Aro?"

Aro continued to glare at the French leader. "Henri has always been a prick, my lord."

"That is not helpful, son." Basileus narrowed his eyes to Aro before turning and catching Henri smirking. _Oh_ _, I don_ _'_ _t think so!_

"I turned Aro personally, he carries my venom in his veins. He is the son of a god. You should remember that when you address your king."

Henri looked aghast to the creator. He had heard the myths, sure, most vampires had. But now that myth was standing in front of him, growling and glaring at him. _Oh fuck,_ he thought, though his stubbornness carried him through. _I never accepted that cock as my king,_ he thought, unaware of Basileus' gift.

"I live in werewolf country - I have spent many years of my life in opposition, and I have grown to rather like the role," he sneered in reply, as though it was an adequate excuse for his attitude.

Basileus placed a crushing hand on Henri's shoulder before he spoke. "It must be quite tiresome. I suggest, for the good of your health, that you take a break for the duration of your visit."

Basileus' mouth hardly moved as he spoke, every word was delivered through gritted teeth. Henri wasn't sure why he had been brought to Volterra, but he was pretty sure it wasn't just to be killed off - the guards Aro had sent could have taken care of that if that was what the Volturi wanted.

Though he appeared more submissive, Basileus knew the leader was trying to play him. _Don'_ _t react, not yet,_ he told himself.

"I have no doubt you will have heard of Caius, but you have yet to meet our new master, Magnus."

Magnus smiled to Basileus and prepared himself for Henri's reaction. He could read the man's emotions and knew to expect something.

"I've met him! He was a lowly guard, why is he sitting in a throne?" Henri sneered.

Magnus simply laughed. He wasn't quick to anger even with such a vitriolic display.

Basileus moved his hand from Henri's shoulder to grip the back of his neck tightly. "Magnus, and his mate Freyr, have been elevated to masters of the coven, and neither of them were ever 'lowly guards'."

Henri heard the warning, he felt it, too, through Basileus' grip, but he would rather lose his head than submit to a guard. Staying quiet was the best he could manage.

Magnus scoffed at the man's display. _I could crush you like a bug,_ he thought, contentedly.

"I believe Caius will be chaperoning you in the castle before the conference," Basileus told the French pair. Yvette had yet to speak but the way she looked down her nose to the room and refused to meet anyone's eye gave Basileus a good measure of the woman. _Sneering bitch_ , he thought.

Aro whispered to Caius as he passed. "Good luck, brother."

 _Yeah, thanks for this_! Caius thought.

"Do not leave his sight - it will be taken as an attack and I will personally hunt you down to take you out," Basileus ground out as he shoved Henri by his neck before calling Caius close to him.

Placing a hand lightly to the back of the master's head, he transferred his thoughts. _'_ _If you can keep things cordial, I will be personally grateful to you. Do your best, however, if you must kill him, kill them both. It_ _'_ _s tidier.'_

Caius smiled and nodded his understanding before stalking in front of Henri and taking the lead as they left the throne room.

"Wasn't that fun?" Aro sighed, already dreading dealing with the French prick in the conference.

"Will you be able to handle Henri?" Basileus asked with concern.

"If I can't, I'll kill him," Aro shrugged. He wasn't going to lose the whole alliance if Henri wouldn't play ball.

Basileus felt his anxiety rising again.

"I told you he's a prick, but they are the only coven of any note in France." Aro said, sensing his father's stress.

"He most certainly is, but watch your mouth," Atia told her boy, always on the side of proper decorum.

"Masters, the Irish coven is here," Renata announced from the front of the hall. No one had noticed her arrival.

"Show them in," Aro said tiredly. _This is the last lot._ He thought in relief.

"The infamous Siobhan!" Aro announced gleefully.

"Master Aro," the Irish woman replied, and Aro took both her hands in his as he flashed to greet her.

"Siobhan… as in Sancar?" Atia asked.

"Yes, Atia," Aro replied over his shoulder.

Sancar had been an interesting coven leader, though he called his coven a harem. He travelled the world collecting the most beautiful and gifted vampire women to recruit to his personal harem.

Siobhan was one of Sancar's ex-recruits. He tricked her into joining his coven only to discover after the fact that she would be expected to perform sexually on request for the leader. Siobhan wasn't interested in that and during Sancar's first attempt to take his coven leader rights, she killed him, ending the harem forever.

"You know, my dear, Sancar was a personal friend of mine," Atia told the young woman.

That was news to Basileus. "How personal?" he asked, only for Atia to smile to herself and otherwise ignore him.

Siobhan panicked. "Is that why we have been called here? Liam had nothing to do with Sancar."

"It is not, no. Sancar was a good friend, apparently ... " Aro said with an impressed look to Atia, "he was also completely insane and acting against Volturi law with his harem. We are not seeking retribution, my dear. You have nothing to fear in Volterra."

"Then why are we here?" Siobhan asked, feeling much more comfortable. She and Liam lived within the Volturi law, she was sure of it.

Aro was sure of it, too. "We have a proposal to offer a few, select covens - the Irish coven is one."

Liam and Siobhan looked delighted.

Aro knew these two were going to be easy, thankfully, and he called Magnus to his side. "I have asked Magnus, my fellow coven master, to accompany you in the castle. I will see you again at sunrise."

Siobhan greeted Magnus but turned to Aro, "Sunrise?" she questioned.

"Yes, my dear, we will be holding a conference of the coven leaders so I shall see you then."

Siobhan shook her head. "Liam leads our coven, master."

"Really?" Aro asked, caught off guard.

"I do," Liam grunted. He was a simple fellow and not particularly loquacious.

Aro nodded. "So long as you are willing to make decisions for your coven ... " it was more of a question than a statement, Aro didn't want to waste his time with the wrong vampire.

"I am." Liam grunted, again.

Aro smiled and clapped his hands together. "Very well," he said, "Magnus, please deliver Liam to the library for sunrise."

"And where will I be whilst this meeting is taking place?" Siobhan asked, sounding a little concerned to be separated from her mate.

"In here, my dear. With all other coven members. I will represent the Volturi in the conference so the other masters, my family, the guards, they will all be in here." Aro smiled warmly at the woman. "You will be perfectly safe, my dear, I assure you."

Siobhan nodded too. She wanted in on this, whatever 'this' was.

Magnus guided the Irish coven out of the throne room. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I lived in Ireland for a time before I was turned ... " and then his voice trailed off as he left the hearing zone.

"Liam is going to be nice and chatty, isn't he?" Aro said, laughing to himself.

Basileus joined him. "Siobhan controls their coven, I will listen to her thoughts."

"Is that all of them, Aro?" Atia asked.

Aro slouched into his throne, feeling mentally exhausted already. "It is. Other than Tao and Xola ... but I don't believe they will come."

"And what of Netty and Jen?" she asked, wondering if she should travel to the African lands herself.

"They may yet return, but I will instruct a mission soon to see the lay of the land with Tao if they aren't here by the end of the visits," Aro replied. He already had plans for Tao if he didn't show and he wasn't having his mother take over just yet.

"You seem to have set yourself an impossible task with getting these covens to form an alliance, Aro. Amun and Henri are going to have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into agreement." Atia verbalised both hers and Basileus' concern.

"Lots of things feel impossible until they are done. Show some faith in me," Aro replied, rubbing his temple's from he stress he was under.

"We do have faith in you, son," Basileus told him confidently. "What would you like us to do?"

"Walk the halls and listen in on any unspoken conversations, if you will?" Aro asked as he flopped a leg over the arm rest of his throne. He was virtually lying in the thing!

"Of course," Atia said, kissing his head gently. "Now sit up properly."

Aro laughed to himself but did as she asked.

"Remember to leave the library door open, Aro, so I may come and go as needed."

Aro nodded to his mother as he watched the two of them leaving.

"Now, my dear. Sasha?!" Atia asked, linking her arm through her mate's.

"I am rather more inclined to begin with Sancar," Basileus bristled.

"Oh, my dear Sancar." Atia began. "Our lives may not have fitted together, but our souls sure knew how to dance!"

Aro burst out laughing. He knew his father would be throwing a mental fit hearing that!


	85. First Impressions

**AN:** There have been a few issues with the site over the last month or so and I have only just learned that emails are not going out to let readers know there are new chapters. This glitch has also meant that the 'last updated' date hasn't changed when new chapters have been added, either.

It might be worth checking through the recent chapters to make sure you haven't missed any! This has been a FanFic wide disturbance so check on your other authors pages too!

If someone could let me know if they receive/don't receive an update email, I would be very grateful. Hoping the glitch is fixed!

* * *

 **FIRST IMPRESSIONS**

Marcus closed his chamber door after the Egyptian coven was safely inside. "I have prepared a room for your younger members, if they have need of it."

Benjamin watched his coven leader. He was tired and he knew Tia would be, too. "We have travelled a long way, Amun," he prompted.

"Of course," Amun agreed. Like Aro, he didn't want his young protégé to be deemed weak in any manner. "Because of the travelling ... " he added quickly.

Marcus smiled as he led away the young mated Egyptian pair. "We keep young vampires in the castle, too. I understand."

"What is this offer Aro proposes?" Amun asked the moment Marcus returned.

"I do not know, Amun, Aro has kept the full details to himself in an effort to aid discussion. He will make the decision for our coven without the other masters having an input, as you must do for yours," Marcus replied as he set to pouring glasses of wine, one for himself and one each for Kebi and Amun.

Amun accepted his glass gratefully. He enjoyed such human customs in his home, Marcus knew that. "You know more than you are letting on, Marcus, we have been friends for a very long time," Amun told his old friend.

Marcus took a seat and gestured for the others to sit with him. "Aro wishes to reach a settlement. He left you with too little after the wars between our covens and he intends to put that right."

Amun laughed. "Yes, 'nothing' is too little," he said, thinking of the devastation the Volturi caused him during the wars between their covens.

"Ah, Amun, he left you your beautiful mate, you are more blessed than you know."

Kebi smiled to the old coven master.

"I'm sorry, Marcus, that was insensitive of me," Amun replied, feeling guilty for his complaints when he still had his wife with whom to share his life.

"The guards here," Amun broached, "they seem happy."

Marcus laughed heartily. "They are happy," he said, "why wouldn't they be?"

"It is not what I was expecting," Amun admitted. He had only passed a few in the halls and when they passed the guard hall, but they all seemed to look well and be in good spirits, greeting Marcus respectfully but showing no signs of fear by his presence.

"What else would you have expected?" Marcus asked.

Amun shook his head and took a swig from his wine "I have only met the guards in conflict. Aro and Caius ... and you, in your day, ordered them fiercely. I think I expected a little more viciousness within these walls."

Marcus nodded along, it was true enough. "Battles require a particular command, do they not?" he questioned.

"I suppose so," Amun agreed.

Marcus opened his arms wide. "If that was our way with our guard at all times we would have lost them centuries ago."

Amun could suddenly see where he had been going wrong with commanding his own coven, it came as something of a revelation.

"You can never rely on a horse that is educated by fear. There will always be something that he fears more than you. But, when he trusts you, he will ask you what to do when he is afraid," Marcus said. The analogy, though very human, worked for their guards.

"Your guards trust you ... and the other masters?" Amun asked, as though it were a foreign concept.

"I believe so. They are well cared for; all of their needs are met, and then some. Why wouldn't they trust us?" Marcus asked.

Amun didn't respond, he was deep in thought.

Kebi whispered into her mate's ear. "There are no bars on these windows, Amun, the guards could leave at any time, if they so wished."

Amun smiled sadly. "Then why didn't Demetri return to us?" he asked his mate.

Amun looked aggrieved that Demetri may have chosen to stay in Volterra over his original coven, but that grievance shouldn't be confused with care. He was far more upset to have lost a member, a member with talents such as Demetri's.

Kebi had quite liked the boy but Amun's leadership wouldn't allow her to get too close to him. Seeing her mate rolling Marcus' words around his mind, she hoped they may be able to make changes to their own coven when they returned to Egypt.

…

Caius led Henri down to the dungeon level, at his insistence. "Why do you waste your days playing second to Aro?" Henri goaded the master.

Caius knew what he was doing, he wasn't taking the bait. "I don't see myself as second to Aro and I am hardly wasting my time," Caius replied easily.

"You are kidding yourself, Caius," Henri scoffed.

Yvette continued to walk behind the two men.

Caius thought it odd that she didn't speak - he couldn't get Athenodora to shut up!

"You could join the French coven," Henri offered.

"And be second to you?" Caius asked, finding the very idea preposterous.

"We are like minded fellows - we would be equals," Henri suggested, though even he couldn't keep the smirk from his face with such a false offer.

"Now who's kidding themselves?" Caius asked, laughing heartily as he collected a torch from the stairwell wall.

Yvette took the second and Henri walked ahead.

 _Far too important to see where you are going,_ _huh?_ Caius thought sarcastically.

"Have you never considered leaving?" Henri asked, checking out the empty newborn cells.

Carlisle and Felix had done a grand job cleaning them up. The whole dungeon sparkled, for a dungeon.

"I have, but really I have no reason to leave - I love Volturi life too much. Here I have power, I have wealth, I have resources to do what I enjoy," Caius replied evilly.

Henri stopped in his tracks. "And what do you enjoy?" he wondered aloud.

"I will show you," Caius said, stalking ahead to his playroom.

"This is affectionately known as my 'playroom'," Caius said as he pushed the panelled door open.

Henri peered inside. The room was windowless and pitch black - even with Caius' torch held up at the doorway, he could see little within.

"Stay here," Henri called to Yvette, who took her place by the door. Henri followed Caius inside.

Caius lit the central fire pit which flooded the entire room with enough light for a vampire to see everything the room contained.

"This is magnificent!" Henri enthused as he looked around the torture chamber. "Do these shackles hold vampires?" he asked, lifting the huge and heavy iron chains.

Caucus took out his silver knives and allowed the light to dance on the blades. "So long as the victim has lost enough blood," he told the French leader.

"You bleed them?" Henri asked. "And, what about the blood?"

Caius smiled mischievously. "Stored in barrels, preserved with alcohol and allowed to mature - a particularly potent mix we call dungeon blood."

Caius took a small glass and let the tap of the barrel loose to fill a decent gulp worth of the sticky, tar like substance. "Would you like some?" he asked, extending the glass to Henri.

"I shouldn't ... I need to have my wits about me when I face that scheming cunt," Henri said, waving away Caius' offer.

Caius could see Henri's eyes were yet to leave the glass. "If you are referring to my co-master, I would be careful of using such terms in his presence," Caius warned gently, offering the glass again.

 _Take it you bastard. Aro will have an easier time if you are a little mellowed from the dungeon blood_.

"Are you having some?" Henri asked.

"I will partake if you are game," Caius replied, handing the glass to Henri and taking one from the barrel for himself. Caius knocked his down in one, he was used to the taste and texture of dungeon blood and sometimes forgot what it must taste like to a first-time user.

Henri grimaced as the sticky liquid coated his throat and burned in his belly. "Whoa!" Henri exclaimed as he sunk into the floor.

Caius laughed and crouched low to keep an eye on the French leader.

It took about half an hour for Henri to come back down from the top of his high. "You know you can't fool me, Caius. There is no way on this earth that two alphas like you and Aro could ever get on peacefully," he stated, sure of his assumptions.

"We have our share of disagreements, but we are loyal to one another, regardless," Caius corrected the man. "You should remember, whilst you are here, your thoughts are not private."

"Aro won't be laying a finger on me. I'm not giving him access to my thoughts!" Henri bustled, gesticulating wildly with his arms.

"It wasn't Aro I was talking about. The creator, and his mate ... they are very powerful. They can read our minds as clearly as if you screamed your thoughts aloud," Caius told him.

That unnerved Henri and even his obstinate façade couldn't hide his fear of the creator.

"The creator lives here, permanently?" Henri asked, to which Caius nodded. Henri scoffed. "So you are below him, as well?"

"Again, no. I am below no one. The Volturi family sit outside of the coven, alongside really."

Henri started laughing, though he wasn't too sure why.

Caius knew. The dungeon blood was fading and leaving Henri with a mellow hue.

"All that bollocks about family ... "

"They are a family, Henri. With family loyalties - you would do well to keep that in mind," Caius explained, pulling Henri to his feet.

"So, they are above the law I take it?"

Caius shook his head. "No. Basileus ensures his family is lawful, as does Aro. I can attest to that," he replied confidently.

"I am afraid I am not gullible enough to believe you, Caius." Henri said, slurring as he spoke. "No one should be above the law, except maybe the creator. He is a god, he can do what he likes," Henri muttered indistinctly in reply.

"Who's going to stop him?" Caius asked. "Would you fancy the job?"

Henri looked to the floor. He couldn't say he would, he wasn't up to the task and he knew it, but it pained him greatly to admit any such failing.

Caius smirked to himself, he knew he'd won.

"I have heard rumours about this place, you know," Henri said as he staggered around the playroom, taking in the sights of Caius' torture chamber now he had use of his legs again. "There's talk from the vampire rogues that you have a prison here. I saw only empty cells."

Caius smiled as he walked to the back of his large dungeon hideout. "We do have a prison," he called over his shoulder. "Should I show you, I wonder?"

Henri followed Caius like a lost puppy being led home. "You will never find another vampire who would appreciate your work more than I, Caius."

"That's true enough," Caius replied as he brought them to a pair of wooden doors. "Open them."

Henri's face scrunched up. "These doors? It's just a cupboard!"

"Open them," Caius repeated.

Henri looked quizzically to Caius but opened the tall wooden doors. The sight that greeted him knocked him sick. "What in the name of hell is ... !" Henri sounded surprised, but Caius could tell he was also impressed.

"If you don't sever the spinal cord at the back of the neck, the victim doesn't die." Caius explained.

"How the hell did you work that out?" Henri asked, poking the closer heads to check they were real.

"I didn't - that's Aro's claim to fame," Caius explained. "These were our first inmates," he said, gesturing to the dead heads at the very top of the prison. "We spent a few days down here tearing the Romanian scum to shreds. They had lost all their blood but Aro could still access their thoughts. We had taken their limbs, their skin, their organs ... but still they were of sound mind. Well, sound enough to continue to think."

Henri appeared fascinated and Caius quite enjoyed having someone so appreciative to whom he could show off his talents.

"They couldn't speak?" Henri asked.

"We had torn out their lungs so they couldn't breathe - no breath, no speech."

Henri took to examining each dead head in turn. "But they didn't die?" he said, mainly to himself.

"We left them a few days and when we came back to dispose of the bodies they were still alive. We lost one, testing out how much spine they could lose," Caius pointed out the top two again, " and with these two we discovered the perfect balance."

"How long have they been here?" Henri asked, still awestruck by what he saw as a majesty of creation.

"Early 500s."

Henri's jaw dropped open. "And they still think?"

Caius nodded. "Apparently so," he said, though he only had Aro's word for it.

"That's brutal!" Henri insisted, though again, he sounded pleased by the brutality. "Who ends up in this hell?"

Caius closed the doors to the prison cupboard. "The creator tends to rip apart any vampires that cross him," he explained, "but anyone who pisses off Aro, or me, to such a degree that we want them to suffer ... they will end up in here. Marcus isn't so inclined, and as yet, neither are Magnus or Freyr."

Hearing the newly appointed masters' names reminded Henri of his earlier annoyance. "How did that lowly guard rise through your ranks?" he said, thinking of Magnus.

"Volturi guards are not lowly - at any level," Caius replied. He meant it too. They may be below him ... no, they were certainly below him ... but they were above any other covens' vampires, that was for damn sure!

Henri scoffed. "That depends on whether you are one of the Volturi coven or not." Henri made a fair point. To the outside world, Volturi guards were rarely challenged through a mixture of fear of reprisal and respect ... with more leaning towards fear. Guards had the freedom on missions to be as ruthless as they desired and some took that freedom to the extreme, earning the entire group to be labelled as debased.

Henri knew he'd get no further on the point with Caius, and turned his attentions to Freyr. "The woman then. How can you share your power with a woman?" he asked.

Caius guided Henri out of his playroom, locking the door behind them both. "Freyr is a warrior - before she was made a master, even before she was turned. I feel no shame in sharing my power with her," he said easily.

Caius had no issue with Freyr. Both she and Magnus had made his job far more enjoyable now they were dealing with guard issues. He bloody well loved them for that alone!

"No woman can be a warrior," Henri sneered.

Caius felt a flash of guilt for poor Yvette who must have heard what her mate had said. Caius clapped the French coven's leaders shoulder with his hand. "I would love to see you up against Freyr," he dared the man, whilst already looking forward to Freyr bringing him down.

"Anytime!" Henri beamed, perfectly content to bring the ex-guard to her knees _._

 _If only he knew,_ Caius thought. "I am sure there will be time after your meeting with Aro," he said, as he began to lead Henri to the library with Yvette shuffling along behind them.


	86. Getting Acquainted

**Getting Acquainted**

Basileus went around the great hall opening the tall wooden shutters to the windows lining one side of the room. He grumbled as he went that a guard should have done the job already but he realised his complaints were premature when saw the darkness outside. Atia had left him to wait in the library for the conference to begin and without her bringing him calm he was letting his imagination run wild. He was relatively sure Eleazar and Carmen would be safe with the Denali coven. _Kate though_ _…_ _she could have hurt them if she_ _'_ _d desired._

His concerns for Carlisle was fleeting, _more likely to be enjoying himself too much_ _…_ _now that is a concern._ He said to himself as he watched without patience for the sun to rise. _Aro._ Aro was his worry. _You will be sat in that room half way across the castle with six hostile vampires. Potentially hostile,_ he reminded himself, Atia's words floating through his mind. _Atia, she will keep him safe_. He repeated to himself. _If the stress of this doesn_ _'_ _t kill me, nothing will!_

"Basileus!" Sulpicia startled the creator from his thoughts as she entered the throne room with her children following.

"My dear," Basileus replied, bowing his head to her arrival. "Down from there." He called to his grandchildren. "I want you on the main floor, stay away from the thrones until Aro gets here, okay?"

"Why?" Felix asked, they always stood at Aro's throne… that was their place in his mind.

"Because, Felix," Basileus replied tersely, "I will be in Aro's throne and I will be better at reading minds if I have a little space from everyone."

Felix followed his brothers and sister down the throne steps and fell in behind Sulpicia at Basileus' side. "What is that smell? Is there blood in here?"

"Blood and bloodwine." Basileus confirmed. He had yet to light the fires beneath the five mammoth cauldrons, _a guard could take care of that when they arrived, which should be any moment now,_ Basileus thought.

"Mom, can we…" Sulpicia turned to Felix and shook her head curtly before Felix could ask. She knew what he would ask, naturally.

"Can you drink the bloodwine and cause mayhem tonight? I don't think so son." She told him with finality. Sulpicia had warned her two eldest boys that she was willing to miss the entire visit and keep her sons at home under lock and key if they required it and they knew she meant it, too.

Basileus smirked to his young grandchildren, pleased that they appeared to bend to their mothers will, _for how long though?_ He wondered.

"I had hoped to catch Aro." Sulpicia mentioned as she reached up to kiss Basileus' cheek, "I assume the conference will begin soon?"

Basileus nodded, he had a headache already from pushing his mind reading gift to its maximum capacity in his efforts to hear everyone in the castle walls. Tapping his temple, he replied, "the last I heard, Aro was on his way to the library. Caius, Magnus and the others are delivering coven leaders now. Soon the remainders will descend on us, my dear."

Sulpicia nodded, she was nervous about greeting all of these outsiders. As queen, she had a role to play herself, and she was prepared to play that role expertly to help her mate's plans along.

Basileus heard his daughter-in-law's concerns. "Sulpicia, you have no reason to worry. A true queen can protect three things, my dear - her king, her throne, and her children." Sulpicia smiled gratefully for the confidence boost the creator offered. Before she could reply, they both turned to the sounds of approaching footsteps.

The entire body of guards marched through the grand hall doors to the front of the throne room. They were a remarkable sight in their matching, crisp uniforms. _They look great, but skittish,_ Basileus surmised. "Are we all well?" he asked quietly to no one in particular.

A few guards looked over and smiled to him. Oddly it was Lev who spoke. "Are we safe?" he grunted, seemingly ready for attack and keeping Katarina even closer than usual.

"Quite safe, Lev." Basileus returned with a broad smile. "We will be sharing our throne room with the visiting covens very soon so let us all relax a little?" Opening his arms wide, and beaming at the guards, he quickly had them all under his spell.

"Bard, Isolde," he called over to the mated musicians, "give us something to take our mind off our worries, will you?" once the music begun, Basileus pulled Mikhail aside. "Light the fires, Mik, and stay close to Lev for me." Mikhail nodded, leaving without word, as was his way. Summoning balls of fire to ignite from his hands, he threw the flames effortlessly towards the fireplaces.

"Sulpicia," Basileus called as he walked to his daughter-in-law, "shall we be ready on the throne floor to receive our guests. You are the vampire queen, my lady, that makes you the most important person in the room."

Sulpicia giggled, "next to you, Basileus, really?"

"I am merely the dusty old creator, no one pays me any attention." He replied as he took her by the hand they flashed to stand in front of Aro's central throne.

"I need a guard on each of the cauldrons. Afton, Lev, Corin, Adrianna, Turk - if you would be so kind." The named guards nodded to Basileus and took their positions. "The first four are filled with bloodwine and I don't want any young vampires drinking it. If in doubt, ask me first, or on your own head be it."

Adrianna sighed with relief that she had taken the plain blood cauldron, she knew Demetri would pester her for a drink otherwise. Basileus was pleased with that happy accident, too, especially when he saw Demetri looking crestfallen _. We can read you like a book, my boy._ Basileus thought.

Just as the Volturi members gathered in the throne room had started to relax, the doors behind the thrones sprang open on either side of the throne floor - to the left, Marcus entered with Kebi, Benjamin and Tia, and to the right, Caius with Yvette and Athenodora.

Caius made it to Basileus first, like a man on a mission he stormed to the creator's side although Basileus noted Caius was doing his best to keep his game face. Basileus wondered if Caius' smiling was more unnerving than him sneering but as the master was clearly putting such a lot of effort in, he declined to comment. "Caius." Basileus nodded as he wrapped an arm around the man.

Sulpicia went to greet Athenodora who introduced her to Yvette from the French coven. Although Yvette acted submissively before Sulpicia, as she should, she is the queen of vampires after all, Sulpicia could tell that the French vampire was just as snotty as Athenodora - she didn't need a gift to know that the pair would be inseparable for the duration of the visit. After all their years together, Sulpicia knew her coven mate well.

Once Athenodora had led Yvette down towards the guards to introduce her to the wider Volturi body, Sulpicia moved towards Marcus and his gathering whilst Basileus flicked through Caius' memories. "I am pleased to see how well you handled Henri." He told the master.

Caius scoffed, "it was a close call, my lord. He's an insufferable bastard."

Basileus' booming laughter filled the hall, taking over the lyrical tunes coming from the musicians. "You have done a wonderful job, Caius." Basileus praised, "although…" Caius flinched to Basileus' change in tone. "Dungeon blood… really?"

Caius shrugged and laughed a little nervously. "I hoped it would help Aro's efforts, my lord."

As Basileus flipped through Caius' thoughts, he could see that Caius had genuinely hoped to ease Aro's load by making Henri easier to handle. "Let's just keep away from the dungeon blood for the rest of the visit, Caius." Basileus suggested lightly.

Caius looked nervous.

"What?" Basileus asked with an order to his tone.

"Henri wants to buy a vat from us. I have already agreed a price."

Basileus rolled his eyes. "Fine, but he takes none until he is off our lands." Caius nodded readily, as Basileus pushed him from the throne floor. "Now go and mingle."

No sooner had Caius left, Kebi and her young wards filled his space. Sulpicia had been very keen to meet Kebi as another mother to young vampires, but there was something off about the way she interacted with Benjamin and Tia. Sulpicia called for her son and Felix arrived at his mother's side in only a moment appearing the ever-dutiful boy.

"This is Benjamin and Tia, they are around your age, perhaps you and Demetri would save them from the boredom of adult conversation and keep them company for a while?" Benjamin and Tia both looked bewildered to see four vampire children in the coven - they had never met vampires outside their coven before and to meet ones of similar ages was overwhelming.

"That is, if it is okay with you, Kebi?" Sulpicia asked, waiting for the woman's reaction. Kebi waved her wards down the steps and off they went with Felix to his brothers and sister and some of the younger gathered guards.

"Marcus," Sulpicia called and walked a little away from the Egyptian coven member, "tell me about their bonds." She prompted.

"You have noticed then, my lady?" Marcus asked. "They aren't as close as they could be, are they? Amun's bond with Benjamin is almost as strong as it is with his mate. But Kebi and Tia are only bonded with Amun and Benjamin respectively and separately."

Sulpicia nodded and felt a little sad, she had hoped for another 'mother' to engage with, though Aro had warned her that Kebi may not have such a role.

"They have only been together for a short time, my lady. I believe their bonds will grow. You could help them with that." Marcus told the vampire queen. That was all Sulpicia needed to hear - she decided to make it her mission to increase those familial bonds whilst the Egyptian coven were their guests.

Eleazar and Carmen arrived next looking shell shocked.

"Sulpicia," Basileus called her to his side. "These are the Denali sisters." He introduced each of the girls in turn who all curtsied and smiled as though butter wouldn't melt.

Eleazar and Carmen watched with comical expressions. When the girls spotted the younger members of the coven to the side of the hall they excitedly left the throne floor and sought out entertainment without asking for permission. Eleazar immediately started complaining.

"What's wrong with you? You had the easy coven!" Basileus returned.

"Easy? Easy! Those girls are a bloody nightmare, they bicker, they fight, they screech, the don't shut up!" Eleazar moaned. "Give me Felix and Demetri any day!" Carmen added.

"So, you are ready to babysit now?" Sulpicia mocked her sister in law.

"Honestly I don't know how Sasha puts up with them." Carmen replied, still reeling from the loudest night of her life.

Eleazar nudged his father, "Sasha told us a few stories about you, dad."

"That's quite enough, son - go and mingle. I need as few people up here as possible so I can read the room." Eleazar and Carmen burst out laughing at the creator bustling nervously to their new knowledge but they did as they were bid ,going to the opposite side of the room to the Denali girls.

"Those girls are going to bring us a lot of trouble." Basileus whispered to Sulpicia.

"You know this, my lord?"

"I sense it." He replied.

"As much trouble as their mother has brought you?"

Basileus nearly choked on his own venom. "That was a long time ago." He spluttered, grateful to see Freyr bringing Zafrina and Senna through the grand doors to give him the chance to change the conversation.

"We need to be careful with these two, Sully. They require delicate handling."

Sulpicia nodded to her father in law, Aro had told her similar already and she felt well prepared. What she wasn't prepared for, however, was for the Amazonian women to throw themselves to their knees at the foot of the throne floor when she greeted them. Sulpicia crouched low enough to meet their eyes. "My ladies, there is no need for you to go to such efforts, I am so pleased to make your acquaintance."

Senna and Zafrina only half stood as they backed away talking so fast in their foreign tongue that Sulpicia couldn't make out what they were saying. Freyr rolled her eyes to the coven queen and sighed deeply. _It would appear your night has been as stressful as Eleazar and Carmen_ _'_ _s._ Sulpicia thought, watching Senna and Zafrina as they flashed to the side of the hall, close to the doors.

"They seem so scared, Basileus." Sulpicia commented.

"They are, my dear. They don't mix with others very often and they are more akin to outside spaces. They feel enclosed in here. From what I can read in their thoughts, Freyr has put them wonderfully at ease, though it hasn't been an easy task for our shield maiden."

Sulpicia nodded along. "And the throwing themselves at my feet thing?" she pushed.

Basileus chortled to himself. "In their world, only women are true rulers. Aro and I received a cordial nod when we met them, they clearly see you as the one worthy of prostration."

Sully smiled to herself, "I think we should get some of these Amazonian women for our coven, Basileus." The hall filled with the creator's great laughter again, "you and Atia, both!"

Magnus arrived, finally, through the doors to the right of the thrones. After Siobhan had greeted Basileus and Sulpicia she sort out Sadie from the guards who Magnus had told her shared her gift of 'wishing'. Both Sadie and Sasha could wish for their own good fortune in a situation, and so long as it didn't negatively impact of someone else, it often came true.

"Are the Irish maintaining Liam is the coven leader?" Basileus asked Magnus, who nodded in reply with raised eyebrows.

"Aro's going to have fun with him - that man is utterly devoid of wit or spirit."

Basileus laughed, "I thought as much when I met him. Siobhan runs their coven, I will believe nothing else. Keep an eye on her Magnus, but work the room. I want to know about any emotional irregularities."

Magnus bowed his head, "of course, my lord."

Sulpicia left Basileus to take a round of the great hall, ensuring she spoke to every single guard and guest as she passed. At the same time, Basileus took Aro's throne and searched through the thoughts of those in the room trying to anticipate any issues before they came. He found none. That should have pleased him really but it only served to make him second guess his own abilities, sure that he must have missed something. They had only been separated an hour, but by the time Sulpicia had finished her first round of the hall, disaster was already ready to strike.

"Sulpicia my dear." Basileus called from Aro's seat. She flashed back to the thrones.

"I discussed with Aro that it may be advisable to put your sons on a shorter leash, after the whole Lucy debacle."

Sulpicia sighed, she still felt so saddened by the turn of events, not to mention the stark reality that Demetri could have lost his life too. "Aro has mentioned it, my lord. I think he wanted to get the conference out of the way before we created another family drama."

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "It may be too late." He told her quietly.

"In what way, Basileus?" Sulpicia asked, searching out for Demetri in the crowd of guards.

"Not Demetri." Basileus said, sensing where the vampire queen's thoughts were turning. "Felix has just returned with Irina, the eldest daughter of the Denali coven."

Sulpicia froze as she saw her boy swagger in the great hall doors with Irina close at his side. "No, surely not." She said, already knowing it was surely so.

"It may be nothing." Basileus replied.

"Do you not know?"

"I am trying to read the thoughts of an entire room, my dear, in case of attack. I cannot go fishing through your son's mind at the moment."

Sully closed her eyes for a moment. She still had work to do until Aro returned she needed to be in the throne room at least as the figure head of the royal family. _I can_ _'_ _t take you home yet, but my god Felix I am going to roast you when I do._ "I will speak with him." Sulpicia offered and flashed to her son's side.

"Felix, a word with you if you please." She said shrilly to her eldest boy.

"Oooo busted!" Demetri chortled.

Sulpicia turned her eye on the boy. "You can come, too." She said, clicking her fingers to the pair of them.

Basileus watched them leave through the front doors as a welcomed and familiar hand curled around his shoulders. "Atia, my dear." He whispered.

"I thought you may mistake me for Sasha." She replied playfully.

"No," Basileus scoffed, "she never went for my shoulders."

Atia slapped his back hard as she tried to look annoyed. It didn't last long before Basileus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace.

"How are our plans?" he breathed into her ear.

"In progress." She replied confidently.

"So, he's failing then?" Basileus asked.

"Since when is progress failure?"

Basileus pulled back so he could see her face. "Well it isn't success, is it?!"

Atia shook her brown curls. "Aro's argument, his rhetoric, its compelling."

"But not his plan?" Basileus questioned.

"The coven leaders are listening which is more than either of us believed would happen." She really wanted to defend Aro's efforts, she was amazed by his command of a room from what she had seen so far. "How are things in here?" she asked, wanting to get the lay of the land from the rest of the coven visitors.

"Everything is going well, it would appear that the covens who have come, have come without the intention to do us harm. Though they all have their exit plans…" Basileus trailed off, he was still sure he was missing something.

 _Your nerves will be the death of you, my dear._ Atia thought to her mate. "We ALL have exit plans." She reminded him.

"Hmm." Basileus murmured, "you should get back to Aro." He prompted.

"I will look after our boy." She said as she let her hands slip from his and flashed back to the library.


	87. Conference

**Conference**

Aro took his seat at the head of the conference table. "What do you say - will you agree to the treaty I propose?"

He sensed Atia move behind him and he felt comforted to know she was there in a way he hadn't expected to. It felt good to know he had back up, he supposed. When Atia had left, Aro was making his proposal, laying everything out on the table. She was glad to have returned in time to hear the coven leaders replies to his offer.

Hilda spoke up first. "I'm not sure I entirely understand my lord. Your treaty seems to ask little of us."

Aro smiled warmly to the woman. "You understand perfectly well. All I ask is for your loyalty and cooperation."

"And in return we can continue to live in peace." Amun asked, that was most important to him. He wasn't ready to go to war.

"I certainly hope so." Aro agreed, adding for reassurance, "You can be sure of Volturi backing against our common adversaries."

"The Romanians?" Amun asked, he knew they were Aro's biggest adversary, they had been since the Volturi existed.

"The Romanians, for now. There will be others!" Henri sneered from his seat, slouching still from the dungeon bloods effects on a first timer.

"There will be, I agree with you there." Amun said nervously.

"All the more reason for your covens to combine as one force. With the approval of the Volturi." Aro prompted. He could see everyone was genuinely considering his offer which pleased him greatly.

"The Romanians never offered such a thing." Amun said to himself.

"They were otiose kings under whose rule the vampire race languished without any direction." Aro surmised Stefan and Vladimir's _'reign of pointlessness'_ , as he thought it.

"And your rule has been so different?" Henri asked spitefully.

"Harsh," Aro said, "but an understandable appraisal. To begin with the Volturi were concerned with defence and establishing position. We have played a few more years in offense - but it's time to change. The vampire world requires direction, they need to be moulded into a civilized people."

Henri leaned back into his chair. If he relaxed any more he would be asleep in the floor. "And the vampire world is yours to mould, is it?" he slurred. Aro was wondering just what Caius had done to the coven leader - he needed to thank him!

"It is." Aro confirmed.

"By what authority?" Amun spoke up.

"It's got my loyal subjects all over it, that makes it mine." Aro said with a smile.

Amun laughed, "have you tired of being king, now you wish to be an emperor?" Aro could only join in with Amun's laughter in response… he couldn't deny the truth of Amun's summation.

Aro heard Atia hissing lightly behind him, _she_ _'_ _s right, I need to move this on,_ he thought, getting himself under control. "I have chosen your covens for my new venture as I believe you to act civilly and that you are in the position to influence those vampires around you; be mentors to the weak and bring them through this vampiric enlightenment."

"An enlightenment?" Hilda asked. She had lived through enough reforms in England to know they rarely came without great cost.

"Yes." Aro replied, smiling broadly. "We will look back on this date as the day we turned our race around and began something great." He had the ear of the room and he chose to exploit it by pushing them a little further. "You know as well as I do that vampires are led by lust and fear and greed. Our alliance could offer our brethren a sound moral structure to guide them through a better life."

Amun and Hilda were nodding along. Kachiri and Liam had yet to speak, but truthfully, Aro didn't expect them to say much at all so he continued. "Its 1668 and we are still barbarians - and how blatant we make it. The human world has progressed - they have law and order, they are connected to one another over vast landscapes. We, however, are languishing behind."

Amun sighed. "I hate to admit it, but you talk sense."

Aro smirked to his old adversary. "High praise indeed, Amun." Aro stood and placed his hands flat on the table. "Look, you are all hungry for power - I am offering you some."

"Nobody seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it, Aro." Amun countered. He knew Aro well enough to know that.

"That is true enough." Aro agreed with apprehension.

"See!" Henri exclaimed. "He offers paper crowns to place on our heads and in return we will be beholden to the Volturi for eternity."

Aro shook his head, _we_ _'_ _re going around in circles_ , he thought. "I offer a peace treaty, a chance for you to join our forces and play an important role in maintaining order in our world. You are free to decline. But know this, if you do, this offer will not be extended again. Many wars will come and you need to decide which side of the line you will be standing on when they do."

"With the Volturi, or against it?" Amun asked.

Aro nodded curtly. _Now you are getting it!_ He thought.

Silence fell around the room as the coven leaders considered their options. Surprisingly, it was Liam who broke first. "Will we retain our lands?" he grunted.

"Your hunting grounds are your own. I expect you to continue to protect your own lands and see to any rogue vampire threats yourselves as much are you are able." Aro explained, "you will be expected to exert control over vampires in your lands, and uphold vampire law."

"Your laws?" Henri questioned sarcastically.

"Our laws, Henri. Volturi law is there for the good of all vampires." Aro replied easily. Truthfully, Henri agreed with Volturi law, as did all the other coven leaders… it was the restriction to their coven sizes that bothered them.

"May we extend our covens, for protection from these coming threats and to force the law on others?" Amun asked, he was quite interested in expanding, particularly after talking with Marcus about ways to foster better relationships with his underlings.

Aro agreed. "I would accept no more than 10 members, I would see any more as a direct disregard of the treaty I offer you today."

"10 is very much more than 4."

Aro rolled his eyes. _Liam_ _…_ _stating the blooming obvious._ Aro nodded slowly, he often struggled conversing with idiots, they took him off guard. "I would ask that you limit the numbers of young vampires to four or five, for the sake of practicalities in commanded them."

"Young? What are you classing as young?" Amun asked. He preferred having young guards, they were easier to scare.

"Under 20 years of age." Aro confirmed, though he wondered why anyone would want more than four or five young vampires around - _clearly no one who has experience of them_! He quipped to himself.

"You hold members of our covens here, still. Can we take them back?" Amun asked, Aro had expected he would. Henri, too, suddenly sat bolt upright in his seat.

"I envisaged you would ask for your old members. I have spoken with my guard - any who wish to leave are free to do so with whichever coven they wish. This is an amnesty, truly. For all vampires in the castle on this day I offer complete transparency."

"So, I can take Demetri?"

Aro smiled sadly to Amun. "No. You will be able to talk with him at the evening's festivities, but you will not take him." Aro said with finality.

"I will agree to your terms here and now if I can take him back Aro." Amun offered. He wanted the boys gift.

Aro folded his arms and looked down his nose at the Egyptian leader. "I would give up a guard who was willing to leave, but I could never give up my son, Amun."

"Your son?" Amun repeated in shock.

"Yes, my son and a prince of Volterra." Aro said proudly. "Along with Felix, and the twins. They are my children."

Henri looked askance around the room. "They are your children… what the…?" Amun didn't respond out loud though he thought similarly to Henri. _So, that_ _'_ _s why Demetri stayed when he could have returned_ _…_ _Aro has become his father._ It was like an epiphany for the old Egyptian leader.

"That doesn't make any sense." Henri continued in his confusion. "You can't just collect random vampires and call them your children."

"I don't consider them to be random vampires. They have shared my chambers with me and my mate since the first day they arrived in Volterra." Aro fixed Henri in his sights. "And to be clear, I can do anything I want."

"It makes sense to me, I am very happy for you and your mate, my lord." Sasha told the coven king. Aro could feel the warmth coming from the woman and he truly appreciated her support. "Thank you my dear."

"That is why you took Demetri from me, to be your son?" Amun asked.

Aro knew they were way off topic but he had promised to be open about the inner workings of the Volturi. "He was too young, young vampires make me feel very uncomfortable if they are not well cared for."

Amun slammed his hand on the table. "Are you accusing me of abusing the boy?" he asked forcefully. He knew he hadn't treated him as a prince, and certainly not as he would a son, but he had ensured his survival, which to Amun, at least until incredibly recently, was all a coven leader should do.

"Not at all," Aro said calmly, placating the Egyptian leader. "But you hadn't formed a bond with him. Not a strong one at any rate. You valued Demetri's gift rather than Demetri himself." Amun couldn't argue with that, though he bitterly wished he could turn back the clock.

Aro spotted Sasha looking nervously towards him. "You have nothing to fear, my dear, anyone can see how loved your daughters are, and I would never willingly divide a family." As Sasha relaxed, Hilda spoke up. "And Noella?" she asked quietly.

Aro smiled. "As Magnus has already attested, your emotional link with your coven mates is very strong. I trust you intend to take care of Noella?" Hilda nodded. "She is like a daughter to me, my lord."

"Mothers guard their young fiercely in my experience, and their young guard them right back. I believe vampires are well suited to living in families, such set ups will overtake covens as the years go on, I have no doubt." Aro knew Atia heard him, he hoped she knew he meant to include her in that.

Henri wasn't convinced. "How is it natural for a vampire to live in such a way? We mate with one and for life."

Aro shrugged. "Vampires are emotional beings, we have enough love within us to extend to others as well as our mates." Amun's interest was piqued once again. "Are you really saying you love your 'children' like you love your mate?"

Aro shook his head. "No, it's an entirely different attachment. But I would say I love them as much as I love my queen." He smiled to himself. "I dare say she loves them more than she loves me." He added proudly.

"And you are happy to settle for second best?" Henri asked, he just couldn't comprehend such a situation. "I don't see it that way." Aro said simply. "But if that is how you understand it, then yes. Perfectly content with coming second to my children."

Again, silence fell around the room as the coven leaders assimilated Aro's explanation of his lifestyle with all they thought they knew about Volturi life.

"And what is this talk of tributes." Liam asked.

Aro was glad of the man's simple mind, he was the only one bringing conversation back on topic! "The Volturi is a costly enterprise. I will be taking on extra guards, creating more outposts, sending retainers to you all to facilitate correspondence. The addition to our usual running costs must come from somewhere…" Aro explained. "The humans would say, if one drinks from the well, one must replenish the well."

Whilst Amun and Hilda accepted the need to contribute with little fuss, Henri remained in opposition. "You pay your guards?" he asked in disbelief.

"I do, it's a relatively new initiative." Aro admitted.

Henri scoffed. "So we will be funding the Volturi going forward?"

Aro shook his head, "hardly!"

"And how do you expect us to raise these funds?" Henri continued, he had his teeth stuck into this now and he wasn't letting go.

"Your contributions will be a mere splash in the ocean in terms of coven financing, but I feel the gesture is important. Where there is no cost, there tends to be no value. If you pay into the organisation I hope you will be more inclined to feel a duty of care towards it." Aro explained, he thought the concept simple enough and couldn't really understand Henri's resistance. "You can of course raise the capital in any way you wish." He added.

"We do not have money, master." Kachiri said. She understood the concept of money, but it wasn't part of their daily life and her tribe had no access to, or indeed, any use for human coin.

"I understand your situation, my dear. I will come to private arrangements with you all." Aro assured her, he had in mind another kind of payment for the Amazonian tribe. He and Basileus hoped to convince them to scout out the entire lands to the west where Aro refused to send his guards as the werewolves were rife. Kachiri and her two coven members moved freely amongst them and that was the most valuable asset they could offer the vampire king.

"The tributes really should not be of concern - I am a reasonable man, and I am only asking for a gesture of good will." Aro offered before turning to Amun, "so you can keep your precious artefacts, Amun."

"Glad to hear it, my lord." Amun replied, he had no issues meeting a payment schedule, he was almost as rich as Aro… almost.

Something else was playing on Amun's mind. "I notice Tao is absent from this conference. Do you not consider his coven to be significant? He holds the whole of Africa!"

Aro sighed sadly. "Tao Okaro has proven uncivilised - the envoys I sent have not returned, and neither has he arrived."

Amun released a shaky breath. He and Tao were allies, and though he was certainly interested in taking up Aro's offer, he didn't want to break his allegiance to Tao _\- we are neighbours!_ He thought, _relatively speaking_. "So Tao is now an enemy?"

Aro shook his head quickly, "no, not yet."

Henri raised an eyebrow. "You are not taking retribution for your lost guards?" thinking he would never have gotten away with killing Aro's envoys - nor would he have let someone else get away with crossing him in such a way.

"On this occasion, I am not. If the African coven acts against the Volturi again… I think we can agree I have been more than reasonable already and I will expect your support in dispatching Tao and his members."

Amun nodded as Aro spoke, he would certainly agree that Aro was being reasonable and even wondered if the king of vampires had softened with the passing years. "It may be that your envoys were taken out before your offer was made to the African coven, my lord."

"It may be, Amun." Aro agreed, waiting for Amun to make him an offer - he knew one would be coming.

"I could approach Tao and make your offer again, if you would be willing."

 _Great!_ Aro thought. _I knew you would say that Amun._ "I would appreciate that. If you are successful you should both return to Volterra. He may feel more secure in coming here with friends." Aro looked around the gathered coven leaders - they all seemed to perk up at the idea of coming back to Volterra. "That offer is extended to you all, of course. You would be welcome to return and enjoy the delights my coven has to offer."

Hilda and Amun appeared particularly interested. Henri's mind had gone straight to Caius' dungeon blood and yes, he was definitely up for returning to enjoy that little delight. "So long as we take up your offer." Henri assumed.

Aro merely smile, that went without saying. "It can be problematic for vampires to have a social life… I like to think that is something my guards enjoy about Volterra. Perhaps a regular celebration of our joining could be implemented."

"When we could pay our tributes?" Amun asked, he knew Aro well enough, even after all the time that had passed without contact.

"That would be rather civilized." Aro said, smiling to his old adversary.

Aro took one last look around the coven leaders. He was sure that Kachiri, perhaps through fear of bringing the Volturi to her lands if she didn't, would agree to his proposal _. Liam, the witless wonder will go with the majority,_ he reasoned _. Hilda doesn_ _'_ _t like leaving England and the prospect of fighting foreign wars may be putting her off,_ _but both she and Amun are interested, and they aren_ _'_ _t worried about making payments either. Sasha has been quiet, for Sasha,_ he said to himself. _She isn_ _'_ _t a fighter, and neither are her daughters - but they have other talents._ He thought, hoping to convince them to extend their coven and simply be a large and peaceful presence in their Slavic lands bordering Stefan and Vladimir's territories. _Henri, you prick, what will you decide?_ He wondered.

Biting the bullet, Aro placed a large sheet of parchment into the centre of the table. The terms of the treaty were written out in full in red vampiric ink. "Time is growing short, my friends, do you agree to my terms?"


	88. A Happy Union?

**A Happy Union?**

Aro left the library with the coven leaders following behind him as he moved through the halls. He took them the long way around to the throne room purposely so they would have to enter through the main door and into the main floor - not the throne floor. He wasn't having them up there with him. The conference was done now so it was time to reaffirm his status. Basileus heard his son's intentions whilst Aro was still in the halls and took Atia to stand behind his boy's throne so they were ready.

As Aro stepped through the grand doorway, the room immediately stilled and silence fell. The coven leaders sought out the rest of their covens and joined their kin as Aro walked through the sea of parting vampires and up to his throne. He usually stood to make an address to the guards but he chose to sit in his throne this time, it felt more 'lordly'.

"My friends. I come to you with happy news." He began. "An alliance has been brokered with all attending covens in agreement. This is a great day in the history of vampire kind and how fortunate are we to bear witness to it."

Applause spread throughout the gathered vampires. The visiting coven leaders bowed to those around them, all feeling pleased themselves for what had been accomplished that day. Aro was right, this was a monumental episode in vampiric history.

"The time now is for merriment," Aro called out happily. "There is wine, there is blood - let the music commence!" A tidal wave of noise filled the room as the Volturi coven erupted into cheers. The visiting covens soon joined in.

"I can smell blood, are they cooking humans?" Amun asked his coven gathered around him.

"They have cauldrons bubbling with blood, Amun!" Kebi told her mate excitedly, it had taken all their resolve to hold back from the tempting liquid whilst everyone waited for the coven leaders to join them.

None of the visiting covens were used to holding back when they could smell blood. They had all been impressed with the Volturi covens apparent ease in which they moved around the room without salivating at the tempting food cooking to the side of the hall - the visitors weren't to know that to touch the blood before the royal family and masters would result in severe punishment for the guards, which was a pretty good motivator for staying well away.

"Aro!" Basileus called out, he was waiting by the first cauldron where Afton stood, ladle in hand and ready to provide bloodwine on demand.

Aro nodded to his father and flitted between the visiting coven leaders, taking them with him to the bubbling blood. "I would like you to try the house wine." He said with a smirk.

"Wine? I smell blood." Amun replied, confused.

"This is bloodwine, my father's special brew." Aro confirmed. "Quite a potent mix of alcohol, opium and blood."

Henri lunged ahead of Amun. "That sound like it will hit the spot!"

Caius sidled up to Aro and glanced at the French coven leader. "It hits every spot." He told Henri, whilst touching his hand to Aro's.

Aro was hit with Caius' memory of his short time with Henri in the dungeons. When he got to the part where Caius had given Henri dungeon blood, he understood the man's relative ease in the conference. Relative ease - as Henri had still been a bit of a cock.

"Nicely played, brother." Aro whispered. He was jealous as hell though, _some dungeon blood would do me a world of good right now!_

Aro accepted a goblet from Afton and concentrated on ridding his mind of thoughts of dungeon blood. He was sure his fathers attention would be on the visiting vampires but Aro couldn't risk Basileus discovering that he was back on the wonder drug. _He will only overreact, again._ Aro thought, shivering a little from how such an 'overreaction' would be particularly painful.

Aro drank his bloodwine down in one, and he felt his eyes roll around in his head as the blood calmed his burning throat and the opium/alcohol mix calmed his nerves. For the relief to be so immediate, Aro knew it had to be a placebo effect, but he didn't care. He felt less tense than he had in months with the arrangements for the treaty finally complete. Once Aro was sure his own coven leaders had all managed to take a goblet a piece, he started handing out the bloodwine to the visiting leaders, whilst Caius and Marcus saw to their mates and adult members.

Aro watched the French and Egyptian mated pairs taste their first drops of bloodwine. "It's amazing!" Their delight was clear in their expressions.

"Good, isn't it?" Aro said cheerfully. "Kachiri!" Aro called the Amazonian tribe over and offered the three women a drink.

They all refused.

"It is animal blood, I give you my word." Aro told them. They were surprised, but grateful. After everything they had seen since arriving in Volterra, Kachiri and her coven mates were wondering where the Volturi get their name for being ruthless demons - Aro in particular had been beyond considerate.

"Animal blood!" all the other coven members questioned, with the French coven looking repulsed.

"You just said it was amazing, did you not?" Aro questioned Henri sharply. Henri took a step back. He wasn't fighting with Aro in the royal coven, at least not until he was drunk.

"I must say Aro," Hilda took Henri's place, "this is all most civilised. But I do wonder… is this staged for our benefit?"

Aro laughed, "feel free to talk to my guards, and my family. They will confirm that the entire coven generally feeds together and since the creator came up with his special brew we have been dining from goblets with some regularity." Aro flashed his fire coloured eyes to Hilda, "our eyes should be proof enough." He said.

Hilda, along with Amun and Henri took to inspecting the eye colour of those closest to them. There were no bright red eyes in the Volturi – some red-ish, but most varying shades of orange, dancing like flames.

"Will Basileus share the recipe?" Amun asked, even Liam perked up wanting to know the answer to that.

Caius laughed at Aro's side. "I have taken over production for the creator, and no, I'm not sharing." That was news to Aro! _Since when? And why won_ _'_ _t he tell me the recipe, the bastard._

Basileus heard his son's thoughts and chuckled to himself, _because you lean towards gluttony with anything bad for you, that_ _'_ _s why!_

"You are welcome to return to enjoy the social side of our treaty, Amun. But that will have to do, I'm afraid." Aro told the coven leader. He watched as Siobhan pulled Liam away, she clearly wanted to know what treaty he had signed them up to. _I knew she led their coven,_ he thought, wondering why she had forced Liam to be their mouth piece in the first place.

Caius hovered over handing a goblet to Irina. "Aro?" he questioned, gesturing to the girl he saw before him.

"I would recommend asking your young members to drink from the cauldron at the other end, my friends." Aro said, making sure to catch Amun and Sasha with his eye as he spoke.

"What's in that one then?" Henri asked, terrified he could possibly be missing out in some way.

"It's just plain, fresh blood, Henri. I don't want to be dealing with drunken teenage vampires tonight, that is all."

Irina scoffed and shook her head, though she was sensible enough to know she needed to look to the floor as she did so.

"Problem?" Aro asked, sternly.

"I am an adult, my lord." Irina spat, oozing attitude. "Irina!" Sasha hissed, pulling her daughter back.

Aro could see the girl was about to blow up at her mother. Irina was a typical teenager in his eyes and he was used to dealing with teenagers feeling slighted so he thought it best to offer a solution before the drama began.

"My dear," he said softly to Sasha, "I am not saying Irina cannot drink the bloodwine, but it is very strong, so perhaps limiting the amount would be more appropriate rather than total ban?" As soon as Aro saw Irina's scowl turn to a smirk, he regretted his offer.

Basileus looked over just in time to see the exchange and when he caught Aro's eye, he beckoned his son over to him.

"It's up to you, Sasha, you are responsible for your coven members whilst they are here whether they are drunk or not." Aro said as he left to join his father.

Hilda removed the bloodwine goblet from Noella's hands without word and took it for herself. Noella didn't argue, she wasn't really interested in drinking for the sake of drinking - they never consumed anything other than blood in England so she didn't see she was missing anything. Amun nodded to himself, he had no desire to deal with drunken teenagers, either! Shoving Benjamin and Tia towards the end cauldron, he spotted Demetri. Their eyes locked for only a moment before Demetri turned back to Felix. Amun knew he was being spoken about, not that Demetri had attempted to hide the fact.

"You need to watch her." Basileus whispered, pulling Aro in close.

"Irina?" Aro questioned.

Basileus nodded, "and you may want to speak to Felix on the same matter." Aro's face scrunched up, _what could Felix have to do with_ _…_ _oh for the love of the gods!_ "Tell me he hasn't?" Aro implored, zoning in on his boy immediately.

"What? Had sex with a visiting teenager?" Basileus asked sarcastically. "As if there was any doubt one of them would." He added looking to his two grandsons in disappointment.

"I can't deal with them now, dad." Aro hissed, he had too much to think about with outside covens in his halls - bellowing out Felix would have to wait.

"It can wait, Sulpicia has spoken with him I believe." Basileus chinked his goblet against his son's, "you've pulled off the impossible, relax a little now, yes?" Aro nodded, but they both knew they couldn't drop the ball yet.

Once everyone had managed to take at least a goblet of bloodwine, the majority fell away from the cauldron side of the room and mingled with each other easily. Freyr was still close to the Amazonian tribe, and Sully had been drawn into conversation with them. Aro had yet to speak to his mate since he arrived in the great hall but hadn't really expected to have much time with Sulpicia. He wanted to leave Felix be, but when he saw Irina making a beeline for his boy he felt compelled to step in. Flashing to his four children, all stood together, Aro very politely asked Irina to give them a moment. He wanted to slap the cheeky bitch when she rolled her eyes at him, but he let it go.

"Demetri, you need to talk with Amun." Demetri looked panicked. "Why?"

Aro rested a hand on his boy's shoulder, "he just wants to talk to you. I've told him you are my son and you aren't going anywhere. You have nothing to fear." Aro pushed his nervous boy towards the Egyptian coven before he had chance to escape. "You two should ask Senna to show you her gift, I think you would quite enjoy it." He told the twins. They knew he was basically telling them to bugger off but they appreciated how sweet he was with it.

Aro put his arm around Felix and offered his boy some of his goblet. Felix' eyes lit up and he gulped down half a cup before Aro took it back. "Have you forgotten your stint in the dungeon already?" he asked his boy smoothly.

Felix, bless him, didn't see where Aro was going with this, he just shook his head and smiled. "No, of course I haven't. Why?"

Aro sighed and pulled Felix along with him to the very back of the room. "You are acting as though you have." Aro said as he pushed his boy into the wall. "I thought we had discussed expected, proper behaviour for this event and what would happen if you broke your word to me?" Aro very purposely gripped his belt buckle with an enclosed fist. "I can give you a reminder, if you like."

Felix looked down to see his father knuckles bright white through the tight hold. "No, no, no… no need for that!" Felix held up his hands, _shit you cannot be serious! Stop! This is embarrassing!_ He thought, looking around to see all the sideways glances he was getting from the rest of the room. They couldn't see Aro's expression or gesture, _thank the gods!_ Felix thought. But it was clear the boy was getting bollocking for something.

"Have you fucked Irina?" Aro ground out quietly.

"Who's Irina?" Felix asked, looking around the room.

"Oh my god Felix! The Denali girl!" Aro replied, willing himself not to raise his voice above a whisper.

"Oh, her… I didn't know she was off limits." Felix said with a shrug.

Aro's thunderous expression told him that was the wrong thing to have said and Felix tried to excuse himself quickly. "What?! You never said…"

"You couldn't have worked that out for yourself, I don't suppose?" Aro hissed.

Felix smiled coyly to himself, and tried to bring Aro in on his joke. "You said to make our guests happy, trust me, she was VERY happy!"

Crack! Aro clocked Felix across his head, hard. The music stopped for a moment as the musicians, like everyone else, turned to the source of the noise.

"Ow!" Felix complained rubbing his head. _Why did you do that in a room full of people! You bastard!_ Felix felt mutinous.

Aro closed his eyes for a moment feeling the stress taking hold again. _Good god I could do with some... don't say it, don't even think it._ He told himself. Dungeon blood was a dangerous word when his father was around. Aro risked a glance towards the creator who looked back quizzically to his boy. _Definitely don't think it._ Aro told himself again, willing himself to chill out. _It's too late now anyway_ , he thought, looking at Felix. _He has already fucked the girl. Relax_ , he told himself. _Relax._

"Decorum, if you please." Aro sang out as he turned to leave.

"That works both ways, dad." Felix replied under his breath, still rubbing his head.

Aro heard. "Come with me." He called to his boy over his shoulder.

Aro went to his throne and took a seat for a moments peace. Felix stood next to him, sullenly. "Do you think that just because there are a lot of people around that you can openly defy me and get away with it." Aro smiled as he spoke but Felix knew the threatening undercurrent of his father's tone. Even so, a big smile spread across the young guard's face, he couldn't help it.

"Well I was hoping so, yeah." He replied cockily.

Aro laughed at the audacity of his boy. One look to his giggling son and that laughter became genuinely humorous. _Cheeky sod!_ Aro thought, but chose to let it go.

"Have you learned anything?" Aro asked when he regained his composure.

"The Denali girls are a good laugh." He said, "Irina's a bit of a bitch though. Benjamin and Tia are scared to death of Amun. But they wouldn't say why."

Aro nodded along as Felix continued to fill him in on the younger visitors. He knew why Benjamin and Tia were so scared. Amun ruled his coven with an iron fist. Aro had witnessed in Demerits' memories that in the short time the boy had been in the Egyptian coven, he'd had his fingers snapped off multiply times for minor infractions, lost his whole arm for a couple of days and suffered more beatings with iron bars than Aro could count. Demetri never talked about it. Aro sought out his boy in the crowd. Demetri was talking with Amun, as instructed, and he seemed to be struggling holding his side of the conversation. Either that or Amun was pressuring the boy. Demetri looked uncomfortable and Aro wasn't having that. Before he made the move to save his son, Sulpicia appeared at their boy's side.

"Amun, I haven't had the chance to speak to you yet!" Sulpicia said confidently.

"My queen!" Amun bowed to her presence.

"I hope you aren't trying to steal my son away?" Sulpicia continued as she allowed Amun to kiss her hand.

"More asking why he chose to stay, all those years ago," He replied, watching Demetri for a reaction. "I could never believe life in Volterra would be as comfortable as life in Egypt. Though that was before my visit, of course."

Amun had genuinely had an eye-opening experience since he arrived at Volterra, he was truly surprised to see the inner workings of the royal coven. It was all so much more relaxed than he could have imagined. Though he was questioning whether that ease ran any deeper than the surface. From his brief conversation with Demetri, he was starting to come around to the idea that it could be.

"Are you not stifled here?" Amun asked the boy who had already tucked into his mother's side.

"Not at all." He replied happily. "I love it!"

Amun nodded to himself. "And they treat you well?" he pushed. "Demetri is a prince, Amun. Of course he is treated well." Sulpicia answered for her boy.

Amun looked the young vampire up and down. He looked like a miniature version of Aro in his new uniform. _Very regal,_ he thought. "And you have no desire to leave the Volturi, I assume."

Demetri shook his head frantically. "No, no thank you." Amun nodded, looking pensive. His mind was doing overtime taking in all he had seen since his arrival. He wanted to cultivate such loyalty from his coven members - especially if he were to grow his coven. Holding ten members would be difficult and clearly, he could see now, his old methods wouldn't work going forward.

It was Kebi who Sulpicia watched carefully. She appeared sad, regretful even, and a little lost. "My lady," Sulpicia addressed the woman, "would you like to meet my younger children, the twins?" Kebi smiled and agreed, following Sulpicia to seek out her children.

Amun pulled Demetri back before he could escape. "Now we are alone," he whispered, "you are certain you don't want to come back to Egypt with me?"

Demetri felt a flood of memories rush through his head. He had always maintained that Amun wasn't a cruel coven leader… indeed, he didn't believe he was. But Amun did rule his members with a rod of iron… literally! Aro wasn't exactly lax when it came to rules and following them, but he cared for his coven members in a way Amun simply did not. He could enjoy a drink with them, socialise with them, and especially where his children were concerned, he loved them and made allowances where he could.

"I am happy here, Amun." Demetri said respectfully, "I have a good life."

Amun shook his head, he felt like he must have been missing something. "The viciousness of Volturi life… it doesn't bother you."

"Viciousness?" Demetri questioned in confusion.

Amun released the boy. Demetri's genuine response forced Amun to admit to himself that he had the whole Volturi production wrong.

Demetri fled to Aro's throne as soon as he could and Aro pulled the boy into his lap with an arm around his waist. "You okay?" he questioned quietly. He could see his son was close to tears.

"Amun thinks we are vicious or something." Demetri told him.

Aro laughed, "it's what he has chosen to believe, son. It's not for you to worry about."

"I don't want him thinking that of us!" Demetri felt braver now he was at Aro's side and not Amun's.

"Hey," Aro told him, squeezing him lovingly, "don't worry about what he thinks. Amun is questioning everything he ever thought about us. Here." Aro handed his boy his bloodwine, hoping a little of the potent mix would help Demetri relax.

"You have Russians in your coven!" Henri erupted in the middle of the throne room. He had overheard Lev and Mikhail talking… well, Lev was talking, Mikhail merely nodded along.

Lev turned very slowly to the raging French leader. "What's wrong with Russians?" he ground out, ready to defend his nationality.

"Everyone knows the Romanians control the Russian vampires." Henri spat, looking down his nose to Lev. If only he knew the level of Lev's training, not to mention his volatile personality - Henri had never been closer to death and he didn't even know it.

"I am not controlled." Lev replied. Mikhail and Katarina were behind him within a moment. They could sense their saviour ready to kill even if Henri was still oblivious.

"See!" Henri exclaimed. "They don't even fall under the Volturi, Russian scum!"

 _That_ _'_ _s it!_ Basileus thought, striding into the middle of the scene with Volturi and visiting covens scattering from his path as he walked. "Lev! Back down." He said sternly.

"Not controlled, huh?" Henri commented slyly, looking around Basileus' huge frame to make sure Lev heard him.

Basileus pushed Henri back a step. "The Volturi is a huge operation, do you really think our members are loyal to the coven because they are controlled by the leaders?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course they are!" Henri said confidently, the entire Volturi coven laughed in response to such assertions.

Basileus leaned in close to Henri's ear. "You are a fool, and you have much to learn about leading a coven, boy."

 _Boy?!_ Henri repeated, feeling insulted.

Basileus stood tall and extended his arms. "I see no Russians. I see vampires. That's the only race who enters these halls." Henri wore a mutinous expression but kept his face to the floor. He couldn't control his thoughts of course and Basileus could hear it all. _You won_ _'_ _t be part of this alliance for long, Henri._ He said to himself.

Basileus ordered for the music to begin again and soon enough the room fell back into easy conversation between Volturi and visitors. Lev, sensibly, followed Basileus out of the great hall without having to be told. Amun went to the bottom of the throne steps and waited for Aro to address him. Eleazar had already joined his brother and Felix and Demetri gone to join the younger members of the visiting vampires. Aro allowed Amun to join him at his throne.

"Henri isn't going to last long as he is, is he?" Amun said quietly.

Aro smiled sadly. "It's unfortunate that he is the only notable coven from France… I am sure that will change as time goes on."

"Lev will take him out before he returns to France if he continues to provoke him." Eleazar said knowingly.

Amun had seen the Russian vampire leave the hall with Basileus and wondered what would happen to the guard who spoke out, _insolently_ in Amun's mind. "Will the creator not stop him?" he asked.

Aro and Eleazar looked to each other and laughed. "Our father is the only one Lev will listen to, and even then… not always." "Not often at all!" Eleazar added, chuckling.

Amun looked confused.

"Basileus spoke the truth, my friend." Aro explained. "Our guards are not controlled… there are rules and of course there are consequences to breaking those rules but we understand vampiric nature… it isn't always possible to adhere to the rules, is it?"

Another revelation for Amun. He had killed at least twenty vampires who disobeyed him from his own coven over the years. He wasn't unusual in that; most coven leaders would do the same. He had always assumed the Volturi would be the least sympathetic to coven member disobedience.

Aro knew what Amun would be thinking. "We are not in the habit of wasting talent and gifted or not, all of our guards are very talented. I personally see to it that they are."

"How so?" Amun asked. He was blatantly looking for tips now but he didn't care. Aro was the only leader on the planet to have a huge number of vampires, apparently willingly, fall under his rule. Even the Romanians hadn't managed that. They had peaked at around twenty-five members and none could be described as loyal, controlled, certainly, but never loyal.

"Well," Aro mused, "they are all trained to the highest standard for warfare. Not just fighting skills, but strategy too, in the hope that they will outwit their opponents as easily as they will out skill them. Caius takes the brunt of such work, he is brilliant strategist. Marcus aids their learning in other matters, the arts, languages, literature, philosophy. A learned mind is an open one and we find it quite calming too. That's important with such a large body of vampires living in close quarters. Magnus and Freyr offer pastoral care."

Amun felt bowled over. "And what about you?" he asked Aro.

"I am the one to devise it all. I am the law, I am order."

Amun nodded, he could see how that would work. "You sound busy!"

Eleazar laughed, "That's how he's happiest!"

Aro scoffed, "I have little choice!" he huffed.

"Why do you bother, though?" Amun asked. If he was going to attempt to mimic Aro's organisation he had to understand its core value.

"Learning, culture, shared experiences - its creates a unity between my guards and enforces their affinity to me." Aro said, he knew he was giving away golden secrets to managing a large force but he wanted Amun's coven management to improve - he saw Amun as the second coven, he was certainly the only other leader with the drive and will to achieve such status and so long as they were on the same side they could achieve greatness, he was sure of it.

"But you do not instruct them yourself?" Amun checked.

"No, not really. I merely instruct their instructors."

"So how does that build their affinity with you then?"

Aro smiled, "they know who it is that provides for them, who protects them, and who strives for their personal improvement, Amun. They are grateful to me. As they should be." Amun looked pensive and Aro was pleased to see it. _He_ _'_ _s taking it all on board,_ he thought.

The creator returned with Lev at his side. Much to Amun's surprise, Basileus had an arm around the Russians shoulder as they chatted easily and laughed together. "I think the creator has surprised me most of all." Amun said, though he was really voicing his thoughts to himself.

"In what way?" Eleazar asked, feeling a little defensive over his father.

"He is less ferocious than when we last met." Amun said, remembering only too well that the creator had effortlessly pinned him down by his throat as his coven was destroyed around them by the Volturi in the final battle between their covens.

"I can imagine." Eleazar commented - he hadn't been with the coven at that time but he had seen his father in battle and no one, human, vampire, or werewolf, stood a chance against him.

"And now he has taken a mate!" Amun continued.

Aro saw a chance to have a little fun. "Yes she looks great for her age doesn't she. You would never guess she was sixty-seven when she was turned!"

Eleazar hung his head as soon as the words left his brothers mouth. _You dick, brother._

"No!" Amun returned, looking to Atia in astonishment. "I wouldn't have put her a day over forty, maximum!"

Aro used his goblet to cover his face and hide his playful grin. "You should tell her. I am sure Atia would enjoy the compliment."

Eleazar squeezed his brothers shoulder as they followed Amun with their eyes through the crowd and over to their mother. He was only too happy to have an excuse to talk to the mysterious woman who had managed to convince Basileus to settle down. "You are dead brother, dead!" Eleazar said through his laughter.

Aro burst out laughing when he saw Amun speaking, it was clear from Atia's face when he repeated what Aro had told him. Amun stood back in horror at offending the creators mate. Atia crooked a finger to her laughing sons to call them to her.

"Oh shit, Aro!" Eleazar moaned as he pulled his brother from his throne and towards their mother. Not that Aro stopped laughing.

Amun looked offended when Aro arrived. "Relax, my friend…"

"Relax! You have just allowed me to insult the creators mate, Aro!" Amun shot back with quiet rage.

"Oh nonsense, Amun. You have caused no offence." Atia smoothed.

 _Liar!_ Aro thought, and laughed again. "Just a joke, my friend. You must learn to relax a little if our covens are to socialise, Amun."

Amun wasn't used to 'joking'. His coven was a serious affair, though he could see a certain appeal to the looser order in the Volturi coven. Though as Atia continued to glare at Aro until he stopped laughing and expressed some regrets, Amun smiled to himself. _There is some order here, at least._

"Where is your brother? No one has seen him for a good few hours now." Atia directed to Eleazar.

"I have no idea, I'm not Carlisle's keeper!" he said defensively.

"You do know." Atia accused. Her sons were open books to Atia's perceptions.

"I believe he has taken some of the English coven to Caius' chambers." Eleazar said evasively. He couldn't say 'to see Heidi' as Amun may not have known of her presence. He also couldn't say that Carlisle had only taken Victoria with him… he had advised his brother against it but he understood Carlisle's need to make the most of a visiting female, even if Basileus would punish him for it. Carlisle knew what he was getting into - he thought Victoria would be worth it. As if he had heard himself being spoken about, Carlisle appeared through the throne floor doors with a giggling Victoria on his arm.

Atia raised an eyebrow to Eleazar who had clearly lied through his teeth to her. "We will discuss this later El." She said tersely as she floated away.

"Family life, huh?" Aro said with a shrug to Amun.

"You would recommend it?" Amun asked, _it looks stressful!_

Aro smiled, "like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities - from cantankerous elders to impetuous and wayward youngsters. But overall, yes, I would."

Eleazar nudged his younger brother and pointed out the quiet round of fucks Carlisle was receiving from Atia. "And family disagreements!" he said.

Aro chuckled to himself. "They bring the most fun of all… when I'm not involved, of course."

Amun excused himself and sought out Kebi - they had much to discuss.

Aro went back to his throne to survey the crowd and relations forming within. He spotted Victoria talking with Henri who seemed to be working himself up again. _I might let Lev kill him before he leaves,_ Aro mused.

"They are hiding vampires!" Henri declared loudly. Whispers spread around the room as no one was sure what Henri meant. "Who knows what else they are hiding!" he continued, imploring the other visitors to join him in opposition.

Aro knew this would be about Heidi. "We are not hiding vampires, Henri." Sounding like he was addressing a small simple child. "Caius' personal guard has remained in his quarters for the evening as she has only recently joined our coven. She hasn't been formally introduced to the coven, yet. That is all." He could see his guards looking to him questioningly but was glad they didn't opening question him.

"If that is all then you should bring her out!" Henri ordered.

Aro was done. _It_ _'_ _s time to remind you who you are dealing with, you scum!_ Aro's expression changed, the smile fell from his face and he set himself tall in his throne. The guards all took a step back as the Volturi masters flashed to the throne floor to assemble in their own thrones. Aro had commanded the entire room to become polite and deferential with only a small change to his demeanour. The visiting covens were taken aback with the ease at which Aro slipped from relaxed, jovial even, to commanding the royal coven. They were impressed. Aro waited for other masters to be seated before he began.

"Should?!" Aro repeated loudly.

Henri's bravado fell away instantly as he looked up to the elite of the Volturi, every single one looking down on him with distaste. "I mean…" He stuttered.

Aro cut him off.

"I should… am I morally bound to you, Henri?" he asked with a deathly calm tone.

"No, no, not at all." Henri's head shook rapidly. He'd gone too far, he knew it and he was back peddling rapidly.

"What else 'should' I do?" Aro asked, glaring at the French leader.

"Nothing else, Aro." Henri said, quietly.

The vampire king's eyes widened and as if it were a rehearsed code, the guards gasped.

"Aro?" he asked feigning confusion as to why the scum on his throne room floor would dare to address him so informally.

"My lord!" Henri corrected himself quickly.

"You are a guest in my coven, the royal coven of our world, and you address your king." Aro explained.

"My lord, my lord!" Henri repeated, fixing his eyes to the floor.

"I have extended the hand of generosity inviting you here and offered our protection and friendship." Aro continued as Henri shook before him. The surrounding vampires all backed away a little more, leaving Henri truly alone. Even Yvette, his mate, had fallen back in-line with the guards. "You seem to be confused, Henri so I will make things clear for you. There is nothing I 'should' do, and certainly not on your say so."

Henri nodded, _fuck!_ He thought, wondering why he couldn't control his own damn mouth. "I understand, please accept my apologies, my lord."

Aro wasn't satisfied yet. Jane stepped forward and Henri dropped to his knees in fear of the child's gift. Aro took Jane's wrist and pulled her in close. He whispered into his daughters ear and the two of them glanced back to Henri, Jane stifling laughter. Aro, however, remained stern in his expression. "You trespass on my generosity." He spat to the frightened leader.

Henri dropped his head to the floor, prostrating himself before the Vampire King - he truly thought he was going to die. "Forgive me, my lord." He begged.

Aro let him stew for a moment before pushing Jane back to Felix. "Of course, Henri, of course." He said, sing song tone returned.

Marcus instructed his guards to play their instruments again and the Volturi went back to their conversations as though nothing had happened. The visitors took a little more time to process what had occurred but they too returned to their conversations which now mostly involved grilling the guards about coven order.

Henri rose to his feet and wiped the stress induced sweat from his brow. Lev walked passed the French leader, barging his shoulder into the humiliated man as he went. "Controlled, huh?" he smirked, and walked away laughing to himself.


	89. Talent Show

**Talent Show**

After Henri's earlier interruption, and veritable smack down, the rest of the afternoon flowed easily - as did the drink. Volturi and visitor alike enjoyed the opportunity mix socially with fresh meat. Aro and his fellow masters had moved through the visiting covens selling the Volturi brand. Basileus and Atia had spent much of the afternoon in to early evening regaling the visitors and guards with tales of their adventures, though both kept an ear on the minds of the visiting leaders. It had been an exhausting day for the Volturi elite.

"Are you going to give us a show my lord?" Siobhan asked hopefully. She wanted to see the talents held within the guard. Night had fallen but with enough torches lit they could move their party outside for a talent show.

"What would you like to see?" Aro asked, moving closer than necessary to the Irish woman.

"I imagine you are a man of many talents, my lord..." Siobhan replied.

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine." He returned cheekily. Aro knew Siobhan and Liam didn't have a gift to show, but then that wasn't what he was getting at.

Siobhan chuckled to herself before moving back to her mate who appeared none the wiser for the momentary flirting between his woman and the vampire king.

Atia slapped her son's arm. It was only to get his attention. "Aro, really!" she huffed at his improper conduct.

Aro scowled to his father, expecting Basileus to intercede on his behalf. He was most put out to find the man with eyebrows furrowed together and shaking his head in disappointment.

"There are only Kachiri and I with any gifted members." Amun declared. He was also worried about showing Aro Benjamin's powers… he didn't want to lose another gifted member.

"With a demonstrable quality, you may be right." Aro agreed. "But still, if you want to see the glories of the Volturi, you must be willing to concede the talents of your coven, too, Amun."

Amun nodded, he knew he had no choice really. "Benjamin." He called the boy forward. Tia remained with Kebi.

"Not in here, Amun." Aro said, holding a hand up. "Let's move this out into the grounds."

Aro instructed Odi and Turk to take the bloodwine outside. When they went to the fireplaces, they saw three half full cauldrons still bubbling pleasantly, the decadent aroma of bloodwine filling the surrounding air.. Even with Lev and Mikhail helping they were struggling to cart the huge iron pots outside until Magnus and Felix went to their aid. After setting it down in the grounds, Mikhail flashed from one torch to the next, setting the ends alight with only his hands. None of the visitors noticed how he had illuminated the area so quickly as they spilled out into the castle courtyard.

"Will you be joining the demonstrations, my lord?" Sasha asked Basileus, as they, by chance, walked out together.

"I think that would be unfair, my dear." He said smoothly, "there is no match for me here."

"No one has ever been a match for you, Basileus." Sasha purred, not noticing Atia close behind.

"Oh I don't know about that." She said, pulling her mate from his short flirt with his old conquest. "I believe I match you step for step, my dear."

Basileus hastily pulled Atia into his arms. "That you do!" he agreed, sensibly.

"Will you judge?" Sulpicia asked, as she led the elite ladies out into the courtyard. The only missing lady was Yvette. Sulpicia had asked her to join them but the woman muttered something non-descript before moving back to Henri's side.

"We will watch from the castle walk above the walls," Basileus replied, pulling his mate along with him to the stone steps, "otherwise Atia's gift will interfere."

The ladies nodded before taking a seat in the garden area of the courtyard. Though they were a good distance away, with their vampiric vision they would still see any gifts being displayed.

"Are you sure I shouldn't interfere, my dear?" Atia asked as the climbed the three storey high steps.

Basileus pointed to the top of the wall walk that made the inner curtain wall of the castle, connecting all the buildings and towers into one building. "We will be able to see everyone from up there…"

"Aha, I see." Atia looked down to the gathering vampires. "We should be ready to sweep in and clear up the mess."

"Exactly, my dear." Basileus concurred.

When they reached the top, Atia tested her gift to ensure she could block the entire courtyard. She could, naturally, but Atia always ensured she was prepared. "Why are you letting Aro play like this? That's all this is to him - a great big game. It's dangerous!"

Ignoring his mate, Basileus held his cup up high as he stepped back into a slight bow. The Volturi coven mimicked his actions and soon enough the visiting covens felt obliged to do the same. "Let the games commence." He ordered the crowd.

Basileus and Atia watched as Aro instructed some of his guards to try their powers out on the visitors. Corin flooded their guests with contentment and Lev remained unbeaten with his speed, racing against any who thought they stood a chance. As always, it ended in repeated races against Odi and Demetri, where Lev left them for dust and they really completed against each other.

Basileus was quite pleased so far. "Oh, I don't know, Atia. Though I would have agreed with you a few days ago, my dear, Aro has managed to pull it off. He's done alright, don't you think?"

Atia leaned into her mate's shoulder. "Aro has done splendidly well convincing the coven leaders to agree to his treaty, I was so proud of him in the conference… but this." She gestured to the gift games being performed below, "this will end in disaster!"

"That is why we are here, Atia." Basileus whispered into her ear, paying little attention to the goings on below - it felt quite private at the top of the wall.

Atia wasn't so keen to drop the ball, however, "to clean up his mess?" she huffed, annoyed.

Basileus sighed. "It's my job, I'm his father."

"It's our job. WE are his parents." Atia corrected her mate.

"Exactly." Basileus agreed.

After Senna showed her gift to those around her, in much the same way as she had in the throne room when they arrived, Marcus asked Amun to instruct Benjamin to try his gift. Marcus had seen Benjamin's talent when he'd visited Egypt and he knew Aro would be amazed by the boy.

Demetri didn't want to see Benjamin's gift. He was pissed off with the kid just for breathing in and out let alone having some show off talent to impress Aro. Still, he stayed close. Even if he wasn't bothered about what Benjamin could do, he wanted to be able to show he wasn't bothered.

With a twirl of his finger, Benjamin summoned a miniature tornado in the palm of his hand and invited Aro and his fellow masters to touch the winding wind.

Demetri saw how pleased Aro appeared and scowled. "Wow, air!" he said dripping with sarcasm.

Aro saw Banjamin smile sadly and waited for the boy to move away before he reacted to his son. "I understand you are feeling a little put out, Demetri, but I advise you to be respectful." He whispered into his ear.

"Why should I?" he growled childishly, leaving his fathers side before he could react and joining his big brother instead.

Aro rolled his eyes to his son's dramatics. He continued to glare at his boy until Demetri chanced a look to his father. One look at Aro's stern expression and Demetri's stomach did a double flip.

Magnus held out his hand and Benjamin placed the tornado into it before setting out on the next activity. Pulling his arms through the air, he dragged a current of wind and threw it towards the guards. Those at the front of the crowed were pushed over with the force of the gale the boy had created and all the time, that miniature tornado continued to spin in Magnus' hand.

That was really impressive to Aro. Most vampiric gifts dissipated quickly when the vampire lifted their concentration. The fact that Benjamin could keep it spinning whilst summoning a wind from the other direction meant the boy was very powerful. Benjamin smiled, proud of himself for impressing the Vampire King and raised his fist into the air.

"NO!" Amun roared, flashing to Benjamin's side and slamming his young charge to the ground. "Forgive me, my lords." Amun said breathlessly.

"You idiot!" he shot to Benjamin who got to his feet, shaking, and moving away from Amun.

"What's the problem Amun?" Caius asked, as if the Egyptian leader was hiding some of the boy's talents.

"He is very powerful, master Caius. If the boy strikes the floor, he can open a crater and it would most certainly have destabilised the castle." Amun was worried Aro would be angry at how close he had come to losing his home, but it was clear from his expression that he was nothing other than impressed by the boy!

"He is quite amazing, Amun. Make sure you look after him." Amun nodded curtly before catching Demetri's eye.

 _Look after him… or Aro will._ Amun said to himself, reflecting on why the king had taken Demetri away and wanting to be damn sure he wouldn't take Benjamin too.

Felix gestured for the young Egyptian coven member to join him where he waited with the other young members from the Denali coven, and of course Demetri.

"Why are you being so nice to him?" Demetri spat at his brother in hurried whispers.

"Why are you being such a jerk?" Felix retorted. Demetri had been sniping at Ben and Tia since they arrived and frankly, Felix was bored of his brothers bitching.

"Whoa, Ben, that was awesome!" he said when the boy was close enough.

"Thanks." Benjamin really didn't seem to get just how special he was. More pertinently, he worried what Amun would do to him for the almost-catastrophe. He felt relieved when Aro drew his master back into conversation.

"What's your gift, Felix?" he asked, trying to distract himself.

"If this was a village - he would be the idiot! That's his gift." Demetri said shoving his brother hard.

Felix flinched, he was tired of Demetri bitching about the Egyptian kids but he probably wouldn't have done anything about it. _But now you are starting on me, huh? I don't think so, brother!_ That shove was the last straw.

"Fuck you, Demetri!" he said as he turned, squaring up to his little brother who paled in response. "You wanna play?" Felix asked, pushing Demetri hard enough for him to fall flat on his back.

Aro glared at Felix until his son realised he was being watched, and in very public place. _You are close to being sent to bed, my boy._ Aro thought, he was tempted for a moment to tell Felix that in front of everyone - _nothing works better with teenagers than a little humiliation,_ he reasoned. But he decided against it when Felix relented without kicking off and helped Demetri from the floor. Aro clicked his fingers and both his boys trudged over to his side.

Aro turned to the coven leaders in attendance. "Do you see now why I think you should limit young ones in your covens?!"

Felix seethed hearing them all laughing, _cunts, utter cunts._ He thought.

Demetri was too busy brooding over his old coven, his relationship with Amun and now Amun's relationship with Benjamin. It made no sense, even to his illogical teenage mind, that he would be bothered by any of it. He loved Aro and Sulpicia and he had no desire to leave. But he couldn't help but feel jealous over Benjamin. _Why am I jealous about something I don't want?_ He wondered. Pissed off with his own irrationality.

Caius looked Felix up and down. "More trouble than they are worth." He said, though he winked to the pair of them shoving he didn't really mean it, which surprised both boys.

"It's a good job Aro loves them." He added, "that very fact saves their lives on a daily basis!"

"It may not be enough if they don't buck their ideas up, quickly!" Aro looked to his eldest and leaned into his ear, "you have fucked a guest, now you are cursing and fighting with your brother. Anything else and I will bloody skin you!"

Felix gulped and dropped his gaze submissively. It didn't even matter that no one would have heard what Aro said other than him, he still felt embarrassed that Aro had so publicly admonished him, again.

Magnus could feel the emotions coming from Felix and decided to save the poor lad. "Felix, come on, lets them show them your gift." He called out, taking off his new coat and handing it to the closest guard, Renata, gesturing for Felix to do the same.

"Against you?!" Felix asked, thinking he had been shown up enough already!

Magnus approached Felix and undid the fastenings on the boy's coat, pulling it free of his arms and handed it to Renata. "We should find out once and for all who is stronger, young one." He said eagerly as he rolled up his sleeves.

"My moneys on you, Magnus." Demetri sang out a little too happily.

"Mine too!" Felix agreed, Magnus would flatten him, he was sure of it.

"Are we making bets?" Henri asked, jingling the coin pouch attached to his belt.

"May we, my lord?" Turk asked.

It was no secret that the masters frowned upon gambling in the guard hall, mainly because it often turned nasty with accusations of cheating in card games and such like. Aro deferred to Magnus, he would be the one dealing with any fall out, after all.

A huge smile spread across Magnus' face. "Sure. It's your pay checks." He said, ushering people back to create a wrestling area.

"First one to pin, wins." Magnus declared, squatting down on his knees to he was eye level with Felix.

Felix was nervous, but he didn't let it show too much. Rolling up his sleeves and pacing back and forth, he sized up his opponent. _Huge!_ He thought. _Fucking huge!_

"How many rounds?" he asked.

Magnus laughed playfully, "think you will last more than one, young one?"

Felix laughed, "that would depend on whether you will be seeking retribution afterwards."

"I won't let him, Felix." Freyr called out in the boy's defence.

She had bet on Felix, she knew, even if Magnus was stronger, he would let the young one win.

Magnus looked back over his shoulder to his mate. "No loyalty!" he exclaimed.

Felix took the opportunity to barrel into the distracted master, trying to take him off guard. Magnus fell straight onto his ass before gaining some traction in the grass and forcing Felix back up. Lifting the boy above his head he attempted to slam Felix into the ground, but Felix was quicker than the Viking warrior and he managed to roll away before Magnus could body slam him into a pin.

"He's very good with the younger members, isn't he?" Hilda commented to Freyr.

"All of the masters are, even Caius when he has to be, though he can be resistant." She laughed to herself, _resistant… that's one word for it,_ she thought.

"But you haven't taken any young ones of your own, Freyr? Aro talks about family as though it's natural for vampires… but outside of his family, the rest of you live as a coven, no?" Hilda was genuinely interested on how the Volturi managed to work with so many competing objectives, as she saw it.

Freyr smiled watching over her mate rolling in the grass with Felix - they were both thoroughly enjoying their game. "Magnus and I run the guard day-to-day. We wouldn't have time for our own on top of that. This whole coven is a family, really, Hilda."

Hilda looked around to the other masters. The Volturi were easily distinguishable by their uniform, and Hilda knew which were Volturi family verses Volturi masters, and again, the guards wore different to the elite level of the coven, but they all mixed so easily, drinking and laughing together, that she could be excused for not knowing the layers of hierarchy involved in the royal coven. Yet, one look from a master and the guards jumped.

"How do the masters keep such control if you all mix with your underlings as friends." She asked Freyr. "The guards, they must be terrified of the masters and Basileus' family, really?"

Freyr thought for a moment, "I think they all fear correction, certainly. But then don't we all, whatever our status there is someone above us. But the relationships in this coven are built on respect, not fear."

The friendly brawl continued for a good ten minutes before one was pinned to the floor.

"Felix wins!" Freyr declared excitedly and the boy rolled off her mate and flopped into the floor next to the juggernaut master.

"Never any doubt." Aro called out, although he had to laugh as the pair lay panting, exhausted in the damp grass.

"Though, of course, Felix is gifted with strength, whereas Magnus' strength is not his gift, just his natural ability… and that was a pretty close fight." Eleazar explained to those close to him.

"How can you be sure, Eleazar?" Hilda asked.

"That is my gift, Hilda. I know the gifts of others." Eleazar replied politely.

Hilda smiled, remember for a moment her own request for the kings brother. "Aro said you would look over Victoria for me. I feel she may be gifted but I cannot put a name to what gift it would be."

Eleazar nodded to the English leader before searching out Victoria - unsurprisingly she was standing away from the rest of the gathered vampires, paying no attention to any displays of talent, all her attention was fixed on Carlisle. _Playing with fire, again, little brother._ He thought before turning his gift on Victoria. It was a little distracting trying to read the young woman's gift whilst her hands wandered all over his little brother's body, but he got there.

"She is, you are right. Its mild, but the ability to survive difficult situations through mental competency. Victoria will work out how to get out of a situation with such speed that she can act on it, where it would take the rest of us too much thinking time and we'd be caught, perhaps killed."

Hilda was pleased, it was just as she'd thought. "Interesting. Thank you."

"You are welcome." Eleazar said, but before he could get away, Hilda asked for his services again. "Does Noella possess any powers?"

Eleazar glanced to the young English girl who had joined the other teenage vampires in a group towards the darker side of the courtyard.

"No, my dear. Though she is a very sweet girl…" he heard shrieking coming from Tanya as Kate wound up Demetri and Felix, jabbing them with a finger and causing their bodies to buzz with her gift.

"Unlike some." He added quietly, looking to the Denali sisters. They were a bloody nightmare and Sasha had little control over them. Indeed, to Eleazar's eyes, the Denali leader barely seemed to register her daughters causing a disturbance.

"Your young ones, my lord. The twins. Their gifts are famed throughout the world." Siobhan wanted so desperately to see the twins in action.

"They are." Aro agreed, taking a swing of bloodwine. He was glad Basileus and Atia weren't close enough to be telling him he'd drank too much. He had of course, but he didn't need telling that.

"Would you offer a demonstration?" Hilda asked hopefully.

"Of course," Aro agreed, calling Alec away from the now screeching teenagers. "Who would like to feel the effects of his gift?" He asked when his youngest was close.

"We will!" Siobhan offered linking arms with her near silent mate.

"Us too." Hilda offered, Mary, and Ann following.

"How many can Alec succumb in one go?" Siobhan asked, looking at the five of them stood waiting.

Aro placed a proud arm around his son. "Alec could wipe out every vampire here with ease, my lady." Alec preened at his father's side.

Aro gestured for Alec to begin and the boy immediately sent out his fog, directing it towards the four women and Liam, enveloping them all in his mist. They relaxed and melted into the floor. Before Alec withdrew his fog.

"How did it feel?" Henri asked, he was nervous of anything that could leave him immobilised like that.

"Painless, it felt like nothing at all." Hilda oozed, looking to the small boy in awe.

"Impressive." Liam grunted _._

 _High praise indeed coming from you,_ Aro thought.

"And the boy could extend that to us all?" Henri pushed, wishing he had such gifts to call his own.

"On command." Aro said proudly.

"Jane?" Aro called his girl forward.

Atia stood rigid from the castle wall. "Basileus he's not going to allow Jane to use her gift, surely."

Basileus shook his head before reading in Aro's thought that he had every intention of in. _Damn it._ He thought. He couldn't allow that _. It could cause a riot!_

 _"_ Aro, not Jane." He called down sternly.

Aro rolled his eyes, "If they are willing, my lord?" he pushed, gesturing to the crowd of enthusiastic and unwitting visitors.

"We would very much like to see the girls gift in action, my lord." Hilda spoke up, with visitor and Volturi alike willing the creator to concede _._

 _I bet you would._ Basileus thought. "Be prepared, my dear." He said to Atia before, to her surprise, he leapt from the high wall to the land between the assembled vampires with an ease that would be impossible for any other of their company.

Jane's eyes widened as she realised what Basileus would ask her to do.

"Not you, my lord." She pleaded. Basileus winked to his granddaughter.

"It's okay, Jane." He said gently.

"No, I can't limit the pain, it's all or nothing." She implored.

There were at least ten vampires in their presence who she would happily burn for a little practice, Basileus was not one of them. It felt wrong, disrespectful, and frankly dangerous. Jane was used to her victims flying towards her ready to rip apart her small body on their release from her torture before they realised what they were doing. Even Aro had knocked her across the room on occasion when she tested her strength on him - at his request!

"Magnus, Felix, get ready to hold me back." Basileus ordered. The young prince and the coven leader looked to each other… they could each hold the other back, if called for, _but Basileus? Fuck!_ They thought in unison. But still, they wouldn't refuse an order from the creator. (well Felix might have, but not outside of the south tower.)

Jane chanced a look around to the gathered vampires - every single one wanted to get a good look at this.

"I think you all understand I am indestructible. You have heard the legends about me… they are true." Basileus told the gathering. "Jane, let's see how long it takes you to bring me to my knees."

Jane gasped, shaking her head.

"Are you sure about this, dad?" Aro asked, in his uncertainty dropping the more formal address of 'my lord' that he would usually use in such company.

Basileus nodded, "I know Jane's power, I have felt it before. I am the only one who has ever remained standing through the pain when she's putting some effort in."

Jane huffed, she always put effort in!

"We've never seen how long I can stay standing, though. Place your bets!" he called out happily. A rush went around the crowd as they all exchanged their stakes.

Basileus was ready, ensuring Felix and Magnus were ready too, he nodded to Jane to begin. Aro stood in front of his girl, he would rather take Basileus wrath than risk Jane receiving a single strike when she released him.

"Go ahead, Jane." Aro said softly.

Jane whimpered, but she fixed Basileus in her sights and started to burn him. The initial shock saw Basileus flinch, within a minute he was twitching and growling through gritted teeth. Instinctively, everyone took a step away from the creator as his face contorted in agony. The growl emanating from the man was primal, guttural to begin with. Before long that growl had become a thunderous roar shaking the very ground on which the gathered vampires stood.

Atia watched the whole charade play out from above and wondered whether she should intervene. She could soften Jane's gift if she wished. But as Basileus hadn't asked her to do so, she decided to let her mate suffer… a part of her wanted to see how long he could last.

It took over five minutes of blazing pain for Basileus to drop to one knee. Aro told Jane to continue until both knees were on the ground. Another two minutes passed and then he was done.

Jane released him.

Immediately Basileus roared like a crazed animal, blindly flying forward to the source of his pain. Felix and Magnus acted - each catching an arm and putting their every effort into holding the creator back. Basileus continued to barrel forward, lifting Felix and Magnus from the floor with ease as he headed in Jane's direction.

Aro flashed forward pushing onto his father's chest, Eleazar and Carlisle did the same. It was quite a sight to see the efforts involved in holding the creator back, especially as the efforts seemed futile against his superior strength. It was just enough to slow him down, however, and within a minute Basileus had come to his senses.

Shaking his sons, grandson and Magnus off, Basileus stood to full height and grinned. He walked over calmly to Jane. Aro flashed ahead to block his path but Basileus shoved him aside.

"Well done." He said with pride to his granddaughter before lifting her high to his side. "Who had seven minutes?" he called out happily.

The watching crowd released their breath in one almighty relieved sigh, before turning to a frenzy of cheer and clapping in respect for Jane's amazing gift.

"You two need to do some more training." Basileus commented to Felix and Magnus as he passed them carrying Jane towards her new fans.

Astounded, Felix turned to Magnus, "is he serious?"

Magnus felt Basileus emotions through his gift, "I think he is!"

Kate bounced over to the creator excitedly. "Can I use my gift on you?" she asked.

Basileus laughed. "I am an old man, my dear. I've had my fun for one day." Setting Jane on her feet, he flew back up the castle wall to Atia.

"You are showing off, my dear." Atia told him disapprovingly hearing the clapping coming from below over her mate's display.

"Maybe just a little." He admitted shyly.

"How are they so strong?" Hilda asked, wondering what the twins must have been through to achieve such gift. She was aware that human experience could transfer to vampiric powers, she had been discussing the merits of torturing humans before they were turned with Caius, who naturally was all for the idea.

"Though she be but little, she is very fierce." Aro said, quoting Shakespeare and looking adoringly to his girl.

"Mikhail and Katarina had a similar entrance into our world, and their gifts are equally impressive." Caius said, pushing the siblings forward.

"Mik, maybe you should sit this one out?" Aro suggested, he knew the man felt uncomfortable on display.

Whilst Mikhail appreciated Aro's offer, he was prepared to give a short demonstration if the visitors wanted it. He saw it that he did relatively little for the easy life Aro provided them with and he would honour his master in any way he could.

"As you wish," Aro nodded to his fire starter, "fetch him a cloak, Lev."

Lev went with such speed, that before many had realised he had gone, he had returned with cloak in hand ready to robe his brother-in-law after his demonstration.

"I would ask that you stand well back." Aro said, pulling his children well clear.

A few visitors remained a little too close for Aro's liking, particularly the younger two Denali girls.

"Hey! I said, get back." He repeated, pulling the girls to his side by the backs of their dresses.

They huffed and rolled their eyes, much to Aro's dismay. _No wonder Eleazar can't stand them, disrespectful brats!_

"Over to you, Mik." Aro called, checking with Basileus that he should go ahead first. Atia was ready to end Mikhail's gift with her own block if the flames were out of control.

Nobody knew what to expect from the man in the centre of the ring. When flames appeared in his outstretched hands they were amazed. Kate and Tanya tried to move forward to get a closer look before Aro pulled them back sharply by their necks.

"Stay here." He ground out to the pair of them. The girls looked shocked to have been spoken to in such a way, completely missing that it was the king of their world who had been forced, again, to address them.

"Should he continue?" Lev asked gruffly, voicing Mikhail's thoughts in a way that only Lev seemed able to do.

Aro nodded to Mik and on cue, he set his entire body alight with blazing orange flames reaching high into the sky. The shock was audible through the loud gasp that spread through the visitors. A few thought Mikhail's gift must have been an illusion, until he recalled the flames and returned to his vampiric state, naked with all his clothes burnt to the ashes that floated around him. Lev threw his brother in law the cloak he had ready.

"Nice!" Kate said, nudging her little sister who agreed with her response to Mikhail's nakedness.

Few things shocked Aro, but hearing the two young girls, children in his mind, talk about what they would like to do to his flame proof guard offended what few sensibilities he had! He knew it wasn't fair, but he was glad to only hear such talk from his sons and not his precious daughter. He shuddered at the very thought,

"And you are unharmed?" Siobhan asked, stroking Mikhail's cheek.

That was a little more contact than Mik would have liked. His skin was hyper sensitive due to the flames, but unscarred and unscathed other than that.

"Wow! Henri exclaimed, thinking of all the things he could achieve with such a gifted vampire.

"Do you have a gift, Henri?" Freyr asked the French leader. Caius had told her all the things Henri had said about her and Magnus down in the dungeons. She was quite honestly desperate to bring the bastard down a peg or two.

"What I lack in gift I make up for in prowess." Henri sneered in response, looking Freyr up and down with derision.

Aro saw his chance to have some fun. "Would you be a match for a Volturi master, Henri?" he asked. He could see Freyr was chomping at the bit to take the French leader down.

Caius, too, wanted to push Henri to fighting with his co-master. He knew Freyr would wipe the floor with him. "Henri did tell me that he would like the chance to take Freyr on."

Henri's face paled as he looked around the group of vampires in the vicinity. Most were just as desperate to see Freyr in action as they were to see Henri have his ass handed to him. For just a moment, Henri's eyes locked with Magnus and he took an involuntary step backwards.

"Do you think I wish to die, Caius?!" Henri asked, jerking his head towards the juggernaut master. "I'm not fighting his woman in front of him."

Magnus' booming laughter filled the air around them. "You have nothing to fear from me, my friend." He pulled Felix in close. "The boy just brought me down, after all."

Henri shook his head. _I'm not stupid._ "As if you wouldn't intervene seeing your woman dragged across the floor?!"

Freyr scoffed. "Now you don't have a choice, Henri." She declared, moving into the centre of the ring.

"First to pin, wins." Aro called out, giving Henri a shove.

Henri felt massively conflicted. Not about taking a woman out - he had no qualms about that. Looking less than amazing in front of the elite of the vampire world… that was a problem for him. Seeing Freyr eyeing him up for the fight, Henri decided the only option he had was to teach the usurping underling a lesson - woman or not, she was going down.

Freyr knew Henri wouldn't make the first move. Man rarely did when they fought her. Some semblance of honour, she presumed. It meant, therefore, that Freyr was quite used to going in for the kill early on just to get things moving. As soon as Aro called for them to begin, Freyr launched at her opponent.

Sadly for Henri, Freyr's first move was to be the only one in the ring as the shield maiden slammed the French leader into the ground. Henri wasn't sure what had happened. He could here the cheering of the crowd but he wasn't too sure what he had done, it all happened to fast!

And then there was that bitches face, smiling down on him with an extended hand to help him up. _She pinned me?! She fucking pinned me?! How the fuck did that happen?!_ Henri sprang to his feet and shoved Freyr aside. He caught his mates eye for a moment, smirking. _You will pay for that._ Henri thought, his mind already turning to concocting vicious ways to punish Yvette for her disloyalty.

Aro made a half hearted attempt to draw Henri back into conversation but the French leader was consumed by his humiliating defeat. Freyr offering her apologies for taking him off guard only further incensed the visitor.

Freyr shook her head, _male pride!_ She thought, knowing only too well how difficult most men found being dominated by the fairer sex.

"That might shut him up for a while." She commented to Katarina as she passed.

Kat grinned in reply. Henri saw. He hadn't heard what Freyr has said but took Kat's smile as confirmation that whatever it was, it was about him and it wasn't pleasant.

"And what about you?" he shot to Katarina. "What can you do?" it was a fairly innocuous question, but the tone with which Henri addressed the Russian woman made the simple discourse decidedly hostile.

Kat narrowed her eyes to the French leader, she was still pissed off at the way Henri had dissed her nationality as though it were something to be ashamed of. With a quiet smile, she approached the leader and before the Volturi masters could stop her, she encased Henri in a layer of ice!

"KAT!" Magnus bellowed out as the first to realise what she was doing.

Lev reached his mate before anyone else. Once Lev had broken her hold on Henri, the ice melted quickly without Katarina using her gift to keep it solid.

Magnus ushered Lev and Katarina away from the scene, they stood directly below Atia and Basileus.

"Lev!" Basileus called down, he knew Magnus wouldn't be able to talk to Kat with Lev standing over his mate like a guard dog. "Get up here."

Lev looked up to the creator. He knew what Basileus was doing.

"No!" he called back, much to the surprise of the visiting vampires.

"Don't make this into a big deal, Lev." Magnus implored.

"What are you going to do to her?" Lev replied, forcing himself between his mate and the master.

Magnus moved the Russian guard aside easily. "Nothing, you idiot." He hissed, "but I have to make it look like I am giving Kat a round of fucks for the sake of good relations. Now go, before Basileus comes down here and beats you bloody!" Magnus thrust Lev away with a strong hand to his chest.

"LEV, NOW!" Basileus bellowed so loud that all activity ceased waiting to see what would happen. Any other day, Lev would refuse, Basileus would knock some sense into him, and all would carry on as normal - because that was normal, for Lev.

"Go!" Magnus hissed to the guard, willing him, for once, to just skip the unpleasantness.

He went. He moved at a slower than human pace to the stone steps and climbed every one like a man walking to the noose, but he went. Whilst the visitors were shocked by Lev's initial refusal, the Volturi were shocked by his eventual agreement! Once Magnus saw Lev walking along the wall walk towards the creator, he spoke to Kat, leaning into the wall to block anyone looking from seeing what he said.

"She attacked me!" Henri roared, clearly expecting retribution. Though it had only lasted a minute or two, being frozen solid and unable to move, so vulnerable… Henri was predictably anxious. He was starting to realise just how powerless he was even against the Volturi lower ranks. When he saw Magnus merely talking to the woman who had offended him, Henri called out for punishment. "I want her whipped at least!"

Caius waved to Aro to let him handle this one. "Kat did no such thing, Henri. You asked for a demonstration, you got one." Pulling the coven leader to his side, "why don't we go down to the dungeons for a break from all this activity." He suggested quietly, smiling slyly.

"More dungeon blood?" Henri asked, sounding hopeful and already forgetting about the move Kat had made against him. "Of course, my friend." Caius crooned.

Yvette trailed along after her mate. Though the ladies of Volterra had tried to engage the woman in discussion, she barely said more than a sentence or two before falling in back in line behind her mate. Even Athenodora had given up and she'd been so sure she'd found a like-minded woman when they were first introduced _._

 _Good god I am jealous!_ Aro thought, though he quickly dispelled the thoughts of dungeon blood lest his father go searching through his mind checking his usage. Basileus had believed Aro had only taken the dirty blood that one time when Atia had caught him. He was wrong, but his faith in his son and the distraction of arranging the current event had been enough for him to let it go… Aro had used that to his advantage and no one, not even Caius knew that Aro was still taking his drug of choice on a regular basis.

"My love," Sulpicia called softly drawing Aro from his yearnings. "It's getting late, what are you planning on doing with the children tonight?"

Aro looked over to his young guards, all enjoying the festivities and the novelty of having a younger crowed to mix with. "They can stay unless they start causing problems my queen. They don't need to sleep every night."

It was true, Felix and Demetri especially, but also Jane and Alec on occasion stayed awake for a day or two when they were on missions and the like. It didn't do them any harm… though it usually ended in a headache for Aro and Sulpicia as their attitudes increased exponentially with their tiredness. But this was too big an occasion for them to miss out on so he would put up with the back lash.

"As you wish my love." Sulpicia replied, leaving her mate to his drinking games and showing off his guards' tricks.

She could see he was half cut already and she'd rather not be around him when he drank heavily. _Though, if the children are staying…_ she mused eyeing up the second cauldron.

"Odi," she called out, he was the closest guard. "Could you carry the bloodwine over, please."

"Of course, my lady." He replied politely.

Knowing Odi would need assistance with the heavy pot, Sulpicia spotted just the guard to help. "Take Turk with you, he looks utterly miserable, poor lamb."

Turk had no gifts. He was a good guard, he trained hard and had become a good fighter when occasion called for it, but that was standard for a Volturi guard. At times like this, where the guards displayed their additional talents, Turk became a wall flower. He was only too happy to spring into action for Sulpicia.

"How can you stand for the insolence of that guard?" Amun asked Marcus and Aro.

"Kat? She was just showing her gift, she wouldn't have meant any offence." Aro said, waving away Amun's question.

"No, not the woman - her mate!"

"Oh!" Aro replied, "Lev is temperamental, sure, but he is one of our loyalist guards. I would trust him with my life."

Marcus nodded along to Aro, he was in full agreement. "Lev needs delicate handling, and understanding. But his intentions are always honourable."

Amun looked up to the wall where Basileus continued to talk with Lev, shaking the guard by his throat. "That doesn't look too delicate." He commented.

Aro laughed. "It is for Basileus, trust me." Amun couldn't imagine allowing such insolence to breed through his ranks without complaint but he was quite taken with the ease at which Aro and Marcus shrugged off the guard's defiance.


	90. Easily Led

Easily Led

The early morning sun cast a warm glow across the grounds of the royal coven. The celebrations for the joining of the worlds major covens continued in full swing - the bloodwine flowed and most were enjoying the rare opportunity to socialise with those outside of their coven. The younger members in attendance had, with Eleazar's assistance, secretly procured the odd glass of bloodwine, but only enough to experience a mellow buzz unlike their adult counterparts who were, by then, in various states of drunkenness.

Sulpicia had attempted to curb Aro's intake during the early hours seeing how far gone her mate already was, but Aro dismissed her concerns completely. Basileus had promised his daughter-in-law that he would keep a close eye on Aro, and the rest of the guests, too. And he did until he was distracted by the lure of opportunity…

The Amazonian coven had been skulking in the shadows before Basileus accosted them. He soon set to extracting as much information as possible from the three women regarding the werewolf situation in their home lands. He was disappointed that the tribe so rarely travelled outside of the rain forest - he needed more information than that. It took some convincing, but eventually Kachiri agreed that they would run the entire length of her continent and report the lay of the land back to Basileus. He was over joyed by their 'offer', the one he had wormed his way into making them offer with the promise to pay their first tribute to the Volturi.

Freyr noticed Senna and Zafrina looking around fretfully. O _h Basileus you are a brute!_ She thought as she went to their rescue. "My lord, could I steal these lovely ladies from you for a while, I am keen to show the twins Senna's gifts." She asked. Jane and Alec had already seen the Amazonian's talents, but it was the first excuse Freyr could think of.

"Of course, of course." Basileus replied. He was so caught up in his plans for the western lands that he didn't realise Freyr was rescuing the women from his clutches. "We can discuss the details before you leave, yes?" He directed to Kachiri who nodded wearily at the thought.

Freyr walked them over to the outer curtain wall, calling the twins to follow. The Amazonian's gratitude was palpable - they weren't comfortable with such socialising at all.

Sulpicia, Athenodora, and Carmen were entertaining Sasha and Kebi with tales of royal coven life when Siobhan and Hilda joined them, having bored of the male leaders discussing life of yore.

"Do you not find this life stifling at all, my lady?" Siobhan directed to the vampire queen, thoroughly pissing off Athenodora by side-lining her.

Sulpicia raised a questioning eyebrow. "In what way?" she asked.

"I think I would miss the thrill of adventure." Siobhan admitted sheepishly. Siobhan's life before she'd settled in Ireland with Liam, had been close to Atia's pre-Volturi life - full of faraway travel and daring escapades. Truthfully, Siobhan had struggled to stay in one place, but her love for Liam had grounded and calmed her immensely.

Sulpicia smiled to herself, thinking of her own early vampiric life. "During our early days, I saw enough battles to last me a life time. Though I remain trained and ready in case of attack."

"Really?" Hilda voiced the visiting ladies surprise.

Sulpicia nodded and took a sip of bloodwine. "When we lost dear Didyme, I decided I needed to be able to protect myself. The royal coven this may be, but it is a working coven, my dear."

Athenodora looked a little surprised too, she didn't know that Sulpicia had been training - only the Volturi family knew about that.

"I didn't know you were so active, at least in the early days." Hilda said, finding a new respect for the vampiric queen. She liked strong women, the idea of a coven ran by men alone was distasteful in her mind and though she was pleased to see Freyr as a master of the Volturi, meeting Atia and now hearing Sulpicia was also at the helm made her feel much more secure.

"Sulpicia controls the treasury so she is hardly inactive now!" Carmen intervened, speaking up for her sister-in-law.

"With your help, my dear Carmen." Sully agreed.

"Forgive me, my lady, I had assumed you would be more of a figure head." Hilda admitted, Siobhan expressed a similar sentiment.

Sulpicia waved away their apologies, they really weren't necessary. "I was for a time, I decided to take back some control."

"Are you not involved, Athenodora?" Sasha asked, wondering why Caius mate had stayed silent throughout their conversation.

"With the treasury? No." Athenodora replied, feeling awkward.

"What is your role then?" Hilda asked, assuming she had one!

"I still go on missions with Caius, occasionally." _Hardly!_ Sulpicia and Carmen thought, thinking Athenodora was stretching the truth there a little. "Other than that, I just rather enjoy a life of luxury. As a lady of my position rightly should."

Carmen's head whipped around to face Athenodora _\- are you seriously trying to claim you are better than Sully!_ She thought angrily. "A lady of your position… yet Sulpicia is the queen of vampires and administers the royal treasury."

Sulpicia stroked Carmen's arm. "It is not the time, my dear." Carmen relented and turned away, but it was too late, Athenodora had taken her bait.

"Sulpicia may be the queen… in name. But what are you, dear Carmen?" she spat.

Carmen wasn't having that, she was above the like of Caius and his bitch wife, in theory. "I am Eleazar's mate. The creator's eldest son." She said mightily.

"So, you are an appendage of someone's son? How charming." Athenodora smirked in return.

"How dare you!" Sulpicia raged, getting to her feet.

Demetri had wandered over to talk to his mother…. Or rather, to ask her how far he could go with the youngest Denali girl. "Sully…" he said, not realising the tension in the small group of powerful women.

"Hush, dear. Your mother is fighting." Carmen said, pushing her nephew away.

Hearing her boy was just enough to calm the vampiric queen to respond more cordially to her coven mate, (when she really wanted to claw the bitch's eyes out!) "Athenodora, I think it is time for you to retire." She said, retaking her seat.

"Are you sending me away?" Athenodora asked, with bulging angry eyes.

"It is my right, is it not?" Sully replied, smoothing out her dress and avoiding the woman's eye.

Athenodora stood, feeling uncomfortable. Sulpicia could send her away, she supposed, but it had never happened before. "You offend me…"

"Your presence offends me. You may return when you are feeling more genial." Sulpicia replied, cutting Athenodora off mid-sentence.

Athenodora twitched, daring herself to refuse. She knew, however, that Aro would back his mate regardless of her actions, whereas Caius would bend to Aro and Basileus to save his own skin. _Weak willed!_ She thought of her mate, though she knew Caius had little choice really. Then she spotted Demetri turning to walk away, grinning like a loon and Athenodora developed a plan for retribution. _I will repay you this embarrassment, my queen,_ she thought. Bending down to Sulpicia's ear she whispered to her coven mate, "over stretching your reach - that is your talent, my queen." And then she stalked away, heading straight to the group of young vampires.

"Turk, please refresh our glasses, there's a dear." Sulpicia called out, breaking the tension at her table. Turk did as he was bid, and once the ladies were taken care of he poured a goblet full for himself.

"Do you know he is taking bloodwine for himself." Hilda whispered to Sulpicia.

Sully and Carmen both laughed.

"Of course he is. Why ever should he not?" Camren replied.

Hilda looked curiously to the guard. "I just thought that servants…"

Sulpicia shook her head, "Turk is a valued a member of the coven, Volturi guards are not servants."

"Thank you, my queen." Turk said respectfully.

"Forgive me, my lady, I am merely bowled over by the inner workings of your coven." Hilda admitted, she had always believed the guards were in servitude to the Volturi coven, most likely unwillingly in her mind.

"Most people are a little surprised when they are allowed behind the scenes." Sulpicia said kindly. She understood the impression her coven gave to other vampires.

Sasha, sinking into her chair and enjoying the effects of the bloodwine, breathed easily. "I am glad to find things so relaxed. I was worried my girls would struggle conforming but they are having a scream!"

Carmen nudged Sully, "a scream, a screech, a grand old time." She sneered. The girls had been particularly rambunctious since they arrived. Carmen found the girls' excitement entertaining whilst Eleazar had found a new appreciation for his niece and nephews who seemed incredibly placid in comparison!

Athenodora clicked her fingers a couple of times at the young ones. "Felix, bring your little friends and follow me." She ordered before striding purposefully towards the front entrance of the castle.

"Do we have a choice." Irina asked, looking down her nose to the lady of Volterra as she walked away.

"Not with her." Felix sighed, "come on."

Felix and Demetri, Noella, the three Denali sisters, and the young Egyptian couple all followed Athenodora into the castle - she headed straight for the throne room and over to the now extinct fire places where the cauldrons hung.

"Oh that's a shame, there is only a little left. You could have taken it outside so you could drink with everyone else." Athenodora said, checking the end cauldron that had been filled with plain blood for the younger guests.

Felix nodded along but he wasn't sure what the point of this was.

Athenodora walked along the fire places. Only two of the bloodwine cauldrons remained, the final two being outside - one with Sulpicia and the other being overseen by Magnus. "Oh, it appears there is some bloodwine in this one, though." She said seeing almost a full cauldron.

Athenodora fixed Felix with her eyes and a hand laid pointedly on the bloodwine cauldron. "I doubt anyone knows there is so much left, it will go to waste now I suppose." She watched as the smile spread across Felix's face. _Jackpot!_ She thought, _you are too easy to play with, boy. And I hope your dear mother suffers by proxy as you are bound to fuck up monumentally once you_ _'ve had a drink._ "Enjoy the rest of your evening, won't you?"

Felix nodded happily, "yes, my lady, good night."

Athenodora smiled evilly to herself as she left for her quarters. "Good night, Felix." She called, knowing the boy would do the rest of the work for her and that she had one over of the queen for embarrassing her.

Whilst Felix had understood Athenodora's meaning, the rest of the group remained perplexed.

"What was that about?" Irina asked as Felix sprang into action.

"I am going to pour this blood, into our blood and we are getting pissed with everyone else." He sang out happily. "Help me." He called.

Felix lifted the plain-blood cauldron from its hooks above the fire and brought it in front of the fullest bloodwine cauldron. Demetri and Benjamin rushed to the other side and between them they managed to tilt the cauldron enough to pour its contents into theirs.

Even though hr helped, Benjamin looked concerned. "Won't the masters be very angry if we steal their bloodwine?"

"Don't use words like steal, Benjamin." Demetri said, scoffing at his concerns. Part of him wanted the masters to find out… so Amun would find out… and he could see if he was still the extreme disciplinarian he had known in his days at the Egyptian coven. He knew it was spiteful, cruel even, but his childlike mind couldn't help it.

"Yeah, stealing makes it sound bad!" Felix agreed with his brother, but without the malicious intent behind it. "All we are doing is using up the blood, so it doesn't go to waste." He confirmed. "And we are watering it down with our blood, so it won't be as strong as they are drinking anyway."

Benjamin looked into the cauldron they were pouring the bloodwine into - there was hardly any plain blood in there to start with. "But master Aro said…"

Demetri cut him off, "'Master Aro' is our dad, and he's let a lot slide today already. I think he's turning a blind eye to us having some fun."

Felix agreed but he could see Ben and Tia were visibly concerned. "Are you really that scared of Amun?" he asked. _Demetri has never complained about the guy, he can_ _'t be worse than Aro!_

"He gets very angry…" Tia confirmed, drifting off without giving any details.

"Well he's too drunk to be angry." Irina said confidently. "All the adults are drunk, they won't even notice." Truthfully, Irina didn't care if the adults did say anything - she was still resentful about being shipped to the kids table. "Sasha won't say anything, she never does. We can do anything we like." A look to Kate and Tanya confirmed it.

"Noella?" Felix asked. She nodded, apprehensive, maybe, but all the same she was in agreement. "The girls are in, it's just you Benjamin." Demetri pushed the Egyptian boy.

"And Tia." He said in return.

Tia shrugged, "Tia is in." She said.

"Really?" her mate asked, surprised.

"Yes! We have lived for four hundred years and this is the first time we have ever socialised with other vampires. I'm in!"

 _Damn,_ Benjamin thought, he couldn't disagree. _Maybe Amun will understand? Felix and Demetri are up for it and they answer to the vampire king!_ "Okay, okay." He relented. "But I'm not lying."

Felix swung an arm around his new friend. "I'll do the talking."

Demetri laughed. "Famous last words, brother." He said to himself, thinking of just how wonderfully well Felix' lying had worked for the two of them in the past - _not well at all!_

"What are you doing with that?" Caius called out as he strolled over with Henri.

They had been taking dungeon blood and had only just got back on their feet to join the party outside. In fact, Caius and Henri had spent more time in the dungeons than they had at the celebrations. Basileus wasn't happy having Caius under ground, alone with a volatile and still possibly hostile vampire, but keeping Henri away from the party had certainly improved the atmosphere for everyone else. Caius, at Basileus' request, wasn't taking much of the dirty drug in order to keep his wits about him.

"It's our cauldron, we want to finish it off outside." Felix said whilst the rest of the group shit themselves.

"Playing at being grownups again, boys." Caius asked sarcastically.

Felix smirked. "Have you met Caius, he applied to be the coven jester but he couldn't get a single laugh so Aro made him a master instead."

Caius slapped him across the head, though it was without his usual force. "You are lucky I am in a good mood."

Felix rubbed his head, "even your good mood hurts."

Henri scoffed at the boy having the audacity to not only openly insult Caius, as he saw it, but having the nerve to reply after being scolded too. "You should have hit him harder." He said, glaring at Felix.

Caius was drugged enough for a rare show of compassion towards his coven's younger members. "He's alright. Besides, I've grown quite fond of Aro's pets. They supply endless entertainment through their many and various fuck ups."

Felix smiled broadly, _the gods must be smiling on us today,_ he thought.

"Would you like some help?" Caius asked, gesturing to the cauldron.

"Us? Help them?" Henri looked disgusted at the idea.

Caius turned on Henri, he was doing his best to keep the guy from causing any problems but god damn he was getting pissed off with his constant abrasion. Which, incidentally, many of the Volturi clan would have said about them spending time with Caius!

"Granted, the oaf is strong, but he will need help." Caius said moving Demetri and Benjamin out of the way - neither of them would have been much help in lifting a half full cauldron anyway.

Henri took his position and Felix went opposite. He was stronger than both elder vampires and could lift one side to their shared half.

They hadn't even picked up the damn thing before Henri started again. "If you spill any on my clothes I will…"

"The little princes are well protected in Volterra, Henri." Caius said forcefully.

Henri looked around the empty throne room. "Well Aro's outside…"

"I am inside." Caius eyes turned black and glared at Henri.

Felix stood with his mouth hanging open, he couldn't believe Caius has just stood up for him like that! H

Henri looked away. "Understood." He grunted as the three led the young vampires back outside.

…

"Atia!" Hilda exclaimed, excitedly, "will you join us?" She was very interested in Atia who was arguably the most powerful woman in the vampire world.

Atia smiled to the group and accepted a goblet from the ladies personal server. "Thank you, Turk, but the games have ended if you would rather return."

Turk looked over to his fellow guards, a few of them were gesturing for him to join them. _Not a chance!_ He thought. "I am happy to serve your drinks, my lady, unless you would like me to leave?"

Atia placed a hand on the guard's shoulder, he seemed nervous. "No, not at all." She reassured him. "I believe Odi is looking for you, though."

Turk grimaced. "I bet he is."

"Problem?" Sulpicia asked, having over heard the conversation.

Turk sighed. "I lost the bet when Magnus threw the game with Felix."

"Oh, Magnus would do no such thing." Atia said confidently.

Freyr arrived just in time to hear Turks complaint. "Of course he would!" Freyr corrected, "and if he did, I think Magnus should cover your debt, Turk."

Carmen nearly spat her bloodwine across the table. "Freyr, you will wipe out a month's money if you suggest that with how many bets were placed on him."

Freyr laughed, "that will serve Magnus right, won't it." She replied. "Go and ask him Turk." She suggested to the guard.

Turk literally bounced on the spot, "really?" he asked, hoping the master of the guard would say yes.

Freyr nodded. "Tell him it was my suggestion." As Turk took off at full speed towards Magnus, Freyr, Sully, and Carmen all laughed at what was to come.

"Freyr you are wicked." Atia said, playfully as she pulled her seat around to watch.

"Will the guard be in danger?" Kebi asked, wondering if the ladies were going to enjoy Turk being disciplined in some way _. Is this fun for them?_ She wondered.

"What?! Carmen scoffed. "No!" The very idea that Magnus would harm Turk for such a thing was preposterous.

"The only thing in danger is Magnus' wages." Freyr said, bursting into laughter.

The ladies watched Turk pulling Magnus aside and making Freyr's suggestion. At first they saw Magnus throw his head back laughing, seemingly, they imagined, telling Turk he had no chance. That was until Turk pointed to Freyr and shrugged.

"FREYR!" Magnus bellowed in disbelief.

Freyr, Sulpicia and Carmen doubled up in laughter. Even Atia found the whole thing amusing. Sasha, Hilda and Siobhan exchanged nervous glances before realising what had happened was genuinely okay, somehow.

Magnus stormed over to his mate. "Why have you told Turk I threw the fight?" he asked indignantly, though the smile was pulling at the corners of his mouth. Magnus was a terrible liar.

"Because I think you did." Freyr said shrugging to her gigantic mate.

Magnus leaned over and pinned Freyr in her seat, "you are a meddlesome woman, and you have just cost us a great deal of coin."

Freyr stretched her neck enough to kiss him gently. "Your coin, my love. I didn't throw the fight. Your money."

Magnus narrowed his eyes at his mate but they both knew he was playing with her. "I'm not paying off their bets."

"Would you rather we take the it from your pay, Magnus?" Carmen asked, still laughing.

Freyr peered around her mate. "If it's not too much trouble, my lady that would be most kind?"

"Of course we will, Freyr," Sulpicia added, joining on on the fun. "Think nothing of it."

Magnus stood up with his hands on his hips, he towered over the entire group of elite ladies. "I will get you back, mark my words, you will regret this treachery!" His words would read threatening, but as the poor juggernaut could hardly keep the smile from his face as he spoke, it was a clear joke.

Kebi, perhaps understandably living with Amun, saw nothing funny about it.

As Magnus strolled back the guards, counting out the coins in his pouch and shaking his head at having to hand it over to the bloody guards, the ladies, other than Kebi, laughed at his misfortune.

"I wonder what scheme he will come up with to get you back, my dears?" Atia asked her daughter-in-law and Freyr.

"Yes, we had better have our next trick ready, ladies." Carmen's eyes glinted with her excitement.

"Is this usual?" Kebi asked, "you betrayed your mate yet you laugh as though nothing will come of it."

Hilda patted Kebi's arm sympathetically. "I would say its clear nothing will come of it. Nothing malicious at any rate." Hilda had always been resistant to taking a mate having only seen in her human life the types of relationships Kebi was used to. She trusted few men, and those she did trust had to work hard to earn her faith in them. Aro had done that long before the conference he'd called. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have turned up. Seeing his fatherly eye over his children, and Magnus showing no offence to his mates 'betrayal'… she wondered whether her coven could use some male blood if she were to expand. _We could each take a mate,_ she reasoned, _and be in quota._

…

The drinking continued into the early hours of the morning with conversation flowing easily between the mix of covens. Just as Irina had said, no one was paying any attention to the younger members of the crowd. The vampiric youth were splayed out in the grass from all they had drunk, but they weren't making too much noise.

Felix was throwing his weight around a little - he felt like the cock of the walk, king of the kids! Demetri thought his brother was enjoying his temporary and self-appointed status a little too much. _He's rammed himself so far up Ben's ass. What is he playing at, the prick!_ Demetri was disappointed in his brothers lack of loyalty.

Of course, Felix didn't know he was being disloyal as Demetri hadn't shared with his brother any of the details of his early life with Amun. Demetri's alcohol-addled brain was busy performing somersaults in an effort to assimilate his ambivalent feelings. On one hand he hated Benjamin for even existing, let alone the interest Amun clearly showed in him. On the other hand, he had no desire to receive any attention from Amun in any capacity and would rather die than leave his home and family in Volterra. He knew he shouldn't care about Felix and Ben becoming friends, but Felix was his big brother and he didn't want to share him. _Ahhh!_ He roared inside his head in utter frustration.

Knocking back his bloodwine, Demetri sought out Tanya and convinced her to take a tour of the grounds with him. 'Walking' was the last activity on his to do list with Tanya, and fortunately for the boy, the youngest Denali girl had been planning the same misadventure with the Volturi prince since they met.

Kachiri left her coven mates and returned to Sulpicia's party, carrying Jane in her arm. "My lady, the girl is unwell." She said, fretfully.

Sulpicia and Atia both dived towards the princess of darkness, who looked barely conscious in the Amazonian woman's hold. "Jane, what's wrong with you?" Sulpicia asked taking her daughter and standing her up to better judge of what could be wrong with her.

Alec peered around Kachiri to his swaying sister. He grimaced when Atia caught his eye and beckoned him to her.

"I don't know." Jane slurred in reply, before promptly falling to the ground. "Jane!" Carmen called out seeing her niece pass out in front of her.

Sulpicia and Atia were doing their best to preserve some royal decorum and desperately underplaying the situation. "Turk, be a dear and fetch Aro and Basileus." Atia said softly, retaking her seat and pulling Alec along with her.

Aro and Basileus joined the ladies immediately, both wondering how the hell someone had infiltrated the twin's gifts _._ _'Are you using your block, my dear?'_ Basileus asked his mate through his thoughts _._

 _'Yes! I can't even sense any other gifts in the vicinity - other than the ones we know of.'_ Basileus nodded curtly to his wife, they hadn't arose suspicions talking in their heads, thankfully.

"What happened?" Aro asked, opening Jane's eyelids and looking for signs of life.

"She just collapsed!" Carmen implored, shaking the girls arm.

Basileus lifted his granddaughter out from the crowd and took her to the torch near the bloodwine. He didn't need the light - the midday sun flooded the grounds with light and his eyesight was perfect in the dark, but he wanted to get Jane away from the prying eyes of the visitors. Jane murmured with the movement and to Basileus' eyes she appeared to be in a deep sleep… _or_ _… no! Surely not?_

"What's wrong with her, dad?" Aro asked desperately.

"I would guess that she is drunk." Basileus said quietly.

"Jane would never steal bloodwine." Aro hissed in reply.

Basileus agreed, "not knowingly, no." He said, wondering who would have spiked the child's drink.

Aro set to questioning the other half of the deadly duo. "Alec, have you been drinking bloodwine?" Alec smiled wonkily and said that he hadn't.

"Look at his eyes Aro." Atia pointed out, twisting the boy to face to receive maximum sunlight.

 _Oh my god he's wrecked!_ Aro thought, his own head already aching from the amount he'd drank.

"What's going on Alec?" Aro asked gruffly, giving his boy a stern shake.

Basileus, leaving Jane with Carmen and Sulpicia, joined his son. He pulled his Aro away while he concentrated his efforts on running through Alec's memories. "Be quiet Aro, let me hear him." He said, tapping his temple.

Going right back to when the Alec and his siblings had met him in the throne room, Basileus was confident neither he nor Jane had stolen bloodwine. "They have only drunk from the children's cauldron." He said pointedly, willing Aro to understand there was more to it.

"But…" Aro began. As his gaze fell across his eldest boy larking about with the other young coven members he realised for the first time that night that they were all far merrier than they should have been. "Damn you Felix!" Aro growled, storming off with his father to deal with the defiant boy.

Atia pulled Alec into her lap and gestured for Carmen to do the same with Jane. "We will keep the twins, Sulpicia, go with them." She said, full of concern for what a drunk Aro and Basileus might do to a drunk Felix and Demetri!

"Why has my 12-year-old daughter passed out drunk?" Aro raged to his son who was lolling on the floor with Kate lying between his legs.

"Jane?" Felix questioned, making no effort to remove himself from the inappropriate position he lay in with the Denali girl.

"How many other daughters do I have?" Aro asked, dripping with frustration and dragging his boy to his feet.

Felix slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh man. I didn't think to tell the twins!" he exclaimed, apparently unaware of how precarious the situation was - Aro was ready to tear him a new asshole right there!

"Tell them what?" Aro spat, increasing his grip on Felix.

Felix tried to pull away, getting nowhere, he changed tack and broke into his trademark goofy smile. "I cannot tell a lie, but perhaps I can interest you in an alternative fact." He offered, much to the delight of his little crew.

"Oh, you are a comedian now." Aro said with faux calm, drawing Felix in, before walloping the boy hard across his head. "Dangerous territory son." He ground out as he started fishing through Felix' thoughts. He went back just far enough to see Felix, Benjamin and Demetri pouring bloodwine into the almost empty plain blood cauldron.

Sulpicia, Hilda and Sasha had all joined the creator and vampire king, and with the increased activity, Amun, Caius and Henri all made their way over, too.

"Is there something amiss?" Amun asked, glaring at his young coven members swaying where they stood.

Basileus placed a hand on Amun's shoulder, he could feel the coven leader vibrating with anger under his touch. "They have, somehow, been drinking bloodwine all night, and they are, well, a little drunk." He said calmly.

Benjamin looked ready to throw up every drop, Tia on the other hand, appeared resigned to whatever would come from their coven leader. She'd had one of the best days (or morning, at least) of her vampiric life and any recompense owed would have been worth it.

Aro, too, tried to placate the Egyptian leader. "Please, Amun. Be assured that Felix was at the root of this."

Basileus nodded, though hearing the Denali sisters scoffing he felt compelled to add an addendum. "Mind you, Benjamin was the only unwilling participant." He said pointedly to Sasha.

The Denali leader hurried to check over her daughters. "Oh my darlings, what are you like! Do you feel well? Would you like to rest?"

Aro looked askance to the woman's concern. "Seriously?" he said under his breath.

Sasha heard and leapt to her daughters' defence. "They are only young, my lord. They meant no offence." Then she turned back to Kate and Irina, both lapping up their mothers worry but quite gleefully telling her all they had been up to… well, almost all. "Where is Tanya?" she asked, looking around for her baby vampire.

"And Demetri?" Aro said, raising his eyes to the heavens. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know where his boy would be. _Depraved little sod!_ He thought angrily.

Basileus gave Aro a shake. "Shush, son. Don't mention it now. Its bad enough that Demetri has gone off with the girl without making it known what he would be doing with her!" Aro had to agree.

"Noella?" Hilda called sternly. The young English girl stepped forward.

"I only had one glass, Hilda. So as not to cause offence by refusing." She said, looking to the floor and speaking normally - she was the only one able to talk without a slur.

"She speaks the truth Hilda." Basileus spoke up, backing the girl. He had read the thoughts of everyone in attendance already - he knew where intent lay, and therefore blame.

Hilda looked between the creator and her young charge. "Very well, I will leave you to it." She said, "Noella, no more."

Noella chanced a look to Benjamin and Tia who Amun was verbally ripping apart in the scariest hurried whispers she had ever heard. She sighed gratefully to her coven leader. "Of course, Hilda." She said, backing away to sit on the ground with Irina and Kate now Sasha had let them be and stopped fussing over them.

"Your gift is very useful, my lord. I wonder if it could be bottled and borrowed." Hilda commented to Basileus.

Basileus' booming laughter filled the castle grounds. "If only it were as useful for thwarting their plans rather than just apportioning blame!"

"I care not who is to blame." Amun raged. "It is immaterial. Such disobedience will not go unpunished in my coven." He said grabbing Benjamin uncomfortably hard by his arm and snatching him in close. "I will break your legs for going against me!" he ground out to the frightened boy.

"Neither will it go unpunished here." Aro agreed. "In fact, I think I will take care of that now."

Felix' mouth hung open in shock. _No way, you can_ _'t!_ He thought. "Are you joking!"

Aro smirked evilly. "No, not a joke, more a funny fact." He said, much to his boy's chagrin before walking them both towards the castle.

Sulpicia followed her mate, she was worried about him over reacting. "Aro you are drunk." She hissed as he dragged their son along by his neck.

"I'm still capable of breaking his fucking legs!" Aro roared in response.

"It can wait until morning. Please, my love!"

Felix looked aghast to his mother. _It can wait? Surely you can give me a better defence than that mom - he_ _'s being entirely unreasonable!_

"I will be less inclined with a hangover." Aro said, glaring down his boy. He was reading every thought he had through his grip on his neck.

Aro continued to walk with Sulpicia pulling at his free arm. "No one was watching them, Aro, and we should have been." She implored. "This is my fault, my love. I will take them home."

Aro came to an abrupt stop. "No! Why should your night be ruined? Or mine? It was one night for god sake, why couldn't he just behave as he is expected to?"

Felix groaned.

"He didn't act alone, Aro." Sulpicia said, blocking her mate's path.

Felix saw his chance to explain himself out of trouble. "It was Athenodora's idea." He said quietly.

Aro ignored his boy, but Sulpicia twitched in response feeling her temper rising. _That bitch!_ She thought. _There is no way my son is going down for that bitch!_ Taking Aro's face in both hands, she kissed him deeply. It didn't take too long for Aro to release Felix and return her embrace. "I would think the young ones ALL thought it a wonderful idea to get drunk in full view of the entire gathering. It's quite daring, is it not."

Aro's mouth fell open as she pulled away _. I know what you are doing, my queen._ It was as though that kiss had sucked the anger from his body. Most of it at any rate.

"I'll have to whip him a little but he can come back out." He offered in compromise.

"That's worse!" Felix complained.

Sulpicia hushed her boy and turned back to her husband. "That way our night may continue in peace." She agreed.

"It's humiliating!" Felix complained further.

Aro took hold of Felix by his arm, squeezing unnecessarily tightly. "Although if he would prefer to be tied up in the dungeon perhaps I should call Caius instead."

"No!" Felix quit all his struggles and stood still at Aro's side.

"Why are you more scared of Caius than me?" Aro asked, it was growing to be a sticking point between Aro and Felix - the boy would always rather face his father than anyone else in the coven and Aro, misguidedly, took it as a personal slight against Aro's ability to discipline him properly.

That wasn't the reason, though. Felix knew that no matter how harsh Aro would be, he wouldn't permanently damage him but he feared that was a genuine risk with those outside of his household. Caius at least.

"I'm not, I just don't want to go to the dungeons." The boy eventually replied. "You know it scares me down there." He added, honestly.

"See, my love. He has some sense." Sulpicia said playfully.

"Sully, are you drunk?" Aro asked, biting his lip and suddenly wishing the castle was free of visitors.

Sulpicia knew what he was thinking. "Not nearly as drunk as you, my love." She whispered something else into his ear before she walked away, and from the look on Aro's face, Felix guessed it was something he wouldn't want to hear coming from his mother!

Sulpicia returned to the vampiric ladies and her drunk children. As she retook her seat Alec went to her side.

"We didn't know about the bloodwine." He said quietly into her ear.

"Of course you didn't, my darling." She said, smiling in front of their guests before pulling him close to whisper in his ear. "But if you really think either me or your father are foolish enough to believe you wouldn't have smelled the alcohol in the blood you drank, you are sadly mistaken."

Alec paled in front of his mother and slunk from her side back to Atia's protection. Jane, too, seemed glued to her grandmother - she didn't need to hear anything Sulpicia had to say on the matter, her mother's eyes conveyed everything that could be said well enough.

"Where are the boys, Sully?" Carmen asked in concern for her nephews.

"Aro has taken Felix, I'm not too sure where Demetri is." She replied.

"Tanya has wandered off, too. Isn't it strange?" Sasha interjected, completely oblivious that her daughters were making the most of the opportunity to fuck random vampires. Not that Sulpicia could really complain when two of those random vampires were her sons.

"Very strange." She said quietly resulting in Carmen bursting into laughter. Sulpicia soon joined in, _if you can_ _'t laugh you'll cry!_ She told herself.

Kebi got Sulpicia's attention. "What will happen to Felix, my lady?" she asked sounding fraught. "Where has master Aro taken the boy?"

Sulpicia sighed, "To punish him."

Kebi looked stricken as she sought out Benjamin and Tia in the crowd. They were as far away from Amun as possible but she saw her mate glaring daggers at their two young coven members.

Atia looked to Kebi's sympathetically. "Don't worry, my son has drunk far too much to do him any real harm." She said trying to sooth her concerns.

"Besides, Felix has a remarkable ability to bounce back very quickly." Carmen agreed. "And jump straight into the next drama!"

"I quite love that about him." Sulpicia said fondly, to the surprise of all visiting ladies.

"As do we all, Sulpicia." Atia offered her agreement.

"You all encourage his insolence?" Kebi asked with a look on her face that Sulpicia couldn't place _, is that confusion or distaste? Or disbelief, perhaps?_ She really wasn't sure.

"Felix isn't insolent, not often anyway. He just lives in the moment and doesn't dwell on the consequences." She replied, feeling the need to defend her boy. Felix rarely set out to cause trouble, he just wanted to have fun.

"He's a typical teenage boy - they have forever been the same." Atia agreed, again. It was rare for Sully to have Atia onside over her children but on this point they always agreed - Felix was just a teenager being a teenager.

"They are supposed to cause trouble." Sulpicia said, smiling to Atia and suddenly feeling less of a desire to extract her young twins from her grasp.

Kebi still looked concerned. "Are you okay Kebi?" Sulpicia asked, "Benjamin looked worried when I was over there." She added, assuming Kebi's young coven members were the woman's main concern. She was right.

"He and Tia knew they were not to drink the bloodwine. Amun will make his displeasure known when we are back in Egypt." She admitted, glancing to her mate who could barely hold a conversation with Marcus with his frustrations over the drinking incident.

"Do you ever intervene?" Sulpicia asked.

Atia was doing a statesman like job of diverting any attention from Sulpicia and Kebi, asking for thoughts on the treaty that had been brokered.

"No! I would never speak against Amun." Kebi replied in hurried whispers.

Sulpicia understood that, she had been the same for many years with Aro, he held so much power over her and, honestly, she had feared him for a time. "But you want to become a family, Kebi, you told me so." Sulpicia pushed.

"I do, I really do. But it is not my decision. Amun will decide." She said, "I think maybe Amun is less receptive that Aro to being critiqued in any way."

Sulpicia shook her head, "I think you would be wrong, and I understand your reticence. I really do. Even though we lived as a family since the young ones arrived in the coven, Aro was resistant to formally recognising the way we lived."

Kebi felt a glimmer of hope. "What changed?"

"It was a combined effort… eventually he came around." Sulpicia explained. "Once I started defending them, Aro had no choice really. He saw that I had become their mother whether he wanted to be their father or not."

Kebi took to slipping slowly from her bloodwine, letting Sulpicia's thoughts mull over in her mind.

Siobhan had drifted away from Atia's conversation and caught the end of Sulpicia's. "You have far more autonomy than I expected, my queen." She said, thinking over all she had seen and heard since arriving in Volterra.

"Is that why you sent Liam into the conference, Siobhan?" Sulpicia asked in return. "Did you fear you wouldn't have been taken seriously as a women in our court?"

Siobhan smiled coyly. "Was our deceit so obvious?" she asked.

Sulpicia stroked the woman's arm gently for a moment. "I will explain to Aro after you have all gone and future matters on the alliance will be directed to you."

"I appreciate your assistance, my lady." Siobhan was truly grateful. She knew Aro already knew, and of course Basileus would know, too, that she was head of the Irish coven. But having Sulpicia speak up for her intentions set Siobhan's mind at ease.

Aro and Felix appeared at the castle doors in the courtyard and everyone in attendance turned to see the pair emerging. Felix froze in arched doorway.

"What are you doing now?" Aro asked tiredly.

"I don't understand why you are making me come back out here." Felix hissed, begging Aro to send him to their quarters.

Aro had, quite frankly, had enough of his boy's complaints. "You will do as I say and I will do as I please." He hissed at his boy, waving his belt in Felix' face. "Is there anything else you don't understand?"

"Yes actually!" Felix shot back in an equally hissy tone. "Why haven't you put that back on?" he asked, gesturing to Aro's belt. "Are you trying to humiliate me?!" Felix felt incensed at the injustice of being reprimanded for something a whole group of them were doing, especially as Athenodora had given him the idea. His complaints hadn't washed with Aro, of course.

"Trying?" Aro smirked. "I think you suitably chastised, son, for now. Surely that's humiliation enough."

Felix looked murderously to his father. He wasn't about to get into a battle of wills with Aro out in the courtyard in front of so many people, so he contented himself with imagining punching the bastard square in the face.

"I could thrash you out here, too, if that would help?" Aro waved his belt in his sons face again.

 _Fuck no!_ Felix screamed inside his head. Truthfully the short hiding Aro had given him was delivered with none of his fathers usual efforts, _too drunk,_ Felix supposed. But he felt humiliated at being taken from the courtyard so forcefully and now having to skulk back amongst the guards who would tease him mercilessly. "Dad, please, there's so many people here!" he begged.

Aro laughed in his boy's face as he fixed his belt around his waist. _You didn_ _'t care about that when you were knocking back the bloodwine you little shit._ "I know." He replied. "I expect you to apologise to as many as you can before they leave, starting with your new buddy Benjamin."

Felix did his usual 'yeah, yeah'. Aro stopped his son before he could walk away. "You have caused him more pain than he will tell you."

Felix' mouth dropped open in shock. "Him more pain! What about me?!"

Aro raised an eyebrow to his boy, "we both know I hardly did you any harm." Felix looked away, he couldn't deny the fact. "Besides, you are still able to walk, my boy. Benjamin won't be so lucky."

Felix scoffed as he fell in line at his father's side, returning to the gathering at a human pace. "You said you were going to break my legs, it's something dads say." He replied.

Aro spoke quietly so no one would hear as they got close to the others. "Dads, maybe. Though my own would mean it. But Amun is a coven leader, not a father. He was not speaking figuratively, son."

"Oh." Felix felt sick. _That cunt_ _'s as evil as Caius!_ He thought, though he felt a pang of guilt thinking as such when he remembered Caius standing up for him with Henri. To be fair to Caius, though he had threatened to do Felix permanent damage a thousand times over since he'd joined the coven, he had never done more than whip him… and even then he got off lighter than the other guards who were being punished for the same thing.

"Hmm." Aro agreed with his son's sentiment. "Can I be assured that you will cause no more trouble until after the covens leave?"

"Yes." Felix replied grudgingly.

"Wonderful, then I will wait until they leave to punish you properly for everything you have done."

Felix looked askance to his father. _Properly?_ He thought.

"Earlier you were fighting with Demetri, calling out profanities for every one of our guests to hear. Before that, you fucked Irina and I hadn't even agreed terms with her mother by then!"

Felix let his head hang as Aro continued to explain just how fucked he was. _And me and Demetri thought you were letting things slide tonight!_ He questioned his own sanity thinking that now.

"If you think you are getting away with the little you have received so far, you are mistaken." Aro said, sealing the proverbial coffin. As they came face to face with the other masters and the male members of the visiting covens, Aro nudged his boy in the back. "Go and play, make me proud." He whispered menacingly.

Felix didn't get very far… Irina and Kate came rushing to the young guard.

"You bastard!" Irina accused.

"Me?" Felix questioned, looking nervously between the two Denali sisters. Aro and Eleazar shared a knowing look.

"SASHA!" Basileus called out, he wanted those girls out of his way - they were doing his head in with all the shrieking and the wailing and now they were cursing at his grandson in front of the Volturi masters and visiting covens. _Uncouth youth!_ He thought.

"What ever could be the matter?" Sasha asked, checking her daughters over for harm. She really had no clue, bless her.

Irina continued to glare at Felix who was busy asking for the ground to swallow him whole - _please, Hades, please come up here and bring me down to your hell, it will be a welcomed relief._

"Felix has fucked us both!" Irina stated to a shocked audience.

Felix grimaced _, or you could just leave me here to die a slow and painful death, thanks for the help._

Everybody froze.

They were all, Volturi and visitors alike, waiting for Aro or Basileus to react.

Atia took the moment of inaction to flash to her middle boy's side. "Aro, my dear, if you speak when you are this angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." She whispered into his ear. "Let me take the young ones to the tower, you still have work to do." She reminded him, hoping he would see sense and perform damage limitations with his guests.

Aro nodded to his mother, "take them all." He commanded, seeing Demetri strolling around the castle gate hand in hand with Tanya. He was glad Atia was there - Aro didn't fancy Felix' chances if he'd had to go with Basileus. _Atia is right,_ he thought _, I can_ _'t leave yet._

Aro took another moment or two to quell the anger he felt inside, his eye twitched and every breath he took burned. Pushing Felix away by his head, as though his to share his air caused him offence, Aro ground out dangerously quietly - "get out of my sight."


	91. After Thoughts

**After Thoughts**

Aro and Basileus strolled through the crowded great hall and headed straight for the raised throne platform at the end. Aro took his throne - he was so exhausted from the mental effort of holding everything together for the last few days that he could have happily flopped into that throne and hung over the sides, but Atia was behind him and he didn't want to give her any ammunition to call him out in front of everyone. Sitting up straight he addressed his coven.

"My friends, we have played our hand brilliantly. I am personally grateful to each and every one of you." He sang out happily, ensuring he caught Kat's eye, he offered her wink. He was perhaps most grateful of all to Kat for getting one over on Henri.

Unfortunately, Aro's joy was to be short lived as his gaze travelled around the crowd and landed on his own children. No one else noticed, but the four of them saw the smile fall, momentarily, from Aro's face before he plastered his game face back on.

"Exciting times lie ahead of us, as a united vampiric race." The coven, guards and masters alike, were a buzz of happy chatter as they each envisaged the future - it wasn't often that vampires affected change, they generally left that to the humans, so to be at the forefront of such a monumental event was exciting in the extreme.

Basileus leaned in to his son's ear and nudged his shoulder to get his attention. "Aro, as great as this is, everyone is exhausted. Dismiss them all so we may retire to our chambers."

Aro nodded, that sounded just what he needed, too. "Magnus, do you have any rounds that need completing or can they all take some time out?" Aro asked his coven mate, loudly.

 _You bastard_ , Magnus thought. He knew what Aro was doing.

The guards cheered and whooped for Aro giving them time off, though they all had one eye on Magnus. Someone would have to stay on watch, especially with so many outside covens in the area… sure, they had all left the castle grounds but after they disappeared into the heavy woodland surrounding the royal coven, the Volturi wouldn't know if they were close or not.

"I suppose I could cover surveillance today." Magnus agreed, dejectedly.

The guards were happy with that. After a little more self-congratulations for all the Volturi had achieved, the coven dispersed with most wanting to find some downtime from a tense, though mostly enjoyable few days.

"I will take first watch, my love." Freyr called as she passed her mate. Magnus followed her with his eyes longingly.

"Aro you are a cock. A clever cock, but still… a cock." He said as he stalked over to Aro's throne.

Aro feigned ignorance, "I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about." He said, desperately trying to keep a straight face. He failed.

Magnus narrowed his eyes, "Don't you think I have covered enough shifts whilst you were 'indisposed'?"

Aro laughed, he had been off royal duties for two months prior to the covens convening… mainly because Basileus had broken his left leg when he beat him for fighting with Eleazar, but he wasn't telling Magnus that. "I was busy planning this whole event, hardly taking time off."

Magnus smirked, "oh really?"

 _Fuck! He knows!_ Aro thought in panic.

"Because the way I heard it you…" Basileus pulled Magnus back, cutting off his words.

"Would either of you like to feel the full effects of my wrath? I wonder how many of your bones I could shatter with just one strike?"

Aro paled instantly, "god no."

Magnus smirked to Aro's obvious fear… not that he wanted a round from Basileus himself, and he said as much, but it was kind of nice to see someone getting one over on Aro - Magnus knew Basileus' threat was largely empty.

"I will get you back, Aro, don't you worry." Magnus sang out playfully as Basileus shoved him away with stern expression.

Sulpicia and Carmen left for their quarters, taking the children with them. The four of them were exhausted. Marcus, too, took his chance to slip out un-accosted.

"Do you think all the covens will be true to their word?" Caius asked before any of the other masters could leave. "Some of your choices, Aro. The French coven…" he said, trailing off.

Aro grimaced, "yes, I know Henri is hard work. But until another coven rises in France we will be stuck with him." He said, hoping a new coven showed themselves soon!

Basileus had to agree, "Caius," he called, and noticed Caius' panicked look before he eventually smiled in reply. "Your efforts with Henri have been noted, I very proud of you for holding it together there, I imagine it couldn't have been easy for you. Well done."

Caius was taken aback, he wasn't used to being praised for his conduct, especially not from the creator! "Thank you, my lord." He said, a quick furtive glance around the group and Caius realised they all, Magnus, Aro, and Eleazar appeared to agree with Basileus. Caius positively glowed!

Eleazar soon started scowling, he had suffered more than Caius in his mind. "The Denali's are way worse than the French - can we swap next time, Caius?"

Caius laughed, "I would have to agree with you El, I would have locked those girls up as soon as they arrived!"

"At least you could drug your charges!" Eleazar shot back enviously.

"Caius only did that prior to the conference, El." Basileus smoothed, though one look to Caius told him otherwise. "I did tell you not to take anymore, didn't I?" he said sternly as Caius shrank into his throne, unable to form a sentence.

Basileus continued, "I allow you to take that dirty blood for your work Caius, and because you aren't the idiot this one is when he's on it."

Aro's mouth fell open, "harsh, dad!"

Basileus raised one eyebrow to his boy and that was enough for Aro to end his complaint. "If you are unable to follow my orders when it come to that drug I will have to assume you are a greater risk with dungeon blood than I previously thought!"

Caius' breathing became laboured as he tried to excuse himself for going against the creator. _I can_ _'_ _t work without that stuff!_ He thought, panicked. He needed dungeon blood to see him through some of his darker jobs for the Volturi.

Basileus let him stew for whilst he continued to glare at the coven leader. "Don't let it happen again." He finally said, much to Caius' relief.

An awkward silence fell between the group until Eleazar stepped up to break it. "What made you choose the Denali's?" he directed to his brother. The young Denali members has certainly made a strong first impression on the Volturi coven, and it wasn't good.

Basileus smiled to himself, "Sasha is harmless enough." He said, with a look on his face making it clear he was reliving some memories to himself.

"Harmless? She's off her head!" Eleazar retorted. He had suffered his first ever migraine having Sasha's daughters in his chambers. He didn't care what anyone said about vampiric health, he did have a migraine!

"That's a little harsh, El." Basileus replied, his son's complaint bringing him abruptly from his pleasant memories.

"I understand you have a history with her, dad, but she has no control over those girls."

Basileus' eyes widened for a moment as he glared to Eleazar. "Watch your mouth!" He hissed. "History indeed!" he added with a scoff, though he couldn't meet anyone's eye.

Aro caught Eleazar's arm and pulled him close before he could say anything else. "He's going to slap you if you carry on brother," he whispered. Eleazar tutted and stalked away from Aro's throne, taking a seat in Freyr's vacated seat _._

 _I wonder what Sasha told you about our father?_ Aro thought, watching his brother. Whatever it was, he was sure Eleazar would tell him, for now he wanted to get his father's attention away from his brother, and Caius for that matter. Basileus wondering about dungeon blood consumption would be disastrous for Aro!.

"I invited the Denali coven because of the young members." He said, answering Eleazar's earlier question. "They need watching. Plus, she lives closer to Stefan and Vladimir's territories than any other vampire. Sasha affability makes her appear non-threatening and useless…"

"She is non-threatening and useless!" Eleazar interrupted. "Her daughters are a pain in the ass!"

Aro sighed, _do you have a death wish brother?_ "The Denali's will be very useful, tactically." He qualified as his reason for inviting Sasha's coven.

"You can find someone else to babysit them next time, I won't have those girls in my quarters again." Eleazar stated forcefully. "Perhaps you will oblige, my lord?" he added cheekily, instantly regretting his words as soon as they landed on Basileus' ear.

Crack!

Basileus flashed to his son's seat and slapped him hard across the mouth. "You really are struggling to watch your errant tongue, my boy, would you like some help?" he asked dangerously.

Eleazar held his throbbing cheek in his hand, "that was all the help I needed, dad."

Aro chuckled, despite his better sense.

Basileus rounded on his middle boy. "Don't you need to go and sort your own house, son?" he asked, though it felt more like an order to Aro. Aro sat up straight.

"Caius, were you not even slightly suspect that Felix and his motley crew were lugging a full barrel of blood outside?" he asked in an attempt to deflect his father's attention again.

"Not really, no." Caius chose not to mention that he was feeling pretty mellow at the time from the dungeon blood he'd taken. "I even stood up for them against Henri." He added, thinking that was particularly kind, if not usual of him.

"But you didn't think to check they were drinking the plain blood?" Aro pushed, _Caius could have averted this whole mess!_ Aro thought in annoyance.

Caius wasn't willing to take the blame for the little prince being an idiot. "What do you think I am? The fucking night watchman?" he growled in reply.

"You can't blame Caius, Aro." Basileus intercepted his son and shoved him back into his throne before he had chance to make a bad situation worse. "No one was watching the younger coven members," he added, seeing Aro look askance to his defence of Caius.

"I think we all got a little side tracked." Magnus added as he sensed Aro and Caius' mood shifting towards aggression. Magnus was particularly fearful of another serious ruction between the coven masters - even though Basileus had assured him of his position on numerous occasions now, he didn't want to push him into changing his mind.

"Exactly, Magnus." Basileus nodded his agreement. "In the end, no real harm was done." He said placatingly to his son.

"Harm will be done, dad, it isn't the end yet." Aro growled, though his anger now was towards his own sons and what he planned on doing to them.

"Granted, you must do what you must do." Basileus agreed, "BUT, with the visiting covens, I think everything went well, we have achieved all we set out to do."

Aro breathed deeply and exhaled very slowly, _we have, it_ _'_ _s taken some effort, but everything went to plan, the treaty was agreed. It was a success!_ He told himself.

Basileus caught his son's thoughts and he had to agree with them. "Your ability with duplicity amazes me, Aro. You have proved you can be all thing to all men during these last few days. I am so very proud of you, son."

Aro smiled, he felt quite proud of himself but it was felt good to hear it coming from his father. He wouldn't show that though. Aro stood and pushed Basileus away lightly. "All these years together and it still surprises you that I can lace up my own boots."

"Well I spent so long doing them for you." Basileus replied, pushing him back.

That was about as much physical attention Aro was comfortable with outside of their private chambers - good or bad!

"We have a few family things to deal with, come." Basileus called to his sons who duly followed him from the throne room.

Aro had felt the weight on his shoulders alleviate when he saw his family leaving with the guard… that weight came crashing back down now as they made their way through the halls towards the south tower.

When Aro opened the door to the south tower stairwell, he was confronted with the twins listening outside Basileus' door. They froze. Aro could hear Atia talking, he presumed to Sulpicia and Carmen, though Carlisle could have been in there too for all he knew. Jane started backing up to the foot of the stairs.

"Scram!" Aro ordered the pair of them.

They didn't need to be told twice - they were gone in an instant.

"Are you ready?" Aro asked his father with a hand on the door.

Basileus sighed, he could hear his mate's frustrations though the wood and would have sacrificed a son or two to be able to avoid what was to come. "Go ahead." He said to Aro with another sigh.

Aro opened the door and all three women in his family turned angry eyes on him. "Whoa!" he said, standing back, letting Basileus go first. Eleazar had the sense to stand well back, too.

Basileus scoffed and went inside. "My dear, is all well?" He asked Atia and he took a seat between the belligerent females.

"No! All is not well!" Atia snapped. "Did you know Sulpicia sent Athenodora away from the gathering when the covens were here? In full view of many visiting vampires, no less!"

Basileus narrowed his eyes to his daughter in law. "Is that true?" he asked. Sulpicia took a small step backwards, Carmen mimicked her movements. "I will take that as an admission of guilt." Basileus said, mainly to himself.

Aro scrubbed a hand down his face. "Athenodora gave the children the idea for the bloodwine, so I think she got Sully back for that one."

Atia rounded on Sulpicia again. "Do you see what your fight with Athenodora has caused now?" she asked. "What is wrong with you both?" she added, dragging Carmen in on the round of fucks. "This competition you have with Athenodora…"

"We don't have a competition with her." Sulpicia said, roiling her eyes.

"We hardly even think of her at all." Carmen added, stifling a giggle with her sister in law.

"What is wrong with you both?" Atia asked again, throwing her hands into the air. "We were supposed to be showing a united coven to our guests and you took the moment to publicly humiliate a leading lady of the coven because she said something you didn't like!"

"It was more than that, actually." Carmen tried to defend herself. "Athenodora was being a bitch!"

Sulpicia agreed. "Which she proved by getting my children drunk! Athenodora spoke against me and she put Felix up to stealing bloodwine!"

"You credit her with too much power, Sulpicia." Atia felt like her head was about to burst, she was going around and around in circles with the Volturi women and no matter how she approached it she just couldn't make her daughter in laws see that they by attacking Athenodora they were damaging themselves, too.

"Perhaps I should address you two about your mates' behaviour?" she asked, turning to Aro and Eleazar.

They groaned in unison, neither wanting to be any part of Atia's verbal smack down.

"Why us?" Eleazar asked, he had no control over Carmen and everyone knew it.

"In this patriarchal world we live in, women are the chattels of men, are they not?" Atia said plainly.

Though Carmen and Sulpicia both pooh-poohed the idea of being owned by their mates, Atia pushed on.

"With the humans, the law supposes a woman to be under her husband's direction. Vampire law would lay that blame with the coven leader. In any circumstance, a woman in this world is owned by someone or other, are they not?"

Basileus looked to his mate, _nobody owns you, my dear, he thought._ "If that is what the law supposes, then the law is clearly a bachelor!" he laughed.

"You may well laugh, my dear, but the only reason you think otherwise is because your mate is independent and relies on you for nothing."

Carmen and Sulpicia looked to each other with worried eyes. Atia was most definitely independent - they most definitely were not.

Atia could tell her words were sinking in, finally. "If you keep fighting against other women in this coven you will never change a damn thing around here." She told them plainly.

"What exactly do you want to change?" Aro dared to broach.

"A good many things, son." Atia said as she stroked his face lightly, using her gift to block his gift as she did so.

It was clear from Sulpicia and Carmen's expressions that they knew of the 'good many things' that were to be changed in his coven, and the very thought unnerved Aro. Basileus and Eleazar too for that matter.

"I won't keep warning you, ladies." Atia said to her daughters in law. "Basileus may be resistant to disciplining your unacceptable actions, but I find no such struggle with the same premise."

Carmen looked to Sully, hoping she would speak up for them both. As a slave before she was turned she had suffered terrible and unwarranted beatings, but since her transformation her life had been pain free and there was no way in hell she was going to allow Atia to be the one to change that.

Atia, employing the use of Basileus' gift read such thoughts in Carmen's mind. "It is not for you to allow me, or not, my dear."

Sulpicia remained quiet, and kept her mind blank. It was a trick she had perfected after centuries of living with a mind reader. Atia stared at Sulpicia waiting for something to slip though, but nothing came. Sulpicia would think about Atia's decree later, for now she just stared ahead, saying nothing.

Carlisle had remained silent throughout, sitting quietly and reading beside the fireplace with an ear on the events playing out. Basileus had almost forgotten about his youngest son until the flickering fire caught his eye, and in turn, he noticed Carlisle.

"Do I need to have words with you?" he asked with a threatening tone.

Carlisle knew he was referring to the amount of time he had spent with Victoria, but he had a clean slate. Good god how he wished he hadn't, it had taken every ounce of restraint for him not to nip off and fuck her. _She was up for it, too,_ he thought longingly. But no, after Atia had bollocked him in the throne room early in the festivities, Carlisle had remained true to his word.

"Feel free to invade my privacy and check my memories, I didn't do anything wrong."

Basileus did just that. When he withdrew from his son's head, he looked repulsed.

"What happened?" Aro asked, hoping Carlisle hadn't fucked things up.

"Nothing, but his desires were quite vivid for everything he would have liked to have happened with the English woman!" Basileus shook his head, "no father should have to see that Carlisle!"

Carlisle smirked, "stay out of my head then!" he said, returning to his book. He continued to play out his fantasies in his mind, tormenting poor Basileus.


	92. Respect

**AN:** So Felix pushes things a little too far in this one... the kid's got balls!

* * *

 **Respect**

Jane and Alec ran back up the stairs to the top floor suite after being caught by their father. Rather than going to their own room they ran straight to Felix and Demetri's room, bursting through the door and diving onto Demetri's bed, much to their brother's surprise.

"What did you hear?" Felix asked hurriedly from his own bed.

They were all worn out from staying awake through the night and drinking quite heavily, but none of them would be able to sleep until they knew what to expect from their parents after the trouble they had caused. Atia had convinced them to go to their rooms, but they had spent the night discussing the visiting covens and just how much trouble they were in.

"We were just listening to mom and dad talking about what to do with you two…" Jane lied sweetly. "I really think they are going to let you off." She lied, again.

"Really?" Felix asked hopefully. Demetri wasn't so easily fooled.

"Are you kidding?!" Jane asked, bursting out laughing. "They are going to kill you guys!" Jane and Alec were both enjoying their brothers coming demise.

"Do you think we will be grounded?" Felix asked, with Demetri looking at him like he was stupid.

"Yeah," Alec answered, "into dust!" the twins were laughing again.

"You two aren't so squeaky clean this time." Demetri pointed out.

"Us?" Jane asked, "What did we do"

"You both knew that blood was bloodwine, you could smell it, I know you could." Demetri pointed out.

"You can't prove that." Jane said with her arms folded across her chest triumphantly.

"Maybe not, but Aro can." Felix said with a pleased smirk.

Alec stayed quiet. Sulpicia had made it clear she knew they drank the bloodwine knowingly. They weren't 'squeaky-clean' and he knew it, even if Jane didn't.

Jane rolled her eyes. "You should be more worried about yourselves." She said to her big brothers.

Demetri took the bait. "Jane, you drank so much that you threw up and passed out - do you think dad's going to let you off with a slap on the wrist for that?"

Felix scoffed. "Probably will with her, she gets away with murder."

"It's because I am the favourite." Jane preened in reply. They all knew that was true.

"There's no accounting for taste." Demetri told her, shoving his sister.

"Clearly!" she said, pushing him back.

Demetri almost fell of the bed with how hard she shoved him. _Witch_ , he thought. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You pair and those Denali girls." She shot, with a face of disgust. They were attractive girls but so damn annoying with their shrieking and constant chatter that it was beyond Jane how her brothers could have got close enough to fuck them! All of them! "Did you even fancy them?" she pushed.

Demetri and Felix shared a shrug.

"Not in my head…" Felix admitted. "They were really annoying. But the rest of my body doesn't really mind if I don't fancy them."

Demetri chuckled to himself, agreeing with the sentiment.

Jane looked like she had swallowed bad blood. "Depraved oaf!"

Alec had barely heard his brothers and sister talking, he was far too worried about facing Aro. Unlike Jane, Alec feared Aro's hard hand. He knew their father wouldn't treat him as lightly as his sister and he was scared. "What do you think Aro will really do to us?" he asked his siblings, trying to hide the panic in his voice.

"Getting worried, little brother?" Felix asked, winding Alec up, but when he saw his baby brother pale before him, he changed tack. "Hey, you don't have anything to worry about, Aro will be far more interested in bollocking me."

Alec felt queasy, he looked it too.

Felix moved to sit next to him on Demetri's bed. "Are you really that scared?" he asked with an arm around Alec.

Alec nodded miserably.

Felix wanted to protect him, Jane too for that matter, even if she had been winding him up. He released a deep sigh. "I will take the wrap. I have it coming anyway."

"No, you don't have to do that." Alec said, he didn't want Felix being punished any more harshly than he deserved.

"Whilst I don't really want you to take the heat for us all, brother…" Demetri started.

Felix interrupted him. "yeah, you so do!"

Demetri's involuntary smirk gave him away. "But how could you make that happen… even though I don't expect you to?"

Felix leaned back on Demetri's bed and folded his arms behind his head. "I'll just argue with him - piece of piss." He said confidently.

Felix was confident about being able to take the wrap for the four of them, he was even sure that whatever Aro would do, he would recover… eventually. The only nagging doubt he had was whether Aro would make good on his threat to throw him in the dungeons and into Caius' care. Carlisle had overheard Basileus and Atia talking about the set up Aro had arranged to get Felix and Carlisle back in line - and of course he had shared that knowledge with Felix… but Aro didn't know that Felix knew. The boy had been holding onto that piece of information even though Aro had continued to lightly threaten him with being thrown out of the tower - this would be the perfect time to throw it back at his dad. And if it would save his brothers from Aro's wrath, (not so much Jane, she needed little protection from their father anyway) then he would do it. Felix wasn't just being magnanimous. He was furious with his father for humiliating him in front of the visitors and he welcomed the excuse to argue with Aro and release his frustrations.

"Felix, you need to be careful, Aro will already be on the warpath." Demetri warned his brother, he could see Felix was looking forward to the coming altercation in a way that only Felix could - Demetri didn't understand it at all.

Felix did enjoy arguing with their father, not so much the repercussions, they always sucked, _but the blazing row will be fun!_ He thought. Looking forward to letting off some steam. "Fuck Aro." Felix replied gleefully.

"FUCK ARO?" Aro bellowed as he booted his sons' door open.

"Here we go." Felix said to his siblings, eyes glinting with excitement.

Demetri held his head in his hands and wondered if Felix was still drunk! Aro looked furious but Felix bounced from foot to foot, readying himself for the verbal brawl. He kept his mind free of the physical assault that would no doubt follow, for now he was ready to rip Aro to shreds.

"What the hell were you lot thinking?" Aro asked casting his angry glare over all four of his children.

Demetri and the twins backed up on his bed but none of them could look away, they knew what Felix was about to do and though they mainly felt gratitude that he was going to redirect their father's attention, they were also keen for the floor show to begin.

"It's like a ray of sunshine just entered the room." Felix joked, displaying none of the fear his siblings showed.

Aro did a double take and questioned his own hearing! _Is he seriously taking the piss?_

"Are you still drunk?" Aro asked, grabbing Felix' face and turning him to the light streaming through the windows so he could check the boy's eyes.

"No, I'm just pissed off!" Felix replied.

Aro eyes darkened with his rising temper and he squeezed his fingers into Felix' cheeks. "Your tongue is sharper than your brain, boy." He growled shoving Felix back hard by his head. "Keep it up and you will be Caius' problem before nightfall!"

Felix returned Aro's glare as he rubbed his jaw, small bruises lined his face from Aro's short-lived hold.

Demetri panicked, "Felix, you don't have to do this, just stop and think!" Demetri didn't know that his brothers short stint in the dungeons was fake and Aro had no intention of ever sending any of them away.

Aro laughed, "don't make your brother think, Demetri, you will give him a head ache from the effort." He had expected Felix to rise to anger so he was most surprised to see his son smirking in return. "What's so funny, you damn ingrate?"

Felix started laughing. "I know." He said simply.

"Know what?" Aro asked, already bored of Felix' games.

"I know it was all bullshit. I know you set me and Carlisle up. I know you would never send me away from this family. I KNOW!"

That caught Aro off guard! His uncertainty only chanced his face for a moment, but Felix saw it, and Aro knew he had.

"Just because I didn't mean it then, doesn't mean I don't mean it now, son." Aro ground out in pure anger.

Felix laughed again. "Yeah, alright." He said dismissively with his arms folded across his chest.

Aro felt his body shaking with his rage _. I will deal with you separately,_ he thought to his eldest before turning on the other three. "You have trespassed on my generosity." He said with great disappointment.

"Generosity? What generosity!" Felix asked.

Though Aro kept his back to him he answered him anyway. "I allowed you to attend the celebrations, against my better judgement. And you have proved me right!" He said to his young ones. "ALL of you!" He shouted, making the three of them flinch. They all looked to Felix rather than Aro, and Aro realised then what Felix was trying to do. _Fool!_

Felix knew he was losing and that only egged him on to attack harder. "You wouldn't let us drink, you hardly included us in conversation, and then you complain about us creating our own fun!" he said as he paced around his room.

"Your attitude will be your down fall, son." Aro replied, again without turning to face his goading boy.

"My attitude?!" Felix repeated in astonishment. "My attitude is based on how you treat me!"

Growing annoyed with his father ignoring him, Felix grabbed Aro's arm and pulled hard to spin him around. Felix rarely used his full strength outside of battles or tournaments. It wasn't allowed, he knew that. So Aro was caught unawares when Felix forcibly moved him the way he did. Aro shook Felix off his arm and walked towards his boy. His eyes danced with rage and though Felix wanted to resist, he felt himself taking a step back with each of Aro's steps forward.

"How do I treat you?" Aro asked, cocking his head to the side and appraising his son's demeanour, trying to work out how far Felix would go in his clear quest to save his siblings from punishment.

"I was destined to plough fields and fuck slaves before you turned me, and now I'm cooped up in this fucking tower all the time!"

Aro whipped his hand across Felix' face so fast that the boy felt it before he heard the crack. _Fuck that hurt!_ He screamed inside his head. Though he kept his eyes glued on Aro in case he struck again _. That_ _'_ _s the only one you_ _'_ _re landing on me today!_ He said to himself. _Next time, I_ _'_ _ll hit you back._

"I'm standing no more of your mouth. That's the only warning you are getting, boy."

Aro walked away from his eldest shaking his head. He was ready to implode with the effort of not snapping his son's neck! "I know what you are doing, you are only making things worse for everyone." He called to his eldest and promptly pulled Alec up from Demetri's bed.

"Leave him alone!" Felix growled.

Aro heard the threat in his son's tone and had he not been so pissed off, he would have laughed. As it was he released Alec and turned back to Felix. Felix congratulated himself for getting Aro to do what he'd instructed.

"Do you really think any of you will get away with the way you behaved?" Aro scoffed. "You are only succeeding in dragging out the inevitable, son."

"What did we do that was so bad?" Felix asked, genuinely feeling hard done to.

"You and your idiot brother fucked our guests you reprobate!" Aro screamed, inches from his son's face.

Felix took it, but he was slipping passed defending his siblings now, and he wasn't enjoying goading Aro anymore either. He was entering the power play he had so often attempted with his father, but this time, he wasn't backing down. The memory of his last attempt at exerting his power against Aro floated through his mind… _that fucking uniform!_ He thought, before pushing the image of his old grey rags from his mind and focusing on his father.

"Carlisle did the same." He said through gritted teeth, annoyed that yet again he was being treated differently to his slightly older counterpart.

"You are wrong, son. Carlisle did no such thing. Trust me, I checked." Aro said gleefully ruining Felix' comeback. "NOT that it matters what my brother did or did not do. YOU are a child, as I seemingly have to remind you so fucking often." Aro shoved Felix hard in the chest. "And who do you think you are getting the whole cohort of CHILDREN drunk?!"

Felix seethed. "The guards were pissed, you were pissed, everyone was fucking pissed!" And then he pushed Aro back!

Aro looked down to his son's hand on his chest and began to growl dangerously. He took Felix' hand in his own and twisted it back until Felix was his knees. Aro stood over his boy exerting just enough pressure to for Felix to wonder if he was going to snap his wrist. "Anything else to say?" Aro sang out.

"What else do you expect from me?" Felix called out. It was clear from his tone that he was in pain.

Aro toyed with the idea of actually going through with snapping his wrist, _so tempting,_ he said to himself. "I expected you to be repentant, son." He said, keeping his son on his knees.

"Repentant?" Felix repeated with audacity dripping through his tone. "After you embarrassed me in front of the covens? I have nothing to repent! My earlier shame is my repent!"

Aro cocked his head again and pressed a little harder until Felix had his face only an inch or so from the floor. "So you are still angry?" he asked patronisingly.

Felix couldn't take anymore, when Aro pressed into his bended wrist again so his face was flattened to the floor, Felix kicked out, booting Aro in the shin. "Damn right I am angry!" he roared, springing to his feet.

Aro hopped backwards breathing through the sharp pain in his leg. "Have you forgotten who it is you are talking to?" he thundered as he grabbed Felix by the scruff of his neck.

Felix pulled away again. "I'm not scared of you." He declared. "And you should remember I am stronger than you are!"

Aro stood up straight. "That's true enough, son. But I can handle you, even with your superior strength. I have done, many, many times. And I have never wanted you to fear me, but you will respect me." He said as he approached.

"Like fuck I will!" Felix announced, squaring up to his father.

Demetri and the twins all watched with wide eyes. They had never witnessed anyone losing their mind before - and they were sure that's what was happening to Felix!

"I'm done with your puerile games." Aro said sounding bored as he walked back to the doorway. "SULLY!" he called out.

Felix felt a little off guard, he had expected Aro to batter him, truth be know. Having his mother in for the show wasn't part of his plan.

"You will have to deal with these three." Aro told his mate, gesturing to their younger children huddle together on the bed. "Felix has done his level best to keep them from my wrath, but not yours."

Sulpicia nodded. She wouldn't punish them as such, they would have to wait for their father for that, but she had a plenty to say to her young ones and was glad for the chance.

"He forgets they have two parents." Aro added, watching for Felix' reaction.

Felix should have been annoyed at least, Aro assumed, as that was why the boy had stood up to his father in the first place. But that charade was long gone in Felix' mind - he was all about showing Aro he had no hold over him now.

Aro chuckled to himself, "silly boy!" he said, purposely winding up Felix further. He took a seat on Demetri's bed and eyed each of his children in turn. "Once I am done putting that idiot firmly in his place, I will be back for you three." He heard them gulp down their fear simultaneously. "I think I will have a chat with each of you in private." He added.

Aro was pleased to hear no resistance from his younger ones, though he did catch Demetri cursing to himself _. I_ _'_ _ll leave that, for now._ He thought, rounding on his eldest again. "Your sense of entitlement is giving me the rage." He growled seeing the petulant youth that stood before him.

"Calm down, my love." Sulpicia said gently to her husband.

"Calm down?" Aro repeated, laughing humourlessly. "I have not even begun to show my anger!"

He turned to Felix. "I have no desire to humiliate you, but you are forcing my hand. By the gods, when I have finished you will feel too ashamed to ever walk our halls again." Aro told him resolutely.

"You have already accomplished that!" Felix spat in reply, shocking Sulpicia.

"Felix, back down and apologise for your rudeness and we can bring an end to this." She insisted. _When will you learn? You never win these battles, why do you do it?!_

"I'm not scared of him or anything he thinks he can do to me." He said to his mother, before turning back to his father and fixing him in his eye. "So go fuck yourself." He spat, looking down his nose to Aro and whatever scheme he had come up with this time.

Aro repeated his son's words over in his mind, rolling them around only confirmed that he had to put the boy in his place. "You are very foolish, my boy." He sang out happily, "and you will regret your little tantrum soon enough."

Sulpicia felt her stomach flip in worry for her boy, but Felix remained unfazed, if anything he seemed even angrier with the way Aro was talking down to him like an errant toddler.

Aro strolled out the door, kissing his mate sweetly as he left. "Come on then." He called to Felix, "let's see how tough you really are."

Aro didn't look behind him, he knew Felix was following. Stopping outside his brother suite, he rapped his knuckled against the door.

"Aro… and Felix… and Felix is still walking?" Carmen joked when she opened the door.

"For now," Aro said darkly. "May I borrow my brother?"

"What for?" Eleazar called out from the living chamber.

"I am failing in my duty of care towards my child and I need your help." Aro answered looking Felix up and down and laughing to himself.

That had Eleazar's interest piqued and he flashed to the door. "Interesting." He said to his brother.

Felix scoffed and looked away in disgust.

Eleazar caught his nephew's gesture. "Very interesting."

Aro smirked and led his brother and son down to Basileus' suite. "Can Basileus come out to play?" Aro asked his mother happily.

Atia leaned into the door frame and bit her bottom lip. "Very cute, son." She said, wondering what was going on. "But your father isn't here. He's gone to see Marcus, I believe."

"That's a shame… could you send him to the guard hall when he gets back?" Atia nodded and watched as Aro damn near skipped away. She knew her boy well enough by now to know that his happiness was forced, and therefore a cause for concern!

"So we are going to the guard hall then?" Felix grunted as he trudged through the halls behind his father.

"It may be your last ever visit there, son. It's a shame you won't enjoy it." Aro sang out as he led them to Caius door. "Busy?" he asked his brother in arms when he opened the door wearing only a bed sheet.

"Very," Caius said, tugging his sheet tightly around his waist, "so this had better be good."

Aro smirked, "I think you will enjoy what I have to offer." Aro said in return, his eyes darting towards his son.

"More than Heidi and my mate?" Caius asked quietly.

Aro laughed, "well I'm not fucking you Caius, so I can't compete with that."

"And whatever I need to do with you can't keep for an hour, I suppose?" Caius replied, a little annoyed.

"An hour?! Who are you kidding?!" Aro scoffed - he knew Caius couldn't last an hour! "You could finish up and be dressed and in the guard hall in ten minutes."

Eleazar burst out laughing, Felix would have too if he wasn't so pissed off.

"You aren't winning me over here, Aro!" Caius huffed.

"Come on, hurry up. Meet us in the guard hall." Aro said before walking away.

Caius shut his door, grumbling about the infringements on his downtime.

"Well doesn't he look happy!" Magnus announced when he saw Felix with a face of thunder behind Aro and Eleazar.

"Yes, he is a scowly child isn't he." Aro agreed, blatantly goading his son.

Felix forced himself to look away, though he mumbled a perfectly audible 'prick' in the process. He really didn't care what Aro going to do to him. He was bothered, however, about 'whatever it was' taking place in the very public guard hall _. I_ _'_ _ve been through that before, I can take it._ He told himself. _You can slap me about in here but I won_ _'_ _t back down, I don_ _'_ _t give a fuck for whatever decrees you are going to announce against me._ Felix assumed that was why Aro had collected up some of the higher-ups on their way to the guard hall, believing Aro would be making public any restrictions that were to be placed on him after his fuck up with the Denali girls. He really didn't care. He might have been a little more bothered, however, if he knew Aro's real intentions!

Magnus looked to Eleazar in hope of some explanation but Eleazar merely shrugged as Aro hadn't told him anything yet. "What's going on?" He eventually asked after the four of them had been stood by his desk like lemons for five minutes.

"We are waiting for Caius." Aro answered plainly.

He could see the guards in the hall were all eagerly waiting, too. He considered telling them to busy themselves away from the action. _No, sod it. Let them watch. Felix thinks he doesn_ _'_ _t care. I_ _'_ _ll make him care!_ He thought about his disrespectful boy.

"And when Caius gets here, we will be doing what, exactly?" Eleazar followed up Magnus' question.

Aro smiled, but he didn't answer and Caius strolled through the doors only moments later.

Looking to the clock, Aro smiled cheekily. "I make that seven minutes… did you finish twice?"

"You're a prick." Caius replied with a smile, though as he was still tucking in his shirt both Aro and Eleazar laughed.

"Now we are all here…" Magnus prompted.

"We need to make a public display of unity, brother." Aro said, pulling Felix into the middle of the masters. "Felix has declared I hold no power over him and therefore he has no reason to bend to my will."

"Oh, has he?" Caius asked rhetorically as he looked at Felix, still unrepentant and making no attempt to deny Aro's words.

Eleazar said nothing, his mouth fell open as he wondered what retribution Aro would be seeking that could involve them all in the most public venue of the castle.

"I know, I was equally surprised." Aro said with a smile.

Aro sounded calm but Magnus could feel his rage brimming beneath the surface. He was worried for Felix, but if the boy had really been so stupid… "Were those the boy's words, Aro?" he asked, hoping to find a way out for his co-master's son.

"His exact words were 'I'm not scared of you or anything you think you can do to me, so go fuck yourself'."

Eleazar whistled into the air. _You have gone and done it Felix. Why do you back Aro into the corner like this?_ He thought to his nephew who remained scowling and refusing to engage with those around him.

Aro pointed out his boy's lack of interest. "I am at a loss, my friends." He said, sounding forlorn. "What should I do?"

"You should punish him, Aro." Caius stated plainly.

Aro nodded as he pretended to contemplate Caius' words. "I would, of course. But he fears nothing I have to offer."

"Nothing?" Magnus asked, he could think of a few things Felix would fear - _being punished in my guard hall would be pretty high on that list_.

"Apparently not." Aro said, looking for Felix to show any signs of regret.

Felix looked sideways to his father, and then spat venom on the floor at Aro's feet! Aro didn't react, but Caius and Eleazar looked to each other in complete shock at such a blatant snub.

Magnus was far more reactive. "Hey!" He shot to Felix, clipping the top of his head with his shovel sized hand. "That's MY floor you are spitting on, you filthy brat!"

"So?" Felix sneered.

Aro smiled contentedly at Felix proving his defiance. "He will clean it when we are finished, Magnus, don't worry."

"He won't be allowed back in here to clean it, Aro." Magnus said, glaring at Felix.

"You can see my issue with the boy, I assume?" Aro asked his brother and fellow masters.

They all agreed, all shocked by Felix' defiant display. Caius was slightly impressed that the lad would try to stand against his elders but he wasn't going to voice that now.

"Are you scared of me Felix or anything I could do to you?" Aro asked his son outright.

"No." Felix replied. He had a shower of shit coming from his attitude already so there was no way he was backing down now. Especially with a guard hall full of vampires watching his every move. He decided to play to his audience. "Fuck you all." He said, making sure he caught the eye of Aro, Magnus, Caius and Eleazar as he did so.

Caius was ready to rip the insolent little shits head off but Aro put his arm out to hold his brother in arms back.

"Oh dear, Felix." Aro said sadly, not rising to the bait. He may have retaliated in the privacy of their home, but out in public, Aro would exert complete control - over Felix and himself. "Perhaps I should hand him over to you, Caius?" he asked.

Felix laughed hollowly. "I'm not scared of Caius, either." He said dismissively, looking over his shoulder to the guards who gasped at his assertions.

"Caius, the boy said he isn't scared of you!" Aro said with faux surprise.

"Give him me for an hour and we will see how scared he is by the end." Caius growled. "Do you want to come down to the dudgeons with me Felix?" he asked, his face only an inch away from the boy. "Every time you have left my playroom you have done so in tears, if memory serves, and I am yet to touch you whilst we are in there."

Felix turned away. His stomach flipped but he remained stoic. "Whatever." He said with a shrug.

Magnus felt the emotional shift in the boy that told him Felix was actually scared right now. Aro knew his son well enough to know he would be shitting himself, even if he refused to back down.

"What about my brothers?" Aro asked, pulling Caius clear.

"Pft!" Felix tutted, as if the very idea were comical.

Aro smiled menacingly. "Eleazar it appears he scoffs at the very idea of facing you."

"No I meant Carlisle!" Felix burst out, cursing himself or replying at all as he saw he glint in Aro's eye.

"So you are scared of El?" Aro pushed.

"I didn't say that."

Aro's eye's danced in glee as he pushed the boy for an answer. "I am asking you, are you scared of Eleazar?"

Felix sucked in his breath before he replied _._ Yes, yes he was but there was no way in hell he was admitting to that now. "No." He said plainly, seeming uninterested.

Eleazar folded his arms across his chest. "I have brought you to tears enough times, Felix. Are you sure you aren't even a little fearful about what I could do?"

Felix heard a few stifled giggles coming from the guards. That was enough to spur him on. "No!" he declared looking Eleazar dead in the eye.

"We will see about that, soon enough." Eleazar said threateningly, guessing where the whole charade was going. Eleazar wasn't usually so inclined to enjoy punishing anyone, but he was quite looking forward to changing Felix' tune.

"You will have your chance, brother." Aro said with a sadistic grin.

"How about Magnus?" Aro asked, slapping a hand on his co-master's shoulder. "Are you scared of Magnus, Felix?"

"No." Felix replied immediately, though he refused to look at the giant master.

"How about what Magnus could do to you?" Aro pushed tormenting his boy. "Are you scared yet?"

"And you call me puerile?!" Felix said to himself before laughing lightly.

The guards were lapping it up. A few were taking bets on how far Felix would go before he buckled. Even if he gave in now they were all impressed by how resistant he had been. Lev in particular looked to the boy in a new light. He was frequently resistant to being ordered about but he would have taken the beating long before now. _Brave little bastard!_ He thought with admiration.

"I am waiting for your answer, Felix." Aro prompted.

"I'm not scared of Magnus." Felix declared.

"Magnus, apparently he has nothing to worry about with you either." Aro said, with a shrug.

He was quite enjoying leading Felix into the trap he had laid. He had been so stressed in the lead up to brokering the alliance and now that was settled he needed something to relief his stress. _You will have to do until I can get my hands on some..._ Aro's thoughts trailed off. He didn't want to think the words that would be his doom if his father found them in his head.

Magnus, too, had one ear on the guards. _You wont be making a fool of me in front of my guards, boy._ "That's funny, Aro, as when it comes to facing me, Felix begs before I start." he announced loudly, making sure they would hear him at the back of the room.

Felix scoffed just as loudly to make out Magnus was lying. Everyone, the masters, Eleazar, and the guards knew he wasn't lying, but Felix gave a damn good impression of someone who didn't give a shit.

"Interesting." Aro mused, "and yet, here he stands, prideful cock that he is, without a shred of fear."

"Apparently so, Aro." Magnus agreed _, I will enjoy taking you down, Felix._ Magnus thought, he, too, knew that's where all of the dramatics were leading.

"Who do we have left?" Aro thought out loud and he circled his son. "Marcus? I know he isn't here but are you scared of Marcus?"

Felix laughed out loud. "No." He answered happily, still laughing.

He saw Corin out of the corner of his eye and offered her a wink. She seemed impressed with the young guard and Felix hoped to put that to good use later. They had been keeping up a purely sexual relationship for a few months and he had wondered what Irina announcing his sexploits would have done to his guaranteed shag. When she smiled back to him, giving him hope they would be back in the saddle soon, Felix' defiance found new fuel.

"Perhaps we shall seek him out after we are done here." Aro suggested.

"Yeah, if you like." Felix agreed. "Fetch him now if you want, I don't give a fuck."

Before anyone could react, the doors to the guard hall sprung open, rebounding off the walls to each side as Basileus and Atia strode through.

Aro clapped his hands together in excitement. "Ha! How about the creator?" he asked his son, placing a hand on each of his shoulders and turning Felix to face the man.

"Basileus?" Felix asked nervously.

"Do you know of any others?" Caius asked, goading the lad whose stoic facade was slipping from his face.

"That's enough Aro. You're scaring him." Atia declared from the doorway.

Guards scattered from Basileus' path as he made his way to Magnus' desk corner.

"On the contrary, my lady, he's not scared. He doesn't have enough sense to be scared." Aro said darkly.

"What's going on?" Basileus asked, checking Felix over with his eyes for any harm. He noted the finger sized bruised to the boy's face, but other than that he seemed fit for purpose.

Aro offered his hand to his father. "Feel free to pass through my memories and get yourself up to speed, my lord. I think once you have you will see that Felix backed me into a corner on this one."

Basileus snatched his son's hand. _I hope for your sake that Felix is to blame for this public round of fucks, or you will be getting the same from me, son._ Aro 'heard' through his contact and gulped, though he was sure he had given Felix enough chances to back down in their quarters.

Basileus was livid when he saw Felix shove and then boot Aro, and even more so at the continued insolence he had displayed. Releasing Aro's hand he turned and towered over Felix. Everyone waited with baited breath to see what Basileus would do.

Aro in particular was worried. _Are you going to turn on me?_ He thought apprehensively.

Basileus smiled at his grandson, menacingly. "Are you scared of me?" he asked with his deep booming voice.

Felix paled and he felt light headed _. Am I really going to go against Basileus?_ He questioned his own sanity.

"Oh? Do we have a winner? Are you scared of Basileus?" Aro asked gleefully. That glee was enough to push Felix on.

"No." He said quietly, biting his lip and looking to the floor.

"I didn't catch that, Felix. A little louder, if you please, so they can hear you in the cheap seats!" Basileus boomed with an arm thrown around Felix' shoulders.

Felix felt lost tucked into his grandfather's side - the size difference made the him feel like a small boy as Basileus manipulated him to face the guards. "N, n, no." Felix stuttered.

The guards groaned in unison. The noise reminded Felix of the sound you might make when you trap your finger in the door or something. Deep and guttural, the sound of pain and regret. He had gone too far dismissing Basileus. The guards, who at first respected Felix' bravery, were now cursing his stupidity.

Felix knew he had gone too far, too. He wanted to relent and go back to the beginning and tell his little brother to face his own fucking punishment rather than so gallantly offering to have a row with Aro in order to save everyone. _Aro knew what I was doing anyway so I_ _'_ _ve saved no one._ He huffed to himself. Felix looked around the guards, he couldn't back down now. He just couldn't.

Aro walked around his father and lifted his son's chin so they were eye to eye. "Are you ready to apologise and back down?" he asked quietly, offering his son a chance to escape.

Felix tried to pull away but between Basileus and Aro he had nowhere to go. Basileus gave him a rough shake and though the boy stilled, he refused to answer.

"ANSWER ME!" Aro roared in his face.

Felix snapped, it was just too much pressure! "Fuck you." He said, sounding emotional.

"Oh Felix!" Atia said with her eyes to the heavens. "I need guards to follow me - I want a perimeter run done now." She said, shooing people out the door.

"How many guards?" someone called out.

"As many of you as there are in this room." Atia said pointedly. She closed the doors and stood outside to keep them out, though none of them went further than the hallway so they would hear everything.

Aro had quite wanted the guards to stay, so had Magnus and Caius for that matter. Basileus couldn't have cared less, even if the guards were outside of the guard hall they would all know what had happened within. That was just how the Volturi rumour mill worked.

"What to do, what to do?" Aro mused.

He and Caius took seats in Magnus and Freyr's empty chairs and Eleazar perched on the desk between them. Magnus leaned into the wall and looked to the venom on his pristine floor. He twitched with the fury building inside him. He knew it wasn't all his, but being so close to four other angry men was feeding into his own psyche though his emphatic gift.

"We could take it in turns punishing him, Aro. See how long it takes for the boy to change his mind."

Everyone was shocked that it was Magnus to suggest such a thing - particularly Magnus _! I need to get a hold of these emotions,_ he said to himself.

Felix tried to pull back but Basileus still had hold of his shoulder, he increased his grip when the boy tried to flee. "Scared now are we?" he whispered into his grandson's ear.

"That's a damn good idea, brother." Aro agreed.

"Yes, but is it entirely reasonable?" Eleazar asked.

Felix thanked the gods that his uncle was there. _Even if you do end up slapping me for this shit,_ he thought.

"I don't see why reason should come in to it." Basileus announced.

Felix closed his eyes and let his head fall back now his fate was sealed. When he opened them again, he saw Basileus smiling down on him with malicious intent.

Magnus stood tall and started unbuckling his belt.

"No." Aro called out.

Felix thought he was going to call the whole thing off. No such luck!

"No belts, no whips, no canes - Felix will no doubt try to claim that it was the implement that had him confessing his regrets and I want there to be no ambiguity as to who it is that brings him to his knees." Aro said smiling to his doomed son.

"Beating me into submission? How very powerful of you, dad." Felix spat, eyes filled with hate.

"No one is going to beat you, you're only a child after all. We will spank you." Basileus said, finally releasing Felix, though the boy had nowhere to go.

"I'd rather you whipped me like a man." Felix said, mainly to himself as he rubbed out his sore shoulder.

"What you would rather, is irrelevant, my boy." Aro told him plainly, "and I don't know how many times you will need telling this, but you are not a man."

"You are not a man," Felix repeated, mocking Aro's voice.

"Come on then, son." Aro said, slapping his own knee hard to get his boy's attention.

"What?" Felix asked, "over your knee?" he said as the realisation dawned on him.

"Yup." Aro said happily with a huge grin on his face.

Felix assessed his options _. I could run_ _…_ _I_ _'_ _m faster than everyone here other than Basileus. I_ _'_ _d never make it passed him before he caught me though,_ he realised as Basileus was blocking the path to the door. _I could jump out the window_ _…_ _Magnus would be majorly pissed if I shattered his glass_ _…_ _he_ _'_ _s already pissed. If I got out I_ _'_ _d never be able to come back._ That wasn't much of an option either. _I can_ _'_ _t submit to being spanked over his fucking knee like a little kid. I will never live it down!_ It wasn't totally unheard of for Aro to spank Felix, old style, but it was rare. Very rare. Aro generally employed such a technique when he was trying to bring Felix down a peg or two so it shouldn't really have come as such a surprise to the boy, but with an audience… _He said I_ _'_ _d be too humiliated to walk the castle halls again. Fucking prick is making damn sure to make good on that threat. Prick. I fucking hate you Aro._

"You do know I can hear everything you are thinking, Felix?" Basileus interrupted the boy's thoughts, they had amused him long enough.

Felix jumped, in his highly-stressed state he had forgotten that for a moment.

"I'm waiting, son." Aro sang out, tapping his knee.

"No." Felix said, shaking his head and eyeing Aro's lap as though it were the most dangerous place on earth. "I don't want to." He said quietly.

That was as close to backing down as Felix would allow himself to go, and it was still miles away from the backing down Aro was waiting for from him.

"It's not optional, you insolent brat." Basileus said as he physically delivered a fighting Felix to his son.

Aro locked Felix between his thighs but he struggled to pull him over. "If you make me, I will call for your submission." Aro said quietly to his boy. Only Felix heard, though Basileus caught it through his gift.

Felix felt like he was going to throw up - all of his options were seriously crap! "Dad, I'm going to be sick." He sobbed like a frightened child… he was a frightened child!

Aro looked over to his own father wondering if he had, in fact, pushed the boy too far. Basileus shook his head and walked over to his son, placing the back of his hand on Aro's cheek. 'You can't back out now Aro or will all have been pointless.' He thought to his son.

Aro nodded. "Tough." He said dispassionately to Felix. Felix was startled by his father's lack of compassion and Aro used that moment to pull his son into position.

Magnus, Eleazar and Basileus all turned away as Aro punished his son, Caius looked on in amusement. Aro wasn't too sure how long to go on for. He knew Felix could hide pain better than most, and as his boy was doing a good job with fighting the urge to defend himself in any way, Aro had no clue when to end his 'turn'. The moment came when Felix threw up all down Aro's leg and bright red bloodwine splattered across the floor! Aro immediately pulled Felix to his feet. The change in position caused more bloodwine to spew forth from the youth's mouth. Aro was quite literally covered in puke.

"Did you do that purposely?" Aro asked in annoyance.

"N, n, no, I didn't!" Felix stuttered.

Aro stood up slowly, stale bloodwine dripping from his clothes, and pushed Felix towards his brother. "Here you go, El. You can have a go."

"Lucky me." Eleazar said looking at his nephew wiping sick from the corners of his mouth. Aro removed his coat and gave it a shake. Bloodwine sprinkled the floor like summer rain.

Magnus sighed. "Just leave it on the floor, Aro. I'll have a guard clean up later." He said in annoyance at the state of his guard hall.

"Are we really doing this?" Eleazar asked, _the poor idiot looks miserable,_ he thought. The glare he received from his father and brother told him they most definitely were doing this and he had better take his turn walloping the lad.

"Okay then." Eleazar said pulling Felix close. "Have you finished?" he asked the boy, referring to his up-chuck.

Felix nodded but he wore a green tinge to his face that wasn't usually there. Eleazar looked to him sadly but directed the boy over the desk where he sat. Eleazar brought Felix to tears soon enough and stopped as soon as he had.

"Would you like me to stop?" he asked his nephew.

Felix nodded, gasping for breath and wiping at his traitorous tears.

"Say so then." Eleazar demanded. He didn't want to have to take another turn and having Felix ask him to stop now could be his get out clause later.

"Stop, please." Felix whispered, catching his breath and wondering if more bloodwine was going to come up soon.

"Come on then Felix." Caius called out, slapping his knee in much the same way Aro had.

Felix looked back to his father, questioning with his eyes if he had to go to Caius.

"Like you said son, you have nothing to fear so get on with it." Aro spat, as he dumped his sick-soaked shirt to the floor with his coat. He could feel regurgitated bloodwine swimming inside his boot. _I_ _'_ _m going to throw up at this rate,_ he thought.

Felix slunk over to Caius taking major umbrage at the fucker grinning back at him. _You are such a cunt._ He thought, and received a sharp slap to the back of his head from Basileus for his unspoken insult.

"Do I want to know what he called me?" Caius asked the creator.

"Probably best to just smack him extra hard for good measure, Caius." Basileus replied, glaring at his grandson.

Felix stood awkwardly next to Caius, he just couldn't bring himself to lie over his lap. "I can't do it, I just can't." He said, feeling emotionally tormented by his shitty non-options.

"You can, and you will." Aro told his boy whilst removing his boots. "And you may want to remember this the next time you enter into a power play with me, you damn fool!"

Magnus couldn't take anymore, he wanted this over and done with if only to rid his guard hall of the stench of the boy's sick. He walked over to Felix and shoved him over Caius' knee. "Aro if you take anything else off, I'm leaving." Magnus mocked his co-master.

Aro rolled his eyes. "Do you keep any clothes in here? A coat? Anything?"

Magnus laughed, "none that would fit you, you dwarf!"

Aro kicked the sick pile of clothes to Magnus, splattering red vomit up the master's leg.

Magnus looked down in disgust. "I am going to take that out on your son when it's my turn." He said playfully.

Aro clapped his hands together. "Great!"

Though Felix was concentrating on not showing any remorse to Caius, hearing Magnus' threat sent his head into a whirl, and he did something really stupid in response.

"Ahhh!" Caius raged, shoving Felix to the floor. "The little bastard bit me!"

Felix rolled onto his back to see Basileus towering over him. "Oh, so he is biting again, is he?"

"Again?" Caius asked, with blood seeping through his clothes from the wound in his leg.

"I think I shall buy him a muzzle until he learns to keep his teeth to himself." Aro commented.

"Is he really worth keeping? He's getting worse, Aro!" Caius complained.

Aro sighed, he couldn't disagree. He sometimes wished he didn't love the little sod so much.

"I am going to belt you to within an inch of your life, boy!" Caius threatened.

Felix waited on the floor hoping someone would speak up for him. Neither his father or grandfather objected to Caius' threat and even Eleazar, who Felix was kind of banking on, kept quiet.

He didn't have long to wonder about Caius as Magnus dragged him up from the floor by the scruff of his neck. He slammed Felix into the wall and pinned him still. "You've only yourself to blame for this, young one."

Felix would have nodded, but the force Magnus held his neck to the wall meant he couldn't move his head at all.

"Are you ready?" Magnus asked the youth.

Felix could feel tears pricking at his eyes already. "Please don't." he said, voice thick with emotion.

"What did he say?" Aro asked.

A broad smile spread across Magnus' face. "I believe he is doing that thing that he apparently doesn't do - begging before I start!"

Though he faced away from his family and Caius, Felix heard them all laughing at him loud and clear. _Bastards!_ He thought.

"Should I stop before I start?" Magnus asked, a little unsure of whether to proceed.

"You should start." Aro said flatly.

Magnus huffed but smacked Felix' ass anyway.

Basileus strolled behind Magus with his arms folded. "Put some effort in Magnus, unless you want to find yourself over my knee." He sang out in a very Aro-like way. Aro, Caius and Eleazar all burst out laughing when Magnus responded by whacking Felix with far more force than necessary.

"Stop!" Felix burst through his now clear sobs. "Please!" he gasped.

"That's more like it." Basileus said, sounding pleased. He allowed Magnus to smack the boy only a handful of times with such force before taking Felix from him.

"Not you, not you!" Felix begged, pulling away from Basileus with his full strength. The grip on his arm tightened as Basileus easily brought the boy in close and took him over to Caius' chair.

"Not Caius again! That isn't fair!" Felix complained, putting more effort into escaping Basileus' hold.

Caius smiled happily, he was ready to beat the little bastard for biting him and drawing blood!

Basileus shook his head to the master's wrong assertion. "Caius, shift!" he said with a jerk of his head.

Caius slunk out of his chair and stood with Magnus. Basileus put his foot onto the seat and tried to drag Felix across his knee but the boy was desperately wiggling free. Basileus let him go, and watched as he crashed to the floor with the force of his resistance. As Felix scrambled on the floor, Basileus knelt on his hunches and took Felix by his throat.

"Felix I am far stronger than you, dear boy. If you resist, I will pin you down and spank you and then once you are willing to submit to me, we can start properly."

Felix stopped breathing _. You_ _'_ _re making it worse you dick!_ He told himself.

"Indeed you are." Basileus replied to the boy's thoughts. Helping his grandson to his feet, he resumed his position and pulled Felix up and over. "Much better." He congratulated the youth.

After only the first few strikes Felix was begging to bring an end to his torment. "No more, no more." He pleaded.

Aro scoffed. "You can't quit half way through a round."

Felix wailed his frustrations in response, his pain forcing him to try and defend himself against Basileus' strong and steady stokes. Basileus tipped the boy further over his knee and with the jolt, Felix grabbed a tight hold on his grandfather's leg. His face was very close to Basileus' calf.

"If you bite me I will rip your fangs out." He warned with a particularly sharp strike to the boys legs. "Are you ready to throw away your prideful attitude and ask for forgiveness, or would you rather go for round two with us all?"

Felix nearly choked on his own venom with the speed of his reply. Sadly for Felix it was pretty garbled and no one had understood a word of his rambled efforts.

"I hope you are learning from this?" Aro added. "A power play against me is never a good idea, son."

Basileus quit his assault and pulled Felix up by his neck. His feet could searched for the floor as Basileus brought the boy up to his own eye level.

"Please stop, please." Felix spluttered.

"I am not interested in your begging, boy." Basileus said as he casually passed his grandson to Aro.

"Would you like to ask him again, son?" Basileus prompted.

Aro sat in Magnus' oversized chair, (though it was 'normally sized' for Magnus, of course), shirtless and shoeless. Felix would normally have found such a sight funny but there was absolutely nothing humorous about his current situation at all.

"Are you ready to show proper respect to your elders."

Felix' head shot up. "Elders? All elders?" he asked sounding confused whilst snivelling and rubbing his throbbing backside.

"Yes." Aro nodded.

"But I thought this was about us!" Felix whined.

"For god sake Felix just stop!" Eleazar told him, thoroughly exasperated with the boy's errant mouth.

"You see, son, I can change the game any time I like, and you still have to play. Do you understand." Aro said, he wasn't meaning to patronise his boy now, but that's how Felix took it.

"The guard are all older than me though!" Felix continued to whine.

"This is true." Aro agreed.

"I am supposed to bow and scrape to the guards?" he asked, disgusted by the idea.

"If its required of you, yes…"

"But…" Felix tried to interrupt Aro, the stinging slap to his ass from Basileus equally interrupted Felix.

"We could start this whole thing again if you would prefer?" Basileus asked, he was done with the whelp's resistance now.

"No!" Felix shot out, breathing becoming ragged again at the very idea.

"Then I think you have something to say to us all, do you not?" Aro pushed him a final time.

Felix looked around the group - his uncle looked a little upset to have been part of the whole thing. Magnus looked the most pissed off. Basileus positively dripped with disappointment. Caius, well Felix had expected Caius to be gloating at having been able to punish him… _he normally would!_ Felix thought. But Caius wasn't gloating, he smiled sadly to the boy instead.

Aro stood up and put a hand on Felix' shoulder. "Take your humble pie like a good little boy." He ground out. He really didn't want to have to start over with Felix, but he was prepared to if the boy pushed him.

Felix swallowed down the pooling venom in his throat and looked to the floor. "I am scared of…"

"Ah, ah." Aro stopped him, wagging a finger in Felix' face. "We don't want you to be scared, Felix. It was never about that." He really wanted Felix to understand that, if nothing else!

Felix chanced a look to Caius, _bet he wants me to be scared!_ He thought.

"Not even me." Caius announced, still smiling sadly.

"Really?" Magnus asked his co-master with a cocky grin.

"Really!" Caius shot back. "Felix may be an insufferable little sod at times, but he is our insufferable little sod." He said, surprising everyone.

Having outside covens inside their home had been the final push Caius needed to truly question his mindset. (The earlier push being Basileus breaking his nose for his cruelty to Lucy!) Seeing himself, and his coven through others had opened his eyes to how important their own members were to him. He could happily tear Felix and Demetri a new asshole on a good day, but when Henri spoke against them he felt compelled to defend them - it hadn't just been the dungeon blood, he wanted to stand up for them. Basileus had a quick pick through Caius' thoughts and decided they would need to spend some time together to work out where this new mindset would take the coven master.

Aro thought along similar lines to his father, but as he was stood in the guard hall, wearing few clothes, and those he wore sticky with sick, he decided it could wait. He gave Felix a gentle squeeze for him to proceed.

"I respect you all. I'm sorry I was being a cock." He said quietly. They all heard him well enough. "I will show respect to all my elders." He added, hoping that would be enough. He just wanted to go home, curl up into a ball, and sleep for a year!

"Good boy." Aro said kindly.

"Are we done?" Basileus asked.

"I believe so." Aro replied, "thank you all for your help."

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Eleazar asked the boy in absolute wonder as he followed his father out of the guard hall. The moment Basileus opened the door, the guard hall filled with eagerly waiting vampires.

Magnus hooked a finger under Felix' chin and tilted his head up. "You are banned from my guard hall, young one. Again!" Felix nodded, defeated. "And I won't be putting you on my guard rota for a while either, so you can kiss good bye to extra funds coming from me."

Felix could feel his bottom lip wobbling, he was so emotional and he just couldn't contain himself. Before he knew it, tears spilled from his eyes and he was once again gasping for air through his sobs. Magnus pulled the boy into an embrace and raised an eyebrow to Aro. Aro knew his co-master was asking for permission to help the boy with his gift. Aro nodded curtly and called for Corin to join him.

"Could you have my clothes taken to the laundry and this whole hall will need a thorough scrub." He gestured to the pile of bright red sick on the floor, where his clothes were pride of place.

Corin screwed up her nose, "yes Master." She replied respectfully, cursing her urge to check on Felix which was the only reason she was so close to Aro in the first place.

Felix and Corin locked eyes for a brief moment before Felix broke away, feeling utterly mortified.

"I am undressed because he threw up on me, in case you were wondering." Aro told Corin simply. He could see she was wondering what had happened. "I will let you all come up with a story for what else has taken place." He added with a wink.

A handful of guards laughed, but when they saw Felix come limping around the corner, it wasn't so funny anymore. Aro heard the odd 'poor kid' but he didn't let it bother him.

"Am I grounded?" Felix dared to ask as he walked beside Aro back to their tower.

"Naturally." Aro replied, stopping himself from laughing at his boy's groan. "You can say good bye to sunshine, sunshine."

Felix trudged up the stairs behind his father to their top floor chambers.

"I don't care if you don't like me very much right now." Aro told his boy.

"Don't like you!" Felix repeated to himself.

It was quiet, very, very quiet, but Aro was sure he had heard Felix add 'I fucking hate you'. He turned mid step and made contact with his son to check his memories. He was right.

"I am not your friend, Felix, I am your father. If you didn't hate me occasionally I wouldn't be doing my job!" he said before continuing up the stairs.

"Are you trying to pretend that was for my own good?" Felix asked, agog at the very idea.

"Aro held the door open for Felix to come inside and closed it behind him. "It was." He said forcefully.

"How?!" Felix asked.

He wasn't being cocky, Aro could tell his son genuinely couldn't see the point of the whole event. "You are dancing dangerously close to being called out as an immortal child."

"I know you only said that to Carlisle to get him to…"

Aro held up his hand to silence his son. "I wasn't lying when I told him that, Felix." He said sharply.

Sulpicia came through the archway from her children's rooms as she had heard her mate and son had returned. She hadn't expected to find Aro half-dressed and Felix able to stand… "I think I will go out onto the terrace, my love." She said, wondering what on earth could have happened whilst they were gone.

Aro returned to his conversation with Felix. "I wasn't lying." He repeated. "If I can't control you, you won't be considered a vampire, you will be considered an immortal child."

Felix put his hands on his hips. "So it's be controlled or be killed?" he said, mulling over the unfairness of the idea.

"If that's how you want to see it… yes." Aro said with a shrug. _This is why we don_ _'_ _t turn teenagers anymore_ , he reminded himself. "Truthfully, son, I expect you to fool around and break the rules from time to time. But I also expect you take your punishment for it. If you back me into a corner and try to play me in a battle of will, I will always beat you, metaphorically and literally, if that's what it takes."

Felix swore to himself that he would never enter into a power play with his father ever again! _Hell, I am not even going to disobey him again!_ He thought. Felix would manage a whole three months before Aro had to punish him again.


	93. Desperation

**AN:** Sooo, Aro has been pretty stressed... bad times, and worse times to come.

* * *

 **Desperation**

Sulpicia passed Felix in the hallway to her children's bed chambers. _Poor lamb looks exhausted,_ she thought, _totally crestfallen, too._ Felix couldn't meet her eye as she wished him goodnight. He quietly slunk into his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. Demetri, as usual, was waiting to hear what had happened to his big brother and share his own tale of woe in facing their mother. Felix didn't respond to his brothers questioning. Instead, he changed his clothes and got into bed without word.

Sulpicia joined Aro in the living room where he lightly paced the room. "Is Felix grounded?" She asked, forcing Aro to stand still and draping her arms around his neck.

Aro returned the embrace and kissed her deeply. He knew she wanted him to take her right there, but he felt to agitated to have sex… with his mate at least. "Yes, though there was probably no need to ground him." He eventually replied. "Something tells me Felix won't want to go out for a while."

Sulpicia was concerned for Felix, naturally, but she mainly wanted the whole ugly episode to be over - they, as a coven, had achieved great things with the treaty and she wanted to celebrate her mate's mastery with him alone.

Aro, however, had other ideas. He had been watching Caius closely through the covens' visit and could smell the dungeon blood on his breath when they spoke - Aro was gagging for his drug of choice but he'd had to stay off it for the time the covens were with them as Atia and Basileus were both inside his head. He couldn't risk either of them finding out that he had continued taking it after Atia had caught him and punished him for it. Aro knew Basileus wouldn't be so kind a second time. _It's been a stressful few days, I deserve to escape reality for a while. I will be calmer, better to be around… I should do it for everyone else's sake really._ He reasoned, badly, choosing to ignore the nagging doubt in his mind about what the hell he would do if either of his parents found out.

Sulpicia alternated between kissing and sucking on Aro's neck, and he really wanted to melt into her embrace, as he would usually have done. But he felt so damn agitated that standing still felt like torture.

"I should deal with the other three," he said, pulling away from his mate. "Felix wasn't the only idiot last night."

"They are all asleep, my love. They have been awake for days. Can it wait for tomorrow?" Sulpicia replied, pulling Aro towards their bed chamber.

 _I can't do this now!_ Aro thought, as he disentangled himself from his mate's grasp. _I just need a shot of dungeon blood, I will be fine after that, I will be able to relax,_ he told himself.

Sulpicia looked to him with a confused expression, "are you seriously turning me down?"

"I could do with going through things with Caius." Aro lied, forcing a loving smile to his mate as he rejected her.

Sulpicia's confused expression changed to hurt. "Can Caius not wait?" she asked, feeling particularly unloved.

"He could…" Aro replied, cupping Sully's face in his hands and kissing her forehead lightly. "But if I tie up things with Caius I will have the rest of the night here with you."

Sulpicia pulled away, she knew he was lying though she couldn't work out why. Never in a million years would she suspect dungeon blood, not after all the years that had passed since Aro had last taken it… that she knew of.

"Oh. Okay." She said as Aro left her side and headed straight to the door.

Aro looked to Sulpicia one last time before he left. _You look so sad, so rejected. I am sorry my queen. It will be better for both of us if I do this now, I promise you._ Aro squared away in his own mind that he was taking dungeon blood for the good of his family.

"I won't be long." He called.

"Be as long as you like." Sulpicia told him plainly, slamming the bedchamber door behind her.

"I love you, my queen." He called before closing the door behind him.

Caius broke away from his embrace with Athenodora when he heard Aro banging on his door. He knew it was Aro, and he knew what he would want. He had noticed, even if no one else had, that his coven mate had been desperate to join him when he took Henri to the dungeons.

With a deep sigh, Caius opened his door. "I am busy." He said, wearing only undergarments.

"Come on." Aro drawled with a glint in his eye. His excitement was palpable!

"Seriously Aro. I have hardly seen Athenodora with chaperoning Henri - I have some serious making up to do."

Athenodora had told Caius only moments before that Sulpicia had sent her away and he was understandably annoyed about the coven queen. He wasn't in a position to do anything about Sulpicia's slight, which only added to his annoyance. All he wanted to do was wrap up with his wife and reconnect after their short, but stressful time apart.

Aro scoffed. _Since when do you care about Athenodora?_ He wondered. "Fuck her, come with me."

"I intend to fuck her, thanks. You're on your own." Caius replied as he tried to close the door.

Aro put his foot in the way. "You're changing, Caius." He derided his coven mate.

"Yeah, for the better, I hope." Caius replied proudly.

Still, Aro refused to move.

"I think you should lay off the dungeon blood for a while, brother." Caius spoke quietly. He didn't want any passing guards to hear their conversation.

"What are you talking about? I haven't had any for months and I'm fine." Aro lied.

"You are shaking Aro!" Caius blurted out _, you look like a fucking human bar fly_ _!_ He thought.

"You are always on it!" Aro attempted to deflect.

Caius laughed lightly to himself, rolling his eyes to the heavens. "Not half as much as you think, and I only have the odd shot - you drink it like wine."

"If I wanted to be nagged at I would have stayed at home." Aro sounded like a sulking child who wasn't getting their own way. "Give me your keys." He demanded with an outstretched hand.

Caius shook his head.

"Caius, I want the keys." Aro demanded forcefully.

Caius considered giving Aro the keys to his playroom so he would bugger off and leave him to enjoy the rest of his evening in peace. "I'm cutting you off, it's for your own good."

Aro felt his throat burning. It didn't make sense for him to feel the need to feed - he had drank his fill of bloodwine and that should have quenched his thirst for a month at least. He needed dungeon blood, he believed, but it was psychosomatic really. Aro wasn't physically addicted to the drug - such a thing would be an impossibility to a vampire. It was Aro's mind that needed the drug's effects and that was stronger than any physical addiction.

"I think you are forgetting the hierarchy around here." He ground out in reply to Caius.

Caius wasn't standing for that. "And I think you are forgetting that your old man is watching me like a fucking hawk and giving his little addict unfettered access to the very drug of which he is banned will result in him removing my head from my body."

"Addict?!" Aro questioned in faux confusion. "You wasn't so concerned when we were down there together, brother!"

"I thought it was a one off… especially as we were caught, make that humiliatingly caught - by your mother!"

Caius didn't know that Aro had been sneaking the odd glass from his playroom every time he had visited his coven mate. Aro felt a pang of shame as he realised that mentioning that now would prove Caius' claim that he was an addict. He pushed the thoughts aside - they were too unpalatable for him to give them much head space. Most of his mental energy was being spent on trying to stop his hands from shaking, or his eyes from darting about.

"Give me the keys Caius, or I will rip your fucking throat out!" Aro growled a final time.

Caius shoved Aro hard in the chest and slammed his door, dropping the timber beam cross bar to seal himself in from the outside world. "Fuck off, Aro." He said to himself, before returning to his mate in peace.

"That was quick." Sulpicia exclaimed happily seeing Aro return. She had questioned Aro's motivations for leaving their quarters whilst he was out - her mind had wondered from simply being stressed from brokering the treaty to bedding another woman, and a good many things in between.

"Yeah." He sneered, mainly to himself. "Have we got anything to drink?" he asked gruffly.

"Haven't you drank enough these last few day?" Sulpicia replied, setting down her book on the open page. "I don't think anyone is going to need to feed for a year."

"Have we got anything or not?" Aro demanded, sounding dark and dangerous.

Sully's relief at her husband returning now changed back to her other explanations for him leaving in the first place. "Erm… no, my love." She answered, warily. _What is going on with you?_

Aro started to pace around his quarters, the agitated energy coursing through his veins felt hot and uncomfortable. "Where's Felix?" he asked his mate, he had an idea!

"He's in bed." Sulpicia replied, "he's asleep!" she added as Aro headed towards their children's rooms.

"I haven't finished with him yet." Aro ground out, flinging his sons' bedroom door open.

"Aro they have been awake for days…" Sulpicia tried to pull him out but Aro easily shook her off turning jet black eyes on his mate. _How can your eyes be black? You have drunk gallons of bloodwine, your eyes shouldn't be black!_

Sulpicia hung in the doorway as she watched Aro storm towards their eldest boy.

"Get up." He commanded, looming over Felix.

It was taking a moment or two for Felix to come round. Aro didn't want to wait and shook him roughly, calling out his name.

"Why?" Felix whined, he was shattered.

Aro pulled him so hard that Felix fell out of his bed, landing on the floor with an almighty boom.

"Ow!" he exclaimed. Felix was only on the floor for a second before Aro had him on his feet and started dragging him out of his room.

Demetri sat bolt upright in his bed having woken with the commotion. He watched his father in trepidation.

"Go back to sleep." Aro ordered his younger son.

"What's going on?" Demetri asked hazily.

Aro grabbed his boy around the throat and glared into Demetri's eyes. "Sleep and face me tomorrow, or keep pissing me off and face me now?" he ground out to his frightened boy.

Sulpicia gasped, Aro didn't even sound like her husband anymore.

"Where are you taking him, Aro?" she asked, following her mate dragging Felix along in his nightshirt.

"For some father-son time." Aro replied with an evil smirk

"He's half dressed!" Sulpicia complained, but it was too late, the door slammed in her face as Aro and Felix left her home.

"Down there?" Felix asked, looking down the dungeon stairwell.

He felt a flash of fear looking down those stairs as he thought of Aro's regular threat of turning him over to Caius and his dungeon playroom. Aro pushed his son to begin their descent. "But why are you bringing me down here? You have punished me already!" Felix whined.

"I have a job for you." Aro replied, "now move!" with that he shoved Felix so hard that the boy nearly fell down the steps. Not that Aro quit forcing him down the dark, dank stairwell.

As soon as Aro's foot hit the bottom step, he knew they weren't alone in the lower levels of the castle. He checked out the dungeon cells until he found one occupied.

"Why are you in here, Corin?" he asked, formulating a plan for the beautiful young guard.

"Master Magnus put me here for the night, Master, I knew about the young ones drinking bloodwine and I didn't come forward." She replied shyly, sounding a little nervous about her admission to Aro of all people - it was his kids that were getting pissed with her knowledge!

"It's your lucky night." Aro decreed. "Felix bend the bars."

Felix looked askance to his father. _Are you trying to get me killed?_ He wondered. "Caius will go nuts - its breaking and entering."

"What are you breaking? Its bending and entering. Do it." Aro replied, still smiling at Corin.

It had been a long time since Aro had looked at her like that, like any of the guards like that actually, and it made her nervous. She knew what that look meant. He would be having her soon. Felix made short work of bending the bars apart to allow Corin to escape her holding cell.

"Wonderful." Aro sang out happily before telling Corin to stay put until he called her.

Aro directed his son to the panelled door at the end of the dungeons.

"I'm not going in there." Felix stated boldly, refusing to get too close to the entrance to Caius torture chamber.

"You don't have to go in, you just have to open it."

"How without the key?" Felix asked genuinely.

Aro rolled his eyes. "Smash it." He instructed, "obviously."

Felix shook his head. "That's definitely breaking and entering. Caius WILL kill me!"

Aro slammed his boy face first into the door. On hearing heard the outer wood splinter with the impact, he wondered for a moment if he could just use his super strong son as a battering ram? Felix was starting to panic, he hated the room behind that door, it was the stuff if his nightmares and had been since Aro had taken him to see Caius mid-torture of the rogues they had captured years before.

"You shouldn't worry about Caius - I will kill you if you don't open it." Aro ground out, bringing Felix from his thoughts.

"What's in there that you need so bad?" Felix asked breathlessly as Aro increased the pressure on his back, forcing the air from his lungs.

Aro roared ferociously and put a hand on the back of his boys head, pushing Felix' face into the wood.

"Felix, open the fucking door!" he growled. "I need blood."

Felix felt sick, when he realised the type of blood Aro wanted. He didn't want to say it out loud, and he wanted so badly to be wrong. But Aro wasn't careless, he wasn't cruel… at least not with his children… one thing made him that way, though.

"The bloodwine is in the brewery, not in Caius' playroom." Felix grunted out, bravely.

"If you don't open that door I will be drinking your fucking blood!"

Felix heard Corin squeak in fear from somewhere behind him. He wasn't sure whether she was watching or just listening in, but either way he was in an uncompromising position. He couldn't blurt out about the dungeon blood now - Aro would unleash hell on him if the guards found out he wasn't supposed to be taking it.

He whispered, as quietly as he could: "Are you on dungeon blood."

Aro breathed deeply, "Obviously fucking not, stood this side of the fucking door."

Felix' heart sank. "You don't want to do this dad!" He was flooded with the memories of his father's last dungeon blood bout. Though of course, Aro wasn't his father then, in word. Aro had battered the boy and Sulpicia before Basileus had taken charge and stopped his son's filthy habit.

Aro's emotions were sparking in every direction. He had convinced himself that he was only going to take dungeon blood for his family's benefit so he could be more relaxed at home with them. Felix begging him not to take it laughed in the face of his earlier reasoning. He didn't care though, he wanted it, he needed it, and Felix's bitching wasn't going to change that.

"I'm not asking you for moral guidance, boy. Open the fucking door or I'll do it myself - with your head!"

"You promised you wouldn't take dungeon blood again." Felix replied flatly, pushing back on Aro's hold to remind his father that he was stronger than him.

Aro stopped pushing, instead he put one arm around his boys neck in a choke hold and with his other hand, lifted his son's nightwear to expose his ass.

"I am going to give you one more chance to as you are told," he warned threateningly into Felix' ear. "If you don't, I will be having you submit to me in front of Corin."

"You wouldn't do that." Felix returned quietly, lip quivery and tears rolling down his cheeks.

Aro slammed his (thankfully, covered) crotch into his son. Felix gasped at the gesture whilst Aro cruelly laughed at his boys distress. "You have no idea what I am capable of."

Felix panicked, he was moments from Aro calling for his submission and he knew it. With his father's arm still wrapped around his throat he began pummelling the panelled door with his fists until all that remained were splinters and dust.

"Good boy." Aro said proudly. He could have done the job himself, he thought, but seeing the effort it took from Felix to crush Caius' double thick door told him he'd made the right decision bringing Felix down to the dungeons. He didn't for one second question what he had done to his boy in his efforts to get hold of his drug.

Aro turned to his son. "If you say a word to anyone about this…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll insert the random threat myself." Felix spat in reply, cutting Aro off before he could embarrass either of them further.

Aro called Corin out of her cell to join him. She looked desperately to Felix as she passed him, hoping for his help. Felix couldn't meet her eye, he knew he couldn't save her from Aro's clutches and that only increased his current hatred for his father.

"Run along, son." Aro called, as he went to follow Corin into Caius' torture chamber.

Felix grabbed Aro's arm and held him in place for a moment. "If you lay one finger on Sulpicia, I will be going straight to Basileus and I couldn't give a fuck what you do to me." He said darkly. He might not risk his neck for Corin, but he would for his mother.

Aro smirked "Very gallant of you, son." He said, shaking off his boy and stepping over the wooden rubble.

"I hope you rot on it." Felix called, before flashing back to the safety of his home.

…

Caius hadn't been prepared for the sight that would greet him when he started work that morning.

"Oh. My. God!" he peered into his playroom.

It looked like a band of thugs had brawled in there - his equipment lay scattered around the room with Aro unconscious, splayed out on the floor. Corin sat on the circular wall around the unlit central fireplace, dressed in torn clothes and wearing a hollow expression. Caius stepped through his disassembled doorway and quietly seethed as he took in the scene.

Stalking over to his brother in arms, he gave the layabout a good boot in his side. Aro heaved and brought up the contents of his stomach from the blow. "What have you done to my fucking door?" Caius asked through gritted teeth.

Aro continued to bring up pile after pile of the nearly black tar-like substance he had consumed in great quantities through the night.

"Useless prick!" Caius growled, kicking him again.

Corin gasped at the violence between the masters, reminding Caius of her presence.

"Why are you here?" Caius asked. _Aro wouldn't have chosen Corin if he had the choice of the guards - everyone knows about her relationship with Felix, surely Aro wouldn't go there?_ Caius thought. It was clear from the girl's sunken stature that Aro had done just that – and viciously so.

"Master Magnus put me in the cells last night…" Caius held up his hand to silence the young guard.

"Go back to the guard hall, tell Magnus I released you as I needed some privacy down here."

"Yes, Master." Corin agreed readily.

Caius blocked her path. "You will tell no one what has occurred here. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master." Corin agreed again. She wanted to wipe the whole event from memory, truth be known.

Caius waited until Corin was clear of the dungeons and he was alone with his idiot co master before he tried to wake him up. "ARO!" he bellowed, inches from his ear. "You fucked up animal, wake up!" he growled, shaking him roughly.

Aro's eyes rolled around his head but he eventually focused on Caius. "What happened?" he asked, cupping his aching head.

"You happened, you drugged up prick!" Caius bellowed, hoping the noise level would hurt.

Aro paled. "Oh no, it's all coming back to me."

The images flashed though his mind, goading him cruelly. _I rejected Sully, why would I do that? She was offering herself on a silver platter for god sake! Oh fuck! Felix. Felix knows! And I was a bastard to him. FUCK! I fucked Corin? No? Not her! She's with Felix… kind of… oh fuck Felix knows I fucked Corin! What the hell have I done?_

"Feel like a prick?" Caius asked, enjoying Aro's obvious self-loathing.

"That's putting it mildly." Aro whined, still sitting on the floor and holding his head between his knees.

"I was being polite." Caius told him, carrying a bucket over to where Aro sat. "Drink this." He said, offering the bucket to Aro.

Aro peered into the bucket – _that's not blood._ He thought disappointedly. "What is it?"

Caius smiled. "It's water, genius! Drink it, throw it up, repeat until you have washed away whatever is left in your stomach."

Aro grimaced but he didn't have the energy to argue. He took the second bucket to contain his up-chuck with a sad smile. He did as he was instructed. It took the whole bucket of water, and nearly an hour for the vomited liquid to come back up clean. Aro felt exhausted by the time he had finished.

Caius hadn't spoken whilst Aro was purging his guts, but when he saw Aro was finished, Caius handed him a mop. "If you think I am cleaning this up on my own, you are clearly still drugged up, brother. I am assuming you don't want me bringing a guard down here to do it?"

Aro sighed. He felt like he could sleep for a week - the idea of scrubbing the dungeons wasn't high on his to do list. But Caius was right, he did not want a guard down there to see his self-destruction. It was bad enough that Corin had been party to it, though he felt fairly confident that she wouldn't speak of his depravity.

Aro continued to dry retch but he cleaned up his own vomit whilst Caius set his equipment straight. When they were finished, the pair of them took a seat on the fire's ringed wall. Aro felt the weight of the world on his shoulders - a far cry from the relaxed state that he had convinced himself would be coming his way when he started his drug binge the night before.

"Years ago I made a promise, and in the last three months I have broken that promise a hundred times over." He admitted, baring his soul and thinking of the destruction he had caused on dungeon blood before Eleazar had joined their coven.

He had put his mate through hell… their young ones too. Basileus had been close to killing him with the whipping he'd laid on his errant son and it was only Aro's firm promise of never, ever touching a drop again that had stopped him going too far.

Caius only knew Aro had taken dungeon blood once, when Atia had caught them with Heidi, so hearing Aro admit to 'a hundred times over' came as a surprise. _He doesn't need a bollocking right now,_ he thought, looking to his coven mate, _and I'm not the one to give it anyway._

"Promises are nasty little things, I try to steer clear of them." He breezed.

"But you never break them, Caius." Aro stated flatly. "It's not a question, I know you don't break them. You are one hundred percent as good as your word. I'm not." Aro sounded like he was sinking into a pit of despair.

"You're just on a come down, Aro." Caius tried to lift his friends spirits.

Aro shook his head. _Only if reality is a come down,_ he thought. "I brought Felix down here to smash the door open… I was vile to him." He admitted.

Caius cringed, he could imagine how Aro had been with the boy based on his own experience of Aro's demeanour at his door the night before. "Felix is a tough kid, he will get over it." He offered, hoping Aro might take some comfort from his son's remarkable ability to bounce back from adversity.

Aro silently castigated himself until the very last effects of his over consumption of dungeon blood left his system… once he was back to his own level head, he began to reassure himself that he could put everything right again.

"You know this has to stop, Aro. Before you go too far." Caius interrupted Aro's thoughts.

"I agree." Aro replied _, I will need to be more carefu_ l, failing to realise how hooked he was again on escaping reality. "We will keep the dungeon blood just for social occasions."

Caius whipped his head to the side to see if Aro was joking. He wasn't. "I was thinking more like you should just stop taking dungeon blood completely." Caius said forcefully.

Aro laughed and slapped a hand on Caius shoulder. "Let's not be hasty." He sang out easily, squashing all reason down deep into his psyche.

Caius narrowed his eyes. "I could always tell Basileus."

"You do that, brother, and he will tip all your supplies down the drain." Aro smirked, he knew that would change Caius' stance.

Caius enjoyed regular shot of his dirty creation and he used it, privately, to get through torturing his victims. He would never be able to do the frankly evil things he did to vampires in his torture chamber without a shot of dungeon blood in his system to make it okay. Caius was different to Aro, however, and he didn't abuse the drug like Aro did. It served a purpose for Caius and he could take it or leave it at other times.

"Do you think you can pull it back to just social occasions?" Caius eventually asked.

Aro's eyes lit up. "Yes, definitely."

"Fine, but if I think you are going too far I will be paying your old man a visit."

The smile fell from Aro's face, he knew what Basileus would have to say about him taking a drop, let alone 'going too far'. As his eyes dropped to his lap, Aro realised what a state he was in. - his clothes were torn, covered in dust and vomit.

Caius caught on to his brothers thinking. He left Aro where he sat, hoping he was stewing on the thought of facing the creator, and collected his own cape from the work bench. "Here, put this on. I will send a guard to your chambers to collect the laundry."

Aro sighed in relief. "Thank you brother."

Caius nodded, wondering if they would all be better off if Aro had to face his family in the state he was? He just couldn't risk losing his supplies of dungeon blood and having to face working without it. Especially now he was planning on cleaning up his act and behaving better generally.

"Make your peace with Felix, I can only imagine what an ass you were last night if my experience with you was anything to go by."

Aro muttered his agreement, but as he bounced out the door, he was already formulating plans to arrange a private party with Caius and dungeon blood for the next weekend.


	94. 1670, April - Boys Club

**AN** : Just a quick note to reassure everyone that yes, all of Meyers' characters will appear as we go through the years. Mostly as and when they should, according to their character time line. Eleazar will end up with the Denali girls, Carlisle will end up with his family, etc. We have a fair amount of time to play before then whilst Carlisle is 'maturing' (and we will get to use it against him when he's a father himself - for example, can you imagine how the Cullen brood react to finding out Carlisle took Felix to a brothel? :D )

Anyhoo, let's jump forward two years and see how Aro is doing…

* * *

 **1670, April - Boys Club**

"Finally!" Caius moaned as Aro appeared at the bottom of the dungeon stairwell. "You wanted this card game and you are an hour late!" he complained, with Magnus, Eleazar and Carlisle wearing similarly annoyed expressions.

Aro huffed as he took a seat at the table. "I'm sorry, feel free to exchange lives with me - you would better understand why I am always late if you had to live with my brats!"

"Brats?" Eleazar questioned.

Since he had met the Denali girls he considered his niece and nephews to be angels! He had noticed his brother being particularly hard on them recently, occasionally with no just cause. Eleazar had assumed Aro was stressed out from managing the new treaty, especially as Basileus had been spending a lot of time away over the last two years. He and Atia met with the Amazonian tribe every third month and they were gone for at least a month at a time. That, Eleazar had assumed, added pressure to Aro's role in the castle but, oddly, he looked like he didn't have a care in the world.

Aro nodded in reply to Eleazar. "A life and death game of chess… I had to decide whether I should let them live or die whist listening to the arguments from them playing."

Magnus smiled, "they are only young, Aro."

"I let them live!" Aro answered with a playful shrug, neglecting to mention that it was a rare hour he had spent with his family since his parents had been away, and during that hour he had managed to bawl at all four of his children which ended up in Sulpicia shoving him out the door.

Heidi and Ashanti both came to Aro's side, Ashanti with a glass of bloodwine, Heidi with a shot of dungeon blood.

"Many thanks, ladies." He said, though he was a little surprised to see them. Once they were clear he quizzed Caius on the extra guests.

"They offered to serve drinks." Caius explained, "they are free all night." He added pointedly to his brother in arms.

Caius was pig sick of socialising with Aro. He knew it was only so Aro could get off his face on dungeon blood and he felt used. He was even sick of fucking Heidi and Ashanti. _You are a selfish ass, Aro, you have turned me off sex!_ Aro's requests to socialise had been manageable to begin - a couple of times a month was okay. But every time Basileus and Atia went away, Aro was pounding on Caius' door day and night!

Aro widened his eyes to Caius and flicked them quickly to his brothers, _they can't know I'm fucking other women!_ He thought desperately hoping Caius caught his drift quickly.

Caius rolled his eyes. "Understood." He whispered. _Though why you do it if you are so scared of getting caught is beyond me!_ He added to himself.

Caius wanted Aro to get caught. That's what the whole card game was about. He was exposing Aro to his brothers and Magnus in the hope that one of them, any of them, would leak back to Basileus that Aro was on dungeon blood and playing away from home. Once that happened, Caius could get his life back, he hoped! He did feel a little guilty knowing the creator would tear Aro to shreds for his drug abuse, let alone the women, but he just couldn't take it any more. He was arguing with Athenodora every time he went home from a night with Aro. Caius had promised to lessen his use of the dirty drug to help him become easier to live with at home, but with Aro dragging him out every night to indulge Caius was becoming more and more abusive with his mate. Caius resented Aro for that most of all.

"Are you going to drink that?" Eleazar asked, looking at the shot of dungeon blood in Aro's glass.

Aro laughed and knocked it down in one. "It's a tiny amount, brother. I think I can handle it." He said patronisingly.

Eleazar raised his eyebrows to Caius _, and how long as this been going on,_ he wondered. Caius nodded discreetly in return. He was desperate to tell someone about Aro being back on dungeon blood. I _'m covering your ass left right and centre and all I will get for my trouble when Basileus finds out is damn good thrashing - if I am lucky!_

Aro looked between the pair of them and laughed again. "Why are you stressing so much? I have it under control."

"Really?" Eleazar questioned. "I have been hearing a lot of complaints about your conduct from your children, and the guards. How long have you been back on dungeon blood, brother?"

Aro smirked and looked away, choosing not to answer his brother's questions. If he had been sensible, he wouldn't have drunk a drop of Caius' special brew in front of Eleazar. But Caius was becoming harder and harder to convince to join him in taking the drug, and the only way he would agree to another night on the stuff was for it to truly be a social affair. Caius wanted back up and he was sick to death of babysitting Aro on a high.

Eleazar started dealing out the cards between the five of them chuntering about what an absolute idiot his little brother was.

"What are we playing?" Carlisle asked, he knew very few card games - all of them taught him by Eleazar so he hoped his brother would choose something he was familiar with.

"Twenty-one" Eleazar confirmed, to Carlisle's relief. He was actually getting quite good at that game.

As he picked up his hand and eyed his pile of coins on the table, he heard his human fathers voice floating through his mind. "A pack of cards is the devil's prayer-book." He thought out loud.

"We don't want to hear from the preacher now, brother," Aro said, laughing to himself.

"Pastor!" Carlisle corrected.

"Whatever." Aro twitched realising he was using not only his eldest son's words, but also his tone.

It was the only thing Felix seemed to say to him lately. 'Whatever', whilst walking away, 'whatever', whilst ignoring any and all requests, 'whatever', as Aro punished him severely for every slight indiscretion. Aro was being a bastard to live with and he knew it. But try as he might, and as much as he loved his family, he just couldn't stop.

Magnus checked his cards and took a look around the group. _They all have fantastic poker faces. It's going to be really hard not to use my gift and find out who's lying._ "So how long are your old dears away for? I assume that's why we are having this impromptu game of cards?" he asked the Volturi family.

Eleazar dealt another card to everyone who wanted one. "They have been gone for a month tomorrow, so I expect them to return any day now."

Aro laid his cards on the table, king and ace of spades. "Until then, whilst the cat's away the mice will play!" he said triumphantly, having won the first hand.

Heidi and Ashanti kept everyone's glasses filled to the brim, and they were all taking regular shots of dungeon blood, too. Magnus had only taken the magic potion immediately preceding battles as part of the Volturi war ritual. The drug took away any fear and gave the guards an added bounce to their battle cries. It was a very different experience to shotting the drug at leisure during a card game. It was playing havoc with Magnus' gift, and rather than being able to get a good read of the room, he was emotionally chucking-up on the whole gathering making them all feel ultra-relaxed.

Carlisle had never tired it before and was pleased with the effects, as he sprawled in his chair he realised he had never felt so chilled. "Do you know what I don't understand…" Carlisle began, slurring a little.

"I could fill books with the things you don't understand." Aro retorted, snorting at his own joke.

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Of all the places we could do this, why are we in the dungeons?" he asked.

"It's the only semi-private place in the whole castle." Caius complained, stressing the 'semi' as since Basileus had asked him to take over bloodwine brewing, he had to accept he needed the regular use of some guards to assist him so now Richard and Phillipe, the two guards selected for the brewing task, were regular visits to his dungeon rooms.

Aro slapped Caius' shoulder. "We will have more space soon." He said with a happy glint in his eye.

"How so?" Caius asked eagerly. "Are you kicking some guards out?"

Magnus bristled until he realised Caius was joking - Caius joking was still a relatively new thing so Magnus could be forgiven for assuming the man held malevolent intent towards his wards.

Aro laughed. "I need the guards, and the masters are all needed… I can think of a couple of layabouts that we could lose" he said, turning sly eyes on his brothers.

Eleazar leaned over the table and matched Aro's expression. "Keep it up, little brother, and I may slip out to Basileus that you are drinking this shit again." He dared dangerously, wiggling his own shot glass under Aro's nose.

Aro sat back in his chair and shrugged. "You are drinking it too."

"I have never been told I couldn't." Eleazar reminded him. Aro had no come back to that. _Damn it!_

"Why were you told you couldn't drink it?" Magnus wondered aloud to his co master. He pushed his shot glass away and cursed himself for not checking whether dungeon blood was Basileus-sanctioned, or not.

Carlisle mimicked the juggernauts actions. _Damn it! I wouldn't have touched the stuff if I thought Basileus was against it!_ He lied to himself.

Aro ignored Magnus, he didn't want to answer his question - he was too ashamed of the events that had led to him being banned in the first place _. Deflect, deflect, deflect!_

"I am beginning plans for a building project in order to give the guards private quarters and create some guest suites. I am hoping to include some more communal spaces and Basileus has mentioned you will need more room for your experiments, Caius."

"A dedicated science lab wouldn't go amiss." Caius was suddenly very interested in Aro's plans.

"Your wish is my command." Aro offered a bow as he spoke.

"You know, a door on my torture room would be a grand gesture." Caius said, casting his hand towards the gaping hole that had 'magically' appeared after the visiting covens left town years before.

"How did that happen anyway, Caius?" Magnus asked.

None of them had noticed until Caius pointed it out, and it was the first time any of them had been down in the dungeons since they had retrieved Felix from Caius' clutches years before.

"It's remained a mystery for exactly two years now." Caius replied to his co-master, though he looked directly at Eleazar as he spoke, hoping he would find some relevance to his words.

"Two years you say?" Eleazar repeated. Oh, he understood alright!

Eleazar had nearly spat his bloodwine out hearing the magnitude of Aro's plans but now all he could think about was what the hell his little brother was playing at. _I need to get to the bottom of how serious this is,_ he thought. But he knew it would have to wait. _If this game lasts long enough I'm sure the little bastard will hang himself with the truth anyway!_

"Who's will be paying for the extension then, brother?" Eleazar asked, trying to distract himself.

"That's not for you to worry about, El." Aro crooned, "I will need your help though, Carlisle. My project will involve some interactions with the humans and I know how you love those simple little beings."

Carlisle knew Aro was mocking him but he was keen to have something proper to do around the castle.

Calling for a fourth shot of dungeon blood, when everyone else still had a little of their first shot left, brought Aro more attention from Eleazar.

"I was thinking that the guard hall will become our new office." He announced quickly, pulling the idea out of the air in an effort to distract everyone as he downed his shot. "Somewhere just for the masters to convene in private, or to meet with individual guards… to keep them away from our own chambers."

Caius was happy to be distracted for a change. "I like the sound of this Aro." He said, impressed with Aro's plans.

"So do I! The guards see my place as an extension of the bloody guard hall - some separation would be useful!" Magnus agreed. He and Freyr spent most of their time in the guard hall and whenever they left, a trail of guards seemed to follow them back to their quarters.

"I don't have that problem." Caius told his co-master happily.

"That because you scare the crap out of everyone." Carlisle butted in.

"It's a means to an end." Caius breezed easily.

"It's because you're an evil bastard." Carlisle added under his breath. Everyone heard him.

"I WAS an evil bastard… I have begun to mellow with age, I am living off my reputation now." Caius replied, a little anxious about how his future dealings in the castle would work with his new mindset.

"And long may it last you, brother." Aro said as he eyed Caius for a moment.

Aro wasn't comfortable with the idea of Caius mellowing. _Caius makes me look like a pussy cat, it's much nicer playing reason to his rampant viciousness… how will that work going forward?_ he wondered.

They continued to play cards, with Aro winning a decent pot only to have Magnus wipe him out on the last hand. Magnus watched Aro down another shot of dungeon blood. He had counted at least six by then and he was sure his co-master could have snuck some by them all had he wanted to. He, like the others, was only on his second hit and didn't plan on taking any more.

"Are you going to tell us why you are banned from dungeon blood?" Magnus couldn't understand it, he felt so chilled on the dirty blood and wondered what made Aro so different - _the guy looks crazed, his eyes are all over the place and he's clearly getting more and more agitated. What's going on_?

"I may, occasionally, have difficulty knowing when to stop. That's all." Aro finally answered.

 _That's all?_ Eleazar repeated, much like Caius had. "And it makes you a violent bastard." Eleazar added as Aro had clearly forgotten.

Aro laughed away his brother's complaint but Caius quickly backed Eleazar up. "He threatened to rip my throat out if I didn't give him the keys to the dungeons not so long ago…"

Aro's eyes flew wide open and he had to stop himself from growling at his brother in arms. "You knew I didn't mean it." He sang out with glowering eyes at his co master.

Caius looked askance to Aro and tutted pointedly. _Oh yeah, sure you didn't!_ He thought.

Eleazar dealt the next hand around the table. "The way I heard it, he attacked Basileus when he was off his face on that stuff. Isn't that why I was turned? Because you needed a baby sitter?"

Aro sunk into his chair like a petulant child. He didn't like being called out on his faults. "Thank you, brother." He snapped. "You clearly did a shitty job as we needed Carlisle, too!"

Aro sat up, ready to play. Everyone else remained leaning back in their chairs, waiting for Aro to give them some juicy information. Aro sighed and allowed himself to fall back into his chair.

"Okay," he sighed. "Caius and I had been having one of our private parties…"

"Private? Me, you, and twenty or so human whores…"

"Thank you Caius!" Aro snapped again.

He knew he was being unfairly terse. _Just tell them the story and they will leave me in peace with my drink!_ He thought.

"I was tanked up on a dungeon blood binge that had nearly used up all of our stores… and then I went home and got into a fight with Sully… and Felix… and Basileus." He said, feeling shame flooding his veins.

Magnus narrowed his eyes. "You actually had a fight with Basileus… as in, he didn't just wipe the floor with you?"

 _Of course you would want more information, you nosey bastard,_ Aro thought, annoyed.

"Oh no, he did wipe the floor with me, but I landed a good few punches first." He replied before reliving his most shameful day for his brothers and co-masters' amusement.

Aro staggered up the stairs to his top floor suite. How he had made it all the way to his door was, quite frankly, a miracle. He couldn't see the steps, and frequently missed the walls when trying to brace himself - the only way he managed to find his way home was through pure muscle memory.

"Sully!" he called, clattering into his chambers.

Sulpicia sat with the young high guard in the living chamber, all reading quietly before Aro had rudely interrupted them.

"My love?" she asked, with a heavy heart.

She could see he was off his face again. He hadn't been home for three days and she had been lying to Basileus regarding his whereabouts.

"Fetch me some wine." Aro requested gruffly before flopping into her vacated seat.

Sulpicia rolled her eyes to the heavens, but did as she was bid. One look to her young guard and she could see they felt awkward… and a little fearful.

When she gave him the goblet of wine, Aro caught her wrist and held onto her whilst he downed his drink and let the silver cup fall to the floor. Aro smiled mischievously to his mate and pulled her into his lap.

"I want you, now!" he growled into her ear as his hands search for an entry through her dress.

"Aro, no…" Sulpicia tried to pull away, gesturing to their young audience.

Aro sighed, his head whirled and he had forgotten they were even there. He and Caius had been holding their drugged-up orgy for three days but now that all the human whores had been fucked to death and drank dry, he had relented and come home. But he still wanted to fuck, so the high guard had to leave.

"OUT." He bellowed, paying little attention to their thoughts or feelings in his inebriated state.

"Yes master." Three replied as they scurried to their rooms. Only Felix stayed.

Sulpicia continued to pull away seeing Felix standing over the pair of them. When Aro tore her dress, Felix grabbed hold of his master's wrist. Aro looked to the hand holding him tightly, and slowly followed the arm up to see who it was. He struggled to focus, but when he saw that the hand belonged to Felix he laughed.

"Problem?" he asked with his eyes rolling in his head. "I told you to leave."

Felix stood fast. "I think I should stay."

"Well you aren't joining in, but I don't care if you watch." Aro was fucked.

There was a part of his brain that questioned him as he spoke, wondering what the fuck he was thinking and why the hell he would say that to the boy, but he pushed that part of his senses away as he allowed his lust to take the front seat.

Aro put all his efforts into forcing his mate down onto the sofa, one handed.

"Felix, its fine, go on." Sulpicia told her young guard as she struggled beneath her mate.

"Yeah, fuck off Felix - you're killing the mood." Aro jeered.

Felix thought about going to his room and cowering with his siblings as they listened to Aro on a rampage. _Not this time._ He said to himself, resolutely.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get off Sully." He cursed his voice, it didn't sound half as fierce as it had in his head.

Aro stopped his sexual assault of his wife and stood up to face his young guard. Aro walked Felix backwards until he was up against the wall and cocked his head to the side as he considered his young guard's intentions and capabilities. _You are a strong little fucker. Brave too. But I know how to handle you._ He said to himself, _you wouldn't be living in my quarters if I didn't know I could take you down easily, boy. Let's see how brave you are._

"Are you talking back to me, boy?"

Felix felt sick. _He's going to kill me, fuck!_ He thought after taking one look into Aro's angry, black, coddled eyes. When he realised how drugged up Aro was, he changed his mind. _You can't kill me, you're too drunk to kill me._

"Yeah, I am… master." He said bravely. "What are you going to do about it?"

Aro laughed as though it were the funniest thing he had ever heard, and then smashed his forehead into Felix' face!

"Aro! NO!" Sulpicia flew to Felix's side in an effort to help him, but Aro knocked her clean across the room with one punch.

He was amazed for a moment that he had been able to land his fist so squarely into his mate's face - Sully was a small target and he was wrecked!

Felix, having recovered from the shock of Aro head-butting him, barrelled into his master, knocking him clean off his feet. The snarling, snapping and general brawl followed between Aro and Felix, neither winning as with Felix' superior strength, he could grapple Aro to the ground, but with Aro's superior skill, he gave Felix as good as he got.

Calm fell around the room when Alec sent out his fog at Sulpicia's request.

"Can you hold the fog, Alec?" she asked, warily approaching her mate to check he was completely restrained.

"Yes, my lady." Alec replied, looking fearfully to the scene in their living room.

Sulpicia looked over her young guard, Jane, Alec, and Demetri all huddled together in the archway to the inner hall leading to their rooms.

"Demetri, could you find Basileus, please." She asked, "Jane, go with him."

The pair of them left immediately and must have found Basileus in his ground floor chambers as they all returned so quickly.

"What the hell happened in here?" Basileus asked, seeing Aro holding Felix in a head lock, comatose on the floor.

"He is drunk, my lord." Sulpicia said, hiding her face from her father in law.

 _I can see what he has done to you, my dear._ Basileus said to himself, as he fished through his son's thoughts and witnessing his three-day debauchery with Caius and dungeon blood… and the twenty-two humans the pair of them had fucked and drained.

"Alec, release them." Basileus called out.

Felix and Aro returned immediately to their brawl, Aro was dangerously close to ripping Felix' head off his body.

"STOP!" Basileus boomed, inches away from the pair of them.

Felix froze, Aro however, continued to grapple with the boy. Basileus was forced to extricate the pair from the floor. Felix looked petrified to be facing the creator in such a situation. Basileus knew that had Felix not got involved, Aro would have raped Sulpicia and he was damn grateful that the boy had the balls to stand up to Aro over something so potentially damaging to his son's home life.

Aro swung around Basileus desperately trying to land another punch on his young guard.

"You are totally out of your damn mind!" Basileus raged, throwing Aro to the floor.

Aro's head whirled and he wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he took Basileus' stance as a threat and went straight for his jugular. Basileus hadn't expected his son to be so vicious with him, and Aro's attack took him off guard - they both fell to the floor with Aro attempting to rip his father's throat out with his teeth! Of course, Aro's normal vampire fangs couldn't penetrate Basileus' skin - he's a demi-god after all, he struggled to cause a scratch on his father's neck. The brawl continued until Basileus managed to land his fist into the side of Aro's head, knocking him out for the count. By that time, Aro had broken ribs down the left-hand side of his body and had managed to snap both of his own wrist in his attempts to pummel his father.

Aro chanced a look to his co masters and brothers. Carlisle and Magnus appeared quite shocked but Caius and Eleazar shook their heads. They knew there was far more savagery to the event than Aro had told them.

"I had to repair the walls in my living room… it took months for Sulpicia to have me back in our chambers without a chaperon… and I had one hell of a hangover. Basileus decided I needed a calmer playmate so we ended up with Eleazar!"

Aro conveniently left out the bloody pulp Basileus had whipped him into in response to his failings, and he had massively downplayed his brutality towards his wife and son in his retelling. He felt utterly ashamed of the years he spent living in such a way and he couldn't look Magnus or Carlisle in the eye with the clear contempt they were shooting to him. _And they only know half of it!_ He thought.

Caius and Eleazar continued to watch him knowingly. Caius had been around to see Aro the day after he had gone feral and smashed up every living, or none living thing in the vicinity… "it was much worse than that, brother." He said quietly.

Aro looked away as Eleazar's eyes bored holes into the side of his head. "I imagined it would have been." He told his younger brother.

"Those poor kids have seen a lot of violence." Carlisle mused, wondering how they were as well balanced as they were, considering.

Aro shuffled the deck of cards as he prepared for another round of twenty-one. He was clearing up, or he would have been if Magnus didn't keep wiping out his pot.

"I'm not proud of it. And life has changed immeasurably in my chambers." He smiled thinking of how far they had all come. "Felix talks back me on a daily basis now and I very rarely try and kill him with any real intent." He quipped.

He really couldn't see that over the last two years he had sent them all back to those dark days which caused him such shame.

Caius laughed, but he was the only one.

"I don't find it funny." Carlisle said, glaring at Aro. "Childhood abuse isn't funny."

Everyone waited for Aro to respond. Caius was ready to move the drinks - he knew Aro could go either way on a good day and as he had been supping dungeon blood he reasoned that his co-master would more likely end up fighting than talking.

Aro finished dealing the cards and took a good swig of the bloodwine before answering. "I agree with you brother - I have spent years rebuilding the damage, and even when pushed… and my god have they pushed… I have never repeated that night."

Eleazar sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Aro saw him.

"I haven't!" Aro implored. "I mean, yeah, I've taken things too far once or twice but never that bad!" He really did believe his own bullshit.

"But you are drinking dungeon blood again…" Carlisle started.

Aro waved away his brothers concerns. "I'm perfectly in control, I'm not on it very often."

Caius raised an eyebrow to that - he was the only one who could have made a good guess on the amount Aro was consuming, and even he couldn't be sure but it was a lot. "More often than you should be." He said quietly.

Aro threw his cards down. "That's a bit rich coming from you!"

Caius mimicked Aro's movements, though he had no intentions of ending up fighting - he was too hazy on dungeon blood and bloodwine for that. "I have never tried to pick a fight with the creator, and I don't have kids living in my quarters, either."

"No, you just use your mate as your punching bag." Aro sneered in response. He was seriously pissed off being in the spot light for some of his darkest days.

Caius laughed. "Are you trying to take the moral high ground there?" He knew, even the others seemed surprised to hear it, that Aro had been just as brutal to Sulpicia as Caius had to Athenodora, though with less regularity.

"Fuck off." Aro growled. "I don't do that anymore."

Magnus raised his eyebrows, he was learning more about his co-masters than he would have liked to know.

"Well neither do I." Caius returned.

If Magnus, Eleazar and Carlisle were surprised to learn that Aro conducted his marital issues with the same penchant for domestic abuse as Caius, they were bowled over by the idea that Caius had stopped beating Athenodora for kicks.

"What?!" Caius exclaimed. "I told you - I've mellowed."

Magnus nodded to himself, "and your 'mellowing' would have nothing to do with their old man breaking your nose now would it?" He asked his co-master outright.

"Maybe a little." Caius agreed.

That wasn't all though. Since having the outside covens in Volterra that first time, Caius had spent a lot of time reflecting on his reputation in the vampiric world and he wasn't completely happy with it - he was keen on the general fear most vampires felt about facing him, that kept him safe, but the idea that everyone believed him to be entirely self-serving, and that he cared so little for his coven mates, or Athenodora made him question his place in the Volturi and re-evaluate his ways in general. That, and Basileus had severely bollocked him for his cruelty and finally being called out on his actions made him bring them to an immediate halt.

Aro spread his hand on the table. There was only him and Carlisle left in the round and from Carlisle's face it was clear Aro had just taken the last of his coin.

"The lord giveth and the lord taketh away." Aro crowed, drawing toward him the gold from the centre of the table.

"Stop quoting scripture at me, Aro." Carlisle hissed. "You don't even know what it means."

Aro smirked. "Don't be such a sore loser then. And it means I have all your money." He replied, happily mocking his little brother over his loss.

"I know you are cheating, I don't know how, but I know you are!" Carlisle accused, glaring at Aro.

"Me?!" Aro exclaimed. "Magnus is taking all my money - I know you are using your gift to see who's bluffing!" Aro fixed Magnus with a similar glare to the one Carlisle was giving him.

Magnus offered a crooked smile in return. "Prove it." He had drunk his fill and felt a little hazy.

Caius looked between Aro and Magnus, he was sure they were both cheating! "We should invite Atia, she could block both of your gifts."

Eleazar, Aro, and Carlisle all flinched.

"Do you think Atia would approve of her boys drinking and gambling?" Magnus asked, laughing at the three brothers looking furtively between themselves.

Caius nudged Aro with his elbow. "She's seen you do worse." He announced to the group, sending them with his eyes to Heidi and Ashanti.

"Caius!" Aro exclaimed, avoiding his big brothers knowing eye.

"Ooo…" Carlisle started, happy to get his own back and mock Aro without really realising the implication in Caius' words or gesture.

"Ooo nothing!" Aro snapped. _They can't know about Heidi and Ashanti!_ He screamed inside his head.

Magnus had followed Caius' eyeline and looked the beautiful Volturi sirens up and down. "I think we can guess." He said, winking to Aro.

"I hope for his sake you are wrong, Magnus." Eleazar said seriously as he stared at Aro, waiting for his brother to look him in the eye.

Magnus smiled. "My reading of the room would tell me I am right." He didn't really judge Aro or Caius for their extra marital play although it wasn't something he would do… as a general rule.

Aro made the mistake of checking Eleazar's reaction to what he was being told. As soon as he made eye contact with his elder brother, Aro regretted his curiosity

"What?" he asked with a shrug. He sounded so very nonchalant but his stomach was twisting with anxiety for the repercussions of Eleazar knowing about his secret fuck buddies.

"Come on, El!" he said. He was aiming for happy and jovial but to Eleazar's ears he just sounded desperate. Aro tried again. "You've been tied to Carmen for years now… wouldn't you fancy a change of scene?" Bad move!

Eleazar looked like he was trying to swallow chewy blood. "You disgust me." He spat.

Aro scoffed. "Harsh."

Eleazar launched into a verbal attack. "Just because you pair are happy cheating on your mates…"

"Ah, ah, ah" Caius interrupted, "I do not cheat on my mate, Dora knows all about it."

"And she approves?" Eleazar questioned.

"Approves? She joins in!" Caius stated happily.

He had never cheated on his mate, not in the way Aro did. Athenodora and Caius had an unspoken agreement that he could fuck who he liked, she only took issue with it when he flirted with his conquests in front of her. A reasonable covenant to their agreement, Caius felt.

Eleazar turned back to Aro. "Sulpicia won't know, I can guarantee that."

"So?" Aro returned with a shrug.

 _Oh you may think your poker face is impassable, little brother, but I know you will a ball of worry right about now._ "Does it make you feel all manly or something?" he asked, patronising his brother.

"No." Aro said, sounding bored and looking away.

Eleazar nodded to himself, _nothing manly about what you are doing._ "Then why are you risking your mate's happiness?"

"What about my happiness?" Aro shot back.

"Why does your happiness rely on you being a cheating prick rather than keeping a happy home?"

Aro threw his hands in the air and sighed dramatically. "I can manage both simultaneously, thanks."

Eleazar sat back, he could see he was getting nowhere, fast.

Carlisle took up his brother gauntlet. "Until Sully finds out." He said slyly.

Aro may have been willing to take Eleazar's probing but he wasn't sitting through cheap shots from Carlisle. "It wasn't that long ago you took my 16-year-old to a fucking whore house so you can step back down off your high horse, brother."

Magnus and Caius shared a shocked expression with their mouths hanging open over that little revelation!

Carlisle felt very uncomfortable having his private life displayed for others. "It was a low point, okay!"

Eleazar looked between his brothers. "Very low, like pond scum." He said, wondering what he had done wrong in life to end up with Aro and Carlisle as his younger brothers.

Aro smiled, looking down his nose at Eleazar _, yeah because you have always been such a saint, haven't you!_ "I'm sorry, El, have you forgotten your old playmate? Ashanti, could you fill our cups, please!"

Ashanti swayed over to the group with a bottle of bloodwine. "Hey El." She drawled, filling her ex bed fellows cup to the brim.

Eleazar stood up immediately, removing himself from Ashanti's presence.

Aro scoffed to his brother's actions. "Eleazar don't be such a self-righteous prick."

Aro instantly regretted his words when he saw Eleazar twitch in response. He started to walk away from the card table but turned before he reached the dungeon stairwell.

"You know what, Aro, our parents come home tomorrow - you will see what a self-righteous prick I can really be." With that he flashed from the lower level of the castle and went home to his mate.

Carlisle felt awkward staying without Eleazar "I should go after him." He said quietly, excusing himself from the table and fleeing to follow Eleazar and see what he should say to Basileus when he returned.

Magnus watched Aro for a reaction but Caius was positively gleeful - he was so tired of Aro and his parties that he had to supervise. Now Eleazar knew, the matter was over in his mind. _Just get through tonight without Aro smashing anyone up and I am home free,_ he thought.

Heidi and Ashanti's stayed well clear of the three remaining men, sitting on a long bench brought out from the newborn hall, waiting to be called upon.

"Fuck him." Aro declared. "I'm tired of cards." He added, pushing his hand away and taking his goblet in its place. "

Good job, because you've ran out of money." Magnus smiled, scooping up his winnings. "Money won is twice as sweet as money earned." He said happily, jingling his now hefty coin pouch.

Aro laughed to himself and stood from the table. He looked first to Heidi and then to Ashanti. "Which one should I have?" He wondered aloud. "Why choose? I can have them both."

He staggered over to the castle sirens and sat between them. Aro pulled Heidi into an embrace, caressing her body with one hand whist the other pushed Ashanti down on her knees and between his open legs.

Magnus watched for a moment before turning back to Caius. "Should we stop him?" he asked.

Caius rolled his eyes over Aro's actions. It was nothing he hadn't seen on a weekly basis for the last two years - and damn near nightly for the last month!

"He's just tanked up on dungeon blood, let him 'fuck' through the effects." He replied. Caius pulled his chair closer to his co-master to speak privately with Magnus. "I was wondering, what would you think about offering the guards some dungeon blood, for a price."

Magnus' booming laughter, not unlike Basileus', filled the dungeons. "Not a chance!" he guffawed.

"For free then? I need to get rid of the damn stuff." Caius pushed.

He had been so resistant to getting rid of the dungeon blood when Aro had first offered in his hungover state two years prior, but he had spent every day since regretting that decision. He still didn't know how he would do his job without it, but he was willing to find out and have the noose removed from around his neck.

Magnus considered Caius' offer, but he rejected it quickly.

"But you like it!" Caius whined. He was desperate.

Magnus shrugged. "So what, have you never seen a hypocrite before? It's one thing the guards taking it in the heat of battle, or extreme pain… not just for a Saturday night." He explained. "Besides - I am not having my guards acting like that." Magnus added, gesturing to Aro only a few meters away who now had both Heidi and Ashanti sucking him off. "I'm much older than you pair. I grew out of finding this sort of behaviour funny long before I was turned."

"Do you need some help controlling him?" Magnus asked, seeing how rough Aro was being with the women servicing his needs.

Caius sighed. "I am hoping tonight will be the last night anyone has to control him - Eleazar knows now, and Basileus is home tomorrow…"

Magnus really felt for Caius, it was clear that Aro's shenanigans had worn heavily on the man. "Why have you kept this to yourself, Caius?" he asked, "I could have helped you, we could have told Basileus together, sooner."

Caius appreciated Magnus offering his support, even if it was too late to make a difference. "Honestly, I was worried about the consequences." Caius admitted. _I was trying to save my own skin, more like,_ he thought. _Aro has a lot of dirt on me and I know he's not above using it._

"What's changed?" Magnus asked.

He could tell the card game had been set up to expose Aro's misadventures to his brothers. He also knew Caius hadn't done so maliciously, his intentions were to help their co-master, not betray him. _Caius is a lot of things, but he is loyal to a fault,_ Magnus surmised.

Caius looked over to Aro before he answered - now completely naked and fucking Heidi in front of them. "I can't watch him destroy himself anymore. Fuck the consequences."


	95. Unravelling

**AN:** Praise the gods, my lovely Doccoopper is back so I can stop stressing about my shoddy formatting abilities :)

So, erm, Mommy and Daddy are home and Aro is still on self destruct...

* * *

 **UNRAVELLING**

Atia and Basileus arrived back in Volterra in the dead of night. They slipped into the castle unnoticed and after days of travel through early spring rain they decided to lock the doors to their chambers and hide away from Volturi life for a few more hours. They had missed Eleazar and Carlisle returning to the tower shortly after they did, and they missed Aro not returning home at all.

When they emerged the next day, Basileus sought out Marcus to deliver the rare manuscripts he had collected on the educator's behalf and, though he had promised Atia that he would only drop in the manuscripts, he ended up staying and talking over the rare finds until mid-afternoon … as Atia knew he would.

In that time, the twins had paid a visit to Atia and complained about their parents arguing, both concerned for their mother who was becoming detached and Aro whose temper lived on a knife's edge.

Atia spoke briefly to Sulpicia about the young ones' worries, receiving only a terse reply from her daughter-in-law as Sulpicia dismissed the twin's complaint.

Atia wasn't stupid, she could see something was going on - it was a very different atmosphere they had returned to and she was going to get to the bottom of it … even if Basileus was still off duty.

…

Aro staggered up the tower stairwell, scraping his shoulder all the way up the wall of the winding stairs until he arrived outside his own door and realised he had worn a hole in his coat with the pressure he'd exerted on the stonework. He looked a state, but he made no attempt to cover his bedraggled clothes - he hadn't for any other night that month either.

Sulpicia rolled her eyes at the state of her mate as he fell through their door and crawled to the sofa on his hands and knees. She was glad their children were out, though they had seen him that way far too frequently already.

"Your parents are home. Basileus will want to see you, so you should wash and change," she stated without emotion.

"Why?" Aro asked with a shrug. He wasn't ready to face his father.

"He will want to see you because he's your dad, Aro. He hasn't seen you for a month. And you should change because you look like you have just walked off a battle field."

Aro scoffed to himself, it was easier than replying properly.

"I had an interesting conversation with your mother," Sulpicia continued.

"About?" Aro grunted.

"She thinks we are arguing too much in front of the twins."

That got Aro's back up. "And, where would she get that idea?" he sneered.

"One would imagine, the twins!" _Obviously_ , she thought.

Aro sighed. "Do you want me to talk to them?"

"Yes! Obviously," Sulpicia said flatly. "Though I have no idea where they are now."

"You should know where your own children are," Aro said patronisingly. "Aren't they supposed to guard you?"

Sulpicia chuckled to herself - it had been a good few years since the twins guarded her. _They have much freer lives now, and long may that continue,_ she thought. "We both know they do no such thing."

"I can stop paying them then," Aro clapped his hands together. The exhaustion from the dungeon blood was wearing off and he could feel his bodily control coming back.

"You give them pocket money, Aro, you can't pretend to me that you pay them - I run the finances, remember."

Aro burst out laughing, and went to his bedchamber, collecting some clothes. "You run the finances?" he scoffed, passing through the living chamber on his way to the bathroom. "You hand out the pay packets, sweetheart," he called over his shoulder before closing the door.

"Oh, is that all?" Sulpicia said to herself, feeling most put out.

Aro returned only moments later looking much fresher and dumped his outfit from the night before in a pile by the door. A guard would dispose of them when they collected the household laundry the next morning.

"You have hardly been around whilst your parents were away, I have been running everything!"

Aro turned his eyes to the heavens. "I was here yesterday evening!" he snapped.

"For an hour - you yelled at us all and left!" Sulpicia returned her mate's frosty tone.

"Didn't this conversation start with you wanting me to yell at the twins?"

"I don't want you to yell at them, we need to talk with them," Sulpicia explained, adding, "you could talk to your sons whilst you are at it."

Aro stalked around his chambers like a caged tiger. "What is your complaint with them?" he asked, coming to a halt in front of his mate.

"My complaint," Sulpicia replied in a tone most reminiscent of Aro's mother, "is that they are staying out later and later and their attitude towards me is deplorable … not that you would know as you have hardly been here."

"Maybe they are trying to avoid the nagging," Aro half shouted in reply.

Sulpicia got to her feet and matched Aro's aggressive stance. It was then that she noticed how fucked he looked. "What's wrong with you?" she questioned. Your eyes are black and bloodshot."

There was a hint of caring in her voice that Aro hadn't heard for a year, at least. They had become so distant. Rather, Sulpicia had distanced herself from her mate because she knew, deep down hidden inside her, that her mate was up to his old tricks.

"Don't be ridiculous," Aro dismissed her worries, pushing her away and creating some space between them.

"Aro what's going on?" she pushed, ready for a row.

Before Aro had to answer, Felix and Demetri trudged through the door.

"You two, get over here!" Aro demanded, pointing to the spot on the floor in front of him. "Where have you been?" he asked forcefully.

Felix simply stared his father out, refusing to answer.

"Nowhere. Just around the castle," Demetri replied, looking to his mother for help.

"Well you're staying here for the rest of the day," Ark told them harshly.

"Why?!" Felix questioned. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"I don't have to give you a reason," Aro said, talking down to his headstrong son.

Sulpicia attempted to help her boys. "Aro, you are being unreasonable," she told him, her concern for her mate's state of mind growing by the minute.

Aro looked back to her over his shoulder. "You wanted me to give them a talking to, I'm doing it!" he said moodily.

Whilst their parents conducted another argument over who was right and who was wrong, Demetri turned to his brother. "What's his problem?" he asked.

"He's on dungeon blood," Felix whispered, pushing Demetri behind him slightly.

Aro spun around on his heel "What did you just say?" he asked, daring his boy to say it to his face.

"Nothing," Felix grunted in reply.

Aro started poking his boy in his forehead, goading him. "Come on, Felix," he pushed, giving him a couple of sharp slaps to his cheek.

"For god sake!" Felix exclaimed, pushing his father away.

"You think the gods can protect you from me?" Aro continued to goad the boy. He could hear Sulpicia calling for him to stop but he couldn't have cared less for her opinion right then.

"You wanna know where I've been? With Ashanti," Felix said with a sly smile.

Aro paled for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. "What are you doing with Ashanti, boy?" he asked with heavy emphasis on the 'boy'.

"Nothing, she didn't want to do anything with me," Felix replied. "Any guesses why, Dad?" he asked with his hand extended so Aro could read his memories.

Aro zoned in on the altercation between his bedfellow and his son: _'I can't have sex with you, Felix. I've gone up in the world.'_ Aro heard Ashanti say _. 'I'm a prince of Volterra, Ashanti',_ Felix replied to the vixen, believing that could be as up in the world as Ashanti could get _. 'Yes,'_ Ashanti agreed, _'but your dad is the king.'_ It was clear from his boy's thoughts that Felix knew Aro was fucking Ashanti.

 _FUCK!_ Aro roared inside his mind. Keeping a tight hold on his son's hand, he dragged the boy along behind him until they were safely inside Felix and Demetri's bedchamber where he could discuss the matter more privately.

"You were about to tell Sulpicia about Ashanti, weren't you!" he accused in a hateful whisper as soon as the door was closed.

"What if I was?" Felix shrugged. Truthfully, he would never have wanted to hurt Sully with such information, but he was so pissed off that his mother was standing by and watching as Aro became increasingly more explosive in their home. She hadn't even tried to moderate Aro's behaviour in Felix's view, so she was letting him and his siblings down just like their father was.

"I told you to keep your mouth shut," Aro growled.

Felix returned said growl.

"Are you trying to stand up to me, boy?" Aro asked with his tinkling laughter filling the room, the very idea laughable to him. "You never win, have you learned nothing in all your years here?"

Aro slapped his boy again.

Felix wasn't going to stand for much more before he planted his fist into his father's face. "Fuck you, Aro," he said. It wasn't bravery, it was serious anger, betrayal, and exhaustion over the sordid mess that was his father.

Aro stood back and cupped his chin, pretending to consider Felix as a real contender. "Oh, so you are going for a battle of wills, huh? Ready to play with the big boys again, son? I'm sure I can round up the masters to give you another hiding if that's what you want?" Aro reminded Felix of his humiliation after the covens had left from the treaty arrangement. He failed to have the desired effect on his son, however, as Felix thought it a great idea.

"Yeah, take me to Basileus, I have plenty to tell him."

Aro saw red and launched for his son. Forcing the boy down onto his bed, he wrapped both hands around Felix's throat. "You will tell him nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!" Aro roared into his son's ear.

For all his partying, drink and drugs, Aro was weak and Felix simply removed his father's hands and managed to push them both back up to standing positon. Once he was on his feet, he shoved Aro away.

"You reek of dungeon blood."

Aro looked down to Felix's hand on his chest. "You know what you reek of? Stupidity!" he shot back.

Felix didn't remove his hand. He needed to keep his father at a safe distance.

"Feeling brave, are we?" Aro asked slyly. "You think you will get away with going against me?"

Felix puffed up his chest. He wasn't backing down, he knew he was in the right this time.

"What are you going to do about it, Aro?" he asked. "Look at you, you're wrecked!"

Aro flashed around his son's block and cuffed the back of his head.

"Stop it," Felix ground out, but he remained steadfast.

Aro slapped his head again, much harder that time.

"Dad, stop," he warned dangerously. "If you hit me again I'll hit you back."

Aro smirked. "You wouldn't dare!" he said, running his teeth over his fangs.

Aro felt agitated, and so angry. He wasn't sure if it was Felix he was angry at and he didn't give the premise enough head space to consider if he was being unfair on his son - he pushed on berating his boy and took to pacing around the bedroom.

"You live under my roof, you brat. You will do as I tell you," he told him sternly. "Go against me if you want, Basileus will beat me, sure he will. But what will happen to you after that, do you think?"

Felix looked confused. He wasn't worried about what would happen to him, he assumed the rest of his family would support him. _But would Basileus support me over Aro?_ He wondered.

"Where will you live?" Aro asked, continuing to goad the boy.

It wasn't working too well, Felix had had enough of Aro's games. "Throw me out - I'd leave if I thought I could trust you around my mom."

Aro laughed again. "I'll throw you in the gutter, boy!" he said threateningly.

Felix folded his arms across his chest. "Do you really think mom would let you do that?" he asked.

"I don't see her protecting you now, do you?" Aro said spitefully.

Felix felt his stomach knot into a ball. No, his mother wasn't there defending him and she hadn't been for the months and months now when Aro had aggressively punished him.

"What makes you think I give a fuck what she would say?" Aro asked, arms extending wide and doing a good impression of a dangerous lunatic … which wasn't far from the truth.

"You are scum," Felix roared. He felt powerless and tears pricked at his eyes - they were born of utter frustration.

"Come on, then," Aro called out, ready for a fight.

Felix hesitated, and stalled.

"I knew you didn't have it in you," Aro sneered, seemingly disappointed in not being able to take out his own child. "You will stay in this room and you will keep your mouth shut until I give you permission to do otherwise," Aro said, hanging in the doorway.

Felix looked Aro square in the eye and called him a cunt to his face.

Aro didn't react, he didn't care enough to react. Realising that hurt Felix the most of all.

Aro stalked through his chamber and was halfway out the door as he called to his mate that he had work to do. Sulpicia tried to stop him leaving, but he shook her off so hard that his wife ended up in a heap on the floor.

Aro looked down to Sulpicia, crying on the floor. "Atia's right, we are arguing too much."

…

Aro pounded on Caius' chamber door.

"No," Caius said, sounding tired.

Aro hadn't made any request but they booth knew why he was there … more dungeon blood.

"Caius … " Aro started.

"No, Aro. You are on your own, brother." Caius tried to push his co-master clear of the door but Aro wouldn't budge.

"Aro?" Atia's voice floated through from behind Caius and soon enough, there she was in the flesh.

"You're here!" Aro exclaimed, clearly in shock.

Atia wrapped her boy in her arms but Aro only held the embrace for a second or two, which was most unlike him.

"Are you okay?" Atia asked, having failed to retrieve any information through their brief contact. "You don't look yourself."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Aro insisted before excusing himself and leaving Caius' door.

Atia watched her boy fleeing her presence. _Hmm_ , she thought, _you really are on a path of self-destruction_.

"Caius, could you go with him, please."

Caius sighed, but he knew his nightmare was nearly over. "Of course, my lady."


	96. Intervention

**INTERVENTION**

Atia closed the door behind Caius and turned to face the room. Athenodora looked away nervously whilst Carmen appeared confused.

"I would like to know why my son looks like a human hobo who's been chasing the dragon." Atia waited a moment but neither woman replied. "Which one of you is going to talk first?" she pushed.

Carmen shrugged. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Atia … Aro has hardly been around whilst you were away. Eleazar met up with him last night and he was fuming when he came home, but he wouldn't tell me why. He just kept saying that everything made sense now. I don't know what he meant, though."

Atia took a second to process Carmen's information … it wasn't much to go. She considered seeking Aro out herself and running through his memories. _But if I am wrong, if nothing's going on and Aro is just stressed, as Sulpicia claimed, I will be making things worse for everybody._

"Is that really everything you know?" Atia pushed.

Hearing that Eleazar and Aro were at odds wasn't particularly unusual, therefore neither was it illuminating.

Carmen nodded sadly. She had been spending less and less time with Sulpicia over the last year or so, at Sulpicia's instigation. Whenever Carmen called on her sister-in-law, Sully was too 'busy' to see her. As a consequence, Carmen had been spending more time with Athenodora - to begin with she sought out Caius' mate at Atia's request, but through spending time alone with the woman, Carmen had unexpectedly found a friend in Athenodora.

"Dora?" Atia prompted. _Surely you know something if my son is knocking on your door._

Athenodora looked nervous still. "I can't tell you. Caius … "

"I won't let Caius hurt you," Atia said forcefully.

Athenodora cut the coven matriarch off before she could say anything condemning her mate. "No! I don't think he would hurt me. Things have really changed there for us. Caius has changed. He's trying to anyway … Aro is dragging him back."

Carmen's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Aro is dragging Caius back - are you sure you don't have that the wrong way around?" she asked tentatively.

Athenodora took no offence, as she could understand the confusion. "Aro is knocking on our door at all hours, wanting Caius to go to the dungeons with him. Caius won't tell me what they are doing down there. He said he didn't want me implicated in his demise! I know he doesn't want to go with Aro … Aro is being quite threatening."

Atia felt her dead heart sinking in her chest. She didn't want to say it out loud, as though to do so would make her concern a reality, but her mind went straight to dungeon blood.

"They take Heidi and Ashanti down there, too," Athenodora added.

Atia sighed as she was instantly reminded of catching Caius and Aro tanked up on dungeon blood sharing the pleasures Heidi had to offer. Atia hadn't blamed Heidi then, but if she was instigating the illicit liaisons now it would, in Atia's mind, be time to say goodbye to the new siren.

"Are they going willingly?" Atia asked.

"Heidi would prefer not to, but Ashanti is very pleased with being back with the masters again," Athenodora said, spitting Ashanti's name. Ashanti had caused so much trouble in the Volturi coven and Athenodora was sick of the little tramp acting as her equal because Caius occasionally fucked her.

Atia thought on similar lines - she had heard the many tales of Ashanti's shenanigans and the upset she caused throughout the coven. Basileus would have gotten rid of the woman decades ago but Ashanti was useful in collecting humans up for group feeding. _Heidi can do that now, and she doesn't have the same negative reputation that Ashanti does._

"I understand," Atia replied.

Carmen looked close to tears. "Oh my god, poor Sully," she exclaimed, wondering whether her sister-in-law knew of her mate's betrayal, and for a moment questioning exactly what Eleazar had gotten up to the night before. "And you! How can you let this go on?" she directed sympathetically towards Athenodora.

Athenodora hushed her friend, waving away Carmen's concerns. "Caius and I have an understanding about the sex – we have always enjoyed an open relationship. And he just mellows out on dungeon blood, not like Aro. Aro's getting more and more violent. He's attacked Caius a few times and he broke Heidi's arm when they were having sex."

"Dungeon blood?" Carmen questioned, not knowing what that was.

Neither Atia nor Athenodora had the time to explain at that moment, they would leave that for Eleazar.

"Aro is back on dungeon blood," Atia repeated to herself. Oh yes, saying it out loud had definitely increased her concerns.

Athenodora panicked. "I thought you knew about the dungeon blood!" _Oh no! What have I done?_ she thought, cursing how free she had been the scant information she held.

Atia took a seat next to Athenodora and tried to console her, telling her that she would have known before nightfall at any rate.

"The twins confided in me this morning that Aro and Sulpicia are arguing a lot. And when I called in to see Felix and Demetri, the pair of them refused to leave their room. We need to get Sulpicia here. Carmen, would you fetch her please."

Carmen agreed, she wasn't sure what this dungeon blood was, or why Aro drinking it was such an awful thing, but right then all she could think about was Sulpicia and how much she regretted not pushing harder to spend time with her sister-in-law whilst all this was going on.

"Should we tell Basileus?" Athenodora asked, when Carmen left.

Atia shook her head. Something told her he would find out soon enough on his own.

It wasn't long before Carmen returned with Sulpicia, although she had taken some convincing to attend Athenodora's chambers.

"Sulpicia, I'm so glad you could come," Atia gushed as she walked through the door.

"This looks like an intervention," Sulpicia said, looking suspiciously between the three women sat together, opposite her. Against her, she felt.

"It is, in a way," Atia agreed. "We need to talk to you about Aro."

Sulpicia huffed in annoyance. "If this is about the arguing, Aro and I are fine, he's just stressed with work … "

"I believe it may be more than that," Atia interjected.

"It is definitely more than that," Athenodora agreed pithily.

Whilst Athenodora's relationship with Camren had dramatically improved, the same could not be said for her relationship with Sulpicia.

"What would you know?" Sully snapped in return.

Atia tried to direct conversation back to the matter at hand. "We are getting off track, Sulpicia, dear. Things with Aro need resolving - your children are suffering."

Sulpicia fumed. "Excuse me?!" Atia's entire premise was downright insulting to her.

Atia could see she was only adding to Sulpicia's annoyance, but she had to push on. "I have spoken with the twins, and with Felix and Demetri … they are all very unhappy. They need … "

Sulpicia's face became thunderous, shocking Atia enough for her to stop talking. Sulpicia was certainly ready to take over.

"I have been a mother to those young vampires for many centuries now. I know what they need!"

Aria went to her daughter-in-law to sit with her, taking her hands in her own.

"Of course you do," Atia agreed sympathetically. "If Aro's just stressed with work, as you claim … "

"Claim?!" Sulpicia broke in, but Atia continued.

"then it must be the children who are at fault," she posed, not believing such a thing but wanting to force Sulpicia to assess her mate's dangerous behaviour.

"There's no fault with anyone in my household, you interfering b… "

Carmen jumped to her feet. "Sully don't! She's trying to help!" she implored.

Sulpicia turned her steely gaze on her sister-in-law. "Are you turning on me too?" she asked, sounding both hurt and offended.

Carmen shook her head and returned Sulpicia's glare with eyes imploring compassion and concern. "Stop pushing everyone away, Sully," she begged. "You know something isn't right and you are placing yourself and your children at risk by isolating yourself."

"I am not isolating myself, thank you Carmen," Sulpicia said, dismissing her concerns, then adding forcefully, "I am simply defending my husband and children from your insults!"

Atia had had enough. _We are getting nowhere, fast! And god only knows what Aro is doing whilst we are wasting time here!_

"Who are you protecting, Sulpicia? Aro or your children … because as it stands, you are failing them both," she said resolutely.

Sulpicia was on her feet. She had to move or she was going to explode! "Failing them?! I don't have to choose between them, Atia. Parents don't work that way. But I wouldn't expect you to understand that."

Sulpicia watched Atia, she saw her twitch in response before matching her stance.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Atia ground out, quiet and dangerous.

Sulpicia was done. She felt attacks coming from every direction; her husband had become a self-serving unstable nightmare to live with, all four of her children were acting out from their father's irrational outburst with equally irrational outbursts, and now the women in her family had clearly turned against her, she thought. Oh yes, she was done, and now she was going to hit Atia where it would hurt. "You are 'playing' mother, and I am one. There is a difference. Don't get me wrong, if I wanted a layman's advice on parenting I would certainly come to you," she sang out sweetly in a tone she'd learned from Aro.

It worked. Atia looked like she'd been stabbed in the heart. Atia wasn't naïve, she knew that she'd rubbed Carmen and particularly Sulpicia the wrong way since she had arrived in Volterra, but she loved them both dearly. Basileus' sons were her sons, and their mates were her daughters as far as Atia was concerned. As a very principled and worldly woman she accepted there would, no doubt, always be some abrasion with marrying into the vampire elite. Atia had believed she had been accepted … she was questioning that now.

"I am trying to help you," she said softly.

"I don't need your damn help. I am the matriarch of this family, Atia. Not you. You are just fucking the boss!" Sulpicia retaliated spitefully.

Athenodora had remained silent until then. She spent more time with Atia than she did with Caius even and Atia had helped her see life in an entirely new way. Both she and Caius had benefitted hugely from the woman's insight and Athenodora decided Sulpicia was being most ungrateful towards her mother in law.

"That would be Ashanti, actually," she said slyly.

Sulpicia burst out in sarcastic laughter. "I know you struggle with this, Dora, but Caius isn't the boss!"

Athenodora stood up and closed the short distance between them. "Neither is Basileus," she whispered, "he is the creator … so that only leaves … " Athenodora allowed her voice to trail off and for Sulpicia to arrive at her own conclusion.

Sully knew her mate well, they had lived together for thousands of years. She knew Aro was back on dungeon blood, his temperament alone was testament to that. She also knew that with the drug came the infidelity … not that Aro needed to be on dungeon blood for that, but other women were a certainty when he was. Oddly, knowing all that wasn't what affected Sulpicia, it was everyone else knowing that made the red mist descend. Without saying a word Sulpicia flew towards Athenodora, easily taking the woman down to the floor with the moves Eleazar had taught her during their frequent training sessions. It took both Carmen and Atia's combined efforts to free Athenodora from Sulpicia's clutches.

Basileus burst through the doors as Sulpicia continued to snarl and rage in her mother-in-law's hold.

Carmen nursed Athenodora's bloody, scrawled face. Sulpicia had dug her nails in deep and dragged them down the woman's cheeks!

Atia gave her mate a moment to catch up - he was clearly using his gift to run through the preceding conversation that had led to Sulpicia's vicious attack.

"Could you take Sully back to the south tower, my dear," he asked Atia once he had heard it all.

Atia nodded. "Should we find Aro?" she asked.

On hearing his name, Sulpicia broke down in her mother-in-law's arms, the full weight of the last two years crushing her soul. She turned in Atia's embrace and found comfort in the woman's hold, sobbing uncontrollably from the stress she felt.

Basileus breathed in and out slowly and scrubbed his hands up his face and back through his hair, desperately trying to keep his cool. "No, Aro will find his way home, I'll deal with him then," he said darkly. _I just hope I don't kill him when he does._

…

It took a while for Atia to calm Sulpicia down. At first Sulpicia appeared to barely register who it was in her chambers with her, such was her distress. When she had settled suitably, Atia tried to talk her through what she believed was going on. It didn't begin well - Atia had to admit she had knowledge of Aro taking dungeon blood and being with another woman before the covens had convened.

Sulpicia felt betrayed by the woman who had been harping on about sisterly power since she'd arrived. Atia chose not to tell Sulpicia who the woman was … Sully assumed Ashanti would be the culprit and Basileus had asked Atia to conceal Heidi's role because they needed one of the sirens in the coven and Sulpicia knowing about Heidi would only make things harder for them both to share the castle afterwards. To Basileus at least, Ashanti was collateral damage.

Sulpicia had been expecting Basileus to step in and deal with Aro without the need for her involvement. Atia convinced her otherwise.

"You need to stand up for yourself, Sulpicia!" she had instructed her daughter-in-law. She was incensed that Aro could treat his mate so carelessly. "For your children, too!'' she had added after seeing the four of them behaving so unlike themselves.

They sounded sly and spiteful when they spoke with each other and downright disrespectful when they addressed their mother. Atia was most surprised they would act that way with a her in their quarters. They were, in Atia's opinion, replicating their paternal role model.

When Basileus called in to collect his mate and check on his daughter, Atia informed him of their attitude and that Aro would no doubt be returning to their tower soon, and wrecked. "You will have to speak with the young ones, my dear. They need to stay in their rooms so Sulpicia can talk with Aro."

"I think I will do the talking with Aro, my dear," Basileus said forcefully.

"I have a few things to say to him first, Basileus," Sulpicia said, with Atia's encouragement.

Basileus looked between the two women. _'I hope you know what you are doing, my dear,'_ he thought to his mate.

Atia nodded and smiled. ' _Sulpicia needs to stand up to Aro,'_ she offered by way of explanation.

Basileus understood that, he was just worried Sulpicia was being put in harm's way - the harm, shamefully, being his own son.

"Would you like me to talk to the children, Sulpicia?" Basileus asked gently.

He had stuck to his word, mostly, about trying not to override Sulpicia and Aro when it came to their young brood. He mostly asked if he was needed and they mostly agreed. Basileus couldn't see the bloody point in the whole charade personally, but it seemed to have helped Sulpicia, so he did it anyway.

"Please, my lord," she requested, exhausted by the emotional ordeal she had been through. _And, the day is far from over!_ She thought, glumly.

Basileus rapped his knuckles against the twins' door and threw it open after no reply. The room was empty. He immediately burst into the boys' room - to his relief, all four were there.

Basileus closed the door behind him and sat on Demetri's bed, leaning up the corner post. He watched his grandchildren, all together on Felix' s bed, watching him right back.

"So … you have all realised there is a problem with your father, yes?"

Felix scoffed at Basileus' attempt to underplay the situation, but they others bobbed their heads in agreement.

"I hear you are taking your father's lapse in judgement as a reason to be unjustly disrespectful towards your mother, and each other."

He sounded so calm, like he was just shooting the breeze, that three of them relaxed enough to giggle their admittance.

"I wouldn't find it so funny, if I were you," he ground out, immediately slipping from jovial and relaxed to angry and dangerous.

"I wouldn't find it unjust," Felix snapped.

Demetri elbowed his big brother, whilst Jane and Alec merely rolled their eyes at Felix causing himself more grief.

Basileus leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "So, you are justly disrespectful, is that it? What has your mother done to wrong you?"

"She let him carry on," Felix stated cryptically.

His brothers and sister looked confused but Basileus understood loud and clear that Felix blamed Sulpicia for not protecting them all from Aro's binges.

A little trip through the boy's memories and he could see Aro had been particularly hard on and violent towards Felix recently.

 _I will string you up and let you rot for this, boy!_ He thought to Aro, hoping Aro would read those thoughts in his mind sometime.

"I will be bringing it all to an end, Felix. You must trust me. Everything will be alright," Basileus told his grandson.

Felix didn't look convinced. "Yeah, until the next time," he murmured bitterly.

Basileus wasn't sure how to respond to that. Felix was right if history was anything to go by. _Nevertheless_ , he thought _, I need you to behave tonight, at least._

"Aro will be home soon, you are all to stay in here together … no matter what you hear. Understood?"

Felix shook his head. "I won't sit and listen to that animal hurting my mom. Even if I am pissed with her."

Basileus shook his head, pursing his lips to Felix's word choice. "That won't happen, Felix. I will be ready and waiting for your mother's signal - I will remove Aro before any harm is done. You need to stay in here."

He stressed that last part a few times over before Felix answered appropriately. Basileus raised his eyes to the heavens, he could see that boy would need careful handling over the next few months.

"Felix, I would remind you that Aro isn't himself right now, but he loves you very much, and he has put up with a lot from you over the years … you may wish to be kinder to him."

Felix scowled but Basileus could tell the lad was thinking on his words.

"And your mother has been in a very difficult situation, and after all she has done for you … " he didn't need to say any more, he knew that would be enough.

Basileus took Sulpicia's hands in his and kissed them gently. "I will come as soon as you call, my dear," he told her before he and Atia left the top floor suite.

Sulpicia sat alone, listening to the fire crackle and the clock ticking. She thought of the million or so happy memories she had shared with her mate and her children in that room and refused to give any headspace to the unhappy events that had occurred. She anticipated her coming conversation with Aro with a nervous excitement - they had argued before, Sully had even thrown him out before.

Basileus intended to keep Aro for a month at least to get him clean of the dungeon blood and it would start with Sulpicia standing up to Aro and calling him out on his deviant ways.

She didn't have to wait long before she heard Aro coming up the stairs. Sulpicia raised a small smile thinking of Basileus - he would have heard Aro's staggered movements too and Sully knew it would have been hard for her father-in-law to resist snatching him out of the stairwell and dragging him into his own chambers. Still, she was glad that his did resist, things needed to be said and she needed to say them.

Aro shoved his chamber door open and hazily made his way over to Sulpicia by the fire. It was only a few meters but it took him a good five minutes doing his drunken walk, zigzagging left to right rather than straight ahead. When he finally reached her, he sat by her side and started pawing at his mate.

"If you want to keep your hands you should remove them from my person immediately," Sulpicia growled, switching seats to sit opposite him.

Aro scoffed at her rejection. He didn't really care. "I know what you've been told … are you still upset?"

Aro had been back to Caius' before returning home and he'd seen the state of Athenodora. Carmen had stayed with her and told Aro his number was up now Sully and his parents knew. Aro had acted so nonchalant in front of Carmen but his stomach was in knots. Luckily, his good sense was well protected by the effects of dungeon blood - had it not been, he would have fled the castle!

"Upset!" Sulpicia repeated, as though the very word disgusted. "No, I am not upset!" she growled.

"Raging happy?" Aro tried cheekily, hoping to make her laugh. With the frosty glare he received for his efforts he decided to change tack. "Come on Sully, let us not fight," he moaned, not up for a row. He assumed he had one coming with Basileus and that would be bad enough. Right now he just wanted to sleep. Or fuck. Or both.

"Have you been with Ashanti?" Sulpicia asked, looking at the state of his clothes and thinking how rough he looked. _You have looked this way a hundred times over the last few years, how many times have you betrayed me?_ she wondered.

Aro smirked to himself. _So you don't know about Heidi then, good to know,_ he thought. "I have been with Caius, my queen. Just hanging out in the dungeons."

"Don't say anything," Sulpicia barked at his lies. "Every word that comes out of your mouth is a fucking excuse, it's misdirection."

Aro's eyes rolled around his head, he looked set to doze off.

"I'm vilifying you for God's sake - pay attention!" Sulpicia sounded thunderous, but it wasn't enough to really effect Aro's attitude. She set off walking around their living chamber, mainly to get away from the bastard she was talking to. "You are on dungeon blood right now aren't you? There's no talking to you when you are like this, go back to the dungeons, it's where you belong!"

Aro sighed deeply and heaved himself out of his chair, the drug was wearing off a little now and he had control of his body again, mostly. Flashing unsteadily to his mate's side, Aro tried to wrap his arms around her.

"Take your hands off me now!" Sulpicia growled.

Aro huffed. "Why are you being like this?" he whined. There was just no need for the attitude in his mind. _You know, Atia knows, Basileus knows - my happy high will end soon enough now, why be so bitchy about it._ "Give me a little peace."

"I'd happily give you eternal peace!" Sully returned, shoving Aro away.

That pissed him off. "It's just sex, Sully," he said, growling himself now in reaction to his mate's abrasion.

Sulpicia chuckled, though there was no trace of humour. "So, I should send you to another woman's bed with a smile on my face?" she asked, making the question sound as audacious as possible.

Aro wasn't stupid, he wasn't fucked enough either to give an answer to that question … it wouldn't be wise unless he fancied being castrated in his living room.

"Can't we just forget about it?" he asked trying to slide up to Sulpicia.

She shoved him away again.

"You are fucking other women!" she roared in response.

"One woman, Sully," he said, hoping to god she didn't know about the others. "One. And it won't happen again," he promised.

He spoke with so little conviction that Sully started playing with the castration idea!

"With that one, maybe." she spat, thinking of ways to end Ashanti's hold over the men in her coven. "But what about the next?" she asked.

"What about the next?!" Aro shrugged. He watched as his words shattered Sulpicia's heart. He was drunk and drugged enough that it didn't really affect him … it would, of course, when he later realised how callous he had been, but for now, he didn't care enough to care.

"Can you hear what you are saying?" Sulpicia asked, emotions overspilling to tears.

Aro shrugged as he retook his seat, having retrieved a large glass of wine. "There are just some things you don't do with your mate," he said, stifling his laughter. "You don't share well, do you my queen."

Aro was drunk, but even he knew he'd said too much with that dig. He wanted to apologise but his damn pig-headed, addled brain wouldn't allow him.

Why should I apologise for hurting you, you have gone behind my back and divulged all to my fucking mother, of all people!

Aro realised he had been home for about half an hour and his father hadn't called on him yet. _He's going to rip my balls off when he does … that's your fault too, my fucking queen!_

It was unfair, illogical to be blaming his mate, but it was his only self-defence. Aro didn't take blame well.

"I have told you I will stop, it's done with. Now just let it go!" he growled to his heart crushed wife.

"How can I believe you?" she asked, wiping angrily at her eyes. She didn't want him to see how badly he hurt her, she wanted to pretend she didn't care at all, just like him. But the tears kept coming.

"Because I love you," he stated. _Obviously!_ He thought.

"Because you love me?" The words sounded so hollow when Aro spoke them but they were positively audacious when Sully repeated them. "Do you have any idea how inadequate that sounds?"

Aro was bored, he couldn't see the point of arguing. His mind went back to his own desires - _fuck or sleep?_ He thought, _or preferably both._ Neither seemed on the cards.

"Are you going to argue with me all night?" he asked, wondering if he could make it out of the tower and back to the dungeons before Basileus came to apprehend him.

"No," Sully stated, resolving herself. "You are leaving so I will have nobody to argue with."

"Who's going to make me?" Aro asked, stretching his arms wide in his chair.

"You sound like a fucking child."

Aro's eye twitched at the force of Sulpicia's insult. "Don't curse at me. You are lucky I am taking you screeching at me, damn harridan!"

The veiled threat from Aro was the final straw for Sulpicia. _This ends now,_ she thought before opening the door wide to their top floor suite.

"BASILEUS!"

"Really?" Aro sneered, disgusted by her continual betrayal, as he saw it.

He hadn't yet considered that anyone, not his mate, or his parents would stop his fun for his own good. He was trapped in the cycle of getting fucked, feeling fucked, and everyone fucking him off … he had lost the ability to see his own behaviour clearly many months ago.

Basileus appeared in the doorway, filling the void where Sulpicia held open the door.

"I have asked your son to leave and he has asked who would make him. I hoped you may oblige," Sulpicia sang out sweetly. "Oh, he's on blood by the way."

Basileus glowered at his son. "You took it today? Knowing I was home?"

Aro offered a sarcastic smile to his mate. _Bitch_.

"Listen, Dad, it's not like before and I am keeping a level head with it."

The slur in his speech didn't help him sound level headed at all.

Basileus shook his head in disappointment. Seeing Aro, he realised things were even worse than he had feared. "Come with me," he said with his hand outstretched.

"No!" Aro replied, "I have no reason to leave - if SHE isn't happy here, SHE can leave!"

Sulpicia closed her eyes, fighting back the tears.

"Excuse me, my dear." Basileus said gently, moving Sulpicia clear of the door.

Aro saw his formidable father coming for him, but he refused to move from his seat.

Basileus didn't care, it made no difference to what he was going to do - whether Aro stood or stayed seated he was going to drag his boy to his home, regardless.

Aro put some effort into resisting Basileus but the creator easily took him by the scruff of his neck and threw him to the top of the stairs. Saying good night to Sulpicia, Basileus took Aro awkwardly by his arm, lifting so high that his left foot couldn't reach the floor.

"You know, son," Basileus whispered into his boy's ear, "some days I look at you in absolute awe and wonder how I was blessed with such a wonderful son, and then there are days like today," he landed Aro in front of the ground floor suite, "and I realise what a prized cock you can be."

"I'm not going in there with her!" Aro drawled. He knew the danger he was in, but he also knew nothing he did or said now would make it any worse. Something else he believed was that Atia had blown his fun. He had to blame someone, that's how Aro worked.

"Get in there now!" Basileus boomed, throwing Aro forward and into his chambers where he landed face first on the floor.

He didn't stay down, diving to his feet and readying himself for a fight, he ripped into Atia. "You have caused all of this, are you happy now, you fucking witch!"

"I love you, Aro … " Atia replied, though she matched his stance.

If he was going to attack, Atia was confident she could take him down without really hurting him - at least in her boy's current state.

Aro scoffed. "You love nothing. You're incomplete. The human parts of you are missing. You're as dead as you are deadly."

And then he launched himself towards his mother, with every intention of taking her out.

Basileus heard Aro's thoughts before he had even moved. Intercepting his son, he planted his first squarely in Aro's face with all the power the demi god had been blessed with.

Aro was out cold.


	97. Rude Awakening

**AN:** Just a quick note to thank those of you who are reviewing, its really appreciated!

Also, only just realised we have been going for a whole year. Crazy!

Thank you Doccoopper for your awesome support!

Anyhoo, lets see if we can wake Aro up...

* * *

 **RUDE AWAKENING**

CRACK!

Basileus slapped Aro hard across the face. "Wake up," he bellowed at his boy.

Aro had been unconscious all night after Basileus had punched him in the face. He had chosen not to wake his boy until morning to give Aro time to sober up - he also need the time to calm down.

Atia had stayed with Sulpicia through the night and the vampire queen welcomed the support. It was odd, really, that something like Aro's idiocy had brought the two of them closer together, but Sulpicia had been at her weakest and it was Atia who had stepped in and helped her. She wasn't doing it for Basileus, not for Aro, either. Atia was supporting Sulpicia as she would her own daughter. It had been so very long since Sully hadn't felt like a pawn in men's games - Atia was there for her, as a woman and as a mother.

CRACK!

"God damn it, Dad!" Aro held his hands to his face to block another blow. His nose felt an odd shape.

"Do you remember last night?" Basileus growled.

Aro tried to get a look at his surroundings but between the light streaming through the window and blinding his vision, and Basileus straddling him, blocking his view, he wasn't totally sure where he was.

"Well?!" Basileus boomed, jerking Aro roughly from his thoughts.

"It's coming to me," Aro admitted, wishing he could go back to being in a dreamless unconscious state to save him from the memories of the night before.

Basileus removed Aro's hands from his face with one hand and slapped him again with the other.

Crack!

"Feeling ashamed yet?" he asked, venomously.

Crack!

Aro wiggled to free his hands, shoulders, anything! "Stop!" he begged, totally at Basileus' mercy.

"I have hardly begun!" Basileus ground out nose to broken nose with his son, venom escaping between his gritted teeth. Basileus got off his boy but continued to glower down at him.

"I'm sorry, okay! I was … "

"Stupid? Selfish? Downright vile? HIGH?!"

Aro cringed. "All of the above," he said quietly.

Basileus put his hand on Aro's stomach. It felt like a rock-hard ball. Dungeon blood took a while to dissolve in a vampire's stomach, even with the venom doing its job at breaking it down.

 _You are never going to be sober if that's still inside you,_ Basileus thought as he clicked his fingers for Aro to follow him, and left for the bathroom.

Aro felt his head pounding on his shoulders and standing only increased the pain. He shuffled along to follow his father, feeling like death.

Basileus offered him a cup and pointed to the water tap. "I believe you know the drill," he said gruffly.

Aro sighed. "Drink and purge," he whispered, snatching the cup from Basileus' hand.

Crack!

Basileus slapped Aro across the back of his head resulting in Aro head butting the mirror and it smashing to a thousand slithers of glass.

Squeezing the back of his neck, Basileus warned his son, "I am standing for none of your shit today, so I would be VERY careful about your conduct going forward, boy."

Aro suppressed the rumbling growl he felt building in his chest. He couldn't help the urge to growl - _it's natural for a vampire under attack,_ he reasoned.

"Under attack, huh? You will be," Basileus said slyly, leaving Aro to clean out the contents of his stomach.

Regurgitating dungeon blood wasn't a pleasant experience; it was sticky and slimy and tasted foul coming back up. That wouldn't come first though, the lighter liquids, bloodwine and water… they came first.

As Aro retched over the sink he got an idea of just how much he had put down his throat the night before. Of course, it wasn't just the night before, he had been drinking dungeon blood for a month without much purging,(voluntarily at least, he had been sick plenty of times but those instances were beyond his control) so he knew this was going to take a while. Then it came. Black, rotting blood spewed forth from Aro's mouth and he kept it coming until he couldn't take the taste any longer.

Basileus had been listening to his boy's thoughts. _Take it you will, son,_ he thought. "Finished?" he asked from the doorway.

Aro nodded and wiped at his mouth.

Basileus filled the cup up with water. "Drink it," he said forcefully.

Aro looked away, but catching sight of the shattered mirror and being reminded of Basileus' warning he quickly looked back and took the cup.

"I hope for your sake it comes up clear," Basileus said slyly.

Aro cringed. The black watery slime that came out of his mouth wasn't going to help his ass one little bit.

Basileus looked at the state of his sink and bobbed his head to himself. Aro watched out the corner of his eye as Basileus removed the belt from around his waist. "Let's give you a little incentive, shall we?" he sang out, striking his son harshly across his lower back.

Aro gripped onto the marble sink to steady himself, gasping for breath.

Basileus filled another cup and gave it to his son.

Aro grimaced, he knew the next cup would be just as black on the rebound. And it was. More dungeon blood slime washed away with the water. Aro watched it slide around the sink until it plopped into the drain. Aro felt disgusted just seeing it.

Another blow to his back quickly brought him from his thoughts, and in his distracted state Aro hadn't prepared for the strike - he ended up roaring on his tip toes from the pain.

"We will do this all day long if that's what it takes, son," Basileus breezed, filling another cup of water.

Aro's eyes bulged as he gulped the water greedily, and when he finished he took another cupful down on top. When he brought it all back up, he pushed himself to keep being sick, clearing as much of his rotting stomach contents as he could.

His valiant efforts didn't impress Basileus, however, and he landed another stroke on his son's back with twice as much force as the first two.

"What the fuck!" Aro raged at the intensity of the blow.

"If you are doubling up, so will I," Basileus calmly replied, hitting him again and adding, " and quit your cursing."

Aro bit hard into his cheek to stop himself saying what he was thinking. It was dangerous enough to think Basileus was an insufferable cunt without verbalising the insult.

It took another three rounds for Aro to bring up a clear bout of water. With the deep tissue damage to his lower back he felt more sick by the end than he had at the start or during! They returned to the living chamber where Aro was grateful to be able to sit, though he certainly couldn't relax.

"I know I have failed you," he said quietly, focusing on the fire flickering beside him.

"Me? You've failed me, sure. But you've failed others, too; your mate, your children, the masters, the coven … yourself."

Aro's shoulders slunk. _Laying it on a little thick, Dad,_ he thought.

"Do you not have anything supportive to offer?" Aro asked, daring a peek to his father.

He looked furious. Basileus hadn't taken a seat, he continued to pace around his living room like a caged animal, as he had done for most of the night while watching Aro sleep on the sofa. The only difference now is that he had someone to rage at and his belt hanging from his fist.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. He considered ripping his son apart for the dungeon blood, but Basileus knew as soon as he started down that road the conversation would be short and he would be belting the little bastard bloody before long. _No, there's other things to address first,_ he told himself. "Should I tell you that having an affair is not a sin if you happen to wear a crown?"

Aro screwed his face up - he hadn't expected a cosy chat about his sex life. "Since when is sex a sin." They weren't his father's words, _Atia has said that I guarantee it,_ he thought.

"It's not a sin," Basileus agreed. "But you are mated with Sulpicia and after a rather heated argument last time she caught you, you gave her your word that you would not stray again. And you have broken your word to her. Again."

Aro shook his head, he wasn't talking to his dad about the rights and wrongs of his sex life, that was for damn sure!

"How many times do you expect her forgiveness, Aro?" Basileus probed. It was something he had been thinking on through the night.

"I don't want her forgiveness," Aro stated flatly. It wasn't for Sulpicia to forgive him, he wasn't doing anything all that wrong, in his mind.

"Good because you don't deserve it," Basileus told him.

"You're one to talk, anyway. What about Sasha?" Aro asked with a cocky grin, thinking he could turn Basileus' distaste around on himself.

"Sasha who?" Basileus asked coyly.

"Sasha who!" Aro repeated, laughing. "Sasha of the Denali coven … you can deny it all you like but you had clearly shacked up with her whilst you were seeing Atia."

Basileus waved away his son's accusation, "I told you that wasn't the case."

Aro folded his arms and smirked. "You forget I can read minds too, Dad. It most definitely was the case!"

Basileus flashed in front of Aro and grabbed his face in one hand. "We aren't talking about me, Aro. We are talking about you. You have two impressionable boys in your quarters with the morals of alley cats - what sort of example do you think you are setting to them?"

Basileus willed himself to release his son. They had a lot of ground to cover yet and he was in danger of knocking Aro out again before they really spoke.

Aro rubbed out the ache in his face. "The leading by example only counts when it comes to me and my sons … you can set any example you like for your own without question." He said it quietly, but naturally, Basileus heard him.

"So what? You want me to tell you I have been stupid so it's okay for you to be stupid too?" Basileus brought his belt down on his own palm.

That had Aro sitting up straight.

"I could start beating you again at any point, you do know that, yes?"

Aro ducked his head, resisting the urge to cry out in a childlike fashion about how unfair it all was.

"What do you want, I wonder? My acceptance? Sulpicia's acceptance?" Basileus posed, as though either were a possibility.

"It would make my life easier," Aro agreed with a smile. "I could always exchange Sulpicia for Ashanti, or Heidi perhaps. Either of them would be grateful for the position, not bitching at me for taking pleasure where I can find it!"

"You are a bloody idiot!" Basileus roared.

Aro squashed himself into his seat, even the burn in his back was worth it to increase the distance between him and his father.

"Come on, Dad. I'm not doing anything wrong … "

"Really? Do you really think that?" Basileus questioned. He couldn't believe his own son could be so callous.

"Even human kings have mistresses," Aro said with a shrug.

Basileus looked him up and down with distaste. "So, you are playing human now, are you? Is that it?"

"No! I'm just saying that there is a precedent for this sort of thing, it's hardly unusual."

Basileus took a seat opposite his son and left his belt on the chair next to him. _You really think you have done no wrong, my good god!_ He was genuinely surprised to see Aro so remorseless, and he correctly assumed that his son had damaged his good sense with months, no years of lying to cover his tracks. He knew he could bring his boy back, but it was going to take awhile. Luckily, being vampires, time was something Basileus had at his disposal.

He continued their conversation. "Humans get divorced too son, how do you feel about that?"

"That's preposterous, we're vampires, vampires mate for life."

Basileus chuckled. "So now you are a vampire again."

Aro's whole argument was falling to shreds in front of him. Speaking to his father was the first time, he had used his excuses out loud - up until now, all his reasoning had been to himself in his own head and remained unquestioned, and therefore Aro had justified his actions. His annoyance towards Basileus for breaking down his defence so simply, and exposing Aro to his own self-doubt for his actions resulted in Aro growling. It was primal. It was the same primal growl that had preceded Aro's attempted attack on Atia the night before.

Basileus snarled. "If you want to fight me, bring it on, son. I think maybe you are growling because you have run out of ways to excuse yourself? Very mature."

Aro got his growl under control - fighting Basileus would only end badly for him and the other reason his father had offered made him sound so damn pathetic!

"Every coven leader across the globe acts as I do, I expect to a greater degree as they surely have less holds on their time than me."

Basileus shook his head, he wasn't letting that stand. "Marcus doesn't, never has either. Nor can I see Magnus going down that road. It's just you and Caius." Basileus stopped himself. "Actually, I have curbed Caius mostly, so now it's just you."

Aro scowled. "We have been having the same women, at the same time, so you can put Caius back on the list, thank you."

Basileus shook his head again. "Caius has had consensual sex with two other women, with his mate's knowledge and agreement. He hasn't forced himself on either Ashanti or Heidi, and he hasn't broken their bones from fucking them too roughly either."

Aro sat listening with his mouth hanging open.

Basileus continued. "I should, perhaps, let you know that whilst you slept I went through every minor and major event in of your life over the last two years. I KNOW EVERYTHING!"

Aro didn't say a word … out loud, that is. _If you know everything there's no need for this fucking conversation, is there?_

Basileus narrowed his eyes to his son. "How did you end up like this, Aro?" Basileus asked, voice thick with concern.

"I have been fine on dungeon blood for the last two years, it's just that I hit it hard whilst you were away. That's all. I will be okay in a couple of days, Dad."

"Two years?" Basileus repeated. Thinking back through Aro's memories he had accessed, Basileus found yet another note of concern. "You have been really hard on Felix in that time … did he know?" he asked.

Aro flinched.

Basileus was pleased to see something finally eliciting some guilt in his son. "Did. He. Know?"

Aro scrubbed a hand down his face thinking about what a cunt he had been to his kids, particularly Felix. "Yes. He knew."

"Did he know about the other women, too?" Basileus pushed.

"He found out about Ashanti recently … I think he guessed about another one." Aro neglected to mention Corin by name.

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head and linking his fingers. He looked relaxed, like they were having a calm chat over something innocuous … it was all false, of course.

"You told me he was giving you mouth since you had us all tan his hide in the guard hall. That was two years ago. Were you on it then? I didn't question your motives at the time, son, but if you had me go along with you whilst you were on dungeon blood … "

"I wasn't on in then, Dad. That was all me," Aro said. He was unsure whether that made his actions more shameful or not. He thought he'd done the right thing at the time, but now he wondered if his desire to get Felix under control was fuelled by his desire to get down to the dungeons and tanked up on dungeon blood.

"I sense a 'but'," Basileus pushed, sensing his boy wavering about telling him the truth.

Aro sighed and fixed his eyes to his hands in his lap. "That night I took Felix down to the dungeons to break into Caius' playroom for me. Caius had refused to give me the keys."

He chanced a look to his father, who looked like steam was going to come out of his ears! _Oh fuck it, I might as well tell him, he will find out anyway._ "And that wasn't the first time since Atia caught me a few months before … I haven't really stopped since then."

Basileus took off around the room again. Aro was pleased his father was choosing to walk rather than belt him.

As Basileus stalked around the living chamber, Aro started to brood. "I've been a bit of a cock, huh?" he said full of self-pity.

"I can think of a much stronger word for what you have been, son."

Basileus' reply had Aro ducking again. Still, it was more for annoyance than true shame.

"Have you spoken with Sulpicia?" Aro asked, hoping for a heads-up on how much groveling he would have to do.

"No. Atia has."

Aro tutted, he still blamed Atia for interfering and telling Sulpicia about his goings on. "Was there any blood shed?" he asked.

"I believe they have kissed and made up," Basileus replied with a delighted smile.

Aro felt flooded with betrayal all over again. "Seriously?" he spat in disgust. "What poison has my so-called mother been dripping in my mate's ear, then?"

Basileus raised his eyebrows to Aro's disparaging tone referring to Atia.

Aro totally ignored the gesture, he could feel his agitation rising - _what I wouldn't do for a cup of dungeon blood right now!_ he thought. Then he caught his father's smile … _why are you smiling?_

"Atia suggested to Sully that she could play you at your own game."

"What game?" Aro asked, _I'm not paying any games … oh fuck!_ "She told my mate to go and fuck someone else!"

Basileus continued to smile at his son, enjoying seeing Aro stress a little.

"WHO?!" Aro demanded. "I will take their fucking heads!" he called over his shoulder as he headed to the door.

Basileus flashed in front of him and cut him off. "You aren't going anywhere," he told his son, chuckling to himself at the very idea of Aro getting past him.

Aro tried to pry Basileus from the doorway. "Like hell I'm not!" In his efforts, Aro tore his father's shirt. His eyes simultaneously paled and widened seeing the fabric fall from his hand. He watched it float to the ground in slow motion.

"SIT DOWN!" Basileus thundered, taking hold of his son.

Before Aro could blink he was back in his chair with his father looming over him.

"I am perfectly happy to knock you out again if I have to, son," he warned with a fist raised high. Aro nodded rapidly without taking his eyes off Basileus. Once he was sure his son would stay put, the creator retook his seat.

Aro ruminated over his mate's infidelity. He had never considered Sulpicia could do such a thing. Tit for tat wasn't their way.

"Who has Sulpicia been with? I need to know who," he asked solemnly.

"Why do you need to know?" Basileus asked simply, watching Aro squirm.

Aro scowled. _So I can crucify the traitorous cunt, obviously_ , he thought, but went with, "For the good of the coven."

"You can quit that well-rehearsed line. The coven has nothing to do with this. Your pride, that's your only concern."

Aro continued to scowl. "That bitch, that fucking two faced bitch!" he erupted as visions of his mate fucking random guards flashed through his mind.

"Watch your mouth, boy!" Basileus warned.

Aro tutted. "I don't mean Atia, for a change."

Basileus leaned forward to fix Aro in his sights. "I won't have you talking about my daughter like that either, so calm yourself!"

Aro took to his feet and went to the window. His emotions were spiking left, right and centre and his lack of control was pissing him off. Everything was pissing him off! Looking out over the rear courtyard he spotted a bunch of guards talking easily. They were too far away for him to hear a single word spoke, but as he glowered at their lips, trying to read their chatter, he convinced himself that they were discussing fucking the queen - his queen!

"Tell me who it was, please."

 _He sounds crushed,_ Basileus thought. "Carlisle."

"Oh," Aro answered, with a sly smile.

Basileus hadn't expected that reaction, even less the laughter that followed. "What's so funny?"

Aro retook his seat near his father and stifled his laughter. "Sulpicia had no intention of fucking someone else," he stated confidently.

Basileus narrowed his eyes. "How do you figure that?"

Aro extended his arms wide and rested his left ankle on his right knee as he relaxed into the sofa. "Sully is the queen of Volterra - she could have had any guard she wanted and even though they know I would kill them for it, they wouldn't deny her a single request. She chose Carlisle. The only single male in this castle who is allowed to deny her request. She doesn't want to fuck anyone else." He started laughing again. _Bless you Sully, nice try._

Basileus caught Aro's patronising call to his mate. _You stupid cocky little shit._ "I suppose that's one way of looking at it," he said, pretending to muse on his daughter-in-law's intentions.

"It's the only way," Aro said resolutely.

"Are you sure about that?" Basileus asked, looking deep into his son's eyes.

Aro felt like his soul was on display. "Y, yes … yes, it is," he replied, sounding a little less confident.

Basileus left his boy and went to fetch a very large glass of wine for himself. "Hmm, interesting," he mused.

Aro's eyes locked onto the glass in his father's hands, feeling quite desperate for a glass himself. "What is interesting?" he asked, a little absentmindedly.

Basileus rolled his goblet between his hands. He could see his son was literally enchanted by the action. That alone told him how far gone Aro was. _He's always been a thirsty drinker_ , he thought, _but this is on another level!_

"Well, personally, I see it that Sulpicia was practising, trying on infidelity and seeing how it felt. Sulpicia, by nature, is a careful and considerate woman. She was testing the waters … but now she knows; she has played it over in her mind, she said it out loud … next time … "

Aro had followed his father's train of thought and damn it sounded plausible. "Oh fuck," he said, mainly to himself as once again the image of his wife fucking through the guards invaded his mind.

"Your language is quite atrocious," Basileus told his boy, taking a good few sips from his glass to hide his growing smile. He had lied faultlessly to his son and played his boy just as he knew he could. Atia had suggested no such thing and Sulpicia wouldn't have done it even if she had. _Aro doesn't need to know that,_ he thought happily, _and he needs to know he isn't invincible._

Aro sat contemplating his next move. He had to make things right in his home but be hardly knew where to start. _Sully will want another argument and Felix will continue being a self-serving little shit._ With a heavy heart - totally for himself - Aro heaved himself out of his seat and plodded to the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Basileus asked, narrowing his eyes to his boy.

"To make peace with my wife and my children," Aro stated with a raised eyebrow. _Where else would I be going now you have ended my fun?_ he thought sarcastically.

Basileus erupted into deep laughter as he strolled ahead of his son, closing the iron bolt on the door. "That dungeon blood really has addled your brain, son. They don't want you back."

Aro smirked. "They don't get a choice," he answered.

Basileus put a hand on Aro's chest and walked him back to their seats. "Oh, they do," he said menacingly. "You are staying here until I think you are in control again."

He pushed Aro into his chair, but the moment Basileus moved, Aro was back on his feet. _I don't fucking think so!_ he thought, loudly.

Basileus had to fight to keep his cool.

"Just tell Caius to get rid of the bloody dungeon blood," Aro spat. He couldn't see the point in all this angst over something he had said he wouldn't do again - completely missing the fact that his word on the matter meant very little after his recent exploits.

"Caius has offered to do that already," Basileus answered easily from his seat. "I think he would be relieved to do so, in fact. You have put him under a huge amount of strain with your misuse." He looked relaxed, but he was watching Aro and listening carefully to his thoughts. Basileus was ready to grab Aro if he tried to make a break for it - Aro wasn't leaving his father's quarters for a good long while, whether he realised it or not.

"Great, no more dungeon blood, no more problem." Aro flashed to the door.

"I will snap any appendage that touches my chamber door," Basileus announced darkly.

Aro's hand hovered over the bolt. God he was tempted.

Basileus continued. "I told him to keep it. And I have ordered the doors to his dungeons be repaired. Only Caius and I will hold the keys."

Aro looked quizzically to his father, wondering if he was sanctioning his son's use of the drug in the future.

"Why have you told him to keep it?" he asked hopefully, turning his back to the door.

"Because you can't handle it," Basileus said with a smile. "There are very few things in your life that really challenge you, Aro. I think it will be good for you to struggle with something."

Aro's eyes widened and his hope turned to a snarl. With the hand hidden behind his back he slowly, and quietly undid the bolt. The very fact that he thought he would get away with such a thing was testament to the damage Aro had done to his thought processes.

"So you are locking me up in here until it's out of my system," he said, his tone giving away his actions, clearly trying to distract his father from his imminent escape.

Basileus, naturally, knew what he was doing. "Aro you are a vampire - one clean feed and it's out of your system. It's not the drug you are addicted to, you aren't human!"

That had Aro stopping for a moment. "It sure feels like the drug, what else would it be?"

Basileus smiled to his boy. "You have slipped into a pattern of behaviour as a way to escape reality. You have a very stressful job, son."

Aro rolled his eyes. _That's the sort of woolly bullshit I would expect from Atia!_ he thought. "Get me that 'clean feed' you mentioned then and all will be well."

With his super vampiric speed, Basileus flashed to Aro's side the second he heard the bolt clunk into an open position.

Aro looked up to his father and smiled nervously.

Basileus returned the smile, though his looked threatening without a patch of the anxiety Aro's clearly conferred. Basileus took Aro's left hand and wrapped his own around it tightly, leaving his son's fingers vulnerable. "No blood for you, yet. You deserve to suffer first," Basileus told his son before smacking Aro's exposed fingers so hard that the bones shattered! Whilst Aro was distracted by the pain, Basileus dragged him to the seating area and deposited him on the rug.

"I have suffered plenty!" Aro roared, trying to mould his fingers back in shape.

Basileus shook his head. "I haven't punished you yet," he said flatly whilst removing his rings and setting them on the wooden mantle above the fire.

"You knocked me out cold last night!" Aro complained, feeling very hard done to.

Basileus waved away his son's complaints. "That was to get you under control, that wasn't punishment."

Aro watched as his father picked up the heavy leather belt from the sofa. He had forgotten it was there until he heard the jangle of the buckle. His stomach flipped over. If he hadn't been forced to empty his guts already he would have thrown up right there where he sat. The fear of his father's coming viciousness spurred Aro into action, and with his very Felix-like mentality taking a front seat, Aro told himself how unfair Basileus was being. Getting to his feet, he growled at his father. "You said yourself I was addicted to escaping reality - you can't punish me for something I wasn't in control of."

Basileus' head whipped around to face his son when he heard the growl, but his excuse sounded so pathetic to the creator's ears that Aro only managed to convince his father that a hard line had to be taken, no matter what Aro thought about it.

"You can't see ten foot in front of you - I am helping you but because I'm not doing exactly as you want you think I am the enemy," he said, glaring at his boy. "Grow up!"

Aro watched as Basileus made short work of rolling up his sleeves. His rising panic only fuelling his desperation to flee. But he had nowhere to run. _FUCK!_ he roared inside his head. _If I can't flee, I will fight!_ He told himself resolutely.

Basileus waited. He would fight Aro if he had to, but if they were going down that road Aro would have to make the first move. "Are you really going to argue with me about this?"

"Well I'm not going to submit to a beating for fucking nothing, am I?!" Aro was psyching himself up. He was ready to fight. Every inch of his body vibrated in rage.

"Aro, back down," Basileus told his boy sternly.

Aro continued to snarl and his stance spoke a thousand words – rocking lightly from foot to foot, slightly crouched, eyes locked on his target.

Basileus dropped his belt. "If you really want to do this, Aro, I'm taking no prisoners."


	98. Visiting Hours

**AN:** Okay, so he's been a bit of a twat, but I am feeling sorry for the guy now... note to self: must stop torturing Aro!

* * *

 **VISITING HOURS**

Eleazar pushed the door open to his father's spare bedroom. Carlisle would complain that the room wasn't 'spare' and that it was his room. But as he was now using his other room in Eleazar's chambers, his argument didn't hold much weight. That hadn't stopped him complaining loudly about Aro taking his space in Basileus' quarters.

"Are you awake?" Eleazar called softly to his brother, battered and broken between the bed sheets. Aro attempted to move his head but it hurt too damn much. Eleazar looked back down the hallway to nod to Atia. She had been worried her middle boy would never wake and had sent Eleazar to check on him - Basileus had asked her to leave Aro be, but he had said nothing on sending Eleazar in her place.

"Get me some dungeon blood, El - I want to separate my mind from my body." Aro's voice was horse and croaky, not at all like his usual tone.

Eleazar stepped inside and closed the door quickly, shushing his brother. "If I were you, I wouldn't even joke about that stuff for a very, very long time," he warned, gesturing to the door.

Their father wasn't home, but he could return at any moment and it wouldn't bode well for Aro if Basileus heard him making jokes of any kind about anything - let alone dungeon blood.

Aro understood.

"How long have I been out for?" he croaked, attempting to pull himself up in the bed to a sitting position. Big mistake! Pain coursed through his body like his veins were on fire.

Eleazar rushed over to him to keep him still before helping him lie back down.

"What the hell happened?" Aro asked, the pain in his back and his legs so great that he couldn't focus on his memory.

Eleazar gingerly took a seat on the bed, trying not to disturb his little brother. "You've been unresponsive for a couple of days now, since you lost a fight with our father."

It was such an ridiculous premise that Eleazar chuckled to himself, even though it was true.

"You mean I entered into a fight with him?" Aro thought back, his memories were hazy but they were returning now he was coming around from his forced sleep.

"Look at you Aro, what do you think?!" Eleazar snapped. He wanted to be compassionate and considerate of Aro's situation, _but it's one of his own making,_ Eleazar reminded himself, still feeling incredibly pissed off with his idiot brother.

Aro lifted the bed sheet and looked down his body: his chest and much of his torso were bandaged tightly, which explained why he was struggling to breathe deeply enough to talk properly. Both knees had been similarly wrapped and his left hand, which felt smashed to splinters, had been bound to a board to keep his fingers straight. The bandages and extensive bruising were all he wore.

Aro felt a flash of embarrassment. "Please tell me you bandaged me up, brother!"

Eleazar smiled coyly.

"Oh hell!" Aro exclaimed as the memory came back - he saw Atia stripping what little was left of his clothing by the time Basileus had finished with him, and tending his many, many wounds.

"Starting to remember?" Eleazar asked.

Aro nodded and gulped. Oh, he remembered. "I don't want to talk about it," he said quickly, squeezing shut his eyes as though it would help rid him of his recollection.

Eleazar shrugged. "I'll go then."

"No, El! Wait," Aro pleaded. "I need to know what's going on out there."

Eleazar shook his head, gesturing to the door again and the issue of their father overhearing. "I'm not permitted to tell you much, little brother."

"Is this Basileus' doing to make sure I suffer as much as possible?" Aro sulked.

Eleazar retook his seat but he was pissed off with Aro's refusal to look outside of himself for his predicament. Basileus had told Eleazar that's how Aro had been with him, but Eleazar had refused to believe it could have been bad enough for Basileus to … well, to do what he did. It had shaken the entire Volturi family to its core and none more than Basileus suffered for the creator's actions.

"Enough of the self-pity, Aro."

"I have to pity myself, no one else cares."

Eleazar shook his head. "And, no one will until you snap out of this one-man pity party you're throwing yourself."

Aro looked askance to his big brother. "For fuck sake, El, look at the state of me!" he implored, desperate to have someone on his side.

Eleazar stood up. "Let's look at the state of you, shall we?" he ground out, ripping the bedclothes away from his brother.

Aro couldn't fight back, he couldn't move! Eleazar surveyed the damage. "Broken ribs? Your hand could be mush under all that padding. Smashed knee caps? Your eye is swollen shut so I will assume Dad broke your face? You can't sit up yet … broken spine, perhaps?"

Aro lay there, half naked and seething. "Correct on all counts," he grunted as he avoided eye contact.

Eleazar leaned in close to his brothers face to get focus from Aro's good eye. "That's nothing compared to what you have put your wife and kids through, you self-centred prick."

Aro cringed as Eleazar continued. "Not to mention what you have forced our father to do!"

"What? Batter me?" Aro retorted, still feeling like his father had been an utter cunt to him.

"Submission," Eleazar whispered like the dirty sordid secret it was.

Aro closed his eyes and stopped breathing. _Why did you say it, you fucking prick Eleazar, why did you say it out loud? As if it isn't bad enough FEELING the after affects!_ he thought, wincing as he tried to move again. His asshole felt torn to shreds … it WAS torn to shreds!

"You know?!" he finally whispered in reply.

Eleazar covered his brother back up with his bedding. "He told me. I assume that's why you have a broken spine and smashed knee caps - they aren't Basileus' usual moves."

Aro gulped. _No, not his usual moves at all,_ Aro agreed to himself as visions of the creator calling for his submission rudely forced their way into his psyche.

Basileus must have warned him ten times over from what Aro could remember, and yet he continued launching for his father's throat. In the end, the repeated assaults from his son forced a very primitive reaction in Basileus and his primal being took over his body. He was forced to make good on his threat as he just couldn't contain his raging boy. It killed Basileus to do it, and to confess what had occurred to Atia and Eleazar had been almost as painful. Aro might say his pain was more worthy of sympathy.

"Why didn't he just knock me out again?!" Aro complained, loathing himself, Basileus, and even Eleazar as if his brother knowing about it made it all the worse.

"Aro, you were a raging animal the way I heard it."

Aro couldn't argue with that, he had been vicious, if stupid, in his attack. "Well he didn't have to do _that_." Aro refused to say submission.

"You were totally out of control, Aro - you smashed up his living room, you attacked Atia. Basileus knocked you down and you kept on coming back for more. He warned you. Repeatedly. You forced him into it, brother."

Eleazar could see Aro was squirming in shame and he imagined the after effects of going for a round with Basileus would have been bad enough without adding being fucked into submission into the bargain.

Eleazar had never been foolish enough to enter into a fight with his father, Carlisle had given it a go back in England, but it hadn't been a serious effort. Aro though, he had been there before.

 _Still,_ Eleazar thought, _to push Basileus so far that he had to take you is a new level of stupid, little brother._ Eleazar's thoughts went to his father.

"He is repulsed that after all these years you would force him to exert that sort of power over you for fucking dungeon blood."

Aro ducked his head as far as he could. "I am pretty repulsed, too," Aro said, still feeling sorry for himself.

"What is he planning on doing with me?"

"Basileus?" Eleazar questioned. "He has gone to talk to the coven masters so they all know what's going on, you are to stay in here until he decides otherwise and you are not allowed a drop of blood until you have completely healed. He wants you to suffer."

Aro bit his lip for a moment before he felt the bruising there too. _Harsh!_ he thought.

"You couldn't sneak some in here for me?" he asked his brother.

Eleazar would normally be a safe bet for such a request but on this occasion, he merely shook his head.

"Come on, El … " Aro tried again.

"I want you to suffer too, you selfish little prick."

Aro caught Eleazar's eye for only a moment before they both had to look away - Eleazar was angry, Aro, ashamed.

"Am I not even permitted to see my mate? My children?"

Eleazar knew his brother was hurting, emotionally and physically, but the continued 'poor Aro' tone he used was only pissing him off. _You still don't get it, do you?_ he thought, _you have no idea how serious this is, damn fool!_

"Permitted? Yes. But they will not come," Eleazar told him flatly.

Ari looked confused.

 _How can you be confused about this, brother? You have torn your family to shreds!_ Eleazar shook his head and made for the door.

"Aro, only Atia and I are WILLING to see you."

That did it. Finally Aro looked like he was starting to see how far reaching the effects of his debauchery had been. "Not even Dad?" he asked, sounding like a wounded animal with his barely audible voice.

He didn't particularly want to see Basileus after what had happened, but the idea that his own father didn't want to see him hurt like a bitch!

Eleazar hung in the doorway for a moment before he turned and answered. "If he came in this room now, you would be crushed under the weight of his disappointment."

With that, he left his little brother to his recovery.

That was the only visitor Aro had all day. He watched the sun setting behind the trees surrounding the town of Volterra, convinced he was going slowly insane. He called out a few times, and though his voice was still hoarse, a sign his vocal chords had been damaged from Basileus' strangle hold around his neck, he knew his parents could hear him. They didn't respond to his calls, but Aro was sure he heard Atia laying into Basileus for his refusal to see his son. It was of little comfort to Aro, who lay confined to his bed.

He spent the night calling out, hoping it was pissing Basileus off. _After what you have done to me you should be regretful, you cunt!_ he thought viciously, hoping his father heard his thoughts too!

At sunrise, Atia called in on him carrying a bowl of warm water, some cloth and fresh bandages. Atia set the bowl on the floor.

It was the first time Aro had realised how Spartan his accommodation was - every scrap of furniture, bar the bed he lay on, had been removed from the room.

"You need to stop shouting - your father is concerned you are still not under control and you don't want him coming in here to force any control on you, do you?"

Wide eyed, Aro shook his head as his ass cheeks squeezed themselves together tightly.

Atia smiled approvingly to her son and went to pull the sheets away from him.

Aro, suddenly finding the strength to temporarily overcome his pain, bundled the bedding close to his chest in order to preserve his modesty.

Atia laughed to herself as she easily whipped the sheet away. "It's nothing I haven't already seen, Aro," she told him in a no-nonsense tone.

"I was unconscious at the time!" Aro replied, attempting to at least cover his cock from his mother, of all people.

"You aren't usually so shy." Atia remarked, thinking of how she had found her son in the dungeons when she had interrupted him and Caius sharing Heidi.

Aro felt completely vulnerable, broken and bound to the bed. "These are exceptional circumstances." He replied, suddenly finding the ceiling very interesting.

"Nevertheless, this room smells like a common brewery and your wounds will need redressing."

Aro puffed the air from his cheeks, utterly frustrated and uncomfortably exposed.

"Have I told you about my human life, Aro?" Atia asked, trying to break some of the tension between the two of them as she wiped away the crusted blood from her son's body.

Aro didn't answer. _It's not time for a chat!_ he thought sharply.

"We are in contact, Aro, and I am using your gift - I know what you are thinking, son."

Aro would have blushed if he could. "I'm sorry," he said. "I am also really sorry for attacking you."

"Apology, noted," Atia replied as she began unwinding the bandages around Aro's knees.

Aro raised an eyebrow in question. "Noted … but not accepted?"

"I will accept it when you have realised what you have really done to everybody who cares about you."

Aro internally sighed but managed to speak before he thought his true feelings. "I realise that already, Mom," he crooned, hoping to get her on side.

"No, my dear, you do not," she replied sharply.

Sinking her cloth deep into the water bowl, she rung out the water and wiped over Aro's broken eye socket.

"I can hear in your thoughts you are making plans for this expansion idea you have and you are feeling very sorry for yourself - you aren't thinking about what you have done or what you have forced your father to do."

Aro scowled. "I don't want to think about that. Ever!" he spat in disgust.

"Which part are you referring to?" Atia asked plainly, displaying little reaction to Aro's clear contempt for what Basileus had done. "Say it," she prompted.

She knew her boy well - Aro would never verbalise his shame unless forced.

"The submission thing," he mumbled childishly.

"The submission thing is understandably stressful for you to think about, Aro, but that makes it all the more important that you do."

Aro let his head fall back onto the pillow as he tried to rid himself of the images invading his brain. He needed to distract himself quickly or he was going to sink into a suicidal depression, he was sure of it.

"Were you a nurse?" he asked.

Atia cut open the bandages wrapped around Aro's chest. It was the first time he could take a deep breath in days, though he regretted trying as soon as he felt the unhealed breaks in his spine and ribs moving with his efforts. Atia managed to remove all the old wrappings whilst Aro recovered from that single breath.

"I was a midwife," she replied once he had settled back to a normal rhythm of shallow breaths.

Aro considered his mother's response. "I would have taken you for a lady of some great house."

Atia smiled warmly thinking about her human days. "I could have been, but I chose a different life. I had a gift for medicine, though the only true avenue for a woman in my day was midwifery."

Aro couldn't quite believe not only how quickly Atia had managed to redress his wounds and bedding, but also how, despite his earlier reticence, she had made the experience as shameless as possible for him. He was grateful, and he could see how such talents would have benefited the, no doubt, many women she would have tended to in her human life. It was odd as Atia had such a matter of fact way, verging on unfeeling at times, ( _just like Jane!_ Aro thought). But that same emotional distance made uncomfortable situations like Aro's current predicament easier to go through.

"How were you turned?" Aro asked, his curiosity piqued about his mother's past.

"I was bitten," she replied.

"Obviously!" Aro said with a roll of his eyes. "But do you remember what happened and who turned you?"

Atia collected her things together, wrapping the soiled bedding and cloths into a bundle. "I do, yes. And I knew him well. I raised him."

Aro's face screwed up to his mother's cryptic titbit of information.

Atia smirked and kissed his head lightly. "That is a conversation for another day, my dear. Your head should be full of regrets and plans for atonement."

Aro's momentary escapism into his mother's past floated away as she reminded him of the task at hand. "I will," he said solemnly. He meant it too. If only to get out of that bloody room.

…

Aro's head shot up hearing the door handle turn. He had been alone for another full day and a half and he was going stir crazy. He had done as Atia had instructed and his guilt bound him to his bed tighter than any bandage his mother had offered.

"Sulpicia!" he called out, overjoyed to see his queen.

His joy quickly dissipated seeing the dejected state of his mate. Her red raw, angry eyes looked back at him and he wondered whether she had cried for the entire week they had been apart. He wasn't so self-cantered to think it was because she missed him, he knew it would be because he had so gleefully destroyed her trust in him. That realisation hurt, it really hurt. As she approached him, her features softened seeing the broken state her mate lay in.

"It was just a distraction, Sully. The blood, the women … just a distraction," he said softly, reaching his broken hand out for contact. He desperately wanted to read her thoughts to see where they stood with each other.

Sulpicia, sensibly, refused his touch, choosing instead to sit at the end of his bed where he couldn't hope to reach her. "I get that, Aro," she replied. "What I don't understand is why you would need distracting from me? From our children? From our life together?"

Aro felt a new pain - his heart ached, swollen beneath his chest from the guilt he felt for causing her to question his commitment to his family. "I don't understand that either, my queen," he offered truthfully. "I will make amends in any way you desire."

Sulpicia shot a disgusted look to his words, so inadequate were they to her. "What if I wanted to play the field a little, to even things up?" she asked.

She and Atia had talked over what Basileus had said to Aro. Not with any intention of doing the same, but Atia wanted her daughter-in-law to fully realise the extent of the pain her son had caused so Sulpicia could be the master of her own future.

 _'If you can't make him feel the pain he has caused, you won't stop him doing it again.'_ Sulpicia played Atia's words over in her mind. She was right, and Sulpicia wanted her mate to feel every ounce of pain she had suffered at his hands.

"If that is what you really wanted to do …. " Aro began, the words sticking in his throat as he mentally batted away the torturous images of his wife with other men, "then I would … _" I can't say it, I can't,_ he thought desperately. One look into Sulpicia's eyes and he knew he had no choice. "I would support you in doing that," he answered quietly with a growl rumbling deep inside _._

 _No you couldn't!_ Sulpicia thought in response. "And I could have my pick of the guards and you would leave them unharmed?" Sulpicia pushed.

"If that is what you wished," Aro agreed with tears in his eyes to match his mate's.

Sulpicia leaned in and smiled slyly to Aro. "And you could walk these halls and see them every day and hear all the gossip in our castle about all the things I did with them? Things I have done with you? Things I wouldn't let you do? Could you do that?"

Aro had never seen his mate sound so callous, so self-serving. "Sully, please … " he begged, tears now freely running down his cheeks.

"Could you?" Sulpicia pushed forcefully.

Aro couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. _You are ripping me apart!_ he thought. _Don't do this Sully, please_. He wiped angrily at his eyes in frustration as he felt his stomach ball up into a knot. "It would rip my heart out and I don't honestly think I could let them live," he said, taking a moment to catch his breath before continuing, "but if it's what it will take to make amends with you, then I will really try."

Sulpicia tried to maintain her stern facade but her emotions overtook her. "I could never do that to you," she roared ferociously, and crumbled into a sobbing mess at the end of the bed.

Aro could only watch as his mate broke down in front of him. He couldn't get to her, he couldn't reach her.

It took some time for Sulpicia to cry out all the pain he had caused her and when she was finished, she simply rose to her feet and straightened out her dress. Her breath hitched uncontrollably but with the last of her strength she forced herself to say one final thing to her mate. "You aren't supposed to destroy the people you love, Aro."

Sulpicia flashed at vampiric speed from his prison, and he heard her sobs renew as she fled to Atia's arms.

Aro roared out his frustrations before matching his mate, sob for sob, only a room apart.

Another couple of days went by before Aro saw anyone else. He had heard his parents arguing like cat and dog down the hall. Even though he could feel his knee caps had healed, he didn't leave the bed with his spine still slowly working its way back in place. The damage to his broken body would have healed within a few days, Aro believed, had he been allowed a couple of good feeds. As it was, all Aro had to think about during the slow passing of time was the pain of his slowly healing bones and the fracturing of his heart as he ruminated over the damage to his family.

When Atia came again to check on him, she was surprised that Aro had healed so well already.

"Why do you look worried about that?" Aro asked when she appeared startled by his rate of progression. Aro was still stuck to the bed ravaged with pain - he hadn't healed quickly enough in his mind! "Mom, please!" he pushed when no answer was forthcoming.

Atia pursed her lips. "Don't try and leave this room, son," she said sternly. "No matter how healed you are - do not leave until your father gives you his permission."

Aro slowly nodded his understanding. He had caught snippets of their arguments which revolved around Basileus' refusal to see their son and the requirement for him to remain in his cell. Aro did feel guilty about causing such arguments between his parents.

Atia heard his regrets through her contact as she checked his broken fingers. The bones had been obliterated so it wasn't a single snap that was repairing. Atia smiled to her son. "Lovers think quite different thoughts whilst lying side by side," she told him mysteriously. "I may not agree with your father, but I will stand by his decision." She explained.

Aro nodded, wishing Sulpicia would be that way with his decisions when she disagreed.

"It only works if it is mutual, my dear. One cannot always be the one to take charge," Atia answered his thoughts again.

Aro tried to stop thinking … he didn't want Atia to know just how resistant he was to the idea of Sulpicia having an equal say in their home.

"How much longer will I have to stay in here?" he whined, distracting himself as much as his mother.

"Your father and I are working on Sulpicia," she breezed.

"She still doesn't want me back?"

Atia stroked Aro's face, his eye was still swollen and the deep black bruising spread all down his cheek and around to his ear. "She does, but she is worried about your control … I think you can understand her concerns?"

Aro felt embarrassed. As a vampire, he prided himself on his self-control, allowing his logical mind to take over matters of passion on most occasions when it came to running his coven – the whole vampire race for that matter. That fact that it was his control that his family couldn't trust gave him a crisis of identity.

"What about my children?" he dared to ask. He missed them so much - their chatter, their squabbles, the life they brought to his dead heart.

"The twins miss you very much. So does Demetri," Atia told him warmly.

The three of them had been knocking on her door regularly and it pained her to send them away, but she knew Aro wouldn't want them to see him in such a state.

"But not Felix," Aro said. It wasn't a question. He knew he didn't deserve his eldest son's concern, but he wanted to see Felix most of all. He had so much to say to him, so much to apologise for.

"He's coming around," Atia told him kindly. It was a bear faced lie, of course. Aro didn't need to hear the truth.

It took some convincing from both Atia and Sulpicia, but Felix agreed to visit his father and arrived in Aro's holding room two days after Atia's last visit.

"Hey," Aro called out hoarsely.

Felix was startled by his deep and gravelly voice.

"I'm so pleased to see you, Felix."

"It doesn't please me to be here!" Felix replied, looking Aro up and down in his bed. "Sully asked me to come."

Aro nodded to himself trying to keep the hurt from his face. He knew he deserved his son's anger.

Felix flopped down next to Aro on the bed, the jolt causing Aro to grimace and gasp in pain. "I don't really want you seeing me like this," he told his boy as he pulled himself up to a half sitting position.

"You think this is worse than seeing you tanked up on dungeon blood threatening to beat me bloody, or have me submit, or rip out my tongue … " Felix rolled of a list of threats Aro had made over the last couple of years in a drug addled state.

Aro could see his boy was upsetting himself as much as he was Aro. "I get the gist, son," he said softly, pulling Felix a little closer.

"Don't call me that," Felix spat, turning away to hide his tears.

Aro sighed. _Okay, gently does it,_ he thought. "I'm sorry, Felix. I really am."

Felix turned his tearful, angry eyes on his father. "Fuck your sorry. Just fuck off. And when you get there, fuck off from there, too. Then fuck off some more. In fact, keep fucking off until you get back here, and then fuck off all over again!"

He started out sounding so mean, but by the end of his tirade, Felix had become a similar emotional wreck to his mother a few days before.

"You don't mean that," Aro said, grabbing hold of his son's wrist with his good hand.

"Don't I?" Felix spat through his sobs.

"No," Aro replied, pulling Felix into his hold.

Felix resisted but he didn't put too much effort in. He could have easily rejected Aro had he really wanted to.

"I fucking hate you," he sobbed again, voice hitching.

"No. You don't," Aro told him simply. Fighting the pain, he felt in his battered body, Aro locked his arms around his emotional child. "You love me, and I have let you down, and I'm sorry, son."

Felix started to pull away. "I told you not to call me that," he complained.

"What else would I call you?" Aro asked. He managed to roll onto his side, though it took great effort, and manoeuvred Felix along with him. "I'm your dad."

"You've been a shit dad, I want a new one." Felix lay on Aro's bed with his back pressed tightly to Aro's chest.

"I know," Aro replied, holding onto his son as though it would be the last time he ever could.

"I hate you," Felix cried. He didn't mean it. Aro could read in his thoughts that he didn't mean it. He was just so damn angry that Aro had put them all through hell for the sake of some fucking drug.

"I love you," Aro whispered into his ear.

Aro didn't say that very often. His children all knew he loved them, (before the recent dungeon blood fiasco, at least) but when he did say the words, they meant something. They meant a lot. Felix couldn't reply, but he melted into his father's arms and cried himself to sleep, sleeping soundly for the first time in months.

A few hours had passed and Aro guessed it must have been the early hours of the morning by then. Felix lay sleeping in his arms when he heard Basileus telling Atia to get the boy back to his own quarters. Atia refused. Aro gripped tightly to his son, wondering whether if after he left would he see him again? Sulpicia was broken and he wouldn't be surprised if she left and took their children with her. He would hunt them down, he would find a way to regain her love but he had no idea how long it would take. To his relief, Basileus was the one to back down, and Atia had ensured her son could keep his boy for the night.

Aro took advantage of having someone from the outside with him by accessing Felix' memories. He couldn't look at the present, he was too concerned about what he would discover. But the past - that was his to explore.

Seeing every moment he had shared with his eldest over the last couple of years replayed through Felix' eyes, Aro saw first-hand the damage he had done to his son. How scared he had been, how angry, how utterly frustrated. The nights Felix had spent staying awake, listening out for Aro to return in case Sulpicia needed his help defending herself against her mate.

Aro tortured himself all night long until he arrived at the present. By then he thought there was nothing he could see that could hurt more than that which he had already witnessed. He was wrong. Seeing Sulpicia ask their children if they wanted him to return, and the looks of contempt on their small faces broke his heart. He heard how much they missed him, and they all loved him… but they no longer trusted him. Those images would haunt Aro for the rest of his life.

When Felix awoke the next morning, Aro knew he had to try to convince his boy that he could be accepted back into their home without being a danger to any of them.

"I need a favour from you, son," Aro said softly. Felix still lay in his arms, neither had moved and neither wanted to. "If you ever even suspect that I am taking dungeon blood again, you are to tell someone. Basileus preferably, but Atia, Eleazar, or even any of the masters would do."

"Yeah right!" Felix scoffed. "What if I am wrong? You will batter me!"

Aro kissed the back of his boy's head. "I won't, I understand the position I am putting you in but I need your help, son," he told him honestly. "I don't make the best decisions around my drug of choice, so I need to stay off it completely."

Felix wasn't so sure. "What about Caius?"

Aro chucked to himself. "He won't be supplying me with anymore, either." Thinking about what Basileus had said about Caius offering to get rid of his entire stock, Aro added, "I think Caius will be the most watchful of all, come to think of it."

"Why don't you just get rid of the dungeon blood, then there will be no temptations?" Felix asked, though there was a hint of begging to his tone. He wanted his Dad back and that dirty drug was a blockade to his family's happiness, as he saw it.

"There are medicinal purposes to dungeon blood. It's a great pain reliever and Caius always takes it on missions in case any of the guards look like they may flee from fear. It's useful," Aro explained. That wasn't the whole truth though, and he needed to be honest with Felix if he was going to convince him that he would return without being a threat. "Besides, getting rid of all our stores isn't me staying off it, is it? I need to be able to sit in a room full of the stuff and not take a drop."

Felix took a while to think his father's words over. "That sounds like torture," he eventually replied.

Aro agreed. _But it's no less than I deserve,_ he told himself.

"Can I stay with you for a while?" Felix asked.

Aro felt his heavy heart ease as he cuddled into his boy.

It was to be short lived, sadly, as Basileus opened the door to his son's cell. "Time to go, Felix."

The boy left without word. Basileus looked dark and brooding a little bit scary.

Aro watched his son leave before his eyes found a new target … Basileus carried a cup of blood. He could smell it and he was starving!

"Bloodwine?" Aro asked, salivating, gesturing to the goblet in his father's hand.

Basileus sat close to his boy and Aro reached out to take the cup. Basileus slapped his hand, hard. "Ah, ah, ah. We mustn't touch what isn't ours, Aro," he sang out. "It's mine."

Aro cast his eyes into his lap. "Of course. I'm just so hungry," he said, biting into his lip hard to get a taste for some blood.

Basileus grabbed Aro's jaw in one hand and forced his head up _. Your eyes are jet black,_ he thought. As soon as he released his face, Aro returned to staring into his lap. "I am telling you that you cannot touch this blood. But I won't do anything if you drink the whole cup dry."

Basileus was testing his son's submission. If he was submissive to Basileus, as he should be after being fucked into it, he wouldn't touch the cup. "What are you going to do?"

Aro played with the rings on his good hand. He could see the bruising already where Basileus had slapped him. "Nothing, my lord," he replied respectfully.

Basileus smiled to himself. "Good boy," he said, before draining the cup in front of his son.

Aro's throat burned, he was so hungry and smelling the nectar to his ailment so close was a new type of pain. Aro couldn't remember the last time he actually felt the need for blood. They never struggled to feed and he had never had a feed withheld before either.

"You can relax a little, Aro," Basileus said, seeing how tense his son was in his presence.

Aro eyed his father dangerously. "How long have I been in here, Dad?" he asked quietly.

"Two weeks, just over."

"Wow. And this is the first time you have come to see me … "

Basileus raised a hand that had Aro ducking for cover. "You made me do something I never wanted to do you," Basileus explained gruffly as the reason for his absence. He didn't hit him, though he really wanted to.

"Can we just not talk about it, please?" Aro asked, feeling very uncomfortable.

Basileus considered ignoring the issue as Aro wished. _But no. We need to talk about it!_

"Have you healed?" Basileus asked.

"I'm getting there," Aro replied, lifting his broken hand that felt more hand-like than it had for weeks.

"You know what I mean," Basileus said pointedly, gesturing down Aro's body.

Aro felt his ass twitch. "Oh, erm, yes. Physically." _I will never recover mentally!_ he said to himself.

Basileus rolled his eyes dramatically. "Good," he stated, with no clue as to whether he was responding to Aro's verbal or mental reply.

 _It could have been both,_ Aro reasoned.

"Do you understand that you forced me to do it? I gave you so many chances to back down, Aro."

Aro nodded as tears pricked his eyes. He knew his hunger was partly responsible for his emotional display, but he also knew how he would feel if Felix had forced him into such position. _Hell, even explaining submission to Felix left me feeling sick for days,_ he reminded himself.

"I understand. I will never do anything to push you so far again, Dad."

Basileus laughed, a child's promises to never misbehave again were always hollow - the age didn't matter. "I really hope not, Aro, because I will do it again if you are reckless enough to go back on your word."

Aro felt every muscle in his body tense up and his face paled. Oh, he understood alright!

Basileus had a matter of housekeeping to clear up with his son. "Aro I want Ashanti out of this coven."

Aro sighed. He felt guilty about that, though he understood she would have to leave.

"It isn't fair on Sulpicia to share her coven with the woman who has so readily bedded her mate."

Aro agreed with that wholeheartedly.

"Sulpicia doesn't know about Heidi," Basileus continued. "I suggest it stays that way, as we need her to lure humans in at times. But Ashanti has had every idiot in this coven - All three of my sons, two of my grandsons, three of the masters…"

"Three?" Aro interrupted.

"Yes." Basileus replied, assuming Aro had known that.

 _Well it wouldn't be Freyr or Magnus … so that only leaves_ … "Marcus?" Aro questioned in surprise.

"It doesn't matter who."

Aro missed the warning in his fathers tone. "Has Marcus…"

"ARO! Stay on point!"

Aro ducked again. He couldn't help the response, he was scared to the bone of his father … _submission will do that, I suppose,_ he correctly assumed.

"I have spoken to the masters. If you take dungeon blood again, and they know and choose not to tell me, I will take their head." Basileus watched Aro's reaction.

He closed his eyes tight wishing the whole sordid fiasco would disappear. "I must look so weak," he complained shamefully.

"You are weak, very weak," Basileus agreed. "But everyone has weaknesses."

Aro looked nervously to his father. "You don't," he said enviously.

Basileus stood up and towered over his son. Aro felt petrified when he saw the creator moving closer to his head. To his relief, Basileus kissed his forehead gently.

"You are my weakness. You and your brothers and your families. You are my weakness."

Aro breathed easily for a moment until he saw Basileus rolling up his shirt sleeve. "What are you doing?"

Basileus smirked. "I don't think you could take another thrashing just yet, do you?"

Aro shook his head, wide eyed and panicked.

Basileus brought his own wrist to his mouth, prepared to bite to draw blood for his son. "I'd rather not have anything that's going to give me a buzz," Aro said, eying his father and wondering if this was a test.

Basileus burst out laughing. "Good luck getting addicted to my blood, son."

That was the first time Basileus had called Aro 'son' since he'd entered the room.

"So I'm still your son then? You haven't disowned me?"

"I tried exchanging you for Caius but he thinks our family is too fucked up and he turned me down," Basileus said with a happy smile before biting deep into his wrist. The blood spurted from his wound but Basileus quickly brought it to Aro's mouth. "Drink your fill," he told him sternly.

Basileus could feed vampires full without it having too much effect on him. Aro took the creator's blood down greedily, gulping with gusto to ease the burn in his throat. As he drank, he could feel his body repairing itself - bones clicking into place, ribs laying straight, his fingers could move again. It felt amazing. Aro fell back in euphoria when he was done.

Pooling the venom in his mouth, Basileus licked his ragged flesh - it healed over instantly. He saw the latent bruising on his sons face disappearing and a quick check of his ribs told the creator his boy was healing quickly now.

"Get used to it. It will be all you are drinking for a while."

Aro moaned contentedly in his bed feeling the full effects of his father's blood high. "Why?" he asked, eyes shut and a happy smile on his face.

"Because I need you bonded to me, and not to that dirty dungeon blood."

"I am bonded to you." Aro drawled in response.

"Maybe," Basileus replied, "but I am not taking any risks with you and your drug habit. Submission should be enough to keep you out of trouble for a while, my blood will seal the deal."

Aro was listening but he couldn't respond. The amount of the creator's blood he had just consumed would knock him out for the rest of the day.

That night, when Aro was both fully healed and over the buzz of Basileus' blood, Sulpicia called in on him. He looked a million times better than he had the last time she'd seen him, Sully was glad of that. She handed him a set of light clothing for him to wear. Before Aro could speak, Sulpicia held up a hand to ask for his silence.

"Trust is a very fragile thing and you have shattered mine for you." She was calm, reasoned, but her voice was still thick with emotion.

"Are you saying there is no going back for us?" Aro asked.

"Back? No," Sulpicia replied.

Aro felt like he had received a blow to the head. _No, no, no!_ he thought, he didn't have the words to beg her to forgive him, he knew whatever came out of his mouth could never be enough after how he had hurt her.

Sulpicia sat down next to her desolate mate and rested her hand on his. "Forwards … " she said, "I think we can move forwards."

Aro stared at her in shock, mouth hanging open. His mind told him to scoop her into his arms and never let go but he was so sure he had lost her that his body wouldn't respond.

Sulpicia closed his mouth for him with gentle fingers under his chin. "Do you think I care for you so little that your heinous betrayal would be enough for me to cast you out?" she asked.

 _Okay, so we have some work to do,_ Aro thought, but damn he was relieved. "Are you sure I'm worth it?" he asked her with tears in his eyes.

"Oh my love, I really, really wish you weren't." Sulpicia smiled sadly. "But you are my dungeon blood."

Aro watched as his mate opened the door for them to leave … but he couldn't do it. "I can't go with you, Sully, not until Basileus says I can."

Sulpicia stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder. "Sure you can. If you want to," she called softly before leaving her mate in his open cell.

Basileus had asked her to tempt Aro out of the room. It was another test. He had promised his daughter in law that he could keep Aro controlled even if he wasn't there. It was the only way he had managed to convince Sulpicia to take Aro back in her chambers and and allow him around their children unchaperoned.

Aro rushed to the door, but he wouldn't go any further.

"Sully don't go!" But it was too late, she had already left the ground floor suite. Aro sunk to the floor and stared down the hallway as he tried to talk himself into going after her.

Whilst lost in thought, he didn't hear Basileus coming home. The first he knew of his father's return was seeing his figure filling the end of the hall.

"Going somewhere?" he asked his son gruffly.

"No!" Aro responded in surprise. "I wouldn't leave, not until you say I can," he rushed, wanting to convince his father that he hadn't broken his word to remain in his room.

Basileus marched to his son and loomed over him. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. "You look quite close to leaving, son."

Aro's left leg lay lazily on the floor, protruding slightly out of the doorway. Aro gulped and pulled himself inside. "I wasn't going to leave, I wasn't!" he rushed again, eyes fixed on the creator.

"Hmm." Basileus considered what to do. He could hear in his son's thoughts that he had tried, but failed to persuade himself to break orders and leave the room with Sulpicia. He was pleased that Aro had stayed, though certainly less than impressed with him trying to convince himself to leave.

"May I go home, please?" Aro asked.

Basileus was still wondering whether he should discipline Aro for even thinking of leaving. He felt like he should but he was more than aware that the aggressive vampire within would be leading that impulse and he didn't want to give in to that side of himself too easily. Basileus wasn't naturally suited to being a dominant coven leader, at least not in a one-on-one situation. That was part of the reason he left the daily running of the Volturi to the masters and only acted through them. His vampiric nature was stronger than other vampires, and that made it dangerous. He had already all but annihilated his son bringing him under control and he didn't want to make a habit of exerting such control over anyone. _Aro, though_ , he thought, _he's not suited to a submissive role either, this is going to be difficult for us both!_ They both knew Aro would have to toe a very tight line for a while. _But how will that work?_ Basileus wondered. _Does he even realise how serious this is?_

"We need to talk," he finally said to his son. Basileus had took a seat in the living chamber before he realised Aro hadn't followed him. _This is a pain in the ass!_ he thought as he called to release Aro from his room. _How is he supposed to run the bloody coven if he must be under my control?_

Aro joined his father but could barely meet his eye.

"Sit down, son."

Aro obeyed dutifully.

"Are you fully aware of what's happened, Aro?"

"Do we have to talk about this again?" Aro whined, scrubbing a hand down his face, certain he was blushing. "It's bad enough that it happened!"

Basileus rolled his eyes. "We have hardly talked about it at all, and yes we do need to talk about it - if you ever want to leave my quarters, that is."

Aro sat bolt upright. Yes, he wanted to leave!

"How are we going to work this, Aro? You need to be able to run the Volturi, run your own home … how is this going to work if you are utterly under my command?"

Aro scoffed. "Well, you should have thought about that before you … did what you did."

Basileus glared at his boy. "You forced me to have you submit to me son. YOU, not me."

Aro cringed. "I know it was my fault, Dad." _I don't want to talk about this, why are you being such a cunt?!_

"Aro I can hear you, so be careful."

Aro gulped and proffered his apologies but Basileus waved them away, he knew they were born of fear, not respect.

"How long does it take to wear off?"

Aro looked confused.

Basileus sighed as he continued, "Your submission to me, how long will you be under its effects?"

 _I'll be suffering the effects for the rest of my days!_ Aro thought bitterly. He shrugged. He hadn't really been a fan of submission and he'd only really used the idea with the female members of his coven - all of whom would have fucked him at his request anyway, so it wasn't really the same thing.

"I don't know, Dad. Weeks … months … years? Even though I want to go against you, my body won't conform. I wanted to follow Sully out of that room but I couldn't make it past the door," he answered honestly.

Basileus held his head in his hands. _This is going to be a bloody nightmare!_ he thought. On one hand, he wanted Aro under control for a while, to be sure he was off dungeon blood, but on the other, he didn't want to be directing his son like a puppet for the next 'however long' either.

"Aro this is a mess," he said sadly.

"Can't you just call it off?" Aro asked. "Tell me I am no longer required to submit to you?"

Basileus shook his head. "For that to work I would have to mean it and I wouldn't mean it - I want you under control, I don't trust you to make your own decisions."

Aro felt crushed but he couldn't argue with his father's reasoning.

"I will have to shadow you running the coven," Basileus offered.

Aro heaved a depressed sigh. "Really? Isn't there another way?" He threw his head back to rest on the chair and stared at the ceiling. "I can't take my dad to work, for fuck sake," he complained, "and how will that work in my own quarters?"

Basileus could feel his hackles rising to his son's self-pity and whiny tone. "I am as pissed off as you about this Aro, but as you are the one who caused this mess you are the one who can put it right again."

Aro looked askance to his father. "How can I put it right? You're the one who has to forgive me," he spat, glaring at his father.

Basileus could feel that vampiric impulse again, it was hard to suppress the desire to strike his son. "Aro you need to watch how you talk to me, son," he growled. He wasn't meaning to growl, he couldn't help it.

Aro tutted. He wasn't being particularly disrespectful, under the circumstance at least. He could see his father was struggling to control himself, but he wasn't sure why. "What wrong with you?" he asked, eyeing his father like a coiled spring about to explode.

Basileus took a few moments to contain his inner animal. He was shocked. It felt like a beast had been unleashed inside him. One of the reasons he hadn't visited Aro for two weeks after forcing him to submit was because he worried he would force his boy to submit again. He thought he had the impulse under control but it was scratching at the edges of his psyche already.

"I need to show you something," he told his son darkly.

Aro felt apprehensive. "If you are going to show me my submission I would rather not have your view in my mind."

Basileus shook his head, he couldn't talk. Instead he took hold of Aro's wrist and showed him how he felt.

Aro felt sick - he could see how close Basileus was to beating him. For a fairly innocuous reason, too. In Aro's mind, at least. He had never felt such a powerful desire to bring a subordinate into line and never for something as simple as their tone of voice either!

 _Fuck, I'm done for!_ Aro thought.

Basileus slowly nodded. _'This is going to be very hard, son.'_ He spoke through his thoughts.

Aro fell into the seat next to his father, the pair of them looking straight ahead wondering how the hell they would get through the next few weeks.

 _It could be longer!_ Aro thought as he searched his thoughts for a precedent to go on. Not that his own experience, or Caius' for that matter, would help in addressing how Basileus, the creator of vampire kind would be as the dominant leader.

"You need to be careful, son. Don't make me do anything I will regret."

Aro laughed. "I think I will regret it more, Dad," he said with hollow humour.

Basileus didn't find it so funny. He already felt repulsed by what he had done to his son. Part of him wanted to send Aro home and give them both some space, but he couldn't. The beast wanted Aro close, wanted him in reaching distance in case he disobeyed him in some way.

"Give me a few orders and send me home," Aro suggested. He couldn't see what else they could do. "I can't stay here indefinitely, Dad."

"Can't you?" Basileus returned with a low rumbling growl.

Aro held up his hands defensively. "I will, if that's what you want. I wasn't challenging you."

Basileus concentrated on some deep breathing, _I can control myself, for the love of the gods I am stronger than this!_ he thought.

"We need to spend some time together," Basileus announced, formulating his plans in his mind as he spoke. "You can go home in the morning, and you will return to my quarters when the young ones go to bed."

Aro sighed … he had planned some activities with his mate that were better suited to the hours his children were sleeping!

Basileus smirked. _Tough!_ he thought to his son's thoughts.

"For how long?" Aro asked, hoping his father would say a few days or less!

"Until I can trust you and release you from subordination."

Aro groaned. "That could take weeks, Dad."

Basileus merely nodded. _And, the rest!_ "You will not leave the tower without me," he added, glaring at Aro when he looked ready to object. Basileus shook his head slowly until Aro started nodding his agreement.

"Who else knows, Dad?" Aro asked quietly.

"About you submitting to me?" Basileus checked.

Aro nodded, sure his face was flushing.

Basileus quite liked seeing his son squirm, it didn't happen often. "Your mother, Eleazar, Sulpicia. I think that's all. Though I suppose someone would have told Carmen."

Aro felt a lift in relieve. "Do my children know? The masters?" he pushed, hoping to god they didn't!

"No," Basileus replied. "And so long as you stick to your word and keep off the dungeon blood and the other women then they won't find out from me."

Aro bit his lip. _Just El I need to silence then_ , he thought.

"Your brother won't say anything, he has given me his word. And unlike you, he keeps his."

 _Ouch! Thanks, Dad._


	99. Awkward

**AN:** Time for something a little more settled... if awkward!

* * *

 **AWKWARD …**

"You're home!" Jane squealed and bounded to her father, nearly knocking Aro off his feet as he came through the door.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, basking in her love.

Jane buried her head into his shoulder as he lifted her in his arms. It was a rare emotional display from his princess of darkness and Aro felt his heart healing with every ounce of love she gave.

Alec followed his sister to embrace his father, glad he had returned.

Once Aro set them both back on the floor he looked for Sully. "May I come in, my queen?" he asked.

Sulpicia looked to her young ones, pulling their father inside before she could object. "I think that would be for the best," she replied, gesturing to her happy children.

"Are you here to stay?" Jane asked hopefully.

"I'm on day release only," he replied to his girl before looking to Sulpicia, "I will have to return at nightfall."

Sulpicia smiled sadly, she understood Basileus needed to keep his son close for a while. "Could we keep that between the four of us?" she asked, looking to the twins for confirmation they would keep their father's situation secret. "Felix and Demetri might be easier to handle if they think you are home full time."

Aro nodded slowly. "They are not easy to handle now?" he asked in concern.

"Not so much," Sulpicia replied uneasily. She didn't want to put too much on Aro on his first day home.

Aro pushed worries over his boys' conduct to one side and wrapped his arms around his mate, pulling Sulpicia tightly into his chest.

"I have missed you so much," he breathed into her ear, soaking up her scent and letting it relax his entire body.

She reminded him that their children were in view before his wondering hands did anything regrettable.

"Sorry," he said coyly, hoping his children had some guard duties to fill their day.

Sulpicia extracted herself from his hold and returned to her work. The table was scattered with documents.

"What's all this about?" he asked, leafing through the closest pages filled with calculations. "Some of us have work to do, my love," Sulpicia replied, taking the paper from him.

Aro sighed. His own job was waiting for him, he had no doubt, but as Basileus had decided he wouldn't be allowed out of the tower for another week or two, it would have to wait.

"What work are you doing?" he asked, sounding a little condescending.

"I run our treasury, my love. Plus, as you have been indisposed for one reason or another over the last couple of months, I have been doing your job, too."

Aro's mouth fell open. "How exactly have you been doing my job?" he asked, voice thick with concern.

"Well, my love," Sulpicia replied, as though she were talking to a child, "the masters come to you with purchase requests, mission plans, issues with guards, training and the like … I have been answering them."

"You? On your own?"

Sulpicia scowled. "Do you think me incapable?" she asked.

 _Do not answer that!_ Aro told himself. "Not at all, there's just a lot to deal with, that's all."

"As I discovered, my love," Sulpicia replied, scooping together her paperwork to keep her mate's wandering eyes from her work. "But I have solved that through delegation. The masters seem to run an awful lot by you, things that they are more than capable of dealing with themselves. So now they do."

Aro felt panicked! _You have broken my coven, you idiot woman!_ He stopped himself from voicing his thoughts - he didn't want to give Basileus any reason to take him back under his roof. "My queen, that could cause problems … "

"No Aro, it hasn't and it won't. And, now you will have more time and less stress. I think that will be good for us all, don't you?" Sulpicia smiled kindly and stroked his cheek.

 _Damn it!_ Aro thought, he couldn't argue with her reasoning at all, particularly as he still blamed 'stress' for why he had gone so disastrously off the rails.

"I know you aren't comfortable with sharing the load, but you started neglecting castle duties when you started taking … " Sulpicia glanced over to the twins just in time to stop herself from saying dungeon blood. "When you became distracted."

Aro closed his eyes and nodded as his mate continued.

"You have been completely absent from your post for months - what did you think would happen? That we would all just stop and wait for your return?"

Aro smiled nervously. "Well, yes," he answered honestly. "I am back now, so things can go back to normal."

Sulpicia chuckled to herself. "No, my love. This is normal now, you just need to catch up."

Sulpicia put on her cape and collected her paperwork. "I am off to see Athenodora, her mission plans are too expensive and we need to look at ways to cut costs."

"You and Athenodora?!" Aro exclaimed. "Athenodora's mission plans?" The last he heard Sully had ripped chunks out of the woman's face … _and now you are working together and she is planning missions?!_

"Spend some time with your sons, Aro, see if you can get them out of bed! Or at least behaving cordially for awhile. I am taking the twins with me."

"They are still asleep?" Aro questioned. "And I assume not cordial?"

Sulpicia smiled kindly. "Things are running smoothly. You have no need to worry. But your sons have made the most of your absence, my love."

Sulpicia and the twins left, leaving Aro gawking blankly at the closed door. _No need to worry? I have been usurped by the women in my own bloody coven._ Deciding to put his concerns to one side for now, he sought out his boys.

Aro was surprised to find them both sleeping soundly when he opened their door to a room that a pig would refuse to call home. Random items of clothing lay scattered across the floor with empty goblets amid the debris and a soft breeze blew through the closed window - two missing panes of glass allowing its entry. The room stank of stale alcohol, specifically, ale. Aro was concerned - they didn't stock ale in the castle, his boys wouldn't have been into town, surely? Taking advantage of his sons' sleeping state, he placed two fingers on Demetri's neck to find out what had been going on.

 _Magnus is selling ale in the guard hall! What else is he up to?_ Aro flipped through the last few weeks and he saw the pair of them had been living the high life in the guard hall whilst their mother worked and their father was indisposed. Aro cursed his own ineptitude for causing so much strife. _Why the bloody hell has Magnus been selling them ale?_

Moving over to Felix, he did the same with his eldest boy. Felix had caused a little more trouble than Demetri - Felix lead whilst Demetri followed. Aro rolled his eyes, _typical!_ From Felix' memories, Aro worked out that Magnus hadn't been selling his boys' the ale, but the guard were happy to help them get wrecked for a small fee. _You clearly have money to burn, lads. I can set that straight!_ Felix had continued to give Sulpicia a hard time during his absence, and worryingly, Felix blamed his mother for his father's disappearance. He blamed himself, too. _No son. None of this was your fault._ Aro thought solemnly.

Aro dragged both hand over his face and through his hair. _This is a mess! Why has Sully let them get away with this? The little bastards have been massively taking advantage of her!_

"Good morning!" Aro announced loudly. No response. He tried again only to receive the same lack of attention. "Get up!" he roared, ripping the bed sheet from Felix and flashing over to do the same to Demetri.

"Fuck off!" Demetri complained in his sleepy daze, curling into a ball around his pillow.

Aro raised a hand and narrowed his eyes to the back of his boy's head. _Oh, I don't think so._

CRACK!

Aro smacked Demetri's backside with such force that he had to check his fingers were all still in one piece.

"OW!" Demetri screamed loudly, springing into an attack position. Felix did the same from his bed.

"Daddy's home," Aro smiled to them both.

Demetri rubbed his sore ass but sprang to his father's side, wrapping his arms around him.

"Are you back?"

"I'm, here, aren't I?" Aro replied, kissing his head and squeezing him tight.

"What took you so long?" Felix drawled, mimicking Demetri's actions.

"I've actually been home for a while but I had to plough through all this crap to get to your beds!" Aro said, gesturing to the general debris on the floor.

The boys looked around their bedroom. Typical teenagers, they felt no shame for the state of their living space. It was tidier than it had been in the last month, but Aro would never have seen it so bad.

"We don't need to clean up anymore, Dad," Felix said triumphantly. "We have a cleaner now." His boy's exuberant expression faded a little seeing Aro's clear distaste at the idea.

"A cleaner?" Aro repeated. "Since when do we need a cleaner?" Aro didn't like having the guards in his private chambers for any longer than it took them to collect the laundry or the rubbish.

Felix shrugged. "Mom's a working woman now, Dad, someone's gotta do it."

Aro nodded. "Yes, that someone would be you if you know what's good for you."

Aro collected a goblet from the floor and held it up questioningly to his sons.

"How did that get there?" Felix asked, looking at the cup in faux amazement. "You know Dad, I've heard about this before – when random items of metal appear in a room, it is good luck for the householders. Something to do with Elfish magic."

"You heard that, did you?" Aro smirked to his boy's playful manner. "It's a shame I am the householder and not you – you still need to clean this room."

Felix scowled. "So that's it, you're home now and everything has to change?"

Aro chuckled to himself. "Keeping your room in a usable state is not a change Felix, it has always been a requirement."

"Can we do it later?" Demetri asked, "I haven't seen you for weeks!"

Aro still had his arm around his child and he could hear Demetri thinking how unfair it had been that Felix had spent the night with his father when he hadn't been allowed the same courtesy.

Basileus had told him that he would need to talk to his children and explain what had occurred … loosely. Neither Aro nor Basileus thought it would be a good idea to tell them submission was now on the table within their family - _that will scare them to death! I do need to explain myself, though,_ he thought.

"I think we need to talk," he said, pulling his sons from their room.

A few hours later, Sulpicia and the twins returned with new bundles of parchment. The twins bounced to their father's side and joined him on the sofa whilst Felix and Demetri looked nervously to each other. Sulpicia caught their concern.

"Worried I might tell you father how awful you have been?" she asked, dumping her new paperwork on the table.

Their young eyes widened as their parents both stared them down.

"I went through your memories whilst you were sleeping," Aro casually slipped in. Seeing their expressions comical with worry, he added, "Did I not mention that?"

Felix tried to find the words for an excuse but nothing audible left his mouth.

"Hmm." Aro appraised the pair of miscreants. "I will address your behaviour tomorrow. I want an easy day."

Demetri gulped down the venom pooling in his throat.

Sulpicia gestured for Aro to join her at the table, not that she wanted to save her sons from his scorn, they deserved every ounce of it!

"They have been vile to you, did my father not help? Atia? Eleazar even?" he asked in a hurried whisper.

Their children wouldn't hear him, Aro and Sulpicia had perfected the art of talking privately with an eager audience.

"Aro, our sons aren't anyone else's problem. I have been run off my feet night and day and I admit I let them get away with more than I should … "

"You think?!" Aro exclaimed. "You have let them get away with murder!"

Sulpicia waved away Aro's concerns. "Don't be dramatic, my love. They haven't killed anyone. They have stayed out a little late and been cheeky now and then. It's not a big deal."

Aro scowled. _Not a big deal! It will be a big deal when I have finished with them!_

"Aro, you need to tread carefully. They are resentful of all the upheaval you have caused. You can't come back in here making too many demands of them."

Aro raised a single eyebrow in response. _Oh yes I fucking can!_ he thought.

"You must also be mindful of your father … you need to keep your cool or you could set him off. Basileus is really struggling with his own demons right now, my love."

Aro puffed the air out of his cheeks in annoyance. Sully was right and he knew it. _Damn it._ "I can't just let them get away with the way they are behaving, Sully."

"Of course you can't but you can draw a line under their behaviour whilst you were away. Yes?"

Aro was conflicted but he knew she was right. It was the only way forward. And that's where they were heading now, forward. Not back to how things were, some new state of play instead. "Of course, my queen," he agreed quietly.

Sulpicia had been ready with a speech to defend herself in their conversation, she was pleased to see it wasn't needed. It was encouraging that Aro appeared to be willing to concede to her suggestion.

"So how was Athenodora?" Aro asked casually, trying to discreetly look at the paperwork Sulpicia had brought home.

"Very well. Caius wants to take a small group out to collect some humans for turning. Freyr is complaining that the guards are getting harder and harder to convince to take on lowly duties. They all want patrol as a minimum, not cleaning. Even though they have flipped the pay scales and now pay more for cleaning than anything else … "

Sulpicia continued to tell Aro how his coven was running, and he picked up along the way that Sulpicia was dealing with the other women in the castle who seemed to have formed some sort of middle management level with their mates now doing the donkey work under their instruction - Caius wanted to take a mission, so Athenodora was liaising between Sully for the finances and Freyr for the guards. Magnus wanted a better structure to the guard detailing, so Freyr was arranging for guards to become specialised in certain aspects of coven life. Some to aid Marcus in directing study and maintaining the library, others to work closely with Caius and become mission specialists, a few more to work with Magnus to train other guards.

Aro nodded along, taking it all in, worry lines appearing across his brow the further Sulpicia went on. It wasn't that he objected, he had nothing to object to - Sulpicia had everything covered! He was surprised though, and a little put out that his coven ran so well, better even, without his presence. _A compete absence of male presence, actually_! Aro thought, wondering where his father and brothers fitted into this new look Volturi his mate and mother had arranged.

Aro was flummoxed. "Has my removal really been all dancing and sunshine for everyone?" he asked, interrupting his wife's chatter.

Sulpicia stopped and cupped his face with her delicate hand. "Oh, my love, you have been missed greatly. In your absence others have stepped up."

"You have, you mean!" Aro corrected.

"Yes, I have," she agreed proudly. "The daily running of our coven is far more efficient and you can still oversee everything, but now you will have more time to focus on other things."

Aro huffed like a petulant child. "What other things, you've covered everything."

Sulpicia slid a piece of parchment over to him titled, 'Expansion'.

Aro picked it up and ran through the list. "How did you know I was planning an expansion?" he asked, happy to see a great deal of money had been allocated to pay for his ambitious plans.

"Atia shared them with me. Neither of us knew what your plans were exactly, so we went off those she saw in your mind. Basileus has agreed to put up half of all costs."

Aro's mouth fell open. "He has?" he asked, happily surprised.

Sulpicia pulled a face. "Well, agreed may be a little misleading. Atia has promised to get it from him though, and that's as good as money in the bank."

Aro dropped the paper. "You and Athenodora are working together, you and Atia are best friends … is Medusa waiting for you in the bedroom?"

Sulpicia smirked. "Athenodora and I are friends, more so than we have been for many years and Atia is as much my mother as she is yours. The women in this castle have risen and we now work as one."

Aro chuckled to himself. _That won't last five minutes before you all start bitching about one another,_ he thought, feeling safe in the belief that this new female power house wouldn't last the year. _I'll let you have your fun for now, my queen,_ he thought, patronisingly.

Aro pulled his mate in close and kissed her deeply. "My queen, is there any chance you could take a break from the books?" he asked, undressing her with his eyes.

"The children … " she started.

"Felix, Demetri, I am very unhappy at the way you have behaved whilst I was away. If you promise to change your attitude, we can draw a line underneath it all," Aro offered his boys without turning away from his mate.

They both jumped at the chance for a reprieve.

"Go to the guard hall, all of you, but be back here by nine."

Felix grumbled at the curfew and Alec didn't want to go at all, but they soon saw their parents locked in a groping exchange and they were suddenly happy with the offer Aro had made.

Before the door had even closed behind their children, Aro scooped Sulpicia into his arms and carried her to their bedchamber.

Sulpicia pulled away from him for just long enough to pull out their toy box beneath the bed.

"Do you want me to?" Aro asked, warily. He knew he'd been an aggressive cunt before his forced absence and he didn't want to push his mate too far too soon.

Sulpicia nodded with a coy smile as she started to undress.

Ari bit his lip, still unsure. "I mean … "

"I know what you mean, my love," Sulpicia replied, pulling Aro down onto their bed. Good god how he had missed that bed!

"And just to be sure, you are saying yes?" he asked as she moved on top of him.

Full of excitement, Sulpicia replied, "Yes!"

…

They fucked for hours, passionately, sensually, viciously, in the way only they could. The sounds coming from their bed chamber were primal and verged on otherworldly. It wouldn't have mattered had Felix not return mid raging-orgasm to check on his mother alone with his potentially unstable father.

"Leave her alone!" he roared as he burst through the door.

Aro slipped backwards off the bed, crashing to the floor. "Get out!" he bellowed in reply whilst Sulpicia scurried to clothe herself with a cushion.

Felix was confused, but convinced that his mother was in danger he pushed on. "What's going on?" he asked, demanding an answer.

"OUT!" Aro ordered, still a little dazed from the rude interruption.

Felix spotted the collection of whips laying abandoned on the floor … and then the belt Sulpicia removed from her neck. "Oh my god!" he said, confused and worried, before fleeing the top floor suite calling for Basileus.

"For fuck sake," Aro complained, grabbing some britches and a shirt to throw on quickly and give chase to stop Felix before he gave the creator the wrong impression.

He was too late. By the time Aro reached his father's door, Basileus was already vibrating with rage and ready to rip his head from his shoulders.

"Aro god help you if you have so much as … " he started whilst searching his son's memories. "Oh," be said, a little surprised. "Oh god!" he tutted, looking to his boy and shaking his head. "Really?" he questioned.

Aro looked sheepishly to the floor, biting his lip nervously. "It's been a while," he offered quietly as an excuse for what his father must have seen in his thoughts.

Basileus pushed Aro away to concentrate on Felix. "I think you need to have a father son chat with your Dad," he said gently.

Felix wasn't having that - Basileus had promised him that he would protect his family from Aro's aggression if he posed a threat to them again. "But you said to fetch you if he … "

"I know what I said, and that still stands," Basileus told him seriously. "But on this occasion, I think Aro can explain better than I can."

"You know, son," Basileus turned to address Aro, "you wouldn't find yourself in these situations if you weren't so drawn to weird bloody fetishes."

Aro cringed, he'd rather not share his sexploits with his old man, funnily enough. _'Can I take him out?'_ Aro asked through his thoughts.

Basileus shook his head. He stood back and gestured inside his own quarters. "It's time for you to come back here now anyway so use your room."

Felix's eyebrows shot up hearing that little gem. _So, Aro won't be home at night … interesting!_ he thought.

Aro wanted to resist - he wasn't ready to leave Sulpicia yet - they hadn't fully finished!

Basileus caught his boy's whining thoughts and put a stop to them before they could get them both into trouble with an abrupt slap to his face.

"Don't, Aro. Just don't."

Aro backed up into the stairwell. "Dad, I … "

Basileus took his movements for an attempt to return to his own quarters and dragged Aro forcibly into his living room before he had the chance to touch the stairs. "I told you to use your room!"

Aro could hear his father's internal battle. _Why are you being such a hard ass?!_

"You know full well why!" Basileus replied.

Aro gulped and rubbed out the sting in his arm. _There was no need to squeeze so tight!_ he thought, pushing Felix ahead towards the bed chambers.

Aro closed the door behind him and looked to his son, sitting on the bed. "We need to talk," he started, not really knowing how to go on. "I love your mom … " he offered, as though that explained anything.

"If you loved her you wouldn't hurt her!" Felix scoffed. "You've only been back a few hours!"

Aro grimaced and took a seat next to him. "I don't hurt your mom," he said, only to receive a look of disbelief from his son. "Well I do, yes," Aro agreed, "but it isn't the way you think."

"That's bullshit dad!" Felix called out.

Aro bristled to his boy cursing at him, but under the circumstances, he'd allow his that one shot. "Felix, listen to me." Aro had to hold his boys face to keep him looking at him and not the glowering at the floor. "I do hurt your mom…" Aro chose to ignore the disgusted eyes Felix shot back at him. "and sometimes she hurts me, too." He continued, awkwardly, "it's an agreement we have."

Felix pulled his face free. "An agreement for you to be a cunt?"

Aro flinched. "Watch it!" he warned, cuffing the back of Felix's head. "I only do what your mother allows me to do, do you understand?"

"No!" Felix replied. _That sounds like an excuse for beating my mom up!_

"Your mother and I have been together a very long time. Keeping a marriage fresh can be complicated. Grownups are complicated," Aro said gently.

"Don't patronise me," Felix spat in reply.

Aro sighed and roll his eyes to the heavens. "I'm really trying not to patronise you, son," he said honestly.

A short silence fell between them as Felix wondered what sort of monster his father was and Aro wondered how the hell to explain his fetish to his son without scaring him for life!

"Oh god, this is awkward," Aro complained.

"What is?" Felix shot back, annoyed. "You're talking in riddles."

Aro scrubbed a hand down his face. _Fuck me, facing a beating from Basileus would have been easier than this!_

"Tough!" Basileus shouted through from the living room, clearly hanging on to every word. He was quite enjoying the show!

"I hurt your mom because she says it's okay that I do, and she hurts me for the same reason."

"That's so fucked up, Dad."

"No, it's not really, it's okay. Don't swear at me again!" _Just let it go!_ Aro begged through his thoughts.

"No, its not okay! If Jane said I could punch her and I did, you wouldn't be bothered?" Felix presented an impassioned argument.

"I would be very bothered, but that is different," Aro explained sternly, not wanting his boy to get any stupid ideas about beating up his siblings. Aro let out a frustrated breath. "We enjoy it, okay," he declared. "It's something we enjoy."

Felix eyed his father with suspicion. "You enjoy hurting each other," he repeated to himself.

"Sometimes, yes," Aro admitted, feeling more than a little uncomfortable with their conversation. He was sure the walls of that fucking room were closing in on him.

Felix took a moment to consider what he had seen when he'd burst into his parents' bedroom. His mother had been on all fours with a belt around her throat, whilst his father had the other end, strangling her with it whilst he fucked her from behind.

"Oh my god, I want to scrub my brain!" The poor boy grabbed at his head, shaking it vigorously to rid himself of the image.

Aro nodded to himself. _So now you get it,_ he thought. He pulled Felix's hands free from his face so he could look in his eyes and check he was okay.

"That's even more fucked up than it was before," Felix exclaimed loudly.

Aro tried to shush him but Felix continued. "Oh god that's so … you're so weird!"

Aro could hear his own father guffawing from the other room. _Thanks dad!_ he thought, before joining Basileus in chuckling at Felix's horror.

"Why can't you just be normal?" Felix asked. He couldn't look Aro in the eye with flashbacks invading his mind.

"It isn't particularly abnormal son," Aro said in his defence.

"Yeah, alright." Felix and Basileus retorted with that one.

Aro allowed Felix a little time to process what he had been told before trying to push their conversation on. He knew his other children would be home soon and he wanted Felix in his own quarters before it was too late.

"You must have heard those noises coming from our room before, son."

"We have! We just assumed you were hurting Sully."

 _Wow. Sucker punch._ Aro hadn't expected to hear that. "It's nice to know you have such a high opinion of me," he said sounding genuinely hurt.

Felix shrugged. "You have form."

Aro couldn't say anything to that. It was a fair, if hurtful comment.

Felix looked to his father in confusion. "Are you saying all the times we have thought you were hurting mom, you were really just having sex?"

"Honestly?" Aro asked. _Do you really want to know?_

Felix waited expectantly for an answer.

"Most of the time," Aro admitted, shamefully thinking of the times his children had listened to him actually beating their mother.

Felix threw himself back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Aro lay down next to him. "I'm sorry, Felix."

Felix puffed the air from his cheeks. "You can fuck how you like, it's nothing to do with me."

"Hey! I'm not too sure what makes you think swearing at me is acceptable now, but … "

That was all Felix needed to hear before he offered his apologies. Aro sounded much more like his father again already, not the shadow of the man he had seen in that very room the week before.

"I'm not just sorry about today. I want to be a better father to you all, a better mate to your mother," Aro explained.

"Well after recent events you can only go up." Felix looked sideways to his father, working out whether he needed to duck for cover or not. He was safe.

"I agree with you there," Aro replied. There was nothing else he could say that he hadn't said already.

Felix heaved himself up. "I should go … I assume you have to stay here?"

"I have some work to catch up on with your grandfather so I'll see you when you wake up."

Felix wasn't sure whether Aro was telling the truth or not, but he decided to go along with it for now, and he planned to check in the night to see if he was home!

"Go," Aro told him, adding sternly, "tidy your room and be nice to your mother."

Basileus came to the door shortly after Felix left.

"You were a big help!" Aro accused, though he couldn't help but smirk.

Basileus shook his head and laughed. "That conversation was hysterical!" he said through his chuckles. "There may be some benefits to being stuck with you in my quarters after all."

"You could let me go home … " Aro pushed, looking nervous.

Basileus' laughter immediately ceased and his expression turned gravely serious. "You won't ask me to change my mind again, understood?" he ground out.

Aro nodded. "Of course, of course."

Basileus appeared to flinch. Aro could tell he was trying to maintain his control. Aro wasn't scared of many people … Basileus would be the only one, really, but usually Aro could be sure that Basileus always, absolutely always had a level head and would never take things further than he intended to. That wasn't the same Basileus he was sharing quarters with now. Aro had unlocked something in his father that Basileus didn't know how to control.

It scared them both.

After a good few minutes of steady breathing, Basileus was back. "You don't have to stay in here, your brothers are coming down to see you."

Aro froze. He didn't know if Carlisle knew about everything that had happened, and he wasn't sure he could face Eleazar again yet either. Basileus heard his worries and he understood Aro's awkward position, but he chose to let him stew. In his mind, Aro deserved to feel uncomfortable for a while yet.

Basileus cracked open a fresh table barrel of bloodwine to pour himself a glass. The scent hit Aro's senses like a punch in the face! His fangs ached and his throat burned. It had only been a couple of days since Aro had fed from his father, but that feed went straight to replenishing his battered body and there wasn't much left over to keep him sated. Basileus knew his boy was struggling, though he was surprised at how affected he seemed.

"Do you need to feed?" he asked Aro quickly. They didn't have long before Eleazar and Carlisle would join them and Basileus' blood would knock Aro out for hours!

Aro tried to answer his father but his eyes were locked on the goblet in his hand.

"Aro!" Basileus snapped, getting attention. "Sit," he ordered.

Aro obeyed, he felt panicked. Feeling his thirst so painfully was a relatively new experience for him and he didn't like it - he felt like he was losing control. _What I wouldn't give for a shot of dungeon blood to calm me down right now!_ he thought.

Basileus reacted instantly. With one hand, he screwed the front of Aro's shirt into his fist and the other went straight to his own mouth to pierce his wrist. Forcing the spurting blood into Aro's mouth he ground out, "Don't you dare even joke about that shit, you ungrateful little prick!"

Basileus could feel the blood trickling from his wrist but Aro was too scared to suck. "Drink!" he ordered.

Aro took a couple of decent gulps from his father's wound before pulling away. He didn't want to take so much that it made him woozy in front of his brothers.

Basileus licked his wrist to seal the hole. "I hope you appreciate this," he said to Aro, "it stings like a bitch!"

Aro smiled, feeling a little lightheaded. "I do," he drawled, sinking into his seat so far that he nearly slipped off the end.

Basileus scowled and picked Aro up, dropping him back into a sitting position. "Snap out of it!" he ordered, slapping his son twice to wake him up.

"Okay!" Aro threw up his hands to defend himself. He was grateful to see his brothers walking in - the distraction would help keep him awake if nothing else.

Atia was out being business woman of the year so that left the four of them sitting awkwardly … no one mentioned that Aro wasn't drinking, nor the disarray of his clothing, nor the hand print to the side of his face, though thanks to Basileus' blood, that was at least fading quickly.

"So … what's new with you, Aro?" Eleazar asked, beaming a broad smile at his brother and enjoying his discomfort.

Aro groaned, he had nothing good to say, his life was a shocking pile of shite from where he was sitting.

"He's just had a lovely conversation doing some father son bonding with Felix," Basileus offered on his boy's behalf, before bursting into deep guffaws again.

Eleazar and Carlisle looked to Aro expectantly as he rubbed his hand across his tired eyes - there was no way he was getting out of telling them now.

"I have just had to explain to Felix that his mother and I 'hurt' each other for fun."

"What?!" Eleazar exclaimed.

Carlisle looked equally perturbed. "Why on earth would you tell him that?!"

"Oh, well, you know how it is … " Aro began, trying to sound nonchalant and chilled, "when your teenage son bursts through your bedchamber door whilst you are strangling your wife with a belt during some very rough make-up sex it kind of comes up in conversation."

Carlisle's mouth fell open as he went from one brother to the other and then his father, neither believing what he had heard nor understanding why they didn't all look like him!

"Why would he just walk in?" Eleazar asked.

 _Yeah, because that's the odd part!_ Carlisle thought as he shot his eldest brother sideways glance.

Aro threw his hands in the air. "Because he thought I was beating up his mother." He wasn't happy that he had to admit that, and even less pleased that not one of them offered an objection. _Bastards!_ he thought. "He probably wishes I was beating her up now I have explained what we were really doing!"

Eleazar had managed to contain himself until he saw Aro sulking over the whole thing, that broke him and he burst out into completely unsupportive laughter. "Oh my god, that's so bad!" he chortled.

Aro threw his cushion at his brother. "I've scarred him for life El … and he's a vampire so it's going to be a particularly long life for the poor sod!"

"It's sweet that he wanted to protect Sully, though," Carlisle offered, trying to see a bright side to Aro's situation.

"Yeah, real sweet," Aro groaned.

Eleazar continued to laugh at Aro. "Brother, I wouldn't trade places with you for all the money in the world!"


	100. Expansion Plans

**AN:** Klaxon announcement! As Nightingale1692 so kindly reminded me, we are now on Chapter 100!

Happy chapter 100 day to us all :D

It has taken exactly one year to get to 100 chapters in and we have only covered seven years in Volterra! (How much shit can one bunch of vampire go through in seven years? It would seem, quite a lot!) I am going to have to post more often or it will be another year before we get out of the 1600s at this rate.

Anyhoo… here is the last chapter for April 1670 :)

* * *

 **EXPANSION PLANS**

Aro had spent a full two weeks spending his days in his chambers and his nights in his father's home. That made almost five weeks total since he last stepped outside the tower. Having to watch his mate take the reins of his coven was particularly hard and Aro was chomping at the bit to get back to business.

Basileus had forbade him to even think of coven matters for another week, and Aro couldn't go against the creator's orders, even if he really, really wanted to. Basileus had yet to release him from his submission and Aro felt the oppressive strain crushing down on him under the weight of his father's constant supervision.

Felix was struggling, too. Aro could see his boy still didn't trust him, or a word he said. In an effort to bond with his son a little, Aro was taking him down to Basileus' chambers with him for an hour or so before he had to go to bed.

Demetri was happy having the bedroom to himself … Aro refused to even imagine why - _teenage boys! Eugh!_ The twins were asleep by the time Aro and Felix left, so they weren't missing out.

Felix didn't know that Aro had to go to his father's chambers every night and Aro didn't want him to know either - _there's no way I am telling him that submission is on the table in our family, no way!_ But Felix wasn't as daft as he looked. He had tried to check whether Aro was home in the nights, as he claimed, but Sulpicia had infiltrated his plans every time. He knew something was going on.

 _It's no wonder he doesn't trust me,_ Aro thought, sitting across the table from his son's constant questioning, _I am lying to him!_

"So why are we here again?" Felix hissed across the table.

He was pissed off sitting in grandfather's living room but he wanted to be with Aro so he felt he had little choice. He couldn't understand why his father even wanted to be in Basileus' chambers - the creator was on Aro's case for every imagined slight.

"Can't we go to the woods or something? I haven't left the castle in months."

Aro shook his head, shooting his eyes towards his father's bed chamber. _Shut it will you,_ he pleaded through his thoughts. _It will be me who gets it in the neck for your whining!_ "You can always go back upstairs … " Aro offered, keeping his face impassive from the concern he felt.

Truthfully, he didn't want Felix to go. Apart from wanting to spend some time with him, having Felix there was just enough to force Aro to keep his temper in check with the creator.

Basileus was on high alert and Aro couldn't take another proper beating from the man with the last one still so brutal and fresh in his memory. He had given his son a good many slaps to his face in front of his brother and Atia, and even a couple in Felix's presence, so Aro was really trying not to push his father into going any further.

Felix sunk into his seat. No, he wasn't going back to his quarters, he wanted to be with his dad. "What are you doing anyway?" he asked, trying to get a look at his father's paperwork.

"I've drawn up some plans for the expansion," Aro replied, eyes glinting with excitement. "You are getting your own room."

That had Felix's interest. He had moaned intermittently about having his own room since Demetri had joined them.

"Carlisle thinks you are expanding the castle just to give him something to do," Basileus remarked as he strolled into the room.

"Carlisle would be right," Aro replied with a smirk. "Partly, at least."

Carlisle had been promised royal duties but other than the covens convening, there had been precious little for him to do. Aro didn't want to run the risk of a bored Carlisle again, not when Felix, who was equally bored, would go along so easily with his recklessness.

Carlisle had been one of the ones supplying his sons with ale in the guard hall behind Magnus' back. Not many, but enough for Aro to notice when he flitted through Demetri's mind. His brother had been sneaky, and so had his sons for that matter – rather than Felix asking his uncle, he'd had Demetri do it instead and Carlisle had been giving the boy the drink for both of them.

Aro assumed they all thought he would only take a serious look into Felix's head, and using Demetri would see them in the clear. They had been right, to be fair to the three of them, and if Carlisle hadn't acted so shiftily around Aro he would have never gone for a second scan in Demetri's mind to see if he was missing something. It wasn't a big deal really, but Aro wanted to put some distance between Felix and Carlisle and his expansion plans would keep his brother busy for a good few years.

"Speak of the devil … " Basileus said to himself, taking the seat closest to Aro and pulling it even closer still.

 _Really?_ Aro questioned, shooting sly daggers to his father. A nudge from Basileus was enough to have him slinking into his seat.

 _He's getting bold again,_ Basileus thought, _he needs to feed soon._

Aro was still feeding directly from his father's wrist and as Basileus was only giving him tiny amounts, he felt half starved. He didn't complain though … well, not to Basileus at least - Sulpicia had an earache from his constant moaning about lack of basic right to feed!

Eleazar and Atia came to join them, with Carlisle following close behind. They were supposed to be supporting Aro in his nightly visits, and they had been happy to … until that night. Eleazar and Carmen were finding less and less time to be together. Between her work with Sulpicia and Carlisle constantly hanging around, Eleazar was getting a little frustrated. He and Carmen had started, and been interrupted by Carlisle every time they had tried to have sex that week. _I had more sex when I was single for god sake._ Yes, Eleazar was 'frustrated,' all right!

Basileus could see his sons weren't on talking terms, but he couldn't be dealing with them now, they would have to wait.

"What are you planning, Aro? This looks to be a huge undertaking." He still wasn't pleased that Aro had wormed his way around the 'no work' order by going to Atia about his expansion plans. She had convinced him a little project would be good for their son, and so he had relented. But as she had asked at the most 'opportune' of moments, he felt aggrieved by his own decision and had requested a ban on asking him questions during sex.

Atia had refused, naturally.

Aro pushed the first of many pages over to his father. "A guard dorm, for starters," he said, showing the design for a three-story high addition to the side of the current guard hall. "So that I can offer our guards private space."

Basileus looked over the image - two floors of single rooms for guard accommodation with a rather large looking bathroom for each floor, and a new, grander guard hall underneath.

"Have any of them expressed a wish for such a thing?"

Aro rolled his eyes. "No, not really. But I want to attract the best vampires to our guard - room and board seems a basic provision to offer."

Basileus scanned the drawing again. "There are sixty rooms here, Aro," he said to his son in surprise, "we only keep thirty in the guard … maximum! Seems like an awful lot of effort to me, son."

Aro took the drawings back and started leafing through for the next one. "It is no effort to you - I am doing it," he hissed under his breath. He received a blinding crack to the back of his head from his father.

"Watch your mouth, Aro," Basileus growled.

Felix watched Aro wide eyed, thoroughly expecting him to blow up at Basileus for his harsh response. He felt more uncomfortable when Aro simply nodded and avoided everyone's eye.

Carlisle and Eleazar were feeling pretty uncomfortable too, they all wanted this misery to end and frankly, they wanted their brother back.

"I am trying to present our coven as an attractive proposition for talented vampires," Aro offered quietly. "If we honour and serve the people who work for us, they will honour and serve us in return."

Basileus was ready to respond but Atia caught his attention. The pair of them conducted what looked to be a heated discussion in silence whilst their sons and Felix looked on in vague amusement. By the finish, Atia must have won as Basileus didn't say another word.

Carlisle and Felix took to pawing through the expansion designs whilst Basileus muttered indiscriminately to himself with Aro looking on warily.

"What is this?" Carlisle asked seeing their castle home would soon boast four towers and not two.

"I am thinking of adding some guest chambers," Aro said with a grin, pointing out various suites to his brother and son.

Basileus looked to his mate before opening his mouth, the stern eyes he received in return told him to temper his response. "That would make sense if we will be hosting half the vampire world every ten years," he agreed.

"Why bother when you can simply use my quarters," Eleazar grunted, glaring at Carlisle. "Though I can hardly call them mine, they are the royal dumping ground these days."

Atia reacted before Basileus had the chance. She never stood for them bickering between themselves. A solid household was the most important thing to Atia, even if, at times, she did have counterproductive ways of trying to foster such an environment.

"Is this about Carlisle?" she asked, placing a loving hand on her youngest son's shoulder. "You do know he is your brother, Eleazar?"

Eleazar dared to return Atia's frost glare. "He's his brother too," he returned, jabbing an angry finger toward Aro. "Put him in Aro's quarters."

 _Put him in Aro's quarters? Like I'm the unwanted urchin or something?_

Basileus heard Carlisle's thoughts. He wasn't having his son being made to feel unwanted. "You will be back with me soon, my boy," he said lovingly to his youngest.

"Aro's quarters are full," Aro muttered. He didn't know what Eleazar's problem was but he wasn't taking shit from him, regardless.

Eleazar looked on the group in growing annoyance. "Build him his own then! You are building rooms for everyone else."

Basileus was done. He was teetering on the edge as it was trying to control his inner vampiric nature with Aro. _I can't cope adding Eleazar to the list right now._ He brought his hand down hard on the table, causing everyone to jump in response.

Atia winced. _If you have broken that table …_ she wandered off thinking what an insufferable prat her mate was being.

Basileus ignored his wife's thoughts and fixed Eleazar in his sights. "He has a room in your quarters, stop being a brat!"

That might have been enough to shut Eleazar up had Aro not forgotten himself and joined in. "You should share nicely, brother," he said, goading Eleazar for a reaction.

"I like my own space," Eleazar ground out in return, trying to contain his growing agitation.

Basileus had his eyes closed, Aro took the gesture to mean he was going to let him have a little fun. "Should I arrange a room for Carmen, too?" he pushed.

Eleazar was on his feet, hands slamming into the table. "You know that is different."

"How?" Aro asked with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Carlisle and Felix sprung their heads from side to side, watching the argument play out. Carlisle was quite chuffed to see Aro defend him, even if it was only to wind their brother up.

Eleazar spotted Carlisle looking pleased - _it's your fucking fault that I'm so pissed off in the first place,_ he thought angrily.

"What do you want Carlisle doing?" he asked Aro, wondering where his brothers latest brain wave was going. "Is he hiding some masonry knowledge up his sleeve?" he added with a look of derision towards his youngest brother.

"I will be hiring local tradesmen for some of the work - he is going to be my human liaison ambassador," Aro announced proudly, smiling to Carlisle who seemed made up for the position.

"Doesn't that sound grand," Felix said, giving Carlisle a nudge and looking impressed.

Aro was far more interested in winding Eleazar up. He wanted to make him blow. "Jealous El?" he smirked.

Eleazar tutted, "Hardly."

Aro pushed a little harder. "Would you like a title, too?"

"Fuck off, Aro."

Before Aro could react to Eleazar he received another harsh slap to the back of his head from his father. Basileus turned his jet-black eyes onto his problem child and Aro froze. _Oh fuck!_ he thought, panicked. He could see his father was fighting his internal monster. Only a few short minutes passed, but they felt like hours to Aro who could only watch and wait to see if the creator would be able to control himself.

Releasing a deep, shaky breath, Basileus was back in the room.

Reaching over, he grabbed Eleazar by his upper arm and pulled him around the table. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. Basileus had tried to keep an even tone, but he knew he sounded menacing. He couldn't help it.

"Nothing," Eleazar grunted whilst his father dragged him to the far side of the room and plonked him into the sofa.

"You will be moving into my quarters if your attitude keeps up," Basileus warned.

Eleazar nodded and turned away feeling quite embarrassed to have been put in a 'time out' by his father, particularly in company!

Returning to the table, Basileus draped an arm around Aro's shoulders. "Don't push me, boy. You have no idea how close I am to giving you a second showing," he whispered into his son's ear.

Aro nodded rapidly and he could feel both Carlisle and Felix's eyes boring into his soul.

Neither of them knew what Basileus was talking about, but it was clear Aro did. Eleazar too, they rightly judged by the scoff they heard from across the room.

"Now then," Basileus said, still trying to get his breathing under control, "are you extending the curtain wall?"

Aro shook his head, pulling some of his designs closer.

"No." He cursed his shaky voice when Felix continued to look to him with concern.

"A new curtain wall?" Basileus asked, as he couldn't see one in the designs.

"No curtain wall. We don't need one," Aro explained.

Basileus put down the drawing he was scanning with a hand flat on the pile. He wasn't happy. "You are turning this place from a castle to a palace," he said, sounding quite disgusted.

"Maybe I am," Aro said tentatively.

Carlisle didn't understand. "What's the difference."

"There's a huge difference!" Basileus complained, loudly. "A castle is a defensive structure - a palace is for showing off!"

"It is not for showing off." Aro rolled his eyes.

"What other reason is there for a palace?" Basileus asked. "We are vampires for Christ sake, we are supposed to keep a low profile!"

"It's just to demonstrate that its inhabitants do not need the protection of a building."

"That's showing off," Basileus declared.

Aro didn't argue, out loud that is.

Basileus shoved the plans away. "There will be a curtain wall, non-negotiable."

Atia floated back through the chambers just in time to intercept Basileus from hitting him again. "It does sound a little like showing off, my dear," she told her son gently, adding a very quiet, 'back down', into Aro's ear.

"How will you be funding these expansions?" Basileus asked curiously. It was a costly venture Aro wanted to embark on, nearly doubling the size of their current home.

"We will," Aro said, wincing before the words had even finished leaving his mouth.

"We? Oh really?" Basileus said. One look to his mate and it was clear his boy had circumvented him again and ran to his mother's skirt tails.

Aro shrugged and leaned into Atia standing behind him, hoping for whatever protection she could offer. "You have bankrolled Eleazar and Carlisle since they joined our coven … I have hardly asked you for a single piece of gold since we set up the Volturi. I figure you owe me."

"I owe you?!" Basileus repeated, half shouting and twitching in his agitation.

"Maybe 'owe' was a clumsy term," Aro offered, pressing into Atia a little harder. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, effectively separating Aro from Basileus.

"Very clumsy," Basileus agreed. "So clumsy that you are lucky not to have fallen over my knee."

Carlisle, Felix, and even Eleazar, all the way across the other side of the room, sniggered hearing that.

 _Fuckers!_ Aro thought viciously in his embarrassment.

"I thought I was levelling things up by starting your payroll plan."

"It was a start," Aro huffed. Seeing his father's reaction to his incredibly mild response, Aro changed tack. "Building is expensive and we haven't expanded for centuries. We need to do this, Dad," he implored, hoping Basileus would see reason.

"You are bleeding me dry, son!" Basileus complained.

It wasn't true, not even close. There were two treasuries in the vaults below the south tower. Only Aro and Basileus possessed the keys to the vaults, and then held separate keys for their own treasuries. BOTH were fit to burst, even with Aro recently spending on his coven like a drunken sailor at a whore house.

"And you will be eating up much of our land with these buildings, Aro," Basileus added, scattering the paperwork until he found the one showing the full extent of his son's proposed development.

"The woodland will remain untouched," Aro started, pointing out the new areas, "the trees will be the new border to the castle courtyard."

Atia leaned over to get a good look at the plans. Sulpicia had discussed them with her at length but this was the first time she was seeing the plans on paper. "We can afford the space, my dear," she said, rather impressed with all Aro was trying to create.

"And you are content to be living in a building site for the next decade? At least!"

Atia merely smiled at her mate and stroked his face.

"It won't take that long," Aro said, shaking his head to his father's dramatics. "I want all works finished before the next tribune ball."

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his boy. "You really are enjoying playing human, aren't you, son?"

"My dear," Atia turned her mate's attention back to the expansion plans, "have you seen Aro's plans for our own wing?"

"You intend to evict me from my own tower?!" Basileus boomed, adding, _your impudent little shit!_ in his head.

"Not at all. You are the ancient creator, you should have somewhere more befitting your status, that's all." Aro gestured to the new west tower which would sit at the very front of the new castle entrance.

"Hmm," Basileus murmured as he checked out his new accommodation. "You wouldn't be trying to get rid of us, would you?" he asked with an eye firmly on Aro's skittish expression. "And what will happen to our current quarters?"

Aro gleamed, he had been dying to tell everyone of his plans for the south tower. "I'm remodeling the whole tower - it will finally be all mine," he said gleefully.

Aro was rather attached to the south tower - he had worked on the building himself when the Volturi was in its absolute infancy.

The masters had a floor of the tower each, with Basileus sharing with Aro and Sulpicia when he was around. The guards at that time had a wooden mead hall in which to congregate. As he looked over the next stage of development for the Volturi base, Aro was struck with just how far they had all come.

Basileus, keeping a constant track on his son's thoughts, had to agree.

Eleazar stalked back over to the table. "So, you are throwing me out too?" he accused gruffly, having failed to take the time to calm down and sounding just as pissed off as he had to begin with.

Aro showed Eleazar his new and improved apartment below Basileus'.

"You will be in the new west tower with our parents, the guest chambers will be created with an east tower."

"And Carlisle?" Eleazar pushed.

Carlisle glared bitterly to his big brother. He was just as sick of sharing Eleazar's quarters but at least he wasn't constantly bitching about it!

Aro flashed a wide grin to his little brother. "Carlisle will have his own quarters, same tower."

Carlisle positively glowed! Felix did too for that matter - which worried Aro a little. He really didn't want the pair of them restarting their destructive little alliance.

Eleazar couldn't have cared less for Aro's concerns, he was over the moon. "That sounds an excellent idea, brother," he crowed happily.

"Oh, so now you are interested?"

"When Carlisle and Eleazar move out can me and Demetri take their quarters?" Felix asked, sounding pathetically hopeful.

"Sure," Aro agreed readily.

"Really?" Felix asked, wide eyed and eager.

Aro leaned across the table to smile at Felix. "As soon as you turn twenty you can have your own quarters."

Felix slumped back into his chair. "That's not funny," he ground out in annoyance.

"More, a humorous fact," Aro remarked before going back to his plans. He was getting seriously hungry now and he needed to distract himself.

"Why would you want to move out?" Atia asked with a hint of concern. She was worried about the damage Aro may have inflicted on the four young and impressionable vampires in his charge.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Aro asked, checking the clock.

"That's why," Felix replied to his grandmother, though he ignored his father's instruction and went back to studying the plans for the south tower remodel.

"Wow! Our chambers will be huge!" he remarked, seeing the whole of their current chamber would be divided into four bedchambers complete with ensuite facilities.

Eleazar's chambers would become Aro and Sulpicia's floor and Basileus' chambers would be opened up to one huge living space.

"Very grand," Basileus noted with slight disapproval to Aro's ostentatious designs.

"Well," Aro bit his lip and smiled to himself as he shrugged, "I am the king."

It wasn't long before Aro sent Felix home. Basileus kicked out Carlisle and Eleazar at the same time so Aro could feed in private.

Once the room was clear and Aro had taken a seat, or rather, laid out on the sofa, Basileus bit into his wrist.

"I don't want your blood anymore," Aro said sulkily.

Basileus raised his eyebrows to his boy. "This is for your own good," he told him.

Aro shook his head. "No it isn't, it's just dragging things out. I need to get back to running the castle, I need to get back to my own quarters without these nightly interruptions. Sipping at your blood every few days is leaving me constantly hungry and completely attached to you!"

Basileus took his son's rant and tried his level best not to react.

Aro could see Basileus going through the 'oh so familiar' internal war, but rather than that knowledge helping Aro calm down, he used it to rile himself up instead.

"You want to beat me so bad, just fucking do it! We can save ourselves another week of this shit and it will be over."

Basileus stood with his head jerking by his neck and his eyes closed tight. He dragged both hands over his face and through his short black hair.

"Just release me, Dad! This is getting ridiculous!"

"I can't yet." Basileus stuttered his reply as he continued to regain control over his body. He was teetering on the edge of taking his boy in hand and Aro was only serving to push him over that edge.

Having failed to sense the danger he was in, Aro continued. "Just belt me already and release me!" he ordered, believing that was all Basileus wanted to do to him. _I will take another hiding if that is the key to my release,_ he thought, stupidly.

Without word or warning, Basileus flew at his son and had him pinned to the floor in seconds! "I don't want to belt you!" he growled, in a voice Aro had only heard once before … moments before Basileus had so viciously forced his boy to submit.

"No, Dad, no!"

Aro gasped for air with the full weight of the demi god pressed into his chest. He tried desperately to free himself from his father's hold. It was so much worse than the first time. Aro had been in a dungeon blood comedown and he had lead the fight that time. Plus he had never in a million years considered Basileus would go through with submission, so he was just fighting for the fight then. This time, not only did he know how close he was to being split in two, but he was still under the influence of his first submission and he couldn't fight Basileus off. Wiggling desperately was about as good as he could manage and it paled into pointless when Basileus easily flipped his boy over to lie face first on the floor.

Atia, thank the fucking lord, returned from taking Felix home just in time to stop Basileus before he made the call. Using her mate's strength, Atia pulled Basileus away from their son. Even Atia's amazing gifts wouldn't have been enough had Basileus wanted to go ahead… but his intentions were the vampiric monster, not his own, so his mate's intervention was enough to bring a halt to proceedings.

Aro scurried across the floor until he was a safe distance away from his father, though he knew no distance was truly safe. He watched with wary, wide eyes as Atia talked some calm and good sense into her mate.

Aro tried to stand, but the second Basileus caught his minor movement in his peripheral vision he released a ferocious roar. That roar was primal, instinctive, and that was just how Aro had reacted too, immediately dropping to the floor submissively and keeping deathly silent. The only noise to be heard was the sweet mutterings Atia was making into her mate's ear, contrasting strongly with the guttural growls emanating from the creator.

It took around an hour for Atia to subdue her mate, but eventually, Basileus came around and sunk into his fireside chair.

Handing him a glass of bloodwine, Atia gestured to their son, still crouched on the floor staring with his eyes fixed fast to the marble patterning.

Basileus knocked back his goblet in one, allowing the infused blood to ease his soul. He felt in control. Speaking to Atia through his thoughts, Basileus asked for a refill before she left, so he could talk with Aro.

Atia did as she had been asked, but she chose to sit outside their bed chamber … just in case. Basileus knew she was there, and though he felt sure he could keep control this time, he was glad of the gesture to protect them both.

"Sit." Basileus called out, gesturing to the sofa opposite his chair. He had intended to sound calm and non-threatening, but there was a hint of a growl to his tone leaving Aro no doubt that he should proceed very carefully.

Aro stood up very slowly, waiting for any sign that he should drop back to the floor. When none came, he made his way around the room, keeping his back pressed against the wall as he went.

Basileus was is total control now, Aro had nothing to fear - of course he didn't know that. "Son," Basileus said, "I cannot release your submission. I want to, I really do. But I don't trust you and until I do it won't work. I can say the words. But it will be meaningless."

Aro nodded. He knew that, he knew well enough how submission worked. But by god, did he want to argue. Thankfully fear kept Aro quiet. He was also gutted that Basileus didn't trust him anymore, even if he could see his father's point.

Basileus continued, "You need to continue feeding from me, it's suppressing the monster and I need the help with that."

Aro sighed sadly. He hadn't considered that Basileus would need such help. _I've really fucked my family up,_ the guilt was crushing.

Basileus beckoned his son forward and bit again into his wrist. It stung like a bitch every time he did it and though to human, or even vampiric eyes, the marks of previous feeds weren't visible, Basileus could see the silver holes with his impassable eyesight.

Aro went to his father and knelt before him.

"Drink your fill," Basileus instructed.

Aro did as he was bid, and through his contact he searched for his parents' silent argument.

Atia had been forceful in instructing her mate to calm down, and in giving their son another chance. 'He will never regain your trust if you keep him under lock and key,' she had stated.

Basileus quickly caught onto what Aro was doing, but rather than admonish his boy, he told Aro through their contact that he could go back into the castle in the morning and he wouldn't have to spend another night being watched … unless he dared to touch a drop of the dirty dungeon blood, that is.

Aro swore to himself and his father, on his life, he never would again! With that final thought, Aro slipped off his feed and sunk into the floor, falling into the euphoric trance his father's blood had offered.

…

"Hello brother!" Caius looked genuinely pleased when he opened his door to see his covenmate for the first time in over a month.

Aro looked sheepishly to his co-master, unsure of exactly what Basileus had told the man. He didn't have long to wait to find out. Caius threw his arms around Aro and through the momentary contact Aro took the opportunity to search his memories.

Basileus had gathered together the masters and Athenodora to tell them everything was in order and Aro needed some time to recuperate from his drug binge.

"It's good to see you back on your feet!" Caius said, the hint of a smirk to his face.

Aro grimaced. Even though Basileus hadn't told them he had thrashed Aro, it was clear as day Caius had assumed it, and he was right. _So long as they don't know about the submission, I can handle the ribbing about the beating._

"My lady," Aro nodded to Athenodora and she returned the gesture with a small smile before returning to her accounts.

 _Of course, Athenodora is managing mission planning,_ Aro reminded himself.

Caius caught on to Aro's thoughts and rolled his eyes. "Your mother and mate have turned our coven upside down in your absence," he whispered.

Aro frowned, he had to agree. "Shall we take a walk, I have something to discuss with you."

Caius agreed and the pair left. Not that Athenodora noticed as she continued to scribble furiously in an attempt to keep her penmanship in time with her thoughts.

"I have to defer to my mate to plan a mission, Aro!" Caius said, sounding exasperated. "Magnus is still running the guards and the guard hall, but Freyr is the one doing all of the paperwork, all the planning, all the purchases."

Aro listened to his covenmate's grumbles and felt oddly content. He had just stepped back into his old life and he liked it.

"Marcus is lucky he is single!" Caius continued to moan.

Aro chuckled to himself. "Well, we had better get used to it, I can't see any of our ladies relinquishing control any time soon."

"Can't you do something about it?" Caius asked. All his hopes had been on Aro. Caius had only allowed Athenodora to play at being administrator as he believed Aro would overturn the women once he was well.

"I think we should let things play out, brother," Aro explained. "They will get bored soon enough. Besides, we have better things to do."

Caius narrowed his eyes. "If you even suggest coming to the dungeons I swear I will … "

"No, nothing like that."

Aro brought the pair of them to a halt outside the library. He could hear Marcus inside leading a heated discussion on Platonian philosophy.

"Marcus!" Aro called out, getting the man's attention. "Could your students spare you for an hour or so?"

Marcus beamed to his co masters and joined them immediately. "They will still be arguing when I return, I am sure." He said with a small smile.

He was loving his role as educator and Marcus took the role very seriously. The raging arguments he brought his classes too were invigorating and lively and he felt passion for something again. The guards were all enjoying being able to tear a strip off each other in their debates, too.

Aro handed Marcus the roll of parchments he had carried. Caius hadn't thought to ask what they were, but he could see when Marcus unrolled them that they were castle designs. Caius, like Magnus and Marcus, had heard that Aro wished to extend the castle through the Volturi ladies. No one had taken them seriously, however, so it was still surprising to see the plans committed to paper.

When they reached the guard hall, the three headed straight for Magnus' desk where Freyr quickly joined them.

"How are you feeling?" Magnus asked pointedly. He felt the wave of embarrassment flowing from Aro as he tried to wave away the master's concern.

"A minor blip, my friend," he said softly.

The four masters shared a knowing look before turning to Aro. Magnus could feel the other masters dying to do the same and as soon as the first chuckle burst through his tight lips, the others followed like toppling dominoes.

"You are fuckers, all of you!" Aro declared before smiling to himself. _Minor blip … who are you trying to kid!?_ he said to himself.

Wanting to distract everyone, Aro took the scrolls from Marcus and laid them out on Magnus' desk. "We start today, my friends," he announced proudly as they all looked on in wonder at the extent of Aro's plans to double the size of their coven. "And we need to be finished before the next tribune ball."

"No pressure, then?" Magnus quipped with a questioning eye on Aro. "This is a huge undertaking."

"It is," Aro agreed, "so I need everyone's efforts to be concentrated on these plans."

They talked over the expansion for a good hour before Marcus excused himself to wrap up discussions in the library … he silently wondered if the library would still be standing going by recent discussions which had required a firm hand to keep on an even keel. Magnus and Freyr went off the round up the guards and instruct them on their new duties.

"The time has come to say goodbye to your old pet, brother," Aro said softly as he and Caius walked at a human pace through the halls.

"Which one?" Caius asked - _Heidi is going nowhere!_ he thought.

"Ashanti," Aro confirmed.

"Oh! Why?"

Aro leaned in close in case anyone was listing that he was unaware of. "Basileus has ordered her death," he said. "No reason given."

Caius simply nodded as they continued to walk, his face remaining impassive and apparently unfeeling.

"You don't seem as aggrieved as I expect you would be," Aro pushed for some sort of reaction.

"Ashanti was great … " Caius mused.

"… but Heidi is better?" Aro offered to complete the sentence for him.

"You know that as well as I do, brother," Caius said with a wink.

Aro's eyes flew wide open. "Shush! God damn it, Caius, are you trying to have Heidi killed, too?" he exclaimed in a hurried whisper.

"Calm down, brother, no one heard me." Caius patted his co-master's shoulder sympathetically.

He knew Basileus would have scared the guy to death and he felt a little bad about arranging the card game that lead to his downfall. _It was for his own good,_ Caius reminded himself.

"Aro, would you let me do the honours with Ashanti … for old times' sake?" Caius asked quietly.

"You will kill her, yes?" Aro needed confirmation. Basileus had specifically stated the woman had to die.

"Of course," Caius agreed readily.

Aro thought on it for a moment before answering. "You would be doing me a favour actually because … "

"You are scared Sully will hear you have been within a 10-foot radius of Ashanti?"

Caius laughed at his own jibe as Aro shoved him roughly away. "No," Aro pouted. "I have enough to do, actually."

Caius flashed a toothy grin to his covenmate. _Yeah, I'm right,_ he thought.

Caius heaved a heavy sigh, he knew he had to talk to Aro about the dungeon blood but it wasn't a conversation he had been looking forward to. "Basileus belted me, you know?" Caius said, sounding most aggrieved. "In front of Magnus, Eleazar, and Carlisle." He admitted, shamefully. Caius could take a hiding but the public nature of Basileus' deployment had really stuck in his throat.

Aro winced for his coven mate. "Where?!" he asked.

"In El's chambers." Caius said, throwing Aro a smirk. "I only agreed to attend because I thought I'd get to see the state of you."

"You bastard!" Aro smirked back, giving him a lazy shove.

"I damn near crawled out of your tower." Caius returned seriously. "Aro, your old man has told me I am not allowed to supply you with anymore dungeon blood - on pain of death!"

Aro smiled to himself. _Death, huh?_ he thought. _There are a few things worse than that._ "I know brother. I am off it for good. I can't limit myself so I must stay off it completely." Aro bit his lip, he really had to force himself to push on. "If Felix ever comes to you with concerns that I am taking it again, I want you to take him seriously and help him."

That made him feel like shit. _Scum! Complete scum!_ he thought of himself, continuing to denigrate himself until Caius broke into his thought.

"Help him?" Caius questioned.

Aro nodded. "Keep him safe. Sully and my younger ones, too. Whatever it takes. And tell Basileus."

Caius stopped them both in the hallway and pulled Aro into an alcove. "Are you sure?" he asked seriously, looking straight into Aro's eyes.

Aro nodded sadly. "Yes. I am going to need help to stay off it and I expect there will be a slip up or two along the way."

Felix floated into Aro's thoughts again and he was confronted with the image of his son's face, full of hate and fear over his father's behaviour. "I can't keep putting my family through this," Aro said.

Caius ran a hand through his hair, he had no idea what had happened in the south tower for the last month, but whatever it was, it had clearly spooked his co-leader to such a degree that it sent a shiver down Caius' spine.

"I could sell off all our supplies and stop making dungeon blood altogether," he offered. It was all he had in his arsenal that could be of immediate assistance.

Aro put both hands up. "Whoa, brother," he said, "let's not be hasty!"

When Aro returned to the south tower, Basileus was waiting for him at the door with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face. "And what time do you call this?!" he asked, sternly.

Aro gulped. "I haven't been long, Dad. We had a lot to discuss …"

Basileus cut Aro off, dragging him in from the castle floor and throwing him into the ground floor suite. "One hour, I said. ONE hour. It's been nearly TWO!"

"I didn't realise I had been that long! Check my head! I didn't realise!" Aro sounded so very much like one of his sons caught out past curfew.

His father had agreed to let him go back to work, but Basileus was still fighting the vampire calling to him from within who wanted nothing more than to throw Aro down for a reminder on following instructions.

"I was working, Dad," Aro insisted quietly, willing his father to see sense.

He really wanted to argue, to tell him what an overzealous prick he was being, but despite his desires, the words wouldn't come. Such was the submission still in play between the pair of them.

Basileus' breathing laboured under the rising temptation his own son offered him. _I don't want to do this,_ he thought angrily to himself, feeling bitterly resentful that Aro had forced them both into this position in the first place.

"Do you need to be reminded of the hierarchy, son?" he asked in a dark tone with his hand gripped tightly on his belt buckle. "Or will you pay more attention to my instructions going forward?"

"I'll pay attention, of course I will!" Aro replied, relieved to see his father winning the struggle between his own good sense and the internal beast.

 _How long will this submission last_?!


	101. 1672, January - Lucius

**AN:** Chapter 101! Really appreciate the review and messages I am receiving, its certainly proving great motivation for carrying on!

I have been a little worried about the next few bunches of chapters, but lovely, lovely Doccoopper has approved them and that's good enough for me to post them :D

Welcome to 1672, lets see how the castle looks with two years of building works completed…

* * *

 **1672, JANUARY - LUCIUS**

Caius stared out the throne room window. The clear, cold sky danced in shades of pinks and orange with the setting sun. He longed for the blackness that would follow as signal that their shift accepting visitors, or tourists as he thought of them, would be over.

Aro removed the head from an aged and life-weary vampire who had sought the services of the Volturi to end his long and lonely days. As he called Turk and Odi forward to dispose of the body, Caius instructed them otherwise.

"Take his body to the dungeons, try not to spill too much blood." He spoke without his usual stern tone, sounding half lost to a daydream.

"Where are you today?" Aro hissed as he retook his seat, wiping the blood spray from his hands on the rag he kept under his throne for just such an occasion.

"Here!" Caius hissed in return. "We have been here all bloody day!"

Aro rolled his eyes to himself. "It was your mate's suggestion for us to only see passersby one day a week - it was always going to create a long day, brother."

Aro had been resistant to the idea initially, mainly because it had been Athenodora's suggestion and he was getting pissed off with the ladies of Volterra running coven life. Though he had to admit, only covering the throne room on Mondays had freed up a lot of time for the masters.

"How many more are there?" Magnus asked, soaking up some of Caius' bored annoyance.

"The courtyard is half full, Master," Afton replied, waiting to announce the next visitor.

Caius and Magnus both huffed in annoyance. Aro took great amusement in their attitudes. Neither Marcus nor Freyr complained. Freyr saw throne duty day as a welcome break from her other duties. It was impossible to tell when Marcus was bored as he so often wore the same blank expression.

Aro nodded curtly to Afton who opened the grand doors to the front of the hall, allowing a coven of three vampires to enter.

They came before the Volturi masters, dropping submissively to their knees and proffering their gifts to the vampire royalty. The coven from Spain, who identified themselves as from the infamous Borgia line, were particularly seeking Marcus' patronage.

Marcus, in his glory days, had single-handedly commanded the Volturi forces in expelling a werewolf community from the Spanish mainland's. He had become something of an icon for visiting Spaniards.

Marcus plastered on his game face and went to speak with the three vampires who had begged for an audience with him.

To Aro's right, Caius continued to pout whilst to his left, Magnus did the same. Felix and Demetri were supposed to be there, too. They had slipped out at some point without Aro noticing at the time.

 _They wanted royal duties, and first chance they get they duck out,_ he thought bitterly. _They expect the prestige with none of the responsibilities!_

Truthfully, everyone's nerves were fraying from Aro's building works. The towers were yet to be affected, but the guard dorm, with new guard hall, had been completed the day before. As the guards had been working on the project around the clock since Aro had revealed his expansion mission, he had called for an unveiling party that night to celebrate all the work they had accomplished thus far.

The twins appeared at their father's side whilst he was distracted with his thoughts of the coming night.

"What are you doing here?" Aro asked quietly. They weren't supposed to be in the throne room when they had guests.

"Mom said you need to take us out to feed before the party."

"Mom said, did she?" Aro replied to his daughter raising his eyebrows. "She will have to take you, I am working."

"So is mom," Alec replied, "but we could always drink bloodwine with everyone else if neither of you have time?"

Aro smirked. "Nice try, son. You will have to go with your brothers."

Jane rolled her eyes. "We are more powerful than they are," she said, adding "or anyone else in this coven, for that matter."

Aro shook his head, knowing just what Jane was going to suggest. "You can't go alone, your grandmother will string me up!"

Alec saw his sister about to object in her usual, snippy way and jumped in before she had chance to scupper their chances. "We are hungry! Couldn't we go to the woods and fill a few bottles?"

Aro watched Marcus wrapping things up with his guests through the corner of his eye, and over his children's heads he could see daylight diminishing through the window. _Damn it, the party starts soon. I don't have time to take them._

"Go," he said to his young ones, eliciting excited grins from the pair of them. "Stay together and be quick about it." He watched them leave behind the Spanish visitors and signalled to Afton to close the doors for the day.

"What should I tell the rest, Master?" he asked.

Caius stood and stretched out his legs. "Tell them to come earlier next week!"

Magnus bounced to his feet. "Party time!" he said, sounding like a man on a mission and fleeing the throne room ahead of everyone else with Turk hot on his heels.

The new guard hall had a purpose-built bar and Turk had been promised the job of bar keep. It had been a welcomed appointment for the non-gifted guard who was feeling more and more uncomfortable in the coven which seemed to talk of nothing else than collecting gifted guards to fill the ranks when the building work was complete.

The masters had sent the non-gifted guards to outposts with the only single exception being Turk. Turk wasn't sure whether he should take his exclusion as a compliment or not. On the one hand, Magnus had told him he had been with the Volturi too long to be sent away with the newer non-gifted guards. On the other, he was left behind with no talent to his name. Bard and Isolde were officially non-gifted, but as talented musicians they had a niche place in the guard that was out of Turk's reach.

The fact was, everyone liked Turk and the masters hadn't considered sending him away for even a moment. After Turk had confided in Freyr about feeling lost in coven life, she had convinced Aro to build the bar in the new guard hall to give her favourite a proper position - one that would, no doubt, raise Turk's status amongst the rest of the coven populous.

Aro made his way through the small gaggle of guards in the hallway outside the old guard hall. The doors were locked and bolted, as they had been for six months whilst the guard hall was renovated to become the working office of the masters.

Basileus waited patiently for his son to join him before offering a broad smile to their coven. "My friends, your new guard hall awaits … " he said simply, unlocking the masters' office door and revealing their hard work to all.

Aro strode through the new office space; the old sofas had been re-upholstered and arranged to create a conversational space in the centre of the room. Four well-spaced work desks took up the left-hand side of the office with a grand round conference table dominating the right. New double doors replaced the old arched windows opposite the office entrance and Aro headed straight towards them. He could hear Turk already clattering about inside the new hall, no doubt getting goblets ready at his fully equipped bar.

Aro smiled to his assembled coven. There were precious few in attendance. They had been up to fifty guards when the outside covens arrived, but shortly after, Aro had decided to trim their ranks back to long standing and trusted members only whilst the remodelling was taking place. The extras had been sent to create new guard posts, flung far and wide across the globe.

"My friends, it is my pleasure to present you with your new guard hall … enjoy!" he said, flinging open the double doors and standing aside to allow his coven to enter ahead of him.

The whole coven (excusing the elite ladies, naturally) had worked on the construction of the hall and the double story levels above, but human craftsmen had been called in for decorating the room.

Carlisle had taken to the role of human liaison officer superbly. Indeed, he was the only one in the coven who had been allowed near the craftsmen and under Carlisle's instruction they had completed their tasks without any deaths. Stone mason and blacksmith were not usually such high-risk trades … but then they didn't usually work in a vampire coven. The humans had questioned Carlisle's striking eye colour until they were introduced to Basileus, his father, and took the amber shade as a family trait.

The guards and masters alike were a buzz of excitement exploring the new hall. With so few in the coven, the assembled vampires looked a little lost in the grand expanse of space and Aro knew Basileus would question, again, the level of his development plans.

"I knew it would be too big."

Aro cringed hearing his father's voice in his ear. He spun to face him and rolled his eyes. "We will have more guards soon, my lord. The space will be needed then."

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his boy. "As well as the hundred or so rooms, up there?" he asked, pointing to the grand stairway leading off the hall to the new guard accommodation.

"More like fifty or so, don't exaggerate." Aro tried to soak up the guards' opinions floating around him - they were far more positive than his father's. "You are just tight," Aro complained, knowing his father's resistance was about money.

"I think I have bought the right to question your spending with the amount of money I have plunged into this coven over the last few years."

Aro shrugged and smirked. "Makes up for the thousands of years where you have pleaded poverty, my lord." That sounded far more spiteful than Aro had intended and he flinched for a moment seeing his father's eyes widen in warning.

It had been two years since Basileus had so brutally forced Aro's submission, and though they hadn't revisited that dark time, the creator had made clear that he would go down that road should he feel Aro needed it.

Aro, of course, would say it wasn't needed in the first bloody place! He had toed a fine line between trying to let things get back to normal and not pissing off his father, but the continued restrictions on his life were wearing thin.

He was in his own quarters, and running the coven, but Basileus seemed to be behind him every time he turned around and he had refused Aro's requests to run a mission with Caius. That had pissed Aro off. Not that he had voiced his complaint too loudly, for fear of reprisals.

Basileus had encouraged Aro to talk to the other masters about their situation but there was no way on god's green earth that Aro was going to tell ANYONE about the submission under which he was still living. It was wrong of him really - Caius definitely had a right to know, so did Carlisle and possibly Magnus and Felix … any of them could be next on Basileus' list and they were all wandering around Volterra completely unaware.

The way Caius had practised submission in their coven hadn't really affected anyone else - he had a guard, there was no one below that guard, so no further issue.

Aro had stopped using the technique with the guards when Felix came along, primarily to prevent him ever going there with the boy in his quarters.

But now Basileus had opened Pandora's box and, in theory, EVERY other vampire in the world was under him, and each and every one of them was at risk. He and Aro had talked about it and though Basileus believed the 'likely' contenders had a right to know, neither he nor Aro could face the conversation. As it was, Basileus had been left to battle his inner beast alone.

Basileus narrowed his eyes, ready with a rebuttal, but, thankfully for Aro, Felix and Demetri interrupted the pair of them before he had chance.

"Mom said you wanted us," Demetri announced, looking eagerly at his grandfather's goblet of bloodwine. Basileus handed it over.

"What about me?" Felix asked, feeling hopeful.

Basileus laughed. "Share nicely," he instructed. _No chance of that,_ he thought as he chuckled to himself, walking away.

Felix glared after his grandfather before turning big, round, begging eyes on Aro.

Aro, of course, ignored him. "Have you seen the twins?"

Demetri took a break from gulping at the bloodwine to respond. "Back in the tower, why?"

Aro nodded to himself. _They must have been very quick!_ "That's fine, then," he said, taking the goblet from one son and giving it to the other. "Listen, this is a new guard hall, a new start. We have discussed at length about you both restricting your … activities with the guards." _Activities!_ Aro scoffed to his word choice.

Sulpicia had objected to Aro's 'fucking through my coven like a sailor in a whore house' during their serious sit down with their eldest sons and they were now using 'activities' in its place. Aro smirked to himself remembering it, _I thought you'd both die from cringing!_

Looking at Felix and Demetri as they caught on to what he was saying, Aro wondered if they still might! "Make me proud tonight, yes?"

Felix knocked back his half of bloodwine in one and grinned. "As if you have to ask!"

Aro snorted. "Oh, I do have to ask."

He directed his sons to the side of the hall and took a seat in the plush new sofa, pulling Felix down one side and Demetri the other. "I just want you to remind yourselves not to relax too much, that this is a night for the coven which is … "

"Which is business, yeah, we know!" Felix interrupted. He didn't need a rollicking before the night had even started!

Aro shook his head to Felix interrupting him. _I'm not having you two ruin what should be a good night off._ He rolled his tongue around his cheek as he appraised his sons. _The pair of them look like excited puppies!_ Throwing an arm around each of their shoulders, Aro pulled his boys in close, speaking quietly enough that combined with the general chatter and merriment, their conversation was relatively private.

"We are low on numbers at the moment, only thirty-five in the whole coven … it has quite a family feel to it."

"Yeah … " Felix rolled his eyes, ready to launch into dismissing his father's concerns.

Aro squeezed his boy tightly. "I would hate to forget myself and do something that might embarrass either of you, like throwing you over my knee for a spanking … " He let his voice trail off and released the pair of them.

Both Felix and Demetri stayed frozen with mouths hanging open in shock.

"You wouldn't!" Felix dared to voice what they were both thinking.

Demetri noted his brother posed 'you wouldn't' as a statement whereas he thought it much more of a question.

Aro smiled happily to himself as he slapped his own knee.

The few guards nearby all looked around to the noise as Felix and Demetri looked on with what little colour they had draining from their faces. Afton and Chelsea gigged to each other.

Felix saw them. _Bastards_.

"Have I made my point?" Aro sang out, enjoying his sons squirming in the tension.

"Perfectly." Felix replied bitterly. Demetri could only gulp loudly in response but that was enough.

Basileus caught Aro's eye and shook his head in disappointment.

 _Okay, okay,_ he thought back to his father, _I'll leave them be now they know the score._

Basileus nodded curtly, indicating he had heard his son's thoughts.

"Where are the twins? I need to talk to them, too," Aro asked, sounding genuinely more relaxed now he was sure his troublemakers would behave.

"They aren't here, are they?" Demetri said, looking around the room for his siblings.

"They should be here by now … where else would they be?" Aro asked, anxiety raising when he realised the twins really weren't in the room.

"How would we know?" Felix questioned completely missing the concern in Aro's tone.

Aro smacked Felix' leg lightly. "You just told me you had seen them in the tower," he said, turning stern eyes on his boy.

Felix tutted at his father's display. _Unnecessary,_ he thought petulantly. "We did see them in the tower, but that was this afternoon."

Aro's eyes widened in panic. "They haven't come back from the woods?"

Felix shrugged. "I didn't know they went to the woods."

Aro flashed to his feet, dragging his sons with him over to Basileus and Atia. He winced before he spoke, knowing Atia would have something to say about him sending the twins alone.

"Jane and Alec are missing," he admitted quietly.

"I'm sure they are around, Aro," Basileus said, waving away his boy's worries.

Aro pulled Basileus closer. "No, dad - I sent them to the woods to fetch a feed before the party. That must have been two hours ago."

Atia's face contorted. "You sent them alone?!" she questioned in horror. "Why didn't you ask one of us to take them?"

Aro hadn't actually considered asking his parents to accompany the twins. He felt a bit of a fool now.

"On today of all days, when the outskirts of our lands are filled with vampiric visitors waiting to meet you … "

"Can you berate me later?" Aro pleaded with his mother. "Sulpicia will be hysterical if she finds out they are missing," he continued with panic in his voice.

Atia looked askance to her son. "For good reason!"

Basileus could see his son ready to rear up against his mate. _Not the time,_ he thought. "Atia and I will go and find them," he said with finality, before the pair of them flashed from the guard hall.

Sulpicia had seen the minor commotion Aro had created and looked to be heading his way. _No, no, no, I can't deal with you now!_ Aro thought. "You pair had better come with me," he whispered to his sons.

Felix didn't want to go chasing the twins in the bloody woods! He wasn't worried about them. _They have the best powers in the Volturi, why all the stress?_

Aro heard him through his contact but dragged him along anyway.

Aro didn't release them until they were outside. "Come on my little bloodhound, where are they?"

Demetri rolled his eyes, taking care that Aro wouldn't see, and took off at full speed to find the twins. His gift for tracking was far superior to Basileus' and they reached the twins well ahead of Aro's parents.

Jane and Alec sat together on the woodland floor, chatting easily with an unknown vampire who looked to be no older than Felix.

Aro rudely interrupted the trio, ripping Alec and Jane from the ground by the scruff of their necks.

Felix and Demetri came up behind their father. They were a little surprised by Aro's speed - they thought he was slower than them both, or at least slower than Demetri who was particularly fast. Clearly Aro had been holding out on them, but his worry for his young ones overrode his desire to conceal the height of his abilities. Felix felt bad looking at the twins as they babbled apologies. Well, Alec babbled apologies - Jane looked ready to set Aro on fire!

"Now we have a volatile situation here … " Felix joked, trying to ease the tension.

Aro glared at the boy. "Shut up, Felix," he spat, setting the twins on the ground. "What the hell are you still doing out here?" he demanded. "You've been gone for two fucking hours!"

"Aro! Language!" Atia admonished her son as they came through the woods. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was with the twins. "Lucius!" she gasped, staggering backwards with the shock.

Basileus caught his mate before she could fall and eyed the new addition warily for a moment.

"Atia," the boy replied, bowing politely in Atia's presence.

Aro hadn't paid any attention to the twins' new friend, but hearing that Atia knew the boy certainly piqued his interest. He pushed the twins behind him slightly, just until he was sure the kid was safe.

Atia floated towards Lucius as though she were walking through a dream. "I haven't seen you for centuries! Where have you been?" she asked, pulling the boy close and wrapping her arms around him.

Lucius returned the embrace, melting into the woman's hold. "I looked for you, but you always covered your tracks so well. I finally met the Egyptian coven and they told me you had shacked up with the creator!"

Atia laughed at his word choice whilst Basileus was decidedly less impressed. "You know each other?" he asked, looking between his mate and the random child from the woods.

As Basileus walked over to join them, he tried to get into the boy's mind but his gift failed him. He assumed Atia was blocking him, for some reason. _He's too young for you, surely?_ he thought to his mate with a smirk.

Atia heard him and broke away from Lucius to slap his chest for his crude mind. She wiped at the happy tears in her eyes but kept one arm tight around Lucius. "This is my mate, Basileus, and our son, Aro," she explained to the boy. "You have met Jane and Alec already, and these are Aro's other sons, Felix and Demetri."

Lucius smiled to each in turn though they all looked awkwardly back at him.

"And this is Lucius," Atia continued, "the one who bit me."

Aro and Basileus both softened their stance.

"You told me you raised the one who turned you … is he your son?" Aro asked, looking the boy up and down. _He doesn't look much like Atia,_ he thought. He had olive skin and jet-black hair from what Aro could tell. _He's bloody filthy!_ Aro realised now he was taking a good look at him.

"No, well, erm … it's a long story," Atia said, wondering where to start.

"We are vampires, we have the time," Aro offered folding his arms across his chest.

Basileus shook his head. "Not now, we need to get back to the castle."

"May I come with you?" Lucius asked quietly from Atia's side.

Basileus took one look at his mate and her happy tears before offering his home to the boy. "I think that would be for the best," he said in answer to Lucius' question.

Aro rolled his eyes. _Not a great time for newcomers, Dad!_ he thought to his father.

Basileus started guiding his mate and the boy out of the woods, throwing a stern 'don't mess with me' look over his shoulder to Aro.

"Are we in trouble?" Alec asked in a very small voice.

Aro had almost forgotten why he was in the bloody woods in the first place. He told Felix and Demetri to go back to the castle ahead of him. Neither made to move, both looking at the twins with sympathy. It was rare for Demetri, and even more so for Felix, to be on the good side of their father whilst the twins were on the bad.

Aro shook his head. "I'm not going to kill them!" he said sounding exasperated. Aro's comment didn't help any of them feel more at ease. "Go, we'll join you in the guard hall soon," he said finally, pushing his sons away and turning his back on them. They went. But they weren't happy about it.

Aro stood with his hands on his hips glaring at his young ones as he listened for the footsteps of his older sons to fade away. Once he was sure they were alone, he took hold of Alec's arm and rained down a succession of sharp swats to the boy's backside.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again!"

Before Alec had registered what was going on, Aro had released him and took hold of Jane, doing much the same to her.

"You. Scared. Me. To. Death!"

Aro willed himself to calm down and walk away. Ironically, he was always much harder on Demetri and Felix, yet punishing them rarely made him feel bad, at the time at least.

When he looked back to his young ones who seemed so tiny to him, he couldn't help but laugh mirthlessly at their stance. Alec, true to form, looked distraught to have done anything wrong in the first place, let alone enough to deserve to feel his father's hand. Jane, however, glared murderously back at her father.

"You had better wipe that look off your face, girl," Aro ground out quietly.

Jane maintained her glare. She rarely backed down easily. "We didn't do anything wrong," she muttered.

Aro heard her. "You bump into a nomad in the woods and you sit around for a cosy chat? Nothing wrong with that? Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"We couldn't get away!" Jane returned through gritted teeth, matching her father's stance.

Aro narrowed his eyes. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, but we couldn't," Jane insisted.

Aro stalked back to his children and took Alec by his wrist so he could search his memory. He saw the twins share a feed from a small deer he had passed on his way to find them. The animal was young and couldn't offer nearly enough blood for the twins to feel well fed. It was barely a snack! As the twins moved through the trees in search of more food, Aro saw Lucius appear. For a brief moment, it looked as though the twins were going to run and Aro could hear his son's thoughts; a few expletives along with the need to get back to the castle. But neither of them did run. They didn't use their gifts on the boy. They did nothing. Within seconds they were all sat on the forest floor together and the twins, HIS children, divulged the inner workings of the Volturi to the stray that had crossed their path.

"You didn't even try!" Aro roared as he came out of Alec's head.

"I'm really sorry," Alec whined, pulling away from his father.

"I'm not sorry! It isn't our fault, Alec," Jane added dismissively.

Aro let go of his son and turned on his daughter. "Excuse me? How was it not your fault?" He really did try and keep his cool, but Jane was pushing on all his buttons with the sassy and complacent attitude.

"We tried to get away and we couldn't," she stated plainly, shrugging at Aro's aggression and winding him up further.

"You sat down with him, talking about the workings of the Volturi, the hierarchy, the gifts we hold, everything! And you did so willingly!" Aro accused. He was shocked that of all his children, of his whole coven in fact, that Jane would be the one to show such disloyalty. _And now you dare to deny it!_

"That isn't what happened!" Jane maintained, stamping her small foot into the ground with her growing agitation.

Aro scoffed at his girl's display. "Don't lie to me again, Jane. I am so close to taking you home for proper hiding!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Aro cursed himself. He didn't like backing himself into a corner like that. But then Aro caught his girl smirk … that changed his mind. "You think I won't punish you, is that it?" he sang out in the tell-tale tone of danger.

Jane put one hand on her hip, gesticulating wildly with the other as she spoke. "I tried my gift but it wouldn't work … and somehow we got talking and … "

That was enough. Aro picked Jane up and threw her over his shoulder, taking off at vampiric speed towards the castle. Jane complained at the uncompromising position she was being carried in whilst Alec followed behind them, not daring to say a word.

When they entered the castle, Jane shut her mouth. _Worried about your pride?_ Aro thought, laughing to himself as he set her down.

Had it been Demetri or Alec, he would have happily embarrassed the boy. Not Felix though, he was too damn heavy! And certainly not Jane … because, well … she's his princess. Truthfully, though Aro had every intention of punishing his daughter if he had to, he intended to give her the opportunity to let them both off the hook.

Aro kept a tight hold on Jane's hand as they made their way through to the guard hall. He didn't check, but Aro knew Alec was still following behind them.

Sulpicia was waiting for them outside the new office in the castle hallway. Her sons had informed her of the twins going missing. "Aro what is going on?" she asked.

She had been thoroughly pissed off that Aro had sent the twins out alone when there were so many unknown vampires in the area, but the way he was dragging Jane through the castle worried Sulpicia more.

Aro rarely got angry with Jane - even when it was deserved he would choose against punishing their daughter, generally making some sort of excuse for her demeanour. This time, Aro was set on putting his girl straight. He thrust Alec towards his mate.

"Keep him in your sights, my queen, I need to have a discussion with our daughter," he growled before continuing to the south tower, dragging Jane along like a rag doll.

Neither of them spoke until they were safe in the tower, and then it was only a yelp from Jane when Aro swatted her backside to get her up the stairs. She flashed to the top of the stairwell and didn't stop until she was safely in her bedroom.

Aro slammed the chamber door shut behind him and continued stalking through his quarters, under the archway and on to the twins' room. He walked at a human pace so Jane had waited a few minutes for him to arrive.

She told herself she wasn't scared and she wouldn't back down … that was until she heard her father's footsteps coming down the hall. For a moment, she considered buckling.

 _Alec just agreed and apologised, and he's at the party. If I just apologise to Dad, he'll probably let me off!_ It didn't matter what she said to herself, there was no way Jane could back down like that. She just couldn't do it, even for her own benefit. She'd spent too many years with Aro and now she was just like him.

Aro stood in the doorway watching his girl. "You think you can lie to my face without any repercussions?" he asked, head cocked to one side, looking seriously pissed off. _Just back down, baby._

Jane folded her arms across her chest, she looked like an angry little elf to Aro - which would have been endearing if he weren't so annoyed with her.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Jane stomped her foot, her own anger bubbling in time with her father's.

Aro sighed sadly and flicked his tongue over his bottom lip. _Why are you making me do this?_ He considered just leaving Jane in her room and going back to the party. But like Jane, Aro couldn't back down in a battle of wills, either.

Heading towards Jane's bed, Aro collected his daughter as he passed her, and threw the slight girl over his lap. He hesitated for a moment. "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

Jane merely growled in response.

Aro roared. "Damn you, girl!"

Jane felt tears pricking her eyes from the first smack but she held it together. Aro went on for a good few minutes before he spoke. "I will keep going until you admit the truth!" he told his daughter. He could hear her crying softly between the involuntary yelps. "Are you ready to talk?" he asked.

Still no verbal response.

Aro stopped and pulled Jane up so they were face to face. "Well?" he pushed. _Just back down, please!_ he thought.

It was clear from the murderous look on Jane's face that she wasn't going down without a fight. "I didn't do anything wrong!" she replied, looking Aro straight in the eye and willing him to see sense.

Aro shook his head sadly, pushing Jane aside so he could stand.

He unbuckled his belt and held an end in each hand. He didn't want to take it off. "I really, REALLY don't want to do this, Jane," he said, watching his child's reaction. _Demetri and Alec would be backing down by now. Hell, they wouldn't have let things get this far!_ he thought.

Jane remained steadfast, wiping angrily at her frustrated tears. "I tried to leave as soon as we saw him, I tried to use my gift but it wouldn't work and I didn't want to tell him anything about the coven but the words just came out of my mouth!"

Aro shook his head to Jane's nonsensical excuses. He pulled the leather strap from around his waist until it hung freely from his hand. "That's what you are sticking to?" he asked, folding the belt in two and slapping the leather against his leg lightly.

Jane growled. "Yes!"

 _If you were one of your brothers I would have knocked your teeth out for growling at me, girl!_ Aro gritted his teeth so hard he could feel his jaw shake. "I have seen the exact opposite in your memories."

Jane reared up, squealing in her frustrated state. "I don't care what you think you saw, I was there, I know what happened!"

Aro's stomach flipped, he had no choice as he saw it. "Then so be it," he said sadly, retaking his seat and pulling his daughter back over his knee.

Jane wasn't going down without a fight. Aro struggled to contain her with all the wriggling. The only reason he struggled was because he wouldn't use the same force on his girl as he would on his boys. He managed to moved Jane between his legs, trapping her between his thighs and tipping her over. Jane continued to growl with her bubbling rage as she considered setting her father on fire for even the briefest of moments.

"You're the liar! Either that or your gift is broken!" she blurted.

It was like a red flag to Aro. "Just remember you have brought this on yourself," he roared.

…

Aro wandered back into the new guard hall looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sulpicia rushed through from the bar with a goblet of bloodwine for her mate and Alec hot on her heels. Aro took a moment to explain, quickly, what had happened with the twins.

"Where's Jane now?" she asked tentatively, passing Aro his alcohol infused feed.

Basileus' original recipe for bloodwine contained a healthy dose of opium, but since Aro's stint on dungeon blood, the creator had banned the use of all drugs in the coven and now bloodwine was, quite literally, just blood and wine. Strong still, granted, but not quite the potent mix it had been.

The masters had been good enough not to blame Aro … to his face at least. Magnus was particularly pissed off that Marcus continued to use opium in his chambers without Basileus raising even an eyebrow. Magnus knew if he tried such a thing he would have had that damn cane of the creator's wrapped around his legs before he could finish inhaling.

"I've sent her to bed," Aro replied, adding while gesturing to Alec, "he can go soon, too."

Alec's eyes widened briefly before he shot them to the floor. He dared a look towards Lucius who was holding court with Basileus and Atia. _Lucky git,_ he thought, as Basileus lapped up every word Lucius spoke.

Aro noticed, too. There was something about the scene that made him uncomfortable. Basileus didn't look himself, he appeared almost dazed as Lucius filled him in on the adventurous life he'd had since leaving Atia.

"Are you okay?" Sulpicia asked, wrapping Aro's arm around her waist.

Aro broke his concentration on his father and returned to his mate. "Not really," he admitted honestly. "Our daughter has just lied to my face so I spanked her. Even after I saw exactly what happened in her memory she continued to lie to me and I threatened to belt her."

Aro gulped. He expected Sulpicia to object, to berate him for even suggesting it but no such attack came. Sulpicia could see how upset Aro was and she knew he wouldn't have laid a finger on Jane unless he felt he absolutely had to.

Aro continued, "All she had to do was admit the truth but she refused." He took a swig from his cup, the bloodwine was calming his frayed nerves. "Sully, she looked me dead in the eye and told me either my gift must be broken or I was the one who was lying!" Aro played over his daughter's defiance in his mind and shook his head before downing the last of his blood.

Sulpicia felt just as baffled by their daughter's display. "But Jane has relented now?" she asked, assuming Aro had resolved the issue with Jane, as he was back in the guard hall.

"No!" Aro exclaimed. "Not even after I belted her!"

Sulpicia closed her eyes and sighed. _Oh, my darling girl, what has come over you?!_

"I had to leave her there … I could hear her still growling at me when I shut the damn door! I'm just so shocked by Jane … out of all of them. She has really disappointed me tonight." Aro rolled the now empty goblet between his hands, looking downhearted.

Sulpicia could see how badly her mate had been affected by being forced into such a position with their girl. "Here," Sulpicia gave Aro her own blood, "I'll fetch another."

Aro offered a half smile in return. "Thank you, my queen."

Alec wanted to follow Sulpicia …she looked a safer bet than his father, but he didn't want to aggravate Aro any more than he already had. "Dad, I … " he started, trying to explain himself.

"If you dare deny a thing I have seen in your head, Alec, I will thrash you here and now!" Aro growled.

Alec threw his hands up placatingly. "I won't, I won't!" he rushed. _Forget explaining myself - he's on the war path!_

Alec tried a different tack for getting back on Aro's good side - giving him information. "I know how Lucius and Atia were turned," he offered quietly.

Aro's whole expression changed, suddenly interested in what Alec had to say. "Atia was a midwife or a nurse or something and she delivered a baby from a woman who died as soon it was born. The baby was Lucius and he was born a vampire … he bit Atia and she raised him as her own. He grew up. Like a human, but a vampire."

Aro scoffed to his boy's explanation. _You are so gullible!_ "Who told you that?" he asked.

Alec scowled hearing his father's patronising tone. "Lucius. But Atia has just confirmed it."

Aro's eyes lit up, _I knew there was something off about that kid!_ "That makes him an immortal child!"

Alec shook his head. "No, he was born … not bitten."

Aro took a swig of his bloodwine and watched the boy at his father's side. _I don't have a category for that,_ he thought. _I've never needed one._

Alec followed his father' eyeline. "Basileus' gift won't work on him … does yours?" he asked quietly.

"Really?" Aro asked, both surprised and concerned as Alec nodded in return. "I will have to see," Aro said, going back to watching the boy interact with a gaggle of guards all eagerly listening in on his adventurous tales. _Half my coven is enchanted by him!_

Alec had hoped his mother would return immediately from fetching herself a drink. When he saw her deep in conversation with Athenodora, Carmen and Freyr he knew he'd lost his mother for the rest of the evening. He really didn't want to stay with Aro if he was still annoyed with him. Conjuring his bravery, Alec pulled on his father's sleeve. "Are you still mad at us?" he whispered.

Aro heard him. "Yes. Very."

Alec dropped his eyes to the floor.

"And it's time for you to go to bed, too." Aro handed his empty goblet to Odi as he passed him by and took Alec to the old guard hall, or rather, the new masters office.

"But I'm still hungry!" Alec complained.

Aro was ready with a response for that one. "You had two hours to feed, son. You can go to bed hungry! Maybe it will help you make better choices in future?"

 _It's too fucking early to be talking of going to bed!_ Alec said to himself.

Aro caught the unspoken thoughts and landed a thunderous smack to his boy's backside. "You will go home and go straight to bed, or I can take you."

Alec heard his father's tone turn dark towards the end. Alec wasn't used to being n trouble with his father, at least not without Felix and Demetri in the hot seat, too, to deflect Aro's attentions. Alec was the baby in the family, in the castle, in the whole vampiric world and because of that, everyone made excuses for his behaviour. He might have received the odd swat from Sulpicia, or any of the elite coven members come to think of it, but it was a rare day in hell that anyone would tell Aro about the boy acting up. Something told Alec that if Aro had to take him home, it would hurt!

"I'm going," he sulked, walking away.

On his return, Aro was accosted by his brother and Magnus. "You let the twins out on their own … you are lucky Atia is distracted," Eleazar said, teasing Aro a little.

As if by unhappy accident, Atia chose that very moment to turn and glower at Aro from across the room! Eleazar helpfully burst out laughing and wagged his finger in his brother's face, repeating a very Atia-like dressing down.

"Tell me about it. It won't happen again," Aro said, avoiding his mother's eye and giving his brother a jab in the ribs.

Turning to his co-master, Aro wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again. "Magnus, tell the guards they are not to let my children out of this castle without my direct permission. NO ONE is to take their word as my permission and I want any who flout this order punished severely and publicly."

Magnus' forehead screwed up in confusion. "And how will you give your permission? Are you going to walk them to the gates when they can leave?"

Aro didn't like the sound of that. _That will take up far too much of my time!_ he thought. "They will have to show their insignia to leave. I will only give them their insignia if I give them my permission to go out."

Magnus bobbed his head in agreement. "I like that idea. I will see to it."

"In fact," Aro added, looking at Lucius, "make that no one at all is to leave our grounds with a master's approval."

Magnus followed eye to the newcomer. He felt an unease just watching the boy. As did Aro.

"Are you saying I can revoke the guards' insignia to keep them on lock down?" Magnus asked, hopefully.

"That's exactly what I am saying, brother," Aro confirmed. "From now on, insignia must be presented to leave … and to enter our coven." _And there is no way in hell that my children will have theirs without my knowledge._

"Tell me about his gifts, El," Aro prompted his brother.

Eleazar concentrated on Lucius for a moment before turning back to Magnus and Aro, looking confused. "He is gifted with gentle persuasion, but the strength of his gift doesn't match the type. It's odd. Like there's something I can't see. I'm not sure what else to tell you, brother."

Aro wasn't surprised, he knew something wasn't adding up with Atia's old pet.

"Aro, there is something off with that boy," Magnus added.

"You can feel it?" Aro asked. He needed information and he needed it quick.

When the coven admitted new members, it was usually through newborns who posed little risk as they came as brand-new vampires ready to be moulded into Volturi proper. There were those they took as war booty, like Demetri and Philippe, and the odd one who arrived at the gates wishing to join, but they would all be thoroughly investigated by Aro and Basileus so they had a complete history to go on. If Basileus' gift didn't work on Lucius, Aro was certain his wouldn't either … and that worried him.

Magnus tried to get a good reading of Lucius but, like Eleazar, he felt he was missing something. "I'm not sure what it is I am feeling, but I don't like it," he admitted. Magnus was a fair man by nature and he didn't like to cast aspersions unnecessarily. But there was something he couldn't place about Atia's creator.

Aro saw the discomfort in Magnus' features. "You and me both, my friend."

Marcus and Caius, who had both been talking to Lucius, approached their fellow masters. Marcus wore his usual distracted expression whilst Caius looked trashed already.

"Marcus … " Aro pulled the man in close. "The new kid … what can you tell me?" he prompted.

Marcus had already read the boy's bonds and found nothing remarkable. "Atia is more attached to him than he is to her. He has more of a fondness than a bond for your mother."

That wasn't much help to Aro.

"You look stressed, brother," Caius drawled, his speech significantly slurred already.

"Do I?" Aro breathed, feeling very stressed that this random nomad would be sharing his tower.

"You look wrecked," Eleazar commented to Caius. He poked Caius in the arm and he swayed on the spot with a contented grin.

Aro knew that look. "Are you on dungeon blood?"

"I may be," Caius replied, smirking to his jealous co-master.

Caius hardly used the dirty blood anymore, he was trying to lessen his usage in his work and almost never took it for any other reason. But … having to spend so much time with the guards again, supervising them in the building works, well, he had decided to enjoy the party to the fullest degree and dungeon blood seemed the natural accompaniment. Heidi liked it, too. That helped.

Aro sneered. _Yup, dungeon blood. Lucky bastard. That would settle my worries a treat …_

"ARO!" Basileus erupted from the opposite side of the room and he was in his son's face before Aro had time to blink.

"A fleeting thought, my lord," Aro explained quietly, trying to hold his position so his guards didn't see him backing away against his father's presence.

Basileus, wide eyed and threatening, leaned in close to his boy's ear. "It had better 'fleet off', if you know what's good for you!"

Aro gulped and side stepped his father, curtly nodding his agreement.

Magnus and Eleazar were nudging each other like a pair of school boys, thoroughly enjoying Aro being put in place by Basileus.

Caius, however, fled from the scene before the man could turn a threat on him. _Basileus didn't explicitly say I couldn't ever take it socially,_ he reasoned as he walked away.

"I didn't think it needed saying, Caius!" Basileus boomed after him.

The whole room froze at Basileus' reply to Caius' unspoken words. Very slowly, Caius turned to face the man. He had no defence, nothing to say, he just stood, waiting for Basileus to do something.

 _'In that case, I apologise, my lord,'_ Caius said through his thoughts. He tried to look submissively to the floor but his eyes were trained on the cane in Basileus' hand.

The creator looked around the guards. They looked back in delighted glee to see not only Aro being admonished verbally (even if they couldn't hear what was said) but now Caius looked set to receive something, too!

 _Oh, it's so very tempting, Caius!_ Basileus thought, flexing his grip on the cane.

"Find me before you retire tonight, preferably once you have sobered up," he said sternly.

"Of course, my lord," Caius replied, bowing his head.

The guards groaned in disappointment and went back to their chatter whilst Caius walked away, shitting himself.

Aro breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't right, in his mind, for the masters to be corrected in front of the coven. "Would you like me to arrange a room for your guest?" he asked his father, hoping to distract everyone.

Basileus appraised his son with confusion. "No. Lucius will stay with me," he said firmly.

Aro raised his eyebrows and looked away. "Right," he said.

Basileus looked between his two sons and Magnus, all avoiding his eye. "What's the problem?"

Eleazar broke first. "Is that wise? We don't know him … " he started, only to stop pretty quickly when he saw his father's expression.

"Atia knows him. That's good enough for me," Basileus declared.

"She hasn't seen the boy for centuries," Aro said, trying to play down his thoughts with a shrug.

"It's good enough for me. It should be good enough for you, too," Basileus replied, daring anyone to object as he stood tall, shooting stern eyes to the three of them.

Magnus wasn't sure how he had ended up embroiled in the issue and took a step away from Eleazar, towards Marcus.

Basileus, with a firm hand on the master's shoulder, moved him back! "I saw your face, Magnus. You aren't getting out of this," he said quietly.

Aro smirked to himself. He was dying to laugh at Magnus' disgruntled expression and huffily folded arms, absolutely dying!

Eleazar took over for the three of them before either his brother or Magnus could piss Basileus off any further. "Of course it is enough, my lord," he said, nudging those on either side to agree with him. They both grunted something vaguely concurring with Eleazar before turning away. "

Basileus was less than impressed by their petulance and stalked back to his mate.

As soon as he was sure his father was out of earshot, Aro took great delight in mocking his co-master.

"You are a prick!" Magnus said, shoving Aro away before complaining to Marcus. "How come you are the only one he treats like an adult?!"

Marcus smiled kindly to the disgruntled master. They were close to the same age when they were turned and Marcus could see why it would annoy the man to be talked down to, especially when Basileus would never speak in such a way to Marcus, or Freyr for that matter. But then Marcus didn't fool around like his male counterparts. Neither did Freyr, which is why, he believed, Basileus treated them both as equals.

"You, my friend, are clearly more youthful than I." With that, Marcus walked away wearing a quiet smile.

Basileus had been listening through his gift and offered Marcus a satisfied wink. Aro, Eleazar, and Magnus all saw it, too.

"Youthful?" Magnus repeated. "I'm bloody forty!"

"Then you should act like it, my dear," Freyr said, sounding like a school mistress. She wrapped her arms around her mate from behind, peeking her head around his broad shoulders. "And you should set a better example for the youths," she added, looking Aro and Eleazar up and down.

The pair of them burst into light laughter as Magnus continued his gripe about his mistreatment.

Aro left him to his bitching when Renata walked by. He had use for the coven's blocker. "Renata, my dear," he called sweetly. "Follow me."

Renata trouped into the new masters' office behind Aro and took the seat he offered at the new oak desk.

"Your gift … it's strong enough to block the creator, yes?" he asked. He was sure it was but he wanted to check.

Renata looked worried. "Yes, Master. Master Marcus said it's possible because defensive gifts generally supersede offensive ones. But I would never use my guard against the creator … "

Aro held up a hand to silence her. "That's okay," he said gently, "I'm not accusing you of anything. I need you to stay with me, my dear, and block anything coming my way."

Renata sighed in relief. She often did that when they were in the throne room anyway, protecting Aro was her main duty in and out of battle. "Tonight?" she questioned.

Aro looked into the guard hall. He could just about make out the new kid looking back to him with a quiet smile as everyone chatting around him. "From right now," Aro said firmly, "but for the foreseeable."

Renata wasn't sure what was going on, but it sounded serious. "As you wish, Master," she agreed.


	102. Where Do (Vampire) Babies Come From?

**WHERE DO (VAMPIRE) BABIES COME FROM?**

"Why are you down here?" Caius called, seeing Aro arriving in his dungeons.

Basileus had sent Caius down to the lower levels after he'd given the master a severe round of fucks for taking dungeon blood at the guard hall party.

Aro huffed, not too pleased to be down there. "Basileus told me to meet you both in the dungeons … I assumed you would know why?"

He took a moment to instruct Renata to wait at the entrance to the dungeons and be ready to extend her guard to him should anyone, (meaning Lucius), come down the stairs.

Caius looked none the wiser. Basileus hadn't told him anything other than to 'get down and stay down' when he'd left Caius at the dungeon stairway.

Aro caught Caius' limped step as he followed his co-master into the torture room. As Caius moved around the room, holding onto the walls, Aro wondered if the guy was still drunk. "Are you sober now?" he asked, sounding a little jealous.

Caius stopped and glared at his co-master. "I have been forcibly sobered up," he complained. "I had to go to your father's chambers when the party finished."

Aro smirked, enjoying someone else being in his father's bad books. "How did he sober you up, brother?" he asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

Caius exhaled loudly. "You know how," he replied, giving Aro a withering look.

Aro caught hold of Caius' wrist so he could invade the man's private memories.

He saw Basileus whip his hand across Caius' face the moment he had walked through the door, before dragging him into his own bed chamber where he set in on Caius, verbally, about his inappropriate use of the coven drug. Caius was left under no illusions that acceptable use of dungeon blood was restricted to work and medicinal purposes. IF Caius was in any doubt, the good five strikes from Basileus' cane to the back of his legs had cleared it up for him.

Aro pulled back out of Caius' thoughts. "Ouch!" he said, wincing.

Caius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, ouch." _Understatement!_ "He's removed Heidi from my quarters, too!" Caius was most pissed off about that, even above having to do a walk of shame out of Basileus' bedchamber past Atia and Lucius. "He thinks she is a bad influence on me," he added when Aro looked confused by his pronouncement.

Aro nearly choked on his own venom. _"She's_ a bad influence on _you_?!" he asked in disbelief.

Caius nodded. "Heidi quite likes dungeon blood."

Aro hadn't spent much time in Caius' playroom since his last bout on the dirty drug and his stirring desires for dungeon blood took him by surprise. He was okay, though. There was no way he would risk revisiting submission with Basileus. _No more dungeon blood, ever!_ he thought.

"Who doesn't like dungeon blood?" Aro quipped, eyeing the barrels at the back of the room.

"Your old man, evidently," Caius replied, tossing vampiric limbs into the fire where they imploded, billowing purple smoke into the chimney above. "That's why Heidi's the bad influence."

Caius stopped and turned to Aro, repeating Basileus' words in the best impression of the creator he could manage. "If you are taking that dirty drug at a simple guard party, I can only assume Heidi holds sufficient influence over you to convince you to so, otherwise, you have done so willingly knowing I would be against it. Which is it, Caius?"

"I could hardly object, could I?" Caius shot out, hands thrown in the air.

Aro burst out laughing at Caius' plight. He wanted to respond properly but he couldn't manage the words through his chuckles.

"You are a lot of help," Caius complained, shoving Aro as he walked past to collect another limb. "It's medicinal purposes only from now on. Battles, pain relief, or toxic work - nothing else for anyone."

Aro scoffed. "Not even that for me. Think yourself lucky brother."

"I feel really fucking lucky." Caius took the dismembered head along with the torso and threw them into the flames. "He even questioned my morality having Heidi living with me and my mate."

Aro's eyebrows knitted together. "I can think of many reasons to question your morality, brother, but why Heidi?"

Caius put on his 'Basileus voice' again and repeated the creator's words: "Three is an untenable number for a marriage," he said, tutting to himself. "Why is it?" he asked, seeing no good reason to end his relationship with the coven siren if only the morality of the situation was in question. "Basileus said it can't work. I think it can work, Dora thinks it can work!"

Throwing the remaining parts of his latest victim into the fire, Caius spun around to face Aro. "Your old man even started going on about the example I set to the kids in the coven - I don't have any kids!"

Aro had to turn away to hide how amused he was by Caius' predicament. He took a moment or two to school his features seriously before turning back to his co-master. "Well you might have kids one day … " he started, deciding to change tack quickly seeing Caius' expression. "I'm not surprised Basileus won't allow it, brother. He is far too conservative."

That was something Caius could get on board with. "That's the real problem, brother. I have always had three people in my marriage - me, my mate, and your father," he said, stomping around the torture room. "And here's some news for you, Aro - you have three people in your marriage, too."

Caius really was going on a rant now, with Aro nodding along as he went on. "It's only this retrograde western society that believes monogamy is the only format for a relationship."

"I agree with you there," Aro spoke up when Caius took a breath. "Marriage and fidelity is very much a social construct, as is the morality of it." _Good god how I wish Sulpicia could be as open as Athenodora!_ he thought wistfully.

"Exactly!" Caius shot back. "For me, wanting to fuck other people is the natural consequence of trying to be being monogamous!"

"I will let you hash it out with the creator, see who wins," Aro offered, taking a seat on the ring wall of the fire.

"Fuck that," Caius said shaking his head. "I'm already limping!"

"You will be crawling if you keep up your mouth!" Basileus boomed strolling through the door.

Caius nearly jumped out of his skin! He took a few steps backwards with his eyes focusing on the floor submissively. Basileus had put the fear of god into Caius during his dressing down. Fear of god, with Basileus being said god.

The creator only played with Caius for a moment before he flashed to the master's side, throwing an arm around him comfortingly. "I have a gift for you Caius. And its arrived at the perfect time," he said, presenting the small wooden chest he had concealed within his cloak. "A microscope."

Caius had heard about microscopes and was quite excited to have one of his own. Rushing to the workbench where wall torches flooded the area with light, Caius set the box down and started to unpack his new toy.

Aro swaggered over behind Caius, picking up whatever Caius put down and generally being annoying.

"You are like a damn child!" Caius snapped, snatching the delicate glass lenses away from his co-master.

"I didn't get a gift the last time I was on dungeon blood," he complained with sly eyes on his father.

Basileus smirked in return. "I gave you something memorable, didn't I?" He watched Aro's reaction and was quite amused to see his boy couldn't form a sentence in reply.

Thankfully for Aro, Caius assumed Basileus was ribbing him about the hiding he'd given his son, not that he had slammed Aro into the floor, crushing his bones whilst violently fucking him into submission.

Aro concentrated on watching Caius set up his new toy whilst he got himself together. "What's the point of a microscope?" He asked when he had use of his tongue again. "It's hardly necessary with our eyesight, is it?"

"I think it will help you to see what I can see," Basileus said. "I'll show you what it can do." He bit into his wrist and allowed his blood to drip onto a glass slide. "Look at my blood through the eye piece."

Caius looked curiously to the slide, but took it and did as he was bid. "It's moving!" he exclaimed, amazed by what he saw through the magical apparatus.

"That's the venom," Basileus confirmed. "With humans, the heart pushes the blood around their veins, for us, venom is alive and active inside the blood and it moves it around our bodies."

"Wow!" Caius was truly amazed. "You can see that without this?" he asked handing the wooden instrument to Aro for him to see for himself.

Basileus smiled "My eyesight is much stronger than yours," he said a little patronisingly.

"I feel an experiment coming on," Caius said, knowing full well that would be the only reason Basileus would be buying him a gift of any kind. "What would you like me to do, my lord?"

"I want to know how Lucius was created," Basileus declared.

Aro bristled, he had a really bad feeling about that kid. Basileus' interest in the boy only served to fuel that feeling. "What do we know so far?" he asked, trying to hide his true feelings. Basileus would think him jealous of the boy.

Basileus smirked. Aro's poker face wasn't much good with his father. "Atia was called on to deliver a baby from a dying woman. The woman died before he was born, and Atia attempted to cut the child free but her blades proved useless once inside the woman."

Aro scoffed. _That didn't happen_! _No way_! he thought. "So how did Atia get the baby out?" he asked, not believing such a thing occurred in the first place.

"She didn't," Basileus replied. "Atia said Lucius burst through the womb on his own. She bundled him up, and he must have bitten her then because she can't remember anything else. When she awoke from the transformation, Lucius was still feeding on the blood of his dead mother."

He stopped talking when Caius started looking green around the edges. "I thought you had a strong stomach for this sort of thing," he said, giving the master a nudge to get his attention.

Caius cleared his thought and got himself together. "Vampire babies bursting out of women's wombs has never come up before, funnily enough, my lord." His reaction was partly fuelled by his hangover.

Aro may have been equally unnerved if he had believed the tall tale. "Atia is sure about all of this?" he asked, placing the bloodied slide and microscope on the work bench. "It is unheard of, my lord."

Basileus turned stern eyes on his boy for questioning him. "She is sure, and I have seen it myself through her memories."

Aro scoffed. "And he just grew up, did he?"

"Clearly," Basileus snapped, stepping into Aro's personal space.

Aro stepped back. "So, he isn't an immortal child?"

"No," Basileus said forcefully, sounding oddly protective of the teenager he had known for only an evening. "He grew very quickly. Atia said it took only a few years for him to reach his current state. And he has stayed that way since. He looks no different to when she last saw him and that was hundreds of years ago."

Caius could see Aro was about to enter into an argument with his father, and having only just got through a bollocking from Basileus, he didn't want to see another one played out in his torture room. "What sort of experiment do you want me to conduct, my lord?" he asked, trying to bring the creator back to task.

Caius' distraction was enough. "I want to know where vampire babies come from," Basileus replied, smiling.

"This is absurd," Aro declared, though he had the sense to step away from his father as he did so. "IF that's how Lucius began, IF, it was a freak accident of some kind."

Basileus bristled at Aro's attitude. "It may be an accident," he agreed, "but I would still rather we had the information at hand."

Caius was lost to the two of them, formulating plans to test out Lucius' arrival in the world. "I suppose there are only two real options - either a pregnant woman was bitten by a vampire, or, a vampire fucked a human woman and she became pregnant."

Aro burst out laughing, so absurd were the options Caius presented. "I couldn't count the number of humans we have fucked between the three of us - none of them have brought a child to our doors."

He looked to the heavens, believing both his father and Caius to have lost their minds to even consider any truth in Atia's claims. "Don't you think there would be more vampiric teenagers knocking about if this were a possibility."

Basileus shoved Aro hard in his chest. "It happened somehow, Aro," he growled. "We need to know how. To protect humans, if nothing else. Our race could be very easily exposed this way … so we need to know."

Caius pulled Aro back before he could respond to the creator and cause them both a round of shit. "I will run some tests, my lord," he breezed, smiling awkwardly.

"Thank you, Caius," Basileus said pointedly, scowling at Aro for a moment before he left.

Both Caius and Aro breathed a sigh of relief when the creator slammed the door behind him.

Caius sighed, wondering what kind of tests he was going to run to service Basileus' request for knowledge. This is what he wanted, work that involved less torture, something more valuable, but that didn't necessarily mean he knew how to do it! "I think I preferred it when your old man refused to give me the time of day," he said, scratching his head and looking to his new toy.

"It's your own fault, brother," Aro chucked in reply. "You stopped being a _complete_ cunt and he thought you worthy of his time."

"I can be a cunt again!" Caius exclaimed. "It's easier than the work he's setting me."

Caius was being less of a cunt, it was true, but added to that, Atia had made Basileus see that Aro's failings weren't Caius fault, and it wasn't fair that Basileus blamed Caius, in the way he had been doing for centuries before she came along.

The recent episode of Aro's dungeon blood binge had helped seal the deal there. Caius had taken a serious hiding from the creator for letting it go on so long, but Basileus did accept Caius had been under severe pressure from his son. He was now trying to show more interest in Caius, generally, in the hope that the master would find him more approachable should new issues with Aro arise.

Aro watched as Caius tidied up his tools, but his mind was elsewhere. "What did you make of Lucius?" he wondered out loud.

"I like him, he's a nice kid."

That snapped Aro from his wanderings. "What?!" he exclaimed. "You don't like anyone and you never think kids are nice. Why would you like Lucius?!" It was one thing his father falling for Atia's long lost love child, quite another for Caius' head to have been turned by the boy!

Caius looked confused for a moment. "I don't know, really," he answered honestly. "I hardly spoke to him. He's less annoying than your brats though."

Aro threw his covenmate a withering look at the insult to his children.

Caius smiled. "See, I'm back to being a cunt already."

Caius didn't waste long thinking about the new kid, he was set on finding a way to accomplish the task Basileus had set him. For all his bitching, he wanted to show the creator he could be more than the coven executioner. Then, a brainwave struck him.

"Here," he said, thrusting a goblet at his co-master.

Aro looked into the cup, half hoping for dungeon blood to be inside. "It's empty," he said, disappointedly.

"I know," Caius returned, "you need to fill it."

Aro was none the wiser. "With what, exactly?"

Caius rolled his eyes. "What do you think. genius?" he said, gesturing down Aro's body. "I need to see if you are fertile?" Caius didn't know much about human baby making, but he knew cum was the key.

Aro gasped, both offended and disgusted. "Fuck off!" he said, thrusting the cup back. "Do it yourself."

Caius gave it back to Aro. "You're older than me, Aro. If you are fertile then it will show that vampiric age has no bearing on fertility." It was a weak argument, Caius was only very slightly younger than Aro in vampiric terms, and the exact same age in human terms. But Aro so often used the argument that he was the oldest and Caius was going to use that against him now!

Aro scowled. "Vampire kings do not fuck cups," he said, trying to sound regal, but he snatched the cup back.

Caius smirked knowing he'd already won. "You aren't usually so shy."

Aro rolled his tongue around his cheek. "There's usually a woman or two between us," he said coyly.

Caius laughed. "I'd fetch you one but your wife will cut my balls off. And yours. And then I can't do my experiment."

Aro still waived, looking at his empty cup.

Caius shoved him out the torture room door towards the newborn cells. "Just go in a cell and get it done."

"How has my life come to fucking cups in a prison cell?" Aro continued to grumble but found himself an empty cell to use. He caught Renata giggling to herself from the bottom of the stairwell and considered for a moment asking for her assistance before thinking better of it. _Not worth the aggro,_ he thought.

When Aro emerged, Caius was witting for him at his work bench, his station cleared of all clutter with glass plates ready to receive Aro's offering. "Took your time!" Caius called out, mockingly.

Aro rolled his eyes disparagingly. "I drank a lot last night," he said with a shrug.

"You're getting old, more like." Caius laughed as he took the cup and dripped the contents onto the glass plate. He was slightly perturbed when he realised he was looking at his coven mates jizz through his new toy. _Of all the things I could use this for,_ he thought of his microscope, _I am looking at HIS cum!_

Aro scowled. "I've never had any complaints, thank you very much!" he said, barging his shoulder into Caius. "Well?" he asked, seeking his co-master was now lost to his experiment.

Caius always lost himself in his work. Whether that was beating the life out of a rogue, or running guard training, or anything else, he became absorbed in it entirely.

Caius was amazed by what he saw. "Wow!"

"Wow what?" Aro asked, snatching the microscope from Caius' hands. "Let me look!"

Caius passed him the plate of cum, tutting. "You are such an impatient child!"

Aro, too, was quite amazed to see his own produce through the glass. It was moving! "What's that wiggly stuff? Is that venom?"

"I expect some of it is venom, but it's not all venom shape, unless … " Caius trailed off and collected a silver knife from he bench which he stabbed into Aro's hand.

Aro nearly dropped both the microscope and the glass! "OW. You fucker!"

Caius smiled menacingly and collected Aro's blood onto a clean slide. "I need some blood," he said simply, as though that were a good reason for stabbing his covenmate.

Aro licked his wound to seal it quickly. "You could have asked!" he complained, though he was soon more interested in what was going on beneath the microscope as Caius', once again, became absorbed.

"The venom in your blood is the same as your father's. Mine is the same … so we can say you have venom in your cum but there is something else there … I wonder if they are the seeds for fertility?" Caius explained, switching back and forth between glass slides. "You could be fertile… very, very, slightly fertile."

Aro had never considered the idea that a vampire could impregnate a human before. Ever! _Could Lucius' story be legitimate?_ he wondered, worried by the consequences if such a thing truly were possible. "You don't know for sure?"

Caius stopped switching for a moment to look at his co-master. "This is the first time I have had to inspect cum, Aro. If you have any prior experience I don't know about, feel free to take the lead."

Aro ignored his tone. "I could have vampire babies?" he questioned, mainly to himself.

"I doubt it, Aro," Caius relied, going back to the plate of cum. "Besides, haven't the four young vampires you already have put you off?"

That sent a shiver down Aro's spine. "Good point," he said, shaking off the idea of more children. "What's it doing now?"

"It's like the venom is attacking the seeds," Caius explained, thought he wasn't honestly sure of what he was explaining, having pulled the idea out of the air.

He knew Aro would want more of an explanation than that. "My guess would be that wherever the seeds are produced, they are protected from the venom in your body. Otherwise there would be none, as the venom would have destroyed it already. But there's a short amount of time where the seed is viable and could, in theory, impregnate a human woman."

Aro leaned into the desk and folded his arms across his chest. He still wasn't convinced. "The thing is Caius, we have both had a few regular human lovers back in the day. We would know if they had become pregnant."

Caius checked the clock. "The window of time is very short - it only took, what, ten minutes before the venom started to attack the seeds."

"How long after sex does it take for women to become pregnant?"

Aro's questioning was really pissing Caius off. "No idea," he admitted, cursing his lack of knowledge on human anatomy. "Though judging by the lack of vampiric babies in our society, I would guess longer than ten minutes."

Caius went back to his microscope, intermittently checking the time as he watched the venom destroy the seed. "It might be your age … " he wondered aloud. "Who's our youngest vampire?"

"Alec … " Aro answered, without thinking before realising what Caius would want with him. "You're not asking Alec to do this!"

"Vampiric age, you idiot," Caius returned. "I doubt Alec's capable anyway is he?"

Aro shuddered again. "I'd rather not think about it, Caius."

"He doesn't have sex with anyone, does he?" Caius asked, missing how uncomfortable Aro was with the conversation as he had his head stuck to his new toy.

"Fucking hell, Caius!" Aro exclaimed. "He's twelve!"

Caius shrugged, that was hardly an answer in his mind. "Some twelve-year-olds have sex."

Aro shook his head, refusing to even consider the idea that Alec had sex, or could have sex, because that would mean that Jane could, too, and there was no way he was going down that road! "Maybe in our time," he replied.

"In ALL times, and you know it," Caius said, looking up to Aro. They had both started having sex at such an age and Aro couldn't deny it. It was then that he realised Aro was literally squirming in front of him. "I have never seen you so squeamish about sex before!"

Aro had to turn away. "I haven't had to discuss my youngest's activities before, or non-activities, as the case may be," he said gruffly. "Make that, as the case definitely is!"

Caius chuckled to himself before returning to his slide. "Well you might have to ask him."

"Ask who, what?" Aro asked, hoping Caius wasn't suggesting what he thought he was suggesting.

Caius turned a sly eye on his covenmate, enjoying how awkward he was making him. "Ask Alec if he has ever had sex. Or at least it if produces anything of use."

Aro raised a single eyebrow and looked down his nose to Caius. "No," he stated flatly.

Caius nodded. "Human age might be a factor, if it is, I need to test the youngest viable male we have." Seeing Aro wasn't budging, he continued. "I'll ask him, then."

"That would be even worse!" Aro shot out. "IF we need to go down that road, you can use Demetri."

Caius scowled. "Yeah, that one definitely does 'produce'," adding, "as my own bedsheets lay testament to," as he remembered finding the boy in his bed with Lucy.

"So, who's our youngest vampire?" Caius asked, checking the clock again. It had been fifteen minutes and though there were still some 'seeds', as Caius had decided to name them, the venom was still attacking them, rounding on them until they lay lifeless in the sticky liquid.

Aro thought about it, running through their coven members in his mind. "Carlisle, I suppose … we have only had one set of newborns since he arrived and, other than Carmen, they have all been sent to outposts.

"Go and fetch him."

Aro didn't budge. "I'm not your assistant, Caius."

"I know, I don't have one, do I!" It was a sore point. Caius had asked for an assistant many times but he needed someone strong - both body and mind - to help with his work. Felix would have been the ideal candidate if he wasn't such a mouthy little sod. He didn't really have the stomach for being a regular in Caius' work, though.

Aro cursed his word choice. "The next batch of newborns, I told you," he promised.

Caius nodded. _Yeah, yeah_ , he thought, _heard that before!_ "Until then I will need Carlisle down here, and Heidi … "

Aro cut him off. "So, you get Heidi to help and I had to fly solo?"

Caius shook his head. "Heidi will need to fetch a few humans so I can compare the results," he explained. _I'm not jizzing into cups, who do you think I am_?! he thought, sensibly keeping it to himself after making Aro do it. "If I have to go you will need to give me another sample when I get back."

Aro jumped into action. "I'm going, I'm going." Wanking in prison cells was going to be a one-time affair!

He returned half an hour later with Carlisle in tow. "Heidi has gone to fetch you some men, lover boy," he announced, strolling into the torture room.

"You're a prick," Caius replied to his jibe, handing Carlisle a fresh cup.

"Why does it have to be me?" Carlisle complained. "Carmen was turned after me."

Aro had only explained briefly what they were doing but seeing both Aro and Caius bursting out laughing he cursed saying anything at all. "What's so funny?"

Caius got himself under control before Aro did. "I need to see how fertile vampires are … I don't think Carmen will be much help when it's cum samples I need, do you?"

"I knew that," Carlisle lied, as he allowed himself to be directed into the first newborn cell.

"Have you ever turned a pregnant woman?" Caius asked once he and Aro were alone. It was an option they had to consider and Caius never had.

"No … it always seemed wrong somehow," Aro admitted. He'd never fed from one either - again, it felt wrong.

Caius nodded, even he agreed with that. "We are going to have to try it," he said, though he really didn't want to.

Aro nodded curtly, agreeing that they had to, but secretly wanting no part in it. "I think we should keep that experiment quiet, Caius."

"I will go out tonight, alone, and find someone suitable for the test, someone close to birth, I suppose." Caius hadn't had much to do with pregnant women since his human days. The idea of sneaking one into his dungeons presented a problem for him. _I doubt she will come quietly!_ he thought.

Aro wondered over to Carlisle's cell. "What's taking you so long?" he asked from outside the bars.

Carlisle jumped, but kept his back to the doorway. "Don't come in here!" he shouted. The cell gave precious little privacy as it was!

"You aren't our type, little brother," Aro replied, laughing with Caius, both knowing they were making the task at hand impossible for Carlisle.

"I know you're there - its putting me off!"

"It isn't a complicated task," Caius said through his barely suppressed giggles. "You do know what to do, Carlisle, yes?"

"Yes." _Cheeky bastards!_ Carlisle thought.

Aro was in hysterics and continued to goad him. "Are you sure, little brother?" he asked in mock sympathy.

"Fuck off, Aro!"

Caius pulled Aro away from Carlisle's door. "Just hurry up."

"Stop talking to me, then!" Carlisle growled.

"Heidi, wonderful," Aro called out seeing the coven siren pass Renata with five men willingly following her to their doom. "Put them in the first cell and give my brother a hand in this one."

"Aro!" Carlisle ground out from his cell, thoroughly embarrassed.

Caius couldn't talk for laughing, but Aro continued winding up Carlisle. "Heidi is a professional, don't worry, Carlisle."

Heidi reached the masters and peered into the newborn cell. "What would you like me to do, master?"

Aro smiled sweetly. "We need him to fill a cup with cum and I don't think the poor lamb knows how to get it out of his cock."

Carlisle was incensed! "Aro, you are a complete prick!" He would normally have threatened Aro with telling their mother he was picking on him, but this was hardly something he could share with Atia.

Caius went back to his work bench to check on Aro's cum. "The venom is still alive." He said, musing on what than could mean. "Perhaps it never dies?"

Handing Aro the lens to look through, Caius started searching through his desk. "I'm going to check the inks, they are made with vampiric blood so there could be some venom in there."

Aro poked at the cum as he watched it through the microscope. "I can't feel it moving … "

Caius looked over just in time to see Aro smearing the liquid across the glass with his fingers. "You do know you are playing with your own cum, brother?"

"Eugh!" Aro wiped his hands on his britches. That was enough science for him!

Caius took the microscope from him and used it to look at the ink in the bottle he'd found. "The ink is pulsating! I don't really keep track of how old the inks are, but, Felix and Carlisle emptied my stores three, maybe four years ago so the blood in this ink can only be that old."

Aro, ever the inquisitive child, snatched the lens back to get a look for himself. "Even if it's only three years old, that's pretty amazing."

Noticing the time was nearly six in the morning, Aro knew he had to get back home soon. He needed to talk to his daughter after how they had left things the night before. "How many humans do you need?" he asked, going to the cell holding Heidi's captives. "There's five, can I take one?"

Once Caius had agreed, Aro dragged the closest human from the cell and brought him into the torture room. "Carlisle will you hurry up in there!" he called as he passed his brothers cell.

"This is obscene," Carlisle replied. He still hadn't _finished._

Aro slit the humans throat, draining the spewing blood into a clean bucket. "I'll send a guard to collect the body," he said to Caius, who looked pretty annoyed to have the human corpse dumped on his floor.

Carlisle emerged shortly after, slamming the cup on Caius' work bench and tucking his shirt in with his free hand.

Caius ignored Carlisle and got straight to work.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it," Aro said, slapping his back before turning to Caius. "Well?" he asked.

"Far more active than yours." Caius said, again switching between the clock and the microscope. "The venom is starting to attack … I make that the same time as yours, Aro."

"So, younger vampires are no more likely to produce vampire babies?" Aro asked. He really didn't want to involve Alec in these tests.

Caius disagreed. "More seeds, more likely," he said, "but still highly unlikely I would say, with the venom attacking the seeds from ten minutes of ejaculation."

Carlisle felt beyond uncomfortable. Having to rack-off with Caius and Aro so close was bad enough. Heidi 'helping' wasn't entirely bad, but having his cum discussed in such a way was an affront to his sensibilities. "Am I done now?" he snapped.

"Why are you being so pissy?" Caius asked with raised eyebrows.

Aro patted his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, you've learnt a valuable skill today, brother."

Carlisle shoved him off. "I knew what to do!" he snapped, offended.

"Of course you did," Aro patronised, smiling sadly and pissing off his little brother even more. "We won't tell anyone otherwise, will we Caius?"

"Secret's safe with us, Carlisle," Caius announced, joining Aro in ribbing Carlisle.

Carlisle was ready to blow, but he couldn't face the hiding from Basileus if he were the one to throw the first punch. "If you start any rumours about me, I am telling Atia!" he said before fleeing his brothers torturing.

Aro and Caius' laughter followed him out the door.

"He sounds like such a child," Aro said, completely missing how immature he himself had been.

Caius passed a fresh goblet to Heidi. "I need some from one of the humans, my dear," he explained, feeling a little guilty over what he was asking her to do.

"Eugh," Heidi sighed. "Of course, master."

Aro wouldn't have minded a go with Heidi himself, but he needed to get home. "I should go, I need to see Jane," he said, collecting his bucket of blood. "Let me know the results of all this, Caius." Aro hung back in the doorway for a moment. "And, write them down!" he called.

Caius scowled. Oh, how he hated writing anything down. He made the parchment the coven used, and he made the inks, too. That was as close to books as Caius liked to get. "Will do," he agreed, resenting bitterly that he didn't have an assistant to do the job.

…

"Jane?" Aro called softly, seeing his girl was still in her bed.

Jane rolled over to face the wall. "What?" she asked, sounding cold.

Had one of the boys replied to him like that, Aro would have said something about their attitude, but not Jane. "I have some blood for you," he offered, waving the goblet in her direction.

"I don't want it." She did. She could smell it and good god she wanted it. Half a small deer from the day before was not enough.

Aro took a seat on his daughter's bed. "You are hungry," he said, pulling her shoulder and forcing her to face him.

Jane looked him dead in the eye. She had a look that could make a grown man quiver, and that's the one she turned on Aro. "I can wait."

"Don't be like this," Aro said, sounding like he was begging her to be nice to him. _If you were one of your brothers …_ his thoughts trailed off.

He had belted his girl the night before and he felt dreadful for doing it. _And you are going to make me pay, aren't you, my dear one._ "Its human blood." He hoped that might tempt Jane, if nothing else.

Jane scoffed. "Give it to Alec, you starved him as well, didn't you?"

Aro sighed and set the goblet down on Jane's bedside table. "Last night," he started, "you know I didn't have a choice, Jane. You lied to my face."

"I. Did. Not!" Jane ground out. Springing from her bed and going to her dressing table.

Aro got to his feet. "Are you seriously going to start this again?" he asked, hands on hips.

Jane looked back at her father through the reflection in her mirror. "I'm not starting anything - you are the one bringing it up!"

Aro could feel his anger from the night before rising to the surface again. "Jane, I'm not playing with you. We all know I treat you with a softer hand than your brothers, but that because you are so well behaved, usually."

"Pft!" Jane scoffed, interrupting Aro's flow.

Aro flinched, annoyance growing in time with his girl's attitude. "But, I will punish you if I have to," he finished.

"Yes," Jane said, slamming her brush into the table. "You proved that last night."

"I have had enough of your attitude, young lady," Aro declared. His hand had moved unconsciously to his belt buckle. Aro didn't seem to notice what he was doing, but Jane caught the gesture.

"Why won't you believe me?" she asked, sounding wounded. She may not back down in the face of punishment but she was cleaver enough to circumvent it when she could.

This going to end badly. Don't be such a pessimist.

Aro tapped his temple. "Because I can see for myself that you are lying!"

Jane shook her head, soft blond hair falling into her face. "Why would I lie?" she questioned.

Aro threw his hands into the air. "So I don't punish you, obviously."

"But that doesn't make sense either - Alec just said sorry and walked away with a slap on the wrists. If I wanted to avoid punishment I could just say sorry, couldn't I?"

"Yes … so do it then!"

Aro was pissed off, Jane could see it, but she wasn't backing down on this. "No!" she shouted, standing up and stamping her foot into the floor. "I am telling you the truth, Dad! I have never lied to you, ever!"

Aro slammed the door as he stalked out of his daughter's room. He was tempted for a moment to go back and fetch the blood he'd brought her. But he wouldn't do that. Not to Jane.

Felix had heard the whole exchange from his room and came bounding out the door to meet Aro. "If that was me playing you in a battle of wills you would have dragged me in front of the coven for a dressing down by now."

Aro raised his eyebrows to his son and walked away. "Don't exaggerate," he said, knowing there was some truth in Felix's words.

"I certainly wouldn't be getting breakfast in bed!" Felix continued, following his father to their living chamber.

Aro took a cup of blood for himself from the bucket and invited Renata to do the same. "I hardly think you can compare the stunts you pull with Jane's small act of defiance."

Felix nearly choked on his venom. "Small act of defiance?" he repeated, audaciously. "I would be picking my jaw up off the floor for shouting at you liked she did."

"Felix enough!" Aro ground out. He was pissed off with Jane, and he didn't like being against his daughter … his son, though … he had no qualms about being against Felix. "You're pissing me off!"

"Playing favourites again, Dad?" Felix hadn't done anything wrong, and he knew how much it wound Aro up to be called out on the favouritism he showed his only daughter.

Aro sighed deeply and started walking his son to the door. "This is your last chance, Felix, leave now whilst you still have use of your legs."

Had Renata not been there, Felix might have stayed for the row, but he wasn't about to give Aro an excuse to punish him with an audience.

Felix didn't get very far before he bumped into the new kid coming out of Eleazar's chambers. "Lucius, what happened yesterday?" he asked. "Jane and Alec were told to come straight back after they fed. It isn't like them to go against an order, any order!"

"Nothing happened, we just got chatting, that's all," Lucius replied. "Lost track of time."

Felix shook his head. "That doesn't sound like the twins," he said, wondering if Aro could be right about there being something off with the boy.

"Where are my little friends anyway?" Lucius asked, peering around Felix to look up to Aro's chamber door.

Felix shrugged. "Alec's about somewhere, I don't think Jane will be coming out today."

"It was Jane I really wanted to see."

There was something perverted about the way Lucius said that. Felix immediately sprang into big brother mode.

"Hey," he said forcefully, shoving Lucius in the chest. "That's my sister you dick, and she's only twelve!"

Lucius smiled slyly. "Twelve, huh?" he asked, flicking his tongue across his lower lip. "She looked ready to me."

…

"Aro!" Basileus bellowed coming up the stairs.

"Renata?" Aro called to his guard to make sure she was using her block. She was, Aro was safe.

Basileus threw Felix through the door when Aro opened it, leaving his grandson to splatter into the floor, before presenting Lucius to his son. "Look at the state of his face!" he shouted.

Lucius's nose was definitely broken, and he wore a bib of blood from the obvious attack.

Aro looked down to his son at his feet. "Did you do that, Felix?!"

Felix looked from Lucius to Aro to Basileus and back again. "I don't think so … " he said, sounding confused.

Lucius looked askance to Basileus. "He punched me in the face!" he announced. "Repeatedly!"

"Why?" Aro asked, watching for the boy's reaction.

Basileus scoffed. "I couldn't care less why!"

"I bumped into him in the stairwell and he punched me," Lucius explained, though it wasn't much of an explanation.

Basileus growled in Felix's direction. "You had better sort him out, Aro!"

"I will, Dad, I will," Aro said placating, pulling Felix to his feet.

As quickly as Basileus had arrived, he was gone. And Lucius with him.

Aro turned on Felix immediately. "What happened?" he ground out.

Felix held his head with one hand. It hurt. He wasn't sure why, _vampires don't get headaches_! But it thumped like he had been hit in the head. "I, I don't know," he answered honestly.

That wasn't good enough for Aro. "What do you mean you don't know?" he shot back.

"I can't remember, okay?!" Felix answered, trying to walk away.

Aro wasn't having that. "No, not okay," he said forcefully, taking Felix by the wrist so he could see for himself what had happened.

Nothing happened. Aro saw through Felix's eyes that his boy had left their chambers, bumped into Lucius outside Eleazar's chambers and punched him, repeatedly, in the face. Eleazar broke them up hearing the commotion outside his door and Basileus arrived seconds later.

"You walked up to the kid and broke his nose, Felix," Aro announced. He had a bad feeling about the new boy but he didn't deserve that!

"I wouldn't do that, Dad!" Felix replied, pulling his wrist free.

Aro breathed in and out, slowly. It was only dawn and he was ready to murder two of his kids! "I can see for myself that you did, son."

"Dad, I wouldn't, it doesn't make any sense," Felix implored. "I wouldn't do that!"

It was true, wanton violence wasn't Felix's style outside of the battle field. He was like Aro in that respect. Both preferring to torture their victims verbally. "Go to your room, I need to think about this."

 _No, no, no!_ Felix thought. He knew what being sent to his room would mean - Aro would be following him soon enough to whip him! "But dad!" Felix gestured to their house guest. "Renata …"

Aro laughed without a shred of humour. "What about Renata?" he asked. "Feeling embarrassed, are we? You think I care?"

"I care!" Felix shouted in reply, cursing himself for stamping his foot so childishly as Jane had done.

Aro threw his hands in the air. "What do you want me to say Felix? I can see you punched Lucius in the face, and you can't explain why!" He shook his head sadly. "I have to punish you for fighting."

Felix scowled, feeling a flood of embarrassment having Renata hear that. "You're losing it," he said under his breath.

Naturally, Aro heard. "What did you say to me?" he growled. He was already pissed off, that comment pushed him over the edge.

Felix looked to Renata. Thankfully she was doing her best to ignore the scene going on only a few feet away, but that didn't matter to Felix, she was still there and he knew Aro was going to thrash him any second now.

"Nothing," he answered quietly.

Aro shoved his boy hard in the chest. "Yes you did, you think I'm losing it. Losing what exactly?" he asked, luring Felix in. "You have a damn good hiding coming for fighting, are you really going to add lying to your check sheet?"

Felix bit his lip. _You bastard_! he thought, again looking to Renata.

Aro may have already gone over the edge, but having his punishment announced to the guard sent Felix barrelling over it with his father.

"Jane was right - your gift is broken!" he screamed in his father's face. "You are seeing things that aren't there!"

"My gift is broken, is it?!" Aro repeated. "How very convenient for the two of you who are on my bad side."

Felix scoffed. "Do you even have a fucking good side?"

He saw Aro flinch to his choice of words and raise a hand to slap him for it. Felix fled to the privacy of his room before Aro had chance to humiliate him further.

"Get your ass back here now!" Aro roared after him. After a second or two he realised Felix wouldn't return of his own free will and he stormed into his son's bedroom.

"You really are getting brave, boy," he announced, door swinging on its hinges from the force with which it had been thrown open.

"I'm sorry, please, I'm sorry," Felix said quietly, cowering on his bed.

The fairly placid response put Aro on the back foot. "Why are you whispering?" he asked curiously.

"You know why," Felix said, jerking his head in the direction of their living room where Aro's personal guard waited. "I'm really sorry. I will stay in my room," he offered.

Aro's whole demeanour changed. _Embarrassment always works wonders with you, my boy._ "You are never usually this apologetic before I have tanned your hide," he said, loudly. Certainly loud enough for Renata to hear.

"Shush! Please!" Felix begged. "Dad, I'm sorry for what I said, please close the door!"

"No, I think I'll leave it," Aro said, throwing a cushion to the base of the door to hold it wide open.

Felix started to sweat. "Are you going to …" He couldn't finish his sentence. Even speaking as quietly as he was, he feared Renata would hear somehow. It was bad enough having Jane across the hall.

"What?" Aro asked. "Am I going to what?"

Felix had his eyes shut tight. "Belt me," he whispered as quietly as he could.

Aro laughed. "I'm considering putting you over my knee and spanking you," he declared.

 _Oh my god just kill me now!_ "Daaaad!" Felix whined. "You're embarrassing me."

Aro closed the space between them and hooked a finger under his boy's chin, pulling his face up so they were eye to eye. "I find my child defying me embarrassing - I'm just passing the humiliation on, son," he explained. Aro actually had no intention of whipping the boy with Renata so close by, but Felix didn't need to know that.

"Please don't. Please," Felix begged tearfully.

"The next time you curse at me I will bare your ass and deal with you where you stand and I don't care who's around to hear it. Or see it." Felix tried to pull away but Aro held him fast. "Understood?" he asked sternly.

"Yes," Felix replied, nodding vigorously.

Aro watched his boy carefully for a moment. He couldn't hear anything in Felix's thoughts that suggested he was going to try for a comeback. "I'll talk to you later about Lucius," he said, mainly because Aro wanted to think about what had happened, and talk to Eleazar about what he might have seen.

Returning to the living room, Aro retook his half cup of blood and flopped into the sofa.

"It appears his mouth is running away from him but now he wishes to hide. He is feeling a little shy with you around, my dear," he explained to Renata.

Felix heard from his bedroom. "DAD!" he bellowed, feeling most aggrieved.

Aro smirked to Renata before calling to his son, "Unless you want to come out here and face me, I suggest you shut your damn mouth."

Renata sipped slowly from her cup, stifling her laughter as she knew it wasn't professional. "No more vampiric babies for you, Master?"

Aro laughed. "By all the gods, NO!"

…

"I require the services of one of your sons," Caius said when Aro came out of his bedchamber to greet him.

"Which son?" Aro asked warily.

"In the interest of science, the youngest possible," Caius replied, eyeing Alec on the sofa quietly reading. "And to sweeten the deal, Magnus will have to offer his services as the oldest guy we have."

Aro smiled broadly. "Oh that is one hell of a sweetener, brother!" he said. "Alec …" _Am I really going to have this conversation with him?_ "I need to ask you something."

Aro led them to Alec's room, kicked Jane out and closed the door.

"Am I in trouble?" Alec asked in trepidation. He wondered briefly if Aro was going to have something more to say about him staying out with Lucius and Jane the day before.

"No, not at all," Aro replied, pulling his youngest to sit with him on the bed. "You know how Lucius was created?"

"He was born," Alec said simply. As though it were a totally normal thing for a vampire to be born.

"Yes, well, about that." _Fuck me, this is awkward_! "It could be quite problematic for the Volturi if Lucius wasn't a one off. Caius is running some tests to see how fertile vampires are and he needs a broad range of subjects."

Aro stopped. _How do I ask you this?!_ he thought, looking at his boy. Alec looked so young, so small. _What if he doesn't wank?! Am I giving him the idea to do it?! Will that make him want to have sex?! How the fuck will that work?!_

"Do you want me to be a subject?" Alec asked, having no idea what a 'subject' would be required to do.

Aro nodded. "You are the youngest vampire we have in the coven. In the world, possibly. So, if you are able …"

Alec looked back to Aro with wide, innocent eyes. "What do I have to do?"

 _Are you serious?!_ Aro thought. _You have to rack-off into a cup in the dungeons._ That was all he had to say, but he just couldn't say it to Alec!

Aro flung open the door and called for reinforcements. "Caius, get in here."

Caius laughed to himself but joined Aro and Alec in the boy's bedroom. "Why are you being so weird about this?!" he asked, seeing Aro squirm. Caius had no hang ups about sex, none at all. But then Caius wasn't a dad, and he wasn't talking to his young child, either.

"Alec, have you ever had sex?" he asked the boy outright.

Alec suddenly wore the same awkward expression as his father. "Is that what you want me to do?" he asked, looking between the two men in his room. "With Caius?!"

"No!" Caius blurted, backing away. "But have you?"

Alec looked nervously to his father, wondering if this was some sort of a trap. Aro knew what his boy was thinking. "You won't be in trouble, Alec, we just need to know if you have."

"I haven't," Alec admitted, unsure if that was a good thing or not. Either way it wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

"Not ever?" Caius asked.

Alec shook his head, looking to his lap.

"Do you masturbate?" Caius asked. He made it sound so innocuous, but both Aro and Alec balked at the question.

Alec kept his head down. "Umm … not really."

"You either do or you don't, Alec," Caius pushed.

Alec stood and tried to flash from the room. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Not so fast, son," Aro said, catching his boy before he could escape. He held Alec still and wrapped a hand around his forehead, searching for an answer to Caius' question.

Shaking his head to Caius, Aro said, "We will need to ask Demetri."

Caius nodded his understanding. "At least that's one we won't have to worry about impregnating anyone."

Returning to the living room, Aro tried to avoid Alec's eye. _The kid looks mortified_! he thought. "Demetri, you need to find Magnus and bring him to the dungeons."

Demetri's head shot up. "I need to go to the dungeons, too?!" he asked. He didn't like that idea at all.

"You do," Aro answered. "I will meet you down there."

…

"You want me to jack off in a cell?" Magnus asked, taking the cup from Caius. "I know you pair get your kicks together, but I am not that way inclined."

Aro couldn't talk for laughing. _Talking to Alec was definitely worth it!_ he thought, enjoying seeing the juggernaut repulsed.

"Where does the boy fit into all of this?" Magnus asked. There were some things he would never do, a child being one of them!

"He has his own cup to fill," Caius said, handing Demetri a fresh goblet.

Magnus blustered. "That is obscene - he's just a kid."

"He's perfectly capable," Caius said, tutting as he once again remembered the bedsheets he'd had to dispose of.

Demetri turned to his father. "You said it would make me blind."

Magnus and Caius fell about laughing.

Aro smirked to himself. "You would have told him the same if he lived in your quarters."

Demetri bounced into the closest newborn cell. "I don't mind doing it," he called. He needed no excuse.

"Well I do," Magnus said forcefully. "Do it yourself, Caius."

"There's no point me doing it. Aro's already done it and we are the same age," Caius explained, pushing Magnus towards a cell.

"How many people have you had wanking in these cells?!" Magnus asked. "Are they clean?"

Caius wasn't getting very far pushing Magnus. _The guy's made of lead,_ he thought. "We have the oldest vampire, Aro, and the youngest vampire, Carlisle. You two are the oldest and youngest in human age."

"Marcus is older than me, isn't he?" Magnus asked. Magnus was forty … forty, something. He wasn't sure on his exact age. But Marcus was definitely forty. "And Basileus," he added. Though Basileus didn't have a human age, he and Magnus could have been twins, they looked so similar.

"Basileus doesn't have an actual age, he was just created. And I felt it would be insensitive to ask Marcus," Caius said. He hadn't felt it would be insensitive, Caius didn't consider sensitivity in any of his work, he knew Magnus would feel aggrieved having to wank into a cup for his experiment and that was all the reason Caius needed to ask Magnus.

Before Magnus had entered a cell, Demetri was leaving his!

"That was quick!" Aro said, taking his cup and giving it to Caius.

"Fine art, Dad," Demetri crowed proudly. "Alec's younger than me, why didn't you ask him?"

"He isn't capable," Caius replied, getting to work with Demetri's specimen.

Aro hung his head hearing Caius' comment, knowing exactly how Demetri would react to such news. "Go home, and don't say a word to Alec," he told his boy.

Demetri was already grinning ear to ear.

"Hey!" Aro said, giving his son a lazy slap. "I mean it."

Magnus emerged shortly after Demetri had gone.

"How long did you make that, Caius?" Aro asked, checking the clock.

"You're like a couple of bloody kids!" Magnus complained, slamming his cup on the work bench in much the same way Carlisle had.

Caius switched between Demetri's glass slide and Magnus', clock watching as he went. "Hardly viable at all," he declared about Magnus'.

"What does that mean?" Magnus asked, feeling most affronted.

Aro smiled to his co-master. "You are just less of a man than me, Carlisle, Demetri, or any of the humans."

"Fuck off." Magnus shoved Aro, hard. "How's that for 'less of a man'?!"

"It's your age," Caius explained, pulling Magnus back.

"I am loads younger than that old fucker!" Magnus exclaimed, jabbing a finger in Aro's direction.

"Human age," Caius qualified. "Something must happen in the transformation. The older the human before transformation the less fertile they are afterwards."

"So Demetri can have babies?" Magnus mused. "He could end up as a grandfather?!"

"I hadn't thought about it like that before!" Caius said, looking to his brother-in-arms with a growing smile.

"It's not happening," Aro said gruffly, shaking his head. "I'll kill him first."

Caius went back to his work, scribbling notes down as he went from clock to cum. "Just from the few results we have here, I would say that though you are more likely to get struck by lightning picking a four-leaf clover, vampiric babies are possible. And the younger the vampire, the more possible it is."

"Well that's it then, I'm going to have to ban sex with humans," Aro said, sighing over the shit such a law would cause. "For our male population at least."

"I can see that going down well!" Magnus would have to deal with the guard who broke such a law. _That will be every guy in the guard!_

Aro knew it was going to be a pain in the ass to govern such a law, but he was intent on making it. "There's is something very, very off with Lucius. I will do anything to make sure we create no more like him."


	103. Power Women

**POWER WOMEN**

Aro bumped into his father and Lucius on his way back from the dungeons. Basileus barely gave Aro the time of day as he strolled past, filling Lucius in on coven secrets.

"I don't like that kid, Sully," Aro declared, throwing himself down next to his mate on the sofa.

Jane sat opposite with her needlework, mimicking her mother, whilst Felix sprawled out on the rug in front of the fire. Demetri and Alec were out, _no doubt in the guard hall_ , Aro assumed. Renata took the seat next to Jane, once invited to do so by Sulpicia. Aro hadn't thought to offer.

"Why?" Sulpicia asked. She didn't ask who. She had no reason to. Lucius had only been in the coven a day and Aro had drove her crazy half the night moaning about the boy.

"I don't know," Aro replied, his mind doing overtime trying to come up with a reason. "I can't place it, but he's hiding something."

"So what, do you think he is evil or something?" Felix asked.

"There is no such thing as evil." That was something Aro had always maintained. "People do bad things because we are motivated to do those things. There's nothing supernatural about it."

Felix wanted to hate the kid - it seemed like he should, as he'd already thumped the boy for no apparent reason, but try as he might, he couldn't even muster dislike for Lucius.

"So you just think he's bad, just like that, even though he hasn't done anything?" Felix made his question sound accusatory in his odd desire to defend Lucius.

Aro turned a stern eye on his child. "Who do you think you are telling me what I think?" he asked, flicking Felix's leg with the back of his hand. "You are on thin ice with me already, boy."

Aro continued to muse aloud. "Very few are completely bad … even less are completely good."

Felix scoffed. "Caius is completely bad!"

"No," Aro responded immediately in defence of his covenmate. "Caius has a very strict moral line he will not cross. He shows the strictest adherence to vampiric law, and coven law for that matter," and catching his son's eye, he added, "unlike some."

Sulpicia raised her eyebrows to Felix, too, until Felix had the sense to look away, shamefaced.

"This Lucius is not good … he is hiding something." _If only I could work out what?_ Aro thought.

"You only think that because you can't get inside his head." Felix had abandoned his book, and was now sitting upright on the floor, invading his father's musings.

Aro shook his head. "That frustrates me, I must admit. But no. I think that because Basileus cannot access his thoughts, and because Atia seems to love him!"

"So now you think Atia is evil!" Felix announced, throwing his hands in the air.

Crack!

Aro slapped Felix across the face. It wasn't delivered with his usual force, but it was enough to shut the boy up. "I'm not so old that I need you to tell me what I think, got it?!" he ground out.

Felix rubbed at his cheek and ducked back down to the rug and his book. "Unnecessary, Dad," he said, slinking away from his father.

"I certainly do not think Atia is evil," Aro said. He couldn't risk such an idea being uncontested should either of his parents go snooping in his mind. "She's a grade A pain in my ass at times, but she comes from a good place. Even if I don't appreciate her meddling."

Sulpicia rested a hand on her mate's arm. "Your mother has done more for you than you know, my love," she said, referring to the many times her meddling had done the pair a world of good in recent years.

Aro saw the memories float through his mate's mind. "I know, I know."

As Aro fell quiet, Sulpicia thought he might have dropped his complaint about the new boy. No such luck.

"My queen, I want you to stay away from that boy," Aro announced, formulating plans to at least protect his family from the child until he could work out what was going on.

"What could he possibly to do me?" Sulpicia asked, dropping her embroidery. "Aro, you are being hysterical."

Felix looked up, ready to back his mother up. Aro caught the boy before he dared and with a threateningly raised hand had his son shutting up before he started.

"I'm serious, Sully," Aro said, turning back to his mate. "Just until I have worked out what's going on with him."

Sulpicia had plans of her own and decided to use Aro's request to her advantage. "Fine. I will stay away from the boy if you will come to our announcement this evening and give it your backing."

"Not this again." Aro sprang from his seat, putting a little distance between himself and his mate.

Atia had started an 'equality drive' when he was taken ill, _taken ill … too fucked to work because I was on drugs and my dad battered me for taking said drugs._ She had convinced Sulpicia and later Carmen, Athenodora, and Freyr to work together to affect change in their coven, rather than passively letting the men rule every inch of their lives. It was doing Aro's head in.

"Well?" Sulpicia asked. "I am trying to create equality between our guards."

"How can you claim that?" Aro asked, drawing a glass of bloodwine from the barrel. "The guard has never been so stratified since your interventions. We have layers upon layers of guards doing specialised tasks."

"You are exaggerating, my love," Sulpicia said dismissively. "We are simply getting the house in order, ready to receive this massive influx of guards you keep talking about."

"Bloody women," Aro said under his breath.

"Besides," Sulpicia continued, having heard Aro but choosing to ignore him, "I am not talking about equality between guard duties - it is right that duties and remuneration are stratified. What is not right is the inequality between the sexes."

Aro retook his seat. "I curse the day my father took a mate!" He gave Felix a gentle boot upon hearing the boy snigger.

"Do you really believe men and women should be treated differently in the Volturi?" Sulpicia asked her mate outright.

"I believe a good many of our number prefer to be treated differently," Aro answered, remaining vague.

"Really?" Sulpicia asked. "You really think the female guards enjoy scrubbing the castle, doing all the laundry …"

Aro broke in to Sulpicia's tirade. "Do you think the guys like being given all the heavy lifting? Lugging wood around for the fires? Not to mention the lighter hand our female guards are treated with compared to their male counterparts!" he countered.

"You cannot compare the two Aro!" Sulpicia was almost shouting. Shrieking, Aro would have called it. "One lot do general duties, which the women do too, by the way. The other take on ALL the menial tasks, even some of your highest prized women are subjected to this. It's disgusting."

Sully really was on a well-rehearsed rant now, and it was one Aro had heard many times over the last few months. "To make matters worse, the men in the guard jibe at the women for the services they provide."

As soon as Sulpicia drew breath, Aro jumped in. "If that is the case, your disgruntled female cohort need only raise the matter with Magnus and he …"

"HE is just as bad!" Sulpicia returned, cutting her mate off at the pass. "Who do you think is giving out these tasks, Aro?"

Aro rested his head on the back of the sofa, looking up to the ceiling. "Tell Freyr, then!"

Sulpicia pulled at Aro's dress coat until he was facing her again. "Freyr has done more for this cause than anyone else, but Magnus sticks religiously to the format of guard duties that YOU and Caius devised centuries ago."

Aro had heard that argument before, too, and he knew next she would start in on the treaty …

"You talk about changing the vampiric world, progressing our race and you only mean the men. That's not fair."

 _Yup, here we go!_ Aro thought.

Sulpicia wasn't finished. "All women are oppressed because people born with vagina's are ascribed a lower value in society than those born with a penis."

That had Aro sitting up and listening. "Sully!" he exclaimed, gesturing to their children who looked just as shocked as he was to hear such a thing coming from their mother's mouth. "If you must regurgitate Atia's pep talks, could you at least do it when we are alone?!"

Sulpicia wasn't having that. "Jane should know that her own father values her less than he values her brothers."

"Now wait a minute, you are going too damn far now!" Aro replied. He wasn't having Jane think such a thing.

"Values her less?" Felix repeated in question. "Jane's his favourite and everyone knows it!"

Aro made no attempt to disagree, he just looked to Jane lovingly. When he turned back to his mate, he knew he had to say something.

"Renata, is this really true?" he asked his personal guard.

Renata looked uncomfortably between the coven king and queen, wondering which way she should go.

"Renata is a prized guard," Sulpicia said, drawing her into the fray. "Other than blocking gifts, my dear, what are your other duties?"

"Cleaning … washing … serving …" Renata answered honestly.

"Really?" Aro asked. "You?!"

"Yes, my lord."

"What about … erm … Afton?" Aro asked, plucking a male guard at random.

"Nothing, my lord," Renata answered honestly, again. "Not unless we are preparing for battle, or as a punishment. The men don't clean."

Sulpicia sat back in her chair. "Are you seriously happy for your prized guards to be treated like chamber maids, Aro?"

Aro hadn't actually considered that Sulpicia's directive, (Atia's really), was warranted. He had assumed the elite women were just having a play at coven politics for something to do. He didn't want to admit that, though. "I prize non higher than you, my queen," he answered, kissing her hand and hoping to shut her up.

"Nice try," Sulpicia said, pulling her hand back.

"And you think your little initiative can fix this?" Aro asked his mate, patronisingly.

"If I concentrate really hard with my little lady brain, maybe." Sulpicia wore a withered expression. "The women in this coven have serious issue with the way we are operating, Aro."

"Women don't have real problems," Felix interjected. "They can all be fixed with cock, blood, or attention, or maybe a combination of the three."

"I have no idea why you are single, brother," Jane said without even looking at him. "No idea at all."

Sulpicia jabbed Aro in the ribs with her elbow when it looked like he might agree with their son. Aro quickly changed tack, trying to circumvent a row, and landed his hand down hard on Felix's ass. "Do you want to take yourself to your bedroom or should I take you?" he asked.

Felix scarpered, shooting daggers to Aro for smacking him in front of Renata. Renata wouldn't say a word to the other guards about what she had seen, she was far too professional for that - all the guards were for that matter, but just her seeing was bad enough for Felix's pride to have taken a battering.

"Will you come?" Sulpicia asked Aro, bringing him back to her original request.

"I am booked in with Caius all day," Aro lied, trying to come up with a reason.

"Please, Aro," Sulpicia asked again. "It would mean so much more if this new directive came from you."

Aro smiled sadly. "Then you should have made sure I was available before you arranged your address." He was lying through his fangs, he had nothing else to do. "It's impossible, my queen."

"This is important, Aro," Sulpicia pushed a final time, watching her mate throw on his cloak.

Aro headed to the door with Renata following close behind. "All of my work is important, my dear," he said before he left.

…

"We need to hide," Aro told Caius when he opened his chamber door.

"Why?" Caius asked. "What have you done now?"

"Sully is on me to back her equality thing with the guards," Aro explained as he walked alongside Caius.

"Oh … I'm going to it," Caius said. "I'm heading there now."

" _You_ are?!" Aro asking in astonishment.

"I told Dora I would be there. This is the first thing she has been involved with - she's quite excited by it all."

 _What the hell?!_ Aro thought. _You actually sound like you give a shit about your mate?!_

"Marcus is going, too," Caius added.

Aro stopped Caius outside the throne room doors. "I expected it from him, but you?"

"This whole thing is your fault, Aro," Caius explained with a hand on his covenmate's shoulder. "You should have kicked the women out of the management long ago. It's too late now."

"They have ideas above their station," Aro complained.

"No, brother," Caius said shaking his head. "You gave them station when you didn't kick them off the perch and they now have ideas to match that station."

 _Bollocks._ Aro thought. _You're right!_

"I heard from Dora that Freyr and Magnus are arguing about this," Caius said. It was a throw away comment but it gave Aro an idea.

"Ooo … now I am tempted to give it my backing," Aro mused aloud. "If I back the women it will really piss Magnus off. I owe him one."

Magnus and Aro had been getting one over on each other for a few years. Mostly good natured with Aro winding Magnus up over the way Freyr ruled the roost, and Magnus throwing in his face that 'daddy' still kept his boy in line, and how. There were a few instances where Aro had messed with guard duties to wind Magnus up, and quite a few more where Magnus had played with Aro's emotions resulting in him being far too mouthy with his father. Aro had received a good few slaps from the creator before he had realised what Magnus was doing.

"More than one," Aro added, narrowing his eyes.

Caius winced. "Just remember that Magnus is fucking huge and he will wipe the floor with you if you piss him off."

"You sound scared of Magnus!" Aro said, trying to wind Caius up!

"That's because I am blessed with common sense, Aro," Caius returned, holding the door open for them both. "Which must be alluding you if you think you can poke the bear without it reacting."

…

"You made it!" Sulpicia exclaimed, seeing Aro walk through the door. She slung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "I thought you said it was impossible?"

Aro allowed her love to fill him up. "I thought you said it was important," he whispered into her ear, choosing not to tell her he was only there to piss Magnus off.

All the other masters were already in their thrones so Aro stood before his and made a short speech.

"My friends," he began to the assembled coven, "it has been brought to my attention that there are some inequalities amongst the dispersion of guard duties. This ends now," he declared.

The women seemed pleased, the men, not so much. The Volturi rumour mill had clearly done its job as everyone in the room was fully aware of what was to be said that day.

Aro chanced a look back to his fellow masters. Magnus scowled from his throne, vibrating angrily. Aro turned back to his congregation, pleased to have one over on the juggernaut.

"The Volturi recently signed a treaty to enforce the vampiric laws we hold dear across the land. The Volturi has committed to a duty of care towards all vampire kind, male or female."

The women were clapping already.

"I will hand you over to your queen who I believe will run through the changes to be implemented," Aro said, stepping down the throne steps to watch his mate at work from the wings.

Atia joined her middle boy immediately, pulling him to the very back of the room as everyone else listened to Sulpicia. "You did the right thing, but for the wrong reason," she told him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Aro asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play stupid, Aro. It insults us both," Atia admonished him. "You have been winding Magnus up for months," she added, looking to the angry coven leader staring at them from his throne.

"He gets me back," Aro breezed, smirking to Magnus and winding him up even more.

"You cannot cause another brawl between the masters, Aro. Your father will blame you - you are goading Magnus into a fight."

 _That's a little harsh, Mom!_ "It's not a fight, just a battle of wit, its harmless."

Atia slapped Aro's arm to get his full attention. "Well, Magnus isn't harmless and neither is your father ..."

"I consider myself warned," Aro said, cutting her off before she could say something to embarrass him. "So are you his mother?" Aro asked, gesturing to Lucius standing with Basileus.

"I was, in a way. But we were newborns at the same time, Aro, and that muddied the waters somewhat. He disappeared after only a few years together," Atia explained.

Aro nodded to himself. "And, are you still our mother?" he asked, watching her closely for a reaction.

"Why would you doubt that?" Atia asked. She had done nothing to warrant a loss in faith! "Your father thinks you have an issue with Lucius … he thinks you may be jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Aro shot back with immediacy. "Wary, that's all." He wasn't having anyone thinking he was jealous of the brat. "I'm uncomfortable when my gift doesn't work."

"Lucius is no threat to you, son," Atia said gently, stroking his arm. "He's just a boy."

Aro smiled in return. "What can you tell me about his gifts?" He had been racking his brains for what the issue with the boy was and all he could come up with was his gifts. "Eleazar said the strength of his gift doesn't match the type."

"Lucius' gifts?" Atia mused. "He doesn't really have any. He can be persuasive, but it's such a gentle gift, Aro." She could see her boy was still displeased. "What do you want me to do? You clearly want to ask me something."

Aro smiled. Atia always knew when he was trying to play her. It had annoyed him at first, but now he found it comforting that she seemed to know him so well. Like a proper mother, even. "Will you keep your guard up around him, please. Even when you are alone with Lucius, keep your guard up so he can't use his gift on you"

"Aro, I told you his gift is …"

"Nothing to worry about, I know," Aro jumped in. "But please, I am asking as a son concerned for his mother - please keep your guard up. Just for a while whilst we are all getting to know each other."

"I will do that," Atia agreed, "if you promise to make a conscious effort to welcome Lucius into the coven."

Aro nodded curtly.

Atia knew that was all she could expect from her suspicious boy. "I am surprised at you though. You are usually more compassionate towards younger vampires."

Aro didn't respond aloud, but she could hear in his thoughts that he was thinking on his words. "You could let him spend time with your children."

"I am not stopping him from spending time with them, "Aro answered. He would rather they didn't, of course, but he hadn't asked them not to.

"Jane appears resistant," Atia said, looking to her granddaughter who stood with Renata, far away from Basileus where she would usually be.

"That's up to Jane," Aro shrugged.

Atia continued. "And Felix punched Lucius the second time they met, for no good reason."

"I haven't condoned that," Aro said, crossing his arms and watching Felix and Demetri fool around when they should be paying attention. He didn't often stand at the back of the hall and he was surprised how much more he could see of his guards and children. Things he perhaps missed whilst he was making an address.

"Are you sure he wasn't acting on your wishes?" Atia asked, pulling Aro from his thoughts.

"You know I would never use my children to do my dirty work," he said, offended by the very idea.

"I know that," Atia agreed. "But if Felix thought it would please you, he might do it anyway. As you haven't punished him for breaking Lucius' nose, one can only assume …"

"Point made and taken," Aro interjected. He hadn't got around to punishing Felix for the fighting. He had wanted to take some time to think about it that morning and he'd been busy since.

"I will talk to Felix tonight," he said. "And I will make sure they all know they are free to spend time with Lucius as they wish. Though it looks like they will be fighting my father for the boy's attention."

Atia smiled fondly to her mate, pleased he was making such an effort with the boy who had meant so very much to her in the beginnings of her vampiric life. "Yes, Basileus is quite taken with him, isn't he?"

"Hmmm," Aro murmured. He was decidedly less pleased than his mother was.

Atia caught his dark expression. "Will you relax, you are scaring the guards," she said, before leaving her boy to mingle now the address was over.

Aro went back to the thrones, reaching out to Magnus to crow over his victory. "Magnus …"

"Don't talk to me," Magnus ground out, staying fixed in his throne.

Aro missed the threat in Magnus' tone. "You have to admire how these women find meaning in their days."

Magnus' eyebrows flew up to his hair line. "You don't even agree with this new order bollocks, do you?" he growled. "This whole thing is just to wind me up!" Magnus got to his feet and shoved Aro away. "You have crossed a fucking line and you know it!"

Aro laughed a little awkwardly. Masters NEVER shoved each other like in front of the guard, not even in jest - and that was definitely not in jest! "I could find no fault in what OUR mates are striving for," Aro replied, taking a sidestep.

"Neither can I!" Magnus shouted before getting himself under control. "You should have talked to ME about it! You have massively undermined me!"

Magnus had only resisted the changes the women wished to make because he was following the coven directive Aro and Caius had left him with when he took over the day to day management of the guards. He thought the ideas were good, fair, and equal, but as neither Caius nor Aro, especially Aro, had spoken in favour of the changes he had assumed it was a no go and refused to implement them. He had been trying to avoid an altercation with Aro.

After the last time when Basileus had ended up caning him for fighting with his son, Magnus was being very careful not to antagonise the creator again. All of that was now forgotten, naturally, and Magnus squared up to Aro in front of the whole coven.

"Go to the office and talk about this civilly," Freyr insisted, pulling Magnus back before he could do something they would all regret. "Regardless of why Aro backed this," she said, " … and don't you think for a minute I don't know why …" she added, turning a stern eye on Aro, "this is happening. The last thing the guards need to see with the upheaval of our structures is the two of you arguing in the throne room!"

Magnus shook his mate off. "You know what, fuck this," he announced loudly. "You all went behind my back with this, so any changes that need to be made can be done without my involvement."

"You are such a bad loser," Aro quipped, walking away.

"You are an abysmal winner!" Magnus replied. "And for the record, I didn't know I was supposed to be fighting against you!"

Magnus took a few steadying breaths to calm himself down. He was ready to blow, he knew it. He also knew that would have disastrous consequences for his hide with Basileus being only a few yards away. "My involvement is clearly not required so I will remove myself and make things easier for you all."

"Where are you going?!" Aro called after him.

"Home!" Magnus barked, storming out of the throne room.

"Basileus will talk with him," Aro said to Freyr, trying to ease a little of the tension between them.

"I will be too busy talking with you, son," Basileus crooned into his boy's ear. He had been close by, ready to drag Magnus back had it been required.

"He's being ridiculous!" Aro declared, which only served to send Freyr storming off, too.

"Not at all," Basileus disagreed. "Magnus is justly annoyed with you and now you will have to run the guard hall again."

Aro scoffed. "I don't have time for that!" he dismissed.

Basileus fixed Aro in his sights. "Tough," he said. It sounded like a warning.

"If he is stepping down from being a master he can get his ass back in the guard hall as a guard." Aro said darkly. He had never threatened to remove Magnus' promotion before and he didn't even mean it.

Basileus' booming laughter filled the throne room. "Freyr is still a master of the coven and Magnus is her mate," he pointed out. "Unless you are shipping Sully and Athenodora out of their chambers?"

Aro scowled. "Obviously not."

"Solve this without fighting Magnus," Basileus ordered. "I'm not sure you would win, but I'm not sure you would lose either. Neither prospect pleases me." _And I'll make damn sure it displeases the pair of you if I have to get involved,_ he thought. "As I have explained to you all, being a master of my coven is not a role one can simply step down from." _God knows I would have sacked you and Caius by now if it were!_

"Then you can tell him to get back to his duties." Aro said grumpily. He hadn't intended on pissing Magnus off so much, certainly not to the extent that he would end up running the guards!

"You have needed a break from time to time, occasionally I have forced one on you - the other masters picked up your slack. I expect you to pick up the slack this time." Basileus wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders. "Personally," he added pointedly.

"I have too much to do," Aro whined, sounding very 'Felix-like'.

"Then you will be a busy boy, my son," Basileus replied without even a hint of sympathy. "You clearly have far too much time on your hands if you have the time to play such childish games against your fellow master. This is exactly what Lucius was talking about with you, you aren't focused, you aren't …"

Basileus continued, but Aro had already stopped listening, choosing instead to glare at the boy Basileus crowed over. Lucius glared right back to the coven master, a sly smile tugging at his lips.


	104. The Son I Never Had

**AN:** Just a quick welcome to new readers, and a wave to those reviewing and messaging! Your encouragement is most definitely appreciated :)

* * *

 **THE SON I NEVER HAD**

"Why is Renata stood outside my door?" Basileus asked when he walked into this quarters. He was greeted with all three of his sons and Felix, who looked less than happy to be there.

"I am taking her around with me at the moment," Aro breezed, not wanting to make an issue of it. "To protect myself," he added, seeing Basileus wasn't satisfied by his answer.

"From me?" Basileus asked.

"No, not you," Aro said, catching Eleazar's eye.

Aro had talked to his brother about Lucius already. Neither of them trusted the boy, but Eleazar had said he liked him, though he couldn't say why as he had only met Lucius briefly.

"Then what?" Basileus asked, when no further answer was forthcoming from Aro."

"Nothing in particular," Aro shrugged.

Basileus sighed in annoyance. "Have you brought Renata in because of Lucius?"

"Why ever would I need to do that?" Aro asked slyly.

"There is no reason to do that," Basileus said, staring his boy out.

"You have answered your own question then, Dad," Aro responded, looking away.

Basileus shook his head and poured himself a drink. "Don't get cocky, son," he said, handing one to Aro.

Eleazar fetched a drink for himself and Carlisle, and he managed to hand one over to Felix before either Aro or Basileus could object.

"Have you sorted things with Magnus yet?" Basileus asked his middle boy as he settled into his favourite chair. "You have, haven't you?" he asked a little more forcefully when Aro refused to answer.

"Erm … no," Aro admitted. He hadn't been to the guard hall either, and he knew Basileus would object to that, too.

"And why not?" Basileus boomed. He didn't want to have to deal with Magnus again when the inevitable brawl broke out between the coven masters. _It was awkward enough last time_ , he thought.

Aro huffed into his cup. "Because there's nothing to sort. He just needs to calm down."

Eleazar knew it was far more than that. He had bothered to go and see Magnus after the address the evening before and had received both barrels from the man over his brother's mistreatment of him. "I think you are underestimating how pissed off he is, Aro."

"He's not pissed off, he's just being a sore loser." _Don't you start, El!_ Aro thought. _Dad's bad enough!_

"Why don't me and Felix go to the guard hall and see if Magnus is back in there?" Carlisle offered, with Felix thinking it was a grand idea!

"Not a chance in hell," Aro replied, quashing any hope Felix had for leaving. "He is staying in my sight after what he did yesterday."

"But, I'm so bored!" Felix complained.

"Would you rather be bored and in pain, or just bored?" Aro offered his son the choice with a hand raised, ready to strike.

"Those are shitty choices," Felix said, flopping back into his seat.

Aro slapped his boy across the back of his head. "You can keep it up if you want more, but remember our discussion yesterday morning before you force my hand again," he growled.

Felix wasn't willing to push Aro to spanking him with an audience, his pride won out and he shut his mouth.

Carlisle understood Felix's struggle only too well. Basileus seemed to take great delight in humiliating him in front of his brothers when they had crossed words and he wanted to help his nephew.

"When will I have my own place, Aro?" he asked, deflecting his brother's attention. "I am getting sick of all this swapping about!"

Carlisle's belongings were stacked by the front door, having been evicted to make way for Lucius.

"Soon, brother. We will start on the west tower any day now," Aro explained. He was just as keen to get started as Carlisle so they could move onto the next phase - remodelling the tower for Aro's private residence.

"It can't come soon enough!" Carlisle exclaimed, eyeing his books lying on the floor.

Basileus rolled his eyes. "You have hardly been here since you moved back in so what are you complaining about."

Carlisle looked askance to his father. "You have given my bed away to a stray, Dad!"

"Don't be so disrespectful," Basileus boomed, and slapped his son, much the way Aro had Felix. "You don't even need a room, let alone a bed," he added.

That touched a raw nerve for Carlisle. The only reason adult vampires needed a private room, especially a bedroom, was for sex with their mates. The fact that Carlisle didn't have one made him feel quite emasculated.

"How many bedrooms will he have?" Felix asked his father.

"Two, why?" Aro replied.

Felix's eyes glistened and he turned to Carlisle. "Can I move in with you when you get your own place?"

"Yes, if you want to," Carlisle answered before anyone else had the chance.

"No, he cannot!" Aro said sternly. "The only way you two are living together is if it's under my roof."

"Great!" Eleazar said, clapping his hands together happily. "You can take Carlisle then."

Basileus' angry eye turned on his eldest. "Will you stop talking about your brother as though he were a street urchin!"

"Why can't I live with Carlisle if he doesn't mind?" Felix asked.

"Because you are a child," Aro began, but stopped himself from going any further. "You know what, I am not even getting into an argument with you about this. The answer is no, flat out no."

"Carlisle, don't!" Basileus said before his youngest could continue the argument.

Carlisle huffed to himself, having been admonished so publicly again. "So where's your new pet, Dad?" he asked, sounding spiteful.

"Did I not hit you hard enough?!" Basileus asked with a raised hand ready to strike.

"Sorry.m," Carlisle ducked. "Where is Lucius?"

"He and Atia have gone for a walk. They have a lot to catch up on," Basileus explained.

"How on earth did she steal the kid away from you?" Aro asked cheekily.

"I have been making him feel welcome, son. Something you should be doing, too," Basileus said, making sure to catch the eye of all in attendance. "Lucius is like the son I never had."

"You have three sons," Aro said, feeling affronted that they were suddenly less than enough.

Eleazar shook his head to Aro. "Yo know what he means," he said, trying to calm his brother before a fresh argument began.

"It's not just an expression, Eleazar. I think Lucius is the son I never had."

That had everyone looking to Basileus in confusion.

"I have concentrated a little harder on Atia's memories of the woman who birthed the boy. I think Lucius could be mine."

"What?!" all four asked!

"You heard me," Basileus said easily, rolling his cup between his hands. "I recognise the woman."

"Were we even in Rome at that time?" Aro asked, trying to date their whereabouts.

"We must have been," Basileus replied. "How else would I recognise her?"

"How else indeed?" Eleazar questioned, looking to Aro warily. _There is something seriously weird going on,_ he thought.

Aro dismissed the very idea out of hand. "He's not yours, Dad. Could you even imagine how unlikely that is?"

"Are you even fertile?" Carlisle asked, assuming the creator had not suffered the indignity of wanking into a cup, as he had done.

"Caius has shown that we are fertile and it's a possibility." Basileus said, fetching himself a top up.

"No, Dad," Aro shook his head. "He has shown that WE are very slightly fertile, but WE were all human once," he said, gesturing to his brothers and his son.

"If you think it's possible, have Caius test you." Carlisle offered a solution, not that Basileus would take it.

"I don't need Caius to test anything, thank you, I am perfectly capable of knowing whether I am fertile or not," Basileus replied, sounding very annoyed to be questioned by his own sons. "And I have proof already."

"What proof?" Carlisle asked, assuming he had missed something.

"Lucius, of course!" Basileus bellowed. He missed out Carlisle's cup on the refills. Even Felix was given a top up. That pissed Carlisle off.

 _He's losing his mind,_ Aro thought. He hadn't said too much as he was searching through his own memories for their time in Rome, but that was his first thought. _Basileus is actually losing his mind_! It was something both Felix and Jane had thought about him the day before … the irony was not lost on Aro.

"Did you recognise the boy's mother before Lucius came along?" Aro asked.

Basileus didn't answer, but his expression spoke loudly enough. He did not. Aro was sure.

"That's odd, don't you think?"

Basileus shrugged. "I hadn't given it much thought before Lucius arrived, that's all."

"I don't trust this kid. He's trouble," Aro said. It was quiet, and mainly to himself, but everyone heard him.

"I like him, he's a good kid," Carlisle blurted out. He wasn't sure why he had said that - he was pissed off with Lucius for even breathing, as he had been evicted from his room for the boy.

The phrase caught Aro's attention, too. _That's exactly what Caius said, and Eleazar, and Felix!_

"You're jealous, Aro," Basileus said mockingly, smirking at his middle child. "You were jealous when Carlisle came along, and Eleazar, too."

Aro merely scowled. It wasn't true, in his mind at least. Okay, it was true. Aro was definitely jealous when Eleazar arrived, as his father took to the guy so easily. He was less jealous when Carlisle arrived, though that was mainly because he had such a lot going on in his own home at the time. _But Lucius?! I'm not jealous of that little brat!_

"He's such a charming boy," Basileus said wistfully.

"In what way?" Felix asked. He had never heard his grandfather refer to any child as 'charming' before.

"He's polite, he's courteous, he can hold an adult conversation without complaining of boredom," Basileus said, looking Felix up and down disparagingly.

"He sounds like a total kiss ass to me!" Felix replied, wearing the same scowl as his father.

"Felix should be going now," Eleazar said to Aro quickly, trying to deflect their father. It did little good.

"Felix will be going with my hand print on his ass if he isn't careful!" Basileus said threateningly to the boy before turning to Aro. "Are you putting him up to this abrasion?"

Aro laughed. "Since when has Felix needed my assistance to be abrasive?" he asked. "I think he's right, though. Lucius is sucking up to you because he knows who you are."

Basileus smiled. "That's not an entirely bad thing," he said. True or not, he quite enjoyed spending time with a child so pleasant.

"It's not entirely truthful either, is it?" Aro responded.

"You are a fine one to talk," Basileus sneered. "I've seen you soaking up the adoration sitting in your little throne when we have glory hunters passing through."

"Different," Aro growled. "And it's not a little throne."

Basileus chose to ignore Aro's attitude, which pissed Carlisle off. Basileus wouldn't let him get away with growling at him!

"He's had some good ideas about the running of this place. It would be worth you sitting down with him and having a chat." It wasn't a suggestion, Basileus meant it. "Wipe that damn look off your face!" Basileus roared seeing all four of them wore the same shocked, and frankly disgusted, expressions. "You know, I spoke with Lucius about the way you three behave, he was shocked and appalled! Seeing our family through a newcomer's eyes has been a revelation to me, too."

"What's wrong with us?" Carlisle asked.

Aro and Eleazar groaned in unison. Carlisle still hadn't learnt when to keep his mouth shut.

"Do you want a list?" Basileus asked, before launching into his verbal attack. "Eleazar you are weak - you don't do anything and you stand for nothing," he said to his eldest, giving Eleazar no time to defend himself before he turned on Aro. "You allow your children to govern you and it leaves you unable to properly govern the coven." Aro, too, was given no time for a rebuttal before Basileus turned to Carlisle. "And I hardly think you need telling, the way you blackmailed me is utterly reprehensible."

Carlisle cringed and sunk into his seat. "That was years ago, and I have paid for it," he said. "Many times over."

Basileus scoffed. "You barely paid at all. I will be using a firmer hand with you, going forward."

"Why?!" Carlisle whined. He didn't like the idea of a 'firmer hand' from his father, the one he used already was plenty firm enough!

"Let me guess - Lucius' idea, by any chance?" Aro asked.

Basileus spun on his heel to face Aro again. "What if it was?"

"You should be careful around him, Dad," Aro said, trying to carefully phrase his concerns. "You don't know him from Adam. He will be persuading you to empty the coffers at this rate."

"No need to worry there, son, as you have done a fine job of emptying the bloody coffers yourself."

Aro stared out of the window. "Building is expensive, who knew?!"

"Aro, I want you to give Lucius a position in the castle," Basileus declared. It sounded to his son like he was plucking ideas out of the air.

If Aro was concerned by his father's request, Carlisle was fucking furious. "How does that fucking brat get a position before me?!" he roared.

 _This is exactly what Lucius said would happen_ , Basileus thought, remembering their conversation. _I need to stamp this out right now_! "Stand up," he said to Carlisle

Carlisle looked to his brothers but they merely shrugged, not knowing where Basileus was going. On standing, Basileus reached an arm around his son. Carlisle imagined for a moment that he was going to pull him into a hug. Basileus was quite a tactile father, so it was a reasonable assumption. Instead, and quite shocking for all in attendance, he spun Carlisle around by his shoulder, took a tight hold of his arm, and spanked his ass like a child!

Being stood in the middle of the room for a spanking was, quite honestly, the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to him. In his surprise he couldn't hold back his response, either. Dancing away from his father's swing arm, Carlisle hissed and gasped each time Basileus made contact.

Before Carlisle knew what was happening, Basileus dragged him to the corner of the room, and thrust him face first into the wall. "Stay there and stay still!" he roared at his boy.

Carlisle could only blame his confusion for letting that happen in front of his brothers and nephew.

"I'm sure you can come up with something suitable for Lucius," Basileus breezed, retaking his seat as though nothing had happened.

Aro and Eleazar exchanged a few nervous glances but neither of them replied.

Felix did though.

"I can think of a few things for the little fucker," he said, pissed off that his uncle had copped for Lucius' presence in their coven.

"Do you want to join him?" Basileus asked his grandson whilst pointing a finger at his son, standing in humiliation in the corner.

Eleazar pulled Felix in close and told him to shut his damn mouth before Basileus made good on his threat.

Basileus decided to leave Felix to Eleazar, but he was most put out that Aro had done nothing about the boy speaking to the way he had. "Aro, I'm not playing with you, make space for Lucius."

"I'm sure Aro just wants to give the boy time to settle in before you put him to work, my lord," Eleazar tried to explain his brother's reticence.

"Is that the case?" Basileus asked, daring Aro to say otherwise.

"Of course, my lord," Aro replied, dripping with attitude.

"Well, he can't have a proper position before me!" Carlisle called out from his corner.

"You have one, you talk to the humans," Aro replied, though he felt a tool talking to the back of his brother head. "The human whisperer."

"What part of 'stand still' did you not understand?" Basileus asked.

"I didn't move!" Carlisle complained.

"Your mouth moved!"

Carlisle ignored his father and continued to address Aro. "And, what happens when we finish building?"

"I will find you something else, don't worry," Aro replied. "We can't risk you getting bored and acting like a dick again." Aro looked to his son for a moment. "Bored children are destructive," he added.

Carlisle had wrongly thought his brother was on his side for a change. "I am an adult, Aro, by your own laws!" he said, emerging from his corner, forgetting the fact that his father had put him there.

"The fact that you are considered an adult is both terrifying and hilarious," Aro said, laughing to himself.

Carlisle returned said laughter mockingly. "You hear that Felix, your dad is calling his own laws hilarious, we will have to remember that."

"QUIET!" Basileus boomed, throwing Carlisle back to the wall. "At the very least, the two of you will be nice to Lucius," he directed to Aro and Carlisle. "It's important to your mother and she has done a lot for you both."

"So Eleazar doesn't have to be nice?" Felix asked cheekily.

"Eleazar doesn't need asking, he's a grown up," Eleazar said.

Felix laughed at his uncle. "Talking about yourself in the third person is really lame."

Eleazar shoved his nephew from his seat. "When is he going?"

"Now," Aro said, pulling Felix to his side. "And, so am I."

Before he could leave, Basileus called for Aro one last time. "Aro, think about what I said. Be nice …"

"Or else!" Aro finished his father sentence. "Yeah, I know, Dad."


	105. Guard Hall Duties

**GUARD HALL DUTIES**

Aro headed straight to his chamber to dress for the guard hall. Not that he wasn't already dressed, but he wanted more than some shirt and britches if he was going to be on guard watch. He changed slowly. Very slowly. To give himself time to think.

"Lucius, welcome," Sulpicia said loudly on opening her door. She wanted Aro to hear. "Would you like to come in?"

"My lady." Lucius bowed to the coven queen and entered the upper suite. "Actually, Basileus sent me. He said your children would be able to show me around the castle."

"I am sure they would be pleased to. Wait here, I will fetch them," Sulpicia replied and she disappeared beneath the archway to her children's rooms.

Felix stayed where he was sat, watching the boy curiously.

"Hasn't my father already shown you around?" Aro asked as he strolled out of his bed chamber.

Lucius didn't say anything, he simply fixed Aro in his sights and concentrated.

Aro stopped doing up his dress coat and looked the boy up and down. "What is he trying to do?" he asked Renata, ignoring Lucius for the moment. "Is he trying to use his persuasion on me?"

Lucius spun around to face Renata. He hadn't noticed her on his way in, but the women stood watching him and smiled menacingly.

"Have you met Renata?" Aro asked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady," Lucius said, bowing. He hadn't been formally introduced, but he knew who she was.

"Not a lady, just a guard," Renata replied.

"And who are you guarding?" Lucius asked.

"The king, of course," Felix answered on Renata's behalf. "It's a relatively new appointment."

"In his own chambers?" Lucius asked, turning back to Renata. "Forgive me but I don't understand how you can guard Aro?"

"Well," Renata said, sounding like she was explaining the creation of the universe to a small child, "do you know how you are trying to use your gift on him, and it won't work? That would be me guarding the king."

Lucius took a step backward. "I don't know what you are talking about," he bristled, walking straight into Aro.

"Oh I think you do," Aro ground out while looking down at the boy.

Alec and Demetri came into the room with their mother close behind.

"No Jane?" Lucius asked, sounding disappointed.

Felix felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end hearing Lucius talk of his sister. He wasn't sure why, but it unnerved him. He could have happily planted his fist squarely in the kid's face, again!

"No Felix, either," Aro announced. "He is will be spending the day with me."

Felix didn't complain … he didn't want to go and play with Lucius. He caught hold of Alec's wrist as he passed the sofas and pulled him in close. "You don't have to go with him," he told his baby brother.

Alec rolled his eyes. "You sound as bad as Jane."

"Stay out of trouble," Aro warned his boys, watching them leave with the miniature beast of burden that was Lucius.

"I don't like sending them out there unprotected," he moaned, closing the door behind his middle boys.

"Aro, you need to give Lucius a chance. He hasn't done anything wrong yet," Sulpicia said, sitting at the table with a mountain of paperwork to go through. She would be buried under guard detailing for most of the day.

"Yet," Aro repeated Sulpicia's last word. It was an important qualifier in his mind. "He hasn't don't anything wrong, yet."

"He was trying to use his gift, Master." Renata spoke up. "I could feel it."

"But you blocked him?" Aro asked nervously.

"I believe so," Renata nodded. "But he was very forceful … it felt like trying to block you, or the creator."

"He's using his persuasion on my father, I guarantee it." Aro stalked around his living room at the same speed as his thoughts. _Surely Basileus wouldn't allow him to_ , he said to himself. "He might not know it's happening. I can't confront him about it without some proof - he is quite taken with the little fucker already."

"It's not like you to be so discourteous, my love," Sulpicia said, wondering if her mate was unravelling at the seems.

"I don't trust him, Sully," Aro said, coming to a halt. "I need to see the damage in the guard hall, my queen. I expect the guards all know their master is away from the helm now. Traitorous bastard."

"Aro!" Sulpicia exclaimed.

"What?!" Aro asked. "He is."

"You shouldn't have crossed Magnus, you should have talked to him," Sulpicia told him sternly.

"Last time I checked I was still the king. I don't have to confer before I make a decision."

 _That's something else that will be changing around here!_ Sulpicia thought. She decided not to tell her mate her plans for creating a council for decision making going forward. _He already looks stressed._

"You're coming with me to the guard hall," Aro told his son, pulling the boy to his feet.

"Why?" Felix whined. "I don't want to go with you!"

"Because I said so," Aro returned. _As if there could be a better reason than that?!_

"Can I come?" Jane's small voice emerged from the archway.

"I thought you weren't talking to me?" Aro said, looking lovingly to his girl. Even though Jane had eventually drunk the blood her father had brought to her as a peace offering, she had still refused to talk to him all day.

"I'm not," Jane replied sweetly. "I want to stay with Renata. For protection."

Aro looked to Renata and raised his eyebrows. "Don't I have such charming children!"

Silence fell around the room when Aro appeared in the guard hall.

"Lev, I do not know why you have Turk by the throat, and I do not want to know why, but unless you want to spend a week in the dungeons, you will release him now!"

Lev did as instructed, but he continued to glare at Turk.

Aro strolled around the guard hall, walking through the guards as he went until they all stood alone. "I assume from the raucous I heard from the hallway that you know Magnus has taken some leave?"

Aro calm to a halt hearing someone snigger. "Something amuses you, Afton?" Aro asked the guard having worked out it was Afton who laughed.

"No, Master," Afton replied, looking to the floor.

"I find nothing funny here. My guards, my Volturi guards, cannot conduct themselves appropriately without constant supervision." Aro used his faux calm voice as he spoke, the one that left his coven in no doubt as to how pissed off he was. "You had one night without Magnus in here and you have descended into a rabble of rogues."

Aro walked over to the bar and drew a goblet of the good bloodwine from the barrel. Not the weak stuff they drank in their private quarters, the strong stuff with opium infused into it.

"The bar is closed," he announced, knocking his drink down in one. "You now have a new guard hall master, albeit on a temporary basis."

The entire body of guards groaned hearing Aro was talking over.

"Not me," Aro said, shaking his head. "Jane, my dear," Aro pulled his girl forward to stand at his side, "if anyone so much as raises their voice, burn them," he told his princess of darkness.

"I don't want to do that," Jane said, looking around the gathered guards. She would, of course, but she didn't want to.

"Do you all hear that?" Aro asked. "Jane doesn't want to burn you … anyone who forces my daughter to do something she doesn't want to do will be answering to me, so let's keep things nice and quiet in here whilst I am working," he explained. "If anyone has any complaints they are capable of discussing reasonably, form an orderly queue at my desk."

With that, Aro headed into the office and took his seat at his elaborately carved oak desk. He liked his new desk so much that he had another made identical to it ready for his new chambers once the tower was remodelled.

Looking up from his paperwork, Aro saw his whole guard lined up ready to complain to him. "For fuck sake," he said to himself, throwing his quill down. "Are these complaints all about the same thing?"

Chelsea, heading the line, shrugged.

"Chelsea, my dear, could you put your group complaint forward respectfully, please?"

"The BOYS in here are against the changes our QUEEN has decided."

A fresh row erupted from the guards. "I am not cleaning the castle," Afton complained.

"But you think it's okay for me to do it?" Chelsea shot back to her mate.

"I didn't say that, my love," Afton corrected quickly. "It should be the gift-less doing the scrubbing."

"I am not gift-less!" Bard barrelled in. "We are musicians!" he declared proudly, gesturing to his mate Isolde and Talia and Phoebe.

"That isn't a gift!" Corin said, hands thrown in the air.

Aro looked to his young daughter. "Jane, if you wouldn't mind." He asked, gesturing to the guards.

Jane immediately deployed her gift, roasting every single guard with a short blast of fire.

Once they had all settled down, Aro schooled his features to match his feelings - angry and done. Totally done! He rose very slowly, resting his hands on the fine wooden desk and tipping forward slightly to eyeball his cohort.

"I explained to you all that we will be taking on new guards AFTER the building works are complete. Until then, you will do the duties assigned to you or you can find another coven to join." Aro scoffed at the very idea. "Good luck finding one that will provide for you the way the Volturi does and put up with shit I put up with from you all!" He stopped and took a look around the group. "Anyone handing in their insignia today?" he asked. Aro waited a moment or two for a response. When none was forthcoming he roared, "Then SHUT UP!"

Aro retook his seat, satisfied that the guards looked suitably shamefaced.

Lucius, Demetri, and Alec strolled in just as Aro had finished yelling and the guards had returned to their hall.

"Can we go in?" Demetri asked his father.

Aro nodded, looking quickly to Renata to ensure she was using her gift.

Renata quite fancied going in the guard hall, too. Though she was treated well by the Volturi family, she missed her friends. Still, she stood dutifully at Aro's side whilst everyone else socialised in the hall.

Aro had only ten minutes of peace before a fresh war of words broke out. Slamming his hands into his desk, Aro stood and went back into the guard hall. "Jane," Aro called. She knew what to do.

"AHHH!" the whole room, other than Aro, Renata, and Jane, roared in unison from the power of Jane's gift.

Aro waited for them all to settle down. "That is your last warning! Next argument, from ANYONE, will see the whole guard in the dungeons!"

When Aro returned to his desk, his father was already there. "You seem to have pissed everyone off, Aro. Are you being your charming self or is there a problem?"

"This is ridiculous, my lord," Aro complained. "You need to talk to Magnus!"

"Oh I do, do I?" Eyebrows knitted together, Basileus replied. "If I remember correctly, it was you who caused an issue there, not me."

"It was only a joke," Aro huffed. _I'm not apologising to Magnus, no way! And I'm not sitting here all day, either._

Aro was relieved when Freyr joined the fray. "You are a sight for sore eyes, my dear," Aro said, looking to his co-master gratefully for appearing right when he needed her.

"I have just left my mate, bitching and whining like a teenager over this row he's having with you," Freyr said sounding exasperated.

"I'm not having a row with him!" Aro exclaimed. "He's the one with his arse in his hands over this whole equality thing."

"Aro, you don't know how stubborn Magnus can be. He won't come back here until you apologise to him," Freyr explained. "I won't be covering all the hours he did in the guard hall whilst he's away, either."

With that she left her co-master and sought out her guards. She was accosted the moment she stepped through the door with complaint after complaint.

"You had better get in there, Aro," Basileus said to his boy. "Either that or apologise to Magnus."

Aro went. He would rather face the guards than Magnus!

"How about if I buy a round for you all?" Aro offered, half shouting to make sure everyone heard.

As if by magic, the guards forgot their complaints and started shouting orders out to Turk. Aro noticed those orders mainly consisted of whiskey, which few of the guards would buy for themselves, but he chose not to say anything about it, instead he told Turk to write up a bar bill for him and promised to pay whatever it came to.

Aro sat with Felix at the very end of the guard hall. The opposite end to Lucius with Demetri and Alec. The pair of them watched the new boy intently. He was a captivating story teller. Whatever it was that Lucius was telling his boys, Aro was sure it couldn't have been half as interesting as Lucius was making it seem.

"Dad," Felix said, bringing Aro from his thoughts. "You never did anything about me punching Lucius."

"I know," Aro replied. He felt bad about that. If it had been anyone else that Felix had punched for no reason, Aro would have flayed him. The only reason he hadn't was because it was Lucius. It wasn't right. He knew it.

"Why?" Felix asked.

"Don't get any ideas, son," Aro said, "you won't get away with it again."

"So I have got away with it then?" Felix asked hopefully.

Aro sighed. "You don't know why you did it, and your memory of the event doesn't make any sense. Eleazar said you were rambling about Lucius' intentions towards Jane when he broke you up, but you have no memory of that, either."

"What did you say about me?!" Jane asked, earwigging on her father and brother's conversation.

"Well that's just it. I don't know what was said, Jane," Aro explained before turning back to his son. "I won't punish you for something no that one can explain, Felix. What would be the point?"

"MASTER!" Chelsea called out from across the hall.

Afton held Demetri back with an arm around his waist whilst the boy's arms and legs flailed wildly in his attempts to attack. Mikhail did the same with Alec, also desperately searching for a way to attack his brother.

Aro flashed to his sons. "What the hell are you playing at?!" he shouted. As if magically coming to their senses, both Demetri and Alec stopped fighting their captors. "You are coming home with me!" Aro announced, snatching the two of them by their wrists and storming out of the guard hall with Renata, Felix and Jane trailing along behind.

All the way back their quarters, Aro was inside his children's thoughts. _This makes no sense at all_ , he thought, seeing his boys go from happily listening to tales of Rome in bygone yore from Lucius, to wanting to rip each other's throats out. There was no reason. None at all.

"Get in there!" Aro demanded, shoving Alec and Demetri into his bedchamber. He joined them and slammed the door.

"I don't know what happened, Dad," Demetri said quietly, rubbing his sore wrist from where Aro had gripped him tightly.

"Nor do I!" Alec added. He was still in his father's bad books from staying out too long in the woods. The last thing he needed was adding fighting with his brother to his recent offences.

Aro paced back and forth. He had only just told Felix he wouldn't punish him for a crime he could neither explain nor understand. He couldn't whip Demetri and Alec for fighting a fight they had no reason for engaging in, could he? Shaking the thoughts from his head, he quickly removed his belt and doubled it over.

"I won't have you fighting each other. I don't care what's going on, or gone on, or hasn't …" Aro trailed off. He couldn't make sense of what had happened, but he wasn't having them fighting between themselves, that was for damn sure.

"You!" he called to Demetri. "Here," he said, pointing at the spot in front of him.

Demetri closed the space between them and stood in front of his father. "I don't know what happened though, Dad!" he whined, tears pooling in his eyes already.

Aro ignored his boy's excuse and landed his belt across his ass before he could change his mind. He only gave the boy one strike, but it was hard enough to have Demetri up on his toes and bawling in response.

"Alec," Aro called, pushing Demetri aside.

Alec didn't go to his father the way Demetri had. Aro scared Alec. He always had and likely always would. Even though he knew that Aro would never seriously harm him, Alec still feared him.

Aro blamed everyone else for that. No one told Aro when one of the twins was in the wrong. Either the adult they were with dealt with them quietly themselves, (usually their mother, though occasionally Marcus, Eleazar or their grandparents) or they chose to let it go. But they rarely, if ever, told Aro.

Alec should have been grateful for that - it meant he suffered far fewer punishments than he deserved, but it also meant that any punishments he did receive came at a much higher price to his psyche and he felt he suffered doubly for them.

"ALEC!" Aro shouted, getting his boy's attention.

When Alec still refused to move, Aro stalked to his side and manhandled him roughly into position before releasing two strikes to his youngest.

Alec reacted in much the same way Demetri had, shrieking and hoping on the spot.

"The pair of you are on restriction for a week," Aro announced. "Don't even think about leaving this tower!" With that he opened the door for the boys to escape.

It was then that Aro caught Felix's eye. _Oh, damn it,_ he thought, _I have to wallop him, too,_ he reasoned. It wasn't right that Felix should get away with breaking someone's nose. And his earlier argument had fallen flat now he'd belted Alec and Demetri for their altercation.

"Felix, get in here."

"No way, Dad!" Felix answered, fixing himself in his chair. "You already said that …"

"I know what I said, Felix," Aro ground out. "And now I am saying otherwise."

Felix still refused to go in that bedchamber of doom.

"Get in here or I will belt you where you are sat," Aro warned him, eyes flickering to Renata hoping her presence would see the boy comply so Aro could get this over with.

"You can't belt me whilst I'm sitting," Felix replied cockily.

Aro closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down. "Fine," he said. "You win."

Felix smiled happily to his mother who merely looked away, shaking her head. _Foolish boy,_ she thought.

Aro dragged Felix from his chair.

That was when Felix realised he had 'won' being belted in the living room, not being let off punishment at all. _Oh bollocks_! He thought, trying to fight his father off.

"No, Dad!" he exclaimed, dancing a circle around Aro so he couldn't get a good aim on him.

"Renata, my dear," Aro called out, standing still with a tight hold on Felix's collar. "What looks worse - the boy taking a few licks in front of you calmly, or him prating about like this and ending up bare-arsed over my knee for his insolence?"

Felix immediately stilled. He didn't need Renata to answer that question and thankfully the guard kept her mouth shut, saving some of his shame.

"We do not hit," Aro said simply, before ironically, wrapping his belt across his boy's backside five times.

Felix bit into his cheek to keep quiet but traitorous tears pricked at his eyes from the pain that engulfed his rear end. Aro had been quite light, _for Aro,_ Felix thought. _Certainly not his usual force._ But that begged the question of why Aro did it in the first place if he clearly didn't feel it actually necessary.

"That was uncalled for, Dad," Felix said, once he could trust his voice not to betray him.

Aro ruffled his boy's hair and took a seat with his mate, leaving his belt on the floor. "Now no one can say I'm not fair," he explained. "And on that note, you are restricted to the tower for a week, too."

"So that's all four of them on restriction?!" Sulpicia asked, to which Aro nodded curtly. "Then you can keep them with you, my love," Sulpicia told him. "I have far too much to do."

"Fucking equality!"

…

Aro didn't go back to the guard hall that day. Instead he stayed in his chambers, growing increasingly pissed off with his young tribe. By the time they went to bed, Aro felt like he could have slept for a week - and he didn't sleep at all!

By the next morning, Felix and Jane were so busy sniping at each other that Aro decided to punish them further by lifting Demetri and Alec's restriction. Felix was furious that Aro let the pair of them go out and he was stuck in with Jane. By that night, Aro was only too happy to attend Caius' chambers when Corin came to collect him.

"We have never really had an issue with stealing in the coven before," Aro replied to Freyr with her news of thefts occurring in the guard dorms.

"That's probably because no one had anything worth stealing before," Caius said, accepting a drink from his mate. "What sort of things are going missing?"

Freyr checked her notes. "Money, jewels, books, watches, weapons …"

"Weapons?" Aro asked. It was news to him that guard had weapons.

"Some of the guards have started to collect certain human weapons. Swords, guns, shields," Freyr explained. "Nothing of particular note. But still, it belongs to them and now it's missing."

Almost every member of the guard had privately confided in Freyr that something had gone missing from their private dorm room.

"What are you planning, Freyr?" Aro asked. He wished Magnus was there, he would have been able to ask who had stolen the missing items and sensed who was lying with his gift.

"I will be tossing the dorms tomorrow morning," Freyr explained. "I could do with some back up from you two."

Neither Aro nor Caius looked entirely enamoured with the idea. Caius had every right to be pissed off, of course. Aro was the one who had annoyed Magnus, not Caius, but now Caius was facing Aro's consequences with his covenmate. _As it ever was, as it ever will be!_ he thought, bitterly.

Freyr continued. "I will work through the dorms alone if I have to, but I want everyone else under supervision whilst its going on."

Aro agreed. He didn't have a choice really. He could have apologised to Magnus, but that wasn't going to happen.

"You could go through their memories whilst you supervise," Athenodora suggested.

"I could. It would be a good excuse to delve into a few minds," Aro nodded to himself. _Magnus' gift would be much more bloody useful here_ , he thought, still refusing to apologise.

"Do you have any idea who the thief could be?" Caius asked Freyr.

"I really don't," Freyr admitted sadly. "If we had any newbies in the coven I would have said it was them. I just cannot imagine one of our trusted long-standing members will have done this to their covenmates."

"We do have a newbie," Aro interjected. "Lucius."

All three, Caius, Athenodora, and Freyr burst out laughing. "Lucius is just a boy, Aro," Freyr exclaimed. "And he's only been here a couple of days."

That didn't make a difference to Aro.

"I'll be in the guard hall at dawn," he told them all, leaving the three of the cackling like witches.

…

Caius stood guard on the stairwell so no one could try to infiltrate Freyr's inspection whilst Aro had one guard at a time sit with him so he could read their thoughts.

He actually felt guilty doing it to long standing Volturi members. It was proving an entirely pointless activity anyway - the only thing Aro had learned so far was that the guards blamed him for the thefts as Magnus had been removed from the guard hall. No one seemed to care that Magnus had taken himself out of the hall - they all blamed Aro!

"You are out and about rather early, my lord," Aro commented when his father walked into the guard hall with Carlisle and Eleazar.

"I had a feeling I should be here," Basileus replied, eyeing the guards sternly. "Stealing from your own kin!" he exclaimed, watching for a reaction.

"How did you know about it?" Aro asked. He hadn't told his father and he was pretty sure no one else had either.

"I know everything, son," Basileus said, tapping his temple.

Carlisle and Eleazar took a seat with their brother whilst Basileus took over mind exploration with the guards.

"What is actually going on?!" Carlisle asked. He wasn't sure why he had been dragged to the guard hall at dawn, and Basileus hadn't offered much by way of explanation.

"There have been a number of thefts in the guard dorms," Aro explained. "Freyr is tossing the rooms now."

Basileus searched through each and every mind in the room, aside from Aro and Renata. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. "They are all entirely innocent, Aro," Basileus declared.

It wasn't long before Freyr joined them, having exhausted every nook and cranny of the guard dorms without finding a single missing item.

After a little more confused chatter, the guards dispersed to their dorms to tidy up and Basileus and his sons went back to the south tower. Carmen greeted them all at the door to the castle floor with a look of concern on her face.

"What is wrong, my love?" Eleazar asked, rushing ahead to reach his mate.

"You should come and see for yourselves," she said, smiling sadly to Carlisle.

Carlisle wasn't sure what that sad smile meant but he found an anxious knot forming in his stomach as he climbed the stairs behind his father and brothers. When they reached Eleazar's apartment and went straight through to his bedroom, Carlisle really started to panic.

There on his freshly made bed, lay all of the guards' missing items.

"EXPLAIN!" Basileus bellowed, grabbing hold of Carlisle before he could flee.

"I, I, I …"

Carlisle couldn't form a single sentence. He hadn't taken those things. Not the watches, not the jewels, not the coins, nothing. He hadn't! At least, he didn't remember taking them. He could see himself putting the loot under his bed … but he didn't remember taking them from the guards. He couldn't even place when he had stashed the goods under his bed. It must have been in the last two days as that's how long he had been back in Eleazar's quarters, but exactly when … he wasn't sure.

"CARLISLE!" Basileus growled, giving his son a shake for good measure. "I expect an answer, boy!"

"Dad, I don't know what to say!" Carlisle rushed, desperately pulling back out of his father's hold. It was no good, of course, he couldn't hope to resist Basileus' strength.

"I can't believe you would do this Carlisle!" Eleazar sounded so disappointed. Completely, and utterly disappointed.

Aro, however, was furious! "How could you steal from my guards, you deceitful little shit?!"

Eleazar and Carmen pulled Aro clear of their spare room, Carlisle's room, and into the living chamber.

"Let Dad deal with him, brother," Eleazar implored.

"How am I supposed to hand that over to the guards and tell them my own brother stole form them, El?" Aro asked, attempting to get back to Carlisle.

Eleazar shoved him clear of the doorway. "Aro, you won't have to. Carlisle can make that walk of shame himself. Just let Dad deal with him."

The thunderous crack they heard coming from the bedrooms gave both Aro and Eleazar pause for concern.

"I will string you up for this, you damn idiot!" Basileus roared, dragging Carlisle inside his bedroom and slamming the door.

Carlisle cupped his face, sure his jaw had fractured if only for a moment from that one slap. Basileus started to remove his rings. _A little late for that!_ Carlisle thought, rubbing out his cheek from the back hander.

"Dad, I didn't steal this stuff! You have to believe me!" Carlisle implored.

"I want to trust you, Carlisle, but you're making it difficult. Can you see that?" Basileus asked, gesturing to the swag pile on his boy's bed.

"Why would I do that?!" Carlisle asked. "Why would I steal from the guards?"

"Do you think I care why?!" Basileus returned, taking off his coat. "I care that this stuff is in your room and judging by your memories, you stashed this stuff last night!"

Carlisle watched in absolute dread as Basileus threw his coat on the bed next to the stolen items and started rolling up his sleeves, revealing great hulking, powerful arms beneath.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Carlisle rushed when Basileus picked up his cane.

"Why would you be sorry if you haven't done anything wrong?!"

Carlisle didn't have an answer for that. It had seemed to him that the most sensible thing to do when you were about to have a cane wrapped around your ass was to say sorry, to apologise to lessen the blows. He couldn't say that to Basileus though, not without looking like he was trying to manipulate him.

"You know son, you tell me I can trust you, you tell me you have matured and you are past these childish ways, and then you pull something like this!"

"I don't know how this happened, Dad." That was the truth. Carlisle didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Did you or did you not put these stolen items under your bed?" Basileus asked.

Carlisle looked from the guards' things to his father and back again. "Yes," he squeaked, sounding more like a small boy than the young man he was. "But I don't remember stealing them!" he added.

It was too late. His fate was sealed in Basileus' mind. There was only one thing to do now. "Drop your britches and get your hands on the wall, son."

Carlisle's heart jumped into his mouth. "Please dad …" he started, but soon trailed off seeing how resigned his father was to punishing him. He didn't have a defence anyway. _What else can I say?_ he wondered, removing his coat and undoing his britches. Carlisle went to the wall where his father had pointed and dropped his them to his knees.

Basileus moved behind him, kicking at his son's feet to move them apart and spread his legs a little. Standing back, Basileus shook his head. Carlisle's shirt reached halfway down his thighs, as they were worn then.

"Lift your shirt, son," Basileus told his boy sadly.

Carlisle did as he was told. One hand held his shirt to his chest and the other braced the wall where he rested his forehead.

"Dad, please …" he begged one last time before Basileus unleashed hell on him.

Carmen had fled to her sister-in-law's, but Aro and Eleazar listened to the whole event play out only a room away. They heard the swish the cane made as Basileus ripped it through the air, and the resounding crack it made against Carlisle's vampiric flesh. And then the howl. Carlisle wailed in pain and anguish to each biting strike.

When they got to five, Eleazar said that would be it. Five strikes like that, from that cane delivered by their father, yeah, that would be it. He was wrong. They counted another five and Aro was sure that would be it. Sure. He was wrong, too.

Twenty strikes Carlisle suffered with Basileus lecturing him as he went.

Renata cried to herself softly from the door. She wasn't too sure what was going on in the Volturi family, but from what she knew of Carlisle, he would never have gone to the guards' private dorms and stolen from them. Never. It all just seemed such a mess.

When Basileus emerged, he carried the guards' goods bundled in Carlisle's bedsheets. "I will be returning these," he announced. "It was fortunate that I found them on my travels around the castle grounds," he added pointedly, looking to Renata in particular.

"Understood, my lord," she whispered in reply, clear from her croaky voice that she had been crying and was still feeling emotional.

Eleazar and Aro waited until they were sure their father had left before flashing to Carlisle's aid.

"Aro, please, no more," Carlisle called from the floor where their father had left him.

Placing a hand on his brother's neck, Aro dived into Carlisle's memories. He could see as clear as day that his brother had indeed stashed the guards' missing items under his bed, but like Basileus, he couldn't find Carlisle committing the crime of stealing them.

"This is Lucius …"

"For fuck sake, Aro!" Eleazar growled. "Not now!" he said, shoving his middle brother aside to hoist his youngest brother to his feet.

Carlisle was still half dressed but he didn't care. He allowed his big brother to carry him to his bed and lay him out on his front. The pressure slits in his skin were already healing over, but the bruising was deep and angry looking.

Eleazar offered his wrist to his brother. "Drink, Carlisle," he said softly.

"No, El. You know what he will say." The 'he' being Basileus.

Eleazar scoffed, "he can say what he likes." With that he bit into his wrist himself and once again offered Carlisle his blood. It wouldn't have the same instant healing affects that Basileus' would, but it would take the edge off, at least.

Carlisle thanked Eleazar gratefully when he pulled away. "At least he took the stuff back to the guards for me," he said, hugging his pillow. "I don't think I could have faced that."

Eleazar caught Aro's eye and sternly shook his head. He could see his little brother felt conflicted. On one hand, he understood that Aro would want to rip into Carlisle for his crimes, on the other, their father had just delivered a serious canning and he knew Carlisle couldn't take anymore.

Aro relented and joined Eleazar with Carlisle on his bed. No one really knew what to say. Yes, Basileus had been harsh, but then Carlisle had, from what they could tell, stolen a great deal of goods from the guards. None of it made sense, but they all felt very uneasy about what the future held in the Volturi coven.


	106. Alpha Male

**AN:** I will be on holiday for the next couple of weeks. I am hoping to be able to update on Fridays, but it will depend on internet access.

Here's the last chapter for this section :)

* * *

 **ALPHA MALE**

The guards were glad to have their stolen items returned, but no one had bought Basileus' story that he'd found them in the castle grounds.

Renata had stayed true to her word and told no one what she knew, but somehow … and no one quite knew how … the guards had learned that it was Carlisle who had invaded their private rooms and taken their belongings.

Aro was forced to defend his brother. He eventually claimed that the new kid was involved, but with no way of backing up his assertions he only served to sever the guard's trust for him, too.

Magnus was still missing from the guard hall. It had been three days since he had removed himself from coven life and the guards complained bitterly that Aro had forced their master out. That was the Volturi rumour mill at work - the guards had come up with that all on their own. Aro had forced Magnus to resign, and so all of the upheaval - the women seeking equality, their dorms being infiltrated by a thief, the infighting between the guards - all of it was Aro's fault.

It was a shame, then, that Aro was the one running the guard hall at that time. Freyr refused to pick up extra time on duty, especially now her mate was no longer at her side. Caius called by, but he refused to help in any meaningful way.

Aro explained what had gone on with Carlisle but Caius already knew, though he couldn't remember how he had found out. No one could, they all 'just knew'.

"Do you know how to fix the issues in the guard hall?" Aro asked, looking to the guards who were clearly discussing their king in a less than positive light.

"Kill a kid an hour until it sorts itself out?" Caius suggested, grinning at Demetri, Alec, and Lucius as they strolled into the hall.

"Oi!" Aro exclaimed rushing to his sons. "You are on restriction!"

"Mom said we could come to the guard hall," Demetri answered for the two of them.

"We agreed she would keep you two at home today," Aro replied, though he was watching Lucius' reaction as he spoke. The boy could barely suppress his smile and Aro knew, he just knew, that the new kid had something to do with Sulpicia going back on their agreement. "I already have Felix and Jane to watch, I can't watch you two, as well!"

Felix scoffed from Aro's desk whilst Jane threw a look of disgust towards her father. They didn't need 'watching'. Jane was only with Aro to make use of Renata's protection. She trusted Lucius even less than Aro did, if such a thing were possible.

There was something about the way Lucius looked at Aro that scared him. Scared might be a bit strong … unnerved him, perhaps? It was a feeling Aro couldn't quite place. Deciding he was better off without the boy in his presence, he allowed Demetri and Alec to go in the guard hall, just to get rid of Lucius. "I don't want any fighting from you two today, understood?"

Demetri and Alec bounded away from their father without further word.

"I thought Demetri and Alec had fallen out?" Caius asked when Aro returned to his desk.

"They had, but as neither of them could remember why, they have kissed and made up," Aro explained.

He watched his sons move around the hall with Lucius. They followed the new boy like a pair of lost puppies and it made Aro anxious. "I need to work out what's going on with that kid, Caius. You will have to watch the guard hall today."

Caius laughed in his face. "No chance, brother, I have my own work to do. Just go and apologise to Magnus. Stop being such a stubborn prick!"

"Fuck Magnus," Aro replied, like a spoilt child. "He's the one being a prick, not me!"

"Aro, he won't come back until you go up there," Caius explained, lowering his voice so the guards, who were hanging as closely as they could to the masters' office, wouldn't hear. "I've been to see him …"

Aro cut him off. "You went to his chambers before supporting me here?!"

"HE hasn't done anything wrong, Aro!" Caius cursed how loudly he had replied, seeing the guards walking away smugly. "You are the one dragging this out, why would I support you in that?!"

"Because I am your king!" Aro said, getting to his feet and shoving Caius away. "WE started this coven, Caius. Magnus rode roughshod up the ranks. You should remember where your loyalties lie."

Caius shook his head. He wasn't getting into a row with Aro over status and he had no complaints over Magnus' appointment to master, either. "You want to pull rank with me? Seriously? Now?!" Caius scoffed. "Go ahead, Aro. See how much good it does you when you lose another master." With that, Caius walked away.

Aro was ready to call Caius back but a ruckus breaking out in the guard hall took his attention. _For fuck's sake_! He stalked into the guard hall, expecting silence to fall by his presence alone - as it usually would.

Not this time.

The guards were too intent on fighting and they had lost so much respect for Aro, for the entire Volturi family with Carlisle's treachery. It took Freyr rushing into the fray for anyone to stop their argument.

"Explain!" Aro ordered, growling ferociously at Afton who dared to continue his complaint with Turk.

Turk was happy to explain now Afton had released him. "That idiot thinks he's next in line now you've sacked Magnus," he said, jabbing an angry finger in Phillipe's direction. "If anyone is next in line, it would be Lev."

"Like fuck would it be Lev!" Afton roared. "I've been here longer than any of you. If anyone is the next alpha, it's me!"

"I've been here longer than you!" Turk shot back with Odi backing him up.

Afton burst out laughing. "You are giftless, Turk!" he said, as though that discounted Turk from the running, completely forgetting Caius was also one of the 'giftless' and had been a master from the very beginning of the Volturi's conception.

"Why would it be another man?!" Corin asked. "Why not one of the women?!"

That wild notion had all the men laughing in unison.

"As if that even needs an answer," Afton said, voicing the opinion of the male members of the guard. He had to duck pretty sharpish as Chelsea offered her mate a hefty slap to his head before the two of them broke into a separate argument.

"We need Magnus back," Freyr sternly told her co-master, expecting Aro to put aside his foolish pride and apologise to her mate.

Aro huffed. "Demetri, go and tell Magnus what's going on in here and that he needs to grow up and come back to work."

Demetri scurried away as fresh arguments broke out behind him.

Freyr's mouth hung open in shock at just how unaware Aro was of the issue he had created with her mate. "You think Magnus will come because you call?" she asked in astonishment. "You really don't know him, do you?" Freyr started walking away shaking her head, leaving the guards to their argument.

Aro wasn't having that. "Freyr, these are your guards, too, you know!"

"I do know!" Freyr responded just as forcefully. "But you have pissed them off, Aro, YOU. If you want them toeing the line, you need to appease them!"

"Where are you going?!" Aro called, holding Afton back as Felix took hold of Turk. "FREYR!"

Freyr looked back over her shoulder to see her guard hall in disarray and her guards at war with one another over who would take her husband's seat at head of the guard hall. "I'm done, Aro. DONE!"

Aro scowled at the lack of support coming from the masters. When Demetri returned to tell him Magnus had slammed the door in his face, Aro was also 'done'. "For fuck's sake!" he roared, separating guards and throwing them to the four corners of the room.

Once everyone had settled down, Aro tried to explain what was going on in the guard hall. "I have not sacked Magnus. He's taking a break from his duties …" he started, only to be cut off by yet more arguing!

"QUIET!" he bellowed.

It was rare for Aro to shout at the guards. It just wasn't his style. It certainly had them all sitting up and listening. As he looked around his staff, Aro caught Lucius' eye. The boy was thoroughly enjoying the coven king's downfall.

 _I am so done with this shit_! Aro thought, coming up with a plan to force Caius into helping him with the guards. "All of you follow me, NOW!"

…

Marcus casually strolled into the guard hall and took a seat next to his co-master. "Busy?"

Aro looked to Marcus and gestured to his cup with his chin. "Yes, I am engaged in wishful thinking," he said.

"Looks more like wishful drinking," Marcus said disapprovingly. "You won't find an answer at the bottom of your glass, Aro."

Without responding to Marcus out loud, _I don't need your moralising,_ he thought, Aro defiantly refilled his glass with bloodwine.

Marcus raised his eyebrows to his co-master's actions, but chose not to comment on them. "It's very quiet in here," he said, looking around the completely empty guard hall.

The guard hall was never empty. Since the Volturi first built a guard hall, initially little more than a wooden barn, it was always occupied.

Aro sighed. "I've thrown the guards in the dungeons," he admitted, knowing Marcus wouldn't be happy to hear it.

"All of them?!" Marcus asked, surprised. He removed the cup from Aro's hand just to get his attention.

Aro gestured to Renata. "Clearly not all of them," he replied rather snippily.

Renata, for her part, stayed quiet.

"They were fighting," Aro excused, snatching his cup back.

Marcus looked down his nose to the younger master, exuding disapproval. "If your father finds out the guards are fighting …"

Aro wasn't listening to any judgements from Marcus, particularly not if he was going to come in heavy with references to the creator! "What are you trying to say?" he asked, cutting Marcus off. "It sounds like you are questioning my judgement, my leadership no less."

"Aro, listen …"

"This is not a good time to give me an order, brother." Aro placed heavy emphasis on the 'brother'.

Marcus, and even Magnus at times, were prone to playing 'adult' with Aro and Caius due to their advanced years and Aro was in no place to hear it.

Marcus shook his head, appraising Aro as he did so. "Caius told me you are in the mood to pull rank," he said, sounding like he was addressing one of the twins. "You may be king, Aro, but I always have the full backing of the creator. Basileus is my good friend, as I am his. Which one do you think he will support in a quarry between us?"

Aro knocked his drink back in one. _Yeah, he'd support you, as fucking always_! He wasn't quite ready to concede to Marcus, however, and kept his thunderous expression fixed firmly on the glass he rolled between his hands.

Aro may not have said much out loud, but Marcus had been the wise voice of reason throughout their eternity and he could read Aro like a book. _He's listening._ He reasoned, knowing Aro wouldn't do anything to force Basileus' involvement when he was already in the wrong.

"There is a very simple solution to all of this," Marcus told his co-master. "Magnus."

Aro scoffed. "HE," he said scathingly, "knows what's going on but he refuses to come back," Aro continued chuntering about how useless the masters of HIS coven were and what a crock of shit it was that HIS staff were so defective.

Marcus, like Magnus, Caius, and Freyr before him, was done. "Then I will leave you to deal with the guards."

"Marcus!" Aro called after him. "You are a master of this coven - it's as much your problem as mine."

Marcus smiled, it was as close to a laugh that anyone had seen from Marcus since he'd lost Didyme. "On the contrary, you caused this, it's your problem - apologise to Magnus," he suggested.

"No."

The smile immediately dropped from Marcus' face. "The next time Felix butts heads with you, I want you to remember where the poor child has learnt his attitude from."

Caius rushed in, passing Marcus on the way. One look to the elder master and Caius knew Aro was still being a prick. Not that he needed Marcus to tell him that after what he had just found in his dungeons.

"Why is my dungeon full of guards?!" he asked, demanding an answer from Aro who sat sullenly at the bar.

"I have other work to do you know?! I can't babysit the fucking guards night and day!" Aro replied. Though as his 'other work' appeared to be getting pissed, alone, Caius was hardly going to take Aro seriously.

"So you locked them up?!" Caius said, wondering if Aro truly had lost his mind. It made him nervous, which wasn't a usual feeling for Caius, but as when Aro became stressed with work he tended to self destruct, Caius had good reason to worry.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Aro asked, throwing his hands in the air. "It was that or kill a couple!"

He really thought it was partly Caius' fault the guards were in the dungeons as he had refused to help in the guard hall. But after his conversation with Marcus, he decided not to voice that, lest he end up with Basileus at his door for falling in his duty and alienating every other member of the coven in the process.

"This can't go on, Aro." Caius pulled his co-master to his feet. "Swallow your pride and apologise to Magnus."

Aro didn't want to. He knew he was being childish but that didn't change his feelings.

As if reading his mind, Caius gave him the final push. "If you don't go to Magnus, Marcus will go to Basileus. You know he will."

 _Oh fuck._ Aro knew Caius was right. He sloped off to Magnus' quarters as Caius headed back down to his over crowded dungeons.

Magnus looked Aro up and down when he opened the door. "Fuck off," he said, trying to close it again.

Aro stuck his foot in the way and pushed back. "Don't treat me like a cunt, because then I have to treat you like a cunt and I am MUCH better at being a cunt than you are."

Magnus smirked despite himself. "Pulling rank again, my king?" he asked, throwing Aro a withering look.

Aro held out his hands pleadingly. "I'm your friend," he said, sounding hurt at such by Magnus' assertions.

Magnus let Aro in, though he asked Renata to wait outside. Aro may have been content with the guard knowing every inner inch of his personal life, but Magnus wasn't so keen. The guards took up enough of his time as it was.

"I thought you were my boss?" Magnus said, still looking to Aro expectantly for some sort of apology.

Aro smiled coyly in return. "I'm your bossy friend."

 _You bastard!_ Magnus thought as he burst out laughing. "Lets hear it then." _You aren't getting away with all of this without apologising to me._

Aro huffed. _Isn't coming here enough?!_ he thought. "I am very sorry that you took offence when I backed our women with their latest little scheme."

"That's a bullshit apology and you know it," Magnus replied, taking a seat and watching his co-master. "I'm sure I've heard such a shit apology from your sons in the past. I gave them a bollocking at the time … now I see they were just copying you."

"You know, this is all Lucius' fault …"

Magnus looked away in disgust. All previous good humour left him. "You cannot blame that child for your failings, Aro. You are the one who crossed me. Lucius isn't yanking your strings!"

 _Fuck me, when did you become a grown up_?! Aro thought, thinking Magnus sounded more like Marcus at that moment.

For a while Aro had viewed Magnus as a playmate, someone who would joke with him. When he looked at the rather stern looking juggernaut sat judging him he started to see why his own sons were so fearful of pissing him off. He joined Magnus on the sofa. "I was a prick, we both know I was a prick. I won't be a prick again for a while."

"I wanted those changes made, Aro," Magnus explained. He was genuinely hurt that Aro had gone over his head, worse than that, he had excluded him. It was the first time since his appointment that Magnus felt he'd lost Aro's backing. "I only resisted in the first place because I was following the doctrine I inherited from you and Caius."

"I know that now."

Aro hadn't intended to actually piss Magnus off. Not properly, anyway. He was 'playing' and he'd thought Magnus would take it on the chin - like all of the other times. When Aro thought about it, he realised that, actually, he had pushed Magnus too far. "I should have consulted you. I'm sorry."

He waited for a moment letting his words sink in before he pushed a little further. "Will you come back to the guard hall before I kill all the guards. Please."

Magnus softened just hearing about his guards. "I do hope you haven't damaged any of them?"

"They are all on lock down in the dungeons."

"ALL of them?"

 _Why do you all place so much emphasis on the 'all'?_ "Except Renata … yes." Aro caught Magnus' clear annoyance. "They were pissing me off!" he offered by way of explanation. It was weak, he knew it.

Magnus scoffed, wearing the same expression of disapproval Marcus had worn earlier that day. "You really are a prick."

"I know."

Magnus dragged his finger through his long hair and secured it at the nape of his neck with a tie. "I was coming back today anyway," he told Aro, enjoying the reaction in his co-master. _You never would have apologised to me if I'd told you that, would you!_ "Your old man came around earlier and he gave me a compelling reason to return to my post."

Aro grimaced. "What was that?"

"He was going to beat the daylights out of me if I didn't."

"You're right, that's pretty compelling," Aro nodded to himself. _I probably came pretty close to suffering the same consequences,_ he thought with a shudder.

"I'm keeping Carlisle out of the guard hall for a while," Magnus announced. "I heard what happened."

Aro couldn't argue with that. Though he doubted his brother would be darkening the guard hall any time soon anyway. _He still can't walk._ "That was Lucius' doing …"

"Do you realise how petty you sound?" Magnus asked, wincing for effect. "You hardly know him, Aro. He's just a child. At least wait until you have proof before you string him up."

Aro tried to wave Magnus away, but Magnus continued.

"You know, Aro, it sounds like you are jealous of him."

 _Jealous?! If only you knew how glad I am to have LESS of my father's attention!_ Aro couldn't voice that because then he would have to explain why and he just couldn't admit to Magnus that he had submitted to his father. _I should, perhaps, be grateful to the boy … Basileus is certainly less involved in my day to day life now he has the boy to focus his attention on._

"What do you think of Lucius?"

"I like him, he's a nice kid."

Hearing that godforsaken phrase spooked Aro. He went straight to the door to fall back under Renata's protective power. _Magnus is right, I need to wait until I have proof, he_ thought, _but I won't put myself at risk whilst I find it._

Caius looked relieved to see Magnus and Aro coming down his dungeon stairwell. "Are you taking them?" he asked Magnus, hopefully. "I have better things to do than babysit the entire fucking guard!"

"Don't blame me," Magnus bustled. "I didn't put them here!"

"I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming _my king!"_ Caius glowered at Aro as he spoke for causing him the unnecessary stress of having to involve himself in guard life.

"I've apologised!" Aro shot back.

Caius reared up, ready to reply just as snottily as Aro had.

"Caius, don't." Magnus wasn't in the mood to play piggy in the middle between the masters. After talking at length with Marcus about his position in the castle, and how he was viewed, he planned on taking a much firmer stance going forward. He was determined to convince Basileus that he was more of a 'Marcus' than a 'Caius'.

He walked the length of the newborn hall. Up and down, eyeballing his guards as he went. "I take three days off and you all end up on lockdown?!"

Magnus stopped at the door, but though he had taken the keys from Caius, he didn't unlock it. "What kind of contortions are your brains doing right now to make this seem reasonable to you?"

Afton and Turk looked particularly concerned as they wondered if their master knew they had been vying for his position in the guard hall.

Oh he knew alright! And he was pissed off to be treated with such disloyalty.

"I hear there has been some in-fighting to see who would be the alpha in the guard hall."

Afton gulped. _Oh fuck_. So did everyone else for that matter - whether they had been putting themselves forward for the role or supporting someone else's cause, they all knew they had displayed a shocking lack of loyalty towards their master, their favourite master!

It was weird, though. The guards bloody loved Magnus and Freyr being in charge and they would never in their right minds want someone else in post. Since they had been thrown in the dungeons not a single one of them could explain their earlier argument. It was as though someone else had controlled their mouths, their thoughts, and now that someone was gone they were left confused and without a logical excuse.

Not that Magnus was interested in any excuses from them, anyway. "Let me set you straight: It is MY guard hall, I AM THE ALPHA!" he roared.

Every single guard jumped to attention. So did Aro and Caius, much to their own surprise.

Satisfied with the response, Magnus made to leave.

"Are you going to let us out, Master?" Chelsea asked. She was so often the spokesperson for the guards.

Magnus put the keys in his pocket. "In the morning," he said, back to his usual tone.

Caius looked askance to Aro, but as Aro had now handed the guards back to Magnus, he wasn't going to help Caius get them out of the dungeons. _You didn't help me,_ he thought petulantly.

"Magnus!" Caius called, flashing to his co-master's side. "What the hell am I supposed to do with a dungeon full of guards?!"

Magnus paused for a moment, until he came up with an idea. _I'll put you fuckers back in your place!_ He went to Caius' torture room, collected an armful of goblets, and brought them back to the guard.

The guards, bless them, thought they would be getting a shot of dungeon blood, or bloodwine, at least. They were confused to see the goblets were empty.

Magnus smiled to his co-masters - both of whom had realised his plans. "Caius is collecting data on vampiric babies. You can leave when you have filled your cup!"


	107. 1672, August - Summer Fun

**AN:** a quick wave to new readers, and much love to all those continuing with the story (particularly those of you taking the time to review and PM me. It is very much appreciated!) :)

We are still in 1672, but we have jumped forwards a few months to see how the dust is settling with the new kid in the coven...

* * *

 **1672, AUGUST - SUMMER FUN**

"He's late!" Aro growled into his cup of bloodwine.

Sulpicia rolled her eyes again to her mate's dramatics. "He won't be long, I am sure." She continued to busy herself with the paperwork for coven financing and did her best to ignore Aro's chuntering.

The 'he' they were talking about was, unsurprisingly, Felix. He had flouted Aro's new curfew every time he'd been allowed out and the continued defiance was seriously pissing Aro off.

It was unreasonable for a fully-grown vampire to only be allowed out in daylight hours, in Felix's opinion, especially when the only reason Aro could give him was that he didn't trust Lucius.

The kid hadn't put a foot wrong in the eight months he'd been living in Volterra. True, he seemed to be where trouble was, but no one could accuse Lucius of more than being present - much to Aro's annoyance.

EVERYONE liked the boy, everyone. Except for Jane, who had stayed glued to her father under the protection of Renata. It was a little awkward for Aro having to take his princess of darkness with him any time he left the tower, but he was mainly thankful that the child agreed with his suspicions.

The only solitary benefit of having Lucius in the coven was that Basileus' hold over Aro had seemingly been broken now that the creator's entire focus rested on Lucius.

"If you are so worried about Felix, go and find him," Sulpicia called out before leaving with arms full of scrolls to put the masters in their place over coven costs.

"Don't you care?!" Aro called after her.

She didn't respond. The truth was, Sulpicia didn't care. It was ridiculous that three of her children were already in their beds at ten o'clock. _They are vampires, for god's sake. They don't need as much sleep as human children_! But the fact that Felix was still out and about, surely in the castle grounds, at ten o'clock - no, she wasn't worried at all. For all her mate's ranting, he had yet to present a single reasonable justification as to why she should care.

By eleven, Aro was really starting to stress. He didn't like to leave his children home unattended, especially with that suspicious shit, Lucius, in the tower, but he was close to going out hunting for his eldest.

Thankfully, Felix barrelled through the door before Aro had chance to make that choice.

"And just where the hell do you think you have been …" Aro's angry rant dissipated immediately when he set sight on Felix. "Jesus fucking Christ!"

Felix came through the door covered in blood. His clothes were saturated, his hair, matted, every inch of him covered in blood. Dropping to his knees, Felix tried to explain that the blood wasn't his, but the words just wouldn't come.

Aro flashed to his side, fearing the very worst. "What have you done?!" Checking his boy over for harm, he found none. Not a single scrape under all that blood.

"It's not mine, it's not my blood," Felix stuttered, trying to pull out of Aro's hands.

"You are covered in blood Felix! Vampire blood!" Aro guessed from the smell. "What have you done?!"

Felix took a few steadying breaths. "I got into a fight …" he started, only to be cut off my his concerned father.

"Who with?" Aro asked. "Where?" he demanded. "What the hell happened? Were there any witnesses?"

The questions came thick and fast, bombarding Felix like a wall of words.

"Stop asking so many questions!" he called out, feeling completely unable to answer one of them, let alone all.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Aro asked, looking aghast to his boy and shaking his shoulders roughly.

It was only when Renata handed Felix a cloth to clear the blood from his face that Aro remembered she was there. Her presence seemingly came as a shock to Felix, too, as the boy's soft cries became hefty heartfelt sobs.

"It's okay, it's okay," Aro said calmingly, taking his boy in his hold. "Come here. It's okay."

The contact allowed Aro to seek his own answers as to what the hell his son had done this time.

"You fought with Turk?" Aro asked, finding such a premise to be ridiculous. "One of the favourite guards in this place. You beat him to death?" Aro pulled out of his son's memories. "I can't look. Tell me he isn't dead? Please!"

Felix sniffed. "He isn't," he said softly. "I don't think so, anyway."

Aro checked Renata for a reaction. His trusted guard had certainly been put through her paces over the last few months with all she had been expected to conceal on the Volturi family's behalf. _Would this be too much_? Aro wondered. He really didn't want to lose Renata, particularly her gift, but he would if he couldn't be assured of her loyalty.

"Would you like me to leave, Master?" Renata asked, realising why Aro was looking at her curiously.

"I'd much rather trust you to stay," Aro replied, raising his voice slightly over Felix's cries.

Renata nodded curtly. "Then I shall stay, Master," she said firmly. She liked Turk, but she wasn't risking her position in the Volturi for him. _Besides,_ she thought, _this just isn't Felix!_ Like her master, she believed strange things were happening in the Volturi coven, too.

"Where did you leave him?" Aro asked, turning his focus back to Felix.

"At the back gate."

Aro sorted through Felix's memories again, but he couldn't find the real reason for his fight with the guard. "You did this because he wouldn't let you leave, I assume?"

"Yes," Felix answered. "No … I don't know." The boy was visibly confused. "I don't know what happened!"

Aro hushed his son. "It will be okay. You need to stay here."

Felix clung onto his father's legs when he stood. "Don't leave me!"

"I need to deal with this Felix," Aro replied, peeling him off. "I have to go. I need to get to Turk before anyone else does."

Aro looked back to his boy. Felix hugged his own knees, crumpled on the floor. He really didn't want to leave him in such a sorry state but Aro knew he had to act quickly before anyone else found Turk. _There will be a revolt in my coven by morning otherwise!_

…

Aro headed straight down to his father's quarters. He was trying to avoid the ground floor suite, generally, but he needed his mother's help. "Atia, may I borrow you for a moment?" he asked calmly in case his father would hear.

Atia threw on her cape and closed the door behind her. "Would you like to tell me why you are covered in blood?" she asked as they hurried through the halls, Renata hot on their heels.

"Look," Aro said darkly, offering his hand.

"Oh my …" Atia stopped herself from saying anything else. She wasn't one to comment without all the information at hand. "Where is Turk?"

"By the gate, according to Felix," Aro explained as they headed out the back of the castle. "Your gift … can you make someone else invisible?"

"Yes, if I hold them close. You?"

"Not me, Turk." Aro confirmed. "I need to get him inside without anyone seeing the damage."

"I don't understand why Felix would do this, Aro." The idea that Felix would pummel a guard to near death just because they refused him passage seemed ridiculous.

"Neither do I," Aro said, though he was grateful that his mother found the idea equally unbelievable. "What's worse is he doesn't understand either."

They spotted a writhing figure, moaning in pain near the castle outer wall. It was Turk. Rushing to the guard, neither Atia nor Aro had been prepared for the sorry state that greeted them.

Turk looked like he had been chewed up and spat out! His guts lay abandoned in the dirt, his throat ripped open, his arms and legs broken … _Felix did this?!_ Aro questioned. He had never seen his son's victims so viciously attacked. _This is something Caius would be proud of!_

An indistinct moan broke Aro's thoughts as Turk continued to writhe in agony.

"He's still alive, Aro," Atia said quietly, bundling Turk's guts into his open stomach cavity and into her arms. "I will carry him."

Aro watched as the two became invisible in Atia's hold. If it weren't for the intermittent groaning coming from Turk, no one would know they were there. They could certainly sneak back into the castle.

"Where are we going to take him?" Atia asked.

"Marcus' quarters," Aro decided on the hop. "He may have some anatomical knowledge that could help putting him back together."

Atia removed her invisibility cloak once they were safely in the north tower and outside Marcus' door.

"Are we under attack?" Marcus asked, clearly surprised to see Aro covered in blood and Atia carrying a very broken looking Turk in her arms. He ushered them inside and took them to his own bedchamber to lay the guard out on the bed.

"No attack," Aro said, not really knowing how to explain. "I'll be back." He rushed to Caius' suite, praying he was home.

He was, thankfully. "Caius, meet me in Marcus' chambers, bring dungeon blood."

 _I don't bloody think so_! Caius thought, assuming Aro was arranging a night on the coven drug. "Aro, no …"

Aro shook his head, impatiently. "Marcus and Atia are there, it isn't for me." Before he rushed off, he called, "We will need something for sewing, too."

"Sewing what?"

"Turk," Aro admitted quietly, leaving a bewildered Caius at the door.

"Caius is coming with supplies," Aro announced in Marcus' bedchamber.

He was glad to see Atia and Marcus had already made a start in fixing the poor guard, lying him out straight to his bones had a chance of healing. What they were going to do with the man's guts was anyone's guess.

Turk's intestines billowed out of his stomach in a rather slapdash presentation. "Will Turk be able to stay with you, Marcus. I don't want the coven finding out about this."

Marcus agreed, though he turned a very stern expression on Aro. "What are we keeping from the coven, exactly?" he asked.

Caius came in before Aro could answer. "Aro what the hell have you done?!" he exclaimed, seeing the mangled state of the coven barkeep.

"It wasn't me," Aro replied. "It was …" _Oh fuck, this is going to bring a shower of shite to my door._ "It was Felix."

Marcus looked pensive hearing the news, whereas Caius readied himself for calling the boy out.

Aro was in no mood to argue with Caius, but he would.

Atia circumvented any additional distress by directing her son to the door. "Marcus, we need more water and more light, if you wouldn't mind. Aro, out!" She shoved Aro out of the room before he could resist. "I don't want you in here with dungeon blood in the room."

Aro heard Caius snigger at him being sent out by his mother. _Cunt._ "I can be in the same room as dungeon blood without incident!" he insisted, trying to save face.

Atia sighed, she wasn't about to get into that argument with her son. "Go back to the tower and send your father, his blood will do far more good here than anything else we can offer Turk."

"I should check on Felix anyway, I guess," Aro commented, trying to make leaving sound like it was at least partly his idea.

"I hope you will do more than check on him!" Caius erupted, poised over Turk with needle and thread, wondering where the hell to start.

"Aro fetch your father!" Atia commanded, slamming the door in his face before Aro could respond.

Aro would have gone back in there to tell Caius to go and fuck himself had he not heard Atia rounding the guy out for his unnecessary comments.

He swallowed down the pooling venom in his mouth as he stood, once again, outside his father's door. Conjuring his courage, he knocked. "You are needed in Marcus' chambers for a very delicate matter."

Basileus looked Aro up and down. His dark clothes would have hidden much of the blood from human eyes, but from Basileus' eye the back coat did nothing. He would have smelled it anyway. "If you have fought with the masters again I swear I will …"

Aro threw up his hands, begging Basileus to back off. "Felix … he has attacked Turk … I haven't got to the bottom of the situation yet."

Basileus took a moment to process what he'd heard. "Turk is alive?" he eventually asked.

"Just," Aro sighed. "Atia sent me out as Caius has given Turk dungeon blood to ease his suffering, and she thinks your blood will be the best remedy we can offer."

Basileus stormed inside his chambers to collect his cape. He looked furious when he returned moments later.

"This needs to be kept quiet, Dad," Aro insisted.

"Of course it does!" Basileus agreed. "That bloody boy!"

"I know, I know, I'm going to talk to him now," Aro replied, subconsciously looking up the stairs.

Basileus noticed Renata stood silently at the door to the castle hall. "How on earth do you expect it to be kept quiet if you persevere in taking a guard with you everywhere?" he asked Aro in hurried whisperers.

"I trust her," Aro replied. As he had done every single time Basileus had complained about the guard being privy to sensitive information over the last eight months.

It wasn't a row Basileus wanted to have at that moment. "Have you seen Lucius on your travels?" he asked, diverting his own attentions.

"No, is he not with you?"

"He went out a few hours ago. If he returns, keep him with you," Basileus instructed before flashing to the North tower.

 _Certainly,_ Aro thought darkly. He wasn't sure how he could pin this fiasco on the boy, but he knew, he just knew that fucking kid was involved somehow.

Sulpicia was already home when Aro returned. She began questioning her mate the moment he came through the door.

"Is Felix in his room?" Aro asked his mate, failing to answer a single question of hers.

"He's in the bath, my love. What on earth has happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet," Aro replied, heading to the bathroom. "Renata can tell you what we know so far."

Aro walked in on Felix rampantly scrubbing blood from his skin. Vampiric blood, being thicker than humans, takes some effort to remove.

"A little privacy?" Felix asked, sitting in a tub of bloodied water.

Aro paid no attention to his boy's complaints. "We need to get to the bottom of all this, right now!" he said sternly before cupping the back of Felix's head and invading his memories again.

"How's Turk?" Felix asked warily.

"He should survive," Aro replied, a little absentmindedly as he was busy infiltrating his sons mind.

Felix relaxed a little hearing that. "Thank god!"

Aro released a frustrated growl. There was nothing more in Felix's head than what he had already seen. It was like there were parts of his memories missing. "Tell me what you remember," he demanded.

Sighing, because he didn't want to relive it, Felix did his best to remember why he had been so savage. "I was talking to Turk about something, we were laughing … I can't remember what about. I saw Lucius … and then I asked Turk to let me out the gate. He refused … and so I beat him up." _Scum,_ Felix thought, _I am scum._

Aro shook his head. _That isn't what happened. Something's missing!_ "And then you came straight back home?" he asked.

"Yeah." Tears pricked at Felix's eyes again. He didn't think he could cry anymore than he already had but he felt completely overloaded emotionally. "I didn't realise what I was doing to Turk until I tasted his blood."

"You drank his blood?" Aro asked in disgust.

Felix looked away, ashamed. "Just a little bit."

"Fuck, Felix!" Aro bellowed, slapping his boy across his sodden head.

"Ow!"

Aro started pacing around the bathroom. He ended up at the sink, where he rested his hands and leaned into the mirror. As he watched Felix through the reflection, he went over things in his mind.

"Why would you suddenly turn on Turk? And you didn't even go out … which was supposed to be the reason you beat him to a pulp in the first place!" He was thinking aloud more than asking Felix, which was lucky as Felix had no answers his father's questions.

"My head hurts," the boy said softly, cupping a hand to his forehead. "I feel really confused."

Aro scoffed. "It will be more than your head hurting when I have finished with you, boy."

Felix looked over to his father. He had heard that comment. "What's going to happen now? What will the coven say?"

Aro turned to face his boy and leaned into the marble sink behind him. "We will fix up Turk and I will buy his silence," he offered. _There's no other option,_ he thought. Seeing Felix looking a little too relaxed hearing his crimes would be covered up, again, Aro added, "The coven cannot know about this Felix, you must tell no one, understood?"

Felix nodded, solemnly. "Do the masters know?" he asked, wincing at the very idea.

"All except Magnus and Freyr … I will have to tell them."

"No!" Felix felt his throat constrict at the idea of Magnus knowing what he had done. "They will hate me, they will all hate me!" _I deserve to be hated,_ he added to himself. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened."

Aro watched his boy stewing in his own self-loathing. There was something so 'off' about the entire situation. Felix often fucked up, that was nothing new. He wasn't vicious though, even in battle the boy concentrated on just getting the job done. He took little pleasure in killing, even killing enemies. _He likes Turk! Why would he do this? There is just no justification for it!_

"Magnus is master of the guards … will he want to punish me for this?" Felix asked. His voice sounded so small, so fearful.

Aro sighed. "I don't know."

"Will you let him if he does?"

"I'm not sure yet," Aro answered honestly. "You are grounded, indefinitely," he told his boy, not that it really needed to be said. "If you can't play nicely then you can't play at all."

Felix nodded, he didn't want to go out again, ever! "Will there be anything else?" he asked his father, watching the man closely.

Aro smiled a very sad smile. "You nearly beat a guy to death, Felix, and you can't even offer a reasonable explanation."

 _Yeah, you're going to belt me,_ Felix correctly assumed. "I know I deserve much more than being grounded. I was just … I don't even know why I asked. I'm so confused." He went back to holding his aching head.

Deciding his boy couldn't take any more conversation, and it wasn't revealing new information anyway, Aro ruffled Felix's wet hair. "You can't undo your actions by torturing yourself with the memories, son," he said softly. "Finish up in here and go to bed. Some rest will help you."

Felix nodded but he knew there was no way on earth he would be able to sleep that night.

"Renata, my dear, I must ask you to accompany me," Aro called heading straight out the door.

"Aro …" Sulpicia called after him.

"I still don't really know what happened, my queen," Aro admitted, sounding frustrated. "But I will tell you everything when I return. Do not open this door unless you absolutely have to."

When Aro let himself into Marcus' chambers, the stench of burning vampiric flesh assaulted his sense. "How's the patient?" he asked his mother.

Only Atia was present. Aro peered into the fireplace. The remnants of purple smoke indicated that the burning flesh had been there.

"We have put him back together and Caius has sewn him up," Atia said calmly. "Vampires do not require intestines, so we decided to remove them rather than wedge them back in."

"Nice," Aro commented, feeling his stomach heave slightly.

"Marcus has given the poor soul his own bed to rest in," Atia continued.

"Has Turk fed?" Aro asked. "Should I fetch some blood?" He felt like he should do something to help.

"He's fed from me," Basileus announced as he entered, unrolling his sleeves. "His minor injuries have healed already but it will take a good week for him to get over having his innards pulled out!"

Atia sensed her mate was about to erupt into a rant at their son and took over quickly. "Why would Felix do something like this, Aro?"

"I don't know, neither does he," Aro replied, taking a seat with is mother.

Basileus' eyes widened in anger. "That is not a good enough response!"

"I know that," Aro snapped back. "I am trying to get to the bottom of it." _Actually,_ Aro said to himself. "Felix said Lucius was there … perhaps he could offer something to illuminate the situation, as Felix has little memory of his actions."

Basileus wasn't prepared to listen to anymore. "If you are trying to blame that boy again …"

"I am dong no such thing!" Aro argued, flashing to his feet to match his father's stance. "Felix will be kept under lock and key for the foreseeable, but something is amiss, this just isn't like Felix."

"I agree with you, son," Atia broke in, pulling Aro back to move behind her and fixing her mate with a glare that could have frozen the seven seas. "This isn't at all like Felix."

Basileus relented eventually and took a seat to show he was ending his row with Aro.

When Caius and Marcus joined the three of them, Basileus felt a few things needed to be cleared up. "Whilst I am less convinced regarding Felix's actions, I agree enough to know we must keep the whole situation from the guards. I will speak with Magnus and Freyr to bring them up to speed. No one else can know outside of the towers. Agreed?"

He looked to Caius in particular for confirmation that he would stay quiet about what had occurred.

Caius sneered in Aro's direction before he dutifully replied. "Yes, my lord."

"What do you mean 'less convinced'?" Aro asked, ignoring his father's demand for an answer.

"Your boy does have form for wanton acts of destruction. He cannot be contained, Aro," Basileus said knowingly.

Though Marcus looked to his old friend with disappointment, Caius looked to Aro in absolute shock to hear the creator so dismissive of Felix. He may have been pissed off with Felix but he wasn't going anywhere. Caius didn't even think that badly of the boy, truthfully, he just lacked boundaries. Caius lay that issue firmly at Aro's feet.

"My boy?" Aro repeated. "Is he no longer your grandson, then?"

"I didn't say that, did I?!" Basileus snapped. "But Felix broke Lucius' nose without reason a few months ago," he said with a shrug as though that explained everything.

"It was eight months ago, and he has done nothing like that before or since," Aro insisted, imploring Marcus and Caius to agree with him that his eldest was just badly behaved at times rather than a real risk to the coven.

They both did, for that matter.

"Until today," Basileus slipped in, daring Aro to resist.

"Basileus, don't be hasty, my dear," Atia said firmly, and somewhat distressed by her mate's ungenerous attitude towards their eldest grandchild.

Basileus merely waved away his wife's concerns and headed to the door. "I will deal with Felix," he announced to a horrified Aro.

"No, I will," Aro insisted.

Basileus laughed in his son's face. "If you had any intention of doing a decent job of punishing that boy for his disgusting behaviour then it would already have been done!"

 _You are getting nowhere near my boy in the mood you are in,_ Aro thought, knowing Basileus would hear him.

Oh, he heard alright! "Are you challenging me?!" Basileus asked.

Aro surveyed his options. They were few, and poor. He may have been talking back a little more freely but he had yet to actually challenge Basileus' status since his submission.

Two years sounds like a long time in human terms, but in vampiric years it was hardly any time at all. Aro knew that most dreaded punishment would still be on the table if he pushed Basileus into it. Realising that forced Aro to back down.

"No, my lord," he answered, eyes to the floor submissively.

Basileus bobbed, happy to see his son show some good sense. He turned to Marcus. "May we leave Turk in your capable hands?

"Of course, my friend," Marcus responded, tossing the bloodied rags into the fire. "Basileus, if you could come back at sunrise to feed Turk again I think it would aid his recovery."

Basileus agreed and turned back to Aro. Lifting his son's face with a rough hand under his chin he addressed his boy sternly. "I will come to your chambers after I have called on Magnus."

…

"Aro, what is going on?!"

Aro didn't waste time explaining to his mate as he rushed through their quarters. "Renata will tell you," he called over his shoulder as he headed to the boys' room.

Sulpicia and Renata were growing annoyed at the way he did that, effectively dismissing them both.

Felix's bed was empty.

"Where's Felix?" he asked Sulpicia, who looked quite bewildered by her mate's frantic state.

"Our room," she replied, brow furrowed and concerned.

Aro slammed the door behind him, giving him and his son some privacy. "Felix, get up."

The poor boy jumped in his parent's bed. Sulpicia had moved him in there after his tossing and turning had woken Demetri. "You told me to sleep!" he complained.

Aro took a deep breath. He knew he was fucking with fire going above his father's head, but he wasn't about to leave his son to the creator's fate. "I know what I told you but Basileus is coming here to see you."

That had Felix sitting up straight. "Why?" He knew why. He didn't need to ask why. He hoped he was wrong.

"Because I didn't punish you."

Felix flinched. "Is he going to …" his voice faltered. It had been quite a while since Basileus had whipped him for anything and the idea of facing him now sent a chill through his dead heart.

Aro nodded. "Get up."

Felix didn't move.

"It's me or him, Felix?!"

 _You!_ Felix thought. _Definitely you!_ He disentangled himself from the bedsheets and watched as Aro undid his belt. _Oh, fuck,_ he thought, going to the end of the bed and bending over the footboard.

"Brace yourself, son," Aro said softly, with a hand on his boy's back to keep him steady.

He wrapped his belt across Felix's backside ten times in ultra-quick succession.

Before Felix had registered the first strike, the last had already landed and Aro was pulling him back up. Felix stood gasping and spluttering as he tried to process what had just happened. The pain engulfing his rear seemed to have come from nowhere. He knew Aro had belted him and he understood Aro had gone 'fast and hard' to be kind, but it happened so quickly that it only added to the general feeling of confusion that encompassed Felix's entire evening. So many parts of his memory were missing.

"Bed," Aro instructed simply, pushing his bewildered boy along. He didn't even have time to refasten his belt before Basileus burst in.

Basileus took a moment to read the room as Aro watched him intently. When he saw his father twitching uncontrollably, Aro backed up to the bed with protective arms outstretched to defend Felix. His concern for his son was misplaced - it was Aro who was in danger, not Felix!

"Do you think you will get away with this?" Basileus ground out, glaring at his son.

"You wanted him punished - he has been," Aro answered firmly, returning said glare.

 _You think you can stand against me, do you?_ Basileus thought to his son. _You think I will stand for that?! I have been too soft on you, too forgiving. And now you have gone too far, my boy. This is exactly what Lucius has been warning me about._

Basileus gripped his cane tightly at one end and pointed the other end on Aro's face. "I am not so cruel to punish the boy again … but you …"

Aro gulped. "What did I do?" he asked, knowing full well what he had done.

Basileus took Aro by the arm and ripped him away from the bed, manoeuvring him into the centre of the room. He cracked his cane against Aro's legs in time with his words: "Don't. You. EVER. Go. Against. Me. Again."

Those blows were savage and though Aro did his best to hide the effects in front of his son, his head exploded with expletives against his father. That saw him suffer another hefty strike and had Aro standing on tiptoes.

"I know you were thinking about that dungeon blood, too!" Basileus sneered, releasing Aro and letting him drop to the floor.

"I can't help what I think," Aro grunted, desperately rubbing at his leg to disperse the pain. "I had no intentions of taking any!"

Basileus' attentions snapped to his grandson crying softly from the bed. "And you!" he roared, getting in Felix's face. "You ripped Turk's guts out, you fucking animal!"

"I know!" he replied through fearful sobs. "I'm so sorry."

Basileus backed up. "That will be a great comfort to Turk, I am sure."

Dragging Aro to his feet, knowing it would hurt more to stand, Basileus growled at his son. "If he leaves your chambers he is at your side. If I find him otherwise I will whip you both." He alternated his menacing glare between Felix and Aro. "Do you hear me?" he demanded an answer from them both.

Felix stuttered his reply. "Y, ye, yes, my lord."

Basileus nodded to the boy before shaking his son. "ARO?!" _You will answer me, boy._

Aro had to take a few steadying breaths before he could respond. "I hear you," he said quietly.

Releasing Aro, Basileus moved away. He felt the rising pressure from the vampire within to take his boy to task for his defiance. The twitching started again. _Why should I fight it?! Why should I put myself through this torment just so Aro can continue to defy me?!_

He looked at Aro, balancing awkwardly on one foot using the bed post to steady himself. Aro should have looked contrite, it would have helped Basileus. But instead, forever his own worst enemy, Aro returned Basileus' glower, furious that he had been disciplined in front of his own son.

 _Lucius said I needed to maintain my control over you, boy. I resisted, but the child was right! I'm putting you back in your place tonight, my boy._

"You will finish up here and then you come down to me," he announced.

Aro panicked. "Why?!" He knew why. He could see why. Basileus vibrated in rage and Aro knew the look in his eye.

"I think we both know why. This has been a long time coming," Basileus said slyly. He already felt some release from his internal struggle now he had decided to take Aro again.

Aro rushed to his father, stopping him from leaving with a pull on his arm. "But I'm not arguing with you," he complained. _You can't do that again, Dad!_

Basileus heard Aro's thoughts - they served to compound his own reasoning for reminding his son of the state of play in the hierarchy. "You have defied me …"

Aro cut him off. "But, Dad …"

"Aro!" Basileus roared, shoving Aro so hard that he ended up on the floor. "You don't want me to do it here, do you?!" he asked, gesturing to Felix in the bed.

Aro got himself under control. No matter how much he feared what his father was suggesting, Felix knowing, ANYONE knowing was a greater fear. "No, of course not, my lord," he whispered from the floor.

"Then finish up, and come downstairs," Basileus said, breathing easily. "Don't make me fetch you, boy." With that he left.

Sulpicia peered into her bedchamber through the open door and saw her mate on the floor. The hollow expression he wore spoke a thousand words to Sulpicia and she thought she knew what was going to happen next. Sulpicia assumed Basileus would punish Aro somehow, though her mind never went as far as submission, assuming that would be a one time thing. She was just grateful that Basileus had managed to restrain himself in front of Felix!

"What's his problem?" Felix asked, looking nervously to his father.

He had never seen Aro receiving such a punishment before. Plenty of total smack downs in the heat of a fight. Plenty of those. Especially in the early years. But this was new territory. "What did he mean? Why do you have to go down to him?"

Aro heaved himself up and sat on the bed next to his boy. _Oh, son. You have no idea what you are asking,_ he thought as he absentmindedly rubbed his leg.

"You didn't deserve that, Dad," Felix said, feeling his guilt rising.

Aro sighed. "Neither did you."

"You should have just let him cane me."

Doing his best to put aside his own feelings, Aro smiled sadly at his boy. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine," he lied. "Sleep now."

With a heavy heart, Aro left his son. "Has Renata explained?" he asked his mate, doing his best to keep the fear he felt from his face.

Sulpicia nodded. "I want you to know," she said to Renata, "Felix doesn't usually act this way."

"I know that, my queen," Renata replied. "Lucius has something to do with this, I know he does."

Aro shared her thoughts. _If only I could get in his head! Lucius must have put Felix up to this, he must have!_ "I need to go and see my father," he announced, collecting his cape. He wouldn't usually wear it just to visit his father's chambers but knowing what was about to happen … _I may need the coverage if my clothes are torn,_ he thought.

Gulping down the rising vomit he felt in his throat, he turned to his trusted guard. "My dear …" _How the hell do I explain this?!_ "You may hear something… you might even see something that I would prefer no one ever knows about."

"I could stay in your quarters, Master?" Renata offered sincerely.

"No." Aro shook his head. "I need you to block Lucius still. You have to come with me." _Oh good god I am going to be sick!_ A few deep breaths had him under control again.

"Master, if I may?" Renata requested permission to speak openly seeing her master's distress. "I would never compromise my position, or anyone in your household for the sake of idle gossip. Whatever I hear, I will forget without repeating."

Aro smiled gratefully. "Your loyalty is appreciated, my dear, your absolute silence, even more so." He stressed the 'absolute silence'. The silence was imperative with what was about to happen.

When they passed Eleazar's chambers, Aro considered knocking for his brother and asking for his help in getting him out of Basileus' request.

 _Request?! Ha! It's not a request. It's a shameful demand and there's no way out of it. Asking my big brother for help … what the hell has become of me?!_ He picked up the pace and went to the ground floor suite.

"You have brought a friend?" Basileus said slyly seeing Renata accompanying his son. He invited them both inside.

Atia blustered at the door.

It was clear to Aro that his mother knew exactly what was about to take place. He hoped for a brief moment that she would jump in and save him.

"I want to go on record as saying this is entirely unnecessary," she said before leaving Aro to his doom.

 _Fuck,_ Aro thought as the last of his hopes headed out the door with his mother.

Lucius remained sitting quietly on the sofa, smiling at Aro.

"He's staying?" Aro asked. That vomit was rising again.

Basileus merely nodded, pulling Aro towards the master bedchamber.

"Please don't do this," Aro begged as he resisted his father's pulling.

"Get in there!" Basileus thundered, shoving Aro inside and slamming the door behind him.

Aro's breathing became erratic. He wasn't about to fight, not like the first time. There was still enough of the submission's magical power to prevent him from fighting. But beg? Oh yes! He would definitely beg! "My lord, can we talk …"

CRACK!

Basileus knocked Aro to the floor with one backhanded swipe. As he towered over his boy, Aro watched Basileus' face contort. There was nothing of his father in the room at that moment - the creator, the ultimate coven leader growled back at him.


	108. Their Own Minds

**AN:** I would like to apologise to 'guest 1', I am afraid it did happen… but it isn't Basileus' fault, (not that that makes it any better!) I am purposely not writing the 'submission scenes' in an attempt to tone down the distressing elements, though I appreciate ones own imagination can be worse in many ways. The topic will come up repeatedly as we go through, though no plans for it to actually happen again. Either way, we will never 'see' it, if that helps at all?

And to 'guest 2', really glad you like the story so far. I have to agree that everything is a little more violent than I am comfortable with, but I am going on the basis that we are in the 1600s and our characters are hard as nails vampires… I have sketched out this story right through to modern day and the violence lessens massively as we go through, though its a fairly slow transition through thousands of chapters as the characters and relationships progress and develop.

The Lucius issue will be resolved soonish, by chapter 113 we can all breathe again :) For anyone who wants to skip the rest of these chapters, come back in chapter 114 when we move onto new topics :)

Anyhoo, back to the story… Basileus is off the fucking scale!

* * *

 **THEIR OWN MINDS?**

"You want me to brand you?"

Alec held the small metal Volturi crest in his hand. He knew the item well, it was from the belt buckles the masters wore.

"You do me, and I'll do you," Lucius said eagerly.

The pair of them sat in front of the fireplace in the guard hall. It was odd for the fire to be lit, being August, but Mikhail had jumped to the task willingly when Lucius asked. It was also odd that in the vast space the guard hall offered, every single guard in there huddled at one end of the room - the opposite end to Lucius and Alec.

"How am I supposed to hold it when it's hot? It will burn me."

Lucius smiled calmingly to his partner in crime. "It won't burn you, only fire can burn you. You're a vampire, Alec, you won't melt from being hot." He took the belt buckle from Alec and threw it into the heart of the fire.

"It will still hurt!" Alec didn't want to do it. He didn't want to brand Lucius and he didn't fancy being branded himself much, either! "And, Aro will be really mad," he added with a gulp.

Lucius looked into Alec's eyes, mesmerising the boy. "It won't hurt. You are going to brand me and I will brand you. You don't care what Aro will do."

Alec started nodding. Slowly at first, but soon enough he was nodding with vigour, repeating Lucius' words for himself. "It won't hurt. I am going to brand you and you are going to brand me. I don't care what Aro will do."

Lucius smiled contentedly to himself and fished the Volturi buckles from the flames with a fire pick. It wasn't quite hot enough for branding, but it would still seal the outline of the Volturi crest into their skin.

Shuffling out of their shirts, the boys crawled closer together. Alec took the buckle in hand. It should have hurt, he reasoned, his fingers glowed purple! But there was no pain, just as Lucius had said. It was as if a spell had been cast over Alec. He plunged the metal piece into Lucius' arm and held it still. Unlike Alec, Lucius reacted!

"Ahhh!"

No sooner had Lucius reacted, so, too, did Alec. Whatever spell had prevented him from feeling the burning hot metal had dissipated and Alec was left with severely scorched fingers.

Basileus, who had been out of view in the masters' office flashed to the boys as Alec threw the buckle to their feet. Coming to his senses and seeing Lucius holding his arm in pain, he feared the repercussions of his actions. That fear multiplied many times over when he saw the thunderous face of Basileus glaring at him as he tended to Lucius.

He showed no concern for his grandson's burned hand at all, most unlike Basileus … or rather, most unlike old Basileus.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?" he raged, all anger directed at the twelve-year-old child.

Alec, crying in pain over his own burn, could barely form a sentence. "I don't know … I don't know why I did it … I don't know …" His head felt foggy, confused, like something was missing.

Basileus' raging caught the attention of the guards. Moving as a singular group they edged forwards, closer to the action to find out what was going on.

Basileus sensed their movements and growled ferociously at the intrusion. They were soon pressed back against the far wall, fearful of making any movement or sound.

Basileus fed Lucius back to health, his blood curing the scarring incurred by the buckle.

Alec stood, gripping his damaged hand and offering it to his grandfather, fully expecting to receive the same treatment as Lucius. He was wrong.

Basileus slapped the child's hand away hard, causing an eruption in pain in the damaged appendage.

Alec was shocked. He had never received more than a stern word from the man and he had always treated him kindly, always. When he looked into his grandfather's eyes he didn't see the man he knew, he was hollow, like there was no one behind those glaring orbs. When Basileus made the move to grab hold of Alec, the boy threw out his fog, clouding both Lucius and Basileus in one hit and rendering them both immobile.

It was Monday, so the masters were all gathered in the throne room receiving visitors. Magnus, however, was taking a break from the boring duty to check on his guards when he heard Basileus' roaring. Flashing at full speed, he arrived in time to see Alec cast his smog across the creator.

"Alec …" he called softly, careful on his approach. "Are you sure you want to go down this road, young one?"

Alec kept hold over his victims, sobbing softly with the pain in his hand. It had healed a little but he would need blood to fully recover.

Magnus looked around his guard hall, unsure what had occurred. One thing was for sure, his guards looked terrified and so did Alec. "I want this hall empty, now!" he called to his wards.

They didn't need telling twice. Some went to their dorms, others out through the main door into the castle. One or two went through the open window!

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec and used his gift to calm the child. "Alec, talk to me."

"He's going to kill me!" the boy cried into the master's shoulder.

"Basileus?" Magnus questioned. "He loves you, Alec."

"He fed Lucius," Alec whined, showing Magnus his hand, "but not me."

Magnus looked between the child in his arms and the one in the fog … and then to Basileus. _You cruel bastard!_ he thought.

Aro had been bending everyone's ear about how Lucius was manipulating his father. Magnus hadn't believed Aro's complaints to be any more than jealousy but now he was starting think his co-master could be onto something.

Magnus offered his own wrist to the child, his blood would cure the burn, though the pain would take a while to subside.

Alec gratefully received the blood offering and once he settled, he told Magnus what had happened. As best he could with his foggy memory.

Magnus released a shaky breath, taking on a little more of the boy's fear. "You can't hold him under that fog forever, Alec," he said gesturing to Basileus. "You shouldn't have tried to brand Lucius but Basileus is a reasonable man." He couldn't have foreseen what was to come, as it was just so very, very unlike Basileus.

Still in Magnus' hold, and at his suggestion, Alec withdrew his fog. Lucius stayed on the floor but Basileus sprang to his feet, venom releasing through his gritted teeth.

Magnus was shocked by the creator's rage and pushed Alec behind him. "Basileus …"

Basileus threw the master across the room in his efforts to get to Alec. "Shut up and move!" he roared.

Magnus rolled across the guard hall before he recovered from the creator's full force and managed to gain some traction on the wooden floor. For a moment he was dumbstuck when he saw Basileus laying into Alec with that damn cane. He knew how that cane felt and Magnus was pretty sure Basileus hadn't wielded it so violently against him as he was against Alec.

Trying to intervene didn't work out too well for Magnus either. Every time he got close to Basileus, he received a hefty swipe for his efforts. With the child's anguished screams assaulting his ears, Magnus couldn't stand by and do nothing, so he summoned his emphatic gift to change Basileus' emotions instead. It took all his efforts, like he was fighting something more than the creator, but eventually, the strikes lessened and Alec was released. The boy crumpled to the floor with Magnus going straight to his aid.

"Don't you think you have been a little hard on a twelve-year-old?!" he asked, disgusted with Basileus' actions. "He's the youngest vampire in the world!" Magnus could tell the boy's leg was broken at least once. _It could be more than once, under his clothes,_ he reasoned.

"No!" Basileus returned, straightening out his clothes, showing no compassion at all. "And that's exactly the problem with him. Alec thinks because he's the youngest he can do whatever he likes without facing repercussions!"

Magnus was dumbfounded. "Since when has there been a problem with Alec?!"

"Since he melted a 'V' into Lucius' shoulder!"

Magnus had forgotten the boy was even there until Basileus brought him into conversation. The young vampire watched the argument happening in front of him with an amused expression matching Magnus' reading of him. _You are enjoying this you sick little fuck!_ he thought.

As if he could read Magnus' thoughts, Lucius' head snapped around and he set his sights on Magnus.

"Are you questioning my judgement?" Basileus asked the master. "With my own grandson?" There was a clear threat carried through his tone.

Magnus left Alec on the floor and squared up to the creator. "I am, Basileus. This isn't like you," he implored, hoping to encourage some semblance of the man he knew.

Basileus sneered at Magnus' efforts. "Go to your quarters."

"Me?!" Magnus exclaimed. _You can't send me to my quarters! I am a master of this coven!_ Though he didn't dare say it, he assumed Basileus would have heard his thoughts.

If he did, Basileus didn't react to them. "Yes. You," he ground out, dragging Alec from the floor and throwing him over his shoulder. He paid no attention to the child's cries, as though his heart were made of stone.

Alec's trembling breaths wore heavily on Magnus as the empath soaked up more of Alec's pain. "My lord …" he tried, only to be cut off abruptly with the cane brought down hard against his shoulder.

"I had been pleased with your efforts to assert some authority around here, Magnus, but don't get confused. I am the creator, you will always answer to me. Now go to your chambers!"

Magnus absentmindedly rubbed at his shoulder as he watched the creator walk away. "As you wish, my lord," he sneered to the man's back.

Basileus spun around on his heel. "I think I will pay you a visit after I have dropped the brat to his mother."

…

"Basileus!" Sulpicia called out in surprise at having her chamber door flung open. Her surprise quickly turned to concern seeing Alec slung over the creator's shoulder, wailing in pain. "What's happened to him?!"

Basileus didn't bother to answer his daughter-in-law, instead he strode through the top floor suite to deposit Alec on his bed, with Lucius and Sulpicia trailing behind him.

Sully went to her boy the moment Basileus was clear of him. "Oh, my darling boy!"

"Ha! Darling?!" Basileus repeated with a sneer. "Your darling boy branded Lucius with a red-hot metal buckle!"

Sulpicia took a swift look at Lucius - the boy seemed fine, unlike her own child. "Alec branded Lucius?" she questioned. "He wouldn't, he just wouldn't."

Alec cried in her arms. _I don't care what he did_ , she thought of her boy before turning on Basileus. "And what have you done to him? Why is he crying like this? He's hysterical!"

Basileus pulled Sulpicia from the bed. Alec didn't deserve her comfort, in his opinion. "I have brought the boy back into line and I expect Aro to follow it up on his return."

It was then that Sulpicia noticed the odd lie of Alec's left leg, contorted awkwardly. "What have you done to his leg?! You animal! You beast!"

When Basileus kept her away from the child she began to pummel her fists against his chest. "Aro said Lucius is turning your head - he must be right. You have lost your mind, Basileus!"

CRACK!

Basileus slapped her, hard.

Sulpicia went down to the floor cupping her thumping cheek, lip split and a trail of blood running from her nose. "You have no right to do that to me!" she growled.

"I should stop you there, Sully," Basileus said with his hand raised again. "You have clearly mistaken me for someone who gives a shit. You wanted equality, that's what it feels like."

It took a good few steadying breaths for Sulpicia to regain her composure. Dabbing the back of her hand to her swollen lip, she saw the blood. "I will wear this like a badge of honour."

Basileus scoffed. "Wear it quietly unless you would like to be honoured again. Do you know what your problem is?"

"I wasn't aware I had a problem."

Basileus knelt down to fix his daughter-in-law in his sights. "You crow for equality but you don't want it. Not really. When all is said and done you are still that weak, limpet riding through life on my coattails."

Sulpicia was scared. She had never truly feared Basileus before. Never. Right then, yes, she was scared. Too scared to respond, that was for sure.

If Basileus noticed her fear, it didn't affect him, he continued his rant, regardless. "You sit right next to that egotistical, philandering husband of yours. How can you expect any respect from the vampires in this coven when you see your own mate walk the halls with his latest fuck piece following behind him?!"

"Renata is our trusted guard." Sulpicia said quietly. Of all the things she could comment on, that was the only thing that came to mind.

Basileus laughed. "I can see the party line works well on you, my dear," he said cruelly, playing on her deepest concerns. "You are pathetic. Useless and pathetic."

He took Sulpicia's face in one hand, twisting her awkwardly to get a good look at her. "Too bad your personality doesn't match your pretty little face," he said, before aiming her swollen cheek and split lip to the sunlight. "Though now, perhaps it does."

Basileus left Sulpicia on the floor and Alec on the bad. Both reeling from his uncharacteristically cruel actions. Lucius stayed, though. He watched the pair with a twisted smile.

Sulpicia began to scold the intruder … but … it went away. The floor seemed to move beneath her, swaying to such a degree that she was forced to lie down, as if to do otherwise would cause her to fall. But she was already sitting to start with. Her head ached, pounded, so confused.

And then it passed.

When she came around, Sulpicia saw her son sleeping soundly and she had no idea what she was doing on the floor in his room.

…

After a long day in the throne room, made worse by Magnus doing a disappearing act at midday never to return, Aro looked forward to a quiet evening with his mate and children.

"You need to speak with your son," Sulpicia ordered the moment he walked through the door.

Aro rolled his eyes to the heavens. _Of course I do, fucking wonderful!_ he thought bitterly.

"Which one?" he sighed. Felix had been with him all day, as had Jane - she was, and had been since Lucius arrived, staying under Renata's protection.

Felix, however, didn't have a choice. The masters had kept his brutal beating of Turk quiet, and everyone believed the guard to have been sent on a covert mission, but they had all demanded that the boy remained supervised, permanently! Which meant Aro had been dragging the boy around the castle with him for the last four days.

 _Demetri,_ Aro assumed. Though the boy had been on a winning streak behaviour wise, Aro would never have guessed Alec could be the culprit of a crime great enough to cause Sulpicia to tell on him. No one told Aro when Alec was in trouble. It annoyed him sometimes, as though he couldn't be trusted to deal with his own child.

"Alec," Sulpicia said forcefully.

Aro laughed. "Alec?!" _Yeah right!_

"Basileus brought him back here earlier … Alec has branded Lucius." When Aro continued to laugh in disbelief, Sulpicia marched to her mate's side. "I'm serious Aro!"

Aro looked at his wife properly and noticed the damage to her cheek. "What happened to your face?!" he asked, eyes narrowed, full of concern.

"My face?" Sulpicia asked. "Nothing. What are you talking about?"

"Sully, your face is black!" Aro stated as he touched his fingers to her damaged features. Sulpicia winced in response but she still had no idea what he was talking about.

"What the hell happened, Sul?!" he asked, guiding her towards a mirror.

Sulpicia ran her fingers over her cheek and wiped dry blood from her nose. "I … I don't know."

It didn't make sense that she wouldn't remember something forceful enough to damage her vampiric flesh. Something told her not to think of it, that it wasn't important. "It doesn't matter anyway. You need to talk to Alec," she said, pushing Aro towards the children's bed chambers.

"Did Alec do that to you?" Aro asked in confusion. _He wouldn't have. He couldn't have! But you never tell me when he's trouble_.

Aro watched his mate for a reaction, to see if she was hiding some freak burst of anger from their son. But no. She looked bewildered if anything.

"I don't think so …" Sulpicia didn't sound sure at all.

"Okay," Aro agreed a little warily. "I'll talk with him."

"You should do more than just talk with him, your father expects action."

 _What the hell is going on with you?! You never turn Alec over to me_. Aro was truly concerned about his mate, one minute too confused to converse, the next calling for punishment on their youngest, and arguably most innocent child.

"My actions are up to me," he said.

"Basileus will be disappointed," Sulpicia said, her tone stopping Aro in his tracks. She sounded hollow and stern at the same time.

Aro nodded to himself. "He will have to live with the disappointment then, won't he?"

Sulpicia zoned in on Renata, sitting with Felix chatting about the day, both trying to distract themselves. "Is there a reason that woman is still following you around?" she asked her mate. Sully wasn't too quiet about it, either.

"You know why, my queen," Aro said simply. He wasn't having an argument with Sulpicia about Renata - he was taking enough flak from the rest of his family, not to mention the masters.

"Oh I know, alright. Everyone knows," Sulpicia sneered.

"What's that?" Aro asked, "Your tone. 'Of course I do' - the tone!"

Sulpicia rounded on her mate. "Don't treat me as a fool, I know why you have her following you around all the time."

"To protect me from that suspect little bastard, that's why! Aro returned forcefully. "I am the vampire king; whatever Lucius is doing to everyone else I need to be protected from it until I have enough proof to finish him here."

"There's nothing wrong with Lucius! I like him, he's a good kid."

There was that phrase again. Hearing it made Aro twitch. "You liked Renata when I left this morning!"

"I do like Renata!" Sulpicia insisted, doing a complete three sixty.

Aro looked askance to his mate. Her emotional instability was giving him whiplash! "Then what the fuck are you complaining about?"

"You are fucking her, I know it!" Sulpicia didn't speak that way. Those weren't her words. Especially not in front of her children.

Jane took it as her cue to leave and she sought the safety of her bedchamber.

Aro waited for his princess of darkness to be out of the way before he replied. "I have Jane and Felix with me all bloody day, every bloody day! When exactly do you believe I am carrying out this affair?!"

Sulpicia knew that. She did. The floor swayed again and Aro had to catch her before she fell.

"Sully, where is this coming from?" he asked.

"I, I don't know." Her worries felt so real, but impossible at the same time.

Renata had never felt more uncomfortable in her position as Aro's personal guard. "My lady," she called softly. "You don't have to worry about that with me - I prefer my men … manly."

Aro tutted at the guard, and Felix for daring to agree through his laughter. "Am I not manly?" he asked, fully expecting a chorus of 'of course you are'.

Renata and Sulpicia shared a smile. "If you have to ask …" Renata said with a shrug. Sulpicia and Felix burst out laughing at Aro's offended expression.

"I knew there was a reason I liked her," Sully said, feeling like the cloud over her thoughts was lifting.

"You would," Aro complied, feeling most put out. "Can she stay?" he asked, gesturing to his somewhat less favourite guard.

"Of course she can stay," Sulpicia responded, looking at Aro like he was crazy to suggest otherwise.

He didn't know how, but Aro was certain Lucius was at the heart of this, using his persuasion somehow. _The sooner that little bastard is out of my coven, the better!_

"DAD!" Jane's scream shattered the room and all four fled to the twins' bed chamber.

Aro arrived first, going straight to Alec's bed where his young boy lay in pain, with a broken bone healing unset in its proper position. He was horrified.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he asked his mate. "You saw the state Alec came home in and you did nothing?"

Instructing Felix to start feeding his brother, Aro began to carefully rip the clothes away from Alec's broken leg.

Sulpicia and Renata stayed at the door, the vampire queen frozen by what she saw. _My baby!_ Was all she could think, over and over, but she couldn't go to Alec, she felt too ashamed for having left him there in the first place.

"Hold him down," Aro whispered to Felix.

Sadly, Alec heard, and he knew what was coming. He fought wildly under his brother's impenetrable hold as Aro, with a heavy heart, snapped his son's leg again. The ear splitting screams the boy released cut through Sulpicia's heart and she forgot her shame for a moment, which allowed her to go to his side.

Hands covered in his own son's blood, and tearing the bed sheets apart to wrap around Alec's leg, Aro felt a wave of nausea course through his body.

"If I'd have put him in that state you would have strung me up by my balls!" he shot to his mate. Whatever had happened to Sully, and he was sure something had happened, he couldn't help but feel pure rage towards her for leaving their son in such pain.

"I was angry with Basileus, I was …" Sulpicia sobbed, her hand going to her bruised and battered face. "But it went away …"

Aro tied off his crudely made bandages and headed out the door.

"Where are you going?" Sulpicia called after him.

"To talk to my father!" Aro growled.

"I'm supposed to come with you, Dad." Felix said quietly, feeling embarrassed.

"You are ALL to stay in our chambers and when Demetri comes home, he's to stay put, too," Aro instructed. "Keep feeding Alec!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Aro roared entering his father's chambers.

Both Eleazar and Carlisle looked to their brother in shock as he burst into the room, vying for a fight with their father.

"Excuse me?!" Basileus roared back, matching Aro's stance.

Eleazar slammed Aro into the wall and held him there, hoping to prevent Aro from actually attacking Basileus.

Aro struggled around his brother's hold but he wasn't getting far. "You have beaten my 12-year-old because of that little cunt!"

Basileus threw Aro a patronising smile and retook his seat. "If you mean Lucius …" he started.

"Yes, I mean Lucius!"

Eleazar forced Aro to look into his eyes. "Aro calm down," he implored. "You know where this will end if you try and fight him."

He didn't have to say submission, as soon as he thought it, Aro heard through their contact.

"Carlisle is here!" That was enough from Eleazar to have Aro settle enough to desist in his physical attack.

Basileus sighed. "You weren't there, Aro. Alec had branded Lucius against his will."

"Alec?" Carlisle questioned in disbelief.

"See that?" Aro said pointing to Carlisle's expression. "That look of confusion? That's what you should have looked like when you found the pair of them. You shouldn't have caned Alec until he couldn't stand, and in the guard hall of all places!"

Eleazar stood with Aro. "Dad, you didn't?!"

"He broke his fucking leg, El!" Aro told him. "He's losing his fucking mind!"

Basileus twitched hearing Aro's accusations. "You are losing your damn mind thinking you can come in here talking to me like this!" he said, flashing to Aro and jabbing him in the chest.

"You have just beaten my son!"

Images of Alec flashed through Basileus' mind. They were scattered and disjointed, but he saw himself canning the boy rather forcefully. "It needed to be done," Basileus said, though with far less conviction than he would have liked.

"If it needed doing I would have done it," Aro growled. "He's mine!"

Basileus scoffed at that. "Then I suggest you get your son under control - Alec's in danger of going the same way as Felix and Demetri."

"What are you trying to say about Felix and Demetri?" Carlisle asked.

They caused a little trouble in the coven but nothing more than you could expect from teenage vampires. He felt quite defensive of his nephews … partly because he was so often embroiled in their mishaps.

"I hardly think it needs saying after what Felix did to Turk. I fed him again this morning and he still hasn't healed yet!" Basileus smiled to himself triumphantly.

Aro wasn't having that. "Funnily enough, Dad, Lucius was there for that unlikely episode, too!"

"Unlikely episode?!" Basileus returned. "Your depraved son ripped Turk's guts out in a totally unprovoked attack!"

Eleazar could see Aro was readying himself for an attack and pulled his brother back sharpish. "Felix has never done anything like that before Lucius turned up at our door, Dad," he implored carefully.

"Alec was fine until that little shit turned up, too!" Aro added, decidedly less carefully.

"Lucius saved your children when they ran off because of your lack of foresight," Basileus returned, jabbing at Aro's chest again. The jabbing was really pissing him off!

"Ran off?" Aro repeated, laughing mirthlessly. "Where the hell are you getting this stuff?" He was convinced Basileus had finally lost it, totally lost it! "It's funny how neither Jane nor Alec have ever needed such protection before, don't you think? Not to mention, Jane still vehemently denies what happened that night."

"Here we go again," Basileus said to himself, shaking his head as he walked away. "You don't like the boy, Aro, we all get it."

His son's complaints about Lucius had been wearing, _but to bring them up now when you own son is going so rapidly off the rails. It's laughable, Aro._

"It's not that I don't like him, I don't trust him!" Aro countered.

"Atia trusts him, they lived together for years she knows the boy," Basileus replied. He wasn't having this argument again.

"She isn't always the best judge of character," Aro sneered.

Basileus fixed his boy with a dangerous glare. "What is that supposed to mean?" he spat.

Eleazar covered Aro from his father's view to break the stare-off. "Aro just leave it," he begged. He didn't want to see their father take Aro down in front of him and Carlisle.

"No, El." Basileus ripped his eldest son aside and threw him to the other side of the room in much the way he had done with Magnus. "He has started now, he'll bloody well finish!"

"She trusted Carlisle," Aro said simply.

"Hey!" Carlisle exclaimed. "Why bring me into this?"

"I'm serious!" Aro said, though he did feel a little guilty using Carlisle as proof of Atia's lack of judgement. "Look what happened with Carlisle - she gave him all the ammunition he needed to emotionally blackmail you for two fucking years!"

"Hold your tongue!" Basileus growled. "Carlisle's deceit was of his own making, Atia did not incite it."

"Cheers, brother!" Carlisle huffed.

Both Aro and Basileus ignored his complaint. "Lucius doesn't have a malicious bone in his body, he's a good kid," Basileus insisted.

"You don't know that," Eleazar spoke up from the floor. It bothered Eleazar that Basileus couldn't get inside the boy's head.

"Atia does!" Basileus insisted again. It was a weak argument but he held onto it vehemently.

Aro scoffed. "Atia is not infallible!"

Basileus willed himself to calm down. He could feel the vampire within rising to the surface and neither he nor Aro could take that again so soon. It had only been four days since the last submission. Aro should, Basileus reasoned, be far more compliant than he was. He certainly shouldn't have the will to argue against him so openly.

Aro's love for Alec, and fear over what else could happen to his children was far more powerful than the submission's magical power.

Basileus, wanting to circumvent another occurrence with his son, tried reason instead. "Have you not noticed that you are the only one in this family who has an issue with Lucius?" He didn't really feel it, but he made sure he sounded calmer as he spoke.

"Jane doesn't trust him either, she won't go anywhere near Lucius," Aro returned.

"Jane follows you blindly," Basileus replied.

"No she really does not," Aro scoffed.

"She does, brother," Carlisle agreed. "If you said you liked Lucius, Jane would at least spend time with the boy."

"I don't want her to spend time with him!" Aro threw back, and immediately cursed himself for saying so.

"Well, yeah …" Carlisle nodded slowly. "That's kind of the point, isn't it? You don't want Jane to be around him, so she's sticking to your side like glue."

Aro huffed in annoyance. "El, you said Lucius is powerful."

"He is, very!" Eleazar agreed.

"But his only gift is persuasion … gentle persuasion at that … it doesn't add up, does it?" Aro pushed.

"It is strange," Eleazar agreed again.

"Oh, not you, too!" Basileus glowered at his eldest son.

"I didn't say anything!" Eleazar complained, backing up on the floor.

"I'm not listening to any more of this." Basileus fetched his cloak. "Pull yourself together, Aro, you sound like a jealous child." Shoving Aro roughly away from the door, he opened it wide. Renata stood outside the door, moving quickly from the creator's path.

Basileus ran a hand through his hair. His head ached and he felt confused. It was happening more and more often. He worried briefly if Aro was right? _Am I losing my mind? No man can live forever,_ he thought, thinking of his many millennia on the earth. Shaking the idea from his mind he made to leave. "I don't want any trouble from you over this. Lucius is as much my son and any of you are and he's staying."

"Keep your new brat away from my children and we won't have any trouble," Aro said daringly. He didn't believe Basileus' story that he had impregnated Lucius' human host, particularly as he had failed to prove the possibility by giving Caius a sperm sample. He wasn't going to open that argument up again, though. The last time saw him receiving a hefty round of fucks for his efforts.

Basileus spun around. "Funnily enough, son, you said the same about Carlisle and Felix - at some point you will have to face the reality that your children have their own minds and they act on them!"

A broad smile spread across Aro's face. "Except Jane, right?" he asked with a smirk. "She doesn't have her own mind; her actions are all my orchestrating."

Basileus twitched again for a moment before flashing from his quarters, leaving the round-about argument behind him.

Eleazar got up and closed the door for his father. "You know the next time you complain about Felix squaring up to you and not knowing when to back down …" He drifted off seeing Aro catch onto his thoughts. "That's all I'm saying, brother."

"Their own minds …" Aro repeated to himself. "He said they have their own minds …"

"What are you thinking?" Eleazar asked.

"I don't really know yet."

Aro's head was going ten to the dozen trying to put all the pieces together. Magnus had been in the guard hall when Alec was punished. He had seen that through his contact with Alec as he'd bandaged him up. _Why didn't Magnus stop Basileus? Reason with him? Anything?_

"What do you think of Lucius?" he asked Eleazar.

"I like him," Eleazar replied. "He's a good kid." Even as he spoke he looked confused by his own answer.

Aro threw his hands in the air. "That's exactly what everyone says, exactly that, every time." He went to his little brother. "Carlisle … what do you think about Lucius?"

"Yeah, I like him, he's a good kid." The words spewed forth from Carlisle's mouth before he could stop them.

Aro bobbed his head and headed straight for the door. "I'm going to talk with Magnus." _Whatever that little bastard is doing to my coven, it ends now!_


	109. Boys Will Be Boys

**AN:** I am sorry if these recent chapters are offending anyone… I did warn you they were a little dark (and they get darker yet, to be honest). I am about twenty odd chapters ahead of this one, so I'm not going to go change anything I've already written. BUT, I have checked what I've got done so far and a fair bit of explanation about Basileus and Lucius comes in the chapter 'Valentines Day' (I think that will be chapter 119), though most of it will be cleared up by the end of the Lucius chapters (chapter 113).

So, anyhoo… for those still reading - You know how people say things get worse before they get better? Well, we are still in the 'worse'!

* * *

 **Boys Will Be Boys**

Freyr returned from throne room duty to find the guard hall empty, except for Magnus who stood over Corin, sobbing on the floor.

"What's happened?" Freyr asked as she tentatively approached the pair.

Magnus shrugged his shoulders, but looked concerned. He hadn't managed to make much sense of Corin's cries so far, having only just arrived himself.

"Bring her to her dorm, Magnus," Freyr called, holding the door to the stairs open for them both.

"I can't, Freyr," Magnus said quietly. "I can't bend. It hurts too damn much."

He had tried to move her, but the young guard was consumed by her emotions, and Magnus was consumed by his pain. He attempted to ease the girl's suffering with his gift but he was pretty distracted by the hiding he had taken from Basileus earlier that day and he wasn't able to give Corin his best efforts.

Freyr had been as pissed off as all the other masters that Magnus had failed to return to the throne room, but that annoyance turned to concern seeing the wooden way he walked. "What's happened to you?"

Magnus shook his head curtly, feeling shame momentarily flood his body. "We can discuss that later, you will have to carry Corin."

It took some coxing from Freyr, but eventually she managed to lift Corin from the floor and carried her to her dorm where they covered the half-naked girl with a blanket.

She was covered in deep purple bruising - arms, legs, body, face... covered. With a little more coxing, Corin told the masters what had happened to her. Magnus and Freyr were shocked, angry, but most of all shocked.

"Did he force you?" Freyr asked gently.

Corin hugged her blanket. "I don't know."

"Corin, you consented or you didn't," Magnus said with a little more force than necessary. He was soaking up Freyr's anger on top of his own.

"I'm not going to lie, I could have used a bit of a warm up," Corin explained.

Magnus looked to Freyr, seemingly both thinking the same thing - that was very much NOT something Corin would say. "So he forced you?" Magnus pushed.

"There's a word for that," Freyr said quietly. _Rapist bastard!_

"It's not his fault," Corin called out in her rapist's defence. "It's not. Boys will be boys, after all - whatever their station."

 _Whatever their station?_ Freyr repeated to herself, hoping that it didn't mean what she thought it could mean. "Who did this, Corin?"

"I told you already, I don't know!" Corin insisted. She was confused, and so tired. Her eyelids felt heavy, like she could actually sleep. "I did lead him on, Master," she said hazily. "He's a nice kid, I like him."

"Corin, you aren't making sense, my dear," Freyr said softly, covering a little more of the young woman's bruised frame with the woollen shroud.

Magnus wasn't feeling quite as gentle as his mate. "There's a rapist guard walking around our coven …"

Corin looked up to the juggernaut. "It wasn't a guard."

"But you said you didn't know who it was?" Freyr pushed. If it had to be anyone from their coven she would rather it was a guard. _A guard we can get rid of,_ she thought. _This will be a tricky situation to deal with if it's_ not _a guard._

"I'm so tired," Corin moaned, eyes closing as she spoke.

 _How can she be sleeping_?! Magnus felt nervous - not great on top of the anger, concern and pain he already felt. "We will back you, Corin. ALL the masters will back you. You know that, yes?"

"I don't think Master Aro would back me, Master. He doesn't believe men and women are equal."

Corin's nonsensical response suggested to Magnus that Aro could be the culprit. _Surely not?_

"Aro has officially backed the changes making men and women equal in the guard. And even without that, he would NEVER sanction rape in the coven!" Freyr insisted, her tone sounding much surer than she truly felt.

"Experience would say otherwise, Master." Corin's closed eyes leaked with tears. "I don't want to take it any further," she said dreamily. "I'm so tired."

And just like that, she was out.

Neither Magnus nor Freyr had ever seen a vampire sleep before. Not an adult one. They backed out of the room feeling very uneasy, both wondering if their co-master could be to blame.

…

Aro strode into the masters' office with Renata following close behind. "Magnus, I need to talk to you …"

Magnus steeled himself for the conversation that was to come. "I need to talk to you, too," he said. "Renata, wait in the guard hall." Closing the doors behind her, he sealed them in.

Though Magnus had been in the throne room that morning, he and Aro hadn't had time to talk before visitors started piling in. Aro knew he was due a round of hell from his co-master over Felix's actions but he didn't have time to discuss that now.

"If this is about what Felix did to Turk, you need to know that it was a totally freak occurrence which will never be repeated and Felix is …"

"I don't want to talk about that," Magnus said quietly, leading Aro to his desk. "I have just discovered that a guard has been raped."

That took Aro by surprise. "If this is one of the mated couples I'm not getting involved with that."

"No. Not one of the couples," Magnus said. He was watching Aro intently, reading his emotional response to the conversation. Magnus was like a walking talking lie detector. "I was wondering if it was you," he said carefully.

"Me?!" Aro asked aghast. "What the fuck?!"

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell Aro was being honest with him. "If it wasn't you, I'm not sure who it was."

"When did this happen?" Aro asked.

"In the middle of the guard hall this afternoon, which apparently was completely empty at the time."

"It's never empty." Aro peered into the guard hall, full of life, as it usually was.

"That's part of my issue," Magnus said, seeing the same sight. No one seemed to be concerned by Corin's absence either, which added to his uneasy feeling.

"Where were you?" Aro asked his co-master.

Magnus stood stiffly at his desk. "I was on lockdown in my chambers waiting for your old man to come and cane me for objecting to his harsh treatment of Alec."

 _So you did object … that's good to know,_ Aro thought. "Alec is why I sought you out. May I see what you saw, my friend."

Magnus offered his hand and Aro travelled back through the master's memories to witness, first-hand, the beating Alec took from the creator. Seeing it in happening in front of him was sickening. And there was something about the way Basileus moved, like a puppet or something.

"And then he beat you, too?" Aro asked, referring to his father. "Are you serious, Magnus?!" It was incomprehensible that Basileus would do that, but he had just seen it with his own eyes.

"Yes," Magnus said firmly. "Deadly. I am not standing at my desk for fun." Huffing at the humiliation, the indignity, let alone the pain he was still suffering. "He threatened to take my job and throw me back in the guard."

Aro shook his head. "That will never happen, Magnus. Basileus has said so himself on many occasions."

"He sounded pretty convincing this time, Aro," Magnus said sternly. He made the mistake of mimicking Aro's actions and leaning his ass against the desk. The contact soon had him standing back up straight again. If their situation weren't so grave, Aro might have laughed at that.

"Which guard was it?" Aro asked. "Who is claiming to have been raped?"

"Corin, and it's not a claim, Aro. It happened." Magnus thought back to how he found the girl; clothing in tatters, black and blue, and there was definitely cum on his guard hall floor. "I saw the evidence of the event."

Aro's head fell into his hands. "Oh God, not her."

"What's wrong with Corin?" Magnus asked. He'd never had a complaint about the girl.

"Nothing, nothing, she's a sweet girl," Aro hurried to say. _A sweet girl who has hidden my crime of the same nature,_ he thought, thinking back to his dungeon blood binge. "Is she raising an official complaint?"

Magnus shook his head sadly. "I asked if he, whoever he was, forced her, she said, and I quote, 'I'm not going to lie, I could have used a bit of a warm up'."

"Corin said that?!" Aro exclaimed. He had never heard her speak in such a way.

"She seems to think this is an expected action from the guys in our coven, Aro," Magnus said, reading his co-master's emotions again. "She said, 'boys will be boys, after all, whatever their station.' Sick, huh?!"

"I can honestly say it has turned my stomach." Aro heaved. "Why does she not want to raise this? Does she know we would back her?"

"Freyr made it clear we would back her and that rape would never be sanctioned within our walls." Magnus eyeballed Aro for a moment. "But when it comes to you, Corin said 'experience would say otherwise'. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means?"

"No, of course not," Aro insisted. "I have never sanctioned rape."

"Aro?" Magnus questioned. His reading of the man would say otherwise.

"I haven't," Aro said forcefully, moving away from Magnus' powers.

"Corin feels it's her fault for leading them on … though she failed to give a single example," Magnus continued. He wasn't sure whether Aro was confusing submission with rape in his emotional response, but he was sure Aro hadn't been the one to rape Corin. "I have never seen Corin even flirt with anyone other than Felix!"

"How can she possibly not remember who it was, Magnus?" Aro asked.

"All she could say was that it wasn't a guard, and that she liked the kid."

Magnus watched his guards as they socialised, wondering if Corin could have been wrong. _But who in there would she refer to as a nice kid?_

"She liked the kid …" Aro repeated. _Those bloody words_! "Tell me exactly what she said."

"He's a nice kid, I like him," Magnus repeated Corin's words.

"It was Lucius," Aro growled. "Don't ask how I know, but trust me, it was Lucius."

Magnus watched his co-master, reading his emotions. He wasn't sure what he had said to convince Aro of Lucius' guilt, but he could tell Aro really believed it. "I do trust you," Magnus eventually sighed. "What are we going to do about that kid, Aro?"

"I don't know yet, Magnus." Aro took to wandering around the masters' office. "The creator believes he's his long-lost love child and is seriously out of character."

"I can attest to that!" Magnus huffed, rubbing at the base of his back which still stung like a bitch.

"I am going to talk to Marcus," Aro announced. "He knows my father in a way I do not."

"They are friends, equals," Magnus sneered. He had nothing against Marcus, nor Basileus, usually. After all his efforts to assert himself in the coven and show the creator he was a man of his years, he had ended up taking the sort of beating only a guard would get, and it pissed him off.

"Bitter?" Aro asked with a smile creeping onto his lips.

"After the caning I have just taken I am more than bitter, Aro." _Marcus would never have to submit to such an indignity!_

"Didn't you resist?" Aro asked. Not that he would have, either.

Magnus looked wearily to Aro. "Despite what your old man thinks, I'm not young enough to be that stupid."

Aro laughed humourlessly before returning to the matter at hand. "We are agreed Lucius needs to go?"

Magnus shrugged. "I like him, He's a good kid."

"Why did you say that?" Aro asked, wide eyed and shocked. "He's just raped one of our guards!"

"I don't know, I know," Magnus said, feeling confused. "Fuck, my head hurts!"

…

Aro was so stressed by the time he reached Marcus' chambers that he didn't even knock on the door, he burst right through it! Renata waited at the door, more hesitant than her master.

"Are you here to see the patient?" Marcus asked, coming into the main living area from the bedroom where Turk lay in recovery.

"Oh!" Aro had forgotten about Turk. "I trust he is recovering as we would expect?" he asked, feigning concern.

"He is, your father fed him again this morning. A few more feeds should see him right," Marcus explained, pouring them both a drink. "We will need to agree upon a cover story with Turk when he wakes fully."

Aro nodded his agreement. "I have come on another matter that needs your attention, brother."

Marcus took a seat and invited Aro to join him.

"Marcus," Aro started awkwardly. "Do you know a way to keep your thoughts from my father?"

"Of course not, Aro," Marcus said, wearing a quiet smile. "You know how your father's gift works. If he knows of a conversation to look for, he will find it." With raised eyebrows, Marcus waited for Aro to catch up to his thinking.

"Aha." He got it, _talk discreetly_. "I need to confess something to you in an effort to work out what's going on with Lu … the newest recruit."

"I understand," Marcus said, knowing Aro was talking about Lucius. Marcus hadn't had cause to have much dealing with the boy, but he knew Aro disliked him from Basileus' complaints.

"It's a particularly shameful secret of mine," Aro continued.

"You are worrying me Aro."

Aro sighed deeply into his cup before he began. "Today, Magnus has reported that said recruit has raped a guard. Well he hasn't. But I know it was Lu …" Aro stopped himself just in time. "It was the new recruit. The guard does not want to come forwarded as they rather misguidedly believe they led the recruit on in some way."

Aro checked Marcus' reaction, he seemed to be following. "This is a guard that would never, has never and could never do such a thing."

Marcus stopped Aro. "I'm not sure how this fits together with a shameful secret of yours?"

"I cannot take this complaint to my father to use against the recruit," Aro said, somewhat confusingly.

"Why not?" Marcus pushed.

"Because I did the same thing to the same guard."

Marcus' brow furrowed and he looked sternly down his nose to Aro. "Are we talking that vile practice you are Caius have finally put behind you?"

"No," Aro said in shame. "That would make more sense.

"Was this when you were on …" Marcus didn't need to say dungeon blood, they both knew what he was asking.

"Yes," Aro admitted. He waited for a response, but nothing came. "You aren't saying anything," he prompted.

"I am rather disappointed, Aro." Marcus looked his co-master up and down. "Disappointed and disgusted, to be blunt. What do you want me to say?"

Aro had expected the disapproval, but damn it was still a punch in the guts to receive it. "Do you think that the recruit knew about my secret and chose that guard knowing I couldn't raise it with my father?" he asked, getting back on track.

"I suppose it is possible," Marcus mused. "Who knew about your … activities?"

Aro thought about it. He didn't believe Basileus knew. He would have raised it if he did, he reasoned. "Caius, Felix, and Corin," he replied.

"That's all?" Marcus asked. "I can't imagine any of them would have offered the information so how do you propose that the recruit would have known you raped one of our guards?"

The emphasis on 'raped one of our guards' cut through Aro. He didn't often think of his dungeon blood blips, they were wholly shameful and painful, but hearing Marcus say it so plainly, hurt. Aro took a steadying breath to continue. "I believe the recruit is getting inside people's heads, Marcus."

"Oh really, Aro!" Marcus clearly didn't believe such a thing.

"I don't know how … and I have no proof," Aro continued. "This is the first thing close to proof and I can't use it.

"Surely your father would believe you over the recruit," Marcus gestured.

"The opposite is proving true at the moment and he is acting rather strange, erratic even." Aro could see Marcus was struggling to believe him about Basileus. "He caned Alec and Magnus today."

"What?" Marcus exclaimed. "No!"

"He broke Alec's leg, Marcus. Without a shred of remorse."

Marcus stayed perfectly still as he thought on Aro's words. He had seen no evidence of the creator behaving in such a worrying way. But he did believe Aro. _You wouldn't have told me such a shameful secret if you didn't believe you were onto something,_ he thought, looking at his co-master. "IF you are right about the recruit, IF, it appears he is maliciously motivated towards you, Aro."

"And my kids!" Aro added. That's what concerned him the most.

"Hmmm." Marcus had to agree. "He could possess a banned gift."

Aro's head shot up. He hadn't considered that. All this time he had been focusing on Lucius' persuasiveness, _but it could be much more than that!_ "What do you think of him, Marcus?"

"He's a nice kid, I like him."

Aro dropped his cup and flashed to the door. "I need to go," he said, in shaky breaths. "I will come back when I have more information."

…

Aro walked the grounds of his castle for a while before heading back to the guard hall where he spent the remainder of the evening watching Lucius interact with the guards, keeping Renata close at hand with her shield up. He didn't speak, even when Magnus had tried to speak to him, he remained at his post, watching through the masters' office into the guard hall.

 _Marcus is right, he has a banned gift. That's the only thing that would explain the things that have happened around here. But how the hell am I going to prove it?_ If it weren't for his father's attachment to the little bastard, Aro would have just killed Lucius and suffered the consequences. _But what if his persuasion lasts after his death? What then? Basileus would never forgive me. I have to find proof!_

"Aro!" Marcus called strolling over to his co-master. "I need to tell you that you are right, and good luck, but I can't remember for the life of me why."

Aro spun around. "What did you just say?"

Marcus smiled, but his eyes were blank. That wasn't a particularly unusual state for Marcus, but this was more than normal. "You are right, and good luck."

Aro stopped breathing. He looked back to Lucius through the masters' office window to see the boy watching him right back with a menacing grin.

"Oh, and my opium is missing from my stores, I really hope it wasn't Felix again," Marcus said, getting Aro's attention.

"What about Carlisle," Aro asked. They had both been involved in the opium theft some years previous.

"It wouldn't be Carlisle, it's Felix, I am sure of it," Marcus stated confidently.

"WHY are you sure." Aro pushed.

Marcus looked puzzled. "I can't remember, Aro," he said, drifting away again.

…

Aro and Renata rushed back to the south tower. "Is anyone else in here?" Aro asked, hand clasped on the key in his door.

"No, my love. Why?" Sulpicia had never seen her mate so frantic.

"The kids?" Aro rushed. "Are they all here?"

Sulpicia gestured to Felix and Demetri sat in front of him. "The twins are asleep already."

Aro nodded, and turned the key, locking and bolting the door to seal them safe inside. "We are on lockdown," he announced, flashing to the windows and locking them, too.

"What's happened?" Sulpicia asked, following her mate around their home as he locked out the outside world. "Has there been a breech?"

"No, nothing like that," Aro replied, checking on his young ones. They were safe sleeping in their beds. He locked their windows and returned to the living room, leaving their door ajar so he would hear if anything entered their room.

"Lucius …" he started, only to be cut off by his mate's laughter.

"For God's sake Aro, good luck," she said.

"Why did you say that?" Aro asked, stepping away from his mate. "Good luck!" he repeated. "Why would you say that?"

Sulpicia squinted, as if she were trying to see something not quite there. "I can't remember," she said hazily.

Aro growled. "We. Are. On. Lock. Down," he roared.

Felix and Demetri both flinched hearing their father so angry, particularly as they couldn't understand his annoyance.

"Okay, my love, okay," Sulpicia said, placating Aro.

"What did I do wrong?" Felix asked. He could think of plenty of things he had done, but he was sure Aro didn't know about them, and if he did, they shouldn't illicit such a strong reaction.

"Nothing," Aro said, rushing to his sons and checking them over for harm. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to see, but they were perfectly well unharmed. "This isn't because any of you have done wrong. This is because it isn't safe out there."

Sulpicia reached out for her mate, trying to calm him. "Aro why don't you go for a lie down?"

"I need to think," he said, ignoring her suggestion.

"What is wrong with you?" Demetri asked, backing up into Felix, hoping for his protection should their father attempt to strike.

"Are you on dungeon blood again?" Felix asked warily.

The only time Aro was ever that erratic was when he was on a high. Normal Aro was far too controlled, far too calculated for flitting around their quarters talking to himself.

"NO!" Aro barked in response. He didn't mean to shout. He was just so damn panicked!

"You seem really angry," Felix said tentatively, leaving the sofa and moving slowly to the door. "Maybe I should fetch Basileus."

"You aren't going anywhere!" Aro flashed in front of his son. "Certainly not to him, not to them," he rambled. "I can't keep you safe out there."

"Safe from what?" Felix asked, thinking his father had officially lost the plot.

"An evil force," Aro muttered, pacing at high speed near the door to keep Felix in, to keep him safe.

"Evil?!" Sulpicia repeated. "You don't believe in such things!"

"I have found something that fits the bill," Aro growled, thinking of how that little bastard was playing his covenmates like a puppet master.

"What is it?" Felix asked, standing protectively in front of his mother.

"I can't tell you." Aro continued to mutter indistinctly.

Sulpicia watched her mate blur around their living chamber, checking and rechecking all the locks. "What the hell is going on with you, Aro?"


	110. 1672, December - Christmas

**AN:** Sorry for the delay, my work load is crazy at mo! Thank you for the recent reviews and PMs, particularly Katkls who has ploughed through all 109 chapters in record time to catch us up!

For everyone I haven't scared off, (or majorly offended), welcome to the last bunch of the Lucius chapters…

* * *

 **1672, DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS**

Aro had managed to keep his family on lockdown for a whole month before Basileus found out. That alone was testament to how much of the man's focus rested on his long-lost child from 'woman unknown'.

Basileus had ordered Aro out, and with the threat of submission being announced through the door, (thankfully the children were sleeping!) Aro relented - what choice did he have? - and opened his chambers again. He kept Renata, though, much to Basileus' dismay, as he just didn't understand Aro's need to keep the guard around.

More than that, Basileus took Renata's presence as a personal insult against his judgement. The altercation between creator and king had brought Aro back to the forefront of Basileus' mind and he insisted on spending some time with his son. ALL of his sons - including that slimy little bastard, Lucius.

Renata worked through the door to keep Lucius' persuasion at bay, though she could only protect Aro under such conditions, which made Felix a little nervous as he was there, too! Fortunately, Felix's boredom took over his worry and he was soon set on annoying his father.

"Why don't you go and play with Lucius?" Aro offered menacingly.

Felix glared at Aro for even making such a suggestion.

"He can't," Basileus called over from his desk. "He's out with Atia."

"Wow, you let him out of your sight?"

Eleazar caught Aro's sly jibe and shook his head to his brother. "You must have a bloody death wish," he hissed.

Aro rolled his eyes and went back to looking over the next phase of expansion plans. They had spent much of the year making repairs to the main castle after some particularly ruthless weather and they were now behind on building the west tower. Eleazar and Carlisle were particularly vocal in their annoyance for such delays, both desperate for private quarters away from each other.

"Can we start celebrating Christmas?" Felix asked, looking hopefully towards his father.

Basileus laughed, but Aro found the matter less humorous. "There is no place for religion in my coven, son," he said without even looking at the boy. _Honestly, you must just pull these ideas out of your ass!_

Felix huffed. "I just thought that now we are celebrating Easter ..."

"We are not celebrating Easter. The covens convene at Easter every decade, that is all," Aro insisted, "and it's only Easter because it's the start of the new year, so it seemed appropriate."

"Erm, the new year starts in January now, Dad, they changed it."

"Who is they?" Aro asked.

Felix smirked towards Carlisle. "The humans with the god squad."

Carlisle scowled at his nephew's word choice. "Do you know how disrespectful that is, Felix?"

Carlisle hadn't completely lost his faith, though he was struggling to assimilate his old religion with his new way of life. Felix knew that, and he was using it to wind up Carlisle whenever he had the chance.

Aro shook his head, he had seen so many changes to things like that through his lifetime and, being a vampire with little human contact, was often slightly behind the curve. That pissed him off - Aro didn't like not knowing something, and he blamed the humans for the minor interruption to his life.

"Why do humans like to change these things? What was wrong with New Year's Day being on March 25th?"

"They are moving it back to where it should be!" Basileus interjected as he strolled over to join his sons. "March was a ridiculous time to start a new year."

Felix pushed on. "Perhaps we could invite the covens for Christmas, too?"

Aro threw his paperwork to the side table and focused on his boy. "Are you just trying to wind me up?" he asked, shaking his head. _Christmas?! Never!_

"I'm serious!" Felix insisted. He had started off trying to wind Aro up, that was true enough, but now he thought about it, Christmas would be a lot of fun. "We should start some new traditions."

"No," Aro said flatly.

"You are the one who has been telling us to embrace change," Carlisle added, joining in on his nephew's crusade. He would quite like some Christian traditions to be brought into Volturi life.

"Where I feel it is necessary, Carlisle, yes," Aro answered. "Christmas … " he pretended to think about it as a possibility, waiting until Carlisle and Felix looked hopeful, "not so much."

Carlisle looked away, annoyed in himself for falling into his brother's trap.

"Please," Felix asked.

Eleazar could see Aro getting annoyed. Relations between Basileus and Aro were already hanging by a thread and neither would come well if Felix continued to goad his father. "Why, Felix?" he asked his nephew, throwing him a withering look.

Basileus eyed his grandson for a moment. "Presents!" he said, plucking the idea from the boy's own thoughts.

Felix folded his arms, looking cross. "That's not the only reason."

Aro smiled at his boy. "Give me one more and I'll say yes."

"Erm …" _Fuck! Why can't I think of anything?!_

Aro laughed. "You took too long."

"No, no wait, I can think of some!" Felix insisted, cursing his brain for going on a go-slow.

Aro shook his head. He had won, in his mind. "Too late, conversation over."

"Well I am celebrating Christmas on my own, then," Felix told his father with finality.

Aro rolled his eyes.

Eleazar did the same. "And how will you be celebrating, young prince?" he asked his nephew.

Felix thought for a moment. "I'm going to buy everyone a gift," he decided.

"Don't waste your money," Aro said. _My money!_ he thought. "You will be receiving no gifts in return."

"But, Dad!" Felix whined.

Aro winced, that tone drove him crazy, just as Felix knew it would. "You have a roof over your head, blood to drink, and money in your pocket - I give you enough."

"Well it wouldn't have to be from you," Carlisle told his brother.

Aro looked at his little brother pointedly before turning back to Felix. "No one else in this castle will give you a gift either." He gave Carlisle another stern look before collecting up his expansion plans to distract himself from his son's idiotic wittering.

"Actually," Felix crooned, sidling up to his father on the sofa. "Saint Nicholas gives gifts to children at Christmas … in a hose or something."

"That's lovely, do you know him well?" Aro patronised his boy. "Does he have your address?"

"You are old enough to know saints' stories are fanciful and fantastical," Eleazar added.

"Doesn't mean it doesn't happen," Felix huffed.

"It might have happened, once upon a time, somewhere far, far away. It isn't happening now, and it isn't happening here," Aro said with finality. The matter was already closed in his eyes.

Felix changed tack. "Some people decorate their houses with branches off trees and stuff. Can I do that?"

Aro guffawed in his son's face. "Yeah, do that, son. I'll ask Caius to have a cell ready in the dungeons for when your mother sees it."

Seeing how hurt Felix looked by his dismissal of those ideas, Aro relented a little and offered a compromise, kind of. "If you want to play Christian you can start by going to church."

"I'll take you, Felix, if you want to go?" Carlisle offered genuinely.

"NO!" Basileus, Eleazar and Aro answered in unison.

"It won't just be me!" Carlisle returned snottily. "Marcus and I are going to the Christmas services in Volterra."

"Hmm, accompanied might not be so bad," Eleazar mused, though one look to his father and brother told him it was the wrong thing to say.

Carlisle looked murderously around the room, thoroughly pissed off that he still wasn't trusted by his family to be a responsible adult, particularly where his nephew was concerned. He hadn't put a foot out of place since January when he'd stolen from the guards, and truthfully, he still couldn't work out how that had happened.

Basileus saw things differently. Carlisle may not have actively done anything wrong, but other than engaging with the human workforce, he wasn't doing much to shine positively, either. Though it completely evaded Carlisle as to when he was supposed to shine with Basileus down his throat for every imagined slight. Eleazar was having an easier time of it, but Aro and Carlisle were constantly under their father's scrutiny and neither seem able to please the creator.

"So if I do the church thing can we do Christmas?" Felix asked, feeling hopeful again.

"It's a week until the 25th, son," Aro stated. "You will need longer than that to convince me to celebrate Christmas."

"Next year it is then!" Felix crowed triumphantly. He knew his father; the guy was always looking for the win-win where his children were concerned and he had even made pretty big coven changes based on Felix's suggestion. _He brought in the payroll … that was kind of my idea … Christmas will be an easy win!_

Eleazar filled everyone's cups and took the seat opposite Aro. "He won't stop going on about it until then, you know?!"

Aro scowled at the forthcoming debates that would no doubt cloud his year until he gave in. "I have enough of a headache with Alec, I don't need your nagging on top of that, Felix!"

Alec and Lucius had teamed back up the instant Aro had released his family from lockdown. Aro had spent the month explaining to them all that Lucius was a risk, he told them all he knew about the boy's control and that the persuasion he was gifted with was most definitely not his only power, but still Alec had skipped away with the menace as soon as he'd clapped eyes on him.

 _Idiot!_ Aro thought about his youngest, thought he truly didn't blame Alec - he was convinced Lucius was in his head, somehow. The pair of them had created merry hell in the Volturi coven, though Lucius always seemed to evade blame in Basileus' eyes. Aro had refused point blank to punish Alec if Lucius was going to walk scott-free - another bone of contention between Aro and Basileus as the creator truly believed his grandson was to blame.

"What has he done now?" Eleazar asked.

"They, not he." Aro didn't need to mention Lucius by name, all in attendance knew it was Lucius. Hearing his father scoff, Aro pushed on. "If you had let me keep my family on lockdown …"

Basileus cut his boy off mid-sentence. "Stop, just stop!" he demanded. "You are driving me mad, Aro! Every conversation you manage to have a dig at the boy."

"You are too quick to defend him," Aro sneered, "and you throw my son to the wolves even quicker, he added quietly.

Basileus heard him loud and clear. "You know those brandings were Alec's idea, we both read it in his thoughts!"

"I still don't believe it," Aro said defensively.

Nothing Basileus could ever say would make the cruelty he had meted on Alec justifiable in Aro's eyes. Or anyone else's for that matter.

Basileus slammed his drink to the table, spilling its contents. "Your gift has been enough to condemn men to death, but suddenly you can no longer rely on it? Really?"

"Yes, really," Aro shot back, matching his father's tine. "Something is going on."

Basileus was so bored of Aro's complaints, particularly as in the space of a whole year, he still had failed to back up his claims that Lucius was not to be trusted with any proof.

"Alec is letting off some steam now he has a playmate, that is all."

"That is not all." Aro slammed his glass down, too, and like his father, scattered the contents of the goblet. "I know Alec well enough to know that these pranks, these little adventures - they are not of his making."

"I would be more inclined to agree if I hadn't seen the entire premeditated process in the child's mind!" Basileus thundered in reply.

Eleazar held his head in his hands. He could see this was going to erupt in to a full-on argument and they were all supposed to be going to the guard party in an hour. _We will never get there now. For fuck sake._

"I know Alec, and you don't know Lucius," Aro insisted.

Basileus got to his feet, towering over Aro. "I know Lucius well enough, and Atia knows the boy inside out!"

Aro considered backing down for a moment, but he was too damn pissed off! "That's just it though, isn't it, Dad - we don't know him inside out. Neither of our gifts work on him!"

Basileus walked away, he was sick of that complaint, too. "Atia said …"

"Atia is probably in on it!" Aro broke in. He didn't even mean it, really. But it was the only thing he could think of at the time to add any credence to his argument.

Basileus spun on his heel to face Aro. His whole demeanour changed. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, quietly, darkly, scaring the fuck out of all three sons and grandson.

Aro knew that tone too well already. It sounded so very much like the tone his father had used when he called for his submission … both times.

"Come on, it's not like you to hold back, son," Basileus continued, knowing he was goading his boy. "What do you mean by Atia is in on it?" He stalked back to his stand in front of his middle boy. "You will answer me, you little fucker."

Aro gulped, but there was no way he was backing down now. "It means Atia is a self-serving bitch who has brought that boy into my coven to cause havoc and you are too blind to see it!"

Aro flashed to the back of the room and he regretted the words before he had even finished saying them. Part of him wondered why the submission had allowed him to say it!

"What are you doing, Dad?" Eleazar asked, jumping to his feet to stand between Aro and Basileus.

Basileus slipped his belt from around his waist. "He wanted a reaction, he's getting one," he said rather flippantly, watching Aro, who scoffed in response.

"Is that really necessary?" Eleazar gestured to his nephew with his chin. _Not in front of the boy, my lord,_ he pleaded tentatively, trying to save his brother further embarrassment.

"He can carry on for all I care, brother, I'm only telling it how it is," Aro said, sounding ever so nonchalant. You didn't need Magnus to read his emotions to know he was lying, Aro looked scared to death.

"Let's see how long you can cling on to that bravery, shall we?" Basileus mocked his boy, slapping his folded belt across his palm. The noise turned Aro's stomach over.

Eleazar wasn't fairing much better than his brother. He blocked Basileus' path and pushed him back with a hand on his chest. "Dad, see sense … "

"See sense?" Basileus repeated before Eleazar could go any further.

"I just meant … "

"Out!" Basileus roared in his eldest son's face. Eleazar didn't budge. "Eleazar, get out, or you are next."

"Go, El," Aro called out bravely. He didn't really want his brother to leave, he was scared what Basileus would do without an audience and he was pretty sure he would only get a hiding in front of them - which was preferable to submission in private. "Don't worry about it."

"No!" Eleazar stood firm. "There is no need for this to get physical."

Basileus cocked an eyebrow at his eldest. "Sod it, you're first."

"What?!" All three of the creator's sons replied, stunned at the turnabout in their father's demeanour.

"So the three of you are against me now, is that it?" Basileus asked, looking around his traitorous brats.

"We aren't against you!" Eleazar insisted.

"You are being paranoid!" Aro added, unhelpfully.

Basileus scoffed. "That's a bit rich coming from you, boy!"

"You can't keep beating the coven members on a whim!" Aro shot back, feeling a little safer now Eleazar had stood with him against their father.

"You aren't coven members," Basileus growled, glaring around the room. "You are MY sons and I will do whatever I damn well please in order to correct your insubordination.

Felix wasn't too sure where he fitted - _is it better to be a coven member or one of his family?_ he wondered. He stood with Carlisle anyway.

Basileus looked like he was ready to fight, in Aro's eyes. "Do you think you can take the three of us on, Dad?"

"You trained us," Eleazar pointed out.

"I did," Basileus agreed, walking around his chambers and judging his adversaries. "And just like you with those you train," he directed to Aro, "I always kept a little back for safety."

He came to a halt in front of Carlisle and Felix. Felix stood firm, but Carlisle looked unsure. "Besides, by the look on Carlisle's face he might like to try and get out of this if he can?"

"N, n, no," Carlisle stuttered in reply.

"Great, Carlisle!" Aro sneered, throwing his hands in the air. "Thanks a lot!"

Basileus ignored his son's theatrics. "El, how about you?"

Eleazar shook his head slowly, eyeballing Basileus as he did so. "I'm not going anywhere until you put that belt back on."

"Fine," Basileus replied easily. For a moment everyone breathed a sigh of relief believing the creator to have relented. Foolish boys.

Once Eleazar was distracted enough by his relief, Basileus took him by the throat and dragged him to the old oak table, throwing him across it and pinning him down.

Basileus growled ferociously, keeping everyone else well back. "Aro, either you step up to the plate and take it like a man, or I will take El down and give it to him like one," he sneered hatefully.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked. _It sounds … sexual?_ he thought.

"Aro knows what I mean," Basileus replied, still growling. That growl was to be a permanent fixture of the conversation.

"Dad …" Eleazar gasped from beneath Basileus' hold, "no … this is going too far."

"You know what to do to end this, Aro," Basileus smiled cruelly. "Assume the position in your brother's place or start your backtracking damn quick and take your beating."

Aro gulped. _What lovely options I have!_ he thought with his eyes shut, willing the whole world to disappear and him with it.

Meanwhile, Basileus was slowly starting to strip Eleazar.

"Aro!" Eleazar called out. "Do something!"

Carlisle turned to Felix, hoping he would have a clue what was going on. "What does he mean?"

Basileus stopped stripping his eldest and turned a delightfully cruel smile on his youngest before calling for Aro's attention. "You still haven't told your baby brother, have you?" he asked, knowing Aro wouldn't have. "So you don't trust Carlisle either?"

"Why don't you trust me?" Carlisle asked indignantly. "What don't you trust me with?"

"How about the boy?" Basileus asked Aro, paying little attention to Carlisle's complaints. "Does Felix know?"

"Leave him out of this!" Aro growled in return.

"Perhaps I will have him after your brother," Basileus said too quietly, smirking at the young boy, before turning his attention back to Eleazar.

In one swift movement he debagged Eleazar and pinned both arms behind his back. "Come on son, we're all family here," he whispered into his ear.

"For fuck sake, Aro, do something," Eleazar roared.

Aro swallowed down every ounce of pride he had and spoke to his father. "I apologise unreservedly, my lord, and beg for your forgiveness."

It worked. Basileus released Eleazar immediately and approached his middle child. "Did that stick in your throat, son?" he asked, the growl still there, rumbling in his chest as a reminder to the dangerousness of the situation.

"No, my lord. Of course not," Aro replied, eyes submissively to the floor.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell is going on?!" Carlisle erupted.

Eleazar redressed himself and pulled his brother and nephew close.

Aro dared to look at his son, feeling such great shame that the boy would witness Basileus punishing him. "I believe I am in your debt for a hiding, my lord," he said respectfully.

"That you are, boy," Basileus nodded.

When Aro turned and put his hands on the wall, offering his back for punishment, Basileus called to stop him. "Ah, ah, ah," he said, tutting. "Strip."

Aro spun back around. "What?!"

"Dad, no, don't do this," Eleazar pleaded, Carlisle and Felix backing him up.

"You both backed out and left your brother to take his whipping," Basileus told his sons. "You don't get to call the shots now!" He turned back to Aro. "STRIP!" he roared.

Aro released a shaky breath and started to undo his dress coat.

"Aro, don't!" Eleazar called out. "Just come with me," he suggested, opening his father's chamber door wide.

Aro shook his head. There was no way he was getting out of that room without some form of punishment and he would rather a belting than any other sort Basileus might offer. "It's alright, El, just go."

"Oh no, they had their chance to leave." Basileus flashed to the door, slamming it closed and pulling the three younger vampires closer to the action. "They are going to watch."

"Fuck," Aro whispered, catching his son's eye.

CRACK!

Basileus whipped the end of his belt towards Aro, landing it on his chest with the tip catching his chin.

Aro wanted to howl in response but he would rather die than do such a thing in front of his brothers and son.

"I didn't quite catch that, son," Basileus said, cupping his ear as though he was straining to hear anything. "Do you want to try again?"

"Look!" Aro spluttered. "I said look, my lord. They should look."

"Nice save," Basileus sneered, backing up a little to give Aro space to change.

Aro looked down his body and back to his father. He had already removed his coat and shirt. _What else do you want?_

"Keep going," Basileus said, gesturing to the rest of his boy's clothing.

"Felix …" Aro shut his mouth knowing no matter what he said he wasn't getting away with anything because Felix was there.

"Feeling shy, son?" Basileus asked cruelly.

"No," Aro huffed with his hands on his hips.

He wasn't feeling shy at all. Felix had seen him naked enough times that he had no shame being undressed in front of the boy, and vice versa - they had lived together for centuries with one bathroom! It was just so improper to have his son there as a witness to what looked set to be a serious beating.

"Does this remind you of anything?" Basileus asked playfully. Savage, but playful. "How about Felix and his uniform?"

He pulled his grandson in close. "Time to get your own back, boy."

"I don't want to be here," Felix said tearfully.

Basileus pushed the boy away, as though he had offended him or something for not going along with his cruel joke. "Tough!" he growled.

"You shouldn't be thinking about that power play anyway, son," Basileus told Aro. "This is going to be far more reminiscent of your last dungeon blood comedown."

Aro shut his eyes again, squeezing tightly, but he refused to remove any more of his clothing. It wasn't even for his own pride - he knew Felix was freaking out already and he didn't want to make matters worse for the boy.

"Strip," Basileus commanded.

"Let Felix out first," Aro whispered. "This isn't fair on him, my lord."

The door swung open, but it wasn't Basileus' doing.

"Basileus?!" Atia called.

She came into the room and looked around in obvious confusion, seeing Eleazar still fixing the fastenings on his britches, Aro half stripped, Felix in clear distress, and Carlisle looking bewildered.

"What on earth has happened in here?" she asked, approaching her mate who seemed to calm instantly at the sound of her voice.

Everyone froze, waiting for the creator's next move.

"I … can't remember?" he stumbled, holding his head, falling into the nearby chair.

"Is your guard up?" Aro asked his mother tentatively.

"Across the whole room," Atia replied, fetching her mate a drink. He looked pale, even for a vampire!

"Where is he?!" Aro roared, ripping through his father's apartment searching for Lucius. "Where is that little cunt?!"

"Aro!" Atia admonished her son's word choice, though she wasn't too sure what had happened before she arrived. Basileus wasn't forthcoming with information either. He could hardly form a sentence.

"No, he's right mom, something is going on!" Eleazar backed Aro up, joining in the search. "Use Dad's gift, go inside his head, you will see what he was about to do!"

Atia did just that and was horrified to discover how close Basileus had been to calling for not only Aro's submission, but Eleazar's as well!

 _You were seriously going to strip Aro and beat him? Where has this come from?_ she wondered. There was something about Basileus' memories, they were patchy, and his own thoughts didn't agree with his actions. Basileus had tried to resist reacting to Aro originally but it was as though a flip had switched in his brain _… very … odd._

"What was he about to do?" Carlisle asked. His curiosity was long behind him - it was a matter of principal and he demanded an answer.

Unfortunately, no one had time to explain. "Nothing, Carlisle, don't worry about it," Eleazar replied, though he felt guilty not sharing what he knew. Carlisle had a right to know in his mind, but it wasn't his story to tell.

"Here he is, the little fucker!" Aro called as he dragged Lucius out of his father's bedchamber. He had found Lucius in the walk-in robe. "Why were you hiding in there? Huh?" he asked through gritted teeth, shaking the boy by his hair.

"I was scared! Basileus was shouting, you were all shouting!" Lucius claimed, wincing and hissing at the sharp tugs.

"Don't give me that!" Aro roared, throwing the boy to the floor.

"Aro, he's a child," Basileus said softly, hazily - he wasn't quite with it.

"He's Satan or something, he's not a child!" Aro returned, taking his eyes off the boy for a moment.

Lucius took that moment to flee the ground floor suite.

Aro cursed his own distraction. "You better run boy - if I catch you I'll fucking kill you!" he called after him, being dragged back by Eleazar.

"Don't shout," Basileus pleaded. "My head is spinning."

Atia was full of concern for her mate and she was going to get to the bottom of it all. It worried her that Aro might believe she was part of whatever was going on. She most certainly wasn't. Though truthfully, she knew Aro had only said as such to back up his lack of evidence.

Atia collected Aro's clothes and handed them to her son. "I will get to the bottom of this, but you should all leave now," she said, herding them all towards the door.

Eleazar looked back to his father. The creator looked a shadow of his former self, in so many ways. He was neither the man they knew and loved, nor the ultimate coven leader they feared. He seemed to be in some sort of half-life stage. Deflated, defeated.

"I don't want to leave you alone with him," Eleazar whispered.

Atia could deal with her mate, she had nothing to fear. "Everyone is quite safe," she insisted. "A guard party is taking place right now. I suggest you take yourselves - your families are already there."

With that she closed the door on the four of them.

Renata stood by, waiting to be instructed. She was surprised to see Aro half-dressed on the castle floor. It was certainly an unusual event. She hadn't heard what had happened within, exactly, though from the growling and roaring that escaped through the door, it sounded serious.

Aro redressed and avoided his little brother's eye. He couldn't look at Felix either.

"I'm killing that kid, El," he said, trying to distract himself. "Fuck the consequences! Lucius is using Basileus… I'm living on borrowed time here."

Eleazar could see how tense his brother was but what he was suggesting was preposterous. They had discussed the possibilities of gifts that could take possession of other many times before, before Lucius had even turned up, but it was all theory - there had never been a vampire with such a gift. . "Come on, Aro. Let's get you a drink," he suggested, guiding his brother along.

Carlisle blocked their path. "Are either of you going to tell us what the fuck that was about?"

"NO," they both replied forcefully.

"Fuck you both," Carlisle growled. "Come on, Felix." He pulled his nephew with him, both shooting Aro and Eleazar frustrated, confused eyes as they left.

Eleazar dragged Aro back. "Let them go. What else can we do if we aren't going to tell them what that was really about?"

 _I'm not telling them. They will never need to know,_ Aro thought as he trudged alongside his brother to the guard hall.


	111. The Darkest Day

**AN:**  
 **Nightingale:** I like your thinking there! That would have been a good way to go! But, no :D Caius has proved that vampires can have babies, even if incredibly unlikely, and I think there will be a few more popping up as we go through the centuries - Lucius is the precursor for how they will be viewed by the vampiric world. Lucius _is_ motivated to commit these atrocities, we will see why he's such a cunt in Chap 112. I have just checked through my chapters, though Lucius will be done with soon, the ramifications of what he has been up to wont be properly settled until 1720, August!

 **Katkls:** Felix might be waiting for his Christmas for a while yet :(

 **Guest:** that is such a kind thing for you to say, I really appreciate it. I am feeling bad that some people feel let down by the path the story has taken recently, but with a story this long there needs to be a good mix of ups and downs… and some ups will be really up and the downs will have to be really down… or with the Lucius chapters, really, really down!

 **Guest:** I totally agree! I know our poor vampires have been pushed to the brink with the last few sets of chapters, but everything will be alright. Not in this chapter, though. Everything is definitely NOT alright in this one. This is probably the worst of them all, actually. I haven't been graphic with anything, but its vile.

Ah, fuck. You'll be coming for me with pitch forks after this one!

BUT, _after_ this one, they'll be out of the woods. Promise.

Okay. Replies, warnings and apologies done. Lets check out that guard party Aro and Eleazar were heading to, shall we?

* * *

 **The Darkest Day**

The guard party was in full swing, and even though Aro had tried to stay on watch the drinks appeared to be flowing in his direction and it wasn't long before he was pissed.

Every time he finished one goblet a guard would give him a new one and he couldn't seem to say no. Partly because he didn't want to raise suspicions, but mainly because that bloodwine tasted better than any other bloodwine he had ever drunk before.

Renata kept close to her master and refused the good many drinks offered to her. She had to be quite insistent towards some of her comrades who appeared to be making it their mission to get her drunk. Though she stayed close to her master, she was struggling to keep up her block over him. If Renata had taken even one of the offered drinks it would have been game over for the king. Aro had been quite forceful in his instructions that Renata shouldn't leave the queen, or him, or his children … but divided between a guard hall, with all the jollity occurring, Renata lost track on the others and followed Aro around as best she could.

The night, which seemed like any other guard party to begin with (other than Aro's odd questioning of just about everybody he talked to in regard to Lucius' or the creator's conduct), turned sour a little after midnight.

Magnus hadn't touched a drop of drink all evening and he had been watching the crowd of guards as a shepherd watched over his flock. Panic flooded his entire body when he saw smoke rising from the back of the room. Charging through the body of guards, knocking them left and right as he ploughed his way through, he was most surprised on reaching the source of said smoke - it was Lucius and Alec holding Marcus' stolen opium pipe.

It took a moment for Magnus to react - he was just so shocked! Lucius fixed the mammoth master with a curious look and Magnus could feel through his gift that the kid's emotions were forceful, but whatever he was trying to persuade Magnus to do, it didn't work.

"I think you are too high, little boy," Magnus said with a smirk.

Being stone cold sober made it easy for Magnus to deflect whatever the kid was attempting. If wasn't quite so easy, however, to sidestep the bloodwine vomit spewing forth from a very rocky Alec.

The music stopped and everyone crowed around Magnus to get a good view on the pair of miscreants. They were all just as surprised as Magnus to find Lucius and Alec there.

Alec literally shook in fear as Aro approached him. He dropped the opium pipe to the floor, the resulting crack as it shattered sending a shiver down his spine.

"You must be joking!" Aro spat in disgust.

Not only that his twelve-year-old was apparently pissed and high, but that, of all people, and after all he had said to his children, it was Lucius that Alec was hanging out with - again! Aro snatched Lucius up by his throat and Magnus deftly caught the bloodwine goblet in his hand.

Whilst his co-master gave a round of fucks to the lad in his grasp, Magnus took the tiniest of sips from the cup.

"There's dungeon blood in this!"

Aro nearly brought every cup he'd drank back up! "What?!" he asked in panic. "In just that one or all of them?"

Magnus spun around taking sips from those closest to him. "All of them, Aro!"

Aro dropped to his knees and starting retching. It was an automatic response. He wanted every drop he'd drank out of his system as fast as possible. _I thought I was getting pissed quick tonight! FUCK!_ he screamed inside his head.

Magnus and Caius sprang into action, lining up every guard along the wall and checking their consumption, Aro's sons and Lucius included.

Only Carlisle and Felix continued to work, lining up goblet after goblet of bloodwine at the bar. They weren't even sure how they'd ended up serving the drinks. Neither was Turk for that matter, whose job it was to do just that. He was in the line with the rest of the guards, looking on confused as their king threw up bloodwine all over the floor.

"Mik, we need more light!" Caius called to the self-igniting guard who spun around the room lighting every lamp and torch he could find.

Eleazar went to his brother and nephew at the bar. He couldn't help Aro. A whole night on dungeon blood, whether knowingly or not, would not bode well for the coven king in their father's current state of irrationality. "Carlisle, what are you serving?"

"Bloodwine, with a tot of dungeon blood. We thought everyone needed to relax a little," he replied happily, seemingly unaware of the travesty he had committed.

Eleazar took one look back to Aro, still throwing up, before rounding on Carlisle. "Why would you do that?!" he demanded, expecting an answer.

"Someone told us to," Felix replied hazily.

"I can't remember who," Carlisle added, eyes glazing over as he spoke.

Eleazar, enraged by their apparent complacency, swiped the goblets from the bar, spilling the illicit contents to the floor where it could do no more harm.

"Felix, look at your Dad!" he roared at his nephew, pulling him free of the safety of the bar and into the hall. "You have had him drinking dungeon blood all fucking night! What were you thinking?!"

Felix couldn't verbalise what he was thinking. His thoughts jumbled into one. _But I had to serve the bloodwine. I had to serve the dungeon blood. It was important. It was!_ Though those words circled his mind like a chant, they were at total odds with his feelings on the matter seeing Aro slouched on his knees surrounded by deep red vomit. His stomach churned for the potential horror he had unleashed on his family by putting his father back on dungeon blood.

Seeing the state of his entire guard, Magnus was fucking livid! "What the hell, Caius? I told you I was against the guards taking that shit!"

Caius jabbed an angry finger in Carlisle's direction. "I didn't give them any!" he shot back. "And, you didn't think it was 'shit' when you were taking it!"

That was news to the guards! Complaints started flying at Magnus in every direction.

"How come you can take it and we can't?"

"Yeah, we paid for it!"

"It's ours!"

"We bought it!"

Magnus didn't care who the complaints came from, neither did Caius for that matter, and the pair of them launched into an assault on any guard they could grab, pulling them out of line and all but throwing them up the central staircase.

"Do you think the women are happy being treated like the men tonight?" Caius quipped as he launched his old high guard Heidi towards the stairwell where she crashed to the floor in her inebriated state.

They continued until every guard was clear of the guard hall. Seeing her mate laughing along was the final straw for Freyr.

"You are both ANIMALS!" she accused hatefully before following her guard to the dorms, making sure they all made it to their own rooms.

Athenodora took her leave, too. _Caius has been on dungeon blood all night,_ she sighed and headed home. _Won't we have a fun night, my love,_ she thought sardonically, already dreading the brawl they would no doubt have later.

Sulpicia had managed to pull Felix free of his uncle, and collected Alec to stand with her. Demetri came strolling down the stairs without a care in the world, whispering sweet nothings to Adrianna on his arm. Coming face to face with the scene in the guard hall had them both freeze.

"And where have you been?" Aro asked from his position on the floor.

Sulpicia extracted Demetri from a fleeing Adrianna, and had her three boys ready to leave. Jane had already escaped when she heard her father had drank the dungeon blood. Sulpicia felt the buzz of the drug setting in and the effect made her nauseous. Why her husband enjoyed such a feeling she would never know. Though looking at his current dejected state, she thought better of asking at the time.

Aro looked to his boys, all trying to avoid their father on the floor. "Aww, my three kings. Drin-king, smo-king, and fuc-king. How very festive we are!" he said with no hint of humour to his tone.

Alec had to gulp down the fresh vomit he felt rising in his throat. He didn't think it would do him much good to spill any more of his guts.

Somehow in the general disarray, Lucius seemed to have escaped. The boy must have run straight to Basileus and Atia, as the pair of them turned up at the guard hall absolutely fuming. Basileus was baying for Aro's blood and it took all of the masters and Atia to keep him back as Aro got to his feet.

"You know what this means, don't you, boy?" he growled from behind the defensive line.

Aro shook his head. "I didn't know what was in there!"

"Like you couldn't taste it!" Basileus roared.

His grandsons ducked for cover and Sulpicia tucked them behind her. She wasn't sure if Basileus would make good on his promise to have Aro submit again, but the idea of him doing so in front of her teenage sons was revolting! Sulpicia only knew about the very first time and as that had been a few years since, she hoped there wouldn't be a recurrence.

Naturally, Aro hadn't shared with his mate that Basileus had, in fact already, had him submit since then and it was entirely possible that he would do so again, soon.

"He probably didn't taste it, Dad. I only put in tiny amounts to start with."

Eleazar froze and watched his baby brother with wide eyes as the younger came to his senses over what he had just said.

"I mean, I don't know … I mean. I can't … oh fuck!" Carlisle's rambled plea turned dark when Basileus shook off Caius from one side and Magnus from the other.

With one hand around his neck, Basileus dragged his son out from behind the bar and over the top of it, finally depositing Carlisle in the middle of the guard hall.

Raising his cane high, he took retribution on Carlisle for his stupidity. Curled into a protective ball, Carlisle jolted with every strike, calling out his explanations and apologies as Basileus beat him. Everyone looked away and allowed Basileus to get a few good strokes in - they were deserved, but, one by one they turned back to the scene, wondering who was going to step in and save the youngest Volturi brother before his father cracked his skull.

"My lord …" Eleazar attempted, "that is enough."

Aro walked straight up to his father and ripped the cane from his hand. "That's enough!" he repeated Eleazar's words with far more conviction.

"You shouldn't worry about him, Aro. Not with you have coming!"

"I didn't know about the fucking dungeon blood!" he growled in return, squaring up to his father.

"Oh god, not now, my love!" Sulpicia interjected, gesturing to their boys.

Basileus, too, caught their eye. "Are you capable of dealing with them or should I take care of it now?" he asked, smiling menacingly at his grandsons.

Sulpicia and Aro stood firm together in front of their sons, looking desperately to Atia tending to Carlisle on the floor.

Atia nodded curtly to them both, she wasn't going to let her mate near the children in the oddly vicious state he was in. _Distract!_ she thought quickly. "Basileus where is Lucius? You were supposed to bring him with us."

Basileus looked confused for a moment. "He wanted to wait at home with Jane."

That single line threw horror into the hearts of every Volturi family member in attendance. Even Basileus seemed to be aware of the issue in his words.

Aro was wrecked, totally wrecked, but the speed he fled through the halls to get back to his daughter matched Basileus toe for toe. The pair jostled in the hallway for a moment to get up the stair first until they heard the bloodcurdling scream of Lucius, sounding very much like he was being set on fire!

"GO!" Aro boomed, shoving his father ahead and almost trampled the creator underfoot as he ran on his heels.

Taking a quick look behind, Aro made sure his mother and Renata were close by before he went through to his top floor suite. Basileus, therefore, had almost thirty seconds where he was in his granddaughter's bedroom before Aro and another thirty seconds or so before Atia and her guard.

The scene that greeted the creator was nothing short of sickening. Jane and Lucius tangled, naked on her bed. Basileus wasn't sure what he was seeing, for a moment he couldn't make out whether Jane was willing or not.

"She made me do it!" Lucius roared. "She kept burning me until I agreed!"

Jane shoved her bedfellow off the bed and burned him again. Lucius released an anguished scream as Jane threw her every effort into ripping Lucius to pieces through her gift.

Aro burst through the door and went straight to his baby. Scooping the bedclothes around her, he held his girl in his arms, breaking her hold over Lucius.

Basileus felt sick. _My granddaughter, Lucius! No, just no!_

"She forced me!" Lucius roared, scurrying across the floor to take protection between the wardrobes.

Aro put his sobbing daughter down and flew at the boy, taking great delight in hurting him slowly, digging into the boy's stomach with only scratches … he was going to take his time dissecting that little fucker for having his only daughter!

In a half-choked screech, Lucius finally implored, "Check in her head if you don't believe me."

Basileus immediately delved inside Jane's mind. He had seen enough antics from his sons and grandsons, he thought, to be past surprises. Hearing his young granddaughter demand sex from Lucius, the boy he had taken in as his son, unnerved him. The requests Jane made whilst Lucius had his way with her made Basileus green with nausea.

"I'm going to be sick," he said, closing his eyes.

He had a headache, still. They were lasting for days on end and Basileus had privately worried his immortal body was beginning to fade away with such ailments coming out in the otherwise perfect Adonis. He continued to search Jane's mind to see who had instigated the illicit liaison.

Aro was pummelling Lucius who was desperately trying to defend himself against the vampire king.

"STOP!" Basileus roared.

It wasn't his father, Aro knew that. Atia did too and she held everyone else back at the door. _Sulpicia doesn't need to see this,_ she thought.

"ARO. GET. BACK!"

Aro heard the coven leader command, but he didn't move. He wanted the boy dead and he was going to be the one to do it. _No way am I handing over the death of this scum to you!_ he raged inside his mind.

Basileus stalked over to his boy and dragged him back, kicking and roaring. By a fistfull of his hair, he forced his son onto his knees in the centre of the room. "TELL THEM WHAT YOU DID!" the creator commanded.

"Me?!" Aro looked to his dad, sure the old man had completely fucking lost it. "I haven't done anything, that little bastard has raped my daughter."

Basileus ragged hard on Aro's head, ripping his hair straight from the roots. "He isn't the only one!" Basileus spat in disgust.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Aro was getting seriously pissed off, he didn't have time to deal with bonkers Basileus. His daughter was sobbing, broken and in pain inches behind him and he couldn't get to her. "You are making no sense. Get the fuck off me so I can get to my baby." Aro wasn't playing. But neither was his father.

"Basileus, what are you talking about, my dear." Atia approached gently. "What has Aro done?"

Basileus booted his boy in the side and Aro was sure he felt his kidney burst. He knew he didn't need a kidney as such, but getting it out wasn't going to be much fun if it started rotting inside him. He wanted to curl into a ball but Basileus held him firm, offering him up to his family.

"Aro had Jane first!" Basileus sneered, venom rising in his throat. He wanted to tear Aro to shreds.

Atia pulled at her mate's grasp on their bewildered boy, who couldn't believe the accusations being thrown at him now! "No, Basileus, no. You know that hasn't happened."

Basileus shook her off and pointed to Jane. "You can confirm what I have seen through Jane's own eyes."

Atia rolled hers to the heavens but did as she was bid, thinking the whole thing utterly ridiculous. Nothing would have prepared her for the image of her son, the king of vampire kind, brutally and repeatedly raping his own daughter.

Aro had been waiting for Atia to call his father out as the looney tune he was showing himself up to be. But no voice of reason came.

"How could you?!" Atia whispered in utter amazement, cradling Jane close to her chest.

"How could I what? I haven't done anything wrong, you fucking idiots."

Jane's small voice could barely break through the arguing that ensued as she swore on her life Aro had never touched her.

Basileus was so far past listening, that he was only acting on instinct now, defending his granddaughter. Lifting Aro clean from the floor, feet swinging as he ragged the coven king about. With one fist square in the centre of his son's face, Basileus knocked his boy out, splitting a half inch groove down Aro's forehead.

When he dropped to the floor, Aro looked so very, very … dead.

* * *

 **AN:** … and I will now be turning my emails off so I can avoid the hate mail!


	112. Exoneration

**AN:** I'm going to post the last two chapters of this lot together so we can get it finished off. Still finishing off the next set so there may be a little wait for chapters after this, but I'll get them up as soon as possible.

 **Guest:** no, I can't say that I do 'like' this tbh, but I when I set out this project I had certain things, (themes, scenarios, character types, etc) that I wanted to try my hand at writing for the experience of actually writing them. This is largely an experimentation piece for me to feed into other works. I selfishly inflict my efforts on you all to keep me writing, to keep trying different things…

Anyway, Aro is in the cells and I'm here waffling!

* * *

 **EXONERATION**

"Just sit still!" Caius ordered as his co-master pulled away from the wet rag cleaning his face. "You look rough enough without dried blood all over you."

Aro's head was healing, thanks to Caius … and only thanks to Caius. Basileus had dragged his unconscious son to the dungeons and thrown Aro in a cell three days before and Caius had been the king's only visitor in that time.

"You're clean," Caius announced. "Now Let's bandage you back up."

"Who knew you would make such a good nursemaid?" Aro jibed with a crooked smile.

He was grateful to his co-master, both for his assistance and for his loyalty. Aro had told him everything that had happened, all that of which he'd been accused. Caius didn't even do him the disservice of asking if there was any truth to it. He trusted his coven leader implicitly and there was no need to ask in Caius' eyes. He knew how much Aro loved his daughter and there was no way, no possible way, that he would bring the child harm.

"You are healing pretty well, brother," Caius said, appraising the damage.

The crack in Aro's skull was healing, though a soft groove could be traced from Aro's hair line down to the top of his nose - a sign that the bone needed more time to repair. The red and angry looking scar would fade in time, too.

"You don't have to stay down here, you know."

Caius had stayed with Aro for his entire imprisonment so far and for that Aro felt a bit guilty.

"I have nowhere else to be, brother."

Caius told Aro about his fight with his mate. Neither were surprised it had happened – whenever Caius went home tanked up on dungeon blood he always ended up fighting with Athenodora. Magnus had heard the commotion from his chambers and intercepted Caius before he could do too much damage, but Athenodora wouldn't be unlocking the door for a few more days yet.

Aro shook his head to Caius' short tale. "Why do you do it?" Not that he could claim to be much better behaved on dungeon blood.

Caius shrugged. "I'm trying to temper my usage," he explained, "Magnus gave me a round of fucks for it already – I don't need to hear it from you, thanks."

"Magnus?" Aro questioned. "Is he playing 'superior' again?"

Caius laughed. "He's my moral superior, maybe, but that's as much rope as I'm giving him."

Aro watched as Caius rolled up his sleeve. "You are going to run out of blood at this rate, brother."

"l'll be fine." Caius shrugged and offered Aro his wrist. "It's the only thing I have to offer you, Aro. The only thing that will help, anyway."

Aro took a good few gulps of Caius' blood before pulling away. "You have something else," he said wistfully.

"I'm not giving you dungeon blood," Caius returned sternly. "That's the last thing you need right now." _Or me! Basileus would actually kill me!_ he thought.

More than that, though, Caius felt sure that the creator would come to his senses and take Aro back. Finding out that he had been supping dungeon blood would only end in more pain for Aro.

"I'm going through hell!" Aro complained, holding his bandaged head.

"Well," Caius mused, "unless you want to stay there, you had better keep going."

Atia's voice floated into the dungeons as she came down the stairs.

Aro couldn't be bothered to move, not for her. _You condemned me to this pit with your lies,_ he thought.

Caius went out instead to call Atia over. When she came face to face with Aro in the holding cell, her stomach flipped. Partly she was relieved to see her boy alive and relatively well, but the blood-soaked rags at Aro's side and the crudely fastened bandages around his forehead made her feel so very, very sad.

"What do you want?" Aro snapped.

Atia turned to Caius and handed him the cleaning equipment he had used on Aro so she could take the seat next to her son. "Could you give us some privacy, please?"

Caius was only too glad to leave them be, and he hoped that Atia had come to take Aro home with her.

"I want to talk with you, son," she began, stopping upon hearing her boy tut in disgust.

"More sordid and incestuous accusations?" Aro sneered. _You have nothing to say that I want to hear._

"No, Aro," Atia said gently, resting a hand on his. "I want to hear what you have to say."

Aro snatched his hand away sharpish. _You only want to touch me to search my memories for proof of your accusations. You'll find no proof, bitch_.

"I have nothing to say," he said, continuing to think murderous thoughts to himself.

"That is a shame, son," Atia had no intention of going through Aro's mind, but she retook his hands, pulling at them firmly so he was forced to face her, "because I want to help you."

"You?" Aro scoffed. "You want to help me?" His tinkling laughter filled the prison cell and beyond. "That's the only help I don't need."

"Your daughter has requested that I do." Atia stressed 'daughter', though she hadn't needed to. Just hearing mention of his child ripped through Aro's heart.

"My daughter," he repeated with his eyes closed to hold back the tears.

His baby was still in the south tower, probably with Lucius. _That lying conniving, perverted snake is there with my daughter and I am stuck in here, useless to protect her!_

Aro's self-pity lasted only a moment when sudden panic took over his thoughts. "Is Renata still up there?" he asked, praying the coven blocker would be protecting his family.

Atia confirmed that she was and Aro immediately went back to his self-pity.

Giving her boy only a moment to think of his own pain, in typical Atia-fashion, she was soon back to chiding her son. "You need to pull yourself together. That child is up there defending you and she is a lone voice in that room!"

"What exactly do you expect me to do about it, Atia?" Aro asked to the audacious statement his mother had offered. "My own father caved my head in and threw me in this place! My solitary visitor has been Caius."

Atia checked outside the cell. She could hear Caius rattling around in his torture room some distance away. "Have you told him what happened?" she whispered.

Aro nodded.

"Does he believe it?" Atia pushed, still using hushed tones.

"No!" Aro said forcefully. _Fuck!_ His head hurt too much to shout. _No more shouting,_ he said to himself.

"Was it wise telling him?" Atia asked in concern. "He could tell the other masters, the guards, he could use this information to take hold of the coven!"

"He would never do that to me," Aro said confidently. "That's the thing about Caius, I know where I stand with him." He smiled to himself thinking of his oldest and loyalist friend. "He will rip me to shreds to my face, but behind my back … he's ALWAYS true to me. You may not like him, his methods or whatever else, but Caius has NEVER let me down."

"I don't dislike Caius," Atia insisted, honestly. "I'm worried about our coven." With a gentle hand under her boy's chin, she manoeuvred Aro so they were eye to eye. "I am worried about you."

"You are the only one who is." Aro was touched by Atia's concern, and from what he could tell it was genuine, but she was a lone voice. "I thought Eleazar would call on me at least."

"Basileus will not allow anyone to come down here, Aro," Atia replied. Seeing Aro's questioning look as to her flouting such an order, she added, "your father has no power over my choices."

"Maybe not," Aro agreed, "but you rarely go against him. Why now?"

"Because I know you, Aro, and I know the man you are."

Atia stood and walked a small circle around the prison cell. "We may not have always seen eye to eye since I arrived in Volterra, but if roles were reversed you would help me."

Aro smirked, suggesting he would not.

"We are family and you would help me," Atia said with great conviction.

Aro folded his arms across his chest and looked quizzically to his mother. "So you are helping me because in some hypothetical situation where you were sat in this pit you believe I would help you?"

"Yes, you know you would." Atia fixed her boy in her sight. "You can pretend otherwise, Aro, but I know you, you always do the right thing … eventually."

Aro continued to smirk for only a moment before he realised his mother was bang on the nail.

"I would help you," he admitted with a sigh. "It appears we are the only ones who believe in family, my lady."

"That isn't true. Your father knows something is amiss, he just doesn't know what."

"And you do?" Aro held his breath, waiting, whilst his mother worked out her response. He was overwhelmed with how desperately he wished for her to believe him. He really needed to hear her say that she did.

"Lucius … he cannot use his tricks on me, my guard is too strong. But your father is only protected by my guard when he is around me and he takes Lucius with him everywhere."

"Are you saying you believe me over Lucius? Really?" Aro pushed.

Atia looked into her son's eyes. He seemed so much younger than he usually did, so much younger than all of his years. He looked lost.

"I do," she told him truthfully.

Relief flooded Aro's body, but he needed more reassurance than that. "How do you know I am telling the truth?"

"As I have already said, Aro, I know you, son. You would never harm that girl."

"But Basileus saw the … acts … himself." Aro couldn't bring himself to say the words of all the things he had been accused of. 'Acts' was as close as he could get verbally. "You used his gift to see the same in Jane's mind."

"I did, and I can never unsee such a thing." Atia looked ready to bring up her last feed as the images of her son raping her only granddaughter briefly traversed her mind.

Aro knew what she was thinking about by the expression on Atia's face. "Basileus will never take me back whilst he believes me capable of such a crime. I wouldn't if the roles were reversed."

Atia shook her head softly, removing the last of the invasive memories from her mind. "Your father raised an issue with me regarding one of Jane's memories - it wasn't her point of view."

Aro cocked an eyebrow hearing that. It was odd, for sure.

"One of the times in Jane's memory where you …"

Aro threw both hands up defensively and cut his mother off. "Please don't say it, please."

"Where you," Atia started again, wondering how to phrase it, "well you know what you are accused of. It was as though someone was watching and it was their view in Jane's mind."

"That doesn't make any sense," Aro said to himself. He was quite used to visiting others' minds and seeing through their eyes, but it was always their perspective, as it could only really be.

Atia continued, "and then of course Jane is completely denying any of the things that have supposedly happened. She doesn't even believe Lucius touched her."

"What?!" That had Aro sitting up and paying attention **.**

"I have talked with Jane," Atia began, "and I have gone through her memories again after Basileus raised the issue of the point of view and they are … her memories are … missing."

Aro didn't know what to make of that.

"Could she have blocked it out? On a subconscious level? Self protection?" He was really voicing his thoughts as quickly as they came to him **.**

"Or it, none of it, ever happened," Atia suggested. It was the only thing she could think of. Though why Lucius would want to persuade Jane that he had raped her was beyond her imagination. "One thing I know for sure, son, Jane is adamant that nothing and no one has ever been intimate with her."

"How can she be so sure?" Aro asked. He wished he could erase what he had seen in his daughter's mind, but it was still there, tormenting him viciously **.**

Atia didn't really want to go into any great detail. "A woman knows, son," she offered.

Aro caught her drift and grimaced. _That's great news!_ he thought. _If its true. Though … why would the little snake want Jane, would want all of us, to believe he had raped her? What possible benefit would there be?_

He slouched into the wall behind his bench seat. "None of this makes sense."

They fell into a contemplative silence as Aro tried to work out his next move.

"Are you going to say anything?" Atia pushed after what seemed like a long pause in their conversation.

"Lucius has put those thoughts there," Aro said darkly, coming from his musings.

Atia scoffed. "Say something reasonable, Aro!" she insisted. "Something I can use to help you! The boy can persuade, nothing more."

"I am being reasonable, mom," Aro implored. "Lucius can do much more than persuade."

This was an idea he'd had for a while but he hadn't had any proof. The odd view in Jane's memories was proof positive in Aro's mind.

"I cannot access Lucius thoughts, neither can my father or you. Eleazar said he is incredibly powerful but his gift of persuasion doesn't match that."

The sparkle returned to Aro's eyes like an excited child who had just solved a particularly vexing puzzle. "Everyone in this fucking coven loves him except for me and Jane."

"What are you saying?" Atia asked. She had an idea where Aro was going.

Aro nodded to himself before he spoke, cementing the idea in his mind. "His gift. It's a banned gift - he can possess minds. He can control thoughts, even actions, possibly."

Atia had been right in her assumptions, though she wondered if it could be possible. "That would make sense if he had infiltrated your mind too, Aro. Or mine. But he hasn't."

"Your mental guard is clearly stronger than his gift - Renata's is and she is nowhere near as powerful as you." Aro remembered what Renata had told him when Lucius arrived. "Defensive gifts are always stronger," he said, repeating the guard's words. "But he didn't need to convince you … you knew him as a young vampire, maybe even before he realised the extent of his powers."

Atia looked sadly to the flagstone floor. "He is a different boy to the one I knew. I can see that now."

Aro missed his mother's upset as he pushed forward with his reasoning. "Lucius hadn't gotten to Jane until a few days ago either. I was wary of him from the moment we met and in all the time he has been living in this castle I haven't ever been alone with him. I have had Renata at my side throughout. Jane has stayed with me, until …" Aro trailed off for a moment, thinking of the guard party, the dungeon blood, finding his baby girl naked in her bed with that little bastard's scent all over her … _cunt!_

"That's must be how he's doing it - he gets people on their own and he plays with their mind, makes people like him and then he can do whatever he likes. I have asked people why they like him, why they trust him and no one can give me an answer beyond 'he's a nice kid,' and 'I like him'. No reason. He put those memories in Jane's mind, I would put my life on it."

All Aro had said made sense to Atia, but it was merely a supposition, they had no real proof.

"Your life IS on it Aro, you must be sure," she said firmly, hoping he understood the gravity of the situation.

"I am," he replied. Oh, he understood alright!

"What can I do about it though?" Aro asked, his earlier excitement fading as he looked around his new home. "No one will believe me - Lucius is inside all of their minds!"

"Basileus would believe you, son, they all would …"

Holding a hand to his broken skull, Aro raised his eyebrows. "Under normal circumstances, maybe. But right now their minds aren't their own."

"I will talk to Basileus, I know he is wavering already, Aro." Atia began to formulate her own plans. "How strong do you believe Lucius' gift is?"

Aro didn't really have an answer for that, and he had no real way of testing the boy's gifts. "What are you thinking?"

"If we could get Lucius out of our tower … perhaps his hold over their minds would fade?" Atia was lost to her own thoughts which, thankfully for Aro, she verbalised as they came to her. "I think that is already happening. Our whole family is gathered in your chambers - Renata and I have been there the entire time and today Basileus brought up the question of the view in Jane's memories."

Aro nodded along as his mother continued.

"So that shows Lucius' hold fades. Jane's memories of the … events … are disappearing from her mind. If I could get him out of the tower, I could get him down here and into a cell. And, then take you up."

Aro felt truly hopeful for the first time since they had met that little bastard in the woods nearly a year since.

"What if he gets into my mind whilst we are in the dungeons together?" he asked, the very idea sending a shiver down his spine. "Are you sure you can keep him out of my head? Like you said, Mom, my life is on it."

Atia smiled kindly, indicating that she could, and would, and then took her son's face in two hands. "Aro, whatever happens, revenge is not something to get drunk on." She had seen good men go bad in their pursuit of ultimate pay back and she didn't want to lose Aro that way.

Aro returned the smile his mother offered. "Neither is grief," he said, hoping Atia wouldn't take her long-lost surrogate son's death too hard. _That bastard is going to die for what he has done to my coven._

…

When Atia returned to the top floor suite, Basileus sat alone, slumped in the window seat with his aching head resting against the cool glass. For a man usually so active and animated, he appeared a shadow, hollow even, as every year of his immortal life sat on his sunken shoulders.

"My dear," Atia called softly. "I am taking Lucius out of here for a while."

Basileus looked back blankly.

Combing her fingers through his black hair, Atia made use of her mate's gift. From Basileus' most recent thoughts, Atia surmised that the plan she and Aro had come up with would work and Lucius' control was definitely slipping.

"I think Jane needs a break from him," she added, watching closely for Basileus' reaction.

"Has she said so?" he asked, seeking out his granddaughter across the room with her mother.

Atia breathed a short sigh of relief. The concern was there, and it was there for Jane. "Call it grandmother's intuition."

Basileus bobbed his head, mainly too himself, and made to stand. "I will come with you."

"No, my dear. Our family needs you here." Atia pushed him back down. It wasn't difficult to do with the creator in his current state. "You want everyone to stay in these chambers, do you not?"

"Yes," Basileus replied quickly, though his head immediately pounded in response. He knew 'yes' was the right answer, or rather he thought it was, though he couldn't understand why.

"Then you will have to keep them here, my dear." Atia smiled lovingly to her poor misguided mate. "I will return soon." _And then all of this will be over._

"Lucius," Atia clicked her fingers to get the boy's attention. "We are going for a walk, my dear one."

Lucius narrowed his eyes, first to Atia and then to Basileus. Nothing happened. He heard Renata laughing lightly behind him and he knew the guard was preventing his gifts from working. Spinning around to face the woman, Lucius concentrated all his effort on breaking down Renata's guard but, again, nothing happened.

Renata smirked at the boy's efforts, it was such a condescending smirk that Lucius dropped his own calm facade and attempted to rush the women, fully intent on taking her out.

Atia deftly intercepted his efforts. "Lucius, my dear one, I'm sure you will enjoy what I have planned," she crooned. "I'm taking you to see Aro." Atia wrapped a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders, drawing him in close as she fed him her lies. "No one else here is up to the task, but someone needs to tell the vampire king that his depraved rule is at an end."

"I can tell him?" Lucius asked, hopefully.

Atia smiled. _You foolish child,_ she thought. "Of course, my son," she lied again. "I can think of no one better suited, can you?"

Lucius, just like the child that he really was, skipped out of the top floor suite with Atia, hand in hand. He ran ahead when they reached the dungeons, but Atia made sure to keep the boy within her guard. Lucius came to an abrupt halt in front of Aro's cell and peered inside, ready to gloat at the failed king for his fall from grace.

"Caius, if you wouldn't mind releasing my son," Atia called over, taking a firm hold of Lucius before he could attempt to flee.

"What's going on?" Lucius questioned. "You said he wanted to apologise to me. You can't let him out! He's a monster!"

Atia felt her flash of guilt for the boy, though it only lasted a moment and it was more for the child she had known rather than the one stood before her now.

"Yes, and your ego allowed you to believe it. Aro is not the monster here."

Caius shoved the youth aside and happily released his covenmate.

The second the lock was opened, Aro flew out of his cell and took Lucius around the throat.

Atia pulled him back. "Aro, you don't have to hurt him."

"Hurt him?!" Aro echoed in disbelief. "I want to fucking kill him!"

Looking at the pain in his mother's eyes stopped Aro from snapping the boy's neck. Instead, he threw Lucius into the cell and slammed the door.

Lucius crashed to the floor, rolling into a heap. "You can't put me in here!" he complained loudly.

Atia took the keys from Caius and locked the cell herself. The child had only been welcomed into the coven because of his link to her and she, for the first time since she had even met Basileus, questioned how their relationship would last once her mate fully understood the truth.

"The thing is, Lucius," she said, turning the key, "it really isn't up to you. Your games are over."

"It isn't up to you either," Lucius growled in reply. "I demand to see Basileus … he would never allow this."

Atia heard Aro struggling in Caius' hold to get back to the boy and rip out his guts. _We don't have time for this,_ she thought, her mind drifting back to her confused and broken mate in the south tower. _Will you ever forgive me?_ she wondered. Even the thought of losing her mate, her entire family was agony to the vampiric witch.

Turning to the coven masters, she ordered them to leave. "You two need to go and wait for me at the top of the stairs."

It took some effort on Caius' part but he managed to drag Aro away and out of the dungeons.

"Your hold over my mate is already fading," Atia explained to her one-time son, "and you can demand all you like, but down here, all alone, you are nothing more than a little boy who has overstepped his mark."

Lucius stalled for a moment wondering how she could possibly know what he had done. "I don't know what you are talking about," he lied, avoiding Atia's eye.

"Oh yes you do," Atia said, reaching through the bars and taking tight hold of Lucius' face. "You don't want to say because you mistakenly believe Basileus is the one who can save you. But you see, my dear, he doesn't rule this coven alone."

"No, Aro does," Lucius scoffed at the idea of Aro ruling anything. "And look where he ended up."

"And look where he is now. And more importantly, where you are," Atia pointed out. "Now think about this: who released Aro and who brought you down here? And without even a raised voice."

Lucius growled in response, desperately trying to worm his way around Atia's guard and into her mind. When his renewed efforts proved futile, he roared in rage.

Atia smiled. The boy sounded more like a little lion cub than the ferocious men to which she was accustomed.

"Basileus will release me when you return without me." Lucius had been working on the creators mind for a whole year - he was confident of the grip he had on the man.

"You think so?" Atia asked, sounding ever so condescending. "Your control over my family's minds is already slipping. Three days with Renata and I blocking all of your efforts has hampered your gift somewhat hasn't it."

It wasn't a question, there was no doubt about that in Atia's opinion based on Basileus' behaviour over the last few days.

"Basileus only took you in because of your connection to me." Saying that brought an uncomfortable lump up into her throat, but Atia pushed on. "Aro saw through you straight away but Basileus let you get close because of his love for me. I failed to protect him from your control … but it's over now."

Lucius started sweating, the panic really setting in as Atia exposed all he had done to the royal coven, the royal family!

"Do you know what the sad thing is?" Atia continued. "You would have had a place in this coven if you had been honest. Basileus would have grown to love you if you had given him the chance. But instead, you implanted the idea that he loved you in his mind and by doing that, you prevented him from ever having the chance to develop those feelings on his own. So now that your mind control is slipping away, all he will be left with is the love he has for Aro, and he will feel nothing for you."

Releasing the boy, she took a step back, making peace with what was to come. "You will die for this, Lucius," she said with tear filled eyes.

"Wait!" Lucius called Atia back. "What if I confess?" he asked in desperation.

Atia feigned confusion. "To what, my dear?" she needed Lucius to admit his crimes so she could show Basileus later.

"To controlling their thoughts, to putting images in Jane's head for Basileus to find, all of it."

"Thank you, Lucius," Atia said sadly.

She knew the only reason Lucius had been so easily manipulated was because he was a child. For all his scheming and plotting, all the horrible things he had brought to fruition, he was still a child. She had to turn her back on the boy.

Lucius' fear turned immediately to anger. "You raised me!" he shot to the woman's back. "What kind of woman can turn her back on her own child? You cold hearted bitch!"

Atia arrived at the top of the dungeon stairwell to be greeted by a very unsteady coven king, an oddly anxious Caius, and Renata … who had managed to slip out of the tower. Atia wiped at the stray tear on her cheek and returned to her usual state of reserved dignity.

"Renata, you must stay here and keep your guard up," she instructed.

Renata was only too happy to oblige. She had performed her duties faultlessly for the last twelve months, and she was pleased to have done so, but she missed the other guards. Lucius' influence was definitely at an end and she believed, rightly, that very soon she would return to the guard hall for a well-earned break.

Atia locked the door at the top of the dungeon stairwell. The door was rarely closed, let alone locked, and Caius eyed the woman with confusion when she concealed the key in her own cloak rather than passing it back to him.

"Caius, you are to ensure nobody goes through this door," she said. "And to ensure no one does, I will keep the key."

"I understand, my lady." Caius nodded and watched Atia and Aro leave, the latter a little unsteady on his feet with his damaged skull affecting his balance.

Eleazar spotted his brother first, blurting out his name in surprise. "Aro! You're alive!" The relief in Eleazar's voice was palpable, and the sentiment echoed around the room.

Basileus, however was less pleased to see his son's recovery. "What the hell are you doing here?" he sneered, catching Jane as she tried to race past him towards her father.

Jane set the creator on fire. She offered short, sharp bursts of pain to any and all who intercepted her efforts to reach Aro. When she made it to the coven king, Jane wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled herself up into his embrace. Aro heard his girl sobbing softly into his ear, apologies rushing forth from the child.

"You have done nothing wrong, princess. Nothing at all," Aro replied, holding her tight to his chest. He wasn't quite fit enough for the task, but he pushed through his pain to console his girl.

Basileus attempted to pull Jane away from her father, still believing his son had committed the depraved acts he had witnessed through his granddaughter's memories. He was without his usual force - his mind was weary from all the tampering Lucius had managed to inflict on the creator.

"Unhand that child now!" Atia said firmly to her mate, walking Basileus back and away from Aro and Jane.

"Where's Lucius?" Basileus asked, finally realising the boy was not with the two who had returned.

Aro replied before Atia had the chance. "That little bastard raped my daughter so he's in the dungeons, where he should be."

"Stop saying that!" Jane begged, eyes shut tight and shaking her small head.

She had been interrogated by every member of the Volturi family in their well meaning attempts to get the to bottom of the whole debacle and she just couldn't take anymore. There were only so many times she could refute the claims and Jane was feeling as 'on trial' as her father had been.

"Nobody's touched me. Not ever! Just stop saying it."

Atia could see her boy was about to respond, and she didn't want him to say the wrong thing and upset Jane further.

"Now, Aro," she said calmly, "that didn't happen." Before Aro could object, Atia hushed him. "Not that it changes Lucius' fate in any way," she added, bringing him some relief.

Basileus sneered at Aro, but he didn't answer him. Instead he attacked Atia. "I can't believe you went behind my back and let him out," he roared, Aro being the 'him' in question.

Atia paid little attention to her mate's bolshie attitude, as she saw it, and took a seat on the sofa, inviting the rest of her bewildered family to do the same.

All in attendance were dumbstruck by recent events. Aro looked around to gauge the reception of the room. _They don't believe it, I know they don't._ He thought of the wild accusations Basileus had made. There was a lot of confusion to begin with on first hearing what Aro was alleged to have done, but Jane had remained consistent in her defence of her father for three whole days and everyone, other than Basileus, believed Aro to be innocent.

"Shouting is very helpful, I am sure," Atia said in her school ma'am voice once everyone was seated, (other than Basileus, who stalked unsteadily around the living chamber like a caged animal). "But unless we wish for the rest of the coven to know our family's dirty laundry, I think we should all take a moment to use our inside voices."

Basileus spun on the spot to face his mate. "You know what he did, Atia, you saw the same as me."

"I did," Atia confirmed, "and we both saw how odd those memories were."

"It didn't do it," Aro insisted.

Sulpicia laid a hand on her husband's arm to show her support, wincing at the state he was in. Blood encrusted clothes and a thick bandage around his head, the tip of the angry red split peaking from the top of his forehead.

Jane stayed in his lap, clinging on to Aro for dear life.

"You would say that!" Basileus spat. The force of his words gave him a headache. For not the first time, Basileus wondered if his immortal body had lived too long and was now, in fact, dying. Such was the pain across his eyes.

"I would know if I did it, wouldn't I?" Aro insisted, a little nonsensically.

Basileus wiped the back of his hand across his brow. _Sweat?_ he questioned seeing the dampness on his skin. _What the hell is wrong with me?!_

"You aren't making any sense, Aro," he said softly, the force of his tone already faltering in his argument with his son.

Aro's tinkling laughter filled the air as he looked around his assembled family, all looking back with confused expressions. "I am making perfect sense, you just aren't keeping up because that little cunt has addled your minds!"

 _No! This isn't Lucius' fault,_ Basileus thought. "I have read the entire despicable debacle in Jane's head."

Aro narrowed his eyes to his father. "I don't give a fuck what you have read in her head, it isn't in my fucking head, is it?!"

Basileus stalked over to his son. Actually, it was less of a stalk, and more a purposeful stagger. "You dare to speak to me that way now?!" he growled.

The effect was far less fierce than usual with the creator suffering the effects of his muddled mind repairing itself as Lucius had lost access to it.

"Just check my head, Dad," Aro implored.

He tired, he really did, but Basileus just couldn't hear his son's thoughts. It was as though he had spent the night on the booze and he couldn't work out which thoughts were Aro's and which were his own, or anyone else's!

Aro could see his father's gift alluding him and offered his hand to make the mind reading easier. Contact often helped in a crowded room, or when he was drunk. Covering from mind control would be just as disabling, Aro assumed.

Basileus took the hand Aro offered him, and Atia took the other. Basileus spent what seemed an eternity searching through Aro's memories, trying to find a match for the events he had seen in his granddaughter's mind.

"There's nothing there, is there?!" Aro asked, confidently.

Atia immediately confirmed her son's innocence but Basileus refused to answer, he had to be sure first (doubly sure) that Aro was innocent before he would proclaim as such. Every interaction Aro had with Jane was wholesome.

"IS THERE?!" Aro repeated to his father. He needed everyone to hear he was innocent and he needed Basileus to be the one to say it.

"No," Basileus finally answered. It sounded like Basileus' life had been turned upside down and the rush of nausea he felt had the creator crashing to his knees before his son.

"I told you my dad was innocent!" Jane spat, glaring at everyone. They had all believed the accusations, even if only for the very briefest of times and it sickened her to think her family could be turned so easily.

"It isn't his fault, Jane," Aro said sternly to his girl before she could burn the man at his feet.

Atia pulled Basileus into her own vacated seat. "Basileus, how do you feel?" she asked.

He held his head in his hands and could barely babble a response.

"You have a headache, don't you, my dear?" Atia pushed.

"A little, it's all the stress," he explained through his thoughts.

Atia shook her head. "It isn't, my darling," she told him, offering her own hand to show Basileus the conversation she'd had with Lucius in the dungeons.

Basileus took even longer to read the brief event than he had searching Aro's mind. His gift was failing him, he couldn't concentrate well enough.

In the end, Atia placed her hand on her mate's sweaty brow and, making better use of Basileus' gift than he could himself, injected the memories into his mind.

When Basileus heard Atia explain all that Lucius had done, everything started to make more sense, but his mind still resisted the idea, such was Lucius' power over his thought processes.

"No. That can't be right?" he questioned, pulling away from his mate.

Atia fixed her hand back n position. "You need to listen to it all," she explained.

When Basileus heard Lucius' admission in the dungeons, it was as though the spell had been broken. "How did he do that?"

"Lucius has a banned gift, Dad - mind control," Aro offered. "I'm sure of it."

A gasp coursed around the room like a Mexican wave as everyone in attendance thought of their own curious behaviour over the last twelve months. Everything made sense. Felix beating up Turk, Demetri and Alec fighting in the guard hall, Alec branding Lucius, Carlisle stealing the guards' goods, serving the bloodwine, the drink, the drugs, the sex, the odd interactions … everyone there had something to think about.

Atia wasn't thinking much about any of that though, her concerns were for Basileus alone. "Lucius has been using your mind like a toy," she explained. "Something to twist and bend to his will. Your mind is returning, my dear. You must rest and wait for your full faculties to return."

Basileus nodded along as Atia spoke. His eyes shut tight as even the dull December sun proved too much for his senses.

"You have felt his control slipping over the last few days - the headaches, questioning the things you saw, things you previously believed not making much sense …"

Asking for Aro's hand once more, Basileus went through every event since Lucius had arrived in he coven. He witnessed his own interactions with his sons, their mates and his grandchildren as Aro had seen them at the time.

Basileus saw Alec lying in bed with the broken leg he'd given the boy; the state of Sulpicia's face after he had slapped her; the wrecked state Carlisle was in after he had caned his youngest son. He had acted cruelly, viciously, like an animal. He travelled through Aro's mind until the moment he had smashed his demi-god fist into his son's face and split his head in two.

Aro's memories stopped.

Basileus left his seat and sunk back down to his knees before his son, one hand tight in Aro's, the other covering his eyes as tears of pain and shame spewed forth.

"I'm so sorry, son."

Basileus' voice was thick with emotion, but barely audible through the pain in his heart.


	113. Merry Christmas

**AN:** I've posted the last two chapters of this bunch together, so **check that you have read Chapter 112 (Exoneration) before you read this one!** :)

Time for some retribution. But even when its justified, payback has consequences…

* * *

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS**

Felix woke on the 25th of December without a shred of joy. His Christmas plans had been long forgotten, cast aside with any hope of happiness for the event after the destruction Lucius had caused to the coven.

The devastation to the Volturi family was immense. After hours and hours of discussion where Aro and Atia had explained, in detail, all they had worked out in the dungeons, the Volturi family were left bereft, shattered through their very core for all they had suffered.

With Magnus' help manipulating Basileus' feelings, the creator had 'slept' for a solid five hours - quite a lot for an adult vampire. It had been exactly what the man had needed to realign his mind.

The Volturi family had asked Alec to use his fog, but the boy refused. In fact, Alec had hardly left his bedchamber in the three and a half days since Aro had been evicted from his home. He feared Basileus after the last year with him. The youngest vampire in the coven had received some of the harshest punishments from the man, and Alec held a grudge.

When he came around, Basileus checked Jane's memories a final time. Now that Lucius was well and truly out of the picture, the events in Jane's head were what had actually happened rather than the images Lucius had implanted there. There was nothing. Nothing other than Aro behaving impeccably towards his golden child and even the 'occasion' with Lucius was missing.

Lucius hadn't arrived in Jane's bedroom much sooner than Basileus that night and as the girl was already changing her clothes, and through his gift of mind control, he simply instructed her to get into bed and kept her there. He knew Aro would come and he wanted the coven king to find him with his daughter. It was payback, Lucius had explained to Jane, and without the cloud of a false memory to hide behind, Lucius' secret was laid bare.

"The Volturi ripped my heart out. Your father took everything I hold I dear and I am going to destroy everything he holds dear in return."

He wanted Aro to find him, and he wanted him to believe he'd had his way with Jane. From all Lucius had learnt about the coven king, he knew Jane was the apple of his eye and the one he held most dear.

That night couldn't have gone any better had Lucius scripted the whole thing himself, which of course, he did in part. Lucius' only mistake was that he had concentrated all of his efforts on controlling Basileus' mind and had assumed Atia would go along with anything the creator decreed.

Volturi women were not so weak as to go along with their men blindly.

Basileus demanded an emergency meeting with the masters to discuss what they would do with Lucius, or 'Lucifer' as Basileus was now calling him.

His rejection of Atia had been noted by all the Volturi family, and it was even more blatant when Basileus told the vampiric witch that she was not to join him in their own chambers whilst he conducted said meeting with the masters.

"I want him in the prison," Basileus demanded, booming his wants at the four coven leaders (in a show of female solidarity, Freyr had refused Basileus' invitation after hearing of his dismissal of Atia.) The floor shook with the force of his conviction.

"We can't do that, my lord," Aro said tentatively. "What if he keeps his gift … who knows what he could do.

"What could he do as a head?!" Basileus shrugged.

"Everything he has done has been with just his head," Marcus pointed out, shaking his head to Basileus.

Magnus agreed. "That's a dangerous head to keep in a cupboard, my lord."

Caius kept his mouth shut, but he thought, _if you keep that boy as a head I am never going to those dungeons again._

Basileus stalked around the room, intermittently sipping from his bloodwine. "I want revenge."

Aro smiled coyly remembering his mother's words to him that very morning. "Revenge isn't something to get drunk on, Dad."

Basileus didn't find the same poetry in the statement as Aro had. "I want him to suffer for all he has made me do … to the coven, to my grandchildren, to you." _Alec still won't talk to me,_ he thought, _and when Jane needed her family most I ripped us all apart._ "Good god, when I think of what I did to you," he said to Aro. "and what I nearly did to you!"

"It wasn't you, Dad," Aro replied. He wasn't too sure what Basileus meant by 'what I nearly did to you', but it worried him thinking on how far the creator could have gone. Aro had been closer to death than he had ever come in battle.

"We all know that, my friend," Marcus told his old compadre with a hand on his shoulder. "The children will come around."

"Think about Atia, too, Dad," Aro slipped into conversation. "She loved the kid, once."

"The only reason that boy made it past our gates is because of Atia," Basileus said, spitting his mate's name. "Her feelings are collateral damage."

Aro slammed his fist into the table. "You can't do that, Dad. That isn't fair."

"It's unusual to hear you defending my mate," Basileus commented, paying little attention to his son's outburst.

Aro stood and matched his father stance for stance. "Your mate is my mother and she saved my life. I will forever be in her debt."

"We all will," Caius added.

Atia had done more for him and Athenodora than anyone else would realise, and he genuinely liked the woman. Caius genuinely liking anyone was a rare occurrence but he knew Aro would be dead and burred now if it weren't for Atia seeking the truth.

Basileus didn't say anything. Instead he closed his eyes and moved over to the open window, the brisk breeze cooling his temper. He loved Atia. _They are right, I'm not being fair. Atia did nothing wrong. I cannot let that deceitful brat take anymore from me._

"Where is Lucius?" he asked the group at his table.

"In the dungeons," Caius confirmed. "Renata is guarding him."

"We need to know what was motivating that boy to destroy our coven before he dies." Basileus looked to Caius, as the resident torturer, but Aro knew his father's real intentions.

"You have tried to use your gift on him, Dad, what's the point of this?"

"I have tried, but I haven't really pushed it." Basileus explained. "Neither have you, Aro."

He took the seat next to his son. The scaring to Aro's face had now disappeared, thanks to Basileus' blood gift, but the creator could see the very faintest of lines that Aro would permanently wear thanks to his vicious punch. It turned his stomach. The bloodied clothes Aro wore, which he had now worn for the best part of a week, served to remind everyone else of all the coven king had been through.

"What do we know so far?" Marcus asked. He didn't like the idea of Basileus, or Aro, risking themselves further by being in the boy's company.

"From what I saw in Jane's memories, we have, at some point, killed the coven to which he was aligned. Other than that, we know that the Romanians were involved."

Basileus could remember talking to Lucius about the Romanian coven now his memories were unclouding. It was taking longer than it had for Jane, but then Lucius had kept a strangle hold on Basileus' mind for an entire year **!**

"And all this with Jane and Lucius?" Magnus broached carefully. He didn't believe for a moment that Aro could have done anything to harm the girl, but Lucius? He wouldn't put anything past that little bastard.

"From what we can tell in Jane's memories, no. Nothing happened," Aro confirmed. "Not physically at least," he added, wondering what the everlasting effects would be on his child after having such a think implanted in her head **.**

"I would like to be certain, Aro," Basileus said darkly. "We aren't, yet,"

Aro wanted to be certain, too, but he couldn't see how they would ever be sure. "How will we ever be?" he asked. "Lucius is hardly going to admit the truth, is he?"

"Ask him your questions whilst I'm there, Magnus offered. "If his gift is being blocked I will be able to read his emotions - I'll know if he's lying."

Though Magnus' offer was appreciated by Aro, Basileus wanted more. His desire to 'fix' all of this mess himself was intense. "I need to get inside his head. I am stronger than him, I know I am. We both are," he said to Aro.

Aro wasn't so sure, but he could see it was something Basileus would try, with or without his support. "Okay … but we will have to make sure he cannot use you against us all if he manages to get in your head before you get in his."

"Lock me in a cell with him," Basileus suggested. "The worst that will happen is that I kill him."

Caius scoffed. "Felix broke out of those cells as a newborn - they won't hold you."

"Then bring some backup," Basileus insisted. He was doing this whether they liked it or not. "Magnus?"

Magnus puffed the air out of his cheeks. "I can't hold you back alone, my lord," he said. "Felix will have to come, as well, at least."

"Atia and Alec, too," Aro added. They would need all the support they could get if Basileus was intent on delving into Lucius' mind.

Basileus agreed, though he doubted that Alec would come willingly. He was right.

Aro tried to convince Alec to go to the dungeons of his own free will, but when the boy resisted, refusing to help his grandfather, Aro lost patience. Throwing Alec over his shoulder, Aro carried the boy from their chambers with Felix following.

"So, can I hit him?" Felix asked his father on their travels.

"Who? Alec?!" Aro replied, jostling the boy in his arms.

"Lucius!" _Obviously_ , Felix thought.

Aro thought about it for a moment. "I don't want you close enough to hit him, son."

Felix frowned. "What's the point in me coming, then?"

"You and Magnus will be holding Basileus back, if occasion calls for it."

Gulping down his own trepidation, Felix remained silent for the rest of their walk.

"I'm not helping Basileus do anything after what he has done to me," Alec continued to gripe.

Aro stopped at the top of the dungeons and set Alec on his feet. Crouching low so he was face to face with his youngest, Aro pinned the boy against the wall. "Look at me, Alec," Aro said, gesturing to his blood-stained clothes and particularly ragged appearance. "My own father did this to me. But it wasn't his doing. Lucius made him do it, you know that, yes?"

Alec scowled petulantly. Yes, he knew that, logically. But his childish mind couldn't move past that it was Basileus who had caned him so savagely.

Aro narrowed his eyes to his boy. "You want to hold a grudge, fine, go ahead. But if you are told to fog the room, you had better do it, understood?"

Alec nodded, bottom lip protruding slightly with his upset.

That was as much as Aro could expect from the boy, he knew that, and he led his sons down the dungeon stairwell.

Atia and Basileus were already there. They appeared to be on speaking terms but the heavy atmosphere between them could have been cut with a knife!

Basileus' shame had caused him to push his mate away to begin with, but after speaking with the master, and later continuing the topic of his relationship a little deeper with Marcus, he was trying to get back on Atia's good side.

Atia was far too astute to waste an opportunity like that and she planned to use her mate's initial rejection of her to secure a few promises from Basileus for his conduct going forward.

"I will forgive your rejection, my dear, if you agree to NEVER use submission in this coven again."

Basileus scowled. He didn't see that he had a choice in that. _"It's happened once, Atia. Once. And it was Aro's fault."_

It was Atia's turn to scowl. _'I know it has happened at least twice with Aro and almost once with Eleazar!"_ she told him tersely through her thoughts.

 _"The second time,"_ Basileus grimaced thinking about it, _"wasn't submission at all. It wasn't even me!"_ He turned to jab an angry finger towards Lucius' cell. _"That was all that little cunt's doing. Not mine."_

Atia didn't reply. She couldn't. She was so relieved to hear Basileus say it wasn't him that she couldn't find any words.

Basileus could, though. He had many words. _"Surely you knew that wasn't my doing?!"_ he asked, sounding angrier than he'd intended. _"It only happened under severe duress the first time. Do you really think I would let that happen again?!"_

He was offended, but Atia was glad of that, too. It restored the last of the missing pieces of faith she had in her mate. "Of course not, I knew it wasn't you," she lied. "We should tell Aro, though. Put his mind at rest."

 _"Erm … I don't think that's such a good idea, my dear._ " Basileus wasn't sure it would put Aro's mind at rest knowing the truth. _"What do you think Aro will prefer in this situation? Believing it was submission, an act he understands in vampiric terms. Or, that Lucius used me to rape him for his sick and twisted entertainment?"_

If Atia wasn't such a lady, she may have balked at her mate's words. As it was, she remained perfectly composed. _"He doesn't need to know,"_ she agreed.

Caius, Magnus and Renata sensibly kept out of the silent conversation between the two and waited outside Lucius' cell door, though Magnus would have loved to have had the script to go along with the very odd and erratic changes in feelings coming from the pair.

Aro strolled over to the criminal in their ranks and leaned against the cell bars. Aside from his clothes, one could be forgiven for mistaking the seriousness of all that had recently occurred. Aro was back in business mode. "I have a duty to protect this coven. I will do that by expelling any dangers from it."

 _Expelling?_ Lucius repeated to himself. _Expelling doesn't sound so bad._ "So, I can leave?" he asked hopefully.

Aro smiled sadly and shook his head. "No. I might have let you … my father, however, is a little more vengeful than I."

Lucius gulped and backed up to the very furthest point of the small holding cell as Caius unlocked the door.

Basileus filled the space of the open doorway, literally! His broad shoulders and staggering height blocking almost all light from the wall torches in the main dungeon.

Lucius cowered in the shadow of the creator.

Aro called Atia and Renata in close. "Block Lucius as much as you are able without interfering with either of us," he told them, before joining his father and taking a tight hold of Lucius' throat.

He could have taken the boy's hand - such contact would have been just as effective, but he wanted to hurt the little bastard and the throat seemed more suitable to Aro.

Caius locked the cell door behind them. "If Basileus turns, he could kill Aro before I have time to open that door," he whispered to Magnus.

Magnus released a shaky breath and pulled Alec closer to the cell. "That's what the boy is for," he told his covenmate. "Be ready, Alec."

Alec nodded. He my well hold a grudge against his grandfather, but his father hadn't done anything wrong and he would disable Basileus to protect Aro in a heartbeat.

Basileus and Aro worked for over an hour trying to worm their way into Lucius' mind. In all that time, they hardly accessed more than the most fleeting moments in the boy's memories.

"I give up," Aro declared. "Give him to Caius."

Caius' eyes flew open wide. "What do you expect me to do with him?"

Basileus, too, relented. He couldn't get into the boy's mind. It was like a closed book. "You know how to extract information, Caius. I'm sure you can turn your talents on the brat."

He brought Lucius out of the cell with him once Caius had unlocked the door, dragging the young vampire around like a rag doll.

"Of course," Caius agreed, though Magnus could tell from his emotions that he certainly didn't relish the idea.

"What gift does he have?" Lucius asked. His voice was small, and kind of distant. The child was utterly exhausted already with the effort of trying to keep the creator and king from his mind.

"More a talent, than a gift," Basileus told him, menacingly. "Caius. Lingchi"

"Lingchi?!" Caius repeated. _Death by a thousand cuts …_ "He's just child." Caius had performed the torture many times on many victims, but never on a child.

Magnus was surprised to learn that. He hadn't expected Caius to have a limit on who he was willing to torture. Thinking back, he couldn't think of a single youth that had ended up in the dungeons. If they came to the coven they were dispatched in the throne room, usually by Aro. Caius never took them below with other doomed vampires. He didn't even harvest the blood from the bodies of the young vampires the coven executed.

"The fuck he is just a child," Aro replied forcefully. "Look what he has done to us!"

"Okay, okay," Caius agreed, hands outstretched placatingly, "but they have to leave," he added, pointing to the remaining members of the Volturi family.

Atia pulled Alec to her side but Felix stood firm "After what he has done to my family I want to see him suffer," he said.

"I'm not doing it with them down here, Aro," Caius told his co-master. He meant it, too.

Aro asked his mother to take them and raised his eyebrows to Felix when he still resisted.

Atia whispered to her grandsons, "You don't want to see this," as she led them away.

Magnus and Basileus led the way to Caius' torture room, dragging Lucius along.

Aro stopped Renata from joining them inside. "Can you block the boy's gift from outside the door?"

"I can't be sure, Master," Renata said nervously. "I have been able to block his gifts towards you through closed doors, but I don't that I could block a room of people I cannot see …" Renata trailed off, knowing she was sealing her own fate - she would have to be in the torture room and bear witness to the execution.

"Then I apologise, my dear, but you must come with us," Aro said sadly. He wanted the little fucker dead but this looked set to be a traumatic end, particularly for a boy of Lucius' years.

Magnus took a seat on the fire ring wall with Basileus as Aro and Caius manhandled Lucius into a pair of iron manacles.

The manacles Caius used were ones of his own design containing silver razor blades inside which sliced into vampiric flesh like a hot knife through butter.

Lucius shrieked as the blades dug into his wrists.

Caius took a step away from the boy. _Boy,_ Caius repeated to himself a few times. _Am I really going to do this to a kid?_ Lucius looked to be the very youngest victim to meet their end in the torture room of Volterra and Caius felt uneasy about the child's age, despite his crimes.

Basileus caught Caius' reluctance. _I'll nip that in the bud, right now!_

The creator drew a full flagon of dungeon blood from the barrel and handed it to Caius. "Take as much as you need as often as you like," he told the coven leader before retaking his seat.

Aro salivated as he watched Caius chug down a good few gulps of the sticky tar-like substance. He sensibly kept himself well away from the flagon when Caius began his work.

Sending scraps of skin flying over his shoulders as he plucked at Lucius flesh, Caius began his work by creating an intricate vampiric jigsaw puzzle of the boy who had single handily brought the Volturi to its knees.

Lucius started spilling his secrets soon after Caius scalped him, removing the child's flesh from his head right down to the bone of his skull.

Magnus could tell through his gift that Lucius was speaking the truth with his claims - his involvement with Jane had been nothing more than a trick of the mind, and the Romanian coven had sent him to break down the Volturi from within with the promise of great rewards for his efforts.

Indeed, Lucius had welcomed the opportunity to mete out vengeance on the Volturi, and Basileus and Aro in particular, for the downfall of the coven he had resided with in the early years of his vampiric life **.**

 **T** he boy had been paid handsomely for the coven secrets he had already fed back to Stefan and Vladimir on his many trips out of the castle over the last year where he had been met by messengers.

That had been his downfall - he got greedy! Filling his pockets, (or rather, a pit in the woods) with the gold from the Romanian coven and enjoying twisting Aro's life into a living hell had meant he hadn't wanted to stop. He wanted to enjoy torturing the coven king and lining his own pocket for as long possible.

Playing people the way Lucius had, even for a boy of his experience, was a tall order. It's unsurprising that he had, in the end, failed. Corrupting Jane's mind to destroy Aro had been too much. He should have known Atia would enquire into the girl's memories again and would then expose his trickery, but the opportunity to really break Aro was just too tempting.

Aro was almost as sickened by the truth as he had been by the fallacy. It took Magnus nearly sitting on him to hold the coven king back when Lucius admitted fucking with Jane's head just to play with him.

Basileus was equally horrified. He could remember, now his mind was his own again, that he had accompanied the boy on a number of those trips and spoken to the Romanian envoys under Lucius' influence. _Our whole operation will be a laughing stock! There is no way to hide this travesty from the vampiric population!_ He was utterly horrified.

It was two hours into the torture session and a whole flagon of dungeon blood for Caius. He was wrecked. He hadn't had taken so much dungeon blood in one sitting for over a hundred years, at least, and it was messing with his head. He saw the translucent ghostly figures of a thousand victims haunting his torture room, gathered at the very edges of the dungeon hell hole. To begin with they were just watching him, but as the night went on they began mocking him, taunting him.

Staggering around his playroom, Caius tried to dispel the unwelcome demons from his mind. He ended up heaving his last feed into the fire place before he collected his next instrument - a pair of pliers.

Turning the item over in his hand, he struggled to focus on the tool with his blurred vision. He didn't want to hurt the child anymore. He had never faltered in the face of his duties before, never! And he never thought he would. But beating a child to a bloody pulp, as he had done with Lucius, was beyond the pale.

Magnus and Aro weren't faring much better. Neither could look at the manacled child. For all he was, and for all he had done, he was still only a boy. He looked no older than Felix, and Aro couldn't help but think of his own children when he saw the mutilated state Lucius to which Lucius had been rendered.

"Take his fangs, Caius," Basileus called over, seemingly enjoying the little bastard's demise with macabre relish.

Caius nodded and got himself together. "Of course."

He breathed, approaching the chained boy. Caius had already bled Lucius, broken every bone in the child's limbs, many of his ribs, and removed the hair and flesh from his head. _And now I am to take his fangs?_ he questioned.

Basileus could see Caius was ready to quit, but he hadn't gotten his pound of flesh yet. "Get on with it, Caius."

With one hand around the boy's throat, Caius took his pliers to the boy's fangs, ripping them out one at a time until all four were thrown into the fire. Lucius hardly made a sound. There was already so little left of the boy.

Caius threw up again, and collapsed into the wall. He wished he could claim it was the dungeon blood that had put him in such a state but it wasn't, not solely at least. The things he had done to Lucius, that boy, it had affected his state of mind.

"That's all we are going to get from him," Magnus declared seeing the state Caius was in. "Let's finish this.

Basileus shook his head. "Flay him."

Aro spun to face his father. "What?!" _You can't flay him for fuck sake! What's the point?_

Basileus ignored Aro's verbal and silent protests. "FLAY HIM!" he ordered, looking at Caius.

Caius braced himself on the wall, dry retching at the very idea. "I can't do it."

"Take another shot if you need to," Basileus offered, holding out a knife to Caius for the task at hand.

Aro, too, was concerned for Caius. "Dad we have everything we need to know," he insisted. "The kid can't even talk, there's no point in dragging this out any longer."

Again, Basileus ignored his son. "You know what to do, Caius," he told the coven torturer, forcing the knife into his hand. "Take your blade, and flay him!"

Caius shook with trepidation. "I can't do it," he repeated.

"I told you to flay him," Basileus said sternly.

"Look at him!" Caius shot back, throwing the knife to Lucius' feet. "He's a fucking child, and look what I have done to him!"

"He brought our coven to its knees … " Basileus tried to throw an arm around Caius but Caius sidestepped the creator.

Caius mustered every ounce of courage he had left and faced Basileus off. "YOU brought our coven to its knees - he's just a kid!"

Magnus and Aro shared a brief look of concern before Caius' continued rant had their mouths hanging open in shock.

"You are the greatest weapon on earth and you allowed a fucking snot nosed brat to take control of you and play you like a puppet!"

"I 'allowed' him, did I?" Basileus spoke with a dangerously calm edge to tone that would usually have petrified Caius. As it was, Caius was too tanked up to even notice.

His words slurred into a drawl, but the coven master still managed to make his real feelings understood. "You think you are invincible and it makes you cocky. I bet when you met him, that first day, I bet you didn't even consider for a second that YOU could be the one at risk, that YOU could be used against us?" Caius had never been so brave!

Basileus reared back, Aro flew in front of his father with Magnus rushing to Caius' side. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to?!" Basileus barked.

It was a bullshit response, one that showed Basileus didn't really have an answer to Caius' question that he was willing to verbalise.

Caius surveyed his options briefly. He could take Magnus down on skill alone but if the juggernaut got a good grip on him Caius wouldn't be able to escape. He could possibly take out Aro, but that was about it, and not in his current state. _No, I can't fight my way out of this one,_ he thought, but then he saw the mangled state of the boy on his dungeon floor. _I won't do this anymore, either._

"If you want him flayed for your own damaged pride, you can do it yourself." He pushed Magnus aside and started to stagger from the torture room.

Basileus fumed. "Caius, get back here and do your job!"

"I AM NOT A FUCKING ANIMAL!" Caius roared before flashing from the dungeons.

Basileus was dumbfounded at Caius' display.

Aro had something to say though, naturally. "I do believe you have just broken our torturer," he told his father, silently agreeing with Caius' unexpected protests.

"I'm going to go after him." Magnus announced. "After the other night on dungeon blood …" He didn't have to say anything else.

After the guard hall party where everyone, Caius included, had drank the spiked bloodwine, he had returned to his chambers and fought with Athenodora. It wasn't particularly Caius' fault. One of the reasons he had curbed his use of the coven drug was for Athenodora's benefit.

Magnus didn't waste any time catching up with Caius and dragging him past the ground floor suite and up to his own chambers with Freyr where he could do no harm until the dungeon blood effects had subsided.

Basileus towered over Lucius, enjoying the boys anguished howls and whines. "He can go on the fire, piece by piece."

Aro gulped down his last feed and proceeded to finish Caius' job, slowly tearing Lucius apart and feeding the boy to the flames.

…

"How did it go?" Felix was on his feet bombarding his father with questions before Aro had even made it through the door. "Did he talk?"

"Is he dead?" Alec asked. The coldness of the boy's tone had Aro stop in his tracks, but he didn't turn to face his family, nor did he speak.

"My love …" Sulpicia called softly to her mate, but he left them all without word.

Aro headed straight to the bathroom, pumped the water until the bowl was full and immediately plunged his whole head into it.

The water was ice cold and it felt amazing against his thumping head. Basileus had fed his son back to strength but the exertion of the last few hours in the dungeons, not to mention the state of stress he had been living in for the last year, had created an enormous amount of pressure in Aro's head.

When he lifted himself free of the water, Aro noticed the colour in the bowl. Bright red. He was covered in blood. Aro scrubbed at his skin to remove the blood from his face, his hands, his forearms. He wasn't too sure whose it was - his own or Lucius'. _It could be both,_ he reasoned. _What an exciting day in the dungeons. Prisoner, torturer, and executioner,_ he thought, laughing sardonically. _It's been a busy day!_

After an age of scrubbing, Aro finally felt clean enough to collapse into bed and decompress.

Sulpicia followed her mate through to their bedchamber with a glass of bloodwine which Aro gratefully received. She didn't press him - it was clear from Aro's face that he wasn't ready to talk about Lucius' demise.

Hearing their young ones creeping towards the bedchamber door, Aro called them inside. "Get in here, I need you close."

The older boys went to the end of the bed whist Alec joined his mother near Aro. Jane crept up beside her father. "Especially you, my precious princess," Aro said, pulling Jane onto his chest and lying down with her. She rested her head on his unbeating heart, tucked under his chin.

"I would never hurt you, Jane," Aro whispered. A stray tear rolled down his cheek. And then another, and another. If Aro noticed at all he didn't bother to hide it, which was most unlike him.

"I know," Jane replied simply.

Aro saw the hollow expression behind his baby's eyes and he squeezed her tight. It was lucky the girl had no need to breathe!

"We all know, my love," Sulpicia added, holding Alec just as tightly.

Looking around at his tired little vampires, Aro asked, "Did any of you sleep last night?" Not one of them had.

Aro extended his arms wide, taking Felix in one side and Demetri in the other. Sulpicia kept Alec tight to her chest and lay them both down next to Demetri. Aro laid a hand on his youngest son's shoulder. He needed contact with them all, if only for a while.

"Felix, next year you are getting your Christmas. I am going to throw the biggest party you could possibly imagine!"

He heard his boy chuckle tiredly and then silence. The children didn't breathe when they slept, dropping the human custom, and both Aro and Sulpicia were too emotionally exhausted to talk.

They stayed that way until the next morning.


	114. 1674, January - The First Noel (In Volte

**AN:** Firstly, though I can't reply to you through messages, want to thank the Guest reviewers - taking the time to respond to the postings is very much appreciated. I can see lots of people are reading and I don't expect reviews on any of it, tbh, though it does really help with future story lines to hear what people think. For that reason, Katkls and Nightingale1692, your continued support is hugely motivating.

Right then, 1672 was a shite year, I think we can all agree. So for all those who have stuck with us, this next bunch will be a little lighter, I hope. Although now we are messing about with religious festivals so I apologise in advance if that offends anyone, offence is not my intention. (It may be Aro's, but he's nothing to do with me.)

Unlike the usual chapter sections falling under *year, *month, this bunch of seven chapters will all come under 1674, January, but will show events through the year, if that makes sense? I thought after 'he who shall not be named' we could do with something nicer, so I have a year of parties for you all :)

* * *

 **1674, January - The First Noel (In Volterra)**

After the carnage that Lucius had inflicted on the coven, Aro, true to his word, had thrown an epic party for the following Christmas. It was so epic, in fact, that it had begun on Christmas Eve and the coven stayed in party-mode until New Year's Day.

They even had a Christmas feast of human specialities, which was certainly a new one for the vampires of Volterra. Carlisle had bravely requested a Christmas meal, and as it had been so perfectly timed, (both his brothers and father were already drunk) he had not only been granted permission but also been given the task of arranging a Christmas dinner, human style, for the entire coven.

As it was the 27th by then, the townsfolk of Volterra were happy to provide the castle with a meal fit for a king, for which they were handsomely rewarded. The humans had offered to serve the great lords from the castle but they had been politely rejected.

All humans had to leave before the coven could tuck in - mainly because no one was quite sure how they would manage to eat solid foodstuffs. For many of their number, it had been centuries since they had attempted to swallow solid food. It involved a lot of retching, gagging, and much purging, but they made their way through the epicurean banquet. Following their feast, which most of the vampires found surprisingly enjoyable, more drinking, music and merriment followed.

By mid-afternoon on New Year's Day the Volturi coven had truly exhausted themselves. The castle fell into an eerie silence as a good many of the vampires, in various states of inactivity, 'slept' off the effects of over consumption.

Basileus and Atia lay in their bed, dozing restfully as the venom in their bodies went to work eradicating the alcohol in their blood stream. They stayed that way for hours, soaking up the pleasantly foggy feeling of true tiredness. It was such a rare feeling for vampires that it was quite enjoyable when it did occur.

By late evening, Basileus' mock slumber was disturbed by the sound of his three sons bickering in his living room. He was pretty sure he made out Felix and Demetri joining in, too.

A crashing sound brought him to his feet.

Atia glanced up from her pillow and gave her mate a smirk, making no attempt to move, which told Basileus that he would be the one to deal with whatever their sons were arguing over. Basileus shot Atia a slightly irate look, but hurried to the lounge as the crashing continued.

The new west tower had finally reached completion with the turret reaching high above the gatehouse creating an imposing new entrance to the Volterran castle.

Basileus and Atia had their new suite at the top of the west tower where the Volturi sons were all gathered, Eleazar and Carmen took the second floor, and Carlisle the first, overlooking the gates below.

All efforts were now to be concentrated on the south tower remodel to accommodate Aro's grand plans for his private residence, effectively leaving the king and queen, along with their children, homeless.

Eleazar had refused to have Felix and Demetri, point blank refused! He had also objected when Aro tried to place himself in his chambers.

"There is no way I am having you and Sully taint my spare room with your antics!"

A bit of back and forth between the two brothers had occurred, with Aro accusing Eleazar of being a 'prudish twat' and shoving him over Basileus' new writing desk.

That was when Basileus had stepped into the room and, after quickly surveying the damage and the argument that had occurred, had given Aro a roof, before Eleazar gave him a fist.

Eleazar was only too happy to have the twins instead. That left the problem of where to put Felix and Demetri. The pair of them elected to stay with Carlisle, naturally. Carlisle, too, was eager to have his nephews' company.

"No. Just no," Aro barked in response to his sons' request.

Though they both scowled, Felix and Demetri sensibly flopped into the sofa, either side of their grandfather.

"I would rather you were in the guard dorms than with Carlisle!" Aro continued.

"Hey!" Carlisle looked askance to his brother. "So, no supervision is better than my supervision?"

Aro smiled. "Obviously," he stated spitefully before turning to his father. "You know, all of this could be easily sorted, Dad - one of you needs to give up your suite until my tower is habitable."

Eleazar and Carlisle stood firm against Aro's whining. They had been listening to it since the west tower's completion and they were not backing down now.

"Yeah, because you would happily give up your new pad for one of us?!" Eleazar said, shaking his head.

Carlisle felt his confidence bolster knowing Eleazar wouldn't back down. "You will take my new place over my dead body, brother."

Aro squared up to Carlisle. "That can be arranged, little brother!"

Basileus squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to blot out the bickering coming from his sons. He had purposely turned adult humans into vampires - an eternal life of childrearing hadn't appealed to him at all. Listening to his three strapping sons argue now he wondered why he'd bothered. _I could have had young ones, at least they would have been cute, endearing even?_ He could hear in Aro's thoughts that he was ready to thump his little brother and Carlisle was ready to retaliate if he did.

"STOP!" he roared, shaking the sofa where Felix and Demetri cowered away from the formidable creator. "Just shut the hell up!"

Eleazar, Aro, and Carlisle instinctively took a step back as their father came forwards.

"Aro," he growled out to his middle boy, "I am not turfing Carlisle out of his new home - it's the first time he has had his own place since he arrived and he is staying put!"

Aro folded his arms across his chest, huffing like a child and jabbing his elbow into Carlisle preening at his side. "El can move then," he suggested under his breath.

Eleazar scoffed to Aro but quickly turned to check his father's reaction, praying Basileus would support him as he had with Carlisle. He was happy with the reply.

"No, Aro. Eleazar is staying put, too."

With both his brothers now grinning like loons at him, Aro felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end. _If Dad wasn't here I would smash your gurning faces together, pair of pricks!_

"Well, 'Dad' is here," Basileus said firmly, responding to his son's vicious thoughts.

Aro's temper flared to his father's veiled threat. "I am the King, you know?" he reminded them all, (as if they could ever forget!) "They are both below me," he added, jabbing an arm out towards his two brothers whilst he ignored their complaints and concentrated on his father. "This whole castle is mine!"

Too far.

Basileus sneered at his son's petulance. "This castle is yours because I let it be yours. Don't get confused, Aro. Out there you are King because I made you King. In here," he gestured around the room, but he clearly meant 'in the family', "you are just one of my sons."

Eleazar couldn't resist reminding his _little_ brother of the hierarchy. "Second son."

Aro glared. First to Eleazar and then to his father for cutting him down a peg or two. "What am I supposed to do about those two, then?!" he asked, glancing to his sons, both enjoying the show, and avoiding replying to Basileus over the 'who's most important' matter.

"You make it sound like we are a problem or something!" Felix muttered indignantly. "You know, a lot of stuff has happened over the last couple of years and it has had nothing to do with either of us."

Basileus looked away in shame. He was still harbouring serious regrets over his behaviour under Lucius' direction, even though he hadn't had any control over what had happened. But still, Lucius had played the creator like a fiddle and his actions during that year had cast a ripple through the entire coven.

The wider body of the guard knew only scant details of who, or what, Lucius really was and the control he'd had over their god. Renata had stayed true to her word … even under ever increasing pressure from her covenmates to spill the beans on all she'd seen through her year in Aro's quarters.

Felix was most grateful of that. Not because of Lucius, or anything that had happened in relation to the boy, but, selfishly, because of all she could say about him if she decided to lift the lid on just how childishly Felix was really treated behind closed doors. His cred would die a death if the guards knew he had to sleep regularly, let alone that he had an enforced bed time!

Like Lucius, Caius was also an issue Basileus was avoiding. The coven master's abrupt desertion during his duty had hung like an elephant in the room every time Basileus and Caius were together, neither broaching the subject. On the one hand Caius felt like he should apologise for leaving his post, particularly the way he had spoken to Basileus at the time, but he just couldn't do it. Caius was true to his word. Always. Many people may have taken issue with his word but, by the gods, he always stuck by it. Basileus knew that, too, so any apology from Caius would have been pointless.

Basileus should have apologised to Caius, in many people's minds. He'd heard Magnus thinking just that every time they were all in the same room and he was left to soak up the animosity through his gift.

In Basileus' mind Magnus hadn't done too badly out of Lucius' visit to the coven. Before Basileus made, what he had intended to be, a heartfelt apology for his actions towards him, and to thank him for saving Alec from further viciousness at his own hand, he checked through Magnus' thoughts. What he found surprised the creator. Magnus didn't want nor need an apology from him, all he wanted was for the creator to treat him better generally, more equally, as he did Freyr and Marcus. Magnus found it ridiculous that he was lumped in with Aro and Caius in the creator's eyes.

It was something that Atia had expressed a wish for, also. She enjoyed Freyr's company as a woman of similar age and mentality and liked the idea of having Magnus and Freyr as a couple they could socialise with together. She thought it would be good for them to have 'friends', and though Basileus relied on Marcus to provide such friendship, Atia was often excluded. Magnus and Freyr could provide a break from family strife and they could both be involved, she thought.

Thinking that it would be easier to elevate Magnus a little in his esteem than it would to have an awkward sit-down discussion with the master over his own conduct, Basileus decided to kill two birds with one stone and had agreed with Atia to join her when she visited the guard masters.

Becoming drinking buddies with the juggernaut was taking the easy way out, Basileus knew that, but he was fragile, his position had been weakened and he needed time to repair the relationships that had been affected by Lucius' interruption to coven life. Annoyingly, because it meant that Atia had been right, he was quite enjoying having another 'friend' in the coven.

Marcus, of course, remained Basileus' closest confidant, and the creator trusted the man's judgement on all matters. It was frustrating to Basileus, then, that on the matter of Caius, Marcus agreed with the thoughts Magnus wasn't ready to verbalise. Marcus had a stronger relationship with Basileus and he had no reason to hold back. If he was saying Basileus was the one who should make the first move with Caius, then Basileus believed him. Something was holding him back and he refused to divulge his true feelings on the matter, not to Marcus, nor Freyr, Magnus, or even Atia. Basileus was left with a mental hangover from Lucius that he just couldn't shift.

Carlisle had been quick to forgive his father, unsurprisingly, as Carlisle was by nature kind and forgiving. Eleazar had nothing to forgive, as he saw it. Aro, though … Aro was using his father's guilt to his own advantage, and even though the creator knew what his son was doing, and that Aro didn't hold any malice towards him for his actions under Lucius' direction, Basileus still couldn't help but let him get away with winding everyone up purposely.

Seeing that his father was mentally torturing himself, Eleazar took Basileus' vacated seat between his nephews. "That's not fair, Felix," he said quietly.

"They have had a good run, though," Carlisle added, "and so have I." He wanted the boys in his suite - mainly as he feared ending up with Aro as a roommate. _He will rip my throat out without any witnesses!_

Basileus heard his boy's hyperbole and laughed lightly to himself, though he couldn't honestly disagree. He sighed deeply over what he was about to say. Fixing Aro in his sights, Basileus told his son, "Felix and Demetri will stay with Carlisle and Carlisle will be a responsible adult when it comes to his new guardian duties."

Silence.

No one had expected Basileus to allow his grandsons to live with Carlisle during the building works - no one! Aro stuttered and stumbled over his words, trying to formulate a response as he heard his sons congratulating each other and Carlisle about what fun the three 'bachelors' would have.

Eleazar couldn't keep the smile from his face. _Aro is going to implode!_ he thought, delightedly.

Aro got himself together. "No! No, no, no!" he declared. "Carlisle is neither responsible nor an adult! And you two aren't bachelors - you are teenage boys!"

Felix and Demetri found their father blustering as funny as Eleazar did. They knew now that Basileus had stated the living arrangement, Aro couldn't over turn it.

"Dad this is ridiculous!" Aro implored his father to see sense.

Sadly for Aro, Basileus was pissed off with the bickering, and also, still a little drunk - these factors combined meant he was no longer willing to listen to any more complaints and the deal, in his mind, was done.

"Aro, if you don't like it, I suggest you put your efforts into having your opulent new chambers completed as soon as possible. No one is moving out of their quarters to accommodate your choices."

With that he poured himself a goblet of bloodwine and sat Carlisle down to run through some all-important ground rules.

If Basileus thought Aro would take his decree without further complaint, he must have been drunker than he'd realised.

As Felix and Demetri bounced excitedly on either side of Eleazar, Aro scoffed, and began voicing alternative plans as quickly as they formulated in his mind. "I will tell Magnus to move out for a while," he said, eyeballing his sons.

"Like hell you will!" Basileus called back. "NO ONE is leaving their quarters for you, Aro, as I already explained!"

Aro huffed. "Fine. I will have the guest tower completed first and then we can move into that whilst the south chamber is re-modelled." _Genius!_ He congratulated himself.

"No," Basileus said flatly. "We are ready to start the south tower now, and we have hardly begun plans for the east tower."

Aro attempted to object but Basileus cut him off by leaving the table with Carlisle and walking purposefully towards his son. "Anything else you would like to add?" he ground out, inches from Aro's face.

Aro had drank a skinful at the Christmas party, far more than anyone else in fact. If Magnus hadn't called time at the bar, Aro would probably still be there. He had resisted Magnus' call, but after Magnus had explained he wanted to spend time with his own mate for a change, without the guards to worry about, Basileus stepped in and backed Magnus up, ending the celebrations.

Though Aro had held things together pretty well in his inebriated state, the hangover was setting in and Aro found a new wind from the bloodwine in his hand. "This is my coven, I will decide who lives where!"

Eleazar and Carlisle groaned in unison. Aro had been biting back against Basileus increasingly over the last year and, as yet, Basileus hadn't reacted in his usual way. Eleazar counted at least ten times since they had expelled Lucius that Basileus would normally have at least slapped Aro for his conduct, but it went unchecked.

Carlisle, bitterly, had received what he believed to his father's misdirected anger every time Aro had pissed him off. Eleazar, being more reasoned about it all, had explained to Carlisle that he was usually in closer proximity to their father and less adept than Aro at avoiding punishment.

Carlisle didn't believe that, not for a moment. As he watched Basileus let Aro carry on, Carlisle's thoughts turned dark. _You would have belted me by now if I had been this resistant and yet Aro will keep pushing and pushing until you …_

"Carlisle, shut your mouth!" Basileus called over his shoulder.

"I wasn't even speaking!" he complained in return.

"Well I can hear your thoughts and I don't like them!"

Carlisle caught Aro smirking when Basileus wasn't looking. _You smug prick!_

Basileus caught it. "What did you call me?" he asked, rounding on his boy.

Carlisle took a few steps backwards. "Nothing!"

"You just called me a smug prick!" Basileus was clearly referring to something in Carlisle's thoughts.

Eleazar shook his head. _Idiot_ _!_ he thought. _Why do you bring attention to yourself when Basileus is already pissed off?!_ It made no sense to Eleazar.

"I called Aro a smug prick, not you!" Carlisle insisted.

Aro offered a hurt expression, but his smirk was barely suppressed. "What have I done to you?"

Basileus didn't give Carlisle time to answer before ordering him to go to his room.

Carlisle looked around the room feeling thoroughly embarrassed at such a childish order. "You can't be serious?" he hissed at his father.

"Do I look like I am playing with you?" Basileus asked with a hand raised ready to swipe. "Ah, ah!" he called, when Carlisle headed to the front door.

"I don't live with you anymore," Carlisle spat. "My room is downstairs."

"You know what I meant," Basileus told him sternly. "Go to my spare room."

Carlisle glared at his father and refused to move. "It's like Lucius is back playing puppeteer."

Eleazar and his nephews gasped at the low blow Carlisle had offered. Aro, however, found it hysterical watching as his little brother constructed his own demise.

No one had mentioned Lucius around Basileus for a good ten months – the two months before that where various coven members had attempted to broach the subject hadn't gone too well, either.

Basileus slapped Carlisle hard enough to crack the skin on his cheek before throwing his son into the spare room. "You will stay in here until I allow you to leave, got it?"

Aro started again as soon as Basileus re-entered the room. "Do you really think he is responsible enough to have his own place?"

"Aro, just stop."

"I'm serious Dad …"

"SO AM I!" Basileus roared. "This is my coven, my castle, and my bloody money paying for your expansions so I will say who goes where - the twins are with El, you are with me, the boys are with Carlisle." He threw on his cape and headed to the door. "God knows that boy needs to grow up - this is his chance," he said, referring to Carlisle.

"It's my kids he will be playing grownup with!" Aro complained.

Both Felix and Demetri sat smirking at their father, winding Aro up further.

Basileus looked at the pair of them. "They could do with maturing a little, too!" he boomed before slamming the door behind him, leaving to seek out Marcus and some sensible conversation.

…

He returned close to midnight. "Are you going to sit here drinking all night?" he asked his sons.

Aro squinted at the clock. "It's not that late, is it?" He couldn't tell the time through his double vision.

Basileus removed the goblet from Aro's hand. "It's time they were in bed," he told his son, pointing at his grandsons.

Demetri was fast asleep already, his head in Aro's lap, and Felix didn't look too far behind his brother, leaning into his father's shoulder.

Basileus took the seat next to Carlisle. "Who said you could leave your room?" he asked, though his tone was kind.

"It isn't my room," Carlisle spat in reply, rubbing his bruised cheek hoping to illicit some regret in his father.

"Leave him be, Dad," Eleazar interjected, quickly coming to his brother's defence. "Everything is fine. They are BOTH behaving themselves."

Aro rolled his eyes being included in Eleazar's appraisal.

"Hmm." Basileus eyed them both for a moment as he checked through their thoughts for any arguments he may have missed. "So long as they are," he said pointedly after finding their later evening free of complaints.

Aro sat bolt upright. "Why do you do that?" he asked. "You dismiss me and Carlisle but you take Eleazar's word as gospel!"

Basileus winked at his eldest boy. "El is reliable, where as you are mischievous and Carlisle is juvenile."

"Mischievous?!" Aro repeated.

"Juvenile?!" Carlisle thought he definitely came off worse. "You make us sound like children."

"You are MY children," Basileus explained, smiling at the complaints coming from his youngest son. He was much more relaxed now Marcus had talked some sense into him.

"We are grown men, thank you very much," Carlisle shot back.

Basileus patted Carlisle's thigh with a condescending smile. "Your insistence on the fact rather detracts from your position, son."

"Are we going to have a Christmas party every year?" Felix asked, distracting everybody before Carlisle could have himself thrown back in solitary.

Aro threw his arm around Felix's shoulders. "I see no reason why not."

Eleazar burst out laughing. "He must be drunk."

Felix saw his chance. "Can we have Christmas presents next year?"

"I'm not that drunk!" Aro scoffed. "My presence is a present."

"That is so cheap!" Felix huffed. "You're getting as tight as Caius."

He would have continued arguing under normal circumstances, but Felix was quite drunk himself and soon settled back into Aro's side.

"I have been speaking with Marcus," Basileus said, clicking at Carlisle to fetch him a top up. "Magnus has reported that some of the guards are unhappy about us adopting Christian religious festivals."

Aro winced, knowing just what his father would say next.

"There are rumblings to include other religious festivities going forward."

 _Yup! There it is_. "Religion is not part of a progressive culture," he stated flatly.

Carlisle scowled. "The humans would disagree with you."

"They are too low on the food chain to count," Aro returned. "I operate a secular establishment."

Basileus shook his head. "You may well do, but religion can be very useful in controlling the masses."

Aro's eyes popped out of his head. " _You_ want to adopt a religion?" he questioned in disbelief.

"I am the closest thing to a God that vampires can get and I walk the earth," Basileus mused. "I think I have good call for wanting some veneration from my creations."

Aro ruffled Felix's hair. "I will sacrifice my eldest son in your honour, if you will do the same," he said to his father, looking at Eleazar.

"Jerk!" El retorted.

"I'll sacrifice my youngest too if you like?" Aro added playfully.

Carlisle glowered at his brother. "What has Alec done wrong?"

"Nothing," Aro replied. "But it's an eye for an eye with you lot, isn't it brother?"

"Demetri is safe, then?" Basileus gestured to the snoozing youth in Aro's lap.

Aro smiled lovingly at his boy before the playful smirk returned to his lips. "You know middle children are so often misunderstood."

"Cute," Eleazar said, rolling his eyes to his brother's display.

Aro got back on topic to put plans for religion in his coven to bed. "Christmas predates Christians so the guards can quit their whining."

"How can you say that?" Carlisle tutted. "Christmas is about Christ."

Basileus shook his head in dismay. "You need to take some history classes with Marcus."

"Good old Constantine kicked off Christmas in 336," Aro explained. "A good three hundred years after your little saviour graced us with his presence. Did all his followers just forget about his birth before a Roman Emperor reminded them of him?"

"Obviously not!" Carlisle spat. "Early Christians celebrated Jesus' birth but they were repressed by Rome and had to do so underground," he said, adding, _or something like that,_ in thought.

"Oh here we go," Aro drawled. "Carlisle's had a drink and he's turning into the 'Good Preacher' again."

"He was a pastor, as you well know!"

Aro did know, he also knew it wound Carlisle up when he purposely got it wrong.

"Aro, don't do this," Eleazar warned, eyeing their father who looked away from his sons in disgust hearing yet another argument come to pass.

"Let him do it!" Carlisle told his eldest brother. "He makes himself sound like an ignorant fool with his vendetta against my religion."

Aro scoffed. "I don't have a vendetta, I just have common sense."

"Well most people believe in a god, Aro, so common sense would say you should, too," Carlisle sneered his reply.

"I did," Aro conceded. "I do not any longer."

"What happened to 'I know my gods are real'?" Carlisle asked. It was the argument Aro usually used against him and Christianity.

"I know they were real, I have seen them in our father's memories," Aro explained. "You have no such proof."

"Perhaps his god is Zeus and he went solo?" Felix added to the conversation, trying to back up his uncle in the boy's traditionally odd way.

Carlisle nodded to his nephew emphatically. From what he knew of Greek gods becoming Roman gods, it didn't sound such a daft idea. Particularly with the barrel full of bloodwine he'd drunk.

Aro burst out laughing seeing Carlisle seriously consider the hypothesis. "But what? He forgot to tell his new worshippers his name?"

Basileus growled at them all and removed himself from their presence, choosing to sit at his writing desk - the furthest point away from them in the room.

Carlisle waited until Basileus was clear before he replied to his brother. "Fuck you, Aro," he whispered.

The playful smile returned to Aro's lips _. You are such a child!_ he thought. "Big words, little brother."

"Aro, leave him be," Eleazar implored more forcefully, reaching out to swipe at his brother.

Aro deftly avoided Eleazar's swing arm and continued to play with Carlisle. "How can your Christian God explain bad things happening to good people, brother?"

"Bad people do bad things, not God," Carlisle returned. "My God isn't a vengeful cunt like yours."

"Excuse me?!" Basileus boomed from across the room. He woke Demetri up with his yelling. "Would you like to say that again?!" he asked, flashing to tower over Carlisle. "You can knock it off, too!" he added to Aro, stifling his laughter with a cushion to his face.

"But your God allows bad things to happen," Aro continued, looking around his father.

"Punishment comes for the sins of humanity," Carlisle replied in a terse tone, thoroughly pissed off with both Aro and his own inability to avoid such confrontations with his dickhead brother.

"So he punishes the innocent?" Aro replied, making it sound like a revelation. "Your God is a sadist, seemingly."

"I have read the stories of your gods, Aro, they were all flawed - what kind of god is flawed?" Carlisle laughed to himself. Hardly gods at all! "My God is perfection."

"Perfection?!" Aro guffawed at such a claim. "Don't make me laugh!"

"Aro I am warning you!" Basileus growled in his son's face.

Aro took to his feet and moved out of his father's reach. "Your God is a sick fuck - according to your Good Book he set up all of this shit and then sat back to watch the fireworks!"

Basileus reached out for his son over the sofa but Aro evaded capture again.

"At best he's an absentee landlord," he called, laughing at Carlisle.

"STOP!" Basileus ordered. He was done. "You are winding him up for fun and you are being purposefully offensive."

Aro shrugged. "And?"

Basileus glowered at Aro. "You need me to explain why it isn't a good thing to offend people?"

"Yes, actually," Aro replied with a curt nod. "It won't hurt him to be offended - no one ever died from being offended."

Basileus sighed. This was exactly what he had Marcus had been discussing - Aro was playing his father by using his guilt to evade punishment and winding everyone up around him.

Aro was like an overgrown child and he needed to be kept in check before the games he played with people to keep himself amused turned sour. They were turning sour with Carlisle because Basileus was trying to avoid an altercation with Aro.

"Aro, I know what you are doing mouthing off at me. You think I won't retaliate because I am still harbouring guilt …"

"You did split my head in two, Dad," Aro said, wincing for full effect as he spoke.

Usually Basileus would have backed off at that point. Not this time. "I know what I did," he barked. "I need no reminder, thank you. I am just about over my shame … so stop pissing me off!"

Aro flicked his tongue over his bottom lip, back and forth as he tried to work out whether to push his father a little further or not.

Basileus heard his boy's wonderings and growled in response.

 _I think I'll leave it there,_ Aro thought with a gulp. His fun was definitely over.

"Go home, all of you," Basileus ordered.

Aro scooped Demetri up into his arms in a cradle hold. The boy barely blinked before falling straight back to sleep.

Before they made it to the door, Basileus added, "I will see you in the library tomorrow afternoon and we will discuss coven festivals going forward."

Aro nearly dropped his son! "Wait, are you serious?"

Basileus smiled. "I am indeed. Make sure to include the other masters."

"Fantastic!" Felix bounced from foot to foot in his excitement.

Aro pushed his boy out the door. "I can think of a different word for it," he said, dreading the very idea of bringing more religion into his coven. _Carlisle's bad enough,_ he thought.


	115. The Synod of Volterra

**AN:** Not related to this storyline, but would anyone be interested in a bunch of chapters on the beginnings of our vampires? We saw Carlisle join, but I was thinking Felix, Demetri, the twins, Eleazar…? PM me or leave a note if you would want to read it :)

* * *

 **THE SYNOD OF VOLTERRA**

The five masters had met in the library to discuss coven matters as Basileus had instructed. They were soon joined by Eleazar.

Carlisle, Felix, and Demetri sloped in behind him. They had only been together in Carlisle's new apartment for half a day and already Basileus had been forced to step in to temper the noise level. When he'd had to pay a visit to the first-floor suite for a third time, he had collared Eleazar to take them all to Aro.

"Why are you here?" Aro asked his elder brother, though his eyes were on his sons.

"Their first day hasn't gone too well," Eleazar replied, shoving Carlisle into a seat.

Aro rolled his eyes to the heavens. He knew it was a bad idea to put the coven fools all together in one place … a disaster waiting to happen.

"It's not our fault," Felix began. "The old guy is hungover and he's taking it out on us!"

"The old guy?" Magnus repeated, shaking his head. _The boy must have a death wish!_

Aro scoffed at his boy's excuse. Demetri stayed sensibly quiet. "Sit down and keep out of trouble for five bloody minutes."

"How far have you got?" Eleazar asked, gesturing to the scattered books and parchment pieces on the table between the masters. He took the seat near Marcus, mainly because it was far away from Carlisle and his nephews.

Poor Felix and Demetri were forced to sit by their father.

"We've only run through the guards' complaints, El," Freyr explained. "Now we need to decide what to do to appease them." She eyeballed her co-masters, expecting objections.

"We will add some other festivals, Freyr. I've already agreed to that," Aro replied. "Working out what those festivals should be is the hard part."

Everyone went back to the books, searching for something suitable to introduce into coven life.

It didn't take long for Aro to drop his book and when he looked over to Caius, he could tell his co-master was fake reading. Oh how Caius hated books!

"We have about forty guards in the castle," Aro thought out loud, "countless others at outposts, five masters, Athenodora, and there's another ten in my family … fifty-six vampires, minimum, in this castle alone. All with different histories, religions, cultures … it's too many to consider."

"We need to come up with something, Aro," Magnus insisted. "You have opened Pandora's box with this Christmas thing."

"Well what do we have amongst the masters?" Aro questioned, throwing his arms wide to include his four fellow masters.

"Three Greeks and a pair of Vikings," Caius replied.

"We are Norwegian," Freyr reminded her co-master.

"That's Nordic though, yes?" Aro asked.

Freyr and Magnus nodded.

"So we have two belief systems … let's pick some events from those two."

Freyr laughed at the simplicity of Aro's plan. "That won't appease the guard, Aro," she scoffed. "There are precious few Greeks or Norwegians in the guard."

"Fine," Aro huffed. "With my family you can add Christianity through Carlisle and Eleazar, and the twins of course." He paused for a moment to think about the other options his family could offer. "Felix is Greek, too …"

"Atia is Roman," Felix reminded his father.

"Over my dead body will we be adding Roman festivals." Aro spat 'Roman' as though the word was noxious to his tongue. "Those fuckers stole from the Greeks!" he added grumpily.

"They kicked off the whole Christianity thing anyway - they're covered," Magnus said confidently. He didn't quite understand why Carlisle was scowling at him, but then he didn't know of the heated debate between Aro and Carlisle the day before on just that topic.

"It could be argued that the Greeks appropriated the Mesopotamian festivals," Marcus explained. "And the deities."

"Is that true?" Carlisle asked, looking to Eleazar for a response. _I am SO going to use that against Aro the next time he starts on me!_ he thought, happy to have some ammunition to throw back at his brother.

"Technically, yes," Eleazar nodded. "But don't mention it around Basileus - it's not worth the three-day lecture you will receive for your troubles."

Magnus flipped through the pages of the book in his hand and sighed. "What else have we got?" he asked, referring to the Volturi family members' backgrounds.

"Well Demetri is Jewish," Aro shrugged. He didn't know much about being Jewish.

Demetri looked quizzically to his father. "Demetri is what?"

"You are Jewish," Aro stated flatly, assuming the boy was playing a silly game or something.

Demetri shook his head. "No, I'm not," he said, laughing.

 _Oh shit! You meant it!_ "You really are, son."

Demetri thought about it for a moment. "How do you know that?"

"Amun told me," Aro explained, "though there's pretty indisputable proof," he added, looking to Demetri's lap.

Demetri was none the wiser. "Like what?"

Aro smirked and pulled his son in close so only he would hear. "You know you look … different … down there?" he said quietly, gesturing to the boy's crotch.

Demetri nodded shamefully, bless him.

"That's a Jewish thing. Just a Jewish thing."

"Oh." Demetri looked puzzled when Aro pulled back. "I always wondered about that."

Aro ruffled his son's hair. "You didn't think to ask me?"

"I asked Felix," Demetri offered in reply. "He said I was faulty."

Aro gave his eldest a good slap to his closest leg. Felix took hold of the assaulted limb, but even though it stung he still couldn't keep his laughter at bay.

"What?" he asked, through his giggles. "It was funny."

"Do you want another one?" Aro asked, hand held high.

Felix continued to laugh at his brother's expense until Aro made good on his threat and landed another two sharp slaps to his son's legs.

"Like you wouldn't have done the same with Carlisle!" Felix accused.

He was right - Aro would have done exactly the same to his little brother had the opportunity presented itself.

"He didn't even know he was Jewish, do we really need to include that?" Caius asked, looking to Demetri. It seemed ridiculous to add religious festivals to the list for a child who wasn't even aware of his religion! "What's the most important festival they have Marcus?"

"Yom Kippur," Marcus replied. "The day of atonement and repentance."

Looking to his fellow co-masters, Marcus wondered how none of them already knew that. _I must devise a scholarly schedule for the coven_ _'_ _s elite members,_ he thought.

Caius' eyebrows knitted together. "Well that sounds fun," he muttered.

Aro agreed. "I don't think fun is the point of any religious festival." He scattered the contents of the table, searching for nothing in particular. "Look at these books - they are all about starving yourself and then killing a load of animals to say thanks for something. It's pointless."

"Christians' don't do sacrifice," Carlisle said, sounding a little smug.

"Which is a shame," Aro replied. "As you are one of very few who would truly appreciate the animal blood."

"Why don't we just vamp-up some holy days," Felix suggested. "We only want the day off work and a bloodbath."

A series of tuts and scoffs could be heard in response to the boy's suggestion, but Aro called a halt to them.

"No, no, no, hang on," he said to his fellow masters. "He could be on to something." Aro mused for a moment. "Let's find some current festivals, a decent spread throughout the year, and 'vamp them up'. Make them our own."

"Appropriating other religions and making them our own?" Carlisle really didn't like the sound of that. It felt disrespectful to his ears.

"How very Romanesque of you, Aro," Marcus said with a wink. "Your mother will be pleased."

Aro sat up in his chair feeling quite proud of himself. "And just like that, I am the favourite son again."

Eleazar groaned but Carlisle wasn't too worried. _I'_ _m our mother's_ _favourite,_ he thought confidently.

"You use lots of my ideas, Dad," Felix said, pulling Aro from his self-congratulation. "I think you should make me your adviser."

Aro burst out laughing. "That's one idea I won't be taking up, son. Nice try though."

Felix sank back into his seat as Aro took up a quill a piece of parchment. "Start shouting them out!" he called to the group.

"Valentine's Day!" Felix offered to get the ball rolling.

"That's a saint, right?" Aro had to check before he wrote it down.

"The saint of love," Felix drawled, misty eyed.

Caius looked curiously to the young Volturi boy. "How do you know all this?"

"It was in a book Marcus made me copy," Felix explained with a nonchalant shrug. "He is also the saint of plague."

Marcus smiled to the youth. "I am glad to see you found the experience beneficial, Felix."

Felix scowled. "I wouldn't go that far …" he thought better of saying what he really felt about the experience - _a whipping would have been preferable!_

Aro asked Marcus for the date and scribbled it onto his paper. "And what will we be doing on Valentine's Day?"

Demetri and Felix shared an excited look before both crowing, "Fucking!"

Aro cuffed the backs of their heads for their language, not that it changed their opinion.

Magnus raised his eyebrows to his mate. "I can see that one being popular," he said, thinking of the hell it could cause in the guard hall.

Freyr sighed, she knew exactly what her mate was getting at. "Let's aim for 'expressing love'… the guards don't need an excuse for what it will lead to."

"Neither do those pair," Eleazar added looking to his mischievous nephews.

Aro nodded to himself as he came up with a loose plan for the vamping up Valentine's Day. "We could hold a masquerade ball?" he suggested. "We could invite humans … for feeding from?"

Carlisle looked set to argue but Eleazar put him straight before he could cause a row. "Your feeding preferences are honoured in the coven most of the time, Carlisle."

"They are your preferences too, El," Carlisle replied.

"Yes, they are," Eleazar agreed. "And I appreciate that occasionally I will have to resist the temptation of human blood because I choose to not to drink it."

"It doesn't mean the rest of us have to avoid it permanently, Carlisle." Aro wasn't being cruel to his brother, for a change, but now and again the rest of the coven wanted human blood above bloodwine, and organising an event for the feast would limit human consumption to those occasions. He really was trying for a win-win, though Carlisle wouldn't see it that way.

Aro waited expectantly for another event.

"Ostara," Freyr offered, using the pagan term from her own time for the Christianised event. "Or Easter, if you prefer."

"I suppose we should," Aro agreed. It felt a little too Christian to him but he had already cemented the covens convening at that time so he was stuck with it, really. "What else is it about?"

Freyr smiled remembering the festivities "Rejoicing, renewal, fertility …"

"Fertility?" Felix repeated. "More fucking, then."

CRACK! Aro slapped him hard, much harder than the other times - he meant that one.

"OW!" Felix scowled at his father, feeling embarrassed.

Aro fixed the boy in his sights. He wasn't playing with him anymore. "Next time I'm taking my belt off," he warned.

"It's on the list," Aro said turning back to his co-masters. "Next?"

Magnus played with Felix's emotions a little to settle him down before he offered his own festival of choice. "Midsummer was the time to be alive where we came from," he said fondly. "Longest day of the year, drinking from dawn till dusk."

"There were other things, my dear," Freyr said, tutting at her mate for reducing such a meaningful time to a drinking session.

"Yeah," Magnus agreed, wrapping his arms around the shield maiden. "But when you drink from dawn till dusk you tend to forget about the rest."

"We could bring back a Greek tradition," Marcus suggested. "The Olympics."

Caius suddenly perked up. "Now, I like the sound of that."

Aro thought about it for a moment. " 'Midsummer Games'."

Caius shook his head. "Actually, it would be a nightmare to work out games that would take everyone's gifts into account." _I'_ _m not competing against gifted vampires_ , he thought, a little bitterly. It wasn't often that Caius even thought about being one of the 'giftless', but then it wasn't often that others' gifts challenged him directly, either.

"We can have human games," Aro replied, knowing what would be worrying his co-master. "Atia can block the gifts."

"Oh, Atia can, can she?"

Aro nearly jumped out of his skin hearing his mother come up behind him. "If Atia wouldn't mind, of course," he tacked on quickly.

Atia looked down her nose to Aro for a moment before the smile took over her stern expression. "That's better," she said. "Favourite son indeed," she added, having used Basileus' gift to search through the recent conversation.

"It's me, isn't it?" Carlisle crooned, leaning into his mother who merely smiled adoringly at her youngest son.

Basileus pursed his lips looking at Carlisle after the ruckus he had created with Felix and Demetri earlier that day. "You certainly get the most attention, Carlisle. Though I don't think that's necessarily a good thing, is it?"

Carlisle's eyes widened and shot to his lap, avoiding the sniggering coming from just about everyone there after hearing the rather public admonishment.

"How are you getting on?" Basileus asked generally, looking over Aro's shoulder to the list in his hand.

"Well," Marcus replied simply.

"We are appropriating religious festivals and making them our own," Aro added.

"It was my idea," Felix added proudly.

Basileus gave his grandson the same look he'd given Carlisle, and then he noticed the redness to his cheek. "It looks like you have made some other suggestions, too, boy?" he said, gesturing to Felix's face.

"He needs to learn to mind his mouth," Aro explained. "Back to the list. I want this done today. I don't even spend this much time doing things I enjoy."

Felix nudged Demetri. "He doesn't enjoy anything."

"There's one task I take great enjoyment from," Aro replied, growling at his eldest.

"Mom's not here," Demetri joked, nudging Felix back and both laughing at their childish additions.

"They are very cheeky today," Magnus commented to his co-master, raised eyebrows towards the boys.

Aro nodded. "They are going on the mistaken belief that I won't thrash them in front of you all."

That shut the boys up sharpish!

"How about All Hallows Eve?" Carlisle offered. "It's all about the dead - very vampire friendly."

Aro smiled wide and looked impressed with his little brother. "Look at you embracing your new culture, Carlisle!"

"Can we keep Christmas?" Felix asked, hopefully. He had grand ideas for a Christmas that would include presents from next year onwards. He knew he could get his mother on board, even if Aro continued to be resistant.

"Sure," Aro replied, adding it to the list.

"Although," Magnus said, "Jul lasts for 12 days and is pretty much the same thing."

"Ooo!" Demetri liked that idea! "I want Jul, sack Christmas."

Marcus was pleased by the boy's enthusiasm. "Christmas is twenty-four days for Christians," he told the excited child. "Twelve days for advent before and twelve days of celebration after."

Aro looked askance to Magnus. "Twelve days!" Then he turned on Marcus. "Twenty-four days!" Scoffing loudly he fixed his eyes on Felix. "No chance. You can have a one-day Christmas and like it, sunshine."

"How about extending our Christmas to the 28th, Aro?" Caius smiled menacingly at the Volturi princes and passed Aro the book he had been flicking though. "Read this!" he said, with the same enthusiasm Demetri had shown for a twelve-day Christmas.

"Why?" Felix asked, Caius' smile intimidating him a little. "What happens?"

"Childremass! We get to beat the children." Aro announced, congratulating Caius on a good find.

"It's to remind you of some bloke called Herod who liked killing kids," Caius explained. He couldn't say much more on the subject as he had stopped reading when he got the part that said he should beat the children.

Marcus winced. "Your historical knowledge is outstanding, Caius," he said, feeling genuinely embarrassed that a member of his coven cared so little for knowledge and books in general.

"I think one day for Christmas will be quite enough," Atia announced, much to Felix and Demetri's relief. "Marcus, please add Caius into your classes with the guards."

Caius scoffed at the very idea. "Not a chance!"

"Excuse me?" Atia said sternly, eyeballing Caius and daring him to object further.

Caius wasn't stupid, he wasn't pissing Atia off - he had only suggested Childremass as a joke. "Thank you, my lady, it was most kind of you to consider my needs."

Basileus watched Caius for his reaction whilst everyone laughed and jibed at him. He was rather impressed to see Caius take those jibes on the chin and not retaliate against the harmless fooling.

Caius hadn't taken a drop of dungeon blood since the Lucius debacle, mainly because he hadn't had the need to torture anyone in that time, but the effects were visible for all to see. He was calmer and certainly less prone to the spikes in his temper that they all expected with the master. Basileus was pleased at the change he saw, though he didn't know that Caius had actually stopped working entirely.

Seeing the creator zoning in on him made Caius nervous. He never had apologised for his outburst in the dungeons and truthfully, he had expected some serious repercussions. The fact that it had been a year since meant nothing - he knew the creator could play the long game.

Basileus, however, had no intentions of saying a word to Caius about the 'messy' end to Lucius' life, mainly because he refused to talk to anyone on the matter at all - his pride had been damaged beyond belief and he still couldn't face a conversation on the subject.

Caius was safe, for now.

"So, what have we got?" Basileus asked, taking the list from his son. "Valentine's Day, Easter, Midsummer Games, All Hallows Eve, and Christmas," he read out aloud. "Five is enough."

"Aww!" Felix whined. "What about new year?"

"I said five is enough," Basileus repeated, handing the list back to Aro.

"Will these be Volturi events?" Caius asked, thinking of the paperwork involved in corresponding with all the other covens in the alliance, and the vampires beyond! Magnus shared the same concern, though truthfully, they both knew Marcus would take care of the bulk of the work.

"I think we should tell the other covens in the alliance to celebrate these days, too," Marcus declared. As if he had heard Magnus' and Caius' worries, he added, "I will take care of the paperwork."

"Aro, you said the treaty was about vampire unity," Atia reminded her son when he looked like he may reject the idea. "These sort of things will help foster that. Positive vampiric culture," she added pointedly.

They were the words Aro had used to encourage everyone to go with perilous plan of aligning the covens in the first place.

Aro sighed deeply. _It will take such a lot of effort_ , he thought, dreading the confrontation that would come with Amun at the intrusion into his life. _Miserable old bugger._ "This year we will keep them to ourselves, see how they work. If they are a success we will roll them out to the other covens when we next convene."

"He thinks he's Jesus or something," Felix whispered to Carlisle.

Aro heard him, naturally. "I'm nothing like Jesus - he was quite a scruffy fellow," he said, dismissing the notion. "I feel more like Constantine."

Standing from his seat and taking an elaborate bow, he said, "I hereby conclude The Synod of Volterra."


	116. Valentine's Day

**AN:** Super shout out to my amazing Beta reader Doccoopper for fitting in editing this story on top of everything else she does! What a marvel of a woman!

So, Valentines day… love, sex, all that jazz. Some of our vampires, like the original masters, are very, very old. Social factors around love and sex were quite different in ancient Greece (and the pre-Christianised West in general) to those experienced by our younger vampires, like Carlisle in early modern Protestant England. So that's an issue to deal with… Other than that, everyone's feeling the lurve…

* * *

 **VALENTINE'S DAY**

Aro and his family unit had been 'homeless' for three months. Jane and Alec were only in Eleazar's suite for sleeping, the rest of the time they followed their mother around the castle. The older boys enjoyed living with Carlisle, but they were both surprised by how much they missed their parents, and even the twins. As it was, all four of the Volturi children were sat on their parents bed in Basileus' spare room, bugging Aro whilst he changed for the Masquerade Ball.

"I have already told you that you aren't coming, Felix, stop going on about it."

Aro stepped over Demetri's legs, hanging off the bed. It was a fairly large bed but with the four young vampires slobbing-out all over it, overspill occurred.

"The first event," Felix complained, "the very first event, and you are chucking us out!"

Aro had been hearing the same complaints for a month, and the last week had been an incessant stream of whinging from his children.

"We are not chucking you out, son. Valentine's Day is a day for lovers not for kids."

Demetri saw an angle to move in on. "I can round up a few lovers if that's your only reason to keep us from the party," he offered hopefully.

Aro stepped back over his boy and gave him an accidentally-on-purpose kick as he did so. "This is an adult only event," he stated, for the umpteenth time. "You will be there for all of the other events, this one, however, is for mated pairs."

"But why?!" Alec whined, joining in the whinging.

"Because," Aro drawled, mocking his son's tone, "it's something I want to encourage with the guard. Mated guards are easier for us to deal with. It shows commitment. Valentine's Day is the perfect day to celebrate marital love and it's something that goes completely unrecognised day to day."

Felix and Demetri scoffed in unison hearing that.

 _How convenient that you are doing this for mates when WE will never have mates - because of you,_ Felix thought.

Demetri's thoughts were on a similar wavelength.

"Have you told Marcus he can't attend?" Alec asked, snottily.

 _You really are spending too much time with your brothers, boy,_ Aro thought. He bit his tongue though, he understood why the three of them were so upset to be missing out. Three - because Jane didn't seem to mind missing the ball, she was, however, thoroughly pissed off about having to stay at Marcus' for the night.

"It was his idea, actually," Aro eventually replied. "He loved my sister more than any man has ever loved a woman and were she alive they would have hosted this entire event. He has asked that I make Valentine's Day about mates in her honour."

Felix's eyes lit up when Sulpicia walked in at the perfect moment. "Are you saying Marcus loved Didyme more than you love mom?" he asked.

"Not at all," Aro replied immediately, catching his wife as she passed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck gently. "But where I have failed to always put your mother first, Marcus never, ever did with my sister."

Sulpicia returned the embrace before pulling away to add the finishing touches to her outfit - ruby red jewels to go with her scarlet gown. "Stop trying to cause a row," she hissed at Felix.

Aro shook his head while looking at his disgruntled children. "Would you like to take your complaint to Marcus and tell him he is wrong in wanting to honour his dead mate?" He smirked smugly to himself when none of them replied.

Demetri mused for a moment before he sighed to himself. "Adrianna and I are …"

"Not mated," Sulpicia finished the boy's sentence with finality.

"We are as close to mates as can be with your rules," Demetri said, adding, your s _tupid fucking rules,_ in thought.

"Close is not enough, son," Aro sang out. "Besides, like I said, it's not a suitable event for children."

Felix had a better idea. _We aren_ _'_ _t the only unmated vampires in the castle._ "What are the unmated guard members doing when you are having your swanky masquerade ball?"

"They will be in the guard hall, I expect," Sulpicia replied to her son, missing the excitement in the boy's eyes.

Aro didn't miss it! "Before you ask, no, you are not going to the guard hall. You will be in your beds, asleep."

"Asleep?!" Felix repeated the word as though it were a foreign concept.

"The ball, proper, won't begin until midnight when Valentine's Day begins," Aro explained. "I have arranged it to begin at that time so you won't feel like you are missing out on anything and you can spend tomorrow day time, which will actually be Valentine's Day, with whomever you want."

"Not missing anything?" Felix scowled. "Are you actually serious?"

"Is Carlisle going?" Demetri asked, nudging Felix clearly in reference to the fun they could have if he was staying home with them.

"He's babysitting you two," Aro told them. "I can well imagine the ideas running through your tiny little minds and I suggest you bring an end to your scheming immediately."

Demetri and Felix continued grinning like loons. Sometimes they felt the punishment was worth the crime … tonight, in their minds, was already looking set to be one of those times.

Aro's eyebrows knitted together as he watched them. _You pair are bloody transparent!_

"For Carlisle's sake if not your own," he added to his suggestion. "You know Basileus is watching him like a hawk. If you two do anything other than sleep like good little boys, Carlisle will be on the receiving end of a serious hiding."

That took the wind out of the sails a little.

"Not to mention what I will do to you pair."

Aro put on his cape and threw Jane's and Alec's to the bed. "I will deliver the twins to Marcus, my queen," he told his mate.

"We don't need delivering," Alec protested as Aro dragged him out.

Felix threw himself back onto the cushions. "This is the worst day ever."

Sulpicia stroked his angry young face softly. "So far you have survived one hundred percent of your worst days, so I think you will get over this, too."

Felix continued to scowl, as did Demetri.

"Boys, it's one event and if you behave through this one you will be able to attend all of the others." Sulpicia collected her mask and tried it out in the mirror as she continued to talk to her disgruntled boys. "This is going to be an exciting year and I would hate for you to ruin it for yourselves by doing something silly over one night."

With that she ushered them out and back down to Carlisle's chambers before heading off to the throne room for the Masquerade Ball.

…

"Bastards," Felix boomed, glaring at the door as though it were his father, or grandfather, or possibly just about any other mated vampire in the coven. "Utter cock sucking bastards."

Carlisle directed his nephew to the sofa and flopped down next to him, thoroughly pissed off, too.

"Are you happy about this, Carlisle?" Felix asked. He knew he wouldn't be.

"No. It's not fair," Carlisle huffed, cursing the childish nature of his reply but it was apt, in his mind. "We could at least go to the guard hall whilst everyone else has their fucking ball."

"There will hardly be anyone there anyway, Carlisle. There's, like, eight guards not invited," Demetri added, lying across the window seat and looking out at the rain.

"Not invited?" Felix repeated. "More like excluded!"

Carlisle ran through the guards in his head. "Eight?" he asked.

"Yeah," Demetri reeled off the uninvited, or rather, excluded guards, "Renata, Heidi, Corin, Adrianna, Mikhail, Odi, Sadie, and Turk."

Carlisle thought about it for a second. "What about Phillipe, Richard, Talia, and Phoebe?"

"They are mated," Demetri replied. _Obviously_ _._

"So that counts but you and Corin don't?" Carlisle asked Felix, thinking if good friends counted then Felix and Corin should count, too. _They have more of a mated-ish relationship,_ Carlisle thought. _Or they used to._

Felix and Demetri looked back to Carlisle in confusion. "Me and Corin aren't anything to count anymore. Not since Aro … " Felix stopped himself from revealing his father's torrid secret. "Not since Aro ended things for us," Felix explained. "Besides, me and Corin weren't mated, we were just fucking - the others are mated."

"Yes," Carlisle replied, missing the point, "but it's not like normal mates, is it? Any pair of friends could be classed as mates." He really was missing the point!

"I hadn't thought about it like that … hmmm …" Felix was running with Carlisle's supposition, just because it meant he might have a way of being on the invite list. But … "why aren't Turk and Odi at the ball then? They are best mates."

"But they aren't mate mates," Demetri declared. Carlisle was confusing him.

"That's what I'm saying, Carlisle stressed, "Phillipe and Richard are just like Turk and Odi and they have been invited."

Felix and Demetri finally clicked on to what their uncle was suggesting. "No, Carlisle," Felix said slowly, like he was talking to a young child. "Turk and Odi aren't mates like Richard and Phillipe are mates."

Carlisle scoffed. "Of course they are. Maybe not as close …"

"No, Carlisle," Demetri cut him off before he could embarrass himself further with his incorrect assumptions. "Are we going to have to have the sex chat with our uncle?" he asked his brother, feeling more than a little awkward about it. Felix didn't feel much better.

"What are you talking about?" Carlisle asked,

Felix winced. _Why do I get stuck explaining the ways of the world to my uncle, of all people?_ "Do you seriously not get that Phillipe and Richard are actual mates - as in, they are together, share chambers …"

It was clear Carlisle still didn't get it.

"And a bed," Felix added, hoping that would be enough.

"Like … lovers?" Carlisle asked, the look on his face displaying his disbelief. When Felix and Demetri nodded slowly in unison, Carlisle was astounded. "But that's illegal!

"Only for humans. Not for vampires." Demetri was struggling to keep the smile from his face at his uncle's clear revulsion. _Ah, bless him!_ he thought.

Felix burst out laughing, not caring for Carlisle's feelings. "How have you lived here for ten years and not known they were lovers?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

Carlisle just hadn't really thought they could be. He didn't know anyone from his human life who was gay … he didn't think he did anyway - now he was wondering if there may have been a few and he just never realised that went on. "So, Talia and Phoebe are … lovers? And Turk and Odi?" he asked.

"No, not Turk an Odi," Demetri replied confidently.

"So they say," Felix added. "But have you ever known either of them to be with any else?"

Carlisle wasn't really listening anymore as the two Volturi boys started arguing their case for whether Turk and Odi were together-together, or not.

"I can't get my head around this." Carlisle started walking around his living room. "Are you saying their relationships are condoned in the vampiric world?" 'Condoned' was a loaded word, even to Carlisle's ears, but he couldn't think of another way to express his thoughts and they were coming far too quickly to keep up with anyway.

"I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Volterra? Yup," Felix replied. "What's the big deal?"

"It's against God," Carlisle stated flatly. He wasn't too sure how he felt about his Christian teachings, but the hard and fast rules, as he had been taught them, still applied as far as Carlisle was concerned.

Felix and Demetri sighed in unison. "Carlisle, you have got to get over this God stuff." Demetri was bored of hearing about religion - it was all the Volturi seemed to talk about lately and he much preferred the time before when religion was just something humans did, not vampires.

Felix, much like his father, only enjoyed using religion when it was to wind someone up, and he didn't fancy winding Carlisle up whilst he was living in his chambers. "Vampires don't make any sense in your Christian world, but here we are! I'm sure you can get over the idea of couple of guys fucking."

Carlisle wasn't too sure that he could, actually. It wasn't something he had given any thought to before, but one thing he felt for sure was that he had been excluded from an event that four coven members shouldn't have been invited to either. He didn't think, _or maybe they should? Or not?_

Pinched with bitterness over being excluded, and racked with boredom being confined to his quarters, again, Carlisle felt his old friend, adventure, calling him. "We're going to the guard hall!" he announced, collecting his cloak and those of his nephews.

"Seriously?!" Felix asked, full of excitement. He had wanted to go and see Sadie, it was only the idea of getting Carlisle in trouble that meant he was sat in at midnight whilst there was a party or two going on in the castle. He would rather have been heading to Corin's dorm, but she still wouldn't entertain the idea of being with anyone after what Lucius had done to her. _Even if she was willing, she wouldn_ _'_ _t want me,_ the boy thought dejectedly.

Carlisle nodded with a broad smile. "I'm sick of being treated like the spare part around here."

"But what about Basileus, and Aro?" Demetri asked, taking his time in putting on his cape.

Felix tutted to his uncle and shook his head to his little brother. "You don't have to come if you're scared," he teased.

"I am scared - I have sense," Demetri agreed. _Aro is going to flip his lid about this._ "But I'm still coming."

…

Aro and Marcus stood in the Great Hall at their thrones sharing a drink. They had been discussing Didyme, a topic Aro usually avoided as it caused him such sorrow to think of his beloved little sister. "You have always had room in your life for all these other things, Aro," Marcus said.

"You had Sulpicia and I don't know how you fitted in your devotion to the coven on top of your relationship - I was only ever doing enough to cover my duty before returning to Didyme."

He stopped for a moment to take a long draw from his opium pipe. He was smoking quite a lot again, but as it only had a positive effect on the master no one saw fit to complain about it. "I couldn't have imagined sharing our life with children as you have," he added, the smoke coming out of his nose like a dragon.

He was genuinely impressed with Aro's ability to make space both in his head and his heart for others the way he did. It wasn't usual for a vampire like Marcus. "I was too greedy for my mate, too reliant on her attention, her love, her presence. All I have now are my memories of her. My Didyme. I want for nothing else."

Aro nodded along as the master spoke. "You could have that again, Marcus. With someone new?"

Ari wasn't too sure if he liked the idea of Marcus having a new mate, mainly because he kept his sister's vigil so heartily that it almost felt like Didyme was still alive, still hiding somewhere in the castle, perhaps. But he did want Marcus to be happy and if a new mate could help accomplish that he would definitely put aside his own feelings on the matter.

Marcus looked to be considering Aro's offer for a moment, but no, he shook his head. "Even if such a miracle were possible," Marcus said doubtfully, "to find another who I could love so completely and who would love me completely in return … even if that could be, I could never betray my mate's memory."

Aro wished for a moment that he wasn't quite so able to make room for others. He had been right in what he had said to his children earlier that evening – Marcus had never failed his mate. Aro had, many times. Not by loving their children, not even by putting the coven above his family, his mate at times. But he had found it far too easy to fall into bed with other women when the occasion presented itself.

"I will retire now," Marcus said to his co-master, pulling Aro from his thoughts. "Enjoy the night, brother." With that Marcus disappeared.

Seeing his father and mother arrive, Aro sought out his mate's company before his Atia could get there. He needed to be close to Sulpicia after talking to Marcus.

Freyr's hand slipped through Magnus' fingers as she left him to speak with Atia. _You will be gassing for an hour at least,_ he thought when she told him she'd only be a minute.

Basileus, too, knew his mate would be lost to gossip for an hour and joined Magnus at the barrel table. There was no bar in the throne room, so barrels were arranged on the long banqueting tables for self-service.

"I would say this ball is a success, my lord," Magnus commented as Basileus took a seat. "Even Caius is relaxed."

Basileus zoned in on Caius to find him happily dancing with his mate. "How relaxed?" he asked, concerned.

"He feels calm, content," Magnus explained using his gift.

Basileus was on his feet. "If he's brought dungeon blood to a coven party again I'll bloody kill him!" he raged.

Magnus pulled the creator back down. "Caius didn't bring it last time, my lord," he reminded the man that Lucius had orchestrated the previous event. "Not like he would now anyway," he added.

Basileus looked to Magnus quizzically.

"Surely you know?" Magnus whispered. "Caius doesn't take it anymore, Basileus. Not since Lucius." He decided to finish his sentence there, without bringing up the disaster that was Caius' last torture attempt.

Basileus knew exactly what Magnus was referring to, but still, it was news to the creator that Caius was off the coven drug. "He doesn't take it at all? Not even when he works?"

 _For fuck sake, why did I say anything?!_ Magnus cursed his own big mouth for dropping himself in the shit.

"Magnus?" Basileus questioned sternly.

"He isn't working so much at the moment," Magnus replied a little cryptically.

Basileus sat up straight and looked Magnus dead in the eye. "We had a bunch of rogues brought in last month … what happened to them?"

"We dispatched them in here," Magnus explained, gesturing to the floor around him. "Aro got what he could from their heads first," he added, so they didn't sound totally inept.

"Is this Aro's doing?" Basileus asked, seeking out his son in the crowd to find out if he had started a quarrel with Caius again. He hadn't heard of anything amiss between the two masters, but they both had form for upsetting one another. "Is he restricting Caius' duties for some reason?"

Whatever he said, Magnus knew he was dropping one of his co-masters in the shit so he decided to go with the truth. "Aro offered the rogues to Caius but he refused to take them."

"Well if he isn't in the dungeons, what exactly is he doing?" Basileus wasn't too sure what to make of it. _Caius lives in the dungeons, what else could he be up to?_

"He's spending quite a lot of time with me, in the guard hall. Dora, too."

Basileus scoffed. "Drinking," he stated. It wasn't a question as such, more a presumption.

Magnus shrugged. "Not to excess," he said honestly.

Basileus tried searching through Caius' thoughts but he'd had a bit to drink himself and the crowded room made the task impossible. Magnus was his best bet for information. "Let me get this straight," he said, unnerving Magnus with the strength of his tone, "Caius isn't torturing anymore because he doesn't want to take dungeon blood, or because he doesn't want to torture?"

"Both, I believe," Magnus answered.

Caius hadn't confided in Magnus, nor Aro for that matter, he had simply avoided any work that would mean he needed the coven drug. Magnus had always got on well enough with Caius, but since he had stopped working, and was therefore off dungeon blood, he was finding the younger master could be pleasant company, fun, even!

"He is much easier to be around now that shit is out of his system. I have never seen Athenodora so happy."

 _Athenodora, happy?_ Basileus watched as she laughed in Caius' arms. _What a peculiar situation._ "I will have to talk to Caius about this."

Magnus couldn't tell from Basileus' feelings whether that talk would be a talk or something more physical, but one thing he knew for sure, Caius wouldn't have that talk easily.

"Not tonight, Basileus," Magnus said calmly, "its Valentine's Day ." He noticed Freyr taking a break in conversation and stood to join her. "You should be with your mate, as I should mine."

Basileus didn't go to Atia, instead he went to Aro, pulling him out of the conversation he was having and to the throne floor for a private chat on the 'Caius matter'.

"Why didn't you tell me he has handed in his notice?"

Aro looked puzzled for a moment before he followed his father's eyeline to Caius and the pieces slotted together. "Oh, yes," Aro replied, biting his lip. "You haven't wanted to talk about Lucius' time here, or his end," Aro said carefully. "How could I bring it up?"

Basileus didn't like that. It was true that he had avoided all conversation that revolved around Lucius, but he would have wanted to know that Caius had quit his job.

"Don't worry about it, Dad," Aro said, interrupting his father's ponderings. "Caius will be fine."

Basileus looked back, askance to is son. "Caius IS the Volturi torturer," he said emphatically. "What will he be if he isn't torturing?"

Aro mistook his father's concern for aggression towards him. "I told you at the time you had broken him," he said in defence, "I wasn't joking."

Aro had told his father that when his co-master flounced from the torture room amid cries of 'I am not an animal'. "Caius is trying out a new outlook on life. We'll see where he settles and work with what he gives us."

Basileus hadn't thought Caius was capable of being so bothered by torturing someone. As he put every effort into searching through the young master's mind, he thought back to Lucius' end.

 _Yes, Lucius was a child, technically, but we have killed children before. Granted we aren_ _'_ _t prone to dragging out their doom_ _…_ _shit._

Basileus 'heard' just how badly that night had affected Caius, but then there was something else … something that wouldn't have happened had Caius not snapped that night - he was happy. Relaxed, like Magnus had said, but also the good intentions Caius had after the first meeting of the covens to behave better, to be better, he was now able to achieve without the ever-present effect of dungeon blood.

"Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough," Basileus thought out loud. "I suppose your big change was the kids," he said to Aro. "Lucius must have been Caius'."

"At least some good will have come from that little bastard infiltrating our coven," Aro nodded along to his father's hypothesis, agreeing that Caius may have the chance to make some positive changes. "Does this mean you are willing to talk about Lucius now?" he asked.

Basileus had avoided the topic since they had killed the kid, and though the masters had put in place various measures to prevent a further infiltration, there was much he wished to discuss with his father on the subject.

"I'll be willing to talk about Lucius when Alec is willing to talk to me," Basileus conceded. "That boy has refused to even look at me in eighteen months, son."

Aro winced. "Alec is particularly prone to grudges."

It wasn't much of a consolation to Basileus who was still receiving the cold shoulder from the child.

"You haven't done much about it though, have you?" Basileus sounded accusing, he was really.

Aro could have attempted to change Alec's mind, instead he had left the boy to his brooding and got on with his work. Truth is, Aro didn't do much at all with either of the twins - they were Sulpicia's domain. He loved them both very much, but he left much of the parenting to his mate. He was only called in when they were in real trouble, which was vanishingly rare.

"How am I supposed to talk to Alec about forgiving you when I am not allowed to discuss Lucius at all?" Aro replied, excusing his lack of effort.

Basileus shook his head. "I never said you couldn't discuss him, Aro."

"You didn't have to!" Aro raised both eyebrows to his father until Basileus caught onto his thoughts.

Aro was right. Basileus hadn't had to issue an embargo on talk of Lucius because his scathing attitude towards anything even vaguely Lucius related had done the job for him.

"We will discuss Lucius tomorrow, if you will talk to Alec?"

Aro smiled happily. "Deal." Taking a look around the great hall, Aro could see more and more of the humans were moving to the sides of the room, tiring. "The blood bags are flagging, shall we open feasting?"

Basileus made the call to the vampires in attendance, speaking in Greek. The few humans who understood the language still couldn't catch what was being said with the speed of Basileus' very short announcement. They didn't have long to think on it as they were soon rounded up and drank dry.

…

Carmen and Eleazar left their chambers hand in hand. It was close to 9am, very late in the morning for vampires to surface from their rooms. They bumped straight into Aro and Sulpicia as the coven king and queen snuck up the stairs.

"Look at what the cat dragged in!" Carmen exclaimed.

"You are still wearing yesterday's clothes," Eleazar noted, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Just about," Carmen teased, pulling on a stray thread from her sister-in-law's gown. "I had hoped to borrow this dress, Sully," she said sadly, gesturing to the tattered state of the once beautiful scarlet silk.

Sulpicia bit her lower lip and looked away, not wishing to divulge their secret night time shenanigans.

"Where did you disappear to?" Eleazar asked, "I tried to find you to say goodnight."

"We took a tour of our new chambers, must have lost track of time," Aro breezed, trying to pass his big brother.

"You took a tour of building site?" Eleazar asked. _Bollocks_ _!_ he thought. "A likely story."

Before Aro could claim his innocence, Basileus' voice filled the stairwell. "Where the bloody hell have you been?!" he boomed at Aro.

"Why, what's happened?" _I'_ _m still drunk, I can_ _'_ _t be dealing with anything serious right now,_ he thought.

"The boys are missing," Basileus explained.

There was a tiredness to his tone, a sort of exhaustion for coming events rather than those passed. He had pushed to have Aro's sons in Carlisle's suite in an effort to demonstrate some faith in his youngest. Now he looked like an idiot and would have to have yet another conversation with his son regarding his immature choices. _Great._

Aro folded his arms across his chest and looked down his nose to his father, which was rather difficult to do as Basileus was a good few steps above him, let alone almost a foot taller. "Mine or yours?" he asked.

Basileus didn't need to answer out loud - his face conveyed all the information Aro needed.

"I knew this would happen. Fucking Carlisle!"

"You can't blame your brother …" Basileus began, only to be cut off by Aro.

"Oh, yes I can!" he replied. "I assume he isn't sitting in his chambers unaware that my bloody sons have wandered off?"

Basileus closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself down. He was pissed off with Carlisle, too, but if Aro wasn't careful he would be adding himself onto his father's hit list.

"Do you know where they could be?" he settled on asking.

Aro knew. "I know exactly where they will be. Little bastards will be with the guards, of course."

Sulpicia took her mate's cloak and threw it around her shoulders, covering her damaged gown. "I'll fetch the twins from Marcus," she told her mate, kissing him quickly.

"You don't fancy trading with me?" Aro called after his mate.

Sulpicia's laughter filled the stairwell as she descended the steps. "Not even a little bit, my love."

"I'll go," Eleazar offered. He wanted to save his brother and nephews some shame. "Why trouble yourselves?" he said, sounding ever so helpful. Before either his father or brother could resist, Eleazar was gone.

He was surprised to find Carlisle, Felix, Demetri chatting in the guard hall - he had fully expected to have to drag them from the guard dorms. They all flinched when they saw him walk over.

"Have you been sent to fetch us?" Demetri asked quietly, hoping none of the guards would hear him.

"Sent?" Eleazar repeated. "No. I'm not a dog." He took a seat with them and asked the ladies to leave - he correctly assumed Sadie, Adrianna, and Heidi had kept the three of them company through the night. "I offered to come to save your blushes."

Part of Carlisle wanted to object. _We haven_ _'_ _t done anything wrong to blush over,_ he thought. But a greater part of him was grateful Eleazar was there, calmly, rather than Basileus or Aro raging without a care for their standing amongst the guards.

"Is there a particular reason you decided to risk your neck for a fuck last night?" Eleazar directed at his younger brother. "Or are you back to wantonly destroying any faith out father has in you?"

"And you two!"

Felix and Demetri jumped in their seats.

"I think you had better get yourselves back home before Aro comes to find you."

…

Aro slung his youngest son into his bedchamber and slammed the door behind him.

Alec jumped onto his parents' bed and glued himself to the headboard. He didn't like upsetting his father. Aro still scared him when he was angry - unsurprisingly after all the young child had witnessed in the centuries he had lived with the man.

Aro stood at the foot of the bed, glaring at his young boy. "I will assume you are tired and emotional … " he started.

"No, I'm not!" Alec broke in, offended at being spoken to like a toddler.

"because," Aro continued with a raised eyebrow to the interruption, "I can think of no other reason for the display you just put on to MY father, the CREATOR."

Aro had been blindsided by Alec's refusal to speak to Basileus and he was embarrassed by his son's poor attitude.

 _Poor attitude?_ Aro repeated to himself. _He stood there with his mouth clamped shut looking down his nose at my father, making me look like a total dick!_ He hadn't for a moment thought Alec would refuse to do as he had been told and talk to Basileus. _Little sod really knows how to hold a grudge!_

Alec gulped. "Maybe I am, a little," he pouted.

Aro moved to sit near his boy and saw the child flinch. He didn't like that. Aro understood why Alec was sometimes nervous around him. He had only really been a 'father' to the boy for a relatively short amount of time. All the years that came before Aro hadn't tempered his volatile behaviour around his 'high guard' nearly enough for their young minds. _I'_ _m lucky the other three seem to think on it less,_ he reasoned with himself. He sat carefully on the bed and pulled the reluctant boy in close.

"It has been eighteen months, Alec, and it wasn't Basileus' fault," he said gently, pleading his father's case. "Lucius made you do a lot of things you wouldn't have usually done, too."

Alec sniffed, becoming tearful at the mere memory of Lucius. "I know," he replied, leaning into Aro. "But Basileus should have known better. What if he lets it happen again?!"

There was a whole load of worry and a touch of disbelief to Alec's tone that Aro had heard from a number of coven members already.

Wrapping his arm around his child, Aro explained, in the way he had to so many others, what to him was obvious. "Basileus didn't suspect anything when we first met Lucius because of his connection to Atia. Your grandfather isn't a suspicious bastard like I am. He's confident … too confident, perhaps. The Romanians used both of those things against us and they used Lucius expertly."

Aro couldn't help but be impressed by the Romanian scum that had blighted his life for centuries. Impressed, but they were still scum.

"Basileus didn't let it happen purposely, Alec. But it will never happen again, I promise you."

Alec trusted Aro when he said that it wouldn't happen again. He had heard a good many of the coven leaders' meetings where the masters had come up with strategy upon strategy for ensuring Basileus could never again be used as a weapon against the coven.

"How did Lucius' gift even work on Basileus, though? He's so strong."

Aro heard the disappointment in his son's voice. It was something he felt himself, though he knew it wasn't fair - the creator wasn't infallible. This man, this god, that every vampire in the world referred to as the perfection of their kind, had shown weakness, and it freaked them all out. Their god was flawed.

"Alec, your grandfather was created by Zeus. I have seen Zeus in Basileus' memories and he was magnificent to behold. But he was flawed. Greek gods, my gods … they were flawed, all of them. Some were greedy, some selfish, some vindictive. They were tricksters, and they could be just as easily tricked. Your gift works on Basileus, so does Jane's. Why shouldn't Lucius'?"

Alec had nodded along as Aro spoke. He knew the Greek gods through the stories his father had told him. Aro had been telling him those stories since he arrived in Volterra and reminded him of all the happy times they had shared even before Aro had become his father. He felt his frustrations melt away.

Aro felt it, too. "You will drop this grudge you have against Basileus, yes?" he asked after a while of just holding his boy close.

Alec nodded.

Aro winced thinking of the tantrum Alec had thrown when he had demanded the boy just talk to his grandfather again. He kicked himself for making the situation worse. He should have known Alec wouldn't have just agreed blindly without anything being explained to him first.

 _I should have spoken to Alec last year, why have I put this off for so long?_

Aro had concentrated on Jane. After all she had been through at the hands of that despicable brat, Aro had worried for his daughter most of all. But Jane wasn't like Alec … se didn't do grudge. She expected justice, and often hoped to mete that justice out herself, but once that was done, she would detach herself from the event and move on. Remarkable really, but it wasn't Jane's way to dwell on things, fortunately, as the immortal twelve-year-old had already seen a shocking amount of horror in her young life. Aro hadn't considered how damaged Alec had been by events.

 _Still, I know my old man is going to expect an apology_ _…_

Bobbing his head to himself, he stood from the bed and kept Alec in place with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Stay here and practice your tone until you can make it suitably apologetic."

Alec slowly turned to face his father. " _I_ have to apologise to _him_?!" he asked incredulously, eyes as wide as his mouth in shock.

"Very good, son. I think that would be a wonderful idea," Aro smirked. "You did boot him in the shins, Alec."

Alec continued to pout.

"Man up son," Aro said ruffling his hair. "And stop being so infantile."

Alec huffed and threw himself back on his parents' bed. "I'm supposed to be infantile, I'm only twelve. I'm not apologising to him," he sneered. He hadn't intended for Aro to hear him, but of course, he did.

"Oh!" Aro exclaimed, feigning surprise. "You need an incentive, do you?"

Alec may not have been used to being in the hot seat with his father, but he had been witness to his brothers' demise too many times to count and he knew that calm facade Aro was putting on was fake, and dangerous. When Aro expertly slipped the belt from his waist, Alec wasted no time in backtracking.

"I will apologise," he relented.

Aro nodded to himself and refastened his belt. He'd had no intentions of using it, but Alec didn't need to know that. "Good choice," he said before slipping out of his bedchamber.

"If you're busy with Alec we can come back later," Felix offered, playful smile dancing on his lips.

Narrowing his eyes at his eldest pair, Aro shook his head slowly. "No, son. I'm free as a bird." His belt once again slipped from his waist.

"That will have to wait, brother," Eleazar announced strolling into his father's chambers with Carlisle trailing behind.

Aro tutted. "You have been ruining my fun since the day Basileus brought you home," he mocked his big brother, though he was interested to see what Carlisle had to say for himself. _By the look on your face I would say there is more to this sorry episode than simple disobedience._

"We will need Basileus, too," Eleazar said, looking to his nephew expectantly.

"I'll track him down then, shall I?" Demetri huffed snidely, chuntering about being the family dog always off to retrieve someone or other.

Back in the guard hall, Eleazar had managed to coax his little brother into telling him why he would risk his neck for a midnight fumble with Heidi. Eleazar, always looking to keep the peace, relayed Carlisle's issue with the same-sex matings to his father and brother in the hope of keeping him from a hiding.

Carlisle wasn't quite sure what he imagined would happen, but the three-way verbal assault he was receiving from Basileus, Eleazar, and Aro had been unexpected. _That cane would have been preferable to this! he thought._

Basileus heard and smirked to himself.

Carlisle continued to glower at his father. _At the very least you could have sent them out,_ he thought, looking to his nephews, who were revelling in Carlisle's embarrassment.

"It's wrong," Carlisle replied when Basileus finally asked him to explain his issue in his own words.

Basileus took the seat next to his youngest. "Why is it wrong?" he asked, genuinely wanting to understand from where Carlisle was coming.

"It just is," Carlisle insisted. _Okay, I need a better reason than that._

"You only think it's wrong because your good book tells you so," Aro sneered. "There is more than one book, there is more than one way to live a life."

Whilst Basileus didn't appreciate Aro's snide tone, he couldn't fault his son's words. "It's just a suggestion, one way to live. Even your one way has many interpretations, yes?"

Carlisle nodded, though the look of confusion and mild distaste still wore on his face as it had done now since Felix and Demetri had revealed the dynamics of the guards' relationships.

"If you don't like how other people live their life then don't live your life that way. But you don't have the right to insist on them living your way, either," Eleazar added to the conversation.

It felt less of a conversation to Carlisle and more of an intervention. "I know that," he told them all, still unsure of his real feelings on the matter.

"Then what's your problem?" Aro snapped.

"His perceptions of right and wrong are stuck in one place and one time," Basileus replied to Aro. "He will learn, son."

He hadn't intended on sounding quite so condescending as he did, but experience told Basileus that Carlisle's attitudes to such things would change in time.

Carlisle glowered at his father and brothers, all deriding the sheltered bubble of his existence to date. "Don't patronise me," he spat.

Aro scoffed. "You can't even come up with a reason for why Phillipe and Richard shouldn't fuck, and I would guess you have less of an issue with Talia and Phoebe fucking."

"They don't fuck, though." Carlisle started rubbing his chin hearing himself claim such a thing. He wasn't sure what Talia and Phoebe did … but suddenly it was all he could think about.

Basileus had to turn away so Carlisle didn't see him laughing at his innocent mind.

"Oh they do," Aro waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Felix sidled up to his father. "What exactly do they do?" His excited eyes begged for some juicy information.

"Like I would tell you!" Aro scoffed, shoving him away playfully. "I do love my gift."

Just as Aro had shoved Felix, Basileus shoved Aro. "Filthy animal."

"Yeah, because you have never taken a look, I suppose?"

Basileus ignored Aro and turned back to Carlisle, placing a heavy, but comforting hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "It's perfectly natural. Normal," he breezed, though he sensed Carlisle stiffen beneath his touch.

Like a spark of light igniting in his mind, Carlisle thought of a most excellent reply. "Not all things to which a person might be inclined are "natural" in the morally relevant sense; rather, only the inclination to the full and proper expression of the human nature, and inclinations which align with that inclination, are natural. Contrary inclinations are perversions of the natural in the sense that they do seek a good, but in a way destructive of good."

Basileus was lost for words hearing that! So were Eleazar and Aro!

Felix, however, wore a growing smirk. "Saint Thomas Aquinas."

Everyone turned to face the boy.

"He said that, not Carlisle," Felix explained.

 _Damn it,_ Carlisle cursed. He had stolen those lines from something he'd read.

"How do you know that?" Basileus asked his grandson, looking mightily impressed with the young vampire.

Felix laughed, pleased with himself for catching his uncle out. "It was in one of those books …"

"That Marcus made you copy!" Aro completed the boy's sentence for him. It was his answer to everything lately. "You know, Felix, I think that exercise did you more good than you realise."

Felix recoiled from his father and the very idea that spending weeks doing nothing more than reading, writing, and sleeping was in any way good for anyone - especially him!

Seeing Carlisle looking more, rather than less pensive as their conversation went on, Basileus pulled his boy in close. "We are emerging from the most anti-gay period in history that I have lived through," he explained. "But in the history of humans, it has been more acceptable than not, I assure you."

"We didn't even have a word for it back in the day," Aro chipped in. "It was just sex, it didn't need a label. You could fuck whoever you liked."

Seeing his teenage sons rearing up for an argument on the unfairness of the restrictions he placed on their love lives, Aro amended his statement. "Make that, adults could fuck who they liked."

Felix and Demetri slumped back down.

"How could it not have a label?" Carlisle wondered.

"Isn't it something you all did in the ancient world?" Eleazar asked. "Most men from noble households had lovers, didn't they? Usually male, usually young."

Aro smirked to himself. "Women for business, boys for pleasure."

Basileus noticed Carlisle appear horrified beside him. _Damn you, Aro, must you always make everything worse!_

"It's not as awful as it sounds," he said to his son, in soft calming tones which were totally mismatched to the subject had you asked Carlisle. "They couldn't use young women as lovers because it would tarnish her marriage prospects."

Demetri turned to his father. "So you had young male lovers?" he asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"That was after my time." Aro waved away his son's suggestion, without really denying it. "I was born in the thirteenth century, this sort of thing didn't really start until the seventh or something like that."

"I was born in the fifth century." Felix tried to think back to his human days but he couldn't remember being anyone's lover boy - and he assumed he would remember such a thing!

"I was talking Before Christ, not after." Aro explained.

"Though it was still a common practice in your day, Felix," Basileus said, giving his grandson a wink. "You are lucky not to have moved in such circles."

Deciding he would rather not dwell on the thought of becoming some noble man's fuck toy, he pushed on with Demetri's questioning of their father. "So you have never … you know."

"Yes," Aro replied, answering nothing.

Felix squinted at his father, as though it would help him to deduce the point of his answer. "Yes, you agree with the statement or yes, you did?"

"Yes," Aro replied again, sounding rather flippant.

"You raped boys?" Demetri asked slowly. Though it wasn't much of a question, he was pretty sure that's what Aro was implying. "Or were they consenting?"

"Consent was a different matter back then," Aro explained. "Age didn't come into it. A child could neither give their consent or refuse it - that was for their guardian to decide."

"That's not so different to now, brother," Eleazar remarked thinking of the very many cases he had seen in his human days at court where young noble girls were married off at tender ages without much concern for their personal opinions on the matter.

Aro nodded to that, he knew women and children remained the chattels of men. "Vampires are the same, I suppose." It wasn't something Aro had thought about before but he could see a clear likeness. "Coven leaders could give consent for their coven members. Coven members still require the consent of their leaders to take a mate."

"Have you ever refused to give your consent?" Felix asked, thinking through the mated guards who seemed to have got together without too much fuss.

"Yes, I have," Aro replied, wincing when he saw Demetri scowl and correctly assuming the boy was thinking of his lost Lucy. "And I have used Chelsea to break their bonds so they stayed with the Volturi."

Basileus saw his grandsons and Carlisle were all trying to work out an example of Aro pulling rank in such a way. "Haven't you ever wondered why Renata survived pretty much unscathed by her mate's death?"

Felix's mouth hung open. "You used Chelsea on Renata before Antonio died?" He should have known really but it just hadn't occurred to him at the time. (There had been a lot going on to be fair to the boy). "Before Magnus ripped him to pieces, I mean?"

"I did," Aro replied. "That information does not leave this room."

Basileus didn't want such information leaving the room either, and he was getting nervous with where the conversation was heading especially hearing Demetri's mind concentrated on the injustice of losing Lucy, and more concerningly, how he could continue with Adrianna without losing her, too. Deciding it was best to leave that disaster waiting to happen for another day, he pushed the conversation on and back on track.

"There are no issues with being gay for vampires because we have no religion. Almost all gods reject us whether we live by their books or not."

Basileus couldn't think of a single god he knew of that welcomed vampires into the afterlife. Other than Zeus, obviously, but then he doesn't control the afterlife.

"That doesn't mean one shouldn't strive to live a good life," Carlisle replied.

"No, it doesn't," Basileus agreed. "But it does change what comprises a good life, don't you think?"

"I'm bored now," Aro announced. He couldn't see what else they could say to Carlisle. "Brother, quit your scowling. You look childish. Phillipe and Richard have the same rules as everyone else - don't fuck in the public areas of the castle. Beyond that, I don't care who fucks who or where or why or how."

Again, Aro had to shake his head to his own sons who were taking his rant a little too literally. "I am not including you two in this conversation, and you damn well know it."

"And I shouldn't care either?"

Carlisle wasn't sure if he cared or not. The old human part of him told him he should. He could almost feel the Good Pastor breathing down his neck, telling him to call it out as an abdominal act. But the only reason he had was because God said it was bad … which was a weak argument for vampires, even when he was the one making it.

"It's Valentine's Day, Carlisle," Aro said pulling his brother from his thoughts. "Time to embrace love in all its forms."

Felix saw a reprieve on the horizon. "Would that mean you are going to turn a blind eye to last night … under the circumstance?"

Aro checked with his father first. _'_ _Shall we let them off?_ _'_ he asked through his thoughts.

Basileus didn't want to punish Carlisle any more than Aro did his sons. Particularly as Carlisle continued to frown to himself in consideration of all the new knowledge he had just taken on.

"Luckily for the three of you, I am feeling the love today."

Eleazar breathed a sigh of relieve with another disaster averted and left with Carlisle following quickly behind to ask his big brother for help in understanding all this new information.

Basileus, at Aro's suggestion, went to the bedroom to speak with Alec. Aro had to hush Felix and Demetri so he could listen in on the conversation. _Don'_ _t start again, son,_ he thought desperately, wanting to end the animosity.

He could just make out Basileus' calm deep tone but the words were too quiet to be understood. Relief washed over Aro when Basileus brought his boy into the living room with Alec held close to his chest. Alec had clearly forgiven his grandfather but Aro knew his child better than Basileus did and the boy wasn't comfortable having to be so cuddly so soon.

"Come here, son," Aro called with an arm reaching for his youngest.

Basileus assumed Aro wanted to check on the child's conduct after the first attempt at getting Alec to give up his grudge. "He's good, Aro."

"I would rather check for myself, Dad," Aro lied.

Alec bounced into Aro's lap. "I said sorry," he shrugged.

Demetri nudged Felix to push for info. _Scared little prick!_ Felix thought. He still did it though. "What have you done, Alec?"

"He booted me when I apologised to him," Basileus replied on the boy's behalf.

"And he's still alive?!" Felix answered in disbelief.

Demetri couldn't verbalise anything but his thoughts were similar to his older brothers, both screaming 'injustice'.

Basileus heard them, of course. "Yes, he got away with it, just like you got away with sneaking out in the middle of the night."

"Unless you would prefer we dealt with that properly?" Aro asked. He sounded so calm and nonchalant that the boys could have been forgiven for mistaking the seriousness of his proposal. They weren't that daft though, and they kept their mouths shut.

Aro had truly had a great night and he didn't want the bother of depressed teenagers blighting his day.

"Can we discuss Lucius now?" he asked, squeezing Alec to his chest with an arm around his waist.

Basileus bobbed his head. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to confront the demon eventually. "What have you done about the traitorous cunt?"

Aro close his eyes for a moment. _Great, so you are setting the tone for this conversation early on._ "We've sent letters to the covens in the alliance," he explained. "They are all on watch for any activities from the Romanian forces. I will be sending a couple of guards out after Easter to gather information from them all."

A small smile spread on Aro's face thinking of the letter Marcus had received from the Egyptian coven on the matter. "I believe Amun is feeling pretty contrite for sending Lucius to us."

"It was not Amun's fault, Aro," Basileus said firmly. There was no one to blame for the Lucius debacle other than Lucius himself, in Basileus' mind. That's what he wanted to believe, anyway. Self-loathing for his own part still weighed heavy in his heart.

"It wasn't his fault at all," Aro agreed. "But having that cantankerous old goat feeling indebted to us can only be a good thing."

Aro chanced a look to Demetri as they were discussing his old coven leader. The boy tried his best to hide his interest in the conversation but Aro could read him like a book. Just as Demetri still worried Aro would send him back to his old coven, Aro worried Demetri would one day want to leave. It was a simple matter really and all worries could have been set aside had they simply talked to each other about it. But fear of the answer ensured they both held their silence.

Aro shook the thoughts from his mind and continued with his father. "I believe the secret meetings Lucius told us about were confined to the Romanian coven members. No one else has reported anything suspicious with you involved."

Basileus heaved a deep sigh as he threw his head back in his chair. "I must say, I am relieved to hear it," he said, silently congratulating their good fortune before continuing, "but it doesn't give us much to go on against the Romanians, does it."

"They got lucky," Aro said with a wave of his hand in dismissal. "They stumbled across a young lad who was easily swayed by money."

"We are assuming it was money, Aro. We don't really know." That's what really worried Basileus - they only had Lucius' word to go on for his motivations. Neither he, nor Aro, had ever managed to get inside his head so they could never be sure. "I suppose the Romanian's showed better foresight than I did in that they must have vetted the boy before he got close enough to do them any damage."

Aro didn't want to rub salt in his father wounds, but he had to agree. "Which would suggest to me that they have a shield who is at least as strong as Renata, and possibly someone with Eleazar's gift … though they must be stronger than El as he never could name the gift with which Lucius was armed."

"It's a shame we can't get another guard like Renata on the staff," Basileus said, already formulating plans to find new guards with shielding capabilities.

"Whilst that would be wonderful, it's down to luck as to whether we will ever get one. For now, we are refusing admittance into the castle for any vampire whose mind I cannot access." Aro stopped when he noticed Basileus was no longer listening. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm trying to decide whether I should go after the Romanians alone," Basileus lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie - he was thinking about that also. "In and out," he continued. "Eradicate those slimy bastards before another attack."

Aro shook his head and puffed the air from his cheeks. He couldn't think of anything worse! "It's not worth the risk, Dad. What if they have another Lucius? What if they have found a way to cultivate such a gift?"

That was exactly what Basileus wanted to find out. That, and to wipe the fuckers from the face of the earth.

"We would all be doomed if they could use you against us." Aro cringed the moment the words left his mouth. His three sons seemed to mimic his actions as they all thought the same thing as their father.

"They HAVE used me against us, Aro!" Basileus roared, rising to his feet and towering over his son and grandsons. He wasn't trying to intimidate them, but he was doing a damn good job of it, incidentally.

"I would rather we put off round two for as long as possible." Atia floated into the top floor quarters, her neutral tone calming the room instantly. "We have an exciting year planned in the coven, and the coven needs it to rebuild morale." Arriving in front of her mate, she stroked his face softly. "You are needed here, my dear, not off avenging your pride and getting yourself killed."

Aro didn't catch whatever it was that his mother whispered in his father's ear after that, but he had to smirk at the way she had controlled the creator so easily. "I think she just grounded you," he jibed at his father.

Basileus pulled Aro to his feet. "I think you should get your kids out of my quarters for a few hours," he suggested, guiding them all to the door.

Aro didn't need his gift to guess why his mother had disappeared into the bed chambers. _Eugh,_ he thought with a small shiver.

"It's Valentine's Day," Basileus said with a broad grin before closing the door in their faces.


	117. Easter

**AN** : Easter: I'm thinking renewal, rebirth, and as Felix reminded us in the Synod - sex! So… a bit about our characters early beginnings, a bit of fun, and a bit of cringe… lots of bits make a long chapter! Hope that's okay with you all?

Had a fair few PMs about seeing some early beginnings chapters, I've written up Felix, Demetri and the Twins so look out for those (Chapters: 133-135)

Thank you for recent reviews and messages :)

* * *

 **EASTER**

The towers' meeting in the library had been going on for around an hour … or for an eternity by Felix's watch. Whilst his brother and sister were playing the part of dutiful children keeping themselves quietly amused with boring books, Felix's boredom was overflowing to annoyance.

"What's the point in making us come to these meetings if they don't include us in anything?!" he hissed at Carlisle, who was equally bored and annoyed but doing a slightly better job of hiding it.

"They like us to know our place," Carlisle whispered from the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah," Felix scoffed, "bottom of the dung heap."

"Are we done?" Caius asked when a lull in the conversation presented itself.

Caius wasn't bored. He was, however, dreading being called out for his lack of work. Magnus had warned him that Basileus was on to him now, and though Aro had insisted he had no reason to worry, he knew it was only a matter of time before the creator would want a word with him. _A word wouldn_ _'_ _t be so bad,_ he reasoned. It was 'more than a word' that worried Caius.

Basileus could hear the man's thoughts. He had promised Aro that he would leave Caius be for now, but he just couldn't help himself from having a little fun. "Do you have somewhere to be, Caius?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"I'm sure we all have a lot to do, my lord." _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ Caius felt his collar dampen at the back of his neck. _I am actually sweating! Calm down!_ he willed himself.

"Caius and I have training with the guards this afternoon, my lord," Magnus offered, saving his co-master's skin … or at least his blushes.

Basileus raised a single eyebrow, silently calling Magnus out on his bullshit, but left it there when he saw Atia turn a similar expression in his own direction. "What have you planned for the Easter celebrations, Aro?" he asked, misdirecting his annoyed mate.

Felix bounced in his seat and answered before Aro had the chance. "Let's have a costume party!" _Finally! Something I can join in with!_

"Like another masquerade ball?" Athenodora asked.

She and Carmen looked a little disappointed - they were hoping for another occasion to wear something grand and expensive, and preferably new!

"We did that for Valentine's Day, sweetheart," Sulpicia said carefully.

She had been relatively pleased with her sons at Valentines. Sure, they skipped out to the guard hall all night, but they didn't cause any trouble and they didn't ruin the ball … that was quite well behaved for Felix and Demetri.

"No, like costumes," Felix insisted. "We could all go as ourselves from our transformations."

He gave Carlisle a nudge to join in with his plan, though the poor guy looked blankly back to his nephew.

"I don't get it," he said. "Why don't you tell me these plans before you announce them?!"

Felix tutted at Carlisle's uselessness. _You_ _'_ _re as blank as Demetri!_ he thought. "Easter is about renewal, right?" he said to the group. "Well what's more renewing than dying as a human and waking up as a vampire?"

He could see they were all going with him on this. "We could all dress up in the style of dress we would have been wearing from the times when we were turned."

"Ooo, Felix, I love that idea!" High praise, indeed, from Athenodora. Carmen and Sulpicia were similarly impressed.

Aro smirked to his boy. "You were dressed in rags when I found you."

"Dress of the time, Dad," Felix rolled his eyes, "not the actual outfit from the day we were turned."

Aro's remark had made little difference - the Volturi women were already planning their outfits.

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "I wasn't turned, I was created …" he mused. "Should I wear nothing?"

All talking ceased.

Sulpicia, Carmen, and Athenodora positively glowed - it was as close to blushing as Vampires could get.

As they clamoured to agree with Basileus, whilst their mates looked on disapprovingly, Atia broke through the noise.

"Whilst that would be appreciated by many of the women in this castle …"

"And, a few of the men!" Carmen added, hoping somehow that would help convince Basileus to arrive naked.

Freyr jumped to Carmen's aid, pulling away from Magnus. "I think it would be great for coven morale."

Magnus nearly choked on his own venom hearing Freyr join in the mental ogling. "Oh, do you?"

"Indeed," Atia agreed, smile tugging at her lips. "I think you will have to find something suitable, my dear, for common decency."

Carmen sank into her seat. "Atia, you are such a spoil sport."

"I could arrange a private showing, ladies," Basileus offered, swaggering around the room, "if you want to see what a real man looks like."

Magnus scoffed. "No they don't, thank you very much!" _Oh for fuck sake!_ he cursed himself, realising how he had made himself sound.

The men all turned on Magnus, ribbing him mercilessly for being less of a man as the women turned back to costume design. "I would love an excuse to wear a Grecian gown again," Sulpicia said wistfully.

"And where will we find clothes from Ancient Greece in modern Italy?" Aro asked, wincing slightly as he said it. He just knew his mate would begin her nagging again to have a holiday to their home country soon.

"We can make them," Felix offered, having absolutely no idea how to make clothes of any kind.

"Would this be the royal 'we' by any chance?" his mother asked, knowing full well her boy had zero sewing skills.

Felix made general noises about the 'we' being the women in the castle before slinking away from the glares he was receiving.

Dora smiled to her mate and announced, "Caius can sew much better than I can."

"Will you stop telling people that?!" Caius groaned in return.

Both Basileus and Atia noted not only how Caius' tone was far less abrasive than he used to be - that groan would have been a growl not too long ago - but also how Athenodora didn't simper at his side. Instead, she carried on, openly teasing him.

"You can!" she said. "All those years of stitching up the newborns you damaged have really honed your skills, love."

Caius closed his eyes and tried to shut out Aro's jeering. "Dora, please!" he begged.

"There we go, then," Felix said happily. "Caius can make our outfits." He had to duck quick to miss Caius' lazy swipe at his head.

"It could be your new job, Caius?" Basileus offered with a wink.

Caius' eyes bulged as his mind scrabbled for something to say in return.

Thankfully, Magnus came to his aid once again. "The tribune ball is held at Easter - do you think other covens will join in with this?"

"That would be amazing!" Carmen burst excitedly. "Could you imagine all of the outfits?!"

"Could you really imagine the coven leaders of our world agreeing to play dress up on the whims of a child?" Aro asked, jutting his chin towards Carmen whilst throwing Eleazar a withering look.

Eleazar merely shook his head and puffed the air from his cheeks. He was very used to his mate's reaction to anything pretty and expensive in the clothing department.

"Yes!" Carmen was almost squealing. Clothes really were her 'thing'.

Sulpicia enjoyed her sister-in-law's excitement for a moment before turning to her mate. "It could be fun, my love."

Aro took a look around the rest of the group - there were no particular objections - more than that, they were looking forward to the opportunity for something a little different. "Let's trial it in the coven first before we invite outsiders to join in with this madness," he said.

Sulpicia rested her hand on her mate's leg. "You can act as nonchalant as you like, my love, but I know you like this idea."

Aro didn't deny it. "But we only have a month to come up with suitable outfits."

Felix grinned like a loon to Caius. "You had better get your needle and thread out."

"I'm going to give him a proper slap in a minute," Caius said loudly, trying to break in over the laughter directed at him.

"Fine, we will play dress up," Aro agreed. "But if he strolls in naked I'm leaving," he added jabbing a finger towards his father with every other guy there agreeing with him emphatically.

Basileus' booming laughter filled the library. "Wondering if I'd show you up, lads?"

"There's no wondering about it, Dad," Carlisle called. "You would!"

Eleazar shook his head at the very idea. "In more ways than one."

Magnus, almost a match for Basileus in stature, puffed out his chest a little. "Some of us have less reason to be worried than others," he said to his co-masters and the creator's sons, gesturing down the length of his body with a cocky grin on his face. He looked to his mate, expecting her to bolster his claims.

Freyr looked him up and down as the smile grew on her face. "All cock and no balls," she announced.

The library descended into hysterics at poor Magnus.

…

No sooner had they announced the dress code to the guards, all work on Aro's chambers ceased so everyone could prepare their outfits.

Aro was annoyed by that, but Sulpicia had talked him around. It was important for coven morale so he'd had to let the inactivity go.

As no humans were invited to the Easter party, Magnus elected to host the celebrations in the guard hall, simply because there was a bar in situ. On the day of the party, the coven atmosphere had never been so healthy. This was exactly the kind of event the Volturi needed to re-group.

"They will be here soon, my love." Sulpicia attempted to pull her mate into the guard hall with her, but he stood firm.

"It's noon," Aro stated flatly. "They should be here now." The 'they' he referred to was, of course, their eldest sons.

"Aro," Sulpicia whispered hurriedly into his ear, "I know you are uncomfortable with the children out of our quarters, but you have no need to worry - they haven't done anything wrong so far."

"So far," Aro parroted back. "They haven't done anything wrong, so far, that we know of, my queen."

"Honestly, my love, you are as bad as your father." Sulpicia released her mate's arm. "Go and find them then," she huffed, knowing he would be terrible company until he could see their sons weren't up to anything. She heard Aro call after her, something about getting him a drink ready, but Sulpicia was already seeking out Freyr for some sensible, female company.

On entering Carlisle's chambers, Aro was surprised to find the living room empty. Hearing voices coming from the boys' bedroom, Aro listened through the door for anything incriminating.

"I need a break Felix - you have ruined me!"

Aro wasn't too sure who that voice belonged to, but it was a woman's voice, without a doubt.

"I know something else we could do."

 _That was Felix._

"It doesn't fit there."

 _The woman, again. Is that Sadie? What are you playing at?_ Aro wondered.

"It will if you just relax a bit," Felix said. "Your mouth still works?"

Aro scrubbed a hand down his face. _Obviously, it would be about sex! Obviously! Why would I even consider anything else?! I must be getting old._

"FELIX!" he boomed, throwing open the door.

"Oh shit!" Felix scrambled to throw Sadie's clothes roughly in her direction. "I didn't think you'd come here," he said, like it was Aro's fault.

"Evidently," Aro replied, retrieving his son's clothes from around the room and piling them on the chair. "You and I need to talk."

Felix looked thunderously to his father, eyes filled with annoyance. "Should I explain to you the meaning of a closed door, Dad?" he asked sarcastically.

Aro stopped dead in his tracks and glared at his boy. "Goodbye, Sadie," he called without breaking eye contact with Felix.

"Master." Sadie nodded dutifully towards the coven king as she scarpered from the room, redressing herself as she went.

"What were you thinking?" Aro began. "Forget that - I know what you were thinking."

He gave his head a shake. Poor Aro had seen his son's sexual antics that many times in his memories that he his subconscious gave him an instant image of what Felix would have been up to, or trying to get up to. It was a cruel side effect of being a mind reader, Aro felt.

"I thought you liked Corin," he commented, wondering why Sadie was suddenly flavour of the month.

"Don't you dare, just don't." Felix growled quietly to himself.

Aro cursed himself for mentioning Felix's one-time semi-partner. It was his fault Corin had turned her attentions from Felix - ever since that night on dungeon blood when Felix broke her out of the cells to be his father's plaything for the night … Aro shook his head again to rid himself of those images, too.

"I shouldn't dare?!" he questioned in return, deflecting what he really felt and turning the conversation back to Felix. "You know the rules, Felix. I won't put up with your conquests parading through our home."

"This isn't our home," Felix shrugged. "It's Carlisle's, and he doesn't mind."

"I MIND!" Aro shouted, throwing the Greek God costume to his naked teenage son. Felix had no shame, he was in no hurry to dress.

"Why?" Felix asked, sounding a little whiney. "It's not our place, the twins aren't here, Demetri is as bad as me so I can't corrupt him."

Felix stopped himself just in time before he blurted out that Demetri had won the coin toss and therefore had already made use of their shared bedroom with Adrianna an hour before.

"I could corrupt Carlisle I suppose, but I think he could do with a little corrupting." Felix started laughing to himself thinking of his 'pious uncle'. _Carlisle'_ _s only pious in word, not in deed,_ he reminded himself after hearing his uncle and Heidi going at it across the hall earlier that morning.

Aro had to turn away. _I can_ _'_ _t let him see me laughing now,_ he thought, stifling his giggles. "Do I look like I am in the mood for your jokes?!" he asked when he had himself under control.

Felix flopped onto his bed, making a vague attempt at covering his manhood with the bed sheet. "Dad, come on … I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

"I have told you to back off my guards, Felix," Aro growled in return. "They are not your personal playthings!"

"No, they're your personal playthings, aren't they?" Felix muttered loud enough for Aro to hear.

"Oh you really are begging for it, boy!" Aro roared, going for his belt. _Damn it!_ he said to himself when he remembered he wasn't wearing one with his costume.

Felix stayed firm, noting the lack of lustre to his father's argument. "It's Easter, Dad - it's all about sex! I am just celebrating appropriately."

Aro breathed through his frustrations. "There is nothing appropriate about you sneaking girls into my brother's chambers."

"Fine!" Felix relented. He didn't want (or deserve in his mind) a round of fucks just for fucking! "I will go to the guard quarters from now on."

Aro shook his head. "You are missing the point …"

"What is the point?" Felix snapped, cutting his father off. "Are you saying I can never have sex again because you have suddenly decided 'it's inappropriate'?"

"No …"

He wanted to say yes. Aro knew it wasn't fair for him to change the rules - Felix and Demetri had been free to fuck who they liked for centuries. When Aro found out Demetri was using the newborns to spice things up a little, he had issued a ban. The boys, particularly Demetri, still went down to the dungeons whenever they thought they could get away with it. Since Demetri had hooked up with Lucy, and the disaster that followed, Aro could have happily banned his sons from ever having sex again. _What would be the point? They still would. I would. Why can_ _'_ _t they be happy just being kids?!_

"Then what?!" Felix asked, impatiently.

Aro turned away. _Then stop fucking my guards, or anyone else I know of. Find someone I don_ _'_ _t fucking know and make sure I never find out about it!_ He didn't say that out loud, though. He collected Felix's discarded outfit and threw it, once again, at his son.

"Get dressed and get your ass to the guard hall." With that he stormed out, annoyed mostly at himself for having no better argument to use against his boy.

Aro re-joined the guard hall just as Eleazar and Carmen arrived. "What the bloody hell are you pair wearing?!" he asked his elder brother and sister-in-law.

Eleazar had modelled his outfit on James II of Spain, or James the Just, as he was known, which felt fitting to the Volturi Prince being the peacemaker he was.

"We're Spanish," Eleazar explained, talking down to his little brother. "Spanish monarchy make sense for us."

"What about you!" Carmen added, looking Aro up and down.

"I'm Greek," Aro responded in a similarly snidely tone as Eleazar had used. "A Greek God makes total sense." He adjusted his crown of ivy and laughed again. "You two don't even match," he scoffed.

Eleazar gave his brother a shove, though it was relatively good natured. "That's because I was turned in the 1300s and Carmen in the 1600s."

Aro shoved him back. "Yes, but you were turned in England, and Carmen was brought here from France …"

Sulpicia held up a cup to her mate, drawing his attention and ending his verbal complaint. "I think you both look amazing," she told her in laws. She was particularly impressed with Carmen's gown.

In the style of Marie-Anne de Neubourg, wife of Charles II of Spain in the 1600s, Carmen wore a heavy blue gown with gold decoration and billowing red sleeves.

Aro knew who Carmen had modelled herself on. "You know Marie was known for being haughty and vain, my dear," he smirked to his sister-in-law, trying to wind her up.

He failed. Carmen merely narrowed her eyes at Aro and turned to reply to Sulpicia instead. "Thank you, Sulpicia. As do you, my lady."

Sully preened in her outfit. The Greeks of the elite had all styled themselves from mythology. "I am …"

Marcus arrived, hushing his co-master's wife. "Please, Sulpicia," he begged for her silence. "See if Carmen can work it out. We have been reading mythology together recently, this event looks set to be a good test."

Carmen considered the task before her and walked a circle around the coven queen. "Okay Sully," she said as she moved. "A diadem, a veil, and a peacock feather in your hair."

Coming to a halt back in place next to Eleazar, she heard her mate try to whisper the answer in her ear. "Don't tell me!" she told him firmly before turning back to Sulpicia. "That would make you Hero. No! Hera," she corrected quickly.

Sulpicia bowed lightly. "Queen of the Gods and of marriage, women, children, heirs, kings …"

"We get it," Aro interrupted. "Do me," he said to his sister-in-law, slightly suggestively.

Carmen threw him a withering look, used to Aro's innuendos, but appraised his outfit anyway. Aro wore a crown of ivy but little else to denote his character of choice.

"King of the Gods?" she guessed.

"That would be Zeus," Aro replied, shaking his head. "And none of us were risking coming as him."

"I'm really not sure," Carmen admitted.

Aro held his cup high, "I am the God of wine, parties…"

Marcus took over. "Drunkenness, madness, chaos …"

"Dionysus!" Carmen called out whilst Aro scowled at Marcus for calling out the more unsavoury traits of his god of choice.

"A drunk?" Eleazar mused. "I would say you are both perfectly dressed," Eleazar told the vampiric King and Queen.

Marcus called the twins to join in their game. Jane wore a simple knee-length chiton, similar to her brother's but made feminine with the fine embroidery added by her mother displaying typical scenes from a hunt. Jane carried a bow and a quiver of arrows as the final symbol of her Goddess.

"Artemis," Carmen said confidently. "Protector of young girls. Perfect, Jane."

As easy as Jane's outfit was to decipher, Alec's seemed impossible. "I can't work yours out, Alec," Carmen had to admit. There wasn't much to Alec's outfit that would give away his God.

"Unlike Jane, Alec is not a God, so it's a little harder." Marcus admitted.

"Unlike Jane, Alec is not a God …" Jane repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Seeing Alec scowl, Aro leaned down to his girl's ear. "Be nice," he warned.

"I'm Hypnos," Alec declared, "because of my gift - putting people to sleep."

"That's very clever, sweetheart," Carmen congratulated the boy.

Aro put his arm around Carmen's shoulder, "So … you've done me, I assume you've done Eleazar, you should do Marcus next," he said, taunting his big brother.

"And you wonder why your sons are deviants?" Eleazar said, removing his brother's arm from his mate.

"Marcus is easy," Carmen said, noting the laurel wreath entangled in his hair. "You must be Apollo."

"The God of knowledge, the arts, and music - very apt, my friend," Aro said graciously. "But … 'Marcus is easy'," he repeated, again, suggesting something sexual.

"Honestly!" Sulpicia admonished her husband. "How much have you drunk today?! It's barely noon!"

Marcus ignored Aro's attempts to cause trouble and congratulated Carmen on guessing correctly. He was relieved to see Magnus and Freyr joining their gathering, in the hope of 'grown up' conversation. He had been spending a lot of time with Magnus and Freyr, along with Atia and Basileus and a definite gap was being created in the Volturi elite – the older members banding together in shared company, grown up company, some would say.

Both Magnus and Freyr looked ready for war! The pair wore silks and furs, carrying the same battered, round shields they had brought with them from their Viking life.

Eleazar was astounded by the wolf heads hanging like hoods on their backs. "Did you kill a werewolf for that outfit?" he asked Magnus, unsure whether he was asking in awe or distaste.

"Two, actually," Magnus boasted. "Easy pickings."

"Dora! Caius!" Spotting Athenodora and Caius arriving through the office doorway, Carmen rushed to bring them into the group.

Though much had changed within the coven over the last few years, Athenodora still felt a little apprehensive at these gatherings. She was spending more time with the elite ladies of the coven, but she still felt largely on the outside looking in.

Freyr could see her covenmate felt awkward and immediately came to her side. She had taken the woman under her wing after Caius' last few bouts with dungeon blood.

Likewise, Magnus had done the same with Caius since he had all but given up his work in the dungeons and in its place was working closely directing training with the guard master.

"Carmen is trying to work out the Greek Gods by the motifs," Sulpicia explained to Athenodora when Freyr brought her over.

"Oh," Dora gestured to her outfit. "Go ahead."

Like Sulpicia, Athenodora wore a simple peplos made from a long tubular cloth with the top edge folded down about halfway, so that what was the top of the tube draped below the waist, and the bottom of the tube was at the ankle. The garment was then gathered about the waist and the folded top edge pinned over her left shoulder. She wore a decorated silk sash, displaying the emblems of her Goddess, olive trees and owls, in embroidery.

"Athena!" Carmen exclaimed.

Dora nodded. "My namesake after all."

Sulpicia ran her fingers across the embroidered silk. "The detail in this is amazing, Dora!"

"Or should we be talking to you, Caius?" Carmen asked, nudging the coven master.

"You should be quiet, my lady," Caius begged in return, passing his mate a glass of bloodwine.

Carmen narrowed her eyes at Caius' outfit. He, like the rest of the 'Greek Gods' in attendance, wore a linen chiton, but Caius' was covered in symbols made from golden thread. Chariots, horses, roosters, sunflowers - his outfit positively glowed! "I'm really not sure about you."

"None of us are sure about Caius," Aro added, collecting a full cup of bloodwine from a passing guard.

"What's with all the gold?" Carmen asked. "Are you Midas or something?"

"Ah, Caius!" Marcus exclaimed, having worked it out immediately, of course. "That is most suitable."

"Since when was Caius ever a god?!" Eleazar asked. Aro's ego was one thing to contend with, he wasn't adding Caius' to the list!

"Helios? The sun God?" Caius offered the group. "My brother's name was Helios, he turned me, it seemed appropriate."

"Very appropriate," Magnus confirmed before Aro could say anything negative.

Carmen and Sulpicia set to examining the embroidery.

Even Freyr was amazed and such things rarely interested her. "Caius, this really is beautiful," she told him quietly, not wishing to draw any more attention to the man as he was clearly uncomfortable talking of his secret 'talents'.

"He has always been good with his hands," Dora added, giggling.

Sulpicia took a sly look over to her mate. "Aro is useless!"

"They are talking about sewing," Aro scoffed.

Sulpicia dropped Caius' work and looked her mate dead in the eye. "Are we?" she asked, smile tugging at her lips.

Aro nearly choked on his bloodwine. "Sul!" he shouted, though he could barely be heard over the laughter of his covenmates.

Felix's eventual arrival came as a relief to the coven king.

The youth swaggered over, barely dressed, cock of the walk in his helmet and short-shorts, carrying a spear.

"Eww!" Jane squealed when her brother gave her a hug. "Get your hair off me!" she pulled a good few curls from the rug on Felix's chest as he batted her away.

Sulpicia pulled her children free of one another before they could argue in front of everyone. "He's my little bear cub," she said of her eldest boy.

"A little bear cub!" Jane laughed. "How manly do you feel now, Oaf?"

Felix reached around his mother and jabbed Jane with his spear. "Shut it, little witch," he growled.

"A helmet, spear, and shorts?" Carmen surmised aloud. "What's he supposed to be?"

"Strictly speaking, he shouldn't be wearing the shorts," Aro noted. "Though it's nice to see him displaying a little modesty."

Felix rolled his eyes. He hadn't done anything wrong having Sadie in Carlisle's quarters and he wasn't going to bow down to his father on the matter.

Caius wasn't happy. "I thought you would stick to your own dress code, at least!"

"I went with the flow," Felix replied with a shrug. "Besides, Ares is totally me. I am the chaos of war!"

Caius had to concede on that point. "Having taken you on a good many missions, I would have to agree."

Carmen filtered through her knowledge of Greek Gods. "I thought Ares was the most unpopular god of the lot."

"I prefer to think of him as misunderstood," Felix said reaching for a goblet from the bar, "like me."

Aro slapped his hand away. "I understand you perfectly, and I haven't finished with you yet, either."

Luckily for Felix, Aro's attention, make that EVERYBODY'S attention was drawn towards the doors when Basileus came through, greeting the guards in his booming voice.

Carmen spun on her heel to check out the creator in all his finery - or lack thereof. "Would you look at that!" she exclaimed, blatantly ogling the adonis as he strolled towards them.

Athenodora and Sulpicia were similarly impressed. "He really is a magnificent sight," Sully voiced their thoughts, though they were more used to seeing Basileus in such a state having lived in his company for so many centuries.

"I almost miss the days before we had indoor bathrooms," Athenodora added. She and Sulpicia burst into a fit of giggles over the comment, and doubly so at Carmen's confused expression.

Dora got herself under control to explain. "Bathing in the river really did have its perks!" she said, eyes shooting over to the glorious adonis walking the room.

Magnus was a little less impressed - every woman in the room had reacted to Basileus' outfit, and a good few of the men, too, and his emphatic reading was off the scale. "Ladies! Please!" he begged those closest to him. "I can feel what you are feeling, you know?!

Freyr hooked her arm through her mate's. "Be grateful our lust isn't visible, my dear," she joked.

Magnus stretched out his neck and winced at the force of the emotion in the room. "Well, it will be for me," he said, cupping his groin just in case. "So cool it!"

Seeing Magnus trying to breathe through the lust he felt, pleading with his own body not to respond in the way it wanted to respond, his mate could do nothing to help other than to laugh at him. "I have never been so grateful to be a woman."

"Do you have any shame?" Magnus complained, not that Freyr took him seriously.

"We'll see how you react when you see Atia," she said knowingly, before being dragged away by her female covenmates to reveal what the lady of the Volterra would be arriving in.

"A loin cloth?" Aro derided his father when he came close. "Really?"

Basileus turned on the spot slowly, giving everyone a good view of his barely-there loin cloth. He wasn't quite as pale as your average vampire and his olive-ish complexion looked positively sun kissed next to anyone else in the guard hall.

"This was the 'fashion' of the day when I came into being," Basileus explained, looking every bit the immortal demi-God.

 _Loin cloths?!_ Magnus thought. "How old is he, exactly?"

Aro shrugged, still shaking his head to his father's display. "Who knows."

Basileus looked around the guard hall and noted no one else was dressed as they would have been when they were turned. "Am I the only one who has stuck to the dress code?" he asked. "You all appear to have gone up in the world."

"Yes, and you went down," Eleazar told his father. "Way, way down."

"Caius' outfit is apparently fitting," Magnus commented, looking Basileus up and down and barely supressing his laughter. "You're a good sport, I'll give you that."

"Everyone else has traded up in their imaginings of what they were pre-transformation." Basileus gestured to Magnus' rather opulent outfit. "What's with all the silk and jewels? I don't remember you being a Jarl before we turned you."

Magnus raised his eyebrows and stood with his hands on his hips. "I was a celebrated warrior, thank you!" he insisted. It was true enough. "Our outfits are true to life."

"Oh!" Basileus exclaimed, feigning hurt at getting his assumptions so wrong. "Kill many werewolves in your Viking days, did you?"

"Well …" Magnus stumbled over his words for a moment. "Wolf would have been true to life," he admitted. "At least I'm not pretending to be a god!" he added, gesturing to half the Volturi elite.

Basileus stood tall. "Some of us aren't pretending, my friend."

"Does our mother not mind you parading yourself around virtually naked?" Aro asked, butting into the conversation.

Basileus smirked. "She quite enjoys me being completely naked, son."

"Whoa!" Eleazar exclaimed. "Thank you for that imagery, Dad."

Basileus could hear many of the guards, and all the elite ladies discussing his wardrobe choice and he revelled in the attention. "I think my outfit is going down rather well, don't you?"

Aro tugged on his father's cloth. "It could have been a little longer," he said, grimacing at the length.

"I'm strapped up, don't worry," Basileus told his by. "Wait until you see Atia." He couldn't help but laugh seeing both his boys pale before him.

"Oh god … what has she chosen?" Eleazar asked, though part of him didn't want to hear the answer.

"Venus," Basileus replied simply.

"Venus?!" Aro repeated. "As in the Roman copy of our Aphrodite?"

Basileus smiled. "Yup."

"Aphrodite who walked around half naked?" Aro checked. _Please be wrong, please be wrong._

"Yup," Basileus said again.

"And you are okay with that?" Eleazar knew his father wasn't particularly a jealous man, but he had to wonder if he would really be so cool about his mate parading half naked in the guard hall.

Basileus continued to smile thinking of the outfit Atia had come up with. "Oh, yes."

Aro shook his head. "Dirty old bastard," he said under his breath.

Basileus heard him, but rather than respond to his son, he simply turned Aro to face the door as his mother strode into view.

If one half of the coven had been pleased to see Basileus, the other half were ecstatic to see Atia! The vampiric witch wore a sheer lace gown with three skilfully placed scallop shells to the front and sewn rose petals artfully arranged to protect her modesty - the shells and petals being the emblems of Aphrodite.

Eleazar and Aro stood catching flies as their mother made her way around the room, greeting the guards in her usual way.

Carmen took the opportunity to get her brother-in-law back for his earlier jibes. "Your mother is smoking hot," she drawled into his ear, enjoying winding him up. "Pay back is a bitch, isn't it?"

Aro glared at the woman but he couldn't respond. _Yeah, you got me,_ he thought. He decided right then would be a good time to continue his conversation with Felix, if only to get the image of his mother so scantily clad out of his mind.

Poor Magnus had only just recovered from Basileus' arrival and what that had done to everyone's emotions. Adding in the lust from every male in the room was knocking him for six. He downed his goblet in one. Then he took Caius' from his hand and did the same with that goblet, too. "Could everyone STOP feeling things, PLEASE?!"

Felix was hiding at the side of the hall where he had managed to pull Heidi in for a chat. "Isn't that the dress you were wearing when we first met?"

"It is," Heidi replied, showing little interest in Felix's advances.

Felix moved in a little closer, tugging at the braided front of Heidi's dress. "Mmmm …"

Heidi batted his hand away. "No chance, Felix," she said, taking a sidestep. She had no interest in the young Volturi prince.

"Oh come on!" Felix complained. "Why not?" He stood back, arms about stretched as if he were offering the world on a plate to the coven temptress. "This is as close to a god that you are going to get."

Heidi scoffed. "And this is as close to me as you are going to get."

"I've been closer." Felix tried to move in closer again but Heidi cut him off, quick!

"You only got so close the first time because I was trying to kill you," she reminded him.

Felix might have been more offended if he weren't so fixated on Heidi's ass as she walked away. It was a shame his mother joined him and spoilt his fun.

"You are turning into the sort of boy that can't look a woman in the eye when you are talking to them." _Turning into?! Who am I kidding?_ Sulpicia shook her head and clicked her fingers in her boy's face. She expected his full attention.

"Mom, I am offended." Felix did look offended, though it was entirely false. "You know I only look for a woman's heart," he said emphatically. "It isn't my fault it's right behind her tits."

"Felix!" Sulpicia called out shrilly in shock at his vulgarity.

He wasn't to be perturbed by his mother's diastase. "You are such a hypocrite, Mom. I heard how you all reacted to Basileus strolling in here." He smiled broadly seeing his mother desperately search for a response, and fail. "Oh yeah, I've heard it all, Mom."

"That's different, Felix," Sulpicia replied. "You are a child and … "

"You're married!" Felix butted in. "To my Dad!" He was half shouting his responses now and drawing attention to what Sulpicia had intended on being a private conversation. "Shouldn't that make you the virtuous one?" he continued. "I'm a teenager - I am supposed to be fucking my way through life!"

 _Oh you are done, boy!_ Sulpicia thought, clasping a hand to her son's mouth. "You will remember who you are talking to or I will fetch your father to deal with you."

Felix pulled her hand away and smiled slyly. "Mr. Morality, himself, huh?!"

Before she could respond, Demetri joined the pair of them, closely followed by Aro who had been drawn in by Felix's attitude to his mother.

Neither Aro or Sulpicia focussed on Felix, however. Seeing what Demetri had come dressed in took their attention.

"What are you wearing?!" Aro asked his younger son, taking the cornucopia from his son's hand. The horn of plenty was a symbol of Demeter … the Greek _goddess_.

Demetri had never worn a chiton and checked his outfit quickly. "Have I put it on backwards or something?"

"No, my darling," Sulpicia said softly.

"What made you choose Demeter, son?" Aro glared at Felix as he spoke, knowing full well where the idea for Demetri to dress as a goddess rather than a god would have come from.

"Well … my name," Demetri explained. "It was Felix's idea."

 _Of course is bloody was,_ Aro thought. "Felix!" he growled, cuffing the back of the boy's head.

"I'm sorry?" Felix said, though it was definitely more of a question than an actual apology.

Hearing Felix continue to laugh pushed Aro to slap him again. "You don't understand how closely you are dancing to the fire, my boy."

Demetri wore his confusion on his face. "What has he done?"

"Demeter was a woman," Sulpicia explained. "An old woman."

"What?!" Demetri shoved his big brother, not that Felix cared - he was still laughing. "You prick!"

Aro breathed through his frustrations for a second time that day whilst Sulpicia pulled Demetri along with her out of the guard hall. "Come with me, sweetheart, we can fix this."

Felix looked sheepishly to his father for a moment, wondering what he would do. When Aro set in on berating him again for his immaturity, Felix zoned out, nodding occasionally and trying to look contrite. He'd already drank a fair bit so it was difficult for the boy. Aro was ready to flip out when he saw a smile tugging on Felix's lips … until he realised what had taken the boy's attention - Carlisle.

"You came as the good preacher?" Aro announced. Whilst he was busy mocking his baby brother, Felix slipped away to avoid any more conflict with his father.

"PASTOR!" Carlisle corrected, then cursed himself for showing Aro that he'd won already in winding him up.

Basileus flashed forward, ready to intervene if Aro continued. Not that Aro would be so stupid with his father standing right there. Looking Carlisle up and down, Basileus was a little concerned by his son's attire.

Carlisle sighed to his father's worry. "This is what I would have been had I not became a vampire," he explained simply. "It feels appropriate for the dress code."

"Are you saying you are unhappy with your lot in life, son?" Basileus asked, visibly wary of the answer.

"Not at all." Carlisle was quite happy with his new life, more than happy in fact, mostly. "I am making peace with my old life, that's all, Dad."

Basileus put a loving arm around his son's shoulder. "In that case, I have something to show you."

Demetri took their place at Aro's side, brandishing a winged kerykeion - a short staff entwined by two serpents surmounted by wings.

"Hermes," Aro said in relief. "That's much better." He took the staff from his son and turned it over in his hand before giving it back to Demetri. "This is priceless and it's mine - don't lose it.

"I won't," Demetri promised.

"Good," Aro nodded, before his tone turned dark. "I need to talk to you about who you take to Carlisle's quarters."

Just like the conversation with Felix, Demetri nodded along as Aro talked.

"Are you listening to me?!" he shot out, seeing Demetri's eye wander over to Renata as she passed by.

The coven had picked Renata up from the warring lands of Britain in the early days of the Roman occupation. She was a Celt, but awoke with no memory of her human life, as occasionally happened after the transformation.

She had been given the Latin name, Renata, meaning born again, by the Volturi. Most had expected her to come to the party as a Roman woman, but Renata had taken the opportunity to connect to her Celtic roots coming in full war gear, complete with kohl war paint.

"She's got those deep-throating make-up eyes," Demetri commented, adding dreamily, "my favourite."

Demetri's comment was enough to pull Aro out of lecture mode. "What on earth are deep-throating make-up eyes?" he asked.

"You know when you have been fucking their face really hard and their eyes water and it ruins their makeup …" the boy explained, again adding dreamily, "those eyes."

Aro was dumbstruck for a moment, hearing his child say such a thing. Particularly as he had said it loud enough to bring Caius, Magnus, Freyr, and Eleazar over to see where the conversation was going.

"Ow!" Demetri exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot at the back of his head where Aro slapped him hard.

"You can't say things like that!" Aro growled into his ear, threatening to slap him again.

"You asked me what they were!" Demetri replied, ducking for cover behind his uncle.

Freyr made her stern disapproval known, but to Aro, not Demetri. "Will you please find a way to get him to show some respect for the women in this coven." It wasn't a question - that was most definitely an order.

Magnus winced as his mate stalked away from the conversation. _I will be hearing about that later, I am sure,_ he thought after her, _and it_ _'_ _s got nothing to do with me!_ he added bitterly.

Before Aro could say a word to his son about respect and equality, and all that bollocks, Demetri tried to defend himself. "You have only just swapped sides yourself, Dad, or do you not remember the advice you gave me when you first brought me home?"

That definitely shut Aro up.

"You gave him advice about women?" Caius asked, dying to laugh knowing the sort of advice that Aro would have given the boy.

"I may have done," Aro answered coolly, taking a big gulp of bloodwine and knowing his son was about to expose him.

"What advice did your old man give you about girls, young one?" Magnus pushed, wanting to know what was making Caius so giggly. (It wasn't a natural state for Caius!)

Painfully for Aro, Atia joined their little gathering just in time to hear Demetri say, "He said I should find an insecure girl to practice on, and then I would know what I was doing when the right woman came along."

Whilst Caius openly guffawed at Demetri's statement, Eleazar and Magnus at least tried to hide their amusement when Atia went in for the kill with Aro.

"In my defence, I said that a thousand years ago," he offered as explanation. "Demetri was scared to death to speak to anyone outside my chambers …"

Atia held up her hand for silence and for a moment Aro feared she would actually slap him in public! "Have you not thought to update your advice?" she asked.

Aro shrugged. "It still applies," he said quietly, followed quickly by an 'ow' as Atia did slap his arm.

"I surrender, do with me what you will," Demetri called out as Renata passed again. This time chasing after her.

"I was trying to help his confidence at the time," Aro explained, moving away from his mother so she couldn't embarrass him again.

"By studding him out like a young buck?" Atia asked, her voice hitching high in disgust for such a premise.

"That's a little harsh!"

 _I wasn_ _'_ _t studding him out._ Aro was sure of that, he was just encouraging Demetri to enjoy the delights of coven life at the time … the current issues he was having with Felix and Demetri were glaringly his own fault - even Aro couldn't deny that.

"He has just been openly talking about coitus oralis!" Atia raged back.

Aro threw up his hands placatingly. "I will speak with him, okay?" he said, stepping back some more.

Carlisle returned from his father's quarters just in time to join Felix and hear Atia's rant at his brother.

"Atia is so repressed that she can't even use normal words about sex," Felix snorted to his uncle.

"I know!" Carlisle replied, similarly amused.

"I wonder if they have even christened their relationship yet?" Felix asked, both of them laughing at the very idea.

Atia spun around to the pair and glared at them with a matronly eye. "What did you just say?"

Felix shup up immediately. "Nothing!"

Atia turned to her son. "Carlisle?"

Carlisle took a little longer to get himself under control - sealing his fate despite claiming to have heard nothing.

Taking each of them by an ear, Atia gave the pair of them to Magnus, as he was closest. "Be a dear, Magnus, and deliver these two to Basileus. He may wish to have a conversation with them regarding appropriate topics of conversation."

"Happy to oblige, my lady," Magnus said dutifully.

Without really knowing why, he shepherded Carlisle and Felix to the creator sitting by the bar. "I'm going to burn that chair," he told Basileus seeing him sat on one of his new leather bar stools in his barely-there loin cloth.

Basileus laughed and passed Magnus a goblet. "You do that," he told him without a hint of remorse for sullying the chair with his naked ass.

Seeing Carlisle and Felix squirm, Magnus took a seat. _This is going to be good,_ he thought wickedly. There was no need to explain anything to Basileus, he could see the man was already searching through his son's memories.

"You boys want to question my sexual prowess, is that right?"

Magnus spat his drink back into his cup! He hadn't expected that!

 _'_ _Boys'_ _?!_ Carlisle thought in horror. _Not that again!_

"Not your prowess," Felix replied cheekily.

Carlisle winced. _Felix you absolute dick,_ he thought, jabbing his nephew hard in the ribs.

Aro watched with Demetri from across the room whilst Carlisle and Felix were quietly rounded by the creator. _They are lucky he_ _'_ _s in a good mood tonight,_ he thought.

When the two of them slunk back to Aro, they had their tails firmly between their legs.

Felix saw his brother had updated his outfit and with Basileus' voice ringing in his ears, he thought he should attempt an apology, at least. "Dem … "

Demetri pushed him away. "Fuck off," he said forcefully, though quickly checked that Aro was going to let him get away with such a thing. Aro let it go, he understood why Demetri was so pissed off with his brother.

"Come on," Felix tried again, though already sounding less sincere, "it was a joke."

"It wasn't funny," Aro replied on his boy's behalf as Demetri walked away without further word.

"He shouldn't even be pretending to be a god," Felix scoffed. "He has no right."

"He has no right?!" Carlisle questioned. _What_ _'_ _right_ _'_ _does anyone have?_ he wondered.

"He's not Greek," Felix said to his uncle. He turned to his father, "Demetri's not the same as the rest of us."

Aro knew where this was going and he wasn't having it. "Neither are the twins," he stated.

"They shouldn't be playing gods either, then," Felix shrugged.

A low growl rumbled in Aro's chest. "We've discussed this before, Felix," he whispered angrily into his boy's ear. "They are mine because I say they are mine. The same reason you are mine."

"Not really," Felix replied bravely. "Me and the twins have your venom - Demetri doesn't."

Aro snatched the goblet from Felix's hand, disgusted with his attitude towards his brother. It was something that came up periodically when Felix tried to call rank on Demetri and every single time he had been told in no uncertain terms that Aro decided who was 'his' and no fucker else - including Felix!

"You've drank enough," Aro told him sternly. "Turk!" he called out loudly to the bar over the din of noise. The music stopped immediately and everyone focussed on Aro, just as he had intended. "I'm cutting Felix off," he announced.

Turk bowed his head slightly to show he understood whilst humiliation rushed through Felix's body when the guards all turned a piteous eye on him.

Aro shook him roughly. "Another word and I'll be putting you to bed myself, son."

Felix stormed away in disgrace, vowing vengeance in his drunken state on his little brother who had done nothing wrong.

"What was that about?" Magnus strolled over with a tray of drinks for his coven mates. "Are you picking on the young ones again, Aro?"

"Pft!" Aro tutted. "Hardly!"

Eleazar took a cup from Magnus and passed another to his little brother. "Where did he take you?" he asked, looking over to Basileus happily perched against the bar with Atia. He was enjoying his mate's outfit a little too much for Eleazar's liking.

"Who, Dad?" Carlisle checked. "He had something for me, that's all." He was about to tell Eleazar what that something was, but Aro's eagerness to find out stopped him. "I'm not telling you," he said to Aro. "You will only take the piss."

"Me?" Aro feigned hurt. "As if I would? What possible reason would I have to do such a thing?"

Carlisle sighed to himself. He knew why Aro was already pissed off with him and he'd been told by Basileus to apologise to Aro for letting the boys have use of his chambers for their sexploits. "Aro, listen, I'm sorry. I just didn't see the harm …"

Aro knew what he was talking about and snorted in derision. "Are you stupid?!" he asked. "You know the trouble I am having with the Felix and Demetri and you open your chambers as a private brothel to them?!"

Eleazar got between the two before a verbal brawl could break out and ruin what had so far been a good evening. "They are going to do it somewhere, Aro."

"He's right," Magnus chipped in. "You won't stop those boys having sex - you are trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted."

Eleazar clapped a hand on Aro's shoulder. "Can you even remember being sixteen?"

Caius thought about it for a moment. "All I wanted to do was fuck and fight!" he remembered. "Actually, that's all I did do," he added happily.

Whilst Aro, Magnus, and even Eleazar agreed, Carlisle looked on awkwardly. Naturally, Aro noticed his brother's discomfort with the conversation and used it against him.

"Aww, we are embarrassing my godly little brother," Aro teased, tugging on Carlisle's religious outfit.

Carlisle pushed him away and pulled his shoulders back. "Whatever, Aro," he brushed away his brother's comments. "If my cock could talk …"

"It would say 'I'm lonely, where is everybody?' " Aro laughed loudest at his own joke, but everyone else joined in.

Carlisle came back hard! "Just because you have been happy to stick your dick in anything that walks past you," he directed at Aro, "some of us have standards."

"Whoa!" Caius was a little impressed by Carlisle's response - the tenacity was unexpected, at least.

"That's fighting talk, little brother," Aro warned, seeing his mate look over. Thankfully, she hadn't heard, just noticed the commotion.

"No, it's not," Eleazar insisted. "Let's calm down. Besides, he's kind of right."

"You should know, El," Aro replied, dragging his brother in on the slander. "You joined in on enough of it."

"What was that, Aro?" Carmen asked, coming up behind Eleazar and wrapping her arms around his waist - much to his surprise!

"He's exaggerating, my love." Eleazar attempted to get Carmen to leave the conversation, but he never could get Carmen to do much … she ruled their roost and everyone knew it.

"Hardly!" Aro scoffed. "I wonder, do you even remember all of their names?"

"Eleazar ignored Aro completely and addressed his mate sweetly. "Yours is the only name I need know, my love."

"Which means he didn't take the time to learn their names to begin with," Caius said. He had only intended Magnus to hear, being the closest to him, but everyone caught it.

Eleazar glared at the coven leader. "You're in no position to cast aspersions, Caius!"

"I don't deny my activities, El," Caius replied happily. He had nothing to hide - Athenodora knew everything he got up and mostly joined in! "Unlike you," he added slyly.

Magnus looked on disapprovingly.

"I am not in the same category as you pair, or anywhere near it, thanks," Eleazar insisted.

He wasn't entirely sure how much Carmen knew of his life before her, in that regard, but it wasn't information he wished for her to learn from Aro and Caius!

He had nothing to fear, Carmen knew much more than she let on - women talk, after all. "Shall I leave you guys to reminisce?" she offered, having tortured her mate long enough.

To say Eleazar was relieved to see her leave was an understatement. He was verging on sweating! He made sure to give both Aro and Caius a good boot in the shins once Carmen had re-joined the twins.

"We certainly knew how to have a good time," Aro admitted.

"Those days are long behind me now your old man has evicted Heidi from my chambers," Caius complained. He was still bitter about that.

"It's been two years, Caius," Magnus reminded him. "Get over it."

Thinking about coven sirens, something came to Aro. "You know," he mused, "Basileus told me something interesting about Ashanti before she left us."

"What would that be?" Magnus asked. He sounded nervous.

"He said our old siren had been with all three of his sons …"

Eleazar punched his brother in the shoulder. "Shut up, Aro."

"And two of his grandsons …"

Aro punched his brother in the shoulder. "Shut up, Carlisle."

"And?" Caius pushed.

Aro smirked, "And THREE of the masters."

Whilst everyone sought out Marcus, Magnus held his breath. It didn't take long for all eyes to fall on him.

"Oh!" Caius exclaimed. He didn't have much else to say, he was gobsmacked!

"I thought it was Marcus," Aro admitted. "Oh dear, Magnus." He could barely speak for laughing. "What on earth did Ashanti offer that made you forget your honour?"

"Does Freyr know?" Eleazar whispered.

Hearing his mate's name mentioned brought Magnus to his senses and back to speech. "No. And it had better stay that way."

Magnus didn't throw his weight around very often (and he was a sizeable weight!) but pulling himself to his full height and towering over his covenmates left them in no doubt that he would hammer them if Freyr found out what he had done from any of them.

Not that it put Aro off from pushing ahead with his questions. "When did this happen?"

"You make it sound like it only happened once," Caius added. He received a solid thump in the arm from Magnus for his comment but it was worth it.

"It DID only happen once!" Magnus insisted. He knew he wasn't going to get away without a full explanation. "It was in the early days of joining the coven. Ashanti thought my devotion to Freyr was oh so very quaint. I thought my devotion was stronger than her gift. It turned out I was wrong."

"So why didn't you tell Freyr?" Aro asked. "It wasn't your fault if Ashanti used her gift."

"Because he enjoyed it," Caius replied on the Juggernaut's behalf and quickly stepped behind Eleazar before another fist came his way.

Magnus shook his head at his fellow master. "Because Freyr would have killed Ashanti and I imagined that was against coven rules," he explained. "I didn't want my foolishness to be the reason my wife was executed."

Caius continued to laugh with Aro. "But you did enjoy it."

"I'm going to batter him in a minute," Magnus threatened. He meant it, too, and Caius knew it.

"What about since you have become master?" Carlisle asked. "Freyr could have killed Ashanti and nothing would have happened to either of you," he assumed.

Magnus looked to the floor and bobbed his head. Carlisle was right, but he still couldn't tell Freyr. "To tell her now would only be to alleviate my guilt," he said sadly. "It would do nothing for Freyr other than to hurt her. She doesn't deserve to be hurt, I do deserve my guilt." It was as simple as that in Magnus' mind.

"I think you are still the most honourable man I know," Carlisle told the Juggernaut, genuinely.

Basileus starting 'hmmm-ing' behind Magnus.

"What does 'hmmm' mean?" Aro asked. "Is he bullshitting us?"

"Not about Ashanti, no," Basileus said with a quiet smile.

Magnus' eyes widened. "I think we should leave it there, Basileus."

Basileus nodded a few times. "I bet you do."

"Hang on." Something else occurred to Magnus. "You found out Ashanti had been with three of us and you assumed Marcus, not me?" He may have had a reputation for being honourable, but the idea that no one would think him possible was a little insulting to his male ego.

Caius burst out laughing. "I would have thought Freyr was a more likely candidate than you." The drink had clearly made him brave that night.

"You're a prick," Magnus called out over the laughter from his covenmates. "You're going to be a dead prick if you keep it up," he added, though as he was now laughing, too, his words had little weight behind them.

"Go back to your reminiscing, guys," Basileus said to settle them down. "None of us have any fun coming in the future."

"You've had enough fun for all of us!" Aro reminded his father.

"I've been around longer than you lot," Basileus answered, gesturing to his loin cloth as proof of the fact. "That's all."

"That is not all by half," Aro said, quashing his father's claims. "We spent ten years fucking our way across the world. And that was before the 'glories of Rome'."

"Glories or orgies?" Magnus asked knowingly.

"I think they go hand in hand." Basileus had to smile. "Thank the gods for vampiric memory!"

"Certainly useful for the wank bank," Eleazar whispered, much to Carlisle's surprise. Eleazar rarely spoke vulgarly, unlike the others. He shocked himself, too. _I'_ _ve drank far too much tonight._

Caius and Aro noticed Carlisle looking on perturbed again. Aro, naturally took the chance to poke a little fun.

"Do you know what that means, Carlisle?"

"Yes!" Carlisle insisted. "I wouldn't want my 'bank' filled with memories of fucking next to you pair," he shot at the coven master duo.

"You couldn't even toss one off next to us without help!" Caius spluttered through his chuckles.

"What's that about?" Jane asked sweetly, appearing at her father's left side.

"What's a wank bank?" Alec asked, from Aro's right.

"Erm …"

No one knew quite how to respond to the angelic looking vampires and their enquiring minds.

"Do you have sex with Caius?" Jane asked her father outright.

"And Eleazar?" Alec added. "He's your brother …"

Whilst Jane and Alec waited expectantly for answers from the five men who were, in turn, waiting for the ground to swallow them up, Atia arrived.

"Jane, Alec, I think you should fetch yourselves a drink," she insisted, waving to Turk on the bar and gesturing to the young vampires with a nod to make clear he was to serve them.

"A proper drink?!" Alec asked, hopefully.

"The hardest liquor you can get your hands on," Atia confirmed, hoping they would forget all they must have heard. "Now, please."

She waited for them to leave before turning on the men, who at least had the good grace to look ashamed of their conversation falling on such young ears. "Is it really appropriate to have the twins at events like this when none of you are capable of tempering your conversations with children in mind?"

Eleazar wished to protest. "They have heard worse living with him, I am sure," he said, pointing with his thumb to Aro.

They all laughed, nervously, to his comment. All except Atia. "And that excuses adding to the vulgarities of their young lives, does it?"

"Well, no, I suppose not," Eleazar replied quietly, feeling like a well chastised little boy! _Why am I copping for the twins?! They aren_ _'_ _t my bloody kids._

"I am glad we are in agreement." Atia glared around the group until they had all verbally agreed with her. "Take this as a life lesson in knowing your audience and moderating your behaviour." She sounded so very much like the school ma'am's Eleazar had suffered through in his human youth. "For example," she continued, "'I shared with friends', was more than enough information."

Magnus had been holding back his smile, assuming that Atia was mostly addressing her sons, and maybe Caius.

"Magnus," Atia snapped, drawing him into the conversation. "I am particularly disappointed in you."

"ME?!" Magnus asked. "More than him?" he asked, looking at Basileus.

"We all have tales from before we mated, my dear," Atia stressed the 'mated' part of her sentence, knowing full well most of them had tales from long after, as well. "Mine are far more entertaining than his," she added, much to her mate's shame.

Atia had lived! Basileus knew that, but he didn't like it, however unfair that was with a man of his past.

"The occasion calls for well-mannered frivolity, please, gentlemen," she said, leaving them to think on her words.

"I think this night has gone on long enough," Basileus said quietly, effectively ending the Easter celebrations.

…

Eleazar opened the twins' bedroom door, expecting to find them sleeping. He was most put out to see them awake. "What are you doing?"

"Reading," Alec repelled, waving his book at his uncle.

"No, no, no," Eleazar said taking the book from the boy. "You are sleeping now."

"But I'm not tired," Jane complained as her uncle took her book, too. "I always read when I'm not tired."

"Not tonight," Eleazar insisted. He blew out the candles lighting the bedchamber.

"My mom lets me," Jane huffed.

"That's because she's your mother and she loves you," Eleazar explained. "I'm your uncle - I just have to try not to hurt you. It's also why I have been sneaking you bloodwine all night. Time to pay the piper, kids." Before he pulled the door tightly shut, he ordered, "Go to sleep!"

Racing to his own bedchamber, he was pleased to find Carmen already between the bed sheets, though the pensive look on her face wasn't what he'd been hoping for.

 _She_ _'_ _s thinking. I hate it when she thinks like that,_ he thought. Eleazar wasn't against Carmen having her own thoughts - god knows he couldn't stop that even if he had wanted to. _But that face,_ that face was the one she wore when anything serious was on her mind and it never bode well for his sex life when he saw it.

"What do you think about children, El?" she asked her mate, a little absentmindedly.

Carmen had been spending an awful lot of her time with the twins. It was understandable as they were sleeping in their quarters, Eleazar had reasoned, but she was with them quite often even when they weren't in their quarters. It annoyed Eleazar a little as he would have preferred to have his mate to himself at all times.

Eleazar had stripped and joined his mate in their bed before she had finished her sentence. "Children …" he pretended to muse as he kissed her neck, "hideous little creatures, terribly taxing and a general drain."

Carmen laughed at his advances. "You drunk old fool," she said as he continued to caress her body. Her mind was still elsewhere. "I wonder if we should have our own?" she thought out loud. "What do you think we should we do?"

Eleazar pulled his mate further down the bed. "You should stop talking so I can fuck you properly before they wake up," he suggested. It was less a suggestion in Eleazar's tone - it sounded like he was pleading with her. Eleazar didn't really 'do' masterful.

"Shush!" Carmen giggled as she pushed him away. "We can't do this with them next door, El!"

Eleazar collapsed next to his mate and stared at the ceiling. "Why?!" he whined.

"Because they will hear us," Carmen said, thinking of the children sleeping only meters away behind the wall.

"Those poor, damaged children have lived with my brother for centuries - there is nothing we can do that they haven't already heard." Folding his arms across his chest, Eleazar was glad the candles were already out - he knew he looked like a petulant teenager right then.

"Well they haven't heard us," Carmen replied, ignoring her mate's whiny tone.

"No fucking kidding," Eleazar huffed, though it was quiet enough that Carmen didn't catch his words.

"I feel inhibited, El," she explained. "I know you understand." She cuddled up close to him and wrapped her arms across his waist. "We don't have to have sex every night."

"Clearly!" Eleazar grunted. "It's been months!"

"One month," Carmen snapped a little more harshly. Whining about lack of sex was hardly attractive. "I have other things on my mind right now."

When Eleazar still failed to return her affectionate hold, Carmen decided to leave him to his brooding. "I'm going to check on the twins," she told him, heading out of the room. "Feel free to make use of your 'wank bank', my love."

Eleazar cursed his little brother, and Caius his deviant sidekick. _Aro, I am going to fucking murder you!_ he thought.

The next day, Eleazar started working on the alterations to the South tower. _The twins need to leave!_


	118. Midsummer Games

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews, and the PMs checking if I'm still alive :D I am fine, snowed under between Uni and kids and gearing up for Christmas, that's all. I'm sorry this took so long to post, its a good length to make up for it :)

* * *

 **Midsummer Games**

The coven had thoroughly enjoyed the welcomed break from the building works that Valentine's Day and the Easter celebration had provided and had been eagerly awaiting the Midsummer Games for the same reason. All current works were still concentrated on remodelling the South tower to create Aro's grad plans - a home fit for a king.

The coven masters had come up with a plan for the introduction of the Midsummer Games, something simple to kick off the first event, but something everyone could join in with. Aro was disappointed to hear that his youngest children had refused to join the day when Carmen arrived in the castle courtyard.

"What do you mean they aren't coming?" he asked.

"I tried, Aro," Carmen insisted, and she really had - telling twins how fun the day would be and that they wouldn't want to miss the very first Games, but they refused to move from their beds.

"Both Alec and Jane feel they can't compete without their gifts so they see no point in joining us today." Jane had been a little more forceful in their refusal but Carmen saw no reason to involve her parents in on that fact.

"I'll fetch them, my love," Sulpicia offered.

"No." Aro handed his mate a drink from the make shift bar they had created in the castle grounds. "Let me."

Creeping into his Eleazar's suite, Aro hoped to hear the twins at least discussing the coming event. Nothing. Absolute silence. Feeling flummoxed as he had expected they would at least be interested in the goings on in the castle that day, Aro went through to the twins' bedroom, where he found them both reading.

"Carmen tells me you are not looking forward to the games?"

Alec peaked over the top of his book to see his father. "Why would we be?" he asked moodily.

"We're not going." Jane was far more forceful.

"Why not?" Aro asked, taking a seat near his girl and removing the book from her hands. "It will be fun," he said, hoping to simply jolly them along.

"Not for us it won't," Alec said. "What can we do without our gifts?"

"We can never use our gifts anyway, Alec," Jane reminded he brother, bitterly. "They are more of a burden than a gift these days."

Before Aro could answer their complaint, Jane was adding to the list! "We can't compete against anyone here, other than each other."

"And you aren't interested in doing that?" Aro asked, cursing himself when Jane turned her frosty glare on her. _Okay, that was the wrong thing to say!_

"Like a special round for the little kids?" Jane spat in disgust. "No thank you."

"What she said," Alec added, just as annoyed by the idea.

Aro rested back on his daughter's bed, wondering how to fix the issue. "There are other ways you could be involved," he offered, thinking on his feet.

Jane glared at her father, she knew just what he would be thinking they could do. "I am not marking down scores or anything else like that. I have my dignity, you know!"

 _Forget that plan, then!_ Aro thought "Of course you do," he sweetly replied to his girl. "So, you would rather sit in here and sulk than join in at all?"

Jane and Alec quickly checked with each other that they were both set on staying put. "Sulk it is, then," Jane announced, happy that her brother was sticking to their agreement.

"Come on!" Aro implored.

"No." Jane shook her head and scowled, looking like an angry little imp. "It's humiliating! We're the only two in the whole coven that can't do anything."

 _Why does every conversation with my children end in histrionics,_ Aro thought, missing the irony of his own exaggerations. "What are you talking about, my darling?" he asked, wishing to calm them down.

"We can't drink," Jane began. "We can't go out. We can't use our gifts. We can't stay at the parties' past midnight. We can't have relationships. We can't even be left alone without a baby sitter!"

Aro's head whirled as a feeling of nausea took over his body. _Where the hell did that come from? Relationships? Fuck no!_ "Listen, this is being blown way out of proportion," he said, desperately trying to placate them.

Jane was on a roll. "We wouldn't expect you to understand," she shot to her father in response.

Aro bobbed his head and got to his feet, heaving a big sigh as he did so. "You don't even know what we have planned for today," he said mysteriously, trying to incite some interest in his children. "How about if I found a way to involve you both in a way I can guarantee you would be happy with?"

"Like how?" Alec asked.

Jane hissed at her brother for being persuaded so easily.

"You will have to come with me if you want to find out," Aro told them, holding the bedroom door wide open.

After a moment or two contemplations, Alec joined his father at the door.

Aro looked to his princess of darkness, smiling kindly at his girl. "Show a little faith in your old man, Jane," he said with a playful smile. "Trust me. You will enjoy today."

Alec trotted along happily at Aro's side but Jane looked less enthusiastic. _You had better have something good in mind,_ she thought to her father.

Aro was a little taken aback by her tone, even in thought she sounded like an angry elf, but he reasoned that the girl must not have meant for him to hear it. His sons would have complained long and loud about him excusing his only daughter like that - they would never be so lucky.

"No Marcus?" Aro asked, approaching the bar where the elite coven members were gathered.

Basileus shook his head from behind the bar. The induction of the coven festivities was partly, as Felix had termed it, to give everyone the day off and a bloodbath, so for that reason, the guard were absolved of all duties on the day of the games and Basileus had offered to play barkeep for Turk.

"Talia and Phoebe returned this morning, Aro," he told his son. "They are running through all we have learnt from the major covens about the Romanians."

Aro whistled into the wind. _That explains why he looks so stressed,_ he thought, looking at his father. "And what have we learnt, exactly?"

"No idea." Basileus was trying to sound relaxed about it but the concern was written all over his face. "Marcus said he will meet us in the guard hall after the game today for the update."

Atia had overheard the conversation through Basileus' thoughts and she came to her mate's rescue to distract him from his torturous mind. "Do you have the dungeon blood ready, my dear?" she asked.

Just hearing those two words snapped the creator from his self-loathing. He checked around the bar set up for a bottle of the coven drug but found nothing. He shot a sideways glance to Aro but his son spoke up before Basileus could verbalise any accusations.

"I haven't touched it!" Aro stated, his voice hitching slightly at the end with being forced to announce such a thing in front of Magnus and Caius.

"I didn't bring any," Caius told the creator.

Basileus looked askance to the young master. "And why not?" he asked sternly. "I told you to bring it, did I not?"

The plans for the games that day had the propensity to be particularly brutal and whilst Basileus was willing to feed his family his own blood, and even the other masters if required, he wasn't blessing the whole bloody guard with his it!

Basileus glared at Caius when he failed to offer an answer. "Go and fetch it," he instructed, sounding annoyed.

Caius still didn't move, but his thoughts travelled immediately to his dungeon torture room where the dungeon blood was stored. _I don't want to go down there. Not in there._

If Basileus heard Caius thoughts, he completely ignored them. "Caius!" he called, gaining the man's attention. "Go!"

Caius' didn't speak but his eyes flickered around the small group for help.

Thankfully, Magnus came to his aid. He flashed in front of Caius, blocking out Basileus and the wondering eyes of the closer guards. Unhooking the keys from Caius belt, he offered the younger master a small smile before disappearing to fetch the dungeon blood.

Basileus was shocked. Not so much by Caius' refusal, though that had been unexpected, and he did briefly wonder if Caius' refusal to carry out the orders he gave him were to be a regular thing, ( _try it, boy!_ ) but by the master's anxious state. Caius just didn't 'do' anxious yet there he was, shiftily searching the floor with his eyes to avoid any interaction with those around him.

Aro started chatting in his usual way to his co-master and Atia set to work doing the same with Basileus to ease the tension between them all.

By the time Magnus returned, he sensed a change in the emotions of the group - Caius had returned to normality and Basileus, less annoyed, now felt curious. Magnus didn't know it then, but the creator was forming the very beginnings of a plan that would, in time, change his whole life.

Aro avoided the path of the dungeon blood as Magnus passed it over, but he still copped a growl from Basileus when he caught his son gazing longingly at the bottle. Knocking back his bloodwine, Aro set his glass on the bar. "Very well, let's get on with things, shall we?"

"The sun is up and she is shining on us all," Aro declared loudly, arms outstretched and he expertly directed the coven to his full attention. "It's going to be an interesting day, my friends. I think I have come up with something that recognises the recent changes in our coven, and also allows everyone to join in to the best of their ability."

He gave his youngest two children a happy smile. Only Alec returned it. Jane was waiting for her father to come up with the goods before she would offer him any adulation.

The excitement in Aro's voice was inspiring to everyone else and the guards followed their king to the edge of the courtyard where a wooden chest sat.

"I have here five balls, cannon balls," Aro explained, taking two from the chest. "The object of the game is find a ball and throw it at another player. If they catch the ball, they stay in play. If they are hit with the ball, they are out," he said, wincing slightly when he thought of the potential damage a cannon ball could inflict thrown at vampiric speed. "We can expect some broken bones."

Nobody seemed put off by that, except the twins who shared their concerns with their mother. She hushed them quickly, knowing that Aro's plans would keep their babies safe from harm. Sulpicia was worried about Felix and Demetri taking part in the games that day, but as the boys bounced excitedly along with the rest of the guard she knew it would be crueller to make them miss it. _Basileus will feed them if they are hurt, anyway,_ she assumed.

Aro gestured around the grounds. "You can see the pitch marked out, anyone who steps outside of the pitch is out. You can tackle, you can jump, you can kick, you can gouge."

The vicious joy of the coven rose exponentially with Aro's offers to bring each other physical harm. It wasn't that any particular coven member disliked their coven mates. Not that at all. But they were competitive, physical beings who relished the chance to test their abilities to the maximum. Outside of battle, the opportunity rarely presented itself in a coven sanctioned way. Guard fights were dealt with severely so very few of their number went there. There hadn't been a mission for a long time and the guards were becoming fractious. This 'game' sounded to be the perfect chance to burn off the oppressed energy building up in the coven.

"Let's make this memorable!" Aro concluded, and handed over to Magnus to tell them the teams - it had been his idea.

"We will have two teams," Magnus boomed. "Men versus women."

The cries of objection from the female guards were only to be drowned out by the jeered jibes from the men.

Chelsea heard her mate crowing with his friends and growled in his face. "This is not fair!"

Afton deftly defended himself from his mate's arms as Chelsea gesticulated wildly. "You wanted to be treated equally, ladies," he said, laughing heartily.

"Yeah," Felix agreed. "We are going to wipe the floor with you!"

"How very gallant of you," Renata sneered in the boy's direction. "Have you ever heard of chivalry?"

"Forget chivalry!" Felix crowed happily.

Corin looked Felix dead in the eye. For a moment his heart constricted as he waited for her to say something to him. It had been so long since Corin had even looked at him and now she looked ready to speak to him.

"Chivalry died a long time ago, didn't it Felix?" She was quiet, and though others had heard her, no one knew what Corin had meant. Felix did, of course, and he became unusually quiet for a moment before he was swept up in the guards carolling again.

Sulpicia noticed the moment between the young guard and her son and wondered what it was about, but assumed Felix had somehow offended his one-time favourite. She didn't think on it long with the rising argument of the guards taking her attention. "There are more men than women, Aro," she reminded her mate, raising her voice above the din.

"There are, my queen," Aro agreed. "Though as our two sons are in the field, I think we should take one each."

"We'll have Demetri!" Sulpicia called back immediately, and turned to explain to the women she had gathered as her teammates. "Trust me, Demetri is a team player, Felix is not."

Atia agreed. "This will be all about team work, my dears."

"Atia…" Carmen turned to her mother in law curiously. "You aren't playing, are you?"

The lady of Volterra smiled. "You are still my team, ladies."

Felix gave his little brother a sly shove. "Off you go, Dem. Join the women."

The pair of them had been sniping at each other since the Easter ball. Demetri had good reason, as he saw it, for being the butt of Felix' joke. Felix, however, was still pissed off that he had been shamed in front of the entire coven at the Easter celebrations and he laid the blame solely at Demetri's feet for being unable to take a joke. He was more vicious in his sniping than Demetri was, too. The way he played on his brother's deepest insecurities to wind him up was so very Aro-like, which only added credence to Felix' jibes about being Aro's real son compared to Demetri and his defective venom from Amun. It was childishly cruel.

Demetri scoffed. "At least I was picked."

"They had to choose someone to join the girls," Felix replied, pretending to consider the choice his mother had made. He shook his head and laughed, "obviously it was going to be you.

"Fuck you!" Demetri hissed as he stalked away to join his mother's team, where at least he felt welcome.

Felix was set to go in for the kill with his brother, and he would have done if Magnus hadn't clamped an imposing hand on his shoulder. He squeezed ever so tightly and Felix' knees buckled for a moment before he acclimatised to the pain. "I'd shut your mouth if I were you, young one, unless you would rather sit and watch?"

Felix gulped. He hadn't expected anyone to have heard him picking on his brother. _Shit_ , he thought, but kept his mouth shut.

"The creator will be manning the bar so Turk can play," Aro announced now the guard had calmed their arguments down to a low din.

"Can't he join the women, too?" Felix asked, cockily, already forgetting Magnus' warning. Having the Juggernaut crook a finger in his direction soon shut him up. He sulked his way over to the master who rounded him out for mouthing off at his guards.

Turk tutted at the impertinent youth and stood firm with Odi. Luckily Turk had no way of knowing that a good many of his team mates actually agreed with Felix!

Seeing Magnus' was taking care of Felix, Aro continued. "You must down at least one flagon of ale in each break."

"Everyone?" Sulpicia asked, voicing the concern of all the elite ladies combined. They didn't drink ale!

"Yes," Aro confirmed. "No exceptions, my lady." He knew the teams were unequal, and having the ladies drinking ale they weren't used to would put them at a further disadvantage, but he would be levelling up the playing field with the twins' gifts. (not that he had told them so yet.)

"You may drink more, if you wish," Aro continued. "But be warned, if it affects your play, your team mates are equally free to take their revenge."

Turk saw his chance to get his own back on the young Volturi prince. "Felix, you better stick to the minimum!"

"Ha. Ha," Felix replied sarcastically. He was annoyed that so many of the guards joined Turk in his decree and even more annoyed that Magnus let them continue. _Two faced bastard!_

"As you know, Atia will be blocking gifts to make this a fair fight," Aro explained. "But not all gifts."

Aro pulled his baby vampires forward and the crowd gasped. "Jane and Alec will retain theirs, and they will fight for their team."

The arguments from the guards turned on their head. "No way!" the guys complained, fearing Jane's gift. "How's that for fair, guys?" the women returned, gleefully.

Aro turned to his children who positively glowed at having the chance to use their gifts with wanton malice. "Alec, to advance your team you can concentrate your gift on only one woman a time, and only for the count of five, then you must release them. Move on to another," he explained. "Jane, you will use your gift against the men."

Hearing the jeering between his guards reaching a crescendo, Aro called order. "Those are the rules!" he roared, ending all complaints immediately. "Last man standing wins a month's wages and a full week's wages for every member of the team," he added. That cheered everyone up.

Sulpicia looked down her nose to her mate. "Make that player, my love. Not man."

"If you like," Aro replied with a wink, hinting no woman would possibly win.

Caius moved over to Aro. "And who will be paying for that prize?" he asked.

"Honestly, you must squeak when you walk you tight bastard!" Aro mocked his co-master for his known miserly ways. "Basileus will put up the prize money."

Caius smirked slyly. "It's easy to be generous when you have the creators pocket to play from!"

"I would ask you all to avoid aiming for the head," Atia told the gathering before leaving with the twins for the wall where they would stand over the playing field.

Aro waited for his mother to leave. "But other than that, throw to kill… or at least maim," he told them all with a vicious glint in his eye. "I for one won't be taking any prisoners."

Sulpicia floated passed her mate to gather the rest of her team mates. "Watch yourself, my love," she warned him. She, too, was looking forward to the coming violence.

"This is going to be a fucking blood bath," Caius huffed knowingly.

"Worried, Caius?" Magnus asked, slapping a hand on the masters back.

"You know the guards are going to be aiming doubly hard at us!" Caius complained. "Especially me."

Magnus took a look around his guards. "It's good for morale," he breezed. Though he was glad all those guards who he had whipped so often were on his team _. I would be obliterated if I was against the male members of my guard!_ he thought. He was right too. Not that the guards were against Magnus in anyway. On the contrary, they loved their assigned Master. Magnus and Freyr were a huge improvement to answering to Caius or Aro. But still, Magnus dealt with guard disobedience with a firm hand, even if it was a fair one. There were few amongst the male members who would have missed the chance to pelt a cannon ball at him if the opportunity presented itself.

"You have ten minutes to drink as much as you can and talk strategy with your teammates," Aro announced, heading straight to his father for a drink, followed by every man on the pitch.

The women, more sensibly, went to talk tactics.

Sulpicia took her team over to the wall and called Atia and Jane to join them. She wasn't above using her mother in law and daughter to help her team win the match.

"You need a plan," Atia instructed.

Sulpicia nodded. "We stay in pairs, so if Alec clouds one who has the ball and they drop it, the other one can pick it up and throw."

"And who will you be aiming for?" Atia pushed, guiding their plans.

"They are going to start off easy on us," Sulpicia told the group. "We need to use that to our advantage."

Atia agreed along with everyone else. "Concentrated attacks on two or three at a time," She suggested. "Take the biggest ones down first."

"My poor Magnus," Freyr feigned concern for her mate. As the biggest member of the opposite team he would obviously be their first 'kill'. "I am going to clobber him," she added joyfully.

Chelsea grinned widely at her Master. "Vicious!" she offered in congratulation, vowing to do the same to her own mate.

"Aim for their backs if possible," Atia suggested. "It will give you a bigger target and it will be harder for them to catch the ball."

Carmen smiled wickedly. "If they are facing you, go for the crotch - they will be too interested in protecting their assets and it will be an easy hit."

The female guards giggled hearing the elite ladies talk in such a way.

"Jane, you must keep your eye on whoever has the ball," Atia instructed her granddaughter.

"And don't stick too rigidly to the five seconds thing," Sulpicia added.

"My lady!" Chelsea, being one of the more outspoken members of the guard was the only one to respond verbally to hearing their queen insisting her own child to cheat on their behalf.

"The men are stronger than us, they are faster than us - that's just basic physiology," Sulpicia explained her reasoning. "But Jane's gift is much harder to recover from than Alec's, and she can move her gift from one to another in the blink of an eye." She tuned to her daughter, eyes glowing with pride. "You can win this for us, my darling."

Demetri listened to the plan and he would have usually, as his mother had already told everyone, been the ultimate team player. He had to be a team player being without defensive gifts. Not today. The boy glared at his older brother downing pints with the all the other guys in the coven and he felt then, more than ever before, an outsider in his own family. _I'm levelling every ball I can catch at your fat head,_ he thought to Felix.

The men had all downed a flagon or two a piece when Magnus remembered they were supposed to be talking strategy. "What's the plan then?" he asked his team mates.

"It's every man for themselves out there," Aro said with a shrug. "Good luck!"

Taking up the box of cannon balls, Aro rolled the balls into roughly the middle of the pitch and instructed the teams to take a side each to begin. When the women were gathered at one end, and the men at the other, he called out in question: "Are we ready?!" and then promptly dropped to his knees in agony. "Ahhh!" he roared. "JANE!"

Jane smiled sweetly down to her father. "Just warming up, daddy."

"Let the games commence!" Atia called, projecting her voice perfectly over the vampires below who descended into one blurred, homogenous mass.

…

Aro hadn't thought about how long the game would last when he came up with the idea, but he had assumed it would be longer than forty minutes! The first to fall was, as the ladies had planned, Magnus. The poor coven master was pelted with three cannon balls simultaneously, lasting only thirty seconds into play and exited the pitch with cracks to his lumbar vertebrae. The next to fall was Aro. Sulpicia had hoped to take down her own mate but was beaten to the punch by her brother's in law! It went something like this:

Aro to his brothers, neither of whom were proving to be particularly efficient on the field: "Do you pair have fucking scurvy from eating animals or something?"

At the same time, Carlisle and Eleazar captured a cannon ball a piece and levelled them both at their cocky brother's balls. Aro, naturally tried to save his manhood. In doing so the solid iron ball crashed into his hands, breaking every single finger in one go.

"Man up!" Eleazar crowed, only to suddenly crash to the floor when a Carmen took his legs out with a cannon ball.

Jane worked her gift expertly, rendering the men's play utterly futile. In fact, they only managed to get one woman out in the entire game. Some would say it was Heidi's own fault for flirting with the enemy team.

Luckily, both Magnus and Aro had recovered enough to be able to forcibly remove Felix and Demetri from play when they started brawling on the pitch.

As the game continued behind them, Aro gave his sons a round of fucks at the bar. "You were singling him out, Felix," he accused his eldest boy. "He's your brother. Your YOUNGER brother…" Aro stalled seeing Felix' face contort, ready to refute Aro's assertion that Demetri was in fact his brother. "I dare you to say otherwise!"

"But…" Felix promptly shut seeing his father's eyes widen in warning. He took a look around the castle grounds. _Damn it!_ Too many people here, he thought, and decided not to push his father any further. Instead, he went for turning some heat on Demetri. "He was aiming at my head," Felix reminded his father, giving daggers to his brother. "That was against the rules."

"Yes, actually," Aro had to agree with Felix there. "What the hell were you playing at aiming for his face?"

Demetri folded his arms tightly across his chest. The boy was willing himself not to release the tears he felt brewing behind his eyes. The whole 'brother' thing didn't bother him. He couldn't care less whether Felix thought of him as his real brother or not. But the implication that he wasn't truly Aro's bothered him immensely. He wasn't going to admit that in front of Felix. "I didn't aim for his head on purpose. His big fat face kept getting in the way," he sneered.

Felix grinned wickedly at his little brother. "At least my big fat face belongs here."

As the pair of them descended into yet another argument, Aro flexed his hands. _They still ache,_ he thought to himself looking at his broken knuckles. "My lord!" he called to his father. "Would you oblige?" Aro gestured to his unwitting brats.

Basileus had lined up shots of dungeon blood along the bar ready for any who required some pain relief and called Magnus over to guard the supplies before he joined Aro. Only Heidi had obliged so far - the guys, with their rampant male pride already in tatters being brought down by the women in the coven, were all trying to power through their pain.

Without saying a word, Basileus strolled over to his grandsons, neither of whom had the foresight to end their squabble before he got there. He clouted the pair of them and caught hold of Felix quickly when he looked set to launch back at Demetri. Basileus' gave the boy a shake for good measure. "Just quit Felix!"

Felix huffed sullenly at his grandfather's side. He stopped any physical attempts to get to Demetri, but his mouth just couldn't quit. "Why does the stray get away with everything?"

Whilst Basileus cuffed the boy again, Aro growled. "You had better get out of my sight, boy."

Magnus shuddered thinking of the night ahead if Felix was already in such a mood. _Once he's had a few bloodwines he will be a bloody nightmare._ "He isn't coming in the guard hall acting like that, Aro," he called over.

The guards all hid their laughter behind cupped hands but Felix knew well enough that they would be ribbing him over another potential banishment soon enough. Potential, in Felix' mind, as he fully expected Aro to put Magnus straight.

"The games over anyway," Basileus said, seeing the pitch empty and heading their way. "He can go straight home."

"What?!" Felix spluttered. The game was only the first part of the day and it was the second part, the getting fucked off your face on bloodwine part, that Felix was most interested in. "You can't be fucking serious?!"

Aro had refused his father offer of blood initially and suffered his broken hands healing on their own. Hearing Felix talk in such a way, particularly in such a public space had him rethinking his initial objection. "Dad, I will take that feed after all. Just so I can wail that little bastard for his insolence."

Felix gulped audibly and backed away slowly. Once he was sure he could out run his father, he turned and bolted. He didn't stop until he was safely inside the privacy of Carlisle' suite.

Aro's attention was quickly drawn to his mate floating towards him. "All hail the victor, my queen."

Sulpicia fully intended to gloat, but whatever was going on with her sons needed to be dealt with first. Though looking at Demetri's sullen expression, she wondered if she really wanted to know. With a quizzical expression to her mate, he quickly filled her in on what had occurred.

Once in he was done, Aro turned back to Demetri. "You can go, too."

"Is that wise?" Sulpicia whispered to her mate. "They will kill each other left to their own devices."

"Good point," Aro agreed. "You two, go with them," he added, smiling at the twins.

"You want us to babysit our older brothers?" they answered in unison, as they sometimes did. Alec was definitely questioning his father's idea whilst Jane's pleased tone suggested she was already plotting her brothers doom.

"Using the twins as unpaid babysitters doesn't sit right with me, my love," Sulpicia said.

Aro reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. "How about my paid babysitters?" he asked the twins, dumping the heap of gold into their small hands.

"Deal!" Jane crowed. _I'd torture those two for free!_

Aro pulled Alec back before he could follow his sister. "Fetch me if there's any bloodshed," he told his youngest.

Carlisle limped over wearing the same wounded hands that had taken Aro out.

Aro winced at his brother's broken fingers, knowing how that felt. "Who took you out, brother?"

"It was a dual assault from your daughter and wife," Carlisle explained. He wasn't bitter at all, on the contrary, he was feeling proud as punch.

Basileus pulled his boy aside and offered his wrist.

Carlisle shook his head. He could see Aro hadn't taken the magical cure and he wasn't going to give his big brother the ammunition to tease him later. Why he thought he had a choice was anyone's guess.

"Carlisle," Basileus spoke quietly to his son. "I don't want you drinking dungeon blood," he explained. "There's no point suffering." When Carlisle still looked unsure, even though his hands were burning like a bitch, Basileus sealed the coffin. "I'll control Aro," he offered.

Carlisle relented, but he had one eye on his brother as he fed.

Aro wasn't interested in Carlisle right then, he had his arms wrapped around his mate. "Thank you for avenging my honour, my queen," he crooned into her ear.

"Oh, I wasn't avenging your honour, my love," Sulpicia explained. "Carlisle was the last man standing."

Aro spun around just in time to see Carlisle wipe the blood from their father from the corner of his mouth. "You?!" Aro blurted. "How were you the last man standing?!"

Before Carlisle could launch into a self-aggrandising rhetoric, Sulpicia unknowingly cut him off at the knees. "We had a list to follow," she told them. "Carlisle was least likely to attack, so he was last."

"Hear that, brother?" Aro said slyly. "You were the biggest pussy on the team."

Basileus glared in Aro's direction and it was enough to have the king backing away, much the way Felix had done earlier. He resumed his chat with his wife instead. "You made a list of who to attack?"

Sulpicia nodded. "Other than you and Felix, we followed it to the letter."

"And we won," Carmen added happily. "It appears we women are better strategists than the weaker sex."

"Which is concerning when it's the men who run missions, don't you think?" Eleazar commented, backing up his mate. He took a shot of dungeon blood from the bar and knocked it back in front of everyone without Basileus uttering a single word in objection. It REALLY pissed his brothers off that Eleazar was allowed the coven drug when neither of them were.

Aro puffed the air from his cheeks. "El, will you please try to remember which team you are on?!" it was all he could say with Basileus standing right there next to him.

"Are we done out here?" Magnus called from the bar. He had convinced the guards to take a shot of dungeon blood by knocking back a shot himself and the glasses were all empty now. "Let's move to the guard hall," he suggested. Midsummer equalled drinking to Magnus and he was far too sober for his liking.

Everyone filed into the castle, passing Caius and Dora lying on the grass. "Are you coming?" Magnus asked when he walked by.

Caius shook his head. "My ankle's busted," he explained, pointing to the odd direction his foot lay in. "Your bloody wife threw a cannon ball at me."

"Well," Magnus stifled his laughter, "that was the game, Caius."

Caius smiled in reply, with no hint of humour.

Magnus held the bottle of dungeon blood and wondered for a moment about offering his co-master some. Caius rejected it before he could.

"I don't want any of that, Magnus. I'll just wait here until its healed."

 _That could take all night!_ Without asking, because Caius would have only refused, Magnus hoisted the younger master up onto his good foot. "Walk," he instructed, holding up Caius' left side for support. "Or hop?" he added with a sympathetic laugh.

Neither said so, but Magnus knew Caius was grateful for the help.

In the guard hall, the earlier jeering at one another between the guards had fallen into good natured ribbing, much to Freyr's relief. She knew her mate would be drinking his fill that night so she would be the one dealing with any fallout.

After Magnus delivered Caius to the table where the other elite were gathered, he sought out his mate. Coming up behind her and wrapping his huge frame around her body, he drawled into her ear, "I know you took me out, my dear." He tried so hard to sound threatening, but it never worked, Freyr knew her mate could never threaten her.

"You were the biggest target on the field, Magnus," Freyr explained, "you had to be the first to fall."

Magnus stretched out the ache in his back from the cannon ball assault. "I am impressed with your strategic skills, even if I fell victim to it."

 _Victim?!_ Freyr thought. The very idea that Magnus could be anyone's victim was hysterical. "Work hard, play hard," she told him. "And no one works harder than we women."

"On that note," Magnus collected a flagon of bloodwine from the bar. "I intend to play hard myself tonight." That flagon didn't last a minute as it joined the other six Magnus had drank before and during the very short game.

"I can't believe how much you have drank today!" Freyr commented before Magnus could head back to the bar. "How are you still standing?"

"It's Midsummer! It's my duty to drink as much as I can." Magnus smiled broadly. "Would you like a drink, my lady?" he asked.

Freyr threw her mate a withering look, as though he should have known the question to be absurd. "The more you drink the less I drink. One of us should be in a fit state."

Magnus nodded sagely. "I agree, my dear" he said, adding cheekily, "and I am glad it's you."

"That's okay, my dear," Freyr nodded to herself, already plotting on getting Magnus back for doubling her work load for the day. "Drunk old fool!" It wasn't often that Magnus checked out of his duties towards their flock, so she would give him the night to enjoy, but she still didn't relish the extra duties she would be picking up in his absence.

Turk served Magnus to a second flagon as he inhaled the first. "What did Vikings drink, back in the day?" he asked out of curiosity.

"The blood of our enemies," the master replied with a wink before joining his co-masters. Marcus had arrived, looking his melancholy self, stamping on Magnus' buzz a little. "Keep bringing them over, Turk!" Magnus called, taking a seat.

"Are you compos mentis enough to go over the reports?" Marcus asked as Magnus lolled in his chair.

"Today?" Magnus whined. "It's supposed to be a day off!"

Caius looked as miserable as Magnus did to hear talks of work. "It's a day off for the guards - we don't get days off," he complained to the Juggernaut.

Basileus heard them both but pressed Marcus for information anyway. He was anxious to hear how they stood with the Romanian's new knowledge of the inner workings of the Volturi. New knowledge that had been garnered through his own failings. "What do we know, Marcus?" he asked, whilst adding some of his own blood to Caius' cup to aid his healing.

"Very little, on the face of it, my friend," Marcus replied.

He went on to explain the scant information Talia and Phoebe had returned with. None of the covens in the alliance had received any suspect visitors, though word had spread of Lucius and the Romanian infiltration of the Volturi coven through passing rogues and the like. The most surprising facet of information was the rumour that the Romanian coven were all but starving to extinction in their Russian lands, forced to feed on the lowest coven members due to the lack of humans in the area. It was just a happy rumour though - no eye witness accounts from what Talia and Phoebe had said.

"Why do we call them the Romanian coven if they are in Russia?" Carlisle asked. He had always wondered about that and as everyone else was silent, considering the news Marcus had brought them, he felt it a good time to enquire.

"They started in Romania," Eleazar explained. "During our wars with their coven our side pushed them out of their lands across eastern Europe and into Russia."

"Why did you leave them there?" Carlisle asked, turning to Aro as Eleazar hadn't been with the coven at that time. It wasn't like the Volturi to let their enemies go. "Why didn't you finish them off?"

Aro sniggered, looking in his co-master's direction. "Because Caius doesn't like being cold," he said mockingly.

"Neither do you," Caius sneered in return. "It was a choice WE made at the time." He put heavy emphasis on the 'we', looking to both Aro and Marcus.

"We?!" The pair of them exclaimed.

"It was the two of you who made that decision," Marcus stated flatly. His memory wasn't so short as theirs. He was less inclined to change history the way they liked to either.

Caius wasn't having that. He wasn't taking the blame for the Romanians still being a fighting force either. "Your mouth was moving during those plans the same as ours was, Marcus - WE made the choice," he said forcefully.

Marcus shook his head and scoffed at Caius' assertions. "I said at the time we should have finished the job. Leaving Stefan and Vladimir alive was a grave mistake."

"You were happy to leave Amun alive a few centuries later," Aro interjected. "Same situation."

Marcus agreed there. "And I was right about Amun, too, was I not? Amun has never gone against our rulings again and he holds the strongest, and I believe the most supportive coven in the alliance."

Caius' shoulders fell. He never won in an argument with Marcus and had long since given up putting any real effort into it. Aro, however, was not to be perturbed.

"Supportive?" he repeated, "Amun sent Lucius to us!"

"Unknowingly," Marcus reminded the group. "Stefan and Vladimir, however…"

Aro shivered, "Russia is too bloody cold to prat about chasing down vagrants." One look at Caius and his gurning grin shut Aro up sharpish. _Why the fuck did I say that?! Now it looks like it was my fault, too._ It was of course Aro's fault too - both he and Caius had refused to move onto Russia to chase the Romanians down when they fled.

"They aren't vagrants now, are they?" Basileus boomed. Ending the squabble that had started between Aro and Caius. "They are a full coven at fighting force."

Marcus called order by simply raising a hand, as he often had to do with his co-masters, and even Basileus at times. "The entire alliance is on high alert and we've heard nothing of the Romanians making a move since Lucius was here. We have to take the time to cement our structures to ensure our safety."

"I'd rather attack," Magnus said, bolstered by all he'd drunk. He didn't mind the cold so much.

"We don't have the numbers for that," Aro dismissed the idea out of hand. _It would be a bloody bloodbath,_ he thought. "I'm not losing all we have built to take out Stefan and Vladimir."

"Call on the alliance then," Caius suggested. He could do with getting out of the castle, even if it was to the depths of hell. "Isn't that the point of having them aligned to us?"

Aro wasn't going that way, either. "It's too soon to call on the alliance for such a fearsome war."

"And it would be war," Marcus stated, backing Aro up.

"We could do it ourselves," Magnus commented, mainly to himself though Caius heard and agreed.

Basileus shook his head very slowly. He wasn't risking his family in a war so far away from home without any back up. And he had lost confidence in himself to do the job justice "No, we couldn't," he said. "We have no idea of their number, their skill set, nothing. Very few escape that coven alive."

The creator had spoken, so that pretty much ruled out any idea of an aggressive attack from Magnus and Caius, much to their ire.

"If they really know everything about us, surely they could have taken us out already?" Carlisle posed. It seemed odd to him that their arch enemy supposedly knew the coven inside out yet hadn't attacked on that information.

Eleazar had lived in the coven longer than his little brother, and though he hadn't seen any of the wars, they were before his time, he had made it his business to know exactly what had happened in them. He also, unlike Carlisle, knew his father was fallible. Where Carlisle's faith in the creator told him that Lucius couldn't possibly have given away trade secrets with Basileus at his side, Eleazar believed it had happened. "If Lucius hadn't been so self-serving the Romanians would have taken us out already."

Everyone agreed with that. It was only Lucius' desire to keep the money rolling in that had made the boy release the information slowly to the Romanian envoys. Taking a year to gain all they had.

"We owe our lives to that boy's greed," Marcus said, supporting Eleazar. "Knowing Stefan and Vlad, they will be gathering resources, I'm sure of it."

"Which is exactly what we should be doing," Caius added. He didn't like being a sitting duck, waiting for the Romanian coven to descend. It was in his nature to attack, not wait.

"We are," Aro told him. "Keeping the other major covens on side is the best defence we have right now."

"We could take on a batch of newborns?" Magnus suggested between flagons. "Bump the numbers up?"

"I'm not against that," Aro mused. _Not against it, but I don't want to end up with a load of newborns to worry about right now._ He looked to his fellow master. "Who will have the newborns?"

"Guards are Magnus' job," Caius scoffed. He saw Basileus turn a beady eye on him and winced. _Don't look at me,_ he begged through his mind, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

Basileus heard him, but he went in on Caius anyway. "And what exactly is your job right now, Caius?" he asked. He had his elbows resting on the table and his chin resting on his hands, staring at Caius expecting an answer. It was intimidating, as he had intended it to be.

"Oh, you know," Caius said, trying to think of something credible. "Training, missions…" he tailed off, having nothing else to add.

Basileus cocked his head to the side. "I do hope training our long standing, already fully trained guards isn't taking up too much of your time, Caius?" He was full of fake concern. "And are we running many missions at the moment?"

Caius floundered, desperately trying to come up with something more substantial as his current work load.

"We are working on new drills with the guards, Basileus," Magnus answered on his behalf. "To see how quickly we can have the whole castle on lock down should the need arise.

Basileus eyed Magnus for a moment. The Juggernaut had been defending Caius a heck of a lot over the last eighteen months. Caius didn't exactly have a cheering squad so Basileus had let it go when it had occurred in private, but he wasn't so inclined to let it go if Magnus was going to be taking a public stand against him. _I already have Caius refusing my instructions, I'm not having Magnus go that way, too._

Magnus, sadly, wasn't privy to Basileus' thoughts, and he'd drunk too much to make use of his own gift and read the danger at the table. "We need to be prepared should there be an attack, after all the secrets Lucius sold, don't we?" he added cockily. Even in his drunken state he realised his error when a quiet gasp spread through their gathering.

"A word."

How can two such simple words cause a flood of fear in man the size of Magnus? Quite easily when they are growled by the creator of vampire kind. Basileus stood very slowly from his seat and placed both hands flat on the table, tipping himself forward so he was only a foot away from Magnus. It was an imposing sight to go with 'a word'.

Magnus shuffled from his seat and followed Basileus into the empty masters' office for what, no doubt, would be an unpleasant chat.

"We'll take on newborns in the new year," Marcus said, downing his drink and leaving Aro and Caius to it.

"Blimey," Aro whistled into the air. "Magnus is feeling brave tonight."

"He's drunk," Caius shrugged, acting like he didn't know what their fellow master was doing.

Like Aro was going to let it go! "Why is he defending you so much?"

"I don't know," Caius lied. "Leave him to it - I need all the help I can get."

Aro didn't push Caius any further. He knew only too well that occasionally, immortal lords needed a break from their duties. He wasn't worried about Caius even returning to his old work. _We can just get someone else to torture our adversaries,_ he reasoned. _The world is full of evil cunts._ Aro quite preferred the new Caius. Or rather, the old Caius as he used to be. The first friend he'd made as a vampire and one who he still held most dear. Caius being less of a twisted cunt was a good thing in Aro's mind.

Magnus wasn't fairing so easily with Basileus as the inquisitor.

"Why are you facilitating Caius sitting around on his ass doing nothing?" he asked, jabbing Magnus in the chest.

Magnus grimaced. Freyr had warned him about being to mouthy with the creator. Their new-found friendship wasn't solid enough, she had told him. Almost as bad as being taken back down a few pegs by Basileus was the prospect of the earache Magnus knew he would get from his mate for fucking things up.

He attempted to look contrite, but Magnus was drunk enough to respond without tempering his answer. "Because," he huffed, "Caius is not sitting around doing nothing. He's helping with the guard again and he's doing it without reverting back to being a vicious cunt." Basileus didn't look too impressed but Magnus wasn't sure what else to say. "That's a good thing, isn't it? What can I tell you, Basileus?"

Basileus considered Magnus' explanation for a moment. He didn't object to Caius to being more reasonable, of course he didn't. But he was concerned for the young master turning his back on the work he had once taken such joy from, (even if that work was abhorrent to most). That said, Basileus also knew it was his fault. Everyone else in the coven, at least on the surface, had returned to normal after Lucius' infiltration - Caius was the only one who appeared to be suffering from some residual effect and it bothered Basileus immensely. If Caius was back on track, Basileus could rest a little easier on the great travesty he had committed against his coven.

He didn't want to deal with his own feelings on the matter, of course, his male pride wanted to push those feelings of failure deep down inside. What he really wanted to know was why Magnus had taken Caius in as some sort of surrogate son!

"I want you to tell me why you are protecting Caius," he finally answered, taking Magnus' seat at his desk and settling down for the in-depth answer he expected.

Magnus scowled. _I know you are taking my seat to make a point,_ he thought. Magnus flopped into the opposite seat. _I would usually have a guard sitting here begging my forgiveness and now I'm in the hot seat. Great!_

"Fine," he huffed, trying to find the words to explain the change between him and Caius. "You pushed Caius too far that night with Lucius and he's cracked. He doesn't even want to go back down to those dungeons because of what you made him do."

No one had dared to be that straight with Basileus on the matter of what had happened to Caius. It took him a moment to regain his composure after he felt his temper flare. "He's slaughtered thousands of vampires…"

"Not kids!" Magnus bravely cut Basileus off. "Never kids. Never like that."

 _I need to tone it down!_ he told himself. Magnus was half shouting at the creator of vampire kind and all he could think about was the round of fucks he was going to get from Freyr for it.

With a more measured tone, he continued. "How much dungeon blood did Caius get through that night? More than Aro ever has in his life, I bet, and look at the effect it has on him."

Basileus took a steadying breath before he replied. He was getting pissed off, but he knew that Magnus didn't really deserve his anger. _I'm the only one that deserves my anger,_ he thought.

"I know this already, Magnus," he said calmly, "and that isn't what I asked you."

"You were with your family after that night. You didn't see the effect it had on Caius - I did," Magnus explained.

Basileus hadn't stopped to think about that before. He had been taken up with making things right in his own house - making things right with his sons, his daughters in law, his grandchildren, his mate! Caius, nor the rest of the coven really hadn't been a concern at the time. _They should have been,_ he castigated himself. _The whole coven should have been my concern, but Caius especially. Fuck._ "What happened?"

"I had to drag him from his chambers," Magnus said quietly. He didn't want anyone else to know just how vicious Caius had been towards his mate. He didn't need to say anymore on that, the look on Basileus' face told him that he was looking at the scene in Magnus' memories.

"It really wasn't his fault, Basileus. Dora was the first person he saw and he just went for her."

It was a poor explanation as to why Caius had viciously attacked his mate when she opened the door to him, especially so soon after the previous attack only a few days before - which was also precipitated by the dungeon blood Carlisle and Felix had slipped into everyone's drinks at the guard party.

 _That was fucking Lucius, too,_ Basileus reminded himself. He didn't blame Caius for attacking Dora, not that it made it right. Luckily Magnus had intercepted him before any permanent damage could be done to either Athenodora or her marriage. Both times.

"He was in a mess for weeks," Magnus continued.

Basileus followed Magnus' memories as he spoke. "You kept him in your quarters?" he asked, having seen the destruction Caius had inflicted on the middle floor suite.

"I didn't have much choice, did I?" Magnus replied. He grimaced thinking of that time. Caius was rampant on the overload of dungeon blood in his system and must have attacked Magnus at least a dozen times, really going for the kill. It was only Magnus' superior size that had kept his head on his shoulders. Most of his furniture, however, was to be lost to their brawling.

"No matter how much he purged the dungeon blood effects just wouldn't subside. He was sick, he was tormented by the darkest demons in his soul - his own psyche tortured him…"

As Basileus listened to Magnus tell him how he had at first kept Caius under control, he realised something else was there. _You looked after him,_ he surmised. _This sounds just like me and Aro…_ His mind went back to his thoughts at the beginning of the day when he had seen Magnus coming protectively to Caius' aid over fetching the dungeon blood. _I wonder if I can use this to my advantage,_ he thought. He made a mental note to talking with Atia on the matter.

"So what if he isn't ripping people apart right now?" Magnus continued. "There's no one for him to rip apart, is there?"

Basileus bobbed his head, _we can find someone else to do that,_ he thought, much the same as Aro had. He decided to test the water on how far Magnus would go for his co-master. "And what about when there is?"

Magnus let his head fall back into the chair. For such an expert warrior, Magnus didn't relish torturing anyone. He was a fairly placid vampire, all things considered, and though he was certainly capable of ripping a rogue limb from limb, even a whole pack of rogues, it wasn't something he took any kind of joy from. But thinking about all Caius had been through, how far he had come from the broken mess of a man he had been a year or so before, Magnus committed himself to the task. "Then I will take care of it," he ended resolutely.

 _Interesting,_ Basileus thought with a small smile. _Very interesting._ "Then we are done here." Basileus stood from his seat. "Go back to your drinking, my friend."

 _This whole thing is still your fault,_ Magnus thought loudly as he walked away.

Basileus wasn't letting that one go. "Watch it, Magnus!" he bellowed after him, just at the moment Magnus had opened the guard hall door so he knew everyone would have heard the admonishment.

Marcus took Magnus' place with the creator in the masters' office, wanting to check on his old friend. He floated in drawing a billow of smoke from his opium pipe and sat on the desk where Basileus stood.

"Would you like to talk about that?" he asked simply, opening the floor for Basileus should he need to go over anything.

"I've broken Caius," Basileus admitted quietly. It may have been a simple thing for one to say, but it was something Basileus had been hiding from since that night in the dungeons. "He's a mess and it's my fault."

Marcus nodded. _I've been telling you that for a year,_ he thought. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm working on it," Basileus replied.

Marcus took another drag of the pipe. "We learn more from our failures than successes, my friend. Be kind to yourself."

Basileus waved the smoke away dramatically. "How does that shit make you even more reasonable?" he asked, coughing for effect.

Marcus smiled, "I would offer you some, my friend, but it makes you even more hostile."

"Touché, Marcus," Basileus laughed. "Touché."

…

The Volturi family staggered home from the guard hall. Only Atia managed to walk with any poise and even she was tipsy from the amount they had drank. Sulpicia and Carmen followed their parents in law up the stairs when Aro and Eleazar went to collect the twins from Carlisle's suite, assuming they would be asleep and need carrying to their beds. Sulpicia wouldn't normally have left her mate to such a task in the state he was in, but on this very rare occasion, Sulpicia was in no state to do the job herself.

"Look at how angelic she looks," Carlisle said about his niece, sleeping soundly on his sofa. "No one would believe the agony she can inflict at," he mused out loud, thinking of the pain Jane had inflicted on him during the game. _That was way longer than five seconds,_ he remembered bitterly.

"And so happily," Eleazar added.

Jane had made sure to give all the guys a damn good blast of her powers in the short coven game that morning, and her family members suffered more than the guards as the child played with her gift.

Aro went to check on Felix and Demetri to be sure they hadn't ripped each other to shreds in his absence. They used to leave the four of them to their own devices quite often, but over the last few decades, an adult was always with them in the evenings.

When he opened the boys' bedroom door, he was surprised to find Felix sleeping alone. _No Demetri._ Too drunk to panic, Aro staggered across the hall to Carlisle's room where he found his son.

 _They must have placed themselves in separate rooms for a reason,_ Aro mused. He took a seat next to a sleeping Demetri, trying not to disturb him, and read through his memories. Felix had continued to wind him up until the twins arrived. He would have continued then, Aro had no doubt, had Jane not blasted him with her gift. Aro was usually dead against Jane using her gift in the confines of their home (it was for defence, only) but he could see that he had muddied those waters by allowing his young pair of demons to have free reign during the games.

Once Jane had warned her brothers that a single raised voice would see them both belted in the guard hall, Felix and Demetri had separated and ended their argument. _Lying little witch,_ Aro thought of his girl. Aro had issued no such threat. _It worked though._

"What are you doing in here?" Carlisle complained seeing his brother sitting on his bed. He stood awkwardly, leaning against the wardrobe. Aro could tell he was trying to hide something and his curiosity took over the alcohol in his system.

"What is that?" Aro asked. Peering around his brother to a large wooden beam, or something, behind him.

Carlisle blocked his brother's path. "I'm only letting you see it if you don't be a cock about it."

"What would I be a cock about?" Are whispered in reply, trying not to wake his son.

"Just promise me you won't be a cock!" Carlisle reiterated a little louder.

"Shush!" Aro hushed him. "I won't be a cock." He felt ridiculous for having to promise such a thing.

Carlisle moved aside and pulled out the wood between the wardrobe and the wall, standing it in front of him for Aro to see.

"You have a cross in here? Like a church cross?" Aro asked curiously as he inspected the old oak structure.

It stood as tall as the pair of them, highly polished and gilded in gold trim. It was the very most religious thing Aro had been close to in centuries.

"Why do you have this, brother?" he asked. He wasn't being his usual mocking self, having promised not to be a cock, but he couldn't hide his confusion. "Did you steal it?"

"No, I didn't steal it!" Carlisle huffed in reply. "Dad gave it to me."

Aro smirked, he couldn't help himself. "Which dad?"

"Our Dad, you jerk!" Carlisle put the cross back in place. He felt bad hiding it away in the dusty corner of his room, but he felt worse having it out on show. At the same time, owning the cross was important to him.

"Basileus went back to England with Atia and they took the cross from my old church," Carlisle explained. "It was my fathers, the pastor's, and his fathers and his… you get it."

"Did you ask for it?" Aro enquired.

Carlisle shook his head, but he wore a small, warming smile thinking that his parents had fetched it without him asking for it. "Dad gave it to me at Easter."

 _Oh!_ Aro thought. He remembered the two of them going off in secret and Carlisle refusing to tell him what he had been given. Aro had assumed it was money. He would never have guessed a cross.

"Aro, listen," Carlisle snapped his brother from his musings, "this is important to me so…"

"So don't take the piss out of you for it?" Aro finished his brother's sentence.

He looked over his shoulder to his middle boy. The pillow was still damp where he must have cried himself to sleep that night from Felix' relentless jibes. He planned on setting Felix straight in no uncertain terms, but he also recognised that he had a part to play in his son's attitude.

Deciding it was time he set a better example to his son, Aro turned back to his brother. "I'm glad you have something so special from your human life, Carlisle."

Carlisle took Aro's genuine line as sarcasm. "Prick. I knew I shouldn't have shown you."

"Carlisle!" Aro snapped. "I'm serious!" He really was. "I'm glad you have it. You have no need to hide it from anyone here. Especially me."

Carlisle watched Aro for a moment, waiting for a tell-tale smirk to appear. When nothing came he believed his brother was being genuine, for a change. "Thank you, Aro."

With that they parted and Aro carried his sleeping daughter to her bed. Eleazar had taken Alec, the slightly smaller of the two. _Lazy bastard,_ Aro thought.

He gave Felix a serious round of fucks the next day, and he managed a whole week without goading Carlisle. Small steps.


	119. All Hallows Eve

**AN:** Thank you for taking the time to review and PMs guys, your opinions really help to shape the story lines I'm working on. I'm glad you like how Magnus and Caius are moving… their story line will grow more and more over the next few years.

Feel real guilty as I said I'd have this up sooner in PMs to readers, but it grew and grew and grew in my final checks and only just finished feeding the additions through the whole chapter. Sorry guys!

So… marriage troubles abound in this one….

* * *

 **All Hallows Eve**

The building works were going well, but for the Volturi family, the shared living environment was really taking its toll. In some instances, they were sick of the sight of each other! Arguments were breaking out with a disturbing regularity and such arguments weren't just confined to Felix and Demetri anymore. It had felt like an age had passed since the Midsummer Games and the coven anticipated the release that Halloween would offer them all. Though not everyone was convinced about the plans they had made for the night…

"I'm really not sure about tonight, Sully," Aro huffed, laying his longest, blackest cloak across the back of the corner chair in his father's main chamber. "I never pretend to be something other than I am."

Sulpicia added her own cloak to her mate's and looked to him with a playful expression. "Except for sober, my love. You pretend to be sober quite often."

Aro's scowl soon broke into a coy smile when he failed to come up with a retort. "Touché, my queen."

The plan for Halloween was simple, if dangerous. The entire coven would meet for drinks in the guard hall, all very sociable and above board, and then at 11 o'clock they would leave the castle, find a sleepy village, and terrorise the inhabitants. Dangerous. Very, very dangerous. The masters had all agreed to suspend their law on displaying vampiric nature to the humans for one night only to give the guards their wish.

The coven atmosphere had never been so high, so solidified as one force. After the turmoil of the previous years, Aro was pleased to see his coven reform and like a Phoenix from the ashes rise higher and stronger than ever before. He had agreed to fun and frolic on Halloween in an effort to keep morale going, particularly as the guards were in the final phase of finishing the remodel of the south tower. But he feared that loosening the reins in such a way could lead to losing control - it was a fine balancing act the coven king was playing. But then, what made Aro happier than dicing the lines?

"Tonight will be good fun, my love," Sulpicia said. "The twins are looking forward to spending some time with you."

"I spend time with them, Sul," Aro muttered, hoping she would leave it there.

"They have barely seen you since Midsummer, my love."

 _Yeah, you would carry it on,_ he thought. "I was top-dad at Midsummer. They loved using their gifts on us all," Aro breezed, adding 'the little bastards' to himself when he thought how much joy his children had taken in using their gifts on him in particular.

Before Sulpicia could respond, and she had much to say on the matter, Felix broke through their conversation.

"Is there life after death?" he asked, sounding somewhere between deep thought and deep boredom.

The boy slouched across the arm chair where his parents' cloaks had been laid; his legs hanging over one arm, head lolling back over the other. He jumped every time he heard a door opening expecting his grandmother to come and tell him off for slouching. Felix had always thought his own mother was strict for keeping a tidy home, but seeing Sulpicia anxiously tidying the immaculate chambers of the creator and his mate showed Felix that his mother's standards were no match for his grandmother's. Atia seemed to take great offence to 'impropriety' as she called it, which to Felix meant 'slouching', as that's what she seemed to most often tell him off for.

"You are a vampire after human, so I would say so, son," Aro replied as he walked by. "I thought I told you to get some sleep before tonight?"

Felix rolled his eyes, making sure his father didn't see. Aro had indeed stressed the need for his children to sleep the afternoon so they were alert for the evening. Felix had, naturally for Felix, refused. Though he was so bored now that he wished he had taken a nap.

"What about life after vampire death?" Felix mused, trying to entertain himself.

Sulpicia heaved her hulking son's legs from the end of the chair in an attempt to make him look tidier should Atia return. His heavy feet landed to the floor with a thud.

"If you don't clean your room today you will find out soon enough," Sulpicia told her boy, pulling him to his feet.

"Can't do it, Mom," Felix said, face full of fake regret. "I need to get ready for tonight!" With that he headed to the door.

Sulpicia called after her boy in annoyance, "you only need to put your cape on!"

Felix happily ignored his mother's counter argument and bounced happily from the room, passing Eleazar as he went.

"He seems happy," Eleazar commented as he surreptitiously checked the top floor suite for his parents' presence.

"He's excited for tonight," Sulpicia answered protectively before Aro could suggest something else.

"About tonight," Eleazar said taking a seat next to his brother. "We won't be coming."

Aro bobbed his head. "I didn't think you would be, brother, I understand."

He really did. Aro occasionally wished that his brothers were 'normal' vampires with the usual thirst for human blood, but he accepted their dislike for it as just part of who they were.

Eleazar breathed a sigh of relief at not having to defend his choices again. "I'm glad you do as I have just had a round of fucks from Dad for ducking out of it."

"He likes to keep us all in one place, El," Sulpicia explained. She knew her father in law well. "Basileus has no issue with your diet."

"I will still be going out for the night, though," Eleazar pushed on, "so I'm not sure what you want to do with the twins."

"You won't be back tonight?" Aro checked.

If the twins had to take his bed then the end to the night Aro had planned would have to change considerably. He wasn't going to risk fucking in the main chamber of his father's chambers again, not after the degrading admonishment he'd received from his father the last time. Basileus hadn't even allowed Aro the privilege of dressing before she'd set in on how disrespectful he was.

Sulpicia hadn't been subjected to the same treatment. Oh no, she disappeared into the bedchamber and it was all my fucking fault. Equality my ass!

"Probably not until tomorrow," Eleazar replied.

Truthfully, he wasn't too sure how long they would be, it was Carmen's tune he would be dancing to on Halloween, not his own. _As though it's ever anything but!_ Eleazar reminded himself.

"I'd rather not leave the twins to their own devises in my quarters if it's all the same to you."

"Its fine," Aro said, looking to his brother curiously. "But I want to know why. What have they done?" he asked outright.

Eleazar bit his lower lip and wondered how far to fudge the truth. He loved his niece and nephew, and he certainly didn't want to get them in trouble with their father.

"They help themselves to my bloodwine when I'm not there," he admitted. "I don't mind them having some, it's the weaker version of the stuff so no harm done. But I wouldn't want them to over indulge knowing I wasn't going to be around all night."

Aro raised a single eyebrow. He knew his brother well enough to know that would only be a fraction of the problems he was having with the youngest Volturi members - if Eleazar was saying they were stealing his bloodwine, they were certainly doing much worse besides.

"I'm not happy with that at all, and I'm assuming there are other complaints, too?" Aro asked, pushing for details.

"No complaints, Aro," Eleazar said, standing quickly before his brother could touch him and invade his memories. "Relax. I'll see you tomorrow."

Aro turned to his mate as Eleazar left to see if Sulpicia was wondering the same as he was. "I hope you are going to do something about that?" he said, sounding disappointed.

"Aro!" Sulpicia fixed a hand to her hip and shot a look that left him cold. "You act like the twins are mine and the other two are yours."

Aro scoffed at the very idea. "I do not."

"You do!" Sulpicia insisted. "You think the twins are mine to deal with and the boys are yours."

 _By the gods your voice is shrill when you're pissed off!_ Aro thought. He watched his mate's lips move as he tried to drown out the sound of her voice, singing to himself in his mind. By the time he tuned back in, the subject of Sulpicia's rant had changed from the twins to their older sons.

"Why else would you have kept all if this from me for all this time?!"

The 'this' Sulpicia was referring to was the on-going battle between Felix and Demetri. Maybe less a battle, more Felix being relentlessly cruel to his younger brother in an effort to amuse himself. The fact that the two of them were under Carlisle's care and not their parents was exasperating the issue. Felix, in his defence, wasn't intentionally picking on his brother's deepest seated fears of being lesser in their father's eyes, he had simply found something that Demetri reacted to and in a typically teenage-sibling fashion, was using it to his advantage.

"I'm sure I told you about the two of them," Aro grumbled.

He sighed internally when Sulpicia added a second hand to her hip and growled at him. _Settle yourself in for the long haul, Aro, she's been saving this argument._

"You told me at Midsummer, but this has been going on for months. Years, even!" Sulpicia continued. "Felix is following your poor example of relentlessly teasing his brother."

Aro glared at his mate. He knew that already, he had admitted that to her already. "I have recognised that, and I have worked to put it right," he replied, though with the look of disbelief from his mate he tacked on a quiet, "at least when the kids are around."

Sulpicia returned his glare. "You're such a child."

"Hang on a minute," Aro bustled taking to his feet to put a little distance between the two of them. "We were discussing the twins, how have you turned that around to me being childish?"

"How indeed?!" Sulpicia asked, dripping sarcasm. "The twins are fine, Aro. They are enjoying themselves."

"They are enjoying themselves a little too much if they are sneaking bloodwine, my queen."

Taking a seat at his father's desk, Aro shoved scrolls and loose leaves of paper aside, trying and failing to take proper care of Basileus' ordered chaos. The guards had assured him the south tower would be ready by Christmas - another two months sharing his parents' quarters seemed like an eternity.

Sulpicia followed him and stood the other side of the desk, hands still on her hips and looking irate. "Why do you think the twins are enjoying being with Eleazar and Carmen so much? Have you thought, perhaps, it's because they are getting some attention for a change."

"I would say because they are getting away with murder, but they get that with you anyway, don't they?" Aro winced the moment the words left his mouth. _Think before you speak!_ he cursed himself.

Sulpicia wore an odd expression. It was one of triumph in having proved her point, and also one of anger… having proved her point! "Because the twins are mine and mine alone, yes?"

"I didn't say that, Sully," Aro said, with his hands up pleadingly, but it was too late. He'd damned himself with his own words and he knew it.

This had been a recurring argument between the two of them for years and it had really ramped up in the months that their family had been separated between different living quarters. It was obvious to all that Aro made much more effort to spend time with Felix and Demetri than he did the twins. Sulpicia wasn't the only one to have pointed it out - Atia was putting her two pence worth in at every available opportunity, too.

"It's like you have a secret relationship with Felix and Demetri that I have no part in."

Sulpicia willed herself to calm down. The angrier she got the more likely she was to cry. They would be tears of frustration, but she knew Aro would take it as a sign of her being overly emotional and then dismiss everything she had said as such.

"And what's worse," she continued once she was sure she could without tears. "You have constructed the same relationship for me and twins by simply absolving yourself from their lives on a day to day basis leaving me to deal with their troubles."

Aro scoffed in return, tutting and huffing whilst he came up with a response.

"You knew about Felix being a cock, Sully," Aro insisted, he was ready to go in both barrels now. "He's had an attitude with you, too. But as usual, you leave me to deal with him. The same way you don't like me to be involved with the twins. It's all down to your choosing. You're lassie faire with one set and over protective of the other."

Sulpicia's eyes widened for a moment and she considered really ripping into him. _You are ridiculously attentive to one set and completely ignore the other,_ she thought. _You find the older boys entertaining, and the twins boring! I protect the twins from your judgement because they are still scared of you after all they have witnessed in their young lives._

It was all true, but Sulpicia kept it to herself. Instead she looked him up and down in disgust and gave only one word in response. "Wow." And then she walked away.

"Oh fuck!" Aro said, though it was to himself as his mate had already left, slamming the door behind her.

Aro had been a married man for a very long time, he knew well enough that when a woman said 'wow' it was not to be taken as a compliment.

He didn't have long to think on just how stupid his mate thought him as Basileus and Atia stormed into the top floor suite.

"Out!" Basileus ordered his son, whilst receiving an earful from his mate. He didn't want a witness to whatever verbal smack-down Atia had planned, and he could tell from her thoughts it was going to be a good one.

"People don't become useless just because they don't do what you had intended them to do!" Atia stated in the same shrill tone Sulpicia had been using.

Aro stifled his laughter as he walked passed his father to collect the cloaks from the chair, but Basileus still cuffed the back of his head when he was close. He considered complaining to his mother for a moment to gain some support - _you would have bollocked the miserable old bastard if it had been Carlisle he slapped without reason,_ he thought - but the fire in her eyes had him fleeing the top floor chambers and even feeling a little sorry for his father as he went.

"I never said Caius had become useless, my dear," Basileus crooned, trying his very best to placate his mate with his soothing tone.

Like such a thing would work on Atia?! She threw her mate a look that said, 'nice try', before continuing with her complaint. "Then I'm not entirely sure what you are saying, Basileus," she said. "I know you are worried Caius' refusal to work reflects your minor blip allowing Lucius into the coven."

"Minor blip?" Basileus repeated, mainly to himself.

He still harboured massive guilt from that time even though the coven had repaired itself spectacularly. Caius though… he was still the loose cannon in it all, and his continued inactivity was a constant reminder of everything Basileus had allowed to happen under Lucius' direction.

"I'm trying to be kind, my dear," Atia said softly, stalling for a moment before continuing in an entirely different, stern tone. "It is a reflection, Basileus. What else could it be? I think the way Caius is rejecting your orders is simply because your orders are trying to force him into something he isn't comfortable with - like going to the torture room."

"Pft!" Basileus tutted. "So he should only follow the orders he likes?!" he asked in disbelief. _That's not how any order works that I know of!_

"Obviously not," Atia said, shaking her head. She didn't like sarcasm, she found it insulting. "But you wouldn't make one of your sons do something they felt so opposed to, would you?"

"That's different," Basileus thought out loud. "They are my sons."

"I realise that. Caius isn't anyones son, is he? He is alone in this coven."

Atia felt sorry for Caius. He, and Athenodora too, had made great pains to turn his life over. He accepted that his legends would haunt him for many years to come, but since he had come off the coven drug Caius was really making steps to becoming a better person, a better member of the coven. Atia felt he should be supported in such efforts and the creator of all people should show the most support.

Collecting their cloaks so they could head to the guard hall, Atia continued, "you are supposed to watch over the whole coven, are you not."

Finally something Basileus could respond to without inciting an argument, he thought. "Well that's something I wanted to talk to you about, actually," he said, trying to sound intriguing as he followed his mate down the stairs.

It took all Atia's efforts not to laugh. She knew other women fawned over her mate, she knew he could direct their attentions and even the very thoughts in their heads by a simple change of tone. That shit didn't work with Atia.

It was one of the reasons Basileus had fallen for her so deeply - to her he was a man, no better or worse than any other man and if he wanted her he had to be more than the myth that other women fell to his feet for. It made him better in many ways, and he appreciated the effect she had on him… but there were times, like just then, that he wished she would be a little more susceptible to his charms.

"If this is about Magnus I have heard you thinking it for months already," Atia breezed.

Basileus' planned to 'give' Caius to Magnus. That way, he thought, he could order Magnus to get Caius back to work, and Magnus, because Magnus followed orders, would see it done.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Basileus asked, annoyed. If Atia had heard it in his thoughts, then she sure as hell knew he was struggling to bring the topic up.

"You would have brought it up properly if you thought you had a workable idea," Atia explained, like she was talking to a small child.

Basileus pulled a face behind him mates make, repeating her word in his mind with a whiney tone. Naturally, Atia was making use of Basileus' gift and 'heard' him. Stopping in her tracks at the bottom of the west tower she spun on her heel and looked her mate up and down.

"You are the creator!" she said, admonishing his childish response.

Basileus suddenly appreciated Aro's complaints about the woman. The way Atia could shame a man into good behaviour with merely a few words or a look was a talent not to be sniffed at.

Dragging his hand down his face and offering a look of contrition to his mate, Basileus stated his plan, as he saw it. "I want to give Caius to Magnus so I don't have to manage him anymore."

"No, my dear," Atia said, and then corrected him. "You wish to give Caius away because it makes you uncomfortable to see the repercussion of your actions and Caius' current instability reminds you of your failure."

With that Atia took off again as they walked to the guard hall at human speed.

 _Get right to the point, why don't you?!_ Basileus thought, feeling shamed again for the second time in as many minutes. _Fuck me!_

"By your own admission, Caius isn't yours," Atia explained. "So how will you give him to someone else? And Magnus is his equal… how will that work?"

"So you think it's a bad idea?" Basileus asked quietly, hoping no guards were milling about.

"I didn't say that, my dear," Atia answered, barely above a whisper for the same reason. "I asked you how it would work."

"So you think it's a good idea?" Basileus questioned. It was definitely a question… he felt like Atia was leading him down the garden path.

"I didn't say that either, Basileus," Atia replied, rolling her eyes at her mates confused expression.

"You need to work out all the knots in your plan before you can put it into action. Though if you only intend on executing this idea because of your own shame… well… I thought you were a better man than that, Basileus."

 _More shame!_ Basileus thought dejectedly. _Any need?!_

Basileus pulled his mate to a standstill outside the guard hall. "What other reason would there be?" he asked.

"Because it would be good for Caius!" Atia all but shouted in her annoyance. _You great fool!_

Basileus caught the insult. "I heard that," he said, trying to invoke his mate's disapproving tone.

It fell on deaf ear. "I should hope you did, my dear," Atia replied, stalking into the guard hall.

Normally when the creator and his mate arrived at a party they would be surrounded by coven members wishing to talk to them. They always made the effort to greet each and every vampire they passed. Not this time. It was clear the immortal god was in the bad books with his vampiric witch.

Hoping to save himself some blushes, Basileus took Atia's hand and thought his words to her. _'Are you saying it would be good for Caius to have Magnus… not over him, as such, but what? Looking out for him or something?'_

"How on earth did you ever make decisions before I came along?" Atia responded aloud. _'You will know whether it would be good for Caius when you have given the matter more thought. Do not suggest anything until you can envisage the outcome,'_ she told him through her mind.

When Atia took notice of the growing audience, and heard Basileus thinking something she would rather not repeat, she threw her hands in the air. "Or if you would like to turn the coven upside down on a whim, go ahead!" With that she made a beeline for Freyr who would allow her the chance to decompress after another frustrating conversation with her all powerful, but decidedly stupid mate.

"Oh dear, you got the 'go ahead'," Magnus laughed sidling up to the creator.

"What's the 'go ahead'?" Carlisle asked, joining the pair of them with his brothers. "Doesn't that mean just do it?"

"Are you simple?!" Aro asked.

Carlisle was about to object until he realised all the other men were shaking their heads and laughing to themselves over his comment, too.

"Go ahead from a woman is like a dare, not permission," Eleazar explained, taking pity on his naive baby brother. "They are testing out how stupid you are. If a woman tells you to go ahead, don't! Don't do anything."

Carlisle wasn't sure whether he was being made the butt of the joke so turned to check with his father. "Is that right?"

"Oh yes," Basileus sighed, wincing at being given the 'go ahead' from his mate. Particularly so publicly. Any mated man in the room knew he was in shitty street now.

"Give me some more!" Carlisle called out. He felt like he should be taking notes.

"Another one?" Basileus mused, smiling at his youngest son. "Fine."

Carlisle looked on expectantly. "Well?" he finally asked when nothing more was forthcoming.

"No, that's the next one," Basileus explained. "Fine," he repeated in an exasperated tone so very reminiscent of Atia. It clearly applied equally to Freyr, Carmen, Athenodora, and Sulpicia by the looks on their mates faces as he said it.

"That's the word women use to end an argument when she knows she is right and you need to shut the hell up," Eleazar explained to Carlisle.

"My favourite is 'nothing'," Caius offered. "Nothing is always something."

"Nothing means something alright," Aro agreed. "And you need to work out what it is and fix it quick."

"I'm still trying to work out why I keep getting 'nothing' when its clearly something," Caius said, chuntering under his breath about his 'bloody mate' and 'fucking women'. "Why won't she just tell me what's wrong?!"

Magnus knew what Dora's 'nothing' was and he was amazed the Caius didn't know! _You may have had a good run, Caius but it wasn't that long ago that I had to drag your ass off your mate while you were trying to kill her. You think she could just forget that?!_

"Freyr pulls the 'that's okay' card and I know I'm screwed." Magnus winced. "THAT'S OKAY!" he called out in his best impression of Freyr. "She's thinking long and hard on how and when I will pay for my mistake. Whatever my mistake was."

"I will offer you my bonus word, Carlisle," Aro said theatrically. "Wow!" he said looking the gathering up and down just as Sulpicia had done to him earlier that day. He looked so very camp doing it and had them all in stitches. "I got a 'wow' today. Now that's not a complement. If a woman says wow to you she is simply amazed by your stupidity."

Whilst the younger guys all agreed with each other and continued to insult their women under the guise of giving Carlisle more tips, Magnus and Basileus moved to the side. They had both caught their mates in consultation with each other and they were old enough to know they needed to put some space between themselves and the younger guys before they were called out.

"So what did you get the 'go ahead' for?" Magnus asked quietly.

Basileus looked the Juggernaut in the eye, for a moment ignoring his question and thinking instead of all the questions circling his mind, mainly those put there by Atia. _Would you be good for Caius? A positive influence, perhaps? Could you cope with him? Would you want to?!_

"Well?" Magnus pushed, offering the creator a drink.

"A foolish plan, no doubt," Basileus replied, though even he wasn't sure if he was replying to Magnus or his own questions _about_ Magnus. "Let's drink!"

Soon enough they all dispersed and tensions between the mated members of the elite started to relax as the alcoholic intake increased.

Carmen brought the Volturi children to the party when they woke. The twins went to their grandmother's side, but Felix and Demetri joined their parents. Between Atia and Carmen Sulpicia really felt like she was losing her baby vampires.

"Carmen, I asked you to ensure they were wearing their capes tonight," Sulpicia commented to her sister in law as the twins came into the guard hall. She was a little terser than she would normally have been, but aggravations with Aro had hardened her tone.

"I tried, Sully!" Carmen exclaimed, sounding exasperated.

"They objected?" Aro asked - he was speaking to Carmen, but his eyes were on his mate after their conversation earlier that evening.

"Alec did, yes," Carmen explained. "Jane saw me carrying her brother's cape and dumped hers with me, too."

Thinking he should step up to the plate and take some action with the twins, if only to prove his mate wrong, Aro took his children's capes from his sister in law. "I will take those, my dear," he said with an overly smiley smile to Sulpicia. "Are you sure you won't come tonight?"

"Very sure," Carmen said, hiding the plans she and Eleazar had for the night behind a tight smile. "But I hope you all have fun."

"I think its abhorrent," Carlisle muttered into his glass. The very idea of feeding on humans was bad enough, but to purposely terrorise them first was beyond the pale.

"I'm sure you do, brother," Aro patronised his brother. "But it really is just a bit of fun around the regular feed."

"You are going out there to terrorise people. Do you feel no shame?!" Carlisle spat in question.

Aro rolled his eyes. "There's no shame in pleasure."

"Leave him be, my love," Sulpicia said to her mate, making eyes at their young sons watching the display. "You know Carlisle finds human blood distasteful."

Aro stopped his spiteful reply just in time to catch Sulpicia's drift. He glanced at Felix and Demetri and changed his response immediately.

"I understand that you dislike our usual diet, Carlisle, and I have never forced you to subscribe to it, have I?" Aro asked, with an arm casually around his brother's shoulders.

"No, I suppose not," Carlisle replied, though it was clear he was desperately trying to come up with a counter. "You don't make it easy, though," he settled on. It was weak, he knew it.

"I make it as easy for you as I am able to, brother, you know I do." Aro squeezed Carlisle's shoulder lovingly. "Obstacles are put in our way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for. I implore you to see the odd human blood event as an obstacle, but one I am sure you can overcome."

Carlisle eyed his brother nervously for a moment whilst he figured out whether Aro was being sincere or not. Deciding he was, (because Aro really was), Carlisle bobbed his head. "You're right, Aro. Thank you."

Eleazar and Carmen called Carlisle over, ready to start their secret evening out. Aro watched them leave, sure he was missing something. He had assumed Eleazar and Carmen were taking the chance for some couple time so taking Carlisle with them seemed an odd choice. But then he thought much was odd about his brothers.

"What the was that about?" Felix asked, getting his father's attention. "You're never that nice to Carlisle!"

"I am frequently that nice to my brother, just not in ways you usually see." Aro went between his sons and enveloped them both in his arms. "Carlisle's diet is important to him, I'm not going to take the piss out of my own brother for that, am I?" he asked them, pulling Demetri in close and looking meaningfully to Felix.

"You aren't?" Felix asked, clearly considering the idea of some things being off topic as though it was an alien concept.

"No!" Aro shot out, cuffing Felix' head and getting the 'I told you it was your fault' look off his wife. "It's one thing teasing each other when its stuff that doesn't matter, but the stuff that does, you just don't go there," he explained pointedly.

"Doesn't his religion matter?" Felix asked thinking of all the times he had seen his father bring his uncle down to his knees with his relentless teasing on the subject. "You're always mocking him for that."

Aro looked to the floor, knowing if he dared to look up Sulpicia would be over flowing with righteousness. "You're right, Felix," Aro agreed, nodding to himself. "I will make sure to take more consideration over such things."

Seeing the twins leave the protection of their grandmother gave Aro a get-out from his mates every judgemental gaze. "Excuse me," he said to his boys and followed his young demons.

Felix and Demetri watched their father leave them, both wondering what the hell that was about.

"What's wrong with him?" Demetri asked his older brother.

"I don't know," Felix said, but he was pretty sure that was yet another lesson in be nice to your brother. "Friendly-Aro makes me nervous."

Aro accosted the twins and thrust their capes to their chests with a small thud on impact. "Your aunt is not your servant," he stated sternly.

"Carmen doesn't mind," Alec said, smiling, still refusing to take his cape.

Aro smiled for just long enough for Alec to think he had won, and then he dropped the smile and growled. "I do."

Jane didn't need any more incentive and quickly threw her cape around her small shoulder. The heavy material engulfed her tiny frame.

"Alec," Aro said, pushing a little harder into the boy's chest for him to take his cape.

"I don't want to wear it," Alec whined. "It gets in the way when I'm trying to feed."

"It's not optional, son." Aro explained, swinging the heavy cloak around Alec's back and fastening it at the neck. "I may have lost my mind agreeing to go out there and show ourselves to humans. But I am not yet completely deranged. Cloaks and hoods to cover Volturi uniforms or you stay behind."

Just as Aro had turned his back to leave the pair of them be, he heard Alec ever so quietly whisper to his sister, "I'm taking it off when he's out of sight."

Aro spun back around and glowered at the boy for his insolence. Alec gulped. Leaning in close to his young son so their faces were only an inch apart, Aro smirked. If he hadn't heard Alec's brave retort the he would know the boy guilty anyway - it was plastered over his face.

"Guess who's going to be holding daddy's hand when he goes out to play?"

Aro had expected the child to be… he wasn't sure. Annoyed? Upset, even? He hadn't expected a smirk to ghost Alec's face. To Alec, the idea that Aro would stay with him long enough to enforce such a threat was laughable.

"I'm not a casual drinker," Felix explained to the guards near the bar. "More a drink-until-you're-fucked-up-or-don't-drink-at-all drinker."

Magnus' gigantic arm reach over the boy and took the ale tankard from his hands. "I guess that means you won't be drinking at all then, young one?"

Afton and Odi laughed the loudest, but most of the guards joined in mocking poor Felix and his damaged pride.

"Aww Magnus, don't be cruel to the boy." Freyr took the tankard from her mate and gave it back to Felix.

Looking at his mate and wondering if she had a screw loose, Magnus huffed. "We are going out there in the pitch black to reveal ourselves to humans. The last thing we need is a drunk teenager trailing behind getting caught."

"I'm sure you can keep an eye on Felix, Magnus," Freyr suggested helpfully.

Magnus narrowed his eyes at wife, particularly as she had made the helpful suggestion rather loudly and now Aro and Caius were hanging onto the conversation for all their worth. If Magnus looked after Felix, Aro could get hammered with Caius.

"And why exactly would I be doing that?" Magnus asked, giving his co-masters a look that perfectly conveyed they had no chance in hell.

Freyr smiled sweetly, taking a tankard of ale from the bar herself and downing it in one at a speed to match her mate's. "I worked doubly hard at Midsummer to make up for your debauchery."

Magnus thought back to the Midsummer games when it hit him that he had got the 'that's okay' that day from Freyr. _Damn it,_ he cursed himself, he really should have known better for a man of his years that the 'that's okay' would come back to haunt him.

Sighing, because he knew he'd lost already, Magnus put down his own drink which was promptly collected by Demetri. "It sounds like you want me to suffer, love?"

"Does it?" Freyr asked, pretending to consider the premise for all its worth. "Aro," she called, "Magnus has offered to keep an eye on Felix and Demetri tonight."

Aro and Caius boomed from their table, chinking their glasses and planning the night ahead. It had been a long time since they'd shared a kill.

"The lady has spoken, my friend," Aro said mournfully, without an ounce of sincerity.

"Aye, she has." _Sneaky shield maiden._ "Don't blame me if I return them less an appendage or two." Magnus took the tankards back from the lads. "And you can both stop drinking right now."

Sulpicia pursed her lips and waited for Aro to speak. She knew he would, she even knew what he would say.

"You will have to keep Alec close, my queen," Aro told his mate. "He has made it clear he will be taking that cloak off once my back is turned."

Before Aro could return to his drink with Caius, he caught the look of complete disdain from Sulpicia. "What's that look for?"

Yup. That's exactly what she had expected. _You spent all of five minutes with the twins and as soon as you realised you were free of the burden of the older two you dump Jane and Alec with me and go for a play-date with Caius. Fucking typical._ She didn't say any of that, however. _What would be the point,_ she thought.

"Fine," Sulpicia all but growled in return. "I'll keep Alec with me," she said walking away shaking her head at her mate's unwillingness to parent their younger two as soon as a better offer came along.

"Shit!" Aro cursed. He didn't need to be a mind reader to work out what he'd got the 'fine' for that time. "I've done it again." He turned to Caius and shook his head. They wouldn't be having any fun tonight, he explained and went to join his mate for some family fun killing people instead.

"Rules!" Basileus called out over the din.

As Aro looked to be making up with his mate, Basileus thought he should step up and cover the ground rules.

"Let us not be greedy. Only take what you need. If you want to play with your gifts in front of the humans, you may." He couldn't help the involuntary sigh that came hearing the plans his coven members were making. "But, if the humans work out what you are, you are to kill them."

With that, the coven started to make their way out of the guard hall and through the castle corridors.

"I can't believe we are actually doing this!" Demetri crowed, buzzing!

Felix was in a similar state. "Let's carpe some fucking diem!"

"He's far too excited," Magnus complained to his mate, who merrily walked by to join the group of lone female guards who would be her company for the evening.

"You need to walk with me, Alec," Sulpicia said, trying to encourage the twins to hold back a little and let the rest of the coven go ahead.

Alec shook his head and carried on regardless. "I don't want to," he shrugged, assuming his father was far away at the head of the crowd by then.

It came a shock to have Aro flash in front him. "You either walk with your mom or you walk with me?" he offered full of his usual faux calm.

When Alec refused to move, partly in surprise, cementing his feet into the ground, Aro took the boys hand forcibly. "Right, you walk with me."

"I don't want to walk with you, either," Alec moaned, digging his heels into the floor.

Having his father breathing down his neck would mean he had to keep that stupid cloak on and the damn thing drowned the boy. It was too big, too heavy, and too much in his way when he wanted to feed.

"I wasn't asking if you wanted to, son," Aro breezed, giving Alec's arm a good tug to get him moving.

Sulpicia breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't so much relief that Aro was taking over with Alec, (she could handle the boy herself), it was relief that Aro would be spending any time with his younger children after months of being busy with directing the guard in the completion of their new home. She would have preferred Alec to enjoy that time, but if he was insistent on behaving like a brat that was his own business.

Aro and Sulpicia walked along, talking about the coolness of the air and how much they loved all seasons, but especially Autumn, 'there is a crackle of magic in the air', Sulpicia had said. All the while Alec made a theatrical display of running one step in every three or four to keep up with his father. As Jane managed to walk perfectly normally with her mother, all Alec achieved was demonstrating that he was trying to take Aro for a fool.

When the coven picked up the pace to get to the village they had planned to torment, Alec literally dropped to his knees.

"You're hurting me!" he exclaimed, as Aro dragged him along without breaking his stride.

"I think he's tired, my love," Sulpicia said, interjecting on her baby's behalf. "He said he had struggled to sleep earlier."

Jane looked to her mother quizzically - Alec had said no such thing. Sulpicia was simply excusing the boy's behaviour. _As she always does,_ Jane thought, with no recognition for the times Sulpicia did the same on her behalf.

"I am walking at a reasonable speed holding his wrist - Alec is hurting himself trying to break my hold," Aro explained. "You know, if you didn't let him get away with so much, he wouldn't be like this."

Sulpicia rolled her eyes, "because your over zealous efforts with Felix and Demetri have had such fantastic results?"

"Feel free to try your methods with the two of them. Let me know how you get on." Aro wasn't all out laughing at the idea, but he was clearly amused by that Sulpicia could have either of their older boys dancing to her tune using her softly, softly approach. "You let Alec get away with far too much," he added, "he should know I won't stand for it."

Aro's tone pissed Alec off. _Speaking about my like I'm not even here, like I'm a little kid._

"You are a little kid," Aro replied, having heard his boy through his thoughts.

That was enough to piss Alec off into a state of lunacy and he snatched his hand from his father hold. "LET ME GO!" he roared.

The whole coven stopped hearing the boy call out in such a way, and they watched as Alec tumbled to the floor.

"This is why I don't tell you when the twins play up," Sulpicia hissed to her mate under her breath. "Everything has to turn into a battle of wills with you."

Aro ignored his mate, true or not he wasn't having Alec behave that way with him just because she found the boy's defiance endearing or something. Particularly not in public. He loomed over his child, looking furious.

"You are acting like a spoilt brat, Alec," Aro told his son, hoisting him to his feet by one arm. "Keep it up and I will treat you like one."

The crack that Aro landed on his son's backside was heard by every member of the coven, even those that didn't see it winced.

"Here was me thinking how nice it would be for the twins to have your attention for a few hours," Sulpicia said wistfully.

Without a second glance to her mate, nor Alec, as she was a annoyed with him also for his part in ruining their evening, Sulpicia took her daughter by the hand and walked away to join the rest of the coven.

Aro almost felt bad for over reacting, not that he thought he had, but clearly Sully did and that was enough to have Aro question his actions. Almost. But then he heard Alec say, 'Didn't hurt anyway', and he felt his hackles rising again.

Crack!

"I bet your attitude finishes before I do," Aro warned the sobbing boy sternly. _Didn't hurt, huh?_ "Are you going to carry on?"

Alec didn't reply, instead he took his father's hand just so he couldn't smack him again and they walked on to join everyone else.

When the Volturi crew reached the sleepy village, (they didn't know its name, and no one had thought it important to find out) the vampires separated. The plan was to hit the villagers at the same time. That way they could all enjoy the element of surprise and they wouldn't lose any potential victims trying to flee.

"Are you ready?" Aro asked his youngest pair.

Jane smiled delightedly as they approached the first house, Alec merely scowled. Sulpicia didn't look much more impressed with her mate, either.

 _Damage limitation!_ Aro thought. He didn't want to spend the whole night arguing with Sully - arguing the day away had been quite enough.

"Come on, son," Aro said pulling Alec in close. "Let's draw a line under the unpleasantness, I don't get to do much with you and your sister - I want to enjoy tonight, don't you?"

Alec might have continued to scowl and carry a grudge had he not caught Jane's pleading expression first. Jane was the only person in the world that could change Alec's mind on such matters.

"Aro," Sulpicia prompted her mate to continue trying with their baby vampire.

Aro sighed. "How about a peace offering?" he said sweetly. "I'll hold your cloak when you feed. Only when you feed, mind. You have to wear it while we play with the humans."

"Okay," Alec eventually replied.

Jane and Alec bounded up to the door of the house they were near and started knocking frantically. It didn't take long for a kindly looking older lady to answer. The oldest people the twins had any dealings with on a daily basis were Magnus and Freyr, or Basileus and Atia, so the doddering little woman came as a surprise to the pair.

"Are you lost, child?" the woman asked when neither of them spoke to her.

"No," Jane answered with an enchanting smile, "we're not lost."

"What do you want?" An old man joined the woman at the door. He didn't seem nearly so kind as his wife. "What business do you have disturbing honest people at this time of night?!"

"We're here to show you our tricks," Jane replied sweetly.

Aro and Sulpicia watched their children 'play' with the human pair, both fixating their gifts on the old man to see whose was stronger.

It didn't take long for Jane to rise victorious. It wasn't so much that Jane's gift was stronger, as she claimed, more that Alec's dispersed around its victims whereas Jane's focused inside. On a larger subject, like a group, Alec always won. Claiming her kill, Jane set to work blasting the old man with her power, enjoying the practice.

"Do you think we should be worried about her?" Sulpicia asked her mate quietly as she watched her daughter taking great delight from using her menacing gift on the poor unsuspecting human she had ensnared. "She's like a cat playing with a mouse."

"Jane's the only one I don't worry about," Aro muttered, trying to see if he could spot Felix or Demetri in the crowd.

"Go ahead, run," Alec told the old lady as she attempted to flee the demonic children, hobbling away from her home and into the darkness. "It's more fun for us."

"Alec," Aro admonished his boy lightly. "Don't play with your food," he said with a playful smile.

"Bring that cape here, Alec!" Sulpicia called, but it was too late, Alec had thrown his cape to the muddied ground and dive bombed the old lady for his midnight feast. "I'll never get that clean now!"

Magnus wasn't enjoying the night as much as he'd hoped he would. Demetri was being good as gold, but Felix was in danger of tripping over his lip his mouth was that big! Gobbing off at the guards was bad enough, but Magnus had warned the boy that the moment he turned that acidic tongue on him would be home time.

Deciding to take a break from the screaming humans, Magnus had made himself a seat on a water trough a little away from the action. Or so he had thought, until Caius and Dora came tumbling out of a small homestead a few meters from him. Magnus didn't think it was sexual, but there was something about the way their entwined bodies with the human host between them as they drank their fill that made him feel uncomfortable as an observer.

"They always used to feed like that," Basileus said as he joined Magnus in observing the younger couple. "At least they aren't fucking the poor thing to death."

The creator had witnessed Caius and Dora just doing just that with their kills back in the early days of the Volturi. As he watched the pair feed and laugh playfully with one another, Basileus couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia that came over him. _It's like the clock has been reset_ , he thought, wondering for the first time if Caius and Dora truly were capable of real change. Not by becoming new versions of themselves, but my going back to a previous version instead. _They are still a pair of vicious bastards, but the cruelty has gone. That's how they were when we met them._

"So…" Magnus breezed, "are you going to get off his back about work?"

He had heard from Freyr, who had been told by Atia, that Basileus was still uncomfortable with the non-working Caius situation.

"I've hardly been on his back, Magnus," Basileus replied, coming back from his trip down memory lane. "But I want him back to work. We're doing well at the moment; the coven is stable. I won't risk a 'bored Caius' destabilising things."

"He's not bored. You worry too much," Magnus said dismissively. He might not have been so bold if he didn't already know Atia thought exactly the same.

Basileus cast a sideways glance in the Juggernauts direction, but he didn't comment on what he had said. He knew it was true, at least partly. "Why are you so concerned, Magnus?" Basileus asked. "Why are you supporting Caius so much?"

"He reminds me of someone I used to know," Magnus said cryptically. "Someone I should have supported but I failed them."

Before Basileus could snoop inside Magnus' head, Magnus changed direction. "The real question is why aren't _you_ supporting Caius? You know how hard he's trying to make big changes and you seem intent on sending him back to his old way."

 _Okay, you are pushing it now, my friend!_ Basileus thought, though Magnus' distraction certainly worked. "I have my own sons to support," Basileus replied, cursing himself for how weak it sounded.

"I'm sure you could pull back with them and add Caius into the fold," Magnus suggested. "You know you baby Carlisle, we've talked about it before."

They had, many times. Magnus was one of the few who mostly agreed with the way Basileus considered his youngest son of needing more attention than a typical man of his age. But he also said Carlisle would never progress until Basileus gave Carlisle room to grow.

"Caius and I don't have the relationship… he wouldn't take support from me…" Basileus trailed off. What he said was true, but the real reason he was still so reticent with approaching Caius was because of the emotional hangover he was in after Lucius.

Magnus didn't push any further, he could feel Basileus felt regretful, and he knew how much of his life he devoted to his sons - the creator didn't really have time for supporting Caius, too. Magnus understood that. At the same time, Magnus had put in a lot of work with the younger master, Athenodora too, and he wasn't going to let that work go to waste, not even for Basileus' sensibilities.

"You could find something else for Caius to do, Basileus. Some other type of work. Keep him off the dungeon blood?"

Basileus noticed the emotional shift in Magnus as he spoke. His emphatic gift was no match for the Juggernaut's, but the shift was so sharp that Basileus felt it. When Magnus mentioned the dungeon blood he became concerned, but also a little angry. _Angry concern,_ Basileus mused. _That's protective,_ he surmised.

"I assume by the look on your face that you have an idea?" Basileus replied, opening the floor for Magnus to proceed.

"Before Lucius," Magnus said gently, he didn't want to piss the creator off before he had tried to help Caius. "Caius had been doing some experiments for you, hadn't he?"

"One or two, yes," Basileus said, nodding thoughtfully. "You think he would like to continue in that direction?"

When Magnus merely nodded in reply, Basileus pushed for details - he wanted to know whether it was Caius' idea or Magnus'. "Has he said as such?"

Magnus shrugged. "Call it intuition."

 _Definitely your idea,_ Basileus thought correctly, not that it gave the idea less validity. If anything it gave Basileus a little more hope. _If you are suggesting this, my friend,_ he thought, _you can be the one to police it should Caius fail._

An ear-piercing wail broke Basileus' train of though. "What is that row?!"

Felix drunkenly staggered through the town, dragging behind him the poor wretch of a human who had foolishly tried to fight the boy. With his fore and middle finger gripped tightly into the eye sockets, and a thumb hooked around the top teeth, like he was holding a bowling ball, Felix pulled the flailing body along the main path through the small village like a cave man with his kill. Only the human wasn't his kill as the poor sod was still very much alive. Alive, in agonising pain, and attracting a lot of attention with his anguished cries.

"I believe you're up, my friend," Basileus said, slapping a hand on the Juggernaut's shoulder.

Magnus offered the creator a sideways glance. "He's your grandson," he pointed out.

"True, true," Basileus agreed. "But your mate decided you were to look after him and I would never argue with the shield maiden."

Heaving himself to his feet, Magnus started stalking towards Felix. "Felix!" he bellowed across the green. "Kill the damn thing and have done with it!"

Felix looked up hearing Magnus call him, but rather than killing his blood host, he simply fell over the poor creature instead, and then threw up the congealed mix of blood and alcohol from the pit of his stomach.

"How much have you drunk?" Magnus asked, still a good way away from the boy.

"I have no idea - I am a drunk, not a fucking accountant."

Felix found himself hysterical and was laughing so hard that he stopped breathing and ended up doing a sort of noiseless contortion over his own joke. Felix was most definitely his father's son.

"Aye, you went too far, young one," Magnus said to himself as he started clomping through the mud to get to the boy. "Game over!" he announced to one and all.

Before Magnus could make it to Felix, Felix disappeared into the undergrowth chasing a young human woman attempting to flee the doomed village. Magnus could well imagine what Felix would be up to under the cover of darkness with the poor woman and took his time getting to him. He rounded up guards as he went bringing an end to the Volturi Halloween festival.

…

Eleazar, Carmen, and Carlisle had run at full speed from the moment they left the ball and they didn't stop until they arrived at the grounds of a large manor house in the southern state of Savoy. Carlisle had been insistent that they were in fact in France, which Carmen agreed with - she should know, they felt, as the manor house they stood before was the one she had been taken from by the Volturi ten years or so earlier. Eleazar's geography was better than theirs, however, or rather, more up to date and he knew where they were.

"Does it matter?!" he blustered, bored of arguing, particularly with Carlisle. "I know where we are," he said, "and if you are insistent I am wrong, feel free to ask Dad when we get back."

Yeah, that shut Carlisle up. He wasn't one hundred percent sure he should be in France, or Savoy, or anywhere other than Volterra really.

Happy that he had ended the argument, Eleazar turned to his mate and cupped her soft face with his hands "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

He had checked at least a dozen times during their journey, and countless times over the last few months since Carmen had spoken of her desire to visit her former home. Visit may be misleading actually - this was not a social call.

Carmen's eyes glisten in the moon light as she looked up to her mate. She wasn't excited, as such, more alive with anticipation. This night had been ten years in the making and yes, she was sure.

"More than anything," she told him.

Kissing the top of her head, Eleazar enveloped his mate in his arms and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"I wish you'd let me come in there with you," he whispered, making the moment as private as it could be with Carlisle stood nearby.

Eleazar knew Carmen's plans - in, out, kill her former human master and free any current slaves. It was beautiful in its simplicity. He wasn't worried about Carmen's capabilities to fight her way out of trouble. At least not with humans. But it felt so very wrong to Eleazar to let his mate go off into the unknown without him. Though anyone who knew the pair would know he had little say in the matter.

"I'll call if I need your assistance, my love," Carmen told him whilst she tried to untangle herself from Eleazar's hold.

Carlisle huffed at their giggling and Carmen's half-hearted fight for freedom. "Don't worry about me playing third wheel."

"You have the bags of money to give the slaves we free," Carmen said, jabbing the bag of coin her brother in law held. "You're an integral part of the plan, Carlisle."

It was a bullshit job and Carlisle knew it but before he could say so Carmen was already scaling the manor house wall and heading to the master suite.

Eleazar gave his sulking brother a nudge to get his attention. "Quit complaining," he told Carlisle. "You had nothing better to do."

It was true, Carlisle didn't have anything better to do. He had planned on staying home for Halloween, getting some reading done, maybe even tidy his quarters. When Eleazar had offered an illicit trip to aid Carmen's revenge, Carlisle had jumped at the chance. It sounded far more interesting than the plans he had made. Although, now he was stood there in the cold with mud seeping into his boots, Carlisle wasn't sure he'd made the right choice after all.

"I'm just hoping we don't get in any trouble for this, that's all," Carlisle said, shivering.

Vampire's may not be at risk of death, or even ill health in freezing conditions, but they felt temperatures the same as any human would and Carlisle was freezing his bollocks off!

"What do you mean?" Eleazar asked with his head cocked to one side. "Get in trouble?" he repeated, as though such a premise it made no sense to him.

Carlisle returned the same confused expression, for to him the premise not only made sense, but it bit him on the ass with a disturbing regularity. "For leaving the castle," he said, adding a sullen, 'obviously', to himself.

"Carlisle, I leave the castle whenever I want," Eleazar explained, throwing an arm around his brother's shoulders. "It's a coven, not a prison."

Leaning into Eleazar for warmth, Carlisle looked up to his big brother and raised an eyebrow to his comment. "Some of us don't get to live such freedoms, brother."

Eleazar chuckled, his laughter shaking them both a little. "That's because you choose to leave the castle with Felix, who is a child, to do childish things."

"So you think it will be okay with Dad that I am out with you?"

That was new. Carlisle had never considered that he could get a free pass down to the company he kept. Not that he was pleased by the idea - he should be trusted on his own merit, not by the merit of whoever he was out with.

Eleazar didn't need his father's gift to know what Carlisle would be thinking. His brother's thoughts, he correctly assumed, were fixated on how unfair their father was in the differentiated way he treated his sons.

"Stop hanging around with our nephews and grow up and he will treat you like an adult," Eleazar said quietly. "It's quite simple. Basileus is a reasonable man."

"I'm trying!" Carlisle complained.

"Yes, you try for a while, don't get instant results with our father, and fling yourself off the rails and back to square one."

Oh how Carlisle wished he could object. He wished it with every fibre of his being, but his brother was right. Although, standing there in the dark, the cold, the boredom of waiting for his sister in law to get through doing… whatever she was doing, all he could focus on was how much more fun it was hanging out with Felix. Staring up at the top floor window where his sister in law had disappeared, Carlisle thought bitterly: _even Carmen will be having more fun than me!_

Carmen took her time looking around her old master's bed chamber. She had been there many times as a human, but she felt as though she were seeing the room for the very first time. Of course, as a human, Carmen's visit to the master's suite had been brutish and the preoccupation then had been lessening her suffering, not taking in the surroundings. As she silently moved around, comparing the squalidness of the human high life compared to the opulent home she had in Volterra, Carmen was struck mostly by the smell. Humans really stink!

The source of that stench was there in the bed - Carmen's old master, the man of the manor. The fat, ugly, sweating pestilence of a man snored like a wild boar, as though the very effort of breathing was too much for a man of his standing to have to lower himself to do. Indeed, were it possible for the master to have someone else do his breathing, no doubt he would have shunted the duty to some poor slave in his manor.

After a vampire had turned, human memories may remain, but they often lose their vividness. Something is always missing from the memory; like looking into a room through a murky pane of glass, or a dream state, there was always something not quite visible, something out of reach.

Carmen knew her master had made her pregnant many times, though she knew not the exact number. She knew she had birthed live children, but knew neither how many or what happened to them. She could remember the wretched, grieving pain that tortured her human life with far more veracity than any physical pain that grunting cretin of a man could have inflicted on her.

Only a single candle lit the room. It was enough for Carmen to see perfectly but it wouldn't be enough for a humans vision. Taking the flame, she gave light to every candle she could find, and then went to sit by the human in the bed.

 _I could just kill him now,_ Carmen mused. _No, I want you to know it was me._

It took some shaking to rouse the man. He had fallen to his slumber with the help of a few bottles of wine so when he did wake, his vision was doubled. Carmen waited, she had time.

Finally focusing his sight, the master looked Carmen up and down. At first, he thought her to be the whore he had gone to bed with, but no whore he had knowledge of possessed such beauty. There was something familiar about the woman, though.

"Do I know you?" If she was a woman he had known he would want to know her again, and soon!

"Think about it," Carmen breezed, shaking out her raven hair.

When the master continued to squint his piggy eyes at her, Carmen couldn't help but laugh. It was a hollow chuckle, without a fraction of humour behind it. _In all the years I served you in this bed, you have never spent so long looking at my face,_ she thought.

"It will come to you," she encouraged him. "I can see why you might find it hard to place me. For you and your friends I was just something to play with. It's a little harder for me to forget, but then you gave me so much more to remember."

Her voice broke as she spoke, and she cursed her damn emotions. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of her pain. Not that the master had noticed anyway. It wasn't that he was particularly unobservant, more that he couldn't have cared less for a woman's pain, or otherwise.

"You were one of my slaves, make that, one of my runaways."

The master had no idea of the danger he was in. His sneering tone, the way he spat 'runaway' as though it were even less than a slave, the lowest one could be… Carmen was already going to kill him, there was no doubt about that, but that sneer sealed the masters fate and now he would certainly suffer in death. Not that any suffering Carmen could offer the contemptuous man would come close to the pain she had suffered at his hands, but she would give it her best shot.

"I didn't run," Carmen explained simply. "I was taken and delivered into a better life."

"Taken or not you are my property!" the master said as he made to stand from his bed.

He attempted to push Carmen aside like the worthless scum he thought her to be. When Carmen didn't move, nor even flinch at his forceful gesture, the master's face screwed up in pure fury. "What in damnation are you?!"

Carmen smiled at the master. It was like a spell had been cast over him and he melted with her charms. As she moved forward he lay down onto his back. When she straddled his crotch, the master's erection was already solid and begging for release.

"I died," she told him, still smiling that enchanting smile. "I recovered pretty well from it."

Had the master been concentrating on her words, he might have caught the danger he was in, but again, he rarely listened to the waffling of women. There was only one good use for a woman's mouth that he knew of and it had nothing to do with talking.

Carmen searched the masters clothes for entrance. Once he realised what she was doing, the master ripped his own clothes from his body. The sweat that laced his body stung Carmen's nose and she very nearly quit her plan and ripped his throat out instead. _No, you need to feel this,_ she thought.

Taking his throbbing hard-on in one hand, and his clammy balls in another, Carmen made sure she had a good grip - she didn't want to mess this up.

The master writhed beneath her, desperate for release. "Get on with it woman!" he called. That was to be the final nail in the master's coffin.

Without warning, Carmen tore the appendage free from its owner.

Time seemed to slow right down. For a moment, there was silence. No reaction at all as though time had stopped completely. And then came the fountain of blood. It erupted from the site of the wound, covering Carmen and the master indiscriminately. And then came the noise. The guttural roar, followed by the anguished wail.

"I don't think you will recover from that," Carmen said happily, soaking up the roar of his pain. Even the call of human blood held no power over Carmen at that moment. _Justice!_ she thought. _Finally._

…

Aro stood at the foot of Felix' bed for the fourth time that day. The whole room stank to the high heavens of stale ale and blood. The bed sheets, complete with crusted vomit clung to the boy. It was a sorry sight. He pulled open the wooden shutters and flung open the window, flooding the room with light and a cool breeze that would carry away some of the stagnant air.

Felix rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. "Morning," he grunted in greeting, knowing only his father could be so cruel as to wake him at the crack of dawn after a session.

"Try, afternoon," Aro corrected. "Late afternoon." He stripped the sheets from his son's bed and dumped them on the floor. "You need to bathe, now."

Felix wasn't sure whether that was friendly advice or an order. Aro sounded way to calm, but he looked furious. _Bad combination,_ Felix thought.

"What happened last night, Dad?" he asked. "Why do you look so pissed off with me?"

"Aha," Aro bobbed his head to himself. "Memory impairment. The free prize for all at the bottom of every bottle of stolen whiskey."

 _Stolen whiskey?!_ Felix winced. Even his internal dialogue was too loud for the boys aching head. Worse than that, the night's antics were all coming back to him now and Felix knew he was well and truly fucked.

Chancing a brief backwards glance to his father, Felix gulped and headed straight for the bathroom. A bit of space between him and his dad wouldn't be a bad idea.

He took his sweet ass time cleaning himself up, and in the end his stalling only pissed Aro of further when he had to fetch Felix from the bathroom himself. They bypassed Felix' bedroom, the lingering stale air still offended Aro, and headed for the main living chamber instead. It was a large, open room, well-lit by the windows lining opposite walls.

Aro wasn't sure where to direct his boy. Although Carlisle had been in his own chambers for eight months, they were still Spartan in appearance. He had preferred to spend the allowance his father gave him on fine clothes and alcohol rather than furniture. There were a couple of chairs, and a sofa or two crowded around the fire place, but they didn't look sturdy enough to take the weight of Felix thrashing about.

Basileus had brought Carlisle a solid desk, much like his own. _That will have to do,_ Aro thought, steering Felix towards the site of his coming doom.

As soon as Felix realised what was going on, he started to resist. Not that Aro cared, he sat on the desk and watched as Felix tried to talk him out of the inevitable. After a few too many 'it wasn't my fault's', Aro held up a hand for silence and pointed at the spot in front of him for Felix to stand.

"I do believe Magnus told you not to drink last night, which you translated to stealing a bottle of his whiskey from his personal stores in the guard hall."

Felix folded his arms across his bare chest, having only had time to put on a pair of shorts before Aro had ordered him out of the bathroom. "What's it got to do with Magnus?" he asked sullenly.

That was his first mistake.

"Well, for one," Aro replied through gritted teeth, clouting Felix as he spoke…

"Ow!"

"Magnus is a master of this coven and he gave you an order - you have to follow those orders. For another," he clouted the boy again.

"OW!"

Even Aro had to admit that one came sharp. "The whole event had to be cut short because of your actions, Felix."

Felix rubbed at his aching head. "I wasn't that bad," he grumbled.

"Oh yes you were!" Aro nearly choked on his words they came so quickly in reply. Astonished by his son's lack of accountability, he summarised for the boy: "Last night was supposed to be a bit of fun and you have ruined it for everyone. Basileus has decreed we won't be doing it again. The guards are furious. Your mother is ashamed of you. Need I go on?"

"No, but I bet you fucking will."

Okay, so it was a stupid thing to say under the circumstances, but Felix, being Felix, didn't think that until after he'd spoken the words aloud.

Aro flew to his feet with a thunderous roar that had Felix drop to the floor, cowering.

"Do you want to say that again?!" he bellowed to the boy at his feet.

Felix scrubbed a hand across his tired eyes. "No, sir," he eventually replied.

His head was killing already and all he could think about was his own self-pity, there was no remorse to his tone whatsoever. Aro had to hold himself back from just battering the little fucker and having done with it.

"Explain to me…" Aro stopped himself and inhaled deeply, allowing the unneeded air to calm his core before starting again. "Explain to me where your head was at when you decided that after drawing attention to our whole group with that wailing human, you thought it was a good time to find another human to go and fuck in a bush?!"

Felix stayed on the floor. He had his legs crossed and his head in his hands wishing his old man would shut the fuck up so he could go back to bed and sleep of the awful hang over. When he realised Aro was waiting on him for a response, Felix, foolishly, decided to try comedy to diffuse the situation.

"One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb," he said, smirking. "You can't kill me twice."

"You had better have a damn good follow up to that line, boy!" Aro roared.

 _Okay, you don't find it funny!_ Felix thought. If he were a sensible boy, he might have demonstrated some contrition, as it was he wasn't, and he felt none.

"What did you expect, dad?!" Felix snapped back. "You banned me from the first event, you chucked me out at half time on the third one. So I went a little crazy last night, what's the big deal?"

"That's what you're going with?" Aro checked, rolling his tongue around his cheek and wishing he'd let Magnus whip the little sod the night before to have saved himself the job.

Felix glared back petulantly, still believing he hadn't been that bad, under the circumstances.

"Get up."

It was a simple instruction; one Felix would certainly have complied with if he hadn't heard the tell-tale sound of a metal buckle being un-clasped.

"What are you going to do?" Felix asked, not daring to move, eyes focused on his father's hands as they played with that buckle.

Aro sighed. He was a little hung over himself and he would much rather be doing just about anything than thrashing his son, again.

"What do you think?" he said, sighing again. "You haven't left me much choice, have you?"

"But you aren't angry," Felix said, his nerves betraying his voice.

"You honestly think I'm not angry at the way you behaved last night?" Aro asked, flabbergasted. "Are you kidding me?!"

Felix wasn't afraid of Aro, not really. There were times he truly feared his father's vengeance, but in his heart, he knew Aro would never hurt him. Punish him, yes, and that hurt, but he knew Aro wouldn't do anything irreparable.

There were a few things, however, that Felix found excruciatingly painful that had nothing to do with any physical pain, and he struggled to come to terms with those things happenings to him. One was the dreaded childish punishment Aro inflicted on his boy occasionally to cut Felix down to size. He couldn't say the word, not even to himself, not even in thought, but being s-p-a-n-k-e-d was a hideous punishment even though it was certainly less painful than the belt Aro was offering. The other thing was, 'calm Aro'… Felix didn't cope well when it was calm Aro punishing him rather than 'crazily angry Aro'.

Crazily angry Aro was easier to deal with in Felix' mind - he didn't feel like he was backing down or losing face because just about anyone in their world would submit to crazy angry Aro - he's the vampire king, for fuck's sake! But when faced with calm Aro, one not offering threats of weird and wonderful repercussions, one not dragging him about or manhandling him into position - that required Felix to submit himself for punishment and it was something he just couldn't do willingly. It ate him up inside.

"You aren't raging though…" Felix didn't want to explain how he really felt on the matter. He knew Aro too well after all their years together and it would just become something else his father would use against him. "Do we really have to do this? I'm sorry, Dad. Isn't that enough?"

Aro looked set to repeat Felix' list of offences and Felix knew that would do him no good at all. "Ground me then!" he threw out as a compromise.

"You are grounded," Aro stated, whipping the belt from around his waist and doubling in over in his hand. "Get up now and save yourself some pain."

Aro stood there with his belt in his hand, waiting for his son to comply, and Felix was done. His throat felt tight and it was hard to swallow. Had he not been so hungover, he would have argued until crazily angry Aro came out to play and then they would have got on with the show. But he was just too damn tired to even try. Rising to his feet, he met his Dad's eye with a final beseeching look, but it didn't help. Aro just nodded to the end of the desk.

…

Aro fixed his belt back in position and watched his boy closely. Felix appeared to be disgusted in himself. "Was that angry enough for you?" Aro asked, as Felix resisted rubbing his stinging behind.

"No," Felix grunted, keeping his eyes on the floor, such was his shame over submitting so easily. "And it WAS weird."

Aro really wasn't sure what Felix meant. "What are you taking about?" he asked, clamping a hand on his boy's neck before Felix had chance to escape.

Reading through his son's thoughts, Aro hit upon an absolute gem of information that he planned to use against his son at every available opportunity. "Very interesting," he said gleefully realising for the first time just how uncomfortable Felix found calm and reasoned punishment.

The methodical and deliberate strikes Aro had offered his son had affected Felix' psyche far more than the usual dance they performed around punishments. Aro was pissed off with his son, pissed off enough to make each strike count, but it wasn't the usual white-hot anger he usually displayed. A calm disappointment. _I wonder if I could manage that every time,_ he thought. He planned to certainly try.

Felix, for his part, knew exactly what Aro would be planning and he wanted to rid himself of the thought a quickly as possible. "Am I really grounded?" he asked, to which Aro simply smiled. "For how long?"

Aro released his son and thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to give the boy a time limit - mainly because he knew the idea of 'indefinite' pissed Felix off more and he wanted him to be pissed off after he ruined his Halloween.

"If you are lucky you will be allowed out for Christmas."

"Dad!" Felix shot out.

"Careful, son." Aro clasped a hand back to his belt buckle. "I'm really calm now, think how awkward that would be."

Felix felt his empty stomach churn, _fucking horrendous,_ he thought.

Aro clapped his sons shoulder. "I'm serious, son. You were a nightmare last night. You are grounded."

"I was supposed to be a nightmare," Felix muttered. "It was Halloween and I'm a vampire."

"Getting cocky with me is not advisable."

Aro felt a stir of anger over Felix' comment but one look at Felix' face and Aro realised that would be just what he wanted. _Yes, you may have submitted but a row with me will wash that shame away for you, won't it, son? No chance._

"I do believe your mother told you to clean your room yesterday," Aro sang out. He knew the only way to keep the upper hand with Felix was to keep the hold of the power. That meant he couldn't let his anger flare now.

"If she wants it clean so badly," Felix mumbled, "she can clean it herself."

Aro didn't respond verbally, he didn't trust himself not to break the calm that was bothering Felix so much. Instead he plastered on that forced happy smile and led his son back to his bedroom.

"Half that mess is Demetri's," Felix complained as he stalled at the door when he saw the shit tip that was their shared bedroom.

"Do I look interested in your excuses?" Aro shoved Felix hard in his back to get the boy into the room. "You've been vile to your brother for months, years! I think tidying up for him would be a good start in making amends."

Slipping that dig in really didn't help Felix' feelings on either cleaning his bedroom or his little brother.

Chuntering about making sure Demetri paid him back one way or another, Felix woodenly got on with the task at hand, rubbing his stinging ass as he went. When he looked back and spotted Aro still standing at the door he jumped, having fully expected his father to have gone by then.

"Are you just going to stand and watch?" Felix snapped.

"Pretty much," Aro smirked.

Truthfully, Aro didn't really have a choice. He and Sulpicia had spent the morning bickering about their children - each blaming the other for the problems that were arising with the four of them. Aro had thought he should give his mate a wide berth for a while when she had ended their argument with 'fine'. (So he was learning.)

When Felix continued to mutter, and Aro caught drift of what he was saying about Demetri, Aro decided to light a fire under his son's ass.

"By the way, that hiding was for ruining Halloween, you can expect another one when I think you're over it for your attitude."

"What?!" Felix shot out, hurting his own aching head with the force of his reply. "That's not fair! You can't do that! You never did that before and I have been way worse than I was last night."

Carlisle, just arriving home from his night away with Eleazar and Carmen, followed the sound of Felix' outrage to the boys' room.

"What's going on?" he asked, having stumbled upon the stand-off between father and son.

"Your nephew made an absolute cock of himself last night and earned himself a hiding," Aro explained. "Now he's going to clean the cesspit of a bedroom he's confined to."

Carlisle bit into his bottom lip, wishing he hadn't asked and looked apologetically to Felix.

Felix scowled at his father. "Is anything private?!"

"I'd get cleaning if I were you in the hope that you can change my mind with good behaviour," Aro crooned.

He knew Felix could go either way at that point, he could back down and get on with cleaning his room as instructed, or he could blow up for a row to make himself feel better… Carlisle being there would push Felix into going for the row, Aro knew that, so he added a final threat to keep Felix down.

"Especially considering as you have yet to face Magnus."

"I faced Magnus last night!" Felix whined. _Mean old bastard nearly took my head off my shoulders when I came out the woods. And everyone laughed_ , he remembered bitterly.

"Not for stealing his whiskey you didn't," Aro happily reminded his boy. "We only found out about that after you had thrown up the contents of your stomach and passed out."

Aro waited, watching Felix having an internal war with himself. It didn't last long. Felix was sore from Aro's belt already, let alone the prospect of facing him again. Add to that the idea of Magnus taking a turn and Felix was done. Silently he turned and started to collect the discarded clothes that littered the floor, he didn't even comment on the fact that most of them were his brothers.

Once he was sure Felix had backed down, Aro pulled Carlisle aside. "How can you stand their room to look like that?"

Carlisle shrugged, he didn't see what business it was of his how the boys kept their room. "It's their room, why would it bother me?"

Aro cast his eyes to the heavens. "It's in your apartment - it's a reflection on you, too," Aro told him,

Carlisle shrugged again, he didn't feel it reflected on him at all, actually. "I assumed they would tidy it up when it bothered them."

Aro had to laugh. "Teenagers are perfectly happy to live in complete squalor, and giving them free rein over if they tidy or not generally means they just won't bother."

Just as Carlisle was thinking how very much like their mother Aro sounded, with his unreasonable demands for a clean and tidy home, (particularly when it wasn't even _his_ bloody home!) Aro threw another curve ball at him.

"Felix is confined to your quarters for the time being."

"Why are you saying it like that?" Carlisle asked, assuming Aro was trying to make a point though he was missing it entirely.

"Because," Aro drawled, as though he were speaking to Alec. "He is living with you, so I expect you to supervise him when he's here."

"Me?" _I can't control Felix!_ He thought, though chose to verbalise that thought as a question to make him sound less weak. "How am I supposed to keep him here?"

"I tell him to stay," Aro said simply. "Should he leave, and you find out, you tell me, and I will deal with him."

Carlisle's face screwed up, that sounded decidedly like grassing on his nephew to Carlisle, and no way was he going down that road. "I'm not doing that. I'm not a grass."

"Not a grass?" Aro spat. _You are spending far too much time with my sons._ "Yes, Carlisle, you are doing that," Aro returned. "You wanted my sons to stay with you - this is part of the package."

Aro walked away, leaving his bewildered brother behind him.

"Well there's some fine print!" Carlisle eventually replied, having failed to come up with an argument in defence.

Aro bobbed his head. "And here's some more - if you fuck it up, Basileus will be pissed with you. I'll make sure he is."

As if on cue, the creator's booming voice arrived in Carlisle's suite quickly followed by the man himself. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Aha," Aro said, smiling wickedly to his baby brother. "You have pissed him off all on your own, again."

"I popped to France," Carlisle explained quietly. _I knew I would get in trouble for this!_ he thought. _Fucking Eleazar!_

Basileus thought he must have misheard. "You popped to France?!" he repeated with an odd expression. "How do you pop to another damn country?!" before Carlisle could answer, he realised his father's questioning was rhetorical when the man carried on. "You didn't think to ask me?"

 _That one requires an answer,_ Carlisle thought. "Why should I have to ask? Eleazar and Carmen went, too, and they didn't ask."

Basileus' eyes widened, and he backed up to the open doorway. "ELEAZAR!" he roared up the stairwell to the higher floor.

It took only moments for the eldest Volturi brother join them, looking vaguely confused as to what the problem could be.

"What the hell do you think you are playing at?!" Basileus asked him as soon as he was in sight.

Eleazar looked to his brothers and wondered for a moment if they had plotted something to bring him strife with their father. When Carlisle and Aro weren't forthcoming, Eleazar turned back to Basileus. "What did I do?!"

"You," Basileus said, jabbing a finger in his eldest son's chest, "took him to France and didn't think to tell me your plans?!" The him was of course Carlisle.

"So I have to ask, and he just has to tell?" Carlisle muttered, feeling most put out.

"I'll get to you, Carlisle," Basileus told him sharply.

Carlisle took a step backwards into the wall. "No rush."

We didn't go to France, we went to Savoy… it's not quite as far as France." Eleazar smiled softly to his father, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Since when do I need permission to leave the castle?"

"You don't," Basileus agreed. "He does." Again, the he was Carlisle.

"Why does he, Dad?" Eleazar asked. There was a calmness to Eleazar that radiated around the room. It reached everyone except Carlisle.

"Yeah," Carlisle said, jutting his chin with a sense of bravado. "Why does I?" repeated Eleazar's phrasing.

"Do I, brother," Aro corrected Carlisle with a playful shove.

"I know," Carlisle shoved him back. "Shut up, Aro."

"He's twenty-three, Dad," Eleazar told his father. "Stop treating him like an infant."

"Oh, El," Aro shook his head, laughing lightly to himself. "It was so nice knowing you, brother."

"Shut up, Aro!" Eleazar snapped. "I'm serious, Dad. You treat Carlisle like a teenager and you are surprised when he acts like one. If you treated him like the adult he is he would act like one."

"Eleazar, I have no issue with you going about your business as you see fit," Basileus explained. He really didn't have an issue with what his eldest did - Eleazar was sensible to a fault, in his eyes. "But if you want to take your brother with you then you check with me first, got it!?"

"Totally fucking ridiculous," Carlisle muttered.

Basileus caught his words and, by return, Carlisle caught the back of Basileus' hand across his errant mouth.

Magnus arrived just in time to see the resounded crack and Carlisle's following hiss. "Bad time?" he asked, ducking as he came through the open doorway.

Aro could barely keep his giggles stifled. _This is brilliant!_ he thought. In typical sibling fashion, even adult sibling fashion, Aro found it funny as fuck when his brothers were coping their father's wrath, and Magnus being present for it only compounded his glee.

"It was something Carmen had to do, and I had to be with her. I didn't want to leave Carlisle here alone…" Eleazar explained, stopping when he saw his brother's face drop.

 _So you were babysitting me?!_ Carlisle thought dejectedly.

"Dad," Eleazar said carefully, pulling his father away the small gathering. "Just look, will you?" Eleazar tapped his temple and Basileus understood.

The creator wore his surprise on his face as he relived the night before through Eleazar's eyes. He had to admit, he was impressed with Carmen. Basileus knew his daughter in law had fire in her belly but to take out the head of her previous household, and to insist on doing it alone… yes, he was impressed. There was something else, though. Concern. Carmen had been with them for years and never had she expressed a wish for such revenge, not that Basileus knew of anyway. _I wonder if Atia knew?_ He was sorely tempted to ask his mate about the matter but decided against it knowing the grief it would lead to from Atia about how little involvement he had with his daughters in law.

"Why didn't you talk to me about it, El?"

"Some things are between a man and his mate, Dad," Eleazar explained. That was all that needed to be said to close the case - any married man knew that. "Carlisle was with me, I didn't think it was such a big deal…"

Basileus looked back to his youngest son. Felix had joined him at some point, and the two of them looked more of an age than Carlisle did to Aro on his other side. "I'll decide if it's a big deal."

Magnus conspicuously shook his head to the creator. "You have got to give him space to grow, Basileus," he said quietly. "It's what we talked about…"

"You've been talking about me?!" Carlisle interrupted, feeling a flush of shame that his private dealing with his father were up for discussion.

"Yes," Basileus replied. "About, not to." Turning back to Eleazar, he heaved a heavy breath. His sons were home and they were safe, that's all that really mattered.

"I ask that you tell me next time something like this comes up, Eleazar. Coming back to an empty tower was… We're done here." Basileus didn't say what he really felt, what had really sent him into a rage in the first place. Instead he turned to Magnus. "You need me?" he asked.

"Nope," Magnus breezed, eyes locked on Felix hiding behind Carlisle.

"Halloween sucks," Felix whispered to his uncle.

Carlisle huffed loudly. "You're telling me!" he said, though he did wait until Basileus had taken his leave.

Aro joined Magnus and Eleazar, both brothers hoping to get some information from the Juggernaut. "You seem to know what that was really about, Magnus," Aro said. "Are you going to enlighten us at all?"

Magnus glanced over his shoulder to check Basileus was really gone. "Your old man thought the three of you had done a bunk," he told Eleazar. "Or Carlisle, at least, assuming you and Carmen had gone to track him down."

Eleazar knew his father feared losing any of them, _but all that emotion over a night away from the castle?_ "Why would he think that?"

"Actually, it's not that he _thought that_ …" Magnus wasn't sure how to phrase it. "'He 'worried that' would be more appropriate."

"Maybe, but it would be terrible syntax," Aro mocked.

Eleazar, however, considered the meaning behind Magnus' words. He thought it best to speak to his father about it. Behind his public face, Eleazar knew Basileus was still struggling and Eleazar felt that he owed it to the man to be there for him in any way possible.

"On that note," Magnus said, taking Eleazar's leave as a good moment to press on. "I would like a word with the young one."

"Go right ahead," Aro said happily, extending his arm to point out Felix hiding behind Carlisle.

"Dad!" Felix complained. "You are seriously going to let Magnus… you know?!"

Aro simply smiled. He knew Magnus better than Felix did and Magnus wouldn't actually punish the boy if Aro already had. Not that he felt the need to share such information with Felix, leaving the boy to stew was far more fun.

"But Dad! I feel so ill," Felix whined for all his worth.

"Those eyes only work on your mother, son," Aro said dismissing the wounded puppy expression Felix was trying to pull. "You aren't ill, you're hungover."

"Dad, please!"

"I wasn't asking his permission, young one," Magnus said. "This is between me and you."

He'd watched the boy squirm long enough and he had a few of his own things to say to the lad. Barely breaking his stride to collect Felix as went, he dragged the miserable youth back to his now clean and tidy bedroom.

Carlisle scowled at Aro's smile. Aro wasn't cruel, but Felix had been a bloody nightmare the night before and he needed bringing back in line. He didn't care who did it - and the more who had an input the better in his mind.

"When they are done in there, you keep him here, understood?" he told his younger brother.

"I'm not one of your guards, Aro," Carlisle said, pushing passed his brother to take a seat by the fire. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Oh don't I?" Aro crooned, dripping with sarcasm and following Carlisle.

"Shall we ask Dad about whether you should support me on this or would you like to avoid another slap?" Aro flicked Carlisle's cheek, right in the spot that still wore Basileus' hand print. "Eleazar just got through sticking his neck out for you claiming you should be treated your age. Can you be an adult about this please?!"

"Fine," Carlisle huffed. He didn't like it, but what else could he do? "I'll keep him here."

Aro watched his brother for a moment. He wished he could just believe Carlisle would do as he had said, but he just couldn't see his brother standing up to Felix. It would be a real test for them both.

"Good choice," he settled on saying. Aro left his brother's chambers to the sound of Magnus giving his eldest son a biblical bollocking.

…

Carlisle waited until Magnus was gone before he ventured into Felix' bedchamber. "You okay?" he called out to the youth, spread eagle on the bed with his head beneath a pillow.

"Did you hear that round of fucks I just got?!" Felix said. His voice was muffled by the pillow, but Carlisle heard him well enough. "No, I'm not okay."

Felix was quite glad Aro had got him to strip and change the bed sheets. It would be nice to die of his hangover and shame in a clean bed, he reasoned.

Carlisle lay down next to Felix, kicking at the boy's legs to free up some space, and pulled the pillow away. "At least Magnus didn't wallop you," he offered helpfully.

"Carlisle, seriously," Felix looked to his uncle with a raised eyebrow. "You are pissing on my misery by being so fucking positive. The only reason he didn't wallop me is because Aro already did a good enough job." _Not that he believed me until he saw the state of my ass, bastard!_ Felix thought, burying his shame with annoyance instead. "Lucky me, eh?! I have to pay Magnus for the whiskey."

"Surely you have enough cash to pay him, what's the problem?"

"I don't have any cash," Felix muttered. "Aro only gave me that allowance to take it off me when I fuck up. And I fuck up a lot. So I hardly ever get it, and when I do I blow it."

Carlisle bounced the pillow off Felix' head. "I'll give you the money to give to Magnus, stop whining."

Felix beamed at his uncle. It was the first nice thing to happen to him that whole day. "You're my favourite uncle, you know?"

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Yeah, until it's a party and only Eleazar can get you drinks, then he's wonder uncle, isn't he?"

Felix didn't deny it, his cheeky grin conveyed everything Carlisle needed to know.

"Fancy coming out tonight?" Felix asked. "I remember talking to few smoking hot human girls and I want to see if they're still alive."

"Sick!" Carlisle spat.

He thought the idea of terrorising the human population was disgusting but as Aro had said, it was only going to be once a year. Hearing Felix talk so casually about the people they had killed offended him. It was just enough to seal Carlisle's resolve and find a way to prove his adulthood to his father and brothers.

"And no, we aren't going out. You're grounded."

Felix scoffed. "Aro isn't going to check in the middle of the night. It will be fine."

"He will," Carlisle answered quickly. "He's told me he will," he lied.

Carlisle knew it was a coward's way out to blame Aro rather than to stand up to Felix, but he figured that everyone expected him to roll over and let Felix do as he liked anyway, so even taking the cowards way out would be an improvement, surely?

"That bastard!" Felix called out, thinking of his deceitful father. "He doesn't trust me?!"

"You were already making plans to go out," Carlisle pointed out.

"He didn't know that though. He just assumed he couldn't trust me."

 _Because he can't trust you!_ Carlisle thought, though he thought better of voicing it. "Be here when he checks and prove him wrong."

"I will!" Felix said resolutely. "I'll show him!"

Carlisle lay back on the bed and cupped his hands behind his head. _Thank god for that. Thank you God._

…

Sulpicia let herself into Felix' bedroom and took a seat on the boy's bed. "I need to talk to you, Felix," she said, sounding very much as though her heart would shatter at any moment.

In the intervening hours between Carlisle convincing Felix to stay home, and Sulpicia arriving, Demetri had returned to his temporary home only to have his brother set in on him in a particularly horrid fashion. It was, for Felix' part, deserved as Felix had had to clean up Demetri's shit for him. On Demetri's part, it had been the straw that broke the camel's back and the boy had sought out his father to tell him to sort Felix out or he was going back to Egypt.

Luckily for everyone involved, Demetri had run into his mother before he'd found his father and Sulpicia had convinced her boy to let her try and diffuse the situation before he made any rash decisions. Not that it was really Demetri's decision - she would never let him leave. Sulpicia didn't tell him that at the time.

"What have I done?" Felix asked. "Whatever it is, Demetri started it."

Hearing her son's name brought tears rushing from Sulpicia's eyes. Felix might have thought himself to be a bit of a lady's man, but he had no idea what to do with a sobbing female he couldn't offer a kiss to.

"Mom, what's wrong?!" he asked, desperately wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"I don't understand what I did wrong with you," she told him through her sobs. "All this fighting with your brother, I just don't understand it."

Felix sighed. _Demetri you fucking snake,_ he thought. "We're just messing around, Mom."

"Are you?" Sulpicia asked, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Of course we are!" Felix insisted. "He's my little brother, I'm supposed to wind him up."

"You aren't winding him up you are upsetting him. You are upsetting me, too."

"Okay, I'll leave him alone." _For fuck's sake,_ he thought. _There's no need for this!_

Sulpicia took her boy's face in both hands. He was such a handsome boy, a man, nearly, but still so childlike. His eyes were young. Even after all he had seen, all he had done, he was still the boy Aro had brought home all those centuries ago. Just as lost, just as likely to screw up the next chance he got.

Sometimes she yearned for a human life where the young would grow and mature, but in her heart, she loved that their vampire babies would be young forever. What she was about to say would upset her boy, but it needed to be done, it was the only way to end this vile back and forth between her sons. _And_ , Sulpicia thought, _it will show Aro my way works, too._

"Felix, you do realise what you are saying when you tell Demetri he isn't Aro's, don't you?"

Felix thought he was just winding Demetri up, sometimes as payback, others for fun. He could see Sulpicia thought more to it though. "Not really…" he answered honestly.

"You are saying that none of you are mine," Sulpicia explained, her voice cracking emotionally for effect. "None of you are my children. I love the four of you so much but none of you have my venom and apparently, to you at least, that means you aren't mine. Even after centuries together… you aren't my son."

Felix' eye grew wide whilst Sulpicia spoke, and when she said he wasn't her son, they damn near popped out of his head.

"I never meant that!" he rushed to say, taking his mother's hands in his own. "That's not what I meant at all!"

Sulpicia pulled her hands away. "But that's what you are saying, son. I mean, Felix."

The quick correction in term from son to his name punched Felix in the guts. "No, no, no," Felix insisted.

Nodding, Sulpicia continued. "The way you have treated me whilst we've been living apart only confirms it to me - you don't think I'm your mother and you aren't my son."

Tears formed in the boy's eyes to match those of his mother. He didn't want to hurt Sulpicia, not ever, not even on those very rare occasions that she had somehow pissed him off, he still worshipped her. _Okay,_ he thought, _so I have been a bit of a dick to my mom lately,_ he remembered. _I didn't mean that either! Fuck!_

"That's not what I'm saying, Mom," he implored. "I love you, you're my mom!"

"Then what are you saying, sweetheart?" Sulpicia asked. She wanted to hear her boy say this business of venom was nonsense.

"I know venom doesn't matter, I do!" Felix insisted. "We're vampires. We choose who is important. Who cares about venom?! I don't care, you're my mom!"

Sulpicia stroked a comforting hand down her son's cheek, wiping away the tears only for fresh ones to replace them. "Are you sure about that, Felix?"

"Yes!" he sobbed. "I'll never use venom against Demetri again, I swear."

"Okay, baby," Sulpicia said, standing from the bed. "And you do love your brother, don't you?"

"I do!" Felix confirmed. "Demetri's my brother, but he's more than that, he's my best friend, too. Of course I love him!"

With one last look to her boy, mainly to check that she had broken through that thick skull of his, Sulpicia left and closed the door behind her.

Demetri, as his mother had instructed, had been waiting in the hall.

"Did you hear that?" Sulpicia asked quietly.

Demetri smiled a little and nodded. He wasn't gleeful over Felix crying or anything, but hearing his brother admit he was talking bollocks meant so much to Demetri's self-worth.

"Stop letting Felix get to you, he doesn't even believe what he says so you definitely shouldn't," Sulpicia told him. She kissed her boy's head gently and left for the night. _The sooner we are all under one roof, the better!_


	120. Christmas

**AN:** So could you tell my husband was doing my head in when I wrote that last chapter? :D he got a few coded words thrown at him. 'Fine', 'wow', and 'nothing' come to mind :D

Guest: Aro has serious ground to make up with the twins and I don't think he realises that yet. To him it's about ending the row with his mate rather than any real self-reflection. Don't worry, we'll drag him kicking and screaming into being a better father eventually.

And yeah, Felix the ultimate perpetual teenager who only engages his brain twenty minutes after he fucks up. Bless him. I can't wait until Emmett's in the story. I can see those two getting up to some seriously daft strife!

Guest: "I don't understand why you go into detail about tortures & stuff, but skip over perfectly good discipline scenes." Do you know what, I didn't realise I was doing that, I'm sorry. I do try to mix things up a bit, to keep myself interested as much as anyone else, but I will be more mindful of what I'm sending off screen. :)

Thank you all for your feedback

Last chapter for this set. We didn't get to see the first Christmas in Volterra, just the recovery, so here's a Merry Christmas for you all :)

* * *

 **CHRISTMAS**

The guards had made good on their promises and the south tower's alterations had reached completion at the beginning of December.

It had taken Sulpicia another couple of weeks to redress their new home and she had insisted they all wait to move in until she had finished the job.

The first time the children set eyes on their new and improved quarters was Christmas Eve and they were ecstatic with the space given over solely to them.

Just as Aro had planned, the entire top floor, which was once their entire home, was now given over to the Volturi princes and princess. Each had their own room, walk in wardrobe, and bathroom. 'Finally, accommodation befitting their status', Felix had said.

Though Aro had immediately shut down his son's ego burst, he secretly agreed. It was right, in his mind, that they all as a family had such opulent chambers - they were the 'first' family of the vampiric world, after all.

It had been quite an ordeal to get their children to bed that night, and as Sulpicia had returned to her task of perfecting their improved quarters, Aro hadn't managed to get his mate into bed until close to dawn.

It was a shame for the coven king. Being only his second Christmas, he wasn't used to the idea that children wake exceptionally early on Christmas morning.

The four Volturi children burst into their parents' room hollering, "IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

Aro and Sulpicia flashed to either side of their ridiculously large bed, creating a gulf of space in the centre where all four children dived.

"You know we don't sleep," Aro said flicking Felix in the forehead.

"Yeah?" the boy replied, purposely missing the point.

"So what exactly do you think we were doing in bed?" Aro hissed.

"Eugh!" Felix grimaced, pulling away from his father to sit by his mother instead (though why that was 'better' under the circumstances, Aro didn't know). "Well you can stop now."

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" the four of them repeated at full volume.

"Funnily enough," Aro said slyly, reaching for his mate, "I thought we should carry on as its Christmas."

Felix shoved his father away from his mother. "Stop!" he said sharply.

Yeah, Aro's fun was over for that morning, at least.

"Dad," Demetri called, dragging out the single word for as long as possible in the sweetest of tones. "Carlisle told me that the humans turn their households' upside down for Christmas. They call it misrule."

Aro wasn't daft enough to get drawn into whatever his son was trying to suggest, but his mate was kindlier than he. "What do you mean, my darling?" Sulpicia asked.

Demetri beamed. "They let those at the bottom of the heap play lord of the manor and run the festivities."

"No chance in hell, son." Aro shook his head. "There's more chance of Saint Nicholas making an appearance."

Seeing her boy's shoulder flop, Sulpicia diverted his attention. "How was your first night in your new rooms?" she asked them all.

"Great!" Demetri had never, ever had his own room and he was so grateful to finally have a space his slovenly brother wouldn't ruin.

"You didn't feel lonely at all?" Sulpicia checked. She was mainly asking the twins, they all knew that.

"Are you kidding?!" Jane asked. "It's about time I had my own room. How many human princesses share their rooms?"

"Oh," Aro said, pulling his girl into a hug and tickling her sides. "Playing human are we, my dear one?"

"No!" Jane shot out between giggles. When Aro let her up for air, she added, "I should have luxuries far outstripping anything a human can dream of."

"There's my girl." Aro gave her a wink, pleased with her answer.

Felix and Demetri shared a knowing look - had they had said something so egotistical Aro wouldn't be winking at them ... and they both knew it!

"Are you happy to be home?" Aro asked his children generally. "Not missing Eleazar and Carmen too much?" he asked the twins. "Carlisle?" he added to the boys.

"It was nice while it lasted," Felix admitted. "But I'm glad we're all back together."

Aro was relieved to hear as such, particularly coming from Felix, out of all of them. He had feared his elder two would want to remain with their uncle permanently. He would never have allowed it, of course, but it would have caused hell in their home if he'd had to lay down the law on the matter. Naturally, Aro wouldn't say any of that out loud.

"Damn it," he said, feigning disappointment. "I was hoping you'd want to move in with them permanently."

Their children all groaned at their father's not-funny 'dad joke' but Sulpicia called him out.

"Liar, my love. You missed them all."

"Maybe a little," Aro admitted, though anyone who could see his face knew it was much more than a little. "Go and get ready, we might even be early for a change," he said thinking about the party they were hosting in the throne room that day.

Jane outright ignored her father's words and lay her head on the pillow.

"In a minute," Demetri replied, settling down next to Jane.

Aro looked across their children and noticed Alec out for the count. "Is he asleep?"

"Shush!" Sulpicia said to her mate, wrapping an arm around Alec and pulling him into her chest. "Leave him be."

Aro shook his head and half sat up, supporting himself on one arm. "They can go to their own beds to sleep - I had plans for our bed …"

"Shush!" Sulpicia cut him off quickly before he could say 'what' he had planned.

"Sully," Aro whined. "You are kind of leaving me hanging here!" he added gesturing down his body with his free arm.

"Give it up, Dad, and move over." Felix gave Aro enough of a shove to clear himself some space to lie down.

"You're sixteen, you great lummox," Aro told his eldest, shaking him to keep him awake. "Far too old to be climbing into your parents' bed."

"Shush!" Felix said, repeating his mother's admonishment and nudging his elbow into his father's ribs before settling down to sleep at his side.

"Behave today," Aro whispered to his children as they walked through the halls two hours later. "I want to have a nice day with you guys."

Hooking his hand around his eldest son's neck, Aro gently pulled him in close. "Don't give me a reason to slap you today," he said pointedly.

For once, Felix didn't react with a sarcastic comment, nor any annoyance at Aro's back-handed threat. He wanted to have a nice day with his family, too.

Aro and his family had hardly made it through the throne room doors before Basileus presented himself before them.

"You're late," he told his son, as though Aro would be unaware of that fact.

"I know," Aro sighed, accepting the drink his father offered. "We were so close to being early, too."

He wasn't as annoyed about being late as he sounded - Aro had quite enjoyed his morning lounging on his bed with his mate, whispering their conversation to one another whilst their brood slept wrapped around them.

Carlisle clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We started drinking without you," he said, already a little giddy with the opium infused bloodwine he had supped.

Magnus had won his argument with Basileus to supply the coven with the gold banded bloodwine for the event. Basileus had eventually relented with the proviso that it would only be at Christmas that they would waste the good stuff on the guards. It was already making for a much calmer Christmas than their first attempt at the festivities. After the epic two-week event of the first Christmas, the coven masters had decided this one, and all future Christmases would be a single day only, mainly because it had taken another good week for everyone to recover from their overindulgence and paying the guards for a month's work ... when NO ONE worked ... really didn't sit right with the business dynamic of the coven.

Aro caught hold of his brother as he stumbled forwards. "So I can see, brother," he said, chinking cups with Carlisle.

"Do you think you should slow down a little, son?" Basileus asked his youngest with a concerned expression.

"Not at all!" Carlisle called out, his voice much louder than necessary with his drunkenness. "A little is good. More must be better!"

The throne room was the only room in the castle that had been decorated for the occasion. Evergreens had been brought inside and Phillipe, with his rather useful gift of levitation, had been tasked with fixing the foliage to the vaulted ceilings of the great hall. He had done a splendid job - the hall looked like a forest had grown overnight!

Rather than the usual host of torches lighting the throne room on such a gloomy day, a thousand candles had been arranged around the edges of the hall, creating a cosy glow.

The twins, seeing the decorations for the first time, took off around the room to get a closer look at some of the arrangements, skipping straight passed Eleazar and Carmen without so much as a 'Merry Christmas' for their aunt and uncle.

Eleazar seemed to hardly notice them but Carmen's eyes immediately teared up.

"Hey," he called, pulling his emotional mate in close. "What's this?"

Carmen wiped the stray tear from her eye and took a steadying breath to prevent anymore from coming.

"I just got used to having them around, El," she explained, melting into his hold. "I miss them."

Whilst he maintained the embrace, Eleazar made sure his mate couldn't see his face. _Oh fuck no!_ he thought. _Not kids, you don't want kids! Not really? Fuck._

Not that Eleazar would be foolish enough to voice such thoughts. "Well we will still see plenty of them, I am sure," he settled on saying. _Please let that be enough!_

Athenodora saw her mate reach for yet another flagon of bloodwine and sighed. She wasn't annoyed with him for drinking so much that morning, she knew why Caius felt he needed the coven brew. She decided to push Caius into action before he was too drunk to complete the simple task at hand.

"Have you spoken to Magnus yet?" she whispered into his ear.

Caius grimaced. "Not yet," he admitted just as quietly. "I feel awkward."

Dora tutted and rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Caius."

"I'm never _that,_ " Caius said, sneering 'that' in place of silly. "I'm not even _that_ enough to say the word."

"It's other words you need to say, Caius, and they do need to be said."

Caius agreed.

"I will."

It didn't make him feel any less awkward, but he agreed that he needed to talk to the man. _It was my bloody idea,_ he thought, _why are you getting involved?_ He wasn't really annoyed with his mate, but it was always easier for Caius to direct his ire in Dora's direction - old habits die hard.

Watching Caius knock down his flagon in one, Dora was unconvinced that he would be able to talk at all if he left it much longer. Taking Caius by the hand, she led him out into the deserted masters office and closed the door behind them.

"You do understand what Freyr and Magnus have done for us, don't you?" she asked once she was sure they were alone. "What Magnus has done for you, in particular?"

He knew, alright! Even though Caius only knew the half of Magnus' interventions with Basileus, the ones he had witnessed were enough for him to forever be in the man's debt.

"I would be long gone by now if they hadn't intervened. Only the gods know where you would be."

That was the money shot - Caius knew exactly where Dora would be had Magnus not been there to stop him in his attacks on the two overdoses of dungeon blood - the first orchestrated by Lucius, the second in his torturing of Lucius. _You would be dead, love,_ Caius thought.

Even with Magnus stopping him from killing his mate those nights, if Freyr hadn't convinced Dora to stay once Caius had come down from his drug induced state, she would have surely left him. Caius couldn't perform the mental gymnastics required to imagine a future without his mate at his side. For all his faults, he truly loved Athenodora and, without her, he couldn't 'see' himself at all.

"I know, Dora," he said quietly. "I do."

Athenodora nodded once, and opened the door to the guard hall. "Then you know what to do, love."

The moment Caius came through the door, he locked eyes with Magnus. He put his hand into his pocket and felt he gift he had concealed for the older master and smiled to himself. He could see the concern in Magnus' eyes from all the way across the hall and it had been a long time since Caius had anyone care about him, other than Dora, of course.

Having Freyr and Magnus in his corner, not just for his fuck ups, but because they cared, because they were interested in him, had taken some getting used to.

But, he liked it.

Basileus continued to chat with Magnus as they shared a drink - it was the quietest their table had been all day, just the two of them. Atia and Freyr had clearly bored of their company and were sitting with the other female elite.

 _It's now or never,_ Caius thought. Flashing to Magnus' table before he lost his nerve, Caius arrived before he knew what to say.

"I ... erm ... havesomethingforyou." _Well that sounded stupid!_ Caius thought. He'd really had too much to drink already.

Basileus quit his conversation and eyed Caius curiously. "Did you understand that?" he asked Magnus.

Magnus assumed, correctly, that Caius was pissed, and he wasn't worried until he got a read of his emotional state.

"What's wrong with you, you feel off …" he said, appraising Caius with caring eyes. "Your emotions are bouncing all over the place."

Within a moment those caring eyes were replaced with furious ones as Magnus thought about what could have the younger master's emotions in such a state. Grabbing Caius roughly by the wrist he pulled him to sit at the bench.

"I hope you haven't brought dungeon blood to this party Caius, because if you have Christmas will be nothing but a bad memory for you when I'm through with …"

"Shut up!" Caius called out. He tried to make it sound breezy, but he failed. "Bloody hell. I said I have something for you," he added a little quieter.

Snatching back his wrist, Caius set to rubbing out the Chinese burn he'd been left with. He had grown used to Magnus' admonishments in private, but taking them in public wasn't something he could deal with.

Basileus stayed quiet, watching the unfolding exchange between the two men with distinct interest. _You had him called to heel pretty damn fast_ , he thought to Magnus.

If he had done that to Caius he would have expected some aggression in return, at least, but Caius didn't do that with Magnus. He was clearly annoyed with the obvious threat, but more annoyed with the fact that Magnus would believe he had taken dungeon blood.

Magnus sat back in his seat, testing out Caius' emotional charge for the truth. Deciding that he hadn't taken dungeon blood after all, Magnus waited expectantly for whatever it was Caius wanted to give him - he would never have expected a gift!

Caius pulled a package from his pocket, a bundle of red velvet wrapping just a little larger than his hand, and gave it over to the juggernaut.

Magnus looked a little bemused at first - he really hadn't expected a gift. An admission of guilt of some kind, sure, maybe even the money to pay Caius' bar bill, but not a gift.

He untied the leather cord holding it all together and revealed a stunning silver pendant of artisan quality, adorned with the ancient runes of his homeland.

Caius was looking just about anywhere else at that point. _Awkward, awkward, awkward!_

Getting over his initial surprise, Magnus took to inspecting the gift he had received. The pendant was constructed by three interlocking drinking horns. He recognised it immediately as the Triskelion, a symbol of Odin, and each horn was named in runes, as they had been in Magnus' human days - Óðrœrir, Boðn and Són.

"Where did you find this, Caius?" Magnus asked.

His voice was a little distant. He was in awe of seeing something so reminiscent of his pre-vampiric life. Not just seeing it, but holding it in his hands, and such a fine piece of craftsmanship that Magnus couldn't imagine his people having the skills to create such a work of art.

"I didn't find it," Caius replied. "I made it."

Magnus barely registered that he had spoken. Instead he flipped the pendant over and started to read the runic inscription on the reverse. There, in miniature script, was the tale of Odin when he bargained three nights with the giantess Gunnlöð for three sips of the mead of poetry, where with each sip he drank a whole horn, and therefore all of the mead, fleeing in the shape of an eagle. The mead of poetry was a symbol of wisdom in Magnus' time.

"Do you know what this means, Caius?" Magnus asked.

The symbolism Caius had chosen to form his gift suggested Magnus was in some way Odin, and of course Caius knew. _That was the whole bloody point!_ he thought.

"You made the design, the mould, everything?" Magnus checked. He had stopped folding the pendant and was watching Caius carefully.

Caius rolled his eyes, wondering why it would be such a surprise. "Yes." _Stop asking me questions, you cock!_ He was feeling more and more awkward as the time went on and his mind was fixed on fleeing for the safety of the bar.

"The runes?"

"I had to ask Marcus for help with those," Caius admitted. _Not that he was much help - he made me learn the damn things!_

Magnus was impressed, very impressed. "But the only place you could have smelted the metal without me knowing about would be …" Magnus stalled for a moment _. Surely you didn't go down there just for me?_ "The … playroom."

It was no secret that Caius couldn't go down to the dungeons still. It had been two long years since he had been down there slaughtering Lucius and the little cunt still haunted the walls, as far as Caius was concerned.

As Caius simply nodded in response, Magnus pushed on. "You went down there, just to make this for me?"

"Fucking hell!" Caius exploded. "Yes!"

With that he took Magnus' flagon and gulped down hard on the bloodwine to take the nervous burn from his throat.

Magnus wasn't just impressed, he was truly touched. "I don't know what to say."

"Have I actually worked out how to shut you up?!" Caius laughed in relief. "Praise your gods and mine."

Magnus didn't say anything else, he just pulled the younger, and much smaller, master into a side arm bear hug to show his gratitude. He knew Caius wasn't keen on public displays of … well, of anything, but definitely not affection, but Magnus didn't care. He was tactile by nature and if he wanted to hug someone, he would. Caius had to suck it up as far as Magnus was concerned. Truth was, Caius was glad of it, though he would never have said so.

Basileus had stayed quiet through the gift exchange and following inquisition, but he had been following the thoughts of both men and felt it a good time to interject.

"So, if you're Odin," he breezed to Magnus, "would that make him Thor?"

Oh no, Magnus wasn't going down that road. He and Caius may have teamed up, he was giving Caius guidance, he cared for him, but Magnus also knew the emotions that consumed Caius. He couldn't rely on anyone, not properly, or at least he couldn't be seen to rely on anyone. After millennia of having no one, having someone was almost an insult to Caius. And Magnus couldn't take the pain of being rejected by him, either.

"He's more of a Loki, wouldn't you say?" _Don't, Basileus,_ he added in his mind. _Please._

"I know enough about your gods to know I'm not Loki!" Caius spat. _I'm not being Loki!_ "Thor, I'll be Thor," he added, agreeing with Basileus. "He's the one with the hammer, right?"

Magnus and Basileus laughed, like they were sharing a private joke. "He doesn't know much about your gods, does he?" Basileus commented.

"I'd say not," Magnus agreed.

When Caius looked on confused, Magnus felt compelled to explain what Caius was, he assumed, misguidedly suggesting. "Thor was Odin's son, Caius." _Don't throw a fit!_ Magnus begged the man with his thoughts, though he knew Caius couldn't hear him.

"Who's Loki, then?" Caius asked, still considering who he would rather be aligned to.

Magnus could take that. A change of direction rather than an outright rejection ... yes, he could take that.

"Depending on the tale, Loki was sort of Odin's brother." That was why Magnus had suggested Loki to Basileus, as they were 'brothers in bond' with both being coven masters.

Caius didn't say anything for a moment. He wished with all his being that Basileus would fuck off so there were no witnesses to what he was about to say. He even considered lying for a moment, simply because the creator was there, but then what would be the point? Basileus would know his thoughts anyway and Magnus could spot a lie a mile away with his emphatic gift. _Besides_ , Caius thought, _he deserves more than lies from me._

"I'll stick with Thor if it's all the same to you."

Magnus had to take up his flagon to hide his mouth before anyone could see the gushing grin he wore. He hadn't spent the last few years helping Caius for any reward, that wasn't Magnus' style, but it sure was nice to feel so appreciated.

Basileus had to do the same, though his reasons weren't quite the same. He was simply chuffed that his ideas about bringing Magnus and Caius together were going to take even less effort than he originally thought.

I can't wait to tell Atia!

Caius sat there feeling like a lemon, wishing he had a drink to hide behind. He settled for continuing the conversation before he died of awkwardness! "I have something for Freyr, too."

"Go on then," Magnus said, gesturing to Freyr across the hall with a jutting chin.

Caius huffed. He couldn't go through another public conversation like the one he'd just had. "I thought you might pass it on for me."

"You thought wrong," Magnus said, a little sternness behind his tone. Freyr deserved to feel as good as he felt right then and that would only come from Caius doing something so … well, un-Caius-like as he had with Magnus. "Go on," he insisted, pushing Caius to stand.

With a final beseeching look that got him nowhere with Magnus, Caius downed the last of the juggernaut's drink and sought out Freyr from the crowd.

Basileus was impressed. "He really pays heed to you,"

"Aye, when it suits him to."

"He chose Thor," Basileus added.

Magnus chuckled to himself. "Because of the hammer."

Denial won't save you from my plans, my friend, but it seems I will have to do less than I thought.

Basileus decided to let things play out between Magnus and Caius, and to only involve himself if things between them started to move in a direction he wouldn't have chosen.

 _You're going to do all the hard work for me,_ he thought, thoroughly pleased that the relationship he had imagined for the pair of masters appeared to be organically forming of its own volition.

"I've never seen Caius be sentimental about anything before," Basileus said taking the pendant from Magnus' hand. "I should be annoyed," he mused, as he considered just how much effort it would have taken for Caius to craft such an item. "I have been looking out for him for centuries and I've never received so much as a thank you."

Magnus took the pendant back when offered and put it in his pocket for safe keeping. "Turk!" he called over to the bar and held up his empty cup. "Two more."

The pair of them watched Caius as he went through a similar dance with Freyr to the one he'd gone through with Magnus. The couldn't hear a word of what was said, but Caius' continued awkwardness was clear, as was Freyr's emotion to be presented with such a thoughtful gift.

Basileus waited until Turk was clear of the table before he spoke. "You've clearly achieved the impossible there, my friend."

Magnus didn't say anything. He didn't want to jinx it. But he couldn't stop the swelling in his heart.

"Your attention, my friends," Aro called, walking through the sea of guards towards his throne.

By the time he got there at human speed, the other masters had seated themselves at vampiric speed. Aro didn't sit. Instead he collected the mysterious golden, wildly over-sized goblet from his throne and stood at the front of the throne floor steps.

"We have decided to install a system to recognise good work within the coven. This Christmas Honours Cup," he said, holding the goblet aloft. "is open to all coven members and will come with a hefty monetary reward, too."

"Going forward we will be looking for opportunities to nominate any coven member who goes above and beyond in their line of duty," Freyr added from her seat. She wanted her guards to know they would have a say in things, too. "We will welcome your thoughts on the matter as we go forward. But we only consider truly remarkable actions."

"Heroes," Aro said, giving a nod to the shield maiden. "A hero is someone who has given their life to something bigger than themselves."

He took a moment to look around his assembled coven. Seeing they were suitably intrigued as to who would be receiving the newly coveted award, he went on,

"After much discussion, we are all agreed on who we believe should be remembered for receiving the very first of these honours we will give."

Aro took the bag of gold from his seat and slowly made his way down the throne floor steps.

"One coven member who not only surpassed all expected duty, but single-handedly, and without seeking any glory, saved our coven from the Romanian infiltration."

Aro walked through the guards, circling the odd one before he continued on his path until he came to a halt in front of one coven member.

"Renata," he said, placing the bag of gold into one hand and the cup into the other, "for your gift, for your loyalty, and your sacrifice."

The masters began clapping and soon the whole coven joined.

Renata, for her part, stood stunned to the spot. Only a single tear rolling down her cheek showed she had heard anything at all.

Aro wiped the tear away with his forefinger. "Thank you, my dear," he told her sincerely.

Aro had argued Renata's case valiantly for the first of their honours, truly believing she had saved their coven by protecting him through rather arduous circumstances. Her silence since Lucius' time in the coven only further proved the woman's loyalty.

Getting a grip of herself and returning to her usual state, Renata stood tall and hugged the cup to her chest.

"You're welcome, master," she said, also sincerely.

Renata didn't see anything special in what she had done that long year of Lucius' hold over the coven. Volturi guards weren't just loyal for the perks - they knew they were special. From the training the coven masters invested in them, from the respect they received from everyone in the vampiric world, from the faith that was shown in them - they were special and any one of them would have protected their king if they had the ability. She had felt honoured to have the gift that could best serve her master, and to be honoured by that same master meant the world to her.

The rest of the guards, though in agreement with the masters' choice and none of them begrudging Renata her award, all set to making plans to prove their own worth, just as Freyr hoped they would.

 _A little healthy competition will do them wonders,_ she had told the other masters. Being the only women in the rank of master, Freyr occasionally had to shout a little louder for her ideas to be heard, but she always got her way when she felt it worth the fight. She could tell just by looking at her green-eyed guards that this trophy would be wanted by all.

"You are going away again?!" Basileus shot out, overhearing the conversation between Marcus and Carlisle.

Marcus smiled kindly to Carlisle before he turned to the creator to give his answer. "I will be leaving after the festivities" he explained, and then he put his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "I would like to take him with me, if you will allow it."

"Carlisle?" Basileus checked, brow furrowed deeply.

"Carlisle has done well this year, my friend," Marcus said simply. He was glad Carlisle was staying quiet, as he had instructed him to.

Basileus appraised his son with his eyes. He couldn't find cause to disagree with Marcus. It wasn't so much that he wanted to pick fault with his youngest son, more that he was a little surprised by Carlisle's winning streak.

"I suppose he has, all things considered."

There was something else that occurred to Basileus, a horrible thought. _Has he expressed an interest to leave?_ he wondered briefly. _I'm not worried,_ he quickly assured himself, falsely.

"Are you sure you would want to take Carlisle with you, Marcus?" Basileus asked his old friend.

Basileus spoke as quietly as possible, and though Carlisle didn't hear, he knew what his father would be doing. _Show some faith in me, for fuck sake!_

"He has the tendency to go off the rails when he doesn't get his own way," Basileus continued. "Overly emotional, even," he added, seeing his boy rise to the bait.

Marcus wasn't about to let Basileus win so easily. He put a supportive hand on Carlisle's shoulder and patted the man gently. "Your son has an insatiable desire to learn and I enjoy his company. I want to take him on a Grand Tour."

Carlisle beamed with Marcus standing up for him.

Basileus rolled his tongue around his cheek, decidedly less pleased with Marcus standing up for Carlisle. "And what is a Grand Tour?" he asked. No doubt it would be something unsuitable, somehow, he hoped.

Handing his father the booklet on the Grand Tour that Marcus had recently presented him with, Carlisle started pointing out the parts that really interested him, the towns the would visit, the thing they would see.

"It's something the young princes of Europe are engaging in," Marcus explained. "An educational rite of passage, if you will."

As Basileus didn't object outright, (though his knitted eyebrows and furrowed brow suggested he wasn't enamoured with the idea) Marcus continued. "We will travel the continent. Not far at all. It will give him the chance to mix with humans on a regular basis."

"Hmmm." Basileus didn't see that as the positive Marcus was making it out to be. "Perhaps it will bring an end to his torrid fascination with the bloody things."

"Perhaps," Marcus laughed, _though I doubt it._ "But I am more interested in introducing him to the great art of our world, music, literature, culture. I will be collecting some new pieces for the coven."

"How long will you be gone?" Basileus could see this was likely going to go ahead.

This would be the tricky bit. Marcus umm'd and ahh'd for a moment, trying to lessen the sound of what he would say. "It will take a few years ... two," he eventually said softly.

"Years?!" Basileus boomed, grabbing the attention of every member of the guard hall. "No. No way. That's too long."

"We will return intermittently in that time before heading off again," Marcus added. They were going - Basileus would agree, he knew it.

"You know, Marcus, it sounds like you are telling me this is happening, rather than asking me."

"What can I tell you, my friend," Marcus said, shrugging his shoulders and the ghost of a smirk appearing on his face. "When you're right, you're right." There were precious few on the planet who could talk to Basileus in such a way, but Marcus was a privileged member of that small group. "I am going regardless, and I believe it would be an enriching experience for your son.

Basileus looked over his son. He didn't want to be away from him for years, that would be too long. _What if he decided to never come back?_ Basileus thought. The idea that he could lose one of his sons was torturous. He liked them all in Volterra, all in one place. Nice and safe. _Still_ , he thought, watching Carlisle's hopeful expression become almost begging, _if it's what he wants, if it will make him happy …_

"I want Carlisle back here every six months, at the most," he said to Marcus, before turning to his son. "And I will be checking on your conduct when you get here so I would advise you not to disappoint me if you wish to be allowed to continue on this folly."

"Perfect," Marcus said quickly, pulling Carlisle back to keep his mouth closed. "Merry Christmas, my friend."

Aro was quick to take his father's place at Marcus' side. "You know, Marcus," he crooned, sounding ever so sweet, "that sounds like something Felix and Demetri would get a lot out of, too"

"It does, doesn't it," Marcus agreed. "You should consider taking them yourself."

Aro felt a spike of annoyance. Marcus always did that to him - pretended he didn't know what Aro was asking until he outright asked for it. "I have no objections if you want to …"

Marcus held up his hand to silence his co-master. "Not for every piece of gold in your vaults, Aro." With that he walked away, chuckling lightly to himself and sipping at his cup.

"Nice try, brother," Carlisle said, before following Marcus.

Carlisle didn't make it to Marcus, his nephew intersected his path and pulled him to a quiet corner.

"You're going away!" Felix spat in hurried whispers.

"For years?!" Demetri added. He sounded more upset whereas Felix was angry at being left behind.

"I'll be popping back every six months, lads," Carlisle said smiling to his young pair of partners in crime. "It will fly by. I'll bring you back presents." He hoped that might sweeten the deal

"I should hope you will, at the very least!" Felix huffed, still annoyed. "Couldn't we come with you?"

"Aro tried to get Marcus to agree to that already," Carlisle explained. "Marcus said no."

Felix felt incensed. "He tried to send us away?!" _Bastard!_

Carlisle had to laugh. "You wanted to come."

"That's not the point," Felix rolled his eyes. _Why do you never 'get' these things?_

"Listen," Carlisle said softly, pulling his nephews in close with his arms around their shoulders. "This could work out to your advantage."

Carlisle really was thinking on his feet - anything that would pull Felix out of his funk so he didn't ruin their second Christmas for the whole coven.

"Like how?" Demetri asked, he was far more willing to reason than Felix.

Carlisle reached into his pocket and pulled out the door key to his apartment and gave them to Felix.

"You're giving me your keys?!" Felix asked, quickly hushing himself in case anyone over heard.

"No," Carlisle said forcefully. "I am giving them to you both, understood?"

Felix nodded. _As if I would leave my little brother out?_ he thought. That boy had such a short memory.

"You have to be careful that you don't get caught," Carlisle explained, instructing Felix to conceal the key and keep it hidden. "And don't use my bed!" he added hurriedly. "But other than that, make the most of a free apartment."

Demetri and Felix nodded along. They planned to ignore the 'don't use my bed' thing, but they wouldn't ruin the moment by telling him so.

"You're totally my favourite uncle, Carlisle," Felix crowed. Demetri might have said the same, but he was too busy making eyes at Adrianna across the hall.

Eleazar and Carmen retired from the party first, choosing to shut out the coven for the evening and make love. Lying in bed together in exhaustion from their passionate display, Eleazar decided then would be a good moment to bring up this children idea he worried his mate was considering and put an end to it before it gained speed.

Carmen, my love …" he paused, unsure how to proceed. "You don't really want to bring young vampires into our life, do you?"

Carmen didn't respond. She didn't even breathe. Her whole body froze for a moment. Yes, bringing children into their relationship was exactly what she wanted, and she sensed that Eleazar was about to attempt to draw a line under that idea.

Eleazar foolishly took his mate's non-committal response for a sort of disinterest in the subject, rather than the paralysing emotion that had over taken her senses and he carried on with trying to cut off the idea before it had chance to germinate.

"I just don't see us as the parenting types, my love," he said softly. "They have wrecked Aro's relationship with his mate … they do nothing but argue about the kids."

Carmen knew better than that. She knew, actually, that Sulpicia might have left Aro long ago if it weren't for their children binding them together through times of marital strife. But she had to wonder from where Eleazar was getting his information.

Carmen knew how much Aro loved his kids. He wasn't going to win 'Dad of the Year' any time soon, but he loved them. From all she knew about the trouble they brought him, particularly Felix, there was no way the kids would still be breathing if he didn't truly love them unconditionally, as a father should.

"I think we are better off as we are, don't you?" Eleazar concluded his position by kissing Carmen on the head and breathing a contented sigh with another disaster averted. Oh, how wrong he was.

Finding her voice, Carmen pulled out of her mate's hold and sat up in the bed. Whatever solace Eleazar had momentarily felt suddenly disappeared when he looked into his mate's fiery eyes.

"And you thought this was a good thing to bring up after sex?" she snapped.

 _Well I sure as hell wasn't going to risk it before sex,_ Eleazar thought.

"You know exactly how I feel about children already, Eleazar Volturi!"

Full name treatment was only supposed to scare kids, Eleazar was sure of that. But he had to admit Carmen calling him by his full name sent a shiver down his spine.

"I just love you so much, my love," Eleazar crooned, hoping to rescue the situation. "I couldn't imagine sharing you with other people."

Carmen narrowed her eyes. She had never lost an argument with her mate yet and she sure as hell wasn't going to lose this one.

"It won't be 'other people' it will be our children," she explained as though the deal was done in her mind.

It was Eleazar's turn to freeze. That sounded far too much like children were happening whether he wanted them or not. "Kids cause trouble, lots of trouble …"

"They will, I am sure," Carmen agreed, cutting him off. "But they will bring love and happiness, too. A different kind of love and happiness that mates cannot provide for each other."

Eleazar shook his head. _No way. Not kids. No._ He sat up and matched Carmen's stance.

They looked quite the pair - both naked with their arms folded tightly, glaring daggers at each other. It would have been comical if not for the serious subject matter.

"I don't want children," Eleazar stated. That was it, he'd said it out loud. Done.

But then Carmen broke into a hysterical, feverish wail and Eleazar's resolve shattered with her sobs.

"Will you not at least think about it?" Carmen asked through her tears.

 _I have thought about it,_ Eleazar thought. _I know I don't want children!_ He didn't voice those thoughts, however, instead he told her he would, of course he would, think about it.

"I am telling you now that I will not suffer teenage newborns, Carmen," Eleazar insisted. He wasn't going to completely roll over. But when the sternness to his tone set Carmen off crying again, he made a compromise. "We could offer a home to the next young vampire that strays into Volterra."

Throwing her arms around Eleazar's neck, Carmen nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

You should never trust a hug. It's just a way to hide your face, and that's exactly what Carmen was doing right then. It may have been underhanded to turn on the waterworks to win the argument, but the matter was simply too important to Carmen for her not to pull out the age-old trick.

She would have used every trick, in fact, to see her dreams come true. She had lost so many babies in her human life ... but a vampiric child, one that would live forever, one that would be with her forever. She didn't want to lose Eleazar, but then there was no need to in Carmen's mind. Not when she could manipulate the situation to have both her husband and children.

Carmen wasn't naturally manipulative, no more than any other married women, really. She was fiery as hell, sure, but honest with it. One might have expected her to feel conflicted, then, for going against her nature in this way and manipulating her mate, but she was desperate and felt nothing more than quiet contentment in that moment.

 _He'll come around,_ she thought, _once we have our own he'll love them._

Eleazar and Carmen may have been early to leave the party that night, but Aro and Sulpicia hadn't stayed long after them. They heard their home calling them when they realised how bleary eyed their sons were on the coven's very special brew.

Aro flopped into the sofa, pulling Sulpicia with him before she could escape his clutches doing more of the pointless things she had been doing since they moved into their revamped home - the fluffing of cushions and wiping of clean surfaces was doing his head in already and they had only been in the place a day!

 _It's all new,_ she had told him, excitedly and repeatedly, as though that was a good reason to cluck like a mother hen over her nest.

"So …" Felix breezed, standing in front of his parents and scuffing his foot on the floor looking 'oh so innocent'. "You gave the guards a present."

Demetri soon caught onto where his brother was going. "Everyone got a bag of gold," he added helpfully.

"A small bag," Aro replied. He was only half paying attention - most of his efforts went into suggestively kissing his mate's neck.

"Renata's bag was heaving," Alec noted, sidling up to his brothers.

Jane knew what her brothers were doing - trying to wheedle some sort of gift from their parents. Aro had been very clear that Christmas gifts were beyond what they should hope for in the seasonal celebrations, but if the boys were going to badger their way into a present she wasn't going to be left behind.

"You gave mom jewels," the girl said. She took a seat on her mother's lap, thus diverting Sulpicia's attention from her mate to her daughter.

"And very beautiful you look in them too, my queen," Aro said to his wife. He had enjoyed sharing their alone time with their children that morning, but after missing that opportunity to ravish his mate he wasn't going to let another one pass. _Go to bed!_ he thought, glaring at his children.

"They are beautiful," Jane said wistfully, pawing at her mother's new diamonds around her neck.

Felix had played long enough - he wanted answers. "Where's ours?"

"We've just plunged a small fortune into giving you four your own rooms, and they are dressed to excess," Aro huffed. He had lost his mate to his daughter and sat sullenly at their side. "You have bed and board, what more do you want?"

"Speaking of bed …" Sulpicia glanced at the clock. "It's late."

All four Volturi children whined hearing that. 'It's late' has forever been code for 'it's time children were in bed'.

"It's not that late," Alec complained. Which was odd, as he was the least likely to be allowed to stay up anyway, having always needed more sleep than his siblings.

"It's been a long day, go to your rooms," Aro suggested, pushing Jane to stand and taking Sulpicia back in his arms.

"But …"

Aro's eyes cut across Felix and shut him up before he could start. "Don't do it, son. Not today," he warned.

Sulpicia shook her head to her sons. The last thing she wanted after a rare successful day was for any of them to end up going to their beds crying. "Goodnight, my darlings," she said pointedly.

With deflated shoulders, the four of them left the main living chamber and headed up the stairs. The moment Sulpicia settled back into her mate's arms, squeals of excitement filled their quarters.

Turning in Aro's hold so she could see if he knew what had caused their children such joy, she asked, "What's that about?"

A playful smile tugged at Aro's lips. "No idea, my queen," he lied, badly.

Sulpicia nodded to herself. _You know, I know you know,_ she thought as the two of them went to join their brood on the top floor.

Before they had landed on the top step, Felix's voice came ringing through from his room. "Oh my god, I fucking love you!"

"Language, Felix!" Aro admonished their boy as he came bounding into the lobby where the children's rooms divided, quickly joined by Demetri.

Sulpicia hadn't been prepared to see her two boys brandishing swords, putting on a theatrical demonstration before her. She was even less prepared for an arrow to come flying at her with full vampiric (though a child's) force. Thankfully Aro caught the steel tipped arrowhead in mid-air!

"You bought them weapons?!" she asked in shock. At least, that was what Aro thought she had asked - Sulpicia's voice was so high that only dogs would have caught the pitch.

"Don't look at me," Aro breezed, sensibly stepping away from his irate mate. "It must have been their mate, Saint Nic."

He was so very grateful that Jane came out clutching her gift to her chest with wide, excited eyes.

"Besides," he added quickly pulling his daughter in front of him so Sulpicia couldn't attack. "Jane has jewels."

He took them from her hands, a matching set to her mother's, and concentrated on fastening his daughter's necklace to avoid his mate's frosty glare. When he looked up, Sulpicia was still glaring at him.

"What can I tell you, my queen?" he shrugged, laughing to himself. "It's a Christmas miracle."

Hearing the crashing metal behind her, Sulpicia took Felix's sword from him to check it over. "I hope these blades aren't silver?"

"Steel," Aro confirmed, taking it from Sully and giving it back to his son with a wink. "They can't hurt themselves, not unless they really, really try."

"And the arrows?" Sulpicia asked with a raised eyebrow. She still wasn't happy, though hearing how pleased her children were was certainly helping.

Aro smiled. "They aren't silver, either."

Sulpicia sighed, relenting, and was about to say as much before Aro caught another stray arrow as it whistled between them.

"ALEC!" Aro roared. That one had been damn close to their faces. "Not inside, son," he said, replacing the arrow in Alec's quill. "Your mother's ready to kill me already," he whispered. "I'll take you hunting tomorrow."

 _Take me hunting?!_ Alec repeated to himself. That was even stranger than Aro buying them gifts! "Really?" Alec asked. "You will take me yourself?" he cocked his head to one side looking at his father. "Just me and you?"

"You make it sound like I don't do anything with you, Alec!" Aro looked to his mate for support only to receive a knowing smirk in return.

"Well," Alec thought about it for a moment. "You don't, much."

Sulpicia's entire resolve crumbled as she burst into tinkling laughter. _Well done, son,_ she thought.

"Tomorrow morning," Aro said, squaring his shoulders. "Me and you, a couple of horses, and hunting."

Alec threw his arms around his father's waist. "I love you, Dad."

Aro's first offer of hunting had only been half hearted. His second offer had been to prove a point to his mate. Feeling the appreciation coming from his youngest and through his gift hearing Alec's excitement over spending some time with his dad, Aro said, "We're going hunting," and that time it was just for Alec with no other motive at all. "Merry Christmas, son."

It took some time to pry the new gifts from their children and get them into bed. As Aro and Sulpicia made their way down to their bedroom they were sure they heard the clang of metal again but chose to ignore it.

"So …" Aro said to Sulpicia, making sure to close the door, and this time, remembering to fix the lock. "Do you have anything that needs unwrapping?"

* * *

 **AN:** I'm taking a little break to catch my own tail, but the next set will be ready for January. Happy holidays everyone and thank you for all your support reading and reviewing this this year and a huge THANK YOU to my lovely, long suffering Beta reader DOCCOOPPER :)


	121. 1678, March - The Second Tribune Ball

**AN: Happy New Year!**

So the '1674, January' bunch of chapters were quite naval gazy, but I think we learnt a lot about our vampiric friends and we all needed some calm and explanation after the Lucius drama's. That said, I think we are ready for new drama's now, right? We've jumped forward four years to the second Tribune Ball for the allied covens and its gonna kick off big time in this bunch!

It's a drama party and we're all invited :D

* * *

 **1678, MARCH - THE SECOND TRIBUNE BALL**

Aro was hit with a bombardment of questions when he opened the door to his chambers. After a full day with Marcus going through all the data they held on the Romanian coven, only taking a break to put five aged vampires to death (at their request), Aro felt done in. All he wanted to do was curl up with his mate and enjoy some seriously needed downtime.

One look to his young brood told him that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"Could we discuss the tribune ball … please?" Felix asked, sounding sickly sweet but ever so desperate.

 _Kiss ass!_ Aro thought. "That would depend how good you are at handling disappointment, son," he replied, hanging up his cloak and kissing his mate deeply.

She pulled away far sooner than Aro would have liked, but the disgusted gagging and retching sounds coming from their children caused that.

"If I had someone willing to miss the ball who could babysit you, none of you would be coming at all," Aro declared in frustration.

His children - all of them - had been nagging him for a month about the party they were due to host for the covens. Aro had made it clear, he thought, that though they would be attending, the short leash they would be on would strangle them if they dared to repeat the debauchery from the first ball. Yet, they continued to complain.

"Why do I have to stay with you?" Felix whined. _Almost any other adult would be preferable!_

Demetri looked askance to his big brother. "Why are you complaining?! I'm the one stuck with Caius!"

Felix laughed. "Yeah, that's worse to be fair, brother. Sucks to be you!"

Demetri bounced a cushion off Felix's head and within moments Aro had to forcibly separate them to prevent them from tearing a strip off each other.

"And you wonder why I want you accompanied and separated at the party? Really?!" he said, giving each a crack across their heads.

"But what about us?" Jane asked, gesturing to her twin. "We're always good."

"Ha!" Aro scoffed. "No, my princess of darkness. You threw up a gallon of bloodwine and passed out drunk the first time the covens were here. Not 'good' at all."

"Not to mention how you have both been all day," Sulpicia added. She was speaking about the twins, but looking to Aro expectantly.

Aro had really stepped up over the last few years ... well, in his opinion. Sulpicia was still doing much of the grunt work where the twins were concerned.

The twins, typical for intelligent children such as they were, had worked out how to play their parents. They knew what they could get away with when Sulpicia was home alone with them and they saved all their niggling arguments for their mother ... such gems as who sat where, who read which book, who wore which cape, and the myriad of other bullshit arguments siblings create to entertain themselves and drive their poor mothers to distractions. They didn't do that when Aro was home. They were transformed into dutiful, respectful, meek little mice when he was around.

Even though Sulpicia had made quite a show of telling their father how they were behaving, the twins learnt quickly that Aro would do little about it so long as it wasn't in his direct presence. He could of course check their memories for their conduct, but even the times that he had, he felt it unfair to punish either of his baby vampires hours after the fact.

That pissed off Felix and Demetri. It was massively unfair, they felt, when they were so often in the firing line for things they had forgotten they had done!

Aro scowled at the twins, but with them both wearing their best puppy dog expressions and looking contrite, he let it go, as they knew he would. Sulpicia might have been more annoyed but even that limp scowl was an improvement on Aro's old ways parenting their younger ones.

Once she was sure her father wasn't going to address her arguments with Alec, Jane huffed and flopped into the sofa next to Sulpicia, continuing her gripe over the coming ball. "Well couldn't I at least stay with you?" she asked her mother, hoping for a more reasoned response than Aro's flat out dismissal.

"Oh, my darling," Sulpicia replied, stroking her daughter's hair, "I wish you could, but I envisage some conversations with Kebi that I would rather you not be privy to."

"I would rather she weren't listening in on any of your conversations, my queen," Aro said. "I know you women spend most of the time bitching about your men."

Sulpicia raised an eyebrow to her mate, daring him to continue. "You give us so much ammunition, my love," she said sweetly.

"Well, I'm a woman, why shouldn't I listen?" Jane scowled to her father and brothers, all stifling laughter.

"Of course you are!" Sulpicia said, pulling Jane close. "But I would still rather you weren't listening in, my dear one. You will be with Magnus, that isn't so bad is it?"

"It's better than Marcus!" Alec sighed, joining in on the whining.

"I will trade with you then, Alec!" Demetri shot to his baby brother. "Felix is way worse than me, why do I have to stay with Caius?!"

Felix and Demetri started arguing between themselves, trying to work out who was 'worse'.

 _I will kill them before the covens arrive, at this rate!_ Aro thought, considering it may not be such bad idea when their verbal argument became physical again. Aro sat himself down in the middle of one sofa, forcing Demetri to sit on one side of him and Felix the other.

"You are with Caius because Caius agreed to have you, and he thinks he can get through the party without killing you," he told Demetri before turning to Felix. "He knows he would kill you in that time."

Demetri's mouth hung open. "He THINKS he wont kill me? I feel safe now, Dad. Thanks!"

"Why can't we hang out with Carlisle? Or even Eleazar?" Felix asked, teaming up with Demetri.

Aro burst out laughing. "Carlisle?!" he repeated in question. "As if I need answer that."

To be fair to Carlisle, he had barely been in the coven for the last few years, so he'd been unable to cause any grief. He would return periodically with Marcus, they would stay for a month, and then go off again.

Each time they returned, Carlisle seemed a little more mature, a little more adult. He could hold his own in conversation without feeling nervous anymore, as he had lots to talk about. The confidence of experience, some would say.

Though Basileus had been hesitant to allow his youngest son to go on travels around the continent, he had to admit it had done Carlisle a world good.

Not that Aro could be so easily convinced. Carlisle had been home for a few months and he could see the cracks beginning to show now he was hanging around with Felix again.

"Eleazar then?!" Demetri asked. _Anyone other than Caius._

"We asked Eleazar, my darling," Sulpicia explained. She could see Aro was about to lose his head with the incessant questioning. "He said he would rather be free to enjoy the ball."

Felix and Demetri looked askance to each other. _That bastard!_

Aro rolled his eyes and checked the clock. _Why is time moving so bloody slowly!_ he moaned to himself, wishing he could send them all to bed and have some time with his mate - and without the whining!

"Listen to me, this is the last time I am telling you this - you will ALL remain with those I have assigned to watch you and you will behave perfectly …"

The whining from his children stopped Aro in his tracks. "OR," he bellowed over their din, "you can choose to spend the entire event locked in a cell. I don't care which, but choose now!"

"I could break us out of the cells. I can bend the bars," Felix crowed proudly to his siblings - they all looked at him with adoration.

"I'll take the cells!" Demetri said happily, reaching around Aro to high-five his big brother.

Aro grabbed hold of their wrists, one in each hand and exerted just enough pressure on their bent back hands to bring them both to the floor. "I will remind you of my earlier threat - I will happily humiliate you if you cause any problems this time." He smiled as he spoke with the expression of a serial killer!

"Parents aren't supposed to enjoy humiliating their children, you know!" Felix complained as soon as Aro released him.

"Is it my fault that humiliation is the only threat that works with you?" Aro replied.

"It isn't!" Felix spat, folding his arms tightly across his chest, giving Aro nothing to grab.

"Oh really? What else is there?"

Felix glared at his father. He couldn't think of a single thing he was willing to say as a consequence that both worked, and he would accept. _Damn it!_

"My point made, son," Aro said, delighting in getting one over his boy.

Felix knew Aro would be taking any reason he could find to embarrass him in front of the other covens. He didn't recognise, however, that he had any control over that - Aro wasn't cruel, he would only humiliate Felix if the boy gave him just cause - Felix just had to behave like a Volturi prince rather than the court jester, or worse.

"I don't understand why we can't listen to the ladies talk but its fine to listen to the men?" Jane directed to her mother.

"Oh sweetie, men talk nonsense, there's nothing to worry about listening to them."

Aro rolled his tongue around his cheek. "Very droll, my queen." _Jane has a point though, and one I should probably set some parameters around,_ he thought. "Whatever you do hear, do not react - the conversations going on around you will not require your involvement. Understood?"

Felix huffed. "So we can't leave your sight, we can't join in with the games, we can't drink, and now we can't talk!"

Aro simply smiled at his son. "That's about the size of it, my boy. You only have yourselves and your previous behaviour to thank for this."

Felix felt his annoyance tip over to anger at the injustice he felt. "Can we breathe?" he spat.

"You only need to breathe to talk, you don't need to talk, so not much point breathing, is there?" Aro returned. He felt his boy's rage through the sofa they shared - Felix was vibrating with anger.

"You're being fucking ridiculous!" he blurted out, his eyes turning black as he did so.

Aro sprang to his feet and snatched Felix up from his seat. "Good night!" he said pointedly, pushing his boy towards the stairs. "All of you!"

The twins and Demetri looked to the window in unison. "It's not even dark out!" Demetri complained.

Aro only had to raise his hand with a menacing expression to have the three of them scurrying away, following Felix up to their rooms.

"That was harsh, my love," Sulpicia said, deflecting Aro's kisses which started the moment the room cleared.

"They are doing my head in with their whining. Did you know that human nobility hardly even see their kids? Why do ours have to live with us?" he complained, continuing his efforts to seduce his mate. He didn't get very far.

"You are backing Felix into a corner, Aro. You know he will come out fighting, it will only cause more stress. You need to let go of the reins a little."

Aro gave up and flopped into the seat next to his wife. "I didn't have hold of the reins the first time the covens convened and look how that ended."

"It wasn't so bad, my love. No harm was done," Sulpicia said softly.

Aro raised an eyebrow to his mate. "With all due respect, my queen, it was 'so bad' and I won't be welcoming a repeat of their behaviour."

Sulpicia huffed and turned away, collecting a book from the side table and muttering about what a rigid prick her husband could be.

"I'm not getting any tonight, am I?" Aro said to himself.

"Sort yourself out, my love," Sulpicia answered sweetly, before returning to her mutterings.

Across the castle, Basileus was similarly engaged in prepping coven members for the coven ball. He had already spoken with Turk, who would be manning the bar, about keeping a very close eye on who he was serving what - there will be no drunk teenagers at this ball!

Now, the Creator was moving onto an entirely different preparation - Caius. Basileus had spoken at length with Hilda of the English coven about creating new guards for her purchase, and he hoped this would provide Caius with a job of some description over the coming years ... if he could get the coven master to agree, of course.

Athenodora answered when he arrived at their door, cape in hand as she knew it would be the Creator by his knock alone. "Would you like me to leave, Basileus?"

"No, not at all, my lady," Basileus said, trying to sound as pleasant and approachable as possible. "It's only a passing visit."

He seemed to only ever turn up at their door in a fit of rage and Freyr had requested that he make an effort to be a little softer, with Dora particularly, in the hope of improving relations. Ducking through the doorway, Basileus came into the main living chamber at the same time as Caius arrived from the bedroom - the latter clutching a couple of bottles of something black and gloopy.

"What is in those bottles, Caius?" Basileus asked, as if he didn't know.

Caius stopped breathing for a moment and nearly dropped the damn bottles! "Dungeon blood, my lord," he admitted sheepishly.

"And what are you planning on doing with them?"

Caius didn't answer straight away. After a moment or two glaring at the coven master, Basileus repeated his question, slowly, sternly.

"Henri enjoyed it so much last time that I assumed he will want some more … and he was easier to deal with a little doped up." Caius stopped talking when he realised he was rambling.

Truthfully, Henri had written to him asking for another barrel of dungeon blood to take home from the coven ball. Before that letter had arrived, Caius hadn't even thought about the damn stuff. Of course, once he did fix his mind to the barrels in the dungeons, he had also remembered his favourite medicine having a calming effect on the French leader during the last ball, and then Caius' thoughts went to the calming effect it had on himself, and how much he missed it.

There was something else, though. _What will Henri think of me if I don't take it?_ he had wondered.

He couldn't lose face in front of the scumbag coven leader, not Henri of all people. There was no way in hell that Caius would willingly share the facts around his break from the drug. Actually, scratch that, there was no way in hell that Caius would allow anyone to find out he had needed to take a break from the drug! He had his pride, if nothing else. It was bad enough that the Volturi elite knew of his breakdown.

Deciding he couldn't risk having to explain himself to Henri, Caius tried to push Basileus into consenting to him taking dungeon blood, somehow.

"Would you rather I brought him to my chambers to take it?" Caius offered.

Basileus eyed the young master curiously as he searched though Caius' thoughts. _I know what you are doing, you prideful little shit,_ he thought. "I'd rather you tipped the barrels of this shit away, quite frankly, Caius!"

Judging by Dora's contented smile, Basileus could see she wasn't any happier than he was about Caius going back on dungeon blood for the coven ball.

"I did offer to do that, my lord," Caius reminded the man, "After Aro ... "

"I know you did," Basileus agreed quickly.

He didn't wish to discuss Aro's downfall on the dirty blood, he was far more interested in working out what to do with a potential 'Caius downfall'. _It could be useful,_ he thought, _to see how far Caius goes and to see what happens next … but is it worth the risk?_

Basileus had seen how close Magnus and Caius had become over the last few years and he wondered what would happen if their relationship was pushed a little. The Creator was conservative by nature and was against rocking the boat just to see the ripples in the water. _I couldn't be less like Aro,_ he thought, smiling quietly to himself when he thought how keen Aro would be to construct such a scheme just to see the results. Basileus had to fight with his own nature to allow such a thing to pass, but he convinced himself that it would be useful to know where Magnus and Caius stood with each other.

"I will keep hold of the dungeon blood," Basileus eventually told Caius, taking the pair of bottles from his hands. "If Henri wants some, he can come to me for it."

Athenodora was visibly relieved and offered the Creator a drink. When she passed him the cup with her back turned to Caius she mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the man. That was enough to spur Basileus on.

"You won't want any, of course, will you Caius?" he said simply, taking a seat and sipping from his cup of bloodwine. "Not after I explicitly told you this dirty drug is for medicinal purposes only?"

"I don't drink it anymore." It was a bullshit response from Caius - a non sequitur, he neither accepted or denied Basileus statement.

Basileus wasn't so easily fooled. "Right," he said, bobbing his head to himself. "I will keep the dungeon blood. I won't make you beg for it, I just want to ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, that's' all."

Without any warning, Basileus' booming laughter filled he ground floor suite. "Why shouldn't Magnus find out, I wonder?" he asked Caius, still laughing.

"I didn't say that!" Caius huffed, finding the laughter deeply unsettling.

"Maybe not," Basileus agreed, getting himself under control. "But you thought it. Your good lady doesn't look too pleased, either," he added, jutting his chin towards Athenodora.

With Caius still floundering, unable to come up with a response that he was willing to verbalise, Basileus waved his attempts away. "I suggest you go steady, Caius. You will have Demetri to mind, don't forget."

"How could I forget," Caius muttered to himself.

 _Hmmm,_ Basileus thought to himself, that worried him a little. "You will be kind to the boy, Caius, yes?"

Caius quit his mumbling and looked the Creator in the eye quickly. He was hurt that the man could think he would be anything other than kind to Demetri. Well, maybe not kind, but at least not a cunt. "I didn't offer to mind him to be cruel to him, my lord."

"I just wanted to check." Basileus softened his stance as he truly hadn't meant to offend Caius. "I must say, I am pleased with the turnabout in your outlook, Caius. Don't think it has gone unnoticed."

Caius appeared nervous in response to Basileus' praise, as though he was waiting for the back handed part of the compliment. "Dora and I have been making considerable efforts since … well, since Lucy … and when you called me out …" he tried to explain, stuttering increasing with his awkwardness.

"I need to talk to you about something else," Basileus said, changing the course of conversation to give Caius a break. "I have been exchanging correspondence with Hilda, the English coven leader. She has some ideas about transformation conditions affecting vampiric gifts."

"I spoke to her briefly about such things, my lord."

Caius' eyes already glittered with excitement at the chance of a new experiment. He hadn't worked for six years and he was chomping at the bit to do something interesting. Not quite as interesting as his old work, but something new and a little different, yes, Caius was well up for that.

"We mostly discussed Jane and Alec and the similarities of the gifts Mikhail and Katerina possess … we both felt that their experience immediately prior to the transformation caused those gifts."

"How would you feel about running some tests?" Basileus asked. "Burning humans before turning them, but not just burning. I want to know what a variety of extreme conditions could do to vampiric abilities." He was pleased to note that Caius' thought had already turned to listing out the possibilities, but Basileus had to wonder if Caius was up to the task. "It would need to be scientific, Caius. Properly conducted … but I imagine it won't be pleasant."

Caius shuddered involuntarily as his thoughts moved to the darker side of actually conducting such experiments. Shaking such thoughts from his head, he eventually replied, "I can do that for you, my lord."

"Wonderful." Basileus stood from his seat and handed his empty cup to Dora as he passed on his way to the door. "We will talk with Hilda when she arrives."

Athenodora waited until she was sure Basileus had moved on from their door. When she heard the Creator's footsteps fading up the stairwell, she turned to her mate. "Extreme conditions?" she asked, eyebrow raised in disapproval.

"Hmmm …" Caius muttered, flashing to his unused writing desk and taking up a quill. "I should start making a list, I suppose."

Dora joined her mate and looked over his shoulder to the list he was scribbling out. "I am surprised you are even considering this after what happened with Lucius."

"When Basileus asks you to do something, you do it. I learnt that the hard way a long time ago."

Caius looked over his brief script and tucked it into his jacket pocket. He wanted something to show Basileus should he need to prove at any point that he was taking the experiments seriously.

"You resisted with Lucius … in the end," Dora reminded him. "Basileus didn't force you to continue, he let you leave."

"I wouldn't like to tempt fate twice, Dora." Caius knew he had, in fact, tempted fate a good many times since Lucius' demise, or rather, Magnus had on his behalf. That wasn't a situation that could continue forevermore.

Athenodora still wasn't convinced. She didn't want Caius back on dungeon blood and by looking at his list there was no way he would be able to complete the experiments without it. "I don't think you should do this, Caius."

"What do you want me to say?" Caius spat, unfairly taking his uncertainty out on his mate. "I have to do something around here and I am running out of options," he explained in a softer tone. "I have little to do with the guards, thank the gods."

"You instruct the guards' training, Caius," Dora offered, hoping that would be enough of a job. "And you are the only one to run missions."

"Magnus runs training with me and missions only come a few times a year. It's not enough." Caius took his mate's face in his hands gently and looked into her eyes. "Don't worry. It's just a few experiments, Dora. I have done much worse."

"You have been much nicer to live with recently, Caius. I would rather you didn't need to go back on dungeon blood on a daily basis." _There_ , she thought, _I said it. Honest._

Caius could see his mate was being genuine, not simply wishing to keep him from a high. "Have you really noticed that much of a difference?"

"Yes!" Dora shot out. "Haven't you?"

Caius declined to answer. Half of him hoped there was a difference in his demeanour, the other half still struggled to merge his old life with his new one, or rather, his hopes for a new life. _I need to change conversation,_ he thought quickly.

"I need to feed before the ball, are you coming?"

"We have bloodwine ... " Dora caught her cape in midair as Caius threw it in her direction.

"No, I need human blood," he explained, fastening his own cape at his neck.

"Why?" Dora asked. "Because of Henri." That wasn't a question - she knew it would be because of Henri. "Why do you care what that cretin thinks of you, Caius?"

"I don't care what he thinks of me," Caius said, bristling at the very idea. "But we are vampires, Dora, we're supposed to have red eyes."

She knew he was lying - Caius wanted to save face in front of Henri and it was blatantly clear. It upset Athenodora to know that even with her, Caius couldn't be truly open with his feelings. Even after all their years, all they had been through, he still held part of himself back.

She also knew why, of course. Each and every time Caius had been rejected by someone who claimed to love him, it had left a scar in his emotional capacity and those scars had built up hard and fast thousands of years ago in his human life, let alone after he'd been turned. It had left Caius with an insane need to protect himself, his feelings, his pride. His pride came before everything – even her.

"I'll come," she replied, swinging her cape around her shoulders. "It will be nice to spend the night with you."

Caius narrowed his eyes to his mate's wistful tone. "Why do you say it like that?

Dora smiled. It was more sympathetic than kind, but there was love behind it. "Because by tomorrow night you won't be you … or rather, you will be the other version of you, who I have come to dislike intensely."

Caius nearly choked! "Charming," he said, laughing at the brazen insult.

"I'm sorry, love," Dora said with a shrug. "What else do you expect if you're already planning on taking that stuff again?"

Caius didn't answer, he simply held the door open for his mate to follow him out into the night to feast on human blood.

Basileus strolled right into the middle floor suit - Magnus and Freyr had taken to leaving their door open when they were willing to accept guards in their private quarters to cut down the amount of times they were being disturbed when they weren't willing to see guards!

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" the creator asked.

"My only instructions are not to kill Henri and that I have Jane to mind," Magnus breezed, gesturing for Basileus to sit with him. "Easy enough to prepare for. Is there something else?"

"I've just been to see Caius and Dora …" Basileus drifted off seeing Freyr looking to him expectantly and holding his goblet of bloodwine just out of reach. "Yes," he huffed at the shield maiden. "I was nice to Dora."

"Good Creator," Freyr said, playfully patronising the most powerful man in the world. "Then you may have your drink."

Basileus took the bottles of dungeon blood from his cloak and set them on the table between himself and Magnus. "I have just taken this from Caius."

That was all he needed to say.

"Oh, hell no!" Magnus boomed, already getting to his feet.

"Not yet," Basileus said quickly, pulling the Juggernaut back down. "He's not drank any yet. He has the bottles ready for Henri."

Magnus scoffed. "So he says."

"My thoughts exactly," Basileus agreed. He was glad they were on the same page. "Look, I wasn't privy to his last breakdown on this, but from what I have seen in your memories, it's not a breakdown we can afford to have in front of the visiting covens of the alliance."

"Why would he even want to go back on that stuff?" Freyr asked. She sounded tired for the events that would come, rather than for those passed. One look to her mate confirmed that Magnus felt the same way.

"I can see the point to it if it's for battle," Basileus said. "I can even see the point to taking it for the work Caius used to do. It wasn't pleasant work."

"Very much like entering battle, I would say," Magnus added, which is why the man had supported Caius in not returning to such work. He was mightily pissed off that Caius would throw his efforts back in his face just to get wrecked with the French leader at a party.

Basileus agreed again. Both with Magnus' statement and his thoughts on Henri. "But for a coven celebration? Not appropriate. At the same time, Henri will be making a bee-line for Caius and Caius finds the French leader insufferable."

Magnus smirked. "That would be because Henri is a prick."

"Henri is easier to deal with a little doped up …"

Basileus stopped talking and shook his head very slowly at Magnus until the master ended his plan to simply kill Henri on sight and save them all the bother of his company. Once he was sure the Juggernaut was over his anger spike, he continued.

"Caius isn't like Aro on this stuff," he said giving the bottle of blood tar a shake. "He doesn't go crazy after a single shot - it's continuing those shots that's the problem."

"We will have to keep an eye on Caius," Freyr told the Creator with certainty.

Magnus squared his shoulders. "I'll be keeping an eye on him alright."

He hadn't spent the last few years working with Caius on everything from his temperament to his conduct to see it all go to waste for one night on dungeon blood. _But Basileus is right,_ he reminded himself. _Caius isn't like Aro, he isn't addicted to dungeon blood, he can have a few shots without it sending him into a spiral of despair. I can help him with this,_ he thought. _But how …_

Freyr's mooching about their quarters broke his train of thought. "What are you doing?"

"Moving the breakables before the inevitable." Freyr collected a particularly priceless statue of a Norse goddess from beneath the window and stashed it in her bedchamber before she continued. "If Caius is going on a bender, and it seems like he might be, I would rather we didn't lose anything else of worth." _Caius will lose enough as it is,_ she added in thought, thinking of the damage he could cause to his relationship with his mate if he did go on said bender.

"You don't have to bring him here," Basileus said quickly. He wasn't trying to put the responsibility directly onto Magnus and Freyr, he just wanted to know they would be looking out. "We could get him down to a cell if the worst happens. I have keys to the dungeons …"

Freyr's glare cut Basileus off. The shield maiden was almost a match for Atia in the frosty glare department. "You will not put him in a cell, Basileus!" she told him forcefully. "Magnus will bring him here if we feel he needs to be anywhere and I'll stay with Athenodora."

That was them told!

"Are you keeping the bottles?" Magnus asked Basileus. Neither of them were willing to argue with Freyr on the matter of where Caius would end up that weekend.

"I plan to," Basileus replied, tucking the dungeon blood back into his cape and heading for the door. "We'll see how they go."

 _What's to see?_ Magnus thought. He could see exactly how the party was going to go. Or so he thought.


	122. Arrivals

**ARRIVALS**

Felix poked his head through Demetri's bedroom door. "Mom said its time to go."

No response. Demetri stayed sat on his bed, staring aimlessly out the window.

"Dem," Felix called again, flashing to his brother's side.

His sudden appearance startled Demetri and Felix received a thump in the chest for his efforts. Luckily for Demetri, his limp-wristed punch had no effect on Felix, who might have punched Demetri back regardless, but he could see his brother looked lost.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm absolutely fine and fucking dandy," Demetri muttered, leaving his bed and going to the long dresser mirror to study the 'V' on the chest of tunic. The emblem that made him Volturi and Aro's ... not Egyptian and Amun's.

Felix hadn't teased him about his 'faulty venom' or Amun for years, but Demetri had hardly thought about anything else, even after his brother's taunting had ended. With the Egyptian coven's arrival imminent, Demetri felt consumed with doubts over seeing the coven leader again.

In the ten years since Demetri had last seen Amun, the boy had thought of little else other than their very brief conversations at the last ball and in that time Demetri had overanalysed every word that had been spoken between them, typically adding a whole heap of teenage angst to what really occurred. He'd practised prefect responses to non-asked questions, come up with a hundred witty replies if Amun repeated any of the things he had said at the last ball (which Amun had never said in the first place - it was entirely a work of Demetri's overactive imagination!) and finally, he was ready to punch the goon in his stupid Egyptian face if he got too close.

Yes, Demetri had wound himself up so tightly that he was now ready to explode.

Felix watched his little brother through his refection in the mirror. He caught Demetri scowling and muttering and assumed his brother's ire was directed at him. "Is there a particular reason you are being an absolute cock, or is this just for shits and giggles?"

"I'm just stressed," Demetri huffed. He couldn't risk telling Felix the truth and setting him off on his relentless tormenting again.

"Stressed?" Felix repeated as though it were a foreign word. He rarely felt stressed ... until he was caught. He was pretty sure Demetri hadn't done anything to be stressed over. "Because you are with Caius today?!" he guessed.

"No, not Caius ... " Demetri drifted off without revealing the real reason. "Though that's hardly going to be fun!" he added, thinking of spending the weekend attached to the coven leader.

"Aww, do you think Amun is going to take you away?"

He just had to do it, didn't he? Being the big brother, Felix frequently stuck up for his younger siblings, he protected them, he would do almost anything for them, but, as their brother, he knew just what to say to wind them up when the opportunity presented itself.

"Fuck off," Demetri growled, barging his shoulder into Felix as he stalked passed him. It hurt Demetri more than Felix, but he wouldn't give his brother the satisfaction of seeing him rub out the sore spot.

"For fuck's sake, Dem!" Felix spat, shoving him away. "I was only joking."

"How about if I go and tell Mom and Dad?" Demetri asked spitefully.

 _Oh shit, no!_ "Demetri ... "

Demetri cut him off before he could say anything else. "I told you to fuck off!"

"Caius is going to have fun with you, isn't he?" Felix shook his head and tutted into the air.

"Boys!" Sulpicia called up the stairs. "Could you pull yourselves out of the mirror and get down here? We were expected in the throne room ten minutes ago!"

…

"The lands of Africa are a locked room, a room filled with unbridled treasures," Aro whispered to Caius as they made their way through to the throne room.

The African coven had arrived a little earlier than expected and the whole coven was a buzz of excitement to meet the two tribesmen that led the exotic lands.

"And, you think Tao will hand over the key?" Caius could see Aro was already gearing up for negotiations.

"He will pay us handsomely to be part of this alliance and he has the means to do so," Aro said, eyes glinting. Tao would be a challenge and it was a challenge he had been looking forward to for ten years.

"I am pleased to welcome you both," Aro crowed as he walked into the throne room.

He soon shut up and took a step back seeing a pair of huge lions in his great hall, one of which Marcus was petting, seemingly utterly enamoured with the creatures.

"What the fuck are they?" Caius whispered hurriedly to his co-master, neither taking a step forward.

Aro got himself together quickly and plastered on his game face. "They are lions, Caius," he said patronisingly, earning himself a shove from Caius as he walked slowly to his throne.

"Never seen a lion before, chief?" Xola asked, giving his beast a tug by its chain to have it lie down.

Caius smiled nervously. "I've seen plenty of lions," he scoffed. "What is one doing in our throne room?"

"Two," Xola said simply.

Tao shot his brother a withering glare as he took a step forward to take over, being the more diplomatic of the two. "As per our agreement, I return your guards."

Aro smiled kindly to the pair of women at the back of the throne room. Even after ten years away in god-only-knows-what circumstances, they slipped back into Volturi expectations seamlessly.

"Jen, Netty, you have been greatly missed." Flashing to their sides, giving the lions a wide berth, Aro spoke to them loud and clear so as not to cause any distrust with his new clientele listening in only a few meters away. "Please report to Freyr, she will update you on coven matters. I will speak with you both the moment I am free," he said, genuinely pleased that they both seemed to be well and fighting fit.

Aro squared his shoulders and approached the lions in his throne room. Despite his hesitations, it wouldn't do for the king of vampiric kind to show fear in his own coven. Encouraged by the apparent ease in which Marcus interacted with the lions, Aro reached out to stroke the mane of the one lying down. He was alright until the damn thing yawned and he saw the size of its mouth, but Aro was smooth with the way he withdrew from the creature and retook his throne.

"I'd keep your pets away from my brothers," Aro warned gently.

Caius immediately started laughing.

"They have the taste for animal blood," Aro explained, to cover Caius' response before any offence could be taken by the African leaders.

Xola returned Caius' laugh, though much louder in an attempt to covey his superiority. "These two are vampiric," he told them, smiling sinisterly.

"Really?" Marcus asked. "Our venom works on animals?"

"Mine does," Xola sneered, implying he was 'oh so special' somehow.

"Xola!" Tao hissed at his brother. "We are guests here."

Before Caius could sneer something else in reply, Aro took control to get conversation on task. "If you want in on the treaty, we would be only too glad to have you. You will have to buy in, though. This is a costly operation," he said, stretching his arms wide.

"We know that, chief," Tao said with a nod. They had brought enough riches to fund their entry, he believed.

"I expect to be personally recompensed for the loss of my guards," Magnus chipped in. He was the only man on the masters' panel that could match Tao and Xola for size and strength. Scratch that, he outstripped them massively.

"Your guards are still standing are they not?" Xola spat. He was there under duress and he wasn't willing to be squeezed any more than necessary to join. "They were treated well in Africa."

"I am sure they were, Xola," Magnus replied. "But you still held them against my will for ten years."

"I thought this was your coven?!" Xola shot to Aro, attempting to ignore Magnus.

Magnus continued, regardless, and Aro let him get on with it - he wanted to see what the African leaders would do in response. "Guards are mine," the juggernaut growled.

Before Xola could really erupt, Freyr stepped in. "Ahem!" she coughed loudly. "Ours!"

Magnus may not have stood down to Xola, or Aro for that matter had he tried to intervene, but Freyr was a different story. "Of course, my dear."

"We can compensate you, chief," Tao said with a smirk.

"Wonderful." Aro clapped his hands together, ending any further complaints from Xola before they could form in his mouth. "In that case, why don't we go and deal with the paperwork and make this official?"

"Xola, perhaps you would see fit to accompanying me outside?" Marcus suggested, taking the chain from Tao to free him up for Aro. "I would very much like to hear more about your beasts."

Aro took Tao through the halls to the masters' office where the terms of the alliance were ready and waiting for them.

"You were a little presumptuous assuming that we would join so easily, chief," Tao said with a smirk upon seeing the documents for signing.

Aro returned the smirk and took a seat. "Let's not be coy. You wouldn't have come had you not wished to join, Tao."

Tao couldn't object to that. He found nothing to object to in the terms of the agreement, either. He did have some concerns thought. "It's no secret that my brother doesn't like you, Aro."

Aro laughed. "There's no accounting for taste."

He was used to people disliking him just for being king of their world, let alone the numerous individuals who got over that hurdle but disliked him for being, well, him!

"Will it be a problem?" Tao asked.

"Not for me, Tao," Aro said honestly. He knew he would win Xola round eventually, it would just take a little time to build up the trust. "I assume you can contain your brother when necessary?"

"I can't contain his mouth," Tao answered a little hesitantly, "but I can contain his actions."

"I can relate, my friend," Aro said, laughing again while thinking to the numerous coven members he had little control over - his brothers, Caius, Magnus, the odd guard like Lev, any of the women in his life, his children … yes, he could relate. "I think we will all rub along well enough. I don't expect total obedience from my friends, Tao, and that is what this agreement is," he said, pushing the paper towards the African leader. Handing him a quill and gesturing to the ink pot, he added, "this alliance is about formalising friendships for our mutual benefit."

Tao took the pen, but Aro stopped him from signing. It was all about control, quiet control, and Aro knew just how to do it. besides, they needed to talk a little first. "Amun wrote to me after he visited with you, he said you would be pleased to be a part of this treaty. I would like to know why?"

"Do you not want me in the alliance?" Tao asked, leaning back in his chair. He knew how Aro worked and he wasn't letting him inside his head.

"You wouldn't have received an invitation if I did not want you to be part of it, Tao," Aro said simply. "But I cannot offer you much. Your lands are impenetrable to werewolves and vampires alike. You run a tight ship, my friend. Why would you want to be part of the treaty?"

"Our lands are well controlled, for now," Tao admitted. "I am not so arrogant to believe we could subdue a large force. Even the Romanians, if they ever took an interest in Africa … I doubt I could defend my people against them."

Aro listened, encouraging Tao to divulge a little more through his relaxed manner.

"You are creating a vampiric army through this treaty - everyone knows that." Tao smiled coyly to the coven king. "We have a saying where I come from; an army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. You are a lion, chief, and vampires flock to your banner because of it."

"So you would rather be with us, than against us," Aro surmised, pleased with the analogy Tao had used to praise him.

He removed his hand covering the treaty document and pushed it back to Tao. "Are you pleased with the terms of the treaty?" Aro could see the hesitation in Tao's eyes. "Please, be honest now if there is an issue."

Tao clicked his tongue and shook his head as he read through the terms. "You show a fundamental lack of understanding of how the human world works where we come from, Aro."

"Our knowledge of your corner of the world is sadly lacking, I will admit," Aro said, though he wasn't entirely sure with what Tao could have issue.

"The humans where we live know we are not human. They believe us to be gods." Tao pointed out the very clear law at the top of the list - 'will not give knowledge of our kind to humans'. "I know this goes against your laws … but your laws do not travel well, chief."

Aro sat back in his chair, mimicking Tao, as he mulled over what he had been told. "I can appreciate that," he answered. "I have never had an issue with your coven, Tao. I know little about your ways other than neither foreign vampire nor werewolf can survive on your continent."

If he allowed a dispensation to Tao for revealing their nature to humans, how would he align them to Volturi rule? How would the other covens feel about such a blatant difference in their treatment?

"How many covens act under you, Tao?" he asked, thinking on his feet, as usual.

"Twenty-two mated pairs, chief." Tao even offered his hand to prove the truth of his words should Aro feel the need for confirmation.

Aro knew better than to accept. Such an act at that time would show distrust and he couldn't risk that under any circumstances. "And they stay in Africa ... and they mix with humans?" he asked, waving away Tao's hand.

When Tao merely nodded, Aro winced dramatically and took to his feet, pacing out his thoughts. "In accordance with our laws, you should all be killed. You realise that, yes?"

"I do," Tao agreed. He had never agreed to Volturi law, but he was wise enough to know that didn't count for much in the king's court.

"You can keep your ways," Aro eventually agreed. "Though you are to allow no more than the current vampiric population to take residence in your lands."

Tao bobbed his head. "I have no desire to expand."

"And, you keep them in your land - they are not allowed to leave the continent unless on my orders."

"Under your banner?" Tao asked.

He knew coming wars would require his vampires to leave their lands, he had already prepared them all for such a call and they had all agreed. Tao and Xola were fair leaders, they worked with the vampires in their land, not against them, very much like Aro and his coven, really ... just spread out across an entire continent!

"I can do that."

"When you leave, to come here, for example, you live by my laws." Aro watched Tao carefully as he agreed to the terms. "You will keep your true nature from humans and you will feed discriminatingly."

Tao was pleased. He had expected much more objection from Aro, of all people. "I will agree to that, chief."

"This may have to change, as time goes on, Tao," Aro said, returning to his seat. "The human world's a dangerous one and as they develop, so do the risks to our kind. I cannot allow knowledge of your way of life to infect all I have built, my friend."

"Human life is very different where I come from, chief," Tao explained. "Humans do not fear us, they have no reason to. They believe us to be their gods, their chiefs, their leaders. We protect them, and they love us for it."

 _Love you? Really?_ Aro thought before adding something to upset the apple cart. "How do your humans support you when so many of their number are being captured and sold as slaves?"

Tao sighed. "You heard about that?" he said, sounding shamed.

"I will admit my interaction with humans lie largely within the confines of our food source, or for turning new recruits. But Marcus, and my brother actually, have a keener interest in human affairs and he has told me of the troubles in your land."

"Beyond those humans that serve me, I have no interest in them, either," Tao stated. He wasn't risking his place on the alliance for any damn human! "Humans really are the scum of the earth and the things they think of to do to one another, though abhorrent, are no 0concern of mine. My humans, I keep safe. Other humans, they are at the mercy of other humans."

"We operate similarly, protecting the town folk of Volterra. For their patronage, of course," Aro said. He was happy to find some common ground with the African coven. Any similarities he could find would make working with them easier. "The less I have to do with humans, the better. I only asked because I want to make clear that I will not involve my forces in mediating human issues."

"Neither will I, chief," Tao said forcefully - whether for the humans of Africa, or the humans from the countries of the rest of the alliance, Tao wasn't sending his vampires in to govern their practises. "When things change in Africa, we will go underground."

 _Wonderful_ , Aro thought. That was what he had been waiting to hear. "And the covens you govern … they will fall in line easily when the time comes?"

"I believe so, chief. If not, I will take them out." Tao sat to his full height in his chair. "Xola and I are unmatched for strength and prowess."

Aro thought to his coven, particularly his father and Magnus. _If you are unmatched, we could take you out in one sitting,_ he thought happily.

"The beasts Xola controls can wipe out a village on his command," Tao continued. "They have taken out hostile vampires, too."

"They are safe to have in my coven?" Aro asked, trying to hide the extent of his concerns. "I have children out there."

Tao had to laugh at that idea. "I think vampiric children are a bigger risk than vampiric lions, chief!"

Aro laughed even louder. "Having spent the best part of a thousand years raising vampiric children, I would have to agree."

"I must say, even after Amun told me of your last meeting, I expected more abrasion than this. You appear quite tame."

Aro smiled quietly to himself. Tao was testing the water with him, not so much as an adversary, but to see how 'friendly' this new friendship could be.

"You know better than that, Tao," he answered, still smiling, but sternly enough to keep the man in check.

After staring the him down for a moment or two, just long enough for Tao to feel a little uncomfortable, Aro nodded, satisfied. He flicked the tap on the table barrel of bloodwine, filling two cups.

"You don't feed from humans, do you?" Aro asked, taking note of Tao's eyes.

"We have a lot of big game in Africa," Tao explained. He was aware that outside of his lands, it was looked down upon to feed on animals and he didn't want to lose face in front of the king. "Although," he said looking at Aro, "by the look of your eyes, I would say we keep the same diet."

Aro's eyes weren't as golden as they could be, but they certainly weren't as red as they could be, either.

"My coven is free to feed from humans if they wish, but the Creator's special brew is the preferred source," he explained, passing Tao a cup to toast their alliance. "It's made with animal blood, for convenience. Feel free to indulge."

"Are we in agreement?" Tao asked before he finally put pen to paper.

"We are," Aro said, chinking his cup against Tao's. "But don't test me. I have never had reason to intervene in your lands, but I could wipe out every vampire in Africa at will."

"I will ensure you have no reason to do so, chief," Tao responded, adding his name below his friend Amun's on the alliance declaration.

The pair of them stood together as Aro re-rolled the scroll.

"Tao," Aro called out quietly, grabbing the man's attention. "The next time I send envoys and request your audience, I expect you to come with haste."

His tone was deathly calm and voiced barely above a whisper. There was something sinister there that Tao couldn't quite put his finger on. Whatever hidden threat Aro had conveyed with his warning, it had Tao sitting up and called to heel.

"I understand, chief."

When Aro returned to the throne room with Tao at his side, the African leader was suddenly swarmed with Volturi guards hoping to speak with the man, or to at least get a look at him.

Jen and Netty had indeed been treated well with the pair who ruled Africa, so well in fact that they had been tempted not to return to their former life. Their briefly told tales of days basking in sunlight being served by willing humans had enchanted the Volturi guards who now wished to learn more of their new friends.

Tao may have maintained that attention had it not been stolen by the French coven's arrival. Henri swaggered into the great hall. Behind him, his simpering mate Yvette followed, flanked by four grotesquely deformed vampires.

Aro joined his father and Magnus, quickly followed by Caius, to greet Henri ... or rather, to ask what the fuck he was playing at!

Henri bowed politely to Basileus, missed Magnus, bowed to Aro and threw an arm around Caius, as though they were old friends meeting for a pleasant reunion of some kind.

That pissed Magnus off even more than being snubbed by the cunt. _Get your greasy paws off him,_ his thoughts screamed at the French leader.

Basileus narrowed his eyes to the juggernaut and shook his head surreptitiously. "Not the time, my friend," he whispered from the side of his mouth.

Aro barely registered his father and co-master as he took to inspecting the poor wretches who had trailed in with Henri. "What the hell are they?" he asked in wonder. Or should that be disgust?

"They are my new guards," Henri replied, delighting in himself as usual.

"They have no jaws, Henry!" Aro said, scowling at the creatures whose very presence sullied his throne room.

"I snapped them off," Henri explained, clearly proud of himself. "I give them back to feed occasionally."

Aro didn't understand. There were few things in life he didn't 'get', but Henri, repeatedly, was one of them. "Why would you do that to them?"

"So they are loyal to me, of course," Henri laughed aloud, looking around the gathering and expecting some support. He was most put out when none was forthcoming.

The children, Felix, Demetri, and Jane, who waited patiently at the sides of their assigned masters, all looked ready to throw up their last feed.

"You are as deluded as you are malevolent," Magnus spat, utterly disgusted. As a man who managed a large force of vampires, mostly singlehandedly, he knew there were better ways of ensuring loyalty. But, knowing Henri as he did, Magnus knew there was no way to teach such an evil cunt said ways.

Henri wouldn't even dignify Magnus with a response. Instead he turned to Caius for backup. "You understand, don't you Caius?"

"No, Henri," Caius said a little hesitantly. "That's a new one, even for me."

Basileus had wasted no time in searching the memories of the hideous beasts and he was appalled. "You have taken their cocks, too?!" he shot out, cursing his own volume upon seeing Jane look up to him as he spoke.

Henri shrugged. "Newborns are much easier to manage without sex getting in the way."

"Really?" Caius asked inquisitively.

Magnus nearly knocked him off his feet with the shove he gave him for showing such interest.

"It's an interesting idea," Caius said defensively. "Scientifically speaking."

Magnus oozed disappointment as he looked the younger coven leader up and down. "Thank the gods that the guards are my concern and not yours."

Basileus didn't look any more pleased than Magnus. "It's the guards that should be thanking the gods," he said, giving Caius a similarly filthy look.

"It works," Henri said, shrugging again.

"What does he do to the women?" Caius asked. He was bloody brave to even wonder that, let alone voice it.

Basileus visibly shook as he took in the memories of the two women in Henri's new guard. "You don't want to know."

"I did it whilst they were transforming so they didn't suffer," Henri explained in defence, as if that would make it okay. "Their appendages will be returned once I can be assured of their temperaments."

"They have healed, Henri," Basileus said gesturing to the jawless faces of the vampires before them. "You will have to open up those wounds to reattach, well, their appendages."

"Evil cunt," Demetri muttered, childishly voicing the thoughts of many of the adults around him.

Aro quickly landed a slap to the back of his boy's head for his outburst. Regardless of agreeing with Demetri's sentiment, it was still an unfortunate thing for a child to say before a guest.

The damage was done, however, as Henri had heard the insult. "What did you say to me, boy?!"

Caius tried to pull the feisty leader back. "Alright, Henri, settle down," he said, to no avail.

"He's offended me!" Henri roared, squaring up to the young, slight boy in the middle of men.

"So what?" Aro snapped, pushing Henri back and away from his boy. "Nothing happens when you are offended, it won't hurt you."

"I expect you to do something about it!" Henri bustled. Pushing past Aro to face off with the child, he growled at Demetri. "Actually, let me do it," he sneered, snatching the boy from the floor by his arm.

Every vampire in attendance stopped dead and growled at the French leader. They may have done more had Aro not reacted so quickly.

Aro's hand coiled around Henri's throat.

"Unhand my son or I will remove one of your appendages." Aro wasn't sneering, he appeared, for all intents and purposes, completely calm. He wasn't, of course, but he had a damn good game face for these situations. It took Basileus some effort to remove his son's hand, having to release one finger at a time as Henri choked and Aro smiled.

Magnus tucked Demetri into his side once he was free and growled at Henri. "I agree with Demetri, you are an evil cunt."

"Not helpful, Magnus!" Basileus shot over his shoulder, still trying to talk Aro off the ledge.

"Oh, do you?!" Henri sneered.

With Aro and Basileus taken up in their silent argument, Henri had a clear path to Magnus and he had wanted to knock the upstart down to size since he had heard of Magnus' promotion several decades ago.

"You want to stand against me, Henri?" Magnus asked with barely suppressed laughter infiltrating his voice. "I'm not so easy to push around as a child. Or those poor wretches in your coven."

Henri looked around the throne room. All eyes were on him to see what he would do next, but he didn't have any support. Even his own guards, who had their eyes fixed to the scene, seemed unlikely to support him in smashing the juggernaut. As if such a thing were possible?!

"You want to get your guards under control, Caius," he settled on saying to the coven master nearest to him.

"Magnus, don't!" Basileus boomed, having heard the man was moments from plunging his fist into Henri's face.

Deciding Aro was subdued, Basileus walked Magnus a few paces back from the centre of strife. "It's going to be a long weekend if you all so riled up already," he whispered.

"Killing the cunt would make it a shorter weekend," Magnus replied, purposefully loudly.

Basileus pulled his granddaughter in close and fixed her hand into the juggernaut's. The girl's ever calm nature flowed into Magnus through his gift.

"Jane, perhaps you could supervise your master for me, my dear one?" Basileus said, giving Magnus' shoulder a squeeze. He leaned in close, "Caius is more important that Henri, yes?"

Magnus' eyes cut across to Caius, who had stayed uncomfortably quiet during much of the disagreement but was now talking with Henri, seemingly calming the French leader. Magnus had felt a rage burning inside him since Basileus had told him Caius was preparing to take dungeon blood that weekend. Seeing the pair of idiots together, that rage flooded his veins. _Oh, Caius is more important, alright,_ he thought. _And before this weekend is over, I'll show him how important he is._

If Caius could have read Magnus' thoughts, like Basileus was doing, he might have been more nervous. As it was, Caius continued on his path of self-destruction and brazenly asked Basileus for the bottle of dungeon blood in front of Magnus!

Magnus flinched, briefly, before remembering the child's hand he held in his own. With nothing more than sharp look to Caius he stalked away, taking Jane with him to find the Irish coven. He'd never been too interested in Liam, the witless wonder, but at that moment the man's dull nature was just what Magnus needed to calm himself down.

Dora watched from across the room as Basileus handed over the bottle of dungeon blood to her mate. Time seemed to have slowed right down. She saw the look the Creator gave, a look to tell Caius the dirty blood was for controlling Henri, not for Caius to indulge in, but she knew it wouldn't be long before Caius was knocking back the shots.

Athenodora hadn't realised she was staring until Freyr arrived at her side to distract her.

"Isn't it sad when you've been hurt so much that you can finally say you're used to it?" she told the shield maiden, gesturing to Caius bouncing away with his bottle of grog and Henri in hot pursuit. "That's where I am now."

"Not if I've got anything to do with it," Freyr replied. Truthfully, she was more pissed off with Basileus than Caius and she planned on making that displeasure known before the night was out - to them both.

"Freyr, don't …" Dora pulled the woman back but Freyr cut her words short.

"You don't have to be worried about backlash from Caius, Dora." Freyr promised the younger woman her protection should she need it, and that she would have Magnus watch Caius, so he didn't go too far.

"I'm not worried about backlash," Dora said, looking to her mate across the room and thinking how far Caius had come. "He isn't like that anymore. Not often, anyway."

Freyr could tell Dora was speaking the truth. She really wasn't worried about Caius, but not because there would be no backlash from him getting wrecked - Dora would definitely suffer for that if the coven master's high went too far - but because, as she had said, she was so used to it that it barely registered as an issue anymore.

Dora had a bit of a reputation herself for her cold mannerisms and the spiteful way she had behaved towards certain coven members, but Freyr knew the woman behind the mask - the mask Athenodora had only worn in defence of her turbulent home life with Caius.

On the one hand, when the two of them were together, alone, they were mostly a fantastic couple, but Caius worked on a very much 'out of sight, out of mind' basis and he hadn't thought to protect his mate's status over the years like Aro had his, or Marcus did with Didyme whilst she was alive. Dora had suffered twice over - firstly with Caius' violent bouts brought on by the drug he used to complete his duties, and secondly by being completely isolated in coven life.

Freyr and Magnus had long since broken through the public face Caius and Dora still maintained to get to know the real couple, and they liked what they saw. Freyr and Atia had gone further and both worked hard to reintegrate Dora into coven life and it was working, though it would be a while yet before the younger Volturi women would be entirely comfortable in each other's presence. That didn't perturb Freyr. She had told Atia that Dora was firmly under her wing after that sorry business with Lucius and Caius' breakdown, so she wasn't going to leave her now.

Dora shook her head and sighed. "You don't have to trouble yourself for me."

"Well, with that silly comment you have lost your choice in the matter," Freyr said, smiling kindly. "When the ball ends, you will stay with me until we are sure Caius is okay. Let Magnus deal with him."

Aro, too, had followed his brother-in-arms with his eyes as he left with Henri, Demetri trailing behind. Unfortunately for Aro, he didn't end up with a supportive mother hen cooing over him protectively - he ended up with a fierce dragon breathing fire down his neck in warning.

"Aro, if I hear another thought in your head about that damn drug you won't be walking out of this room," Basileus growled, encroaching on his son's personal space.

"You can't police my thoughts," Aro breezed, taking a step back.

"Would you like to bet on that?"

Basileus' smile scared the shit out of Aro and had the coven king changing his thoughts pretty damn quickly. _Hmmm, it would appear you can, my lord_ , he told his father in thought.

"Is there a reason the whelp is following you?" Henri asked, realising Demetri was tailing him and Caius to the back of the throne room.

"Demetri is with me for this event," Caius replied evenly.

He wasn't any happier about being with Henri than anyone else was, and Caius was pretty pissed off about the grief he was getting for managing the French leader, especially when no one else was jumping for the job. He poured a good glug of dungeon blood into his bloodwine. It had been a while since he'd taken the coven drug, six years in fact, and he didn't wish to be seen gagging on the forgotten taste so mixing his drinks was essential.

"Can't be trusted on your own, huh?" Henri said, taunting the boy now his protectors were far away.

Demetri may not have been overly keen on Caius, but as his father's best friend, even Caius wouldn't stand by and see Henri do him any harm - Demetri was sure of that. It's why he felt so confident in telling Henri to 'fuck off'.

"What did he say?" Henri growled, certain he'd misheard.

"Nothing," Caius replied, gasping a little on the taste off the putrefied blood. "Here," he said, adding a glug of dungeon blood to Henri's goblet. "Drink."

Caius waited whilst the dungeon blood did its work on Henri, who for his part turned momentarily glassy eyed whilst he acclimatised to the feeling. Caius, too, felt a little queer, which surprised him on just a single shot - even the large one he had poured himself. _It used to take much more than that,_ he remembered.

In fact, Henri appeared to recover quicker than Caius did, which worried the coven master a little. It wouldn't do for Henri to notice; _how would I explain that to him?!_ Caius panicked. The very last thing his pride could take at that moment was for Henri to have a hint of the breakdown he'd had, or the restrictions he'd placed upon himself in regard to his work or his drug taking. Of course, there was no way at all that Henri would have guessed any of that, not that it helped Caius' self-induced worries in anyway.

Being a man of action, Caius topped them both up with a second glug of the gloopy, tar like substance and knocked it back neat, just to prove he could. Whether he was proving as such to Henri or himself was anyone's guess.

"I have a barrel for you to take home," Caius crowed, averting his eyes so Henri wouldn't see the effect the dungeon blood already had on him.

Henri hissed as the dungeon blood travelled down his gullet. The low burn igniting old senses. He had run out of supplies nearly a year ago and good god he missed the stuff. "Good man," he crowed happily, looking in a better state than Caius.

Demetri had watched the pair of vampires intently as they had gone through their charade. "Can I have some of that?" he asked, Caius.

Caius baulked at the very idea. He didn't really want to be taking it himself and there was no way in hell he was giving Demetri any. "Your grandfather would skin me."

"Is that a no?" Demetri asked cheekily. It only took a single raised eyebrow from Caius for the boy to shut his mouth.

"Make yourself useful and fetch us some drinks," Henri demanded of the boy, thrusting his empty goblet into Demetri's chest.

"I'm not here to serve you," Demetri said, thrusting it back and spilling a little of the remaining contents onto Henri's shirt. "Prick," he added, though only Caius heard him, luckily … or not.

Caius snatched the boy from the spot with his free hand, the other clutching his goblet and the bottle of black blood under his arm, and he stalked to Aro on the throne floor.

"Would you please put that away?" Aro asked and his eyes, seemingly beyond his control, travelled to the bottle of dungeon blood in Caius' grasp.

Caius tucked it into his cape and shoved Demetri in Aro's general direction. "You can have him back."

Aro shook his head and jabbed a thumb to Felix. "I have this one," he said. "If you can't handle Demetri you will have to put him in a cell, Caius."

"No, no, no!" Demetri called out quickly,

"Dungeon it is," Caius agreed.

"Caius, I'm sorry, please!" Demetri tried, promising better behaviour from there on out.

Felix creased up behind Aro, enjoying his brother's early downfall in a way that only a big brother could. He knew, naturally, that neither Aro nor Caius would be locking Demetri up for the weekend, they were just trying to scare him straight. Not that this helped Demetri, who looked truly terrified at the prospect of even a night in the cells.

"Henri's difficult enough to manage without you adding comments to piss him off," Caius complained to the boy. "You're mouthing off already, I'm not putting up with it for the entire ball."

"Neither should you, brother," Aro agreed, though he was far more interested in Caius' slightly slurred speech.

"Dad!" Demetri complained in a long drawn out whine.

"I warned you already," Aro told his boy. "You are damn lucky you were allowed to attend at all and you are ruining it for yourself, son."

Demetri continued to promise the earth along with better behaviour. Aro was used to his son's dramatics but it seemed to have the effect of nails on a chalkboard to Caius.

"Oh, good God, the whining!" he complained.

Aro was growing bored, too. Without warning he took his son by the arm, swung him out to the side, and landed a single sharp swat to his seat. The resounded crack was heard by all with a good many of those taking the chance to laugh at the embarrassed boy.

It may have only been a single smack and it wasn't even delivered with Aro's usual force, but being stood on the raised throne floor in front of the whole coven … yeah, that was pretty humiliating. Particularly so, given Demetri hadn't been entirely expecting it and gave a little shriek in response.

Aro delivered his son back to Caius. "Any more mouth from him, do that."

Caius watched Demetri for a moment. Truthfully he doubted he was steady enough to be able to smack the little sod, but as Demetri seemed much more contrite already perhaps he wouldn't have to do it too often? He agreed to take the boy back with him and they re-joined Henri … and had another shot.

"Do you want one?" Aro shot over his shoulder to Felix, who was giggling at his brother's misfortune.

Felix was sensible enough to take a step back and end his laughter immediately.

Aro had to wonder what was wrong with Demetri. He had been confident that his son would behave, particularly with Caius at his side. Demetri wasn't like Felix, he could generally be trusted to toe the line when it really mattered. He was insanely easily led, which is what brought the boy most of his strife - following Felix's bad example - but he seemed to be pissed off with the world, judging by the sullen scowl plastered across his face.

He didn't have too long to think on his son's change in temperament, nor Caius' dungeon blood intake, which he could hardly fail to notice with his co-master being so brazen with the bottle across the hall. Amun arrived with Kebi on his arm, both dressed in all their finery. It would appear that Amun felt far more comfortable for his second visit, now truly believing he was dining with friends, as could be garnered by the glittering gem encrusted gold jewelry that sparked about his person. Aro was glad to see it. He had identified the Egyptian coven as both his closest and most significant ally in the plans he had for the alliance.

"Amun!" Aro called, making sure to join the coven leader before either Caius or Magnus could.

They were both proving to be a little too testy to have around the most important visitors. Marcus would have been fine, of course, but no one had seen him since he'd taken Xola and his lions into the grounds. Marcus preferred easy company and away from the stress of having to be deferential to Aro, Xola was proving an amicable new friend. Marcus quite liked the lions, too, and so did Alec. The boy decided he had probably done better that his siblings in the 'accompanying a master' deal his father had come up with when he got to ride around the grounds on a vampiric lion for the morning.

"It is good to see you again, my friend," Amun said, shaking Aro's hand.

Aro turned to Kebi next. "My mate has been looking forward to your arrival, my dear."

Kebi bowed politely and clicked her fingers at Tia to follow. Aro noticed the difference in the woman immediately, compared to her last visit to the coven. Kebi seemed to carry an air of confidence that she lacked last time. Seeing Tia scuttle along behind her leader was new, too. Last time she had been stuck to Benjamin's side throughout the event, but the pair parted without concern.

"Aha," Aro said, realising what was going on. "It appears you have had the same ideas about your young ones as I, Amun."

"Tia is to stay with Kebi, Benjamin with me," Amun confirmed. His eyes cut across to Benjamin who took a step forward to face his king.

"I apologise for my foolish behaviour at the first ball, my lord," he said.

If he could blush, Benjamin would certainly have worn a scarlet colour to his cheeks, particularly as he'd had to make his apology in front of Felix, too. But he knew better than to try and resist - Amun had made it abundantly clear than he would be making apologies all around for his loutish behaviour the last time the covens met.

Aro, naturally, accepted the boy's apology graciously.

"I don't want a repeat of their insolence at the last ball," Amun said pointedly. He addressed Aro, but it was obvious his words were for his young ward, really. Benjamin took a half step back to remove himself from Aro and Amun's direct presence.

"Neither do I," Aro said, glaring at Felix.

Felix wasn't perturbed. He didn't believe they had been so bad as to warrant all of the fuss the grownups were making. "I wouldn't mind risking it," he said cheekily.

Aro gave the boy a lazy swipe. "That's because you have no sense."

For better or worse, Felix's comment helped Benjamin relax a little.

Amun's attention was thoroughly taken up by the disastrous vampires across the room. "What in damnation are they?!" he asked, aghast at such creatures in the royal house.

Aro didn't even need to look around to see who Amun would be referring to. "Henri's new members."

"Good God, Aro," Amun hissed in disgust. "That is obscene."

Amun may have been a hard task master with his coven, but he wasn't cruel. Aloof sometimes, definitely, but not cruel. Demetri with his childlike view of his old coven may have argued differently, but that wasn't because Amun had ever mistreated the boy, more that he treated Demetri exactly the same way he treated all his coven members. The issue where Demetri was concerned was that he was a young teen in a coven full of adults, and would have benefited from a much kinder hand than Amun had offered him.

Watching the poor creatures standing silently to the side of the hall, avoided by all for the horror they invoked, Amun visibly recoiled. "The sooner he is out of this alliance the better."

Aro certainly agreed. It was a shame they needed a coven in France at all, but the werewolf presence in the country demanded a watchful eye and Henri held the only coven of note who could provide such a thing.

"I have envoys in France as we speak looking for a new coven," he whispered to the Egyptian leader in confidence. "It seemed prudent to make sure Henri was out of the country."

"So this ball needs to last as long as possible?" Amun asked, just as quietly.

"That would prove beneficial to us all, my friend," Aro replied tapping his nose for confidentiality. "Though," Aro added, looking across the hall to Magnus who glared to Henri and Caius nearby, "Henri is pissing everyone off already. I might just let Magnus have the bastard."

Amun chuckled thinking of the state Magnus would leave the repugnant French leader in if he were to be let loose on the man. Amun had only been in the throne room ten minutes and he could already see that the Juggernaut was struggling to hold himself back.

"You have no new members yourself?" Aro asked. He had expected Amun to make good use of the new coven member limit.

"I do," Amun smiled, offering Aro his hand. "See for yourself."

Aro delved into the Egyptian leader's memories and saw that Amun had indeed taken on new members. He'd turned four himself and taken in another two who came to his door hoping to join the prestigious coven.

"I am glad you took my advice on their ages, Amun," Aro said, pleased by what he had seen.

He didn't mention their treatment - Amun was still a little more forceful than Aro would have been, but then it had been so long since Aro had to involve himself in the day-to-day life of his guards that he felt he had almost lost the right to express concerns over such things. That said, Amun was being far less forceful than he used to be. _You did learn something on your last visit here, at least_ , Aro thought to himself.

"They are all adults," Amun replied confidently. "Twenty or there abouts. None of them sleep so they are fully mature."

"Why did you not bring them?" Aro asked. Even though he had double-checked there were only six new members, he assumed there would be a good reason for their absence.

"Kebi's request," Amun explained.

Aro nearly choked on his bloodwine! "And you listened?!"

Amun smirked in return and sent Benjamin to the bar to fetch them some drinks. Aro sent Felix, too, in case it was privacy the Egyptian leader needed to explain his change in demeanour.

"Your mate has given mine some grandiose ideas about marriage," Amun explained. "I am trying to be sensitive."

Aro wanted more than that and waited expectantly for Amun to explain a little more fully. He soon got the hint when Aro spread his arms with a questioning expression.

"We are trying to formalise a family-like status above the guards we have taken on," Amun whispered quickly before the boys could return with fresh goblets.

Aro nodded to himself and smiled. "I am impressed, my friend," he said, taking his cup from Felix. "Sensitivity has never been your strong suit," he added with a coy smile.

"I have some help." Amun took from his pocket a small velvet pouch. Unfastening the tie, he held the contents out to Aro.

Aro peered inside. "Hashish?" he checked, looking at the green herb. "I have seen it in Marcus' memories from his time with you."

"Would you like some?" Amun offered, taking a pinch for himself. "I brought enough for all." He explained the sacks full of the calming drug left in his appointed guest chambers.

"You are going to be popular, Amun." Aro mimicked the leader, taking a generous pinch for himself. "I hope you have brought your tribute along with those sacks?"

"Your mother took it from me at the gates," Amun said, smirking to the vampire King who would have to ask mommy for his money.

"Of course she did." _Bloody women and my bloody money,_ Aro grumbled.

"Chew it, right?" Aro asked, popping his pinch of hash into his mouth. "And do we swallow?"

"That's what she said!" Felix guffawed, nudging Benjamin to join in.

The Egyptian boy smiled, and couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips, though he watched Amun carefully. Amun might have reacted to the uncouth behaviour but when Aro only tutted at Felix he stopped himself from admonishing his own ward. He really was trying to be less coven leader and more guardian with Benjamin and Tia.

"Swallowing it won't do you any harm," Amun explained to Aro.

"And that was my reply!" Felix boomed, hysterically laughing at his own joke. Even Aro and Amun laughed that time, Benjamin soon followed, relaxing his stance a little.

Aro ground the herb between his teeth, releasing the essence of the drug into his system. It was mild, very mild, but he felt a slight haze pass over him. "Oh, I like that!"

"It takes quite a bit to reach the full effects," Amun said, happy to please his king, and offered Aro a little more.

Aro waved the bag away, he needed to stay on the ball, he knew that. "We have a whole weekend, my friend."

"That we do." Amun put the pouch away. "Maybe I should offer Magnus some?"

Aro quickly looked over just as the Juggernaut stormed from the hall, purposely walking through Caius and Henri as he went, and headed outside for some fresh air. Aro shook his head. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on between Caius and Magnus, but whatever it was, Aro knew it would end badly for Caius if the two of them came to a head. _We_ _'_ _ll be mopping Caius off the floor_ , he thought.

Felix sidled up to his father. "Can I have some?" he asked, sickly sweetly.

Aro burst out laughing in his boy's face. "Not on your life, son."

Before Felix could respond, Basileus broke into the group with a firm hand on his son's arm. "Welcome, Amun," he said to the Egyptian leader, immediately turning his focus to Aro. "A word with you," he said sternly.

"Marcus is out in the grounds with Xola and his lions," Aro breezed to Amun. He could tell his father was pissed with him and he wanted to deflect attention before Amun guessed it, too.

Once Amun and Benjamin were clear, Basileus sent Felix to the bar to fetch him a drink. The boy chuntered on his way about being treated like a fucking waiter, but he went.

"It's only hash, Dad," Aro hissed, removing his father's vice like grip on his forearm. "It's no worse than drinking, surely?"

"You tell me," Basileus said, getting a good look into his son's eyes to see what effect the herb had had on him. "This is still a potentially dangerous situation to be in and I would rather you, of all people, had your wits about you."

Aro huffed in a very Felix like fashion. "I will restrict myself to sociable amounts," he offered, hoping that would be enough.

He planned to partake in the drug once the event got into the swing of things and he didn't want Basileus breathing down his neck whilst he was doing it. Unfortunately for Aro, Basileus had already read as much in his mind.

"I will be watching," Basileus said sternly, taking the wind out of Aro's sails. "And for the sake of us all, keep that boy away from it," he added, glancing over at his grandson.

Felix had only been sent to the bar for a drink, but of course he was making the most of his time out of his father's control and chatting with the guards.

"I don't suppose you would like to take Felix off my hands for a while?" Aro asked. It was going to be difficult for him to have any meaningful conversations with the coven leaders with the boy in tow, but he'd found no one willing to take on 'Felix watch', even when he offered his covenmates good money!

"You suppose right," Basileus said. He didn't want to get stuck minding 'Captain Calamity, either.

"How about you, El?" Aro called, bringing his big brother in close. "Will you keep Felix with you?"

"Will I fuck!" Eleazar blurted out. He wasn't usually so coarse, but the idea of minding his nephew at a multi-coven event with drink, drugs, and women in the mix - not a chance in hell would he agree to that!

Aro looked back to his father. Basileus, thankfully, did recognise that Aro had work to do and hearing his grandson already winding up Afton across the room, decided to help his son a little. "I'll put some fear into him to bring down his exuberance," he offered with a wink.

Before Basileus could fulfill his offer, the deafening sound of screeching girls pierced his eardrums.

Aro winced at the row. "I see Sasha and her brats are here."

"How you can denote anyone else's children to be brats, I will never know," Eleazar quipped.

"My kids aren't brats …" Aro started in defence of his brood but soon fell flat. "Maybe a little," he conceded.

"Their voices are like drills through my brain," Eleazar complained. "What does my mate see in them?"

That confused Aro. Neither Eleazar or Carmen had expressed any joy in having the Denali clan join their quarters at the last ball - quite the opposite in fact - they had both espoused their utter contempt for the constant squabbling and squawking.

"I hadn't realised Carmen was so taken with the Denali girls," Aro said. Though as he watched his sister-in-law make a bee-line for the girls, he had to wonder if he had been way off base with such assumptions.

"She found them infuriating when they were here last time, but they are all she's talked about since our first Easter." Eleazar shook his head to his father, briskly. "You can lower that eyebrow, Dad, I know what you are thinking."

"What is he thinking?" Aro asked, looking between the two of them.

"That Carmen wants some kids of her own," Basileus explained.

"Do you think she does?" Aro asked his brother. That was news on him! _Sulpicia hasn't said anything,_ he thought. The last thing Aro wanted was more kids in the coven! The four they had were more than enough in his opinion.

"I know she does!" Eleazar snapped, thinking back to the very many conversations he and his mate already had on the matter.

Eleazar had promised Carmen he would talk to Aro and the other masters about taking in the next bunch of kids that came through the coven doors. Eleazar, naturally, had only made such a promise because he knew how rare it was to have unaccompanied children in the coven, but Carmen saw the lack of progression as Eleazar purposely making sure she wouldn't get her hands on any young vampires. It had caused many a row between the couple.

"And you don't, I take it?" Aro asked. _Please say no!_

"It's too much like hard work for El," Basileus said dismissively.

That was another argument Eleazar was finding himself embroiled in on a regular basis - his father wanting his eldest son to take on some sort, ANY sort of active duty within the coven.

"I appreciate my relatively easy life," Eleazar replied, "I see no reason to create work for myself." It was the same line he had been saying to his father, and thinking to Carmen, for the last couple of years.

"The reason is," Basileus said sharply, "your mate wants them!"

"She can live with wanting, Dad," Eleazar snapped. _And so can you_ , he thought to his father. _If you_ _'_ _re getting clucky for more grandkids, you can focus your efforts on Carlisle, not me_!

Basileus was so taken aback at the suggestion of his youngest son in charge of a young vampire that he didn't even rebuke Eleazar for his snarky thoughts as he might have done.

Eleazar barely registered his good fortune as he clapped his hands to his ears, cursing his enhanced hearing. "Good god, the noise from those three!" he complained, giving the death stare to Sasha's brats.

"Are you suddenly appreciative of the guest chambers I built?" Aro laughed.

"You are the best little brother in the world," Eleazar said dramatically, grateful that the girls wouldn't be in his quarters.

Aro grinned triumphantly to himself. "I'll be sure to let Carlisle know."

Basileus merely sighed at his sons and decided to make the most of Atia being at the gate house seeing in the guests by having a chat with Sasha, his old love interest.


	123. Pride Comes Before The Fall

**PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL**

Caius breathed a deep sigh of relief when Henri finally left him to talk with Tao of the African coven, though he pitied Tao having put up with the jerk.

The covens started arriving a little after dawn and by then, noon, Caius had already taken three shots of the dirty drug with the French leader. He was still level headed and he wasn't slurring his words; he simply felt calm, which was lucky as he would have twated Henri for some of his comments otherwise!

"Insufferable prick," Caius muttered, adding a fourth glug of dungeon blood to his goblet of bloodwine.

"I thought you liked him?" Demetri said, taken aback by the sudden change in Caius - he and Henri looked to be bosom buddies, Demetri had thought.

"Good," Caius said, taking a moment to gasp as the taste of dungeon blood hit his senses. "That's the impression I want Henri to have."

"Why would he believe anyone likes him?" Demetri sneered. "He's scum."

Caius looked to the boy and nodded. "He thinks we are the same," he admitted, shamefully.

Demetri felt a flash of anxiety realising he had just insulted Caius to his face, however unintentionally.

Caius was quick to wave the boy's apology away. "It's enough to make a man question the way he has lived his life, isn't it?"

Before Caius could morose too much, Basileus was at his side, guiding him and Demetri towards the English coven leader.

"My dear," Basileus said, waiting behind Hilda.

"Basileus," Hilda replied, before turning to see who he had with him. "Ah, Caius."

"Hilda," Caius returned with a bow. "The Creator has been telling me of your correspondence, have you had much success yet?"

Hilda shooed Noella away so she could talk plainly. "My ladies are quite against my plans, Caius," she admitted. "They think burning humans before I turn them to be somewhat inappropriate. I was rather hoping you would take the gauntlet on behalf of our kind and sell me the rewards of your labour."

"You want to buy vampires from the Volturi?" Caius asked. His eyes glinted, already thinking this could prove to be a lucrative venture.

Hilda was pleased to see such interest. "If you can create a vampire with the gifts of the twins, or your Russian sibling set, I will send you, personally, a gift to match the tribute I paid Aro today."

"Personally?" Caius asked.

He noticed that Basileus didn't seem to object. Caius would hand over whatever payment Hilda offered to the running of the coven … less a little for his expenses, of course.

"Can you think of any other ways to bring about extraordinary talents in vampires?" Hilda asked, eager to speak with someone who was willing to discuss such things. Her own ladies had been repulsed by her ideas.

"It seems to me that extreme pressures in human life transfer to vampiric gifts," Basileus offered. "Even on a rudimentary level, human experience feeds into vampiric nature."

"I have found that, too," Hilda replied. "It's odd that no one else is interested in this.

Demetri positively baulked at that. _Odd that no one is interested in burning people alive_?! _What the fuck is wrong with you all_?! he thought, looking between the three vampires who were discussing such horrors as starving, freezing, suffocating, drowning, and other such atrocities as easily as if they were shooting the breeze.

"What other ideas do you have," Hilda directed to Caius.

"There are many things, my lady." Caius mused for a moment, thinking back to the list he had made the day before. He didn't want to give away too many ideas, so he settled on, "We need not restrict ourselves to physical conditions, there's always psychological to play with, too."

"Have either of you ever scared a human to death?" Basileus asked, hinting that he, indeed, had.

Caius thought back through his existence. "Not intentionally."

If it weren't for the dungeon blood in his system, he may have walked away from the conversation at that point. His interest had been piqued by the offer of reward, but the short trip down memory lane Caius had put himself through had turned his stomach. His mind went immediately to Lucius, and the state of the poor wretch when he'd left him in the dungeon that night. It wasn't so much that Caius felt the boy deserved better - Lucius had caused merry hell in their coven and he wanted rid of the boy as much as anyone else did. But the horrors of that night had turned into days for Caius in his come down and the whole event had scarred his psyche.

"I wonder what would come about from such a thing?" Hilda asked, unperturbed.

"As do I," Basileus said, wiggling his eyebrows in excitement for coming opportunities to test vampiric makeup.

Neither Basileus nor Hilda seemed to notice the effect the conversation was having on Caius, or Demetri for that matter.

"This is wonderful, Caius," Hilda exclaimed. "I really think this could be big business and it would certainly fit with the tone of the alliance. I only want men," Hilda said quietly. Her coven had enough strong females and though she had sworn to never have a man in her coven, after spending some time with the Volturi, and indeed the other covens in the alliance, she had decided it was time to add some of the weaker sex to shake things up a little. "No rush," she added. "I want the gifts more than the men."

 _How charming,_ Caius thought. "Understood, my lady, I'll get started after the ball."

Basileus and Hilda soon drifted away.

Demetri tried to leave, too. "I'm going to talk to my Dad!" he snapped when Caius pulled him back.

"No," Caius said sternly. "You need to stay with me and away from Felix." When he actually looked at Demetri, he took a step back. The boy looked pale, even for a vampire. "What's wrong with you?"

"It was just hearing about your new job …" Demetri drifted off thinking about the proposed conditions Caius would be putting humans through. "It's wrong."

Caius cared little for human life, as a rule, though he felt the same way as Demetri about the task he had been set. Not that he would let the boy know that. He had his pride, after all.

"We need to replenish the guard anyway, we will just be adding a little gift-engineering into the process." Caius was trying to convince himself as much as Demetri. "The humans won't suffer for long before they are offered immortality in return."

Demetri looked askance to Caius' reasoning. "You make it sound like a transaction!"

"Is it not?" Caius asked, still working things out himself.

"No!" Demetri snapped. "You are talking about setting people on fire before you bite them!"

That drew a few close vampires to the conversation!

"Will you shut up!" Caius barked.

"How much pain do you think is a fair price for immortality? And, all so you can make some easy cash!" Demetri called out, bolstered by the mutterings he heard behind him, all expressing disgust for the work Caius does. ('Does' because very few knew that Caius no longer worked in ANY capacity!)

"Out, now!" Caius snapped. He didn't wait for the boy to move, he took Demetri by the arm and dragged him through the doors to the great hall.

Demetri continued his complaints as they went. "You don't know how fucked up Jane and Alec were when they came here."

"What are you talking about?" Caius spat, pushing Demetri clear of the doors and, therefore, an audience. "Aro set them straight to work."

"They held it together really well in public, but at home, at night …" Demetri tailed off remembering what his baby brother and sister were like when they first arrived in the coven. "Being set on fire fucked with their heads!"

"Watch your mouth," Caius snapped at the boy. Though his mind was elsewhere, he just wanted something to say to the brat.

"You are talking about torturing innocent people for an experiment and you think the words coming out of my mouth are the problem?!"

"Demetri, I am not arguing with you about my work …"

The boy cut him off. "Work?!" he repeated as though the word had no place in their conversation.

"Yes, work!" Caius walked away a few steps. "I don't have a choice," he admitted quietly.

Demetri scoffed at that. "You don't do anything you don't want to do."

 _What on earth gives you that impression_?! Caius thought. Demetri was too young really to be aware of the changes Caius had made in his life, or to understand that the man wanted nothing more than to tell Basileus to get to fuck with his new plans for gift engineering. It was there though, all hidden in the change of his tone as he admitted he didn't have a choice.

"Here," Caius said giving the boy his half goblet of bloodwine. "A bit of blood will do you good."

Demetri took a giant gulp from Caius' cup. His eyes lit up when he realised there was dungeon blood in it! He didn't remind Caius of the fact. Demetri only had a tiny amount diluted in a whole goblet of bloodwine, but it was enough to chill him out and to leave him feeling a little dazed.

Caius took it as a win when the boy stopped arguing with him and brought them both back into the throne room, none the wiser to his mistake. It didn't even occur to him when he added a fifth shot to his goblet and knocked it down in one.

Magnus made a bee-line for the pair of them. He wanted to check in with the younger master and took the chance to speak with him before Henri could intercept.

"Demetri, take your sister to see the lions, young one?" Magnus didn't wait for the boy to reply as he quickly pushed the girl to her brother. "I'll be watching," he added, pointing to the window where Xola and Marcus could be seen, along with Alec riding the larger of the two beasts the African coven had brought with them.

"How's the conversationalist?" Caius asked, jutting his chin towards Liam looking gormless as everyone else interacted around him.

"Witless as ever," Magnus quipped.

Liam had served his purpose as far as Magnus was concerned. After a couple hours trying to talk to the guy he felt much calmer, if a little frustrated, from making inane conversation with a man who mostly grunted his replies. He might have retained that calmness had he not clocked the state of Caius' glassy eyes.

"How many shots of that shit have you had?!"

"A couple," Caius replied, averting his eyes. He knew it was pretty pointless lying to Magnus, but he felt the need to at least try.

Magnus wasn't having that. "Try again," he hissed. When Caius failed to reply, Magnus went to his fallback. "Four?" he asked, reading Caius' emotions. "Five?" _Yeah_ , Magnus thought, getting a hit through is emphatic gift. _Five_. "We're barely halfway through the first day, Caius!" Magnus hissed, giving Caius' arm a shake.

"I'm fine!" Caius snapped in reply, shrugging off the juggernaut's hold.

Ironically, he wouldn't have been so bolshy towards Magnus on the matter of dungeon blood without the dungeon blood in his system! Caius had been the one who wanted to come off dungeon blood, and if he wanted to go back on it, it had fuck all to do with Magnus.

Except, Magnus was the one who had supported him through his last few bouts on the drug - he had kept Caius safe, even from himself, when he had been on a raging rampage, and he had gone out of his way to help Caius through the difficulties he faced with Basileus, too. Magnus had every right to say his piece, he felt.

Magnus glared down at Caius shaking his head very slowly, willing himself not to erupt in the throne room.

"Give me the bottle," he demanded, hand outstretched and waiting, daring Caius to refuse. "I'm not having a repeat of the last time you were on this shit."

Caius scoffed and went to walk away. He didn't get very far when Magnus clamped a giant hand on his shoulder.

"Give me the fucking bottle or I will take it from you."

Caius felt the hackles rise on his neck, not helped by seeing Henri watching his altercation with Magnus from a short distance away.

Henri had ended his conversation with Tao, quite rudely, simply to watch what the juggernaut would do with Caius. He had noticed that Caius had to ask the Creator for the dungeon blood, which didn't happen at the first ball. _We went through some cloak and dagger theatrics._ Henri remembered that they had mostly visited Caius' chambers or the dungeons to indulge, but Caius didn't ask for permission.

It wasn't that Caius wanted to impress Henri - he thought the man a cretin, but he knew the way a mind like Henri's worked (perhaps because his own mind worked that way, too, on occasion). Henri already viewed Caius as lesser, at least lesser than Aro. If Aro was the leader of the Volturi, and Henri led the French coven, then Caius was below Henri - at least in Henri's mind. It was the same reason Caius had fed on humans before the ball. Not to impress Henri, but to give the French leader less to feel superior about. There had been a few veiled digs on that score from Henri at the first ball and many more at this one. Foolishly, Caius prized nothing higher than his pride, and he couldn't ... he wouldn't ... lose face in front of Henri.

Caius took the bottle from the pocket of his cape and flicked the stopper out onto the floor at Magnus' feet. Then he poured a good shot and a half into his cup, all the time smirking to the older coven master.

It was a real dick move, especially considering all that Magnus had done for him. But Caius put that help aside for the moment. In fact, Magnus wasn't even a feature in this thought process at all. His objective was not losing face - proving he was a leader of the Volturi, equal to Aro, definitely equal to Henri!

Magnus was floored by Caius' disrespect, let alone his petulant defiance. His lip twitched into a snarl. Keeping the growl rumbling in his chest subdued was proving difficult.

"Fucking have it!" Caius said, thrusting the bottle towards Magnus so the sticky residue around the rim scraped against the Volturi crest on his tunic.

The moment Magnus released Caius' shoulder to take the bottle, Caius flashed away, leaving Magnus to collect the bottle stopper from the floor like some sort of servant. When he looked up, he saw Henri's gurning face.

"Collecting the rubbish, I see. How apt."

Magnus stood up with the bottle in hand and wiggled it to Henri. "Certainly am," he said with a happy smile, popping the stopper back in the bottle.

Henri sneered at the coven master and went to take the dungeon blood from Magnus. He didn't get it. Magnus threw the bottle to the floor before he had chance, letting it smash on the marble. The black, sticky liquid spewed out, and splashed Henri's boots.

Magnus continued to smile as the whole throne room silenced and stilled. "Oops," he said, loud and smug.

Henri wasn't so stupid to actually start anything physical with Magnus, he just enjoyed winding him up.

Magnus, for his part, knew he could easily crush the creature if he wanted to, without consequence, and he was sorely tempted to do it. _No one would miss you_ , Magnus reasoned.

Basileus flashed to Magnus' side, ready to intervene should the juggernaut do any of the things running through his mind. "There would have to be some consequences," he whispered to Magnus with a friendly arm around his shoulders, completely ignoring Henri's complaints.

Magnus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "From you?" he asked quietly.

Basileus nodded and tapped his cane into the floor. He felt Magnus shudder briefly but heard the master considering whether the punishment would be worth the reward.

"It won't be," Basileus assured him.

Henri continued wittering before them, getting louder with his increasing frustration over being ignored by just about everyone.

"When it's time," Basileus said to Magnus, referring to killing the French leader, "you can have the honours."

Magnus chuckled. "I suppose that will have to do."

"Tao!" Basileus called over to the African leader. "I believe you and your brother are known for your strength, are you not?"

"Could you offer some competition, chief?" Tao asked Basileus. He wasn't too sure how he felt about wrestling with the Creator of their kind.

"Not me, my friend, I'm far too old for such sport," Basileus said, pushing Magnus to take a step forward. "But I offer you our juggernaut for your games."

Magnus and Tao left together, only stalling to ask Felix to join them. The boy was mightily pissed off when Aro refused to let him leave his sight.

"Henri," Basileus turned on the French leader. "I suggest you watch them brawl, and whilst you do, consider what will happen when Magnus eventually gets his hands on you."

Henri's mouth dropped open at the clear threat from the Creator. _Not_ _'if'_ , Henri thought, _he said_ _'_ _when_ _'_!

Basileus towered over the smaller man and leaned down to his ear. "Go. And. Watch," he said sternly. He made sure his voice was heard by all so there was no mistake in Henri being chopped down a peg or two.

Henri went. He told himself it was to get away from the Creator, and not simply because he had been ordered to do so. He may have told himself that, but it was clear to all that the man had no choice.

Once all were clear of the spot, guards rushed over to scrape the dungeon blood from the floor.

It wasn't long before Demetri had been sent back inside to find Caius. He had spent his time outside arguing with the twins over whose turn it was to ride the lions. Jane and Alec had to stay out there, as Marcus and Magnus were out there, too, so Demetri was the one to be sent away.

That pissed the boy off. He had started the tribune ball in a foul mood, been sent into furious disgust by Caius' new job, and then rejected (as he saw it) in favour of the twins. _They always get their own fucking way. Pair of brats_ , he thought bitterly.

When he entered the throne room and saw Felix sharing a little herb with his father, he shook with rage over the unfairness of his life. _You would NEVER let me do that with you_ , the boy thought to his father.

By the time Demetri sought out Caius, he wore a thunderous expression. Seeing Caius talking with Amun certainly didn't help matters for the kid. Demetri tried to slip in beside Caius as they spoke, but Amun was quick to address him. Or rather more annoyingly, Amun addressed Caius about Demetri.

"So, how have you ended up babysitting this one, Caius?" Amun asked. "It looks like Aro's children are on a short leash tonight."

His tone was even, as was his way. Amun was rarely overly friendly. It certainly wasn't aggressive or patronising, though.

But that's how Demetri took it. _Wanker,_ he thought. _Do you miss anything_? He even added a 'cunt' for good measure. All inside his head of course, which is where Demetri's annoyance with Amun had taken residence since the last ball. Annoyance may be too tame a word. It was verging on murderous hatred at that point and poor Amun, (which is not a phrase one would use lightly) hadn't done much to deserve such scorn.

Benjamin attempted to talk to Demetri, which was met with frosty silence. Amun raised an eyebrow to the insult but decided not to push it. He could see the child looked uncomfortable.

Caius saw something else in Demetri - the boy looking very much like he had before he had started arguing with him earlier and he did not want that happening in front of Amun! He quietly passed the boy his goblet and allowed him to take what he wanted.

"Is it wise giving him a drink?" Amun asked.

Caius shrugged. He doubted the boy would get chance to drink enough to cause trouble that weekend. "As you said, Amun, I have him on a short leash."

"I don't want a repeat of my last visit," Amun said, looking to Benjamin standing at his side, bored.

"Be sure to keep an eye on your own then," Caius said, taking back his cup from Demetri and knocking down the last of the goblet.

The dregs of the dungeon blood had sunk to the bottom of his cup so that last bit of bloodwine was thickest of all with the coven drug. The earlier calming affect had long since dissipated. Caius was now in the second phase of dungeon blood effect - the phase he and Aro used to seek on the drug during their binges. He felt alive, a little agitated, but he tried to ignore that part and concentrate on the buzz in his veins.

"I am," Amun said confidently. "Though there is no need - they won't repeat the same mistake." He glared at Benjamin until the boy confirmed he wouldn't be so wantonly disobedient ever again.

"Neither will Demetri," Caius returned. He had a chip on his shoulder over Henri, and Magnus come to that, and those feelings bolstered by the dungeon blood saw him wanting to defend the boy's status along with his own.

"He must have changed, he would have done in my day," Amun said dismissively.

Again, it wasn't with malice - Demetri had been in Amun's coven as a teenage newborn and like all teenage newborns, he had been difficult to manage at first.

Of course, Demetri didn't see it that way. But then, the only young newborns he had ever met were the twins when Aro brought them home and they were treated with kid gloves by everyone in the coven which was a world away from his treatment at the hands of Amun.

Caius twitched at the Egyptian coven leader's comment, too. "Well he isn't your ward anymore, is he."

"He wouldn't get away with scowling at visitors if he was," Amun replied to Caius before turning to the boy. "You should be more courteous to your guests, Demetri," he chided gently.

"So you know I am here?" Demetri snapped. He didn't wait for Amun to reply before he continued. "Why don't you speak to me about me?"

Caius sighed internally. He had no more bloodwine to offer the child and he didn't really know what else to do with the kid to control him. "Watch your tone, boy," he hissed, to no avail.

"I don't have to watch my tone with him," Demetri snapped in response, spitting 'him' at Amun.

"I can see the Volturi doesn't take a hard line on discipline, but I am …"

Demetri didn't wait to hear what else Amun would come up with to insult either him or the coven. "They do," he said. "They just aren't cruel cunts like you."

"Cruel cunts?!" Amun repeated loudly. "How dare you talk to the elite of the vampire world with such derision."

"Amun, Demetri is part of the elite of the vampiric world," Caius reminded the Egyptian leader, though he had pulled the boy behind him slightly, so Demetri couldn't add to his shame. "The Volturi elite, no less."

"Are you trying to imply the whelp is above me, Caius?!"

"Demetri is Aro's son," Caius reminded the man. "Are you trying to imply you are above your king's children, Amun?!" he asked, turning Amun's phrasing on its head.

Demetri positively glowed at Caius' defence of him. That was, he did, until Caius turned on him and manhandled him out the grand doors and into the short hall leading to the west tower. The passageway didn't go anywhere else, so it was relatively private which Demetri was grateful for - he had guessed what was coming.

"You embarrass yourself and our coven with your insubordination!" Caius growled, slamming the boy into the wall chest first.

Demetri threw his hands back to protect himself, fully expecting an assault from Caius. The master simply laughed and removed them, pinning his hands tightly to his back and holding them there. Caius smacked Demetri's backside harshly. Only once, but that was enough for the boy to shriek in response.

Demetri was sure that was Caius' full strength - it didn't sting, like a strike from his father would have, it thumped, the pain felt deep and he was sure he would have bruising from the blow.

Caius kept the boy in position and shook him roughly to get his attention. "Do you need another one or will that keep your mouth shut for a while?" he growled, close to Demetri's ear.

Demetri wanted to answer but true to form he was busy being a tad dramatic.

Caius rolled his eyes to the heavens. _How on earth does Aro put up with this shit_?! he wondered, releasing the boy and taking a step back to calm himself.

Demetri set to rubbing his throbbing backside. He knew he had a round of fucks coming from Caius, though he didn't understand why. "But you stuck up for me!" he complained

"I did," Caius snapped back in agreement. "And, I would have done so without your insolence, Demetri."

Demetri gulped down his venom and wiped at his tear stained face. Caius had backed him up with Henri already, _so why didn_ _'_ _t I just let him deal with Amun, too_? He knew why, really. His resentment for Amun and the harsh life he had lived after he was first turned needed vengeance.

Demetri's form of vengeance, being only fourteen, was childish. He just wanted to tell the man what a cunt he was, and he'd done it. But he didn't feel any better for it. His throbbing backside had taken some of the joy away, but Demetri still felt bereft of the satisfying vengeance he had hoped for.

Felix had wound his brother up to the point of explosion about having to see Amun again, but, even that hadn't really happened in a few years. There had been the odd comment from his brother in that time, but nothing to warrant Demetri's attitude, though the war between the two boys over Demetri's faulty venom, and the like, certainly hadn't helped the boy's psyche and Demetri was understandably on high alert.

 _Felix is no reason to be losing my shit with everyone,_ he castigated himself, wishing he could get a hold on his emotions. _What the fuck is wrong with me today_?!

All in all, Demetri was a confused child who desperately needed some reassurance, but as he had spoken to no one about any of the thoughts and feelings consuming his mind, no one had thought to offer him any.

"I'm sorry," he eventually replied, quietly. He meant it too.

Caius softened his stance a little now his initial anger surge had sated.

It would appear that surge had taken the buzz of the dungeon blood away, which he was most annoyed with. _I need another shot to get back up_ , he thought, only remembering Magnus taking ... and smashing ... his bottle when he found his cape pocket empty. _Fuck_! _I can_ _'_ _t ask Basileus for the second bottle yet. Would he even give it to me now anyway_? he wondered. Caius decided to distract himself with Demetri's problems instead - it was preferable to thinking on a coming altercation with Magnus over more dungeon blood (because he was taking more whether the juggernaut liked it or not!)

"You lived with him for years, didn't you?" Caius asked, referring to Amun.

"Yeah," Demetri muttered, still rubbing at his backside. "He was a cunt then, too."

Caius reached out and slapped the boy's cheek for his language. Felix got away with cursing in front of Aro, but Caius knew Demetri rarely did so he was only doing what the boy's father would have done, he reasoned.

"Ow!" Demetri whined dramatically. Caius hadn't hit him hard, but it was the boy's way.

Caius scoffed and leaned into the wall. He was in no rush to return to the guard hall. This event was proving more difficult for the coven leader than he had anticipated. "How was he a cunt?"

Demetri mimicked Caius' actions "He was a vicious bastard …" he stopped talking and winced, looking up to Caius with one eye. "Sorry," he offered.

Caius looked down at him for a moment, but he felt a little off balance, drowsy even. _Fuck me I need more_ , he thought. _I can_ _'_ _t be on a comedown already_! "Worse than me?" he eventually asked Demetri about Amun.

"Much."

Demetri hadn't been asked by anyone about Amun. Aro actively avoided the conversation so as not to bring up unhappy memories for his son. But Caius seemed to be willing to listen and Demetri just needed to get it out.

"You are a hard ass but only when it's called for. Mostly. Amun just flew into rages and would smash up whoever was near. Which was usually me, as he kept me close. He said it was because I was young, but it was because of my gift, I knew that. Everyone thinks Aro collects gifts, but he cares about the whole coven. Amun never cared."

It was a depressing appraisal of the Egyptian coven from a resentful child. Aro would have recognised that, Basileus would have, too, or just about any other adult member of the coven. But Demetri wasn't telling anyone else, he was telling Caius, and Caius was feeling pretty resentful himself at that moment, and he was halfway to totally fucked, too.

"Are you sure you weren't as mouthy there as you are here?"

"I hardly spoke at all," Demetri said emphatically, grateful for an audience. "I didn't dare."

The boy carried on, telling Caius all about his hatred, however unjustified, for Amun and then he moved onto Felix. He told Caius how he had always been in Felix's shadow, and no doubt always would be, and how Felix had tormented him, winding him up about his faulty venom.

Demetri wasn't 'true' Volturi because he didn't have Aro's venom. Without Aro's venom the boy wasn't really connected to Basileus, either, in any meaningful way. A child's complaint, really, and one that should have been responded to with some encouragement, some confirmation that venom didn't matter, that Demetri was Volturi true and a vampire in his own right, not just as an adage to his brother … but this is Caius we are talking about.

Caius felt all of the things Demetri felt! He had never realised it before, but with his drug addled brain working in odd ways, he found an unlikely kindred spirit in the boy. He had lived his days in Aro's shadow, he was the only master without a connection to Basileus, he had been badly treated by Basileus for centuries before Atia arrived and set the Creator straight about who was to blame for Aro's fuck ups.

Demetri continued to talk, unaware of the effect he was having on the coven leader at his side. "He used to threaten to have me submit, too," he said quietly. "I didn't even understand what that meant until I came here, but he would threaten it all the time and the rest of the coven found it hysterical."

Demetri shook his head to rid it of the cruel taunts from his old coven members. It was then that he noticed Caius' furious face. "You look angry," he whispered tentatively, suddenly wishing they had an audience so Caius would be less likely to murder him.

"I am," Caius ground out in reply.

Demetri panicked. He wasn't sure what he had said to piss him off, but he wanted to backtrack desperately. "I said I was sorry, please don't tell Aro."

"I'm not angry with you."

Caius felt a broil of emotions. He was pissed off with Amun stepping up to him and even more so with the clear depravity and harshness he had shown to the boy. He didn't even think to question the truth of the chlid's tale. But most of all, Caius was pissed off with himself. He was forced to think of his own behaviour over the years and he knew he couldn't honestly say he was better than Amun. He was trying to be, but his history would be around to haunt him for a good while yet. It really wasn't a good time for Caius to be reminiscing about his bad ways, even less so to be thinking on what a raw deal he got in Volturi life generally.

"Let's get a drink," he said to his young charge. He put an arm around Demetri's shoulders and guided him back into the throne room, though truthfully he was using the boy to steady himself as he walked!

Aro caught Caius' eye as soon as he and Demetri returned to the great hall. It was clear Aro was asking about Demetri, especially clear as Amun was currently raging into his ear and gesticulating wildly in the boy's direction.

Caius merely shrugged and pulled Demetri in close, guiding him to the bar.

Aro sighed. He had hoped Caius would go over to him and explain the situation, as it was, all Aro could do was listen to Amun's complaints about his son and fellow master.

"Hey Felix," Irina drawled sidling up to Felix and Benjamin. "Long time no see."

Ben immediately backed up a step. For once, it wasn't because of Amun - Tia wouldn't have liked him hanging around with Irina and by the goofy expression Felix wore Benjamin guessed it would be a 'private' conversation.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," Felix replied quietly, so as not to alert his father.

"I look good, don't I?" Irina said, twisting a little to make the best of her form.

Felix chuckled and pulled the Denali girl in close. "And so modest, too. I have been looking forward to seeing you again and picking up where we left off."

"Where we left off?" Irina pretended to think for a moment. "Oh! You mean when you were dragged home by Daddy and put in the corner?"

"Erm … no …" Felix tripped over his words having the unexpected thrown at him like that. "That's not what happened," he lied. "It wasn't like that … fuck."

Irina laughed at the boy. "I'm playing with you, Felix."

Felix sighed in relief. He couldn't have people thinking that about him, whether it was true or not. "Good looking and funny, aren't I a lucky guy?"

"You could be lucky," Irina said suggestively, "if you can break away."

"I am supposed to stay with Aro ... " Felix tailed off. _How am I going to explain this without looking like a total twat_?!

"If you obey all the rules, you will miss all the fun."

"It's not a rule," Felix huffed, insulted (but not too insulted - he still wanted to fuck her again.) "Just in case he needs back up or something."

Irina threw Felix a pitiful look, one that crushed a large part of his ego. "I can tell when you are lying."

"I'm not lying, I can leave if I want to." Felix looked over his shoulder to his father, who was still arguing with Amun about Demetri. Slipping away actually looked possible.

Irina took his hand and started to lead him away. "Come on, then."

"FELIX!" Aro roared, ending his conversation with Amun to drag his boy back.

Felix didn't even look Aro in the eye, or Irina for that matter. "For fuck sake," he muttered.

Sadly he had muttered a little too loudly and Aro clocked him across the head for it. _Yup, there goes my fuck_ , Felix thought watching Irina walk away laughing at the young prince of Volterra. "I wasn't going anywhere," he huffed, thoroughly pissed off with his father for embarrassing him in the fucking throne room. Again!

Oh, yes you were," Aro ground out, unhappy with his son for defying his simple command of staying with him, thoroughly pissed off with his son for embarrassing him in the fucking throne room. Again!

"Why did you have to do that?" Felix hissed. He took to rubbing his head now everyone's attention had turned back to their conversations. "Amun was chewing your ear off anyway, I was only talking!"

Aro scowled at his son. After hearing about Demetri's dreadful behaviour, the last thing he needed was Felix defying him too. "You shouldn't have left my side and you damn well know it."

Okay, Felix couldn't argue with that. "There was no need to slap me," he settled on saying.

"Try it again and see what you get," Aro returned menacingly with a hand firmly clasped on his belt buckle. "I don't want you around that girl, anyway. She's trouble."

Felix watched Irina trying to flirt with Afton. Chelsea looked ready to kill them both. "I like her," he said. He knew Irina was trouble, she was like his female counterpart!

Aro followed his son's eyeline to the girl in question. "Yes, I can well imagine why you like her."

"You have to admit she is hot, Dad."

"Not compared to your mother," Aro commented, knowing it would disgust his boy. It had the desired effect. "I thought you and Corin were sort of a thing?"

"Are you joking?" Felix spat. "Me and Corin haven't been anything since you raped her."

"That's a bit strong!" Aro huffed, squaring his shoulders. "I wouldn't call it that. I was in a bad place, son …"

"Yeah, I know," Felix cut his father off to save him some stress at least. He knew Aro wasn't really 'Aro' on dungeon blood. that didn't excuse all the awful things he did on the oven drug, though. "I don't think she will ever forgive me for leaving her with you that night."

Aro felt a flash of guilt over that. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No, I do-bloody-not!" Felix shook his head at the idiotic request. He did his best impression of his father as he said, "I'm sorry I raped you, Corin, but will you fuck my son again?"

Aro slapped a hand across Felix's mouth and kept it there. "Too loud!"

Rather than reacting to the sting, Felix started to smile. He peeled his father's hand away. "Mom still doesn't know, does she?"

Aro's shoulder slunk momentarily. "Before you get any bright ideas like trying to blackmail me with this information, I would warn you that if you even try I will have to tell your mother all the gory details and it will break her."

Felix was affected by that, but not nearly enough in Aro's mind, so he sealed the deal.

"And Corin would magically disappear, too. So keep your mouth firmly closed as though your life depends on it." That was enough.

"I wouldn't have said anything," Felix replied childishly.

 _Yeah right_ , Aro thought. He wanted to cheer his boy up a little, though, after ruining his hopes for copping off with the Denali girl. He looked out the window and saw that Magnus was having a roaring time fighting off Tao and Xola single handedly. "Why don't you go and wrestle with the African coven?"

"Erm …" Felix looked questioningly to his father. "Because you said I wasn't allowed."

"Go on," Aro encouraged. "Don't get wondering off. If Magnus comes back inside, you come with him." Aro didn't expect Marcus would come inside without those bloody lions that he was still simpering over.

"Feeling guilty?" Felix asked slyly.

Aro raised his right hand high. "You will be feeling something in a minute if you don't go!"

Felix fled happily. Some rough and tumble was just what he needed.

…

Felix only had a couple of hours outside. It was still light out when Magnus decided he'd had enough, so the boy had no choice but to head inside, too.

"You look exhausted," Aro commented as soon as his boy was close. "Wrestling must have really taken it out of you. Are they stronger than you?" he asked, a little concerned as he looked out to Tao and Xola continuing in their final match against each other.

"As if!" Felix replied, yawning.

"You can stop that right now!" Aro shot out, pulling Felix to one side of the great hall.

"I can't help it!" Felix whined. He was knackard, and the bloodwine he had managed to sneak past his father from his uncles had only served to tire him out.

"You're going to have to go home ... "

"What?!" Felix backed up a step. "That isn't fair, I haven't put a foot out of place!"

"Calm down!" Aro hushed his boy. "I'm not punishing you, Felix. You're tired - you need to sleep."

Between the bloodwine and the wrestling, Felix was shattered. But he didn't want to miss anything and there was no way he was being sent to bed like a child. Not without a fight.

"I'm not that tired, and I'm not going anywhere."

Aro pulled Felix in close. "Be careful, son," he warned quietly.

"Dad, please!"

Aro checked the clock. "It's only six. Go and get a couple of hours and I'll come and wake you at eight. You have been here since dawn. I even allowed you a few drinks."

Felix looked sheepishly to his father. "I didn't know you knew."

"Of course I knew!" Aro chuckled to himself at the idea that he wouldn't know! "Eleazar asked me if he could slip you a goblet or two ... to keep your spirits up ... and I agreed."

Felix folded his arms across his chest. Part of the enjoyment in drinking for Felix was getting one over on his old man. "I suppose you knew about Carlisle, too."

"No. I did not." Aro's chuckles ceased immediately. "How many have you had?"

 _How do I answer that?_ Felix wondered. "Since the covens first arrived?"

Aro snatched his son's hand and fished through his memories, quickly discovering just how many Eleazar and Carlisle had slipped the teen between them. "Felix!" he admonished. "You have had a bloody skin-full between the pair of my brothers! You are going to bed, now."

Felix's eyes flew wide open as he looked around the hall to see if anyone had caught the childish order. "Shhhh!"

"Oh you think that will be humiliating, huh?" Aro said teasingly. "Try defying me and you'll see what humiliation really is!"

Felix stood firm, he was drunk enough for a battle of wills with his father, if that's what Aro wanted.

Aro shook his head slowly. _Okay, son_ , he thought, _I can up the ante if you want_. "Do you remember what happened after the first coven ball?" he asked simply, reminding his son of his previous battle of wills that saw him answering to half the masters, an uncle and the Creator in one sitting in the very public space of the guard hall.

The memory sure took the wind out of Felix's sails. "Yes, bitterly."

"I'll fetch you at eight," Aro said, ending any further discussion.

He didn't say anything else. Felix walked away, heading for his bedchamber and a few hours to sleep off the bloodwine.


	124. Revealing

**REVEALING**

A few hours had passed since Aro had sent Felix to his bed when Demetri arrived at his father's side. He ended his conversation with Sasha about Romanian's sniffing around her homelands and tutted at his son.

"You are supposed to be with Caius."

"I know, but I need to talk to you," Demetri explained.

Aro sought out his co-master in the crowd. "How has he let you escape anyway?" he asked, though it was soon clear.

Magnus loomed over Caius as Caius slouched into a bench. Whatever the juggernaut was bending the younger master's ear about, Caius didn't seem the least bit interested to hear it.

From what Aro had seen so far that day it was Magnus who appeared to be the loose cannon, not Caius, so he wasn't too sure what had happened to cause a ruck between the pair of them. Assuming they were disagreeing about Henri, (because most disagreements had so far been about Henri) Aro decided to leave them to it.

Checking the clock, Aro realised he was a little late waking his eldest. It was closer to nine than the agreed upon eight. "I need to wake your brother," he told Demetri. "You can come with me."

As they walked the halls towards the south tower, Demetri explained the conversation he had heard between Caius, Basileus and Hilda.

"They are going to do what?" Aro asked, assuming he must have misheard.

"They are going to put humans through extreme conditions to see if they can predict the type of gift they will develop as a vampire."

"That's genius!" Aro exclaimed, already coming up with a list in his mind of the talents he would wish to procure for the coven.

"Dad!" Demetri all but shouted. "It's wrong. It feels wrong."

Aro hadn't predicted that his son would be upset by the proposal and rushed to ease his concerns. "The humans will suffer for a few moments before they die, and they will awake as Volturi guards and immortal … seems a good deal to me."

Demetri crossed his arms and stamped his foot to the floor. "That's pretty much exactly what Caius said!" He had expected more from his father than a rehash of Caius' words.

Aro eyed his son for a moment. He already had Felix going against him, he wasn't putting up with theatrics from Demetri, too. "You mean to tell me you questioned Caius on this?" he asked sternly.

"I asked him about it," Demetri answered. "I didn't question him … we talked."

Aro scoffed. Caius pretended the kids didn't exist most of the time, he certainly didn't talk to them! "So you have shown Caius none of the disrespect you showed Amun?"

Demetri fell quiet until he eventually said, "Caius was on my side with Amun, actually."

"I will need to hear Caius say that before I believe it," Aro said dismissively. "Go and wake your brother."

Demetri showed his father he was pissed off with him by purposely stomping on each and every step. _Brat_! Aro thought.

"Erm … Dad …" Demetri called down the stairwell from the stop floor. "You might want to see this!"

When Aro arrived at the top of the stairs, Demetri was standing outside Felix'a bedroom with the door wide open. "You know, he can be a lot of trouble, but he looks so sweet when he's sleeping … with a naked girl wrapped around his body."

Felix lay fast asleep with Irina coiled around his body. Both naked. Both fast asleep.

"Out," Aro ordered his younger son. "Straight back to Caius, now."

Demetri would have liked to have seen his brother copping for his crimes, but thought he'd better scram in case he ended up in the firing line somehow.

"Felix!" Aro boomed, stalking to his boy and shaking him harshly. "Wake up."

"What time is it?" Felix asked with his eyes still closed. "How long was I sleeping?"

Irina woke properly and smiled to Aro. Fuck she was brave! "Morning lover boy," she whispered into Felix's ear.

Felix's eyes shot open upon hearing the girl's voice. "Holy fuck!" he moved to sit upright but Irina remained wrapped across him. "Dad, listen …"

"I don't want to hear it." Aro stormed back to the door. If he had stayed near them he might have killed them both. "If you are rested enough, feel free to re-join the party at your leisure."

Felix heard the faux calm, the forced nicety and flinched. "Dad, I …"

It was too late, Aro was already out of the south tower.

"Fuck!" Felix roared, mainly to himself.

"Why are you so stressed," Irina asked. "We haven't done anything wrong." She was quite pleased with herself for gaining access to the king's private quarters and couldn't wait to brag to her sisters.

Felix untangled himself from the blonde bombshell and started to redress. "Maybe you haven't, but I most definitely have." Aro's going to fucking slaughter me when the covens leave, he thought in a panic. "Hang on, when did you come in here?"

Irina went to answer, but stopped herself quickly, changing her response. "You don't remember?"

"No …" Felix tailed off as he thought back. "I remember coming up here, being pissed off with Aro and getting into bed."

"So," Irina said, wearing a wicked smile, "you don't remember me coming in here?"

Felix shook his head.

"Or what we did?"

"I would really like to remember that!" Felix whined, pulling his shirt over his head.

Irina had yet to move, sitting in his bed, naked, in all her glory. How Felix wished he could remember! "Aro's going to murder me and I don't even know if it was worth it!"

"Oh, it was worth it." Irina started to slowly crawl over the bed towards him. "I could give you a replay?"

"That is so tempting …" So tempting that Felix very nearly dived back into bed! He had to force himself to back up and throw the girl her dress. "Come on, I need to convince my Dad not to execute me."

When Aro re-joined the party, he headed straight for Caius and Demetri like a man possessed. Felix had a hell load of trouble coming his way, and by the look on the boy's face when Aro had left him, it was clear Felix knew he was in damn deep water, too. _That might keep him from screwing up any further_ , Aro thought hopefully. Now he planned to set Demetri straight to end whatever games he was playing with the Egyptian coven.

"What happened with Amun, brother?"

He may have been speaking to Caius, but Aro's eyes were firmly on his son. Demetri had to wonder what he had done to add to his father's annoyance in the ten minutes they had been apart, and was ready to ask until Caius replied.

"Amun was being a condescending cunt, quite frankly," he said, slurring ever so slightly.

After losing his dungeon blood to Magnus, and not being brave enough to ask Basileus for the other bottle, Caius had turned to bloodwine to distract himself from his desire for the drug.

Aro noted the slur, but pushed on. After all, it wasn't unusual for either of them to drink to excess. Aro would have happily joined his co-master had he not had so many people to talk to. "That's not how Amun tells it," he replied, still glaring at Demetri.

"I bet it isn't," Caius scoffed.

He had believed every word the boy had told him about what a prick Amun was. To be fair to Demetri, he wasn't lying as such, more he had a distorted view of things and a wild imagination to fill in any blanks.

"Demetri mouthed off a little," he explained. "But I don't blame him. Nothing more to it."

Aro nodded to Caius and then leaned down so he was face to face with his child. "I will speak with you when everyone leaves."

Demetri backed up a step and instinctively took cover behind Caius.

Caius stepped up to Aro. "I already gave him a good smack and a talking to - it's sorted. Leave him be."

"What's wrong with you?" Aro tutted at Caius' stance. He felt they were equally matched on a good day, and with Caius in the state he was in Aro would floor him easily, so he wasn't backing down. "You aren't normally the protective type."

"It happened on my watch and I am telling you it wasn't Demetri's fault. That should be enough, so why are you questioning me?!"

"It may well have been your watch, but he's still my son and he knows better than to insult our guests!"

"What about them insulting him, huh? How about that?!" Caius was getting louder. He had already drawn Carlisle and Eleazar over in case Aro needed help.

Aro tried to explain himself in an effort to calm Caius down. "I already have Felix going off on his one-man idiot show, I don't need to worry about Demetri right now on top."

That was the wrong thing to say. After all Demetri's talk of living in his brother's shadow, and Caius feeling the same about his life with Aro ... well, it was just the wrong thing to say.

"What the fuck has Felix got to do with Demetri?!" he asked, or rather, shouted.

That brought Basileus and Magnus, the former placing a heavy hand on Aro's shoulder and the latter taking the goblet form Caius' hand.

"Aro, if Caius says its sorted, its sorted," Basileus said to his boy.

Caius stormed away, less a drink. Demetri was hot on his tail, thinking Caius was a god among men for standing up for him like that!

"He looks wrecked," Magnus whispered to Basileus, both following Caius with a glare.

All Basileus could do was nod. _He IS wrecked_ , he thought. But what could they do with Caius now?! _If we remove him from the ball his absence could create a concern amongst the other covens, or even our own coven! If the other covens ask where he_ _'_ _s gone we can_ _'_ _t lie to them, they would no doubt find out at the next ball and it would create distrust. Fuck_.

Magnus took a swig from the goblet he had confiscated from Caius and damn near spat the contents back into the cup. "There must be half a bottle of whiskey in this!" he told the Creator in surprise.

Basileus shook his head, truly unsure about what they should do. "We need to keep a closer eye on him," he told Magnus.

"And what are we waiting for before we intervene?" Magnus shot back. Caius was already slurring ... and a little rocky. He'd also already knocked down a good six or seven shots of dungeon blood that day from what Magnus could estimate based on the generous servings Caius had dealt himself. "This is going to end in tears, Basileus."

The Creator didn't particularly disagree, and he didn't know how to prevent it, either.

Felix took all of their attentions when he barreled through the throne room in search of his father. Having missed the altercation between Aro and Caius, he paid no attention to the brooding adults around him and went straight to Aro.

"Master, may I talk with you in private please?"

"Master?" Aro repeated, surprised with his son's deference.

Eleazar, like the others in attendance, burst out laughing. "Who's he trying to kid?"

Aro wasn't laughing after what he'd caught his boy doing. "If you have something to say, say it."

"Please," Felix begged, eyes cutting around the circle of men. He didn't want to explain himself in front of his grandfather, his uncles, and Magnus! It would be traumatic enough begging his father for a reprieve.

 _You deserve some shaming, you damn delinquent_! Aro thought. "I'm disappointed enough without hearing your excuses." His verbal response was a little more reasoned, at least, but that was only because Aro also felt ashamed of his son, or rather his own lack of control over the boy.

Felix heaved a shaky sigh before he began. "You have every right to be mad at me ... "

Aro's tinkling laughter cut him off. "Thank you for your permission," he said, adding a sarcastic bow to his comment.

Felix could feel the danger he was in like a thousand bees stinging him all over his body - his father's sarcasm tended to rise in correlation with his anger.

Aro held out his hand expectantly.

Felix wasn't up for his father traipsing through his memories. "No! You can't look!" he squeaked, backing up a step from the group. "I can't remember what happened I have no idea what you will see!"

Aro exhaled angrily and pulled his son in close. With a rather sinister smile, he hooked a hand around his boy's neck and dived into his mind. Aro prepared himself for seeing his son's sexual antics. _It wouldn_ _'_ _t be the first time_ , he thought with a shudder.

Felix could feel himself cringing already and he didn't even know what Aro was looking at.

The sinister smile faded and made way for one of clear amusement. "Relax," Aro whispered to his boy. "I've seen you do a lot worse, with a lot worse."

"What do you mean?" Felix asked, looking perplexed.

Aro chuckled and wrapped his arm around his son. "Get him a drink, El," he called to his brother.

"He can get him a drink," Carlisle huffed sarcastically when Eleazar passed him by. He had received a verbal round of fucks from Basileus and Atia over supplying Felix with alcohol.

Basileus heard him and fixed his boy in his sights. "Aro knew Eleazar was supplying drinks, you went behind everyone backs! If we must speak of this again we will be going somewhere private!"

Carlisle looked most affronted to have such an obvious threat of punishment announced in front of Magnus and Aro, let alone his nephew! If he could have blushed, he would be blood red. His trips away from the coven with Marcus had come to an end and Carlisle felt like a totally new man.

A man - that was the important part. No longer stuck in that odd phase he had found himself in since he was turned, where he didn't really know who he was. Marcus had opened Carlisle to the world outside of Volterra, which was just as stifling to Carlisle as Spittle Fields, where he had been plucked from as a human. There was no way that Carlisle, a new man, a man of the world, would suffer the indignity of being punished by his father. Not a chance on God's green earth was that going to happen.

Basileus was following his boy's thoughts on the matter. Luckily for Carlisle, his father found humour in his stance on parental chastisement and had to stifle his laughter to avoid outing either himself or his son. _Bless you, Carlisle_ , he thought. _You really don_ _'_ _t get how things work around here, do you_?

Thankfully for Carlisle, Atia stepped in on his behalf before his father could say anything more on the matter anyway. "Basileus you make it sound so malicious, my dear. Carlisle is guilty of nothing more than mistaken generosity."

Aro rolled his eyes. Atia always downplayed Carlisle's mistakes, though to be fair, Basileus always exaggerated them. In the ten years that had passed since Carlisle and Felix ran their 'reign of terror', Basileus had yet to relent his watchful eye on his youngest son. It had surprised Aro as he, by his own admission, had been an uncontrollable cock at times, yet Basileus seemed far more hurt by Carlisle's trickery. _At least with you breathing down his neck my little brother won_ _'_ _t think to start up any new schemes of idiocy_ , he thought to his father.

It seemed no one appreciated, or even indeed recognised the new and improved Carlisle that had returned from his European tour.

Basileus smirked at Aro's thoughts, though he disagreed strongly that he treated his sons unfairly. Differently, definitely, but unfairly, no. He would not concede to that.

Felix remained at Aro's side, gawping like a fish, when Eleazar offered him a glass of bloodwine. "I don't understand …"

"Which is a big surprise for us all, honestly." Aro cut his boy off. "Go and play," he instructed, pushing Felix away gently.

Felix was truly confused now. _I shagged Irina again_ _…_ _I think. How are you letting that go_? he wondered. "But what about …"

Aro held up a hand to silence his son. "Do you really want to talk about Irina, or would you rather spend a few hours seeing how much bloodwine you can sneak past me and socialise with our guests?"

Felix eyed his father curiously. _You really are letting me off,_ he thought excitedly. "The second thing you said, definitely!" he replied gratefully, before bouncing away to find some like-minded company.

Magnus narrowed his eyes when Felix bounded straight over to the Denali girls. "Is that wise?" he asked Aro. Magnus wasn't one to get the young ones in trouble, but letting Felix loose on the visitors, with alcohol no less, after he had just spent the evening with Irina seemed foolhardy.

"Why not?" Aro shrugged. "He's a good kid."

Aro had seen inside Felix's memories and he knew why Felix had no memory of having sex with Irina … because he hadn't! Irina had arrived in Felix's room after he had fallen into a deep sleep and she had managed nothing more than falling asleep at his side. If Felix's dreams were anything to go by, Irina had tried to 'wake him up'.

Aro considered how, if roles were reversed, Felix would be hung out to dry for attempted rape! Felix would have happily joined in, if awake, Aro knew that. _I think for the next ball I will have to assign someone to watch that girl_ , he thought, watching as the eldest Denali girl floated between the guards causing a minor disturbance for his mated members. Luckily the guards as a whole had enough respect for Aro and his alliance to keep their annoyance quiet. When he saw Irina heading for Caius, however, Aro decided he had to step in.

"My dear, you appear to be fishing in the shallow end of the pool," he said to the girl. "Mated men are not for you to play with."

Irina ignored Aro and stroked a hand down Caius' cheek. Demetri bounced at their side, desperately trying to alert his brother, expecting something to kick off.

Caius chuckled and removed the girl's hand. He quite liked that Irina had ignored Aro. Caius wouldn't have minded playing with the Denali girl, ordinarily, but he with the amount he'd drank he doubted he'd be able to get it up anyway.

Irina stalked away. It wasn't even as though she wanted to fuck Caius, or any of the other mated men for that matter, but she wanted to have some fun and so far, the second tribune ball was proving sadly lacking in that department.

Once the girl was clear, Aro asked Caius what was going on between him and Demetri.

Caius looked Demetri up and down, wondering whether he could be arsed to continue defending him. The beseeching look the boy gave him actually worked and Caius decided to give it Aro straight. But first, he had to get rid of Demetri.

"Get me a drink, but don't let Magnus see you," Caius whispered to Demetri, directing him towards the bar.

Had Aro been paying more attention to Caius, he might have questioned why his brother-in-arms was more nervous about Magnus than he was Basileus. As it was, he was preoccupied with Caius' sudden care for Demetri and missed that little nugget.

"He's been mouthing off at you and Amun and you are defending him against me." Aro felt that he had never uttered a more unbelievable sentence in his life. "Something is going on, Caius."

Caius huffed. He wasn't going to explain his own feelings on the matter, but he would explain Demetri's. "You know how Amun treated your son and you allow that bastard to waltz around our coven like he owns the place!"

"Amun holds the most powerful coven in our alliance. I need him on side," Aro returned. "Besides, you are making a fuss about nothing, Caius. Demetri has lived here for hundreds of years. I very much doubt he even thinks of his time there, let alone enough to be bothered by it."

"You are wrong, Aro."

Caius had a little laugh to himself when he realised the boy had told him more than he'd told his own father. _Sounds about right_ , Caius thought. He'd had Basileus around almost all of his life but could count the serious conversations they'd had about his worries or concerns or anything of a personal nature on one hand. Magnus, comparatively, had only been around for five minutes and he'd had Caius spewing forth his innermost feelings on a daily basis since he'd taken an interest in him. He couldn't afford to think about Magnus' kindness at that moment, not when he was still being such a dick to the guy. Caius shook the thoughts from his head and got back to Demetri.

"Why would he have told me about it if it wasn't on his mind?"

That grabbed Aro's attention. The idea of Demetri opening up to Caius was … wrong. "What did he tell you?"

"Enough to know Amun still scares the shit out of him and he is struggling with having the guy around," Caius said. He knew there was no point giving Aro any details as he would only check the boy's memories, regardless. "He told me he was dreading a repeat of the last ball, but he wouldn't say why."

 _Demetri hasn_ _'_ _t said anything about the last ball to me_ , Aro thought, _but then I haven_ _'_ _t really asked him, either_.

Caius continued, "You can't blame Demetri for retaliating yesterday. Amun should know your son is off limits, and that needs to come from you."

Aro would have thanked Caius for standing up for his son, had Caius not stalked away the moment he received a new drink from Demetri.

Before Demetri could follow the coven leader, Aro pulled his by back. "We need to talk, son."

Aro took his boy to his throne and seated himself, pulling his boy to sit next to him. He would have much rather gone somewhere else with his son for this discussion, but with Caius in such a state he thought it best to stay present.

"I know I shouldn't have mouthed off to Henri …" Demetri started, soon trailing off without knowing what to say.

"You think Amun was fair game, I take it?"

"No," Demetri replied to his father. "I know I should have kept my mouth shut."

"I wouldn't say shut, exactly," Aro said, giving his boy a wink. "I think you should have told me or your mother that you had an issue with your old coven leader rather than sit and stew on it until you exploded."

"I didn't explode!"

Aro looked down at Demetri. "You opened up to Caius of all people … how else would you explain that?" He was smiling as he spoke, pulling the child in close, lovingly.

Demetri's moody expression broke, and he even laughed a little at his father's definition of exploding. "Am I in trouble?" he asked.

Aro shook his head, but that wasn't enough for Demetri. "But you said …

"I know what I said," Aro hushed his son before he could remind either of them of any threats he may have issued and embarrassed them both. "Caius changed my mind."

"Caius isn't so bad, you know?" Demetri told his father, snuggling in to the man now he knew he was off the hook.

"I do know," Aro replied. "He's my oldest friend, Demetri. There is more to him than his reputation would have people believe." _Much more_ , Aro thought seeing the man shooting whiskey before a bewildered Turk at the bar.

"But …" Aro continued. He didn't want to upset Demetri, but he had to say his piece. "I would rather have circumvented any issues with Amun than see you and Caius on a two-man mission to bring the guy into line."

Demetri nodded along, but his mind was still on Amun. "Why does he hate me so much? Amun, I mean."

"I don't believe he does hate you, Demetri," Aro returned. Hate was a strong word, he only hoped the boy was being his dramatic self. "I think you are the one that got away," Aro added, going on to explain the awkward dynamic between his son and Amun. "All his other ex-coven members are dead, you are the only vampire living that was part of his coven and he always thought he ran a much better coven than I do. It didn't make sense to him that you would willingly stay here with me."

Demetri took a few moments to digest what Aro had said before replying. "He thinks I am a traitor?"

"I think he thought that," Aro answered, giving his child a protective squeeze. "I would say now he thinks differently."

"He's right," Demetri realised. "I did turn my back on my coven. I never tried to return."

"Why would you?!" Aro asked. "Your life was shit there and it's great here, isn't it?"

Deciding he needed the boy as close as possible, Aro pulled Demetri onto his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist. Demetri needed the affection and the security Aro offered and the boy lapped it up.

"Vampires are only loyal to covens when it's the best coven for them," Aro continued. "I have lost guards who didn't like the Volturi set up."

"Did you kill them?" Demetri asked.

"Not always," Aro admitted. "Some I let leave on good terms. Some I sent to outposts where they are better suited, happier I hope."

Demetri searched through the great hall to find his old coven leader laughing with his mate and their young wards. It was a happy scene, really, but Demetri's resentment convinced the child that Benjamin and Tia were only laughing because Amun expected it of them.

"Amun couldn't care less about his members being happy, he wants them to be controlled."

"I don't think that's entirely true, son, or fair." Aro wiped at the stray tear rolling down Demetri's cheek, a tear the boy wasn't even aware he had shed.

Aro had been following his son's thoughts and after a little digging he realised what a mess Demetri had gotten himself into. "Amun isn't as harsh as you remember, or believe he ever was."

"Can't you just kill him?" Demetri asked.

Such a request startled Aro. Demetri wasn't known for wishing anyone dead, anyone at all. _He's usually very much like Carlisle_ , Aro thought, _always looking for the best in people, a pacifist, even_. To hear Demetri request Amun's death, and for Aro to know that the boy actually meant it, well, it was a shock. _This won_ _'_ _t be resolved easily, will it son_? Aro thought, cursing his own lack of foresight in managing his boy's emotions.

"Amun may have been harsh with you, Demetri, but I don't believe he was overtly so. No more than any other coven leader. Especially back then."

Aro didn't want to outright dismiss his son's complaints, but he wouldn't give them anymore ground to run on, either.

Demetri briefly thought back to how much more supportive Caius had been with the boy's vendetta.

"I cannot even claim to be any better than Amun," Aro added. Demetri looked aghast, but Aro pushed on. "I have, in my time, been just as harsh. Maybe not with you, but I have. I had a hundred years practising on Felix before you got here. I probably would have continued my ways, had the twins not arrived."

That stung. Demetri was a typical middle child. _Firstborns are special for simply arriving first, last borns are special for being the babies. Nothing special about the one stuck in the middle_ , he thought petulantly.

"Why did you change for the twins and not for me?"

Aro caught the way his boy spat 'the twins', but under the circumstances he let it go. "Because you and Felix were young vampires to my eyes, but Jane and Alec were definitely children," he explained. "Having them here forced me to see you and Felix as children, too …"

Demetri wasn't too sure whether that had worked out well for him or not. On one hand, he wouldn't like to be treated like the adult members of the coven. He knew he was too immature to stick to the rigid rules of vampiric life without ever wandering off track - being a child allowed him to make mistakes without severe consequences. But then again, he would like a little more freedom to make said mistakes, freedom only an adult vampire would receive.

Demetri had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realised his father was still talking.

"… many in the vampire world are terrified of the Volturi and most of that fear comes from the way Caius and I treated our adversaries."

Aro paused to see if his boy was actually listening to him. Satisfied, he continued, "We have made our way into a good many legends. It's not a reputation I am proud of but it's certainly one I earned.

"I bet Caius is proud of it," Demetri sniped. He didn't even mean it really, not after the day he had spent with the coven master had gone so well. Considering.

"You would lose that bet, son," Aro said knowingly.

Aro took a breath and looked over at Caius, his brother-in-arms. _You seem to be on a downward spiral tonight, brother_ , he thought, feeling it was a shame with how much effort Caius had put into not being a prick, lately.

"Anyway, I thought you liked Caius now?"

Demetri laughed a little. "I dislike him less."

Aro added his own chuckles to his son's. _That_ _'_ _s a start, I suppose_. "Caius is trying to change," Aro explained. He didn't want to give any details to the boy, but he wanted to leave Demetri with a good impression of the coven master, as Caius deserved in Aro's mind. "He's a few years behind me, that's all. And his reputation is fiercer than mine. I have to admit, Caius was my superior on the battle field."

Aro jutted his chin towards Amun before he continued. "Change takes time, son. The Volturi will be instructing change going forward but we need to create a strong alliance first."

Demetri still wished the man dead.

"What did he say to you last time he was here?" Aro asked. He had travelled through his son's memories to the last ball, but he hadn't discovered anything of note from Amun. The man had been abrupt, perhaps, but that was just Amun's way.

"Nothing," Demetri huffed, annoyed by his father's lack of support, as he saw it.

"Demetri," Aro said sternly. _You will answer me,_ _boy_.

Demetri huffed and let his head fall back into Aro's shoulder as though what his father was asking of him took far too much effort. "He said he 'missed' me." Huffing again, he added, "He made me feel like shit."

Aro rolled his eyes. Demetri didn't see. "So he said he missed you and that made you feel like shit?" Aro checked. When his boy nodded, Aro huffed in a similar way to his son. _Bloody teenagers and their dramatic interpretation of the mundane._ "I think you have been stewing on your own feelings and making more of Amun's brief conversations with you than there really was."

Demetri wasn't sure whether Aro was right or not. Caius had made the boy feel justified, Aro was making him question everything. He much preferred feeling justified.

"Amun is going to be a part of this treaty for the rest of its operation. He is a good ally and I want to keep him on side."

Aro heard his boy's thoughts turn to seeking out his own vengeance if Aro didn't offer him something better than that. _For fuck_ _'_ _s sake, if this is what talking to Caius does for you, you won_ _'_ _t be talking to him ever again_!

"That does not mean that you have to put up with any shit from Amun," Aro said quietly. "If you have a complaint, whether it's something he says, or the way he acts towards you, bring that complaint to me and I will address it with him directly."

Demetri perked up at that. "Can I watch?" he asked excitedly. "You are going to say something to him now, aren't you?"

"No, he is not," Basileus said to the boy, seemingly appearing from nowhere with his mate at his side.

Atia poked her son in the side to make him jump up straight. "Aro, sit up properly! Show some decorum."

"You are the figure head of this whole operation," Basileus continued. "You cannot afford to involve yourself in personal matters like this, Aro." Before either Aro or Demetri could object, he offered a sweetener with a wicked grin. "I, on the other hand, am under no such restrictions."

"What does that mean?" Demetri asked.

"You are my grandson and I will not have anyone riding roughshod over one of mine," he told the boy, cupping his chin with his large hand. "Join your brother for a while," he suggested, "and stay away from Amun."

"I want the children sleeping tonight, Aro," Atia said, following Demetri as he sought out Felix in the crowd. She wasn't happy to see her eldest grandchild manically flirting with Kate of the Denali coven, even less pleased when Demetri set in on the same task with her younger sister, Tanya. "It will give all the masters a break from babysitting, too."

"Felix won't go easily," Aro commented, thinking it hadn't been long since he'd woken his son up. He cursed that comment the moment it left his lips as Basileus turned a disappointed eye on his son for his lack of command with the boy.

"Did you hear everything?" Aro asked, referring to his conversation with Demetri and hoping to distract his parents before they could pass judgement on his own parenting skills.

"We did," Basileus returned. "I quite like Amun. I have no issue with the way he ran his coven several centuries ago."

"Are you sure ... because you look pretty pissed off," Aro asked, hoping his father's annoyance was for Amun and not him.

"I am," Basileus agreed. "But not because of what happened eight hundred years ago." That would be ludicrous! "More because Amun is failing to show any deference to the children in the coven. Demetri is a prince and he should be treated as such by our visitors."

Atia heard the options flowing through her mate's mind and nothing suitable had come up, yet, in her opinion. "Amun is a prideful man. You need to be clever about this, Basileus."

Basileus turned to his mate for advice. "What would you suggest, my dear?"

"We want to keep Amun, yes?" Atia mused.

Aro and Basileus both agreed.

"We are not so bothered with Henri?"

Again, they agreed.

"Henri has been quite disparaging towards Demetri," Atia reminded them both. "Give him a dressing down with Amun present, make it applicable to Amun without directly accusing him of anything."

Basileus was pleased with that plan! He took his mate's hand in his own and placed a delicate kiss at the base of her fingers. "If I didn't know better, I would swear you had given birth to Aro."

Aro checked the clock. Half nine. A little early to dismiss his children from the festivities but Atia was right, the masters could do with a break from child minding and he needed to talk shop with the coven leaders. Heaving himself from his throne, he stood to address his coven and guests.

"A few instructions for the remainder of this evening, if you please," Aro called out, gaining the attention of all in attendance. "I believe the bar in here is running dry," he said, sounding sad. "Could I ask you all to move to the guard hall to continue the festivities. Coven leaders will convene in the masters' office. We should do some work on your visit and I am keen to hear of any developments in your lands."

Aro bit his lip for a moment before he added his final instruction. "It is my wish that all children are returned to their chambers until dawn." _Please don_ _'_ _t kick off, Felix_ , he thought desperately.

Aro should have had more confidence in his son. Felix had no intention of kicking off - he was still riding a high after getting away with fucking … or whatever he did with Irina. Sulpicia didn't even have to seek him out, he went willingly to her and left with his brothers and sister for their home for the night.

"You shouldn't have to beg the boy to behave appropriately, Aro!" Basileus growled to his boy as he passed. "Lev, come and help me bring a barrel of bloodwine into the masters' office," he called, heading out of the throne room with Atia on his arm to guide their guests through the maze of Volterra castle's hallways.

 _I didn_ _'t beg_ , Aro thought. _At least not aloud._

The masters and coven leaders allowed the guards and lower coven members to follow the Creator whilst they all held back to bring up the rear. They were mimicking Aro, really, rather than making the choice for themselves.

Henri was quick to comment on Basileus and Lev, but not until the Creator was well out of view. "I still can't understand why the Creator likes that insolent underling so much."

"He's a damn good guard, that's why," Magnus boomed. "And he'd eat you alive, Henri."

Aro watched Magnus as they walked through the halls at a leisurely pace. The juggernaut seemed agitated, on edge. Aro wasn't sure why, though he guessed it was because of the state Caius was in. _Basileus must have called him in to help should Caius go down quick,_ he assumed. Still, Aro knew how to handle a pissed-up Caius. _An angry juggernaut is much more dangerous,_ in Aro's mind. _Time to call in some back up of my own_ , he thought.

"Freyr, you are going to join us, yes?" he asked, hoping the shield maiden would temper her mate.

Freyr tutted to Aro in response and walked straight over to the guard hall door. "And leave that lot unattended with a free bar?!"

"You are like an old mother hen," Magnus chuckled, taking a seat next to Basileus in the plush seating area of the masters' office.

"Would that make you the cock, my dear?" Freyr asked with a wink before entering the guard hall.

Magnus sucked in his breath sharply. "Yeah, you'd better run!"

Freyr stuck her head back through the doorway and gave her mate a playful glare. "What was that?"

Magnus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "I was just saying how much I will miss you whilst we are apart, my dear," he said, enjoying playing with his mate a little.

Freyr gave him a stern nod, but her smile soon broke through, and then she left them to their meeting and attended her guards.

"I swear, Magnus," Aro said emphatically, "one day I will find out where she keeps your balls and get them back for you."

"How can you permit your woman to speak to you in such a way?" Henri spat, feeling ever increasing derision for the upstart coven master.

"My 'woman' put you on your ass last time you were here," Magnus reminded Henri. "Or, have you forgotten that?"

Henri and Caius flopped into a sofa together, both worse for wear, and the former trying to ignore the laughter from the other coven leaders after Magnus retold the scene from the first ball where Freyr had so easily pinned Henri in the castle grounds.

"She took me by surprise," Henri huffed in defence. "Surely you know how to handle your own woman?"

"Why on earth would I need to 'handle' my mate, Henri?" Magnus asked. He clung desperately to the calm that joking with Freyr had induced. "I have ripped thousands of vampires to pieces, effortlessly. Plenty of werewolves, too," Magnus explained, happily, before his tone turned grave. "If I ever harmed my mate I would ask for someone to remove my head and put me out of my misery because I would honestly never forgive myself for such treachery."

He may have been addressing Henri, but as he spoke, Magnus' eyes were on Caius. The point was made. Caius hadn't put his hands on his mate in a particularly violent way since his last bout on dungeon blood. Rather than concede the point, or even use it to change the course of his plans, (to get the second bottle of dungeon blood from Basileus) Caius rolled his eyes and looked away.

"I'll remove your head for you," Caius sneered. "Any time you like."

Basileus laughed to cover the insulting tone Caius had used and wagged a finger at his own son. "Caius is getting more like you every day, Aro."

Magnus joined in the laughter that Basileus had started but the smile didn't reach his eyes. _Cocky brat_ , he thought, looking Caius up and down.

"Your honour is very attractive, Magnus," Hilda said, nodding sagely. "I would like that trait in the men you supply me, Caius."

Caius looked confused. "How the hell will I engineer that?!"

"I'm sure you can find some chivalrous knights for experimenting on," Basileus suggested.

Dora had taken the time to fill a few flagons with bloodwine and set them on the meeting table. The coven leaders wouldn't have wanted a guard there whilst they discussed private matters and she wanted the chance to see what state her mate was in close-up.

"I thought chivalry was dead?" Caius grunted, trying to avoid his mate's eye.

His efforts were futile. She didn't need to see into his eyes to see how fucked he was and Dora was disgusted in what she saw. "You wouldn't know chivalry if it slapped you in the face," she told him. "I'm going to keep Freyr company in the guard hall."

"Dora …" Caius called after her, but it was too late. She was gone.

"Let her go," Magnus whispered across the table, seeing Caius ready to follow her.

"Siobhan?" Aro asked the Irish leader, pretending to be confused. "Not Liam?"

Siobhan took the chair near Aro and leaned over the armrest to get close to him. "Don't be coy, my lord," she said. "It doesn't suit you."

Aro turned on all his charms. "Not even a little?" he asked with big eyes and small smile.

"Well …" Siobhan began keen enough, but soon pulled herself back into her chair and faced the rest of the group.

Aro didn't understand for a moment until he realised his mother had sat herself at his side. "Don't," she warned him.

Aro looked to his mother, offended. "What?!"

"You know what," Atia stated flatly, her eyes pointing out Siobhan. "Don't." She wasn't having a son of hers embarrassing himself ... or the rest of their family ... by flirting with a mated visiting coven leader, particularly not when he was mated himself!

 _You can_ _'_ _t admonish me in front of these people_! Aro said to his mother, hoping she was using Basileus' gift to read his thoughts. If Atia was, she made no attempt to take it back. Aro was glad Sasha arrived to distract everyone.

Are the girls going to be okay alone, Sasha," Atia asked, wondering what destruction the Denali clan could make in the guest chambers unattended.

"Irina is staying with them," Sasha explained happily, as though that would put anyone's mind at ease. "And so is Carmen."

Eleazar sighed internally. _Fucking wonderful_ , he thought.

"I don't know why you didn't put Noella in my chambers, Hilda," Sasha continued, accepting a goblet of bloodwine from Basileus.

The fact that Atia had to fix her own drink did not go unnoticed by Aro. _Playing with fire, Dad_! Basileus heard him, and it was only then that he realised his mistake.

"Maybe next time, Sasha," Hilda replied, shuddering at the thought of her darling Noella holed up with the rambunctious Denali girls.

Basileus decided to get the show on the road and put Henri in his place over Demetri, simply to divert his mate's frosty glares. "I had an unpleasant conversation with my grandson earlier."

"Which one?" Henri asked, thinking all three of the Creators supposed grandsons were particularly unpleasant specimens of their kind.

Pleased that Henri had taken the bait so quickly, Basileus pushed on. "Demetri," he said sharply, watching Amun out of one eye for his reaction, too.

Amun narrowed his eyes, wondering where Basileus was going, but Henri guffawed. "I had the same displeasure when I arrived," he said, commenting to Caius on what a waste of fresh air the child was.

Aro did his very best to pretend he hadn't heard, though a deaf, dead human would have heard the insult.

"In what way?" Basileus asked, drawing Henri in.

"He's a mouthy brat," Henri replied confidently. It's an odd phenomenon of alcohol that it makes the most unworthy of men confident in all that they spew forth from their mouths.

Caius caught on to what was going on. He knew a Basileus trap from fifty paces. "Henri …" he tried, to hush the French leader, but Henri continued to damn himself regardless.

"I heard him telling me to fuck off," Henri announced. "Caius set him straight, though. Didn't you Caius?"

Caius looked up to be faced with both Basileus and Magnus staring down at him. "I'm not getting involved in this," he said quietly. He needed Basileus on side if he was going to get his hands on that dungeon blood.

"The conversation I had was in reverse, Henri," Basileus explained. He was talking to Henri still, but he made damn sure to catch Amun's eye regularly as he spoke. "You were the one being disparaging towards Demetri, the way I heard it."

"Not really, my lord," Henri returned, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Magnus was playing with his emotions. Only a little, just enough to ensure the conversation would go the way Basileus wanted it to.

"I do hope the boy was merely confused," Basileus breezed. He was blatantly looking at Amun then. "After all, he is only a child, an elite child, a child of the Volturi and protected as such. Anyone who finds themselves upsetting one of my grandchildren will have me to deal with. And I will ride roughshod over the alliance to bring such unfortunate and malicious individuals into line."

"I, I, I mean, I apologise, my lord." Henri sounded like a stuttering prick. He felt like a prick, too.

"I suggest you make your apologies to Demetri, my friend," Basileus said, resting back in his chair so he could see both Amun and Henri. "Take care not to offend him again because I will be monitoring."

Once he was sure everyone was on the same page, he picked up the closest flagon and offered to refill their cups, making sure to fill Atia's first.

"I hope my girls get some sleep tonight, they are so excited to be in Volterra that I fear it will be too much for them to rest." Sasha, as usual, was in a world of her own and really only spoke to speak to herself. When she looked around the gathering, she saw Aro's game face had dropped as he struggled to find a way to explain away the closely guarded secret she had divulged. "Have I said something inappropriate?"

"Aro thinks I don't know children sleep," Caius explained, pleased to have one over on his co-master.

"Since when have you known?!" Aro asked. That surprised him more than the shock of having his children's secret announced by Sasha.

Caius shrugged. "Centuries," he supposed. "I have found your need to hide the fact quite amusing."

"You really are morphing into Aro, Caius - it's not a good look," Basileus quipped. "We'll have to knock that out of him, Magnus."

Aro leaned across the table to Caius. "Since when are they so pally?" he asked. "Marcus will be getting jealous."

Caius didn't want to comment on their relationship - he knew one of the reasons Magnus and Basileus were so 'pally' was because of their frequent discussions over him! "Where is Marcus anyway?" he asked. It was better than facing Aro's question.

"Marcus is playing with my brother's pets," Tao told them from across the table. "I have never met anyone who could tolerate Xola's presence for as long as Marcus has."

"Annoying little brother, Tao?" Eleazar asked, looking to Aro. "I know all about those."

"At least I only have the one," Tao replied, laughing at Aro's scowl. It was good to see true familial bonds in the Volturi family. It gave Tao some confidence for the alliance going forwards. It wasn't only Aro who wished to find common ground between their covens.

Caius flicked his tongue across his teeth. _It'_ _s now or never_ , he said to himself. "Basileus, could I have the dungeon blood?"

His plan was painfully simple. Ask for the dungeon blood in front of everyone, so Basileus would either give it him, or be forced to explain why he couldn't have it. It was a risk. Caius knew Basileus could go either way, but he was banking on Basileus' conservative nature and that he would wish to avoid a scene in front of the coven leaders.

Basileus barely looked at Caius as he replied. "You are supposed to be working." It was dismissive, and he expected Caius to take the hint and drop the matter.

Caius, however, was desperate for that bottle just to prove to Henri, if nothing else, that he wasn't restricted in the coven in any way and therefore an equal coven leader to him. "I have discussed Hilda's requirements already, my lord. I know what's needed," he said, adding a little louder, "so may I have that bottle?"

For a moment, time stood still as Basileus, Magnus and Caius all stopped breathing. No one else seemed to notice the pause in conversation, and it was only brief whilst Basileus weighed up his options, but the three of them felt it intensely. Caius' planned worked, Basileus didn't want a scene, so he reluctantly took the bottle of dungeon blood from his cape on the back of his chair.

"Don't take it in here," he said to Caius, and then handed the bottle to Magnus. "Go with them."

Caius felt a flash of shame and anger at the obvious slight. "I don't need an escort, my lord," he spat.

"I didn't say you did, Caius," Basileus breezed, returning to coaxing conversation out of Kachiri, who had barely said a word since her arrival.

"Come on, then," Magnus said, making to stand. Caius and Henri were already on their feet and walking towards the guard hall. "NOT in my guard hall!" Magnus called after them, nodding at the door leading back into the castle, instead.

Once they were all outside, Magnus closed the double doors and offered the bottle of tar to Caius.

"I wasn't aware you indulged, Magnus?" Henri sneered. He knew something was going on between Magnus and Caius, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He had briefly suspected a rivalry of some kind, but as Caius hadn't said a bad word about the juggernaut, he had dismissed that idea.

"I don't as a general rule," Magnus replied. "I'm here in a supervisory capacity."

Henri's eyes glinted with glee. "HE supervises YOU?" he said to Caius, very, very loudly.

Caius was sure the vampires within the masters' office would have heard that. "HE most certainly does not."

Magnus puffed out his chest and squared his broad shoulders. "The next one to refer to me as HE in that sneering tone will be wearing that dirty fucking blood."

"Do you want some or not?" Caius asked, as though it was natural for them to share the drug.

"I do not."

"It might calm you down, big guy," Henri said, taking a good swig from the bottle.

"I am perfectly calm, Henri," Magnus assured the French leader. "You would be smeared across the floor by now, otherwise." He watched as Caius took first one gulp, then another. "Have you had enough?" he asked, before Caius could take a third.

Henri shrugged and went back into the office, Caius and Magnus held back.

"What the fuck was that about?!" Caius growled out, still clutching the bottle of dungeon blood.

"What?" Magnus shrugged.

"You know what!" Caius snapped. "Throwing your weight around with me!"

Magnus sighed. He knew he and Caius would come to blows if he was on dungeon blood, but it was still too early in the covens' visit for that to happen. "That was for Henri's benefit, Caius," he said calmly.

Caius wasn't sure about that, but he didn't actually want to fight with Magnus, either. "So long as it was," he settled on saying.

"How much of that shit have you drank today?"

"Not nearly as much as I would have liked, as you smashed the other bottle," Caius answered. "Which was a real dick move, by the way."

" _That_ was a dick move?!" Magnus returned. _Yeah, I'_ _m the one being a dick today_ , _clearly_ , he thought sardonically. Caius tried to get past him and back into the office, but Magnus wasn't done yet. "Freyr plans to spend some time with Dora after the covens leave."

"Oh, does she?" Caius dripped sarcasm as he spoke. "So, I am being judged before I have even done anything wrong?!"

Magnus shook his head. "You are being judged on past experience, Caius, nothing more or less than that. Don't make a big deal out of it, just come with me to the guard hall when the visitors go. No one needs to know anything is going on."

He was cool, calm, using deep subtle tones in the hope Caius would see reason. On a good day he would have done. Actually, Magnus had got pretty good at controlling Caius in such a way. But that was a bad day and Caius had spent most of it brooding on the unfairness of his life and concocting plans to protect his pride - Magnus was adding insult to both of those things in one go by deeming him a risk without supervision.

"Fuck you!" Caius hissed. "This is ridiculous!"

"Fine," Magnus said, as though it was no skin off his nose. "You can spend a few days in a cell instead." Whilst Caius floundered in his drug addled state to come up with a verbal response to Magnus' proposal, Magnus pushed on. "It's up to you. Choose."

Caius took a few steadying breaths to get himself under control. Not an easy feat with two fresh shots of dungeon blood coursing through his veins. "Is this coming from Basileus, or you?"

"Why would that matter?" Magnus asked. He genuinely wanted to know the answer to that. Basileus had hinted that Caius looked up to him and Magnus wanted to know if that was true, particularly if it was true in stressful situations rather than just in a day to day fashion.

"It matters!" Caius blustered, though he couldn't put his finger on why. "Which is it?"

Magnus didn't answer him. Instead, he changed tack. "Can you remember what happened the last time you took this shit?" he asked, flicking the bottle in Caius' hand.

"It wasn't that bad …"

"Oh, you have to be joking?" Magnus boomed, cutting Caius off before his lies could choke him. "My memory is not so short as yours, Caius."

Caius couldn't really offer a counter argument. He had been a cunt the last few times he'd taken dungeon blood. Magnus had borne the brunt of those disasters, there was no denying that. "I'll come to the fucking guard hall," he agreed. His words may have been harsh, but his tone had softened considerably. "I don't see how being pissed is any better than being high."

"You aren't such an evil cunt when you're only pissed," Magnus offered, giving him a supportive wink as he spoke, feeling proud of Caius for coming to the right conclusion after all. He held a hand out for the bottle of dungeon blood, feeling they were getting somewhere.

Caius went to hand it over, but quickly pulled back. _If I give it back now, how will I get it back later_? he wondered. He couldn't risk that. "I'm a big boy, I can hold the bottle all by myself."

"I'm trying to help you," Magnus said softly. He didn't want Caius kicking off again.

Caius backed up a step, protectively clutching his drug to his chest. "Why are you 'helping' me at all?!"

"We're friends," Magnus said. "I've known you for centuries, you don't think I consider you my friend after all this time?"

"We've never been close, though," Caius threw back. "Not like this. Only the last few years."

"Maybe you seem like you need help."

"It's because I'm weak, isn't it?" Caius presumed. "You like it that I'm weak. Weaker than you."

"Not at all, Caius!" _Where is his head at_?! "I don't think you're weak. I think what you have been trying to do has shown incredible strength."

Caius tutted and huffed loudly. He sounded like a damn child to Magnus and the sneering tone Caius proceeded with didn't help. "And, what do you think I have been trying to do?"

"Be a better man than you've been before," Magnus said pointedly. He was wondering where that new man had gone because he damn sure wasn't standing in front of him at that moment.

"Well get off my back and let me get on with being better, then. I'm doing my best …"

If Magnus would have left it there, the events that would follow this conversation might never have been. As it was, Magnus did not leave it there, he pushed Caius over the edge. It wasn't Magnus' intention, of course, he was still working out the best ways to deal with Caius – this was new territory for them both - but the damage was done regardless.

"Get off your back?! Doing your fucking best?!" Magnus repeated, unable to keep a hold on his annoyance any longer. "You were, yes, until this weekend, but let's not pretend you have been flying solo on this."

"It's got fuck all to do with you."

"It's got everything to do with me, you ungrateful brat," Magnus interrupted, "when I'm the one who has been propping you up for the last six years! Caius!"

Caius stormed passed Magnus into the masters' office, yelling a clear 'fuck off' as he went.

"Tell everyone about the coven religious festivals," Atia suggested, trying to bring normality back to the room after Caius' rude interruption.

Magnus retook his seat next to Basileus and it was clear as day that the two of them were discussing Caius. Caius was incensed!

"I prefer the term cultural festivals," Aro explained, joining in on his mother's crusade. "We aren't worshipping anything other than our own existence." Aro fell into his patter regarding the coven festivals, explaining as he went how they had celebrated and how such celebrations could work on a smaller scale for the individual covens in attendance.

"I like the idea of this," Amun said, nodding along. He thought his young wards would enjoy it, too, which would please his mate. "But you seem very one sided in your events, my lord. They are all Christian festivals, are they not?"

"Not at all," Aro returned, sipping from his cup. "Many of these festivals predate Christianity. Besides, we need not concern ourselves with human customs attached to the events. The idea is that we will' vamp them up', as my son suggested."

"Perhaps you could arrange some literature on the matter, Aro?" Eleazar suggested, much to the annoyance of his little brother, as he knew it would be. "For all the covens."

"I'm sure Marcus will take care of that if we ask him nicely," Atia told her boy, giving Eleazar the dead eye as she spoke. _You aren_ _'_ _t too old for a telling off, Eleazar_ , she thought as she hissed at him for trying to wind Aro up in an already stressful situation. "These events have done wonders for coven morale," she added.

"Morale?!" Henri spat like it was a dirty word. "I wouldn't waste my breath in encouraging morale. My coven knows better than to disobey me. I don't need to beg my subjects to be on good terms."

"Do you see us begging anyone, Henri?" Magnus asked plainly.

"Ignore him, Magnus," Basileus told the master. "He's not worth it."

That was it. Caius had had enough. Sure by then that the only reason Basileus and Magnus didn't like Henri was because he was Caius' friend, (because that's the sort of fucked up thinking dungeon blood brings) Caius waved the bottle of tar at his most hated best buddy and asked, "Henri, I feel like walking the grounds, how about you?"

The pair of them flashed from the office like a pair of young miscreants with Caius thinking he wouldn't even step back inside the coven until he'd finished the whole bottle.

"I get the feeling he is doing that to spite you," Basileus commented to Magnus. The rest in attendance all pretended not to have noticed anything amiss, but it was clear as day.

Magnus knocked down his bloodwine and set his goblet on the table. "Aye, he is that."

Basileus felt guilty. He should never have let Caius take the dungeon blood in the first place, let alone allowed himself to be backed into a corner and hand the second bottle over. He wanted to give Magnus a way out. "If Caius is so intent on hanging himself for a bottle of dungeon blood, I don't see what else you can do to intervene, Magnus."

"No, I suppose not," Magnus agreed. "But I'll be the one cleaning up after him, won't I?"

Basileus placed a supportive hand on the juggernaut's shoulder. "Only if you choose to," he said, making sure the man knew he was under no obligation to him to do anything of the sort.

Magnus didn't want to hand Caius over to Basileus, truth be known. He wanted to be the one to help him through the shower of shit he was bringing down on them both. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to handle things, but he was sure that it would be him handling it. "It doesn't feel like much of a choice to me, Basileus," he said truthfully, dreading what was to come.


	125. A Poisoned Chalice

**AN:** So the last three chapters covered the first day of the ball and we left our vampires for the night. Here they are the next morning. Oh deary me ...

* * *

 **A POISONED CHALICE**

The rest of the night went without a hitch, at least in the masters' office and the guard hall. No one had spoken to Caius or Henri again, so what they were up to was anyone's guess. After the initial binge at the free bar provided by the Volturi for the event, the request for refills had lessened to such a degree that Turk had little more to do than collect the empties around the hall. No one was drunk, the odd merry member, but that was it. All rather pleasant.

It was a little after dawn when the young visiting vampires started to filter through from their restful night, soon followed by Sulpicia and her brood. The twins joined their father, with Jane winning the place in his lap, whilst the older boys stood sullenly behind their mother.

Demetri didn't look rested at all. In fact, when Aro got a good look at his boy, he could tell by his sunken features and the black rim of his eyes that Demetri hadn't slept a wink. _Great_ , he thought, _he'_ _s still in a shitty mood_.

"The sun is up, my friends," Aro announced, pointing to the arched windows. "Shall we move our discussions outside for some fresh air?"

Everyone dutifully trouped out behind Aro and Sulpicia, both of whom were issuing warnings to their older boys that they would have to heed if they wished to continue the ball without direct supervision. Only Magnus and Freyr hung back to ensure the guard hall was cleared and left in a reasonable state.

"You are going to have to get Caius away from Henri," Freyr told her mate in hurried whispers. "Have you seen the state of him?"

Magnus looked to his mate questioningly. He had been tied up with the coven leaders and Basileus all night. "Have you actually seen him then?"

"Them," Freyr corrected. She explained the state Caius and Henri had been in as they had passed the guard hall window only an hour or so earlier. "He's staggering about out there like a damn fool!" she finished, thinking how she could happily wring Caius' neck at that moment. "I'm not risking him alone with Dora, so I'm going out to the grounds with everyone else."

"I suppose I had better try and track Caius down," Magnus muttered, mainly to himself as the pair departed.

It didn't take long for Magnus to find Caius, though he was surprised to find him where he did. In truth, Magnus had only gone down to the dungeons to put his mind at ease ... he never expected to find Caius there. When he heard demented laughter coming from the torture room, all of his worst fears were realised. Pushing open the half-closed door, he came face to face with Caius. Henri was flat on his back with his head under the tap of the dungeon blood barrel as sticky liquid dropped into his mouth in globules.

"I will assume if you are in here that you have run out of your second bottle of that rotting shit."

"We've filled a third," Henri chortled from the floor. He was so fucked that he forgot for a moment that he didn't speak to Magnus.

Magnus chose to ignore Henri's comment. It was no less than he had expected. "So you can be in here again?" Magnus said coolly to Caius, eyeing the master with utter distaste. "Good to know. I'll be sure to tell Basileus you are ready to get back to work."

"What's that about?" Henri asked, sitting upright and turning off his drug supply.

"What is it about, Caius?" Magnus asked. He could feel through his gift that Caius wanted to hide up his own ass for being questioned about his work. "Well? Are you ready to start working again?" Magnus pushed. He took a step closer.

Caius wanted to step back but he wouldn't, he couldn't do that in front of Henri.

"You better answer me," Magnus growled.

He'd kept his voice low enough that Henri wouldn't hear but he was willing to raise the volume if Caius remained resistant and Caius knew it! "You know I'm not," he replied.

The shame radiating from the younger master was palpable for Magnus. It wasn't just shame he could feel, though ... Caius was a nervous wreck. He was hiding it well, but being in the torture room was doing strange things to his emotions. _If that_ _'_ _s what it_ _'_ _s doing to your feelings, only the Gods know what it_ _'_ _s doing to your head_. Knowing how Caius really felt about being in those dungeons, as Magnus did, only made the matter worse in the empath's eyes.

"Why are you putting yourself through this?" he asked, full of genuine concern for the man. "Is this just so you don't lose face in front of that prick?" Magnus looked over to Henri, dragging himself to his feet and knocking over many of the long since used tools from Caius' old occupation as he did so. "Is that what you want to be?"

No. No, Henri wasn't what Caius wanted to be, but right then, with his head messed up and all his previous good efforts in ruin, he couldn't come up with a better response than a tut and scoff and roll of the eyes. It was pathetic. He knew it, Magnus knew it, even Henri would have agreed! But it was all Caius could give.

"Right, if that's how you want to be." Magnus paused for a moment as he searched the room with his eyes. Spotting Caius' keys to the dungeons on the fire wall, he scooped them up and pocketed them quickly. "Everyone is in the grounds, so I suggest you don't go out there. If the creator sees either of you in this state you will be out of the alliance," he told Henri. "Fuck knows what he will do with you," he added to Caius.

Caius sneered at the obvious threat, falling into Magnus' mammoth shoulder as he tried to pass. "Come on," he called to the French leader as he sloppily left the room.

Magnus watched them leave and he had to wonder if Caius had gone too far, too far to come back. He had grown so fond of the younger leader over the last few years that the idea of losing him already pained his heart. But Basileus was right in what he had said the night before - if Caius was so intent on fucking things up, there was little Magnus could, or rather should do about it. _If you can_ _'_ _t make the right choices for yourself there really isn_ _'_ _t much point in forcing you_ , Magnus thought as he locked the torture room door, feeling better for having cut the pair of them off from more of the drug.

Magnus had clean forgotten what Henri had said about the third bottle.

Outside, Demetri had been intent on doing as his mother had suggested - keeping away from Amun.

Unfortunately, after the pointed discussion the evening before with Basileus, Amun was keen to set right any wrongs his old coven member was feeling. A game of cat and mouse quickly ensued where Demetri moved between conversations, followed by the Egyptian leader who was desperate to get the child alone to allay any fears the boy had.

Putting his excessive speed to good use, Demetri flew around the entire castle and disappeared inside before Amun could work out where he had gone. Walking the halls alone felt rather depressing, like he was having to hide in his own home. That was until he realised all the adults were outside, and there were plenty of stores of bloodwine unaccompanied inside.

He tried the guard hall first, only to find the doors locked and bolted. Unperturbed, Demetri headed to the great hall in the hopes that the guards had replenished the barrels from the night before. Not only had the bloodwine been restocked, but better than that, Demetri's champion was lolling in his throne with a goblet of dungeon blood in his grasp.

 _It'_ _s a shame Henri_ _'_ _s here, too_ , Demetri thought, but by then he was willing to suffer the French leader's company. Finding Henri in Magnus' throne and swigging from a bottle of black blood was a little surprising. _If Magnus sees you in his seat he will kill you,_ Demetri happily thought!

"Ah! Demetri!" Caius called out, beckoning the boy over. He chocked down half of his bloodwine/dungeon blood cocktail and topped it up with yet more bloodwine from the jug at his feet. "Here," he slurred, handing Demetri the cup.

Demetri was only too happy to oblige and drank the offering greedily. The effect was instantaneous on the child. He felt immediately light headed and swayed on the spot.

Caius took the goblet back -he didn't want his happy juice spilling. "Take a seat," he suggested, directing, with his chin, the boy to his father's throne. Once Demetri was settled, Caius continued. "So, Demetri," he drawled, "how's Amun been with you?"

"He's stalking me," Demetri slurred in return, making the Egyptian leader's actions sound much more salacious than they were. "Felix has been taking the piss out of me all night," he added, going on to explain the old taunts his brother had used against him whilst they were supposed to be sleeping.

Felix had started innocently enough with his brother, but with the shitty mood Demetri was in even after the reassurance his father had offered, the boy was easy pickings and Felix just couldn't let sleeping dogs lie. He had to wind his brother up when the opportunity presented itself so brazenly. What kind of big brother would he be if he didn't?!

 _Self-aggrandising brat_ , Caius thought about Felix as Demetri's tale unravelled.

"Venom doesn't mean anything," he told the boy.

"It does to Felix," Demetri replied, "and Amun."

It was complete conjecture, of course, as Amun had made no claims over Demetri since Aro took him centuries before, and even then, when Aro had escorted the child from the Egyptian coven Amun made no call on Demetri being his by venom. Demetri wasn't going to let a little thing like reality get in the way of his teenage brooding.

"Fuck Amun!" Henri called out, before going back to his dozy state in Magnus' throne.

"Yeah, fuck Amun!" Caius agreed. "And, fuck Felix, too. How does his brain actually work?!"

"Backwards," Demetri offered. "And slowly."

Caius offered the boy another drink from his goblet to congratulate such a comment.

Had Demetri taken an actual shot of dungeon blood, being small, young, and unused to its effects, he would have passed out. As it was, he spent the morning sipping regularly from Caius' cup and ingesting only slithers of the tar at a time. That was the key to getting fuck faced on the coven drug - small, regular amounts.

Now, one person's small is another person's large, but that's immaterial to the effect the rotting blood was having on our vampires.

By midday, the three of them fell into a state of comfortable silence, all bedraggled by the dungeon blood to varying degrees. Caius was wrecked. He hadn't taken dungeon blood to that degree since the night he tortured Lucius. Demetri, too, was wrecked, having ingested a fair and steady amount from the poisoned chalice Caius had offered him. Henri wasn't fairing much better ... drowsy, unsteady, and zoned out in the Juggernaut's throne.

The sun still shone through the windowpanes, so there was no danger of visitor or Volturi coming inside. Life was good, or goodish, for the moment. It was soon to end.

Felix and the twins had been sent to find their brother, mainly because Aro had seen what Felix had done to Demetri the night before and he wasn't pleased at the teasing that had ensued. The twins had to accompany Felix so Aro could be sure it wouldn't start again as he knew it likely would otherwise, especially with the amount of bloodwine Felix had thrown down his gullet that morning.

When they strolled into the throne room, which they had only planned on passing through, expecting Demetri to be in the south tower, they were surprised by what they found.

"Well, well, well," Felix sang out happily. "What do we have here, then?"

"Fuck off!" Demetri called back from his father's throne.

"I should fuck off?" Felix asked, sounding as sarcastic as Aro would have. "What right do you have to sit there and tell me to fuck off?!"

"Felix, lets fetch Dad," Jane implored.

Alec wasn't sure that was such a good idea. "Dad will kill them all!"

"He has as much right as anyone else to sit there," Caius told Felix. If he hadn't sounded so utterly wankered, Felix might have paid him more attention.

"I think you will find that throne is my father's, the king, and _he_ has no right to sit in it to play lord of the manor," Felix spat back. "What are you doing in Magnus' throne?" he asked, turning to Henri.

"Magnus has no right to a throne, fucking upstart!" Henri called out. He wasn't entirely sure who he was speaking to, as he couldn't focus as far as Felix and the twins. They were mere blurs to him.

Caius' head was somersaulting. He wanted to call Henri out on insulting Magnus, but he had a few things he would like to call Magnus himself at that moment after he tried to humiliate him in the dungeons, as he saw it. Rather than deal with any of those feelings, he set his sights on Felix instead.

"Run along, Felix, go and play outside like a good little boy," he said snidely.

Demetri roared with laughter, so much so that he fell out of his father's royal seat and rolled down the throne floor steps, still laughing. it wasn't even funny, really, but teenage boys and dungeon blood make for odd reactions.

"Yeah," he spluttered through his chuckles, "go and play, Felix, you aren't wanted in here."

"At least I have a right to be in here," Felix replied, giving Demetri a sly dig with the toe of his boot.

The twins had toyed with staying to watch the fireworks, but having better sense than their older brothers, or the coven master ... or the French leader, it seemed, they fled the great hall to find back-up before it was too late.

"Don't just sit there," Caius told the younger boy. "You don't have to take that from him!"

"This has got fuck all to do with you, Caius!" Felix wasn't going on the receiving end of Caius' bullshit, especially not when he was so obviously wrecked. "You'll be lucky to keep that pretty throne of yours once Aro and Basileus see what state you're in."

"Whoa!" Henri started a patronising slow clap." He just signed his own death warrant there, wouldn't you say, Caius?"

"He can't do anything to me, Henri," Felix pushed, glaring at Caius as he spoke. "I bet I'll get the throne once my dad has kicked you out of it!"

Felix fully expected a fight, he even quite fancied one, and his eyes watched Caius, ready for any sign that a fight was coming. So, it came as a surprise that when the fight came it wasn't Caius leading the charge, it was Demetri!

The boy sprang unsteadily to his feet and launched a fist at his brother.

To no avail, sadly, as Felix simply caught the limp punch in mid-air. Keeping hold of his brother's fist in one hand, he set to pulling the younger boy about, swinging him around the great hall before dumping him on the floor back where he'd started.

Demetri, with his drug induced courage, had just enough strength left to remind Felix that their father would be quick to set him straight after attacking him, but a painful boot in his ribs from his drunk brother made the younger boy double over and regret his momentary rashness.

It was precisely that moment when Caius' rashness overtook the situation, at the exact same time as the entire body of vampires currently attending the ball had rushed to the throne room at the twins' requests. Caius spun Felix around to face him and without warning landed his fist square in Felix's face, catapulting the bewildered teen across the throne room floor!

Magnus dived at Caius. He wasn't sure at the time whether he was protecting Caius from other coming attacks, perhaps from Basileus or Aro, or whether he was preventing Caius from fucking up further. Either way he put his full weight into keeping the raging and deluded coven master down.

When Magnus turned his glare on Henri, still sitting in his throne like he owned the joint, the French leader baulked. Henri assured himself that the juggernaut was too busy grappling with Caius to be thinking about going after him, but he thought it best to slink out of Magnus' throne and move well away from the action.

Atia and Basileus, in statesman like fashion, sought to direct guards and lower members of the visiting covens back to the guard hall. It felt improper to ask the coven leaders to leave, given that the alliance was striving for complete transparency on all matters. Basileus put his sons to work in escorting vampires to the guard hall and explaining matters as best they could with no information to go on. Eleazar and Carlisle went, Aro refused, of course, baying for Caius' blood. It took all Basileus' efforts to hold the vampiric king back.

Amun, like pretty much every other spectator, was disgusted by what he saw, though only he chose to voice that disgust. "If you can't pull it together on high days and holidays, when can you?!"

Which Volturi members Amun was referring to was anyone's guess, as the statement could be equally applied to few at the scene.

Magnus shoved Caius back to the floor. "STAY DOWN!"

Caius waited just long enough for Magnus to believe he would do as he'd been instructed before staggering back to his feet. Having heard Amun's comment, he set his sights on the Egyptian leader. Caius barrelled forwards without a single thought in his head other than to hit something, hard.

And hit something he did!

But it wasn't Amun, luckily as the damage that could have been done to the alliance would have been insurmountable. Unluckily, for Caius, his fist ploughed into Magnus' jaw, instead. Once again, the two coven masters went down as Magnus fought with Caius for control.

The fact that Caius hadn't actually hit him was a moot point to Amun, he was livid. "If Caius thinks he will get away with such utter disrespect then …"

"Then he will be in for a colossal disappointment, Amun," Basileus said sternly, ending the man's sentence. "We will take this seriously and Caius will be grateful if you allow him the opportunity to express his regret, as will we all."

Scrawling around the floor with Magnus had expended much of Caius' energy, at least for the moment, and he relented his assault. Magnus stood over him, breathing heavily. When he was sure Caius wasn't going to attack again, he pulled the younger master to his feet. The movement turned Caius' stomach and he staggered over the throne floor.

Henry watched the scene unfolding from his seat at the side of the hall. "Oh this is tragic," he said with a little too much pleasure as he saw Caius throw up over his own royal seat.

Magnus heard him and the growl he had been trying to suppress with Caius came out in force at Henri.

Henri, in his drugged-up stupor, failed to notice the threat on his life. "What's up his ass?" he asked around, scoffing at the juggernaut who had returned his attention to Caius.

"You," Basileus spat. "Always you."

Henri shrunk into the floor and waited for Basileus to leave his presence before he weaselled his way out of the great hall. He didn't hang around long. Collecting his coven members from the guard hall, he fled the Volturi lands and headed back to the comparative safety of his werewolf ridden country.

Sulpicia hadn't returned to the throne room with everyone else. Most of the elite ladies had remained outside, in fact. sorting out 'trouble' was their mates job, so they had seen no reason to hurry their drink to join the fray. None of them could have predicted the scene that had unfolded in their absence. It took Sulpicia a moment to work out what to do. On one side of the hall Felix was crash out, the other Basileus appeared to be silently lecturing Aro. Caius and Magnus were engaged in some sort of strife and the whole room stank of rotting blood!

"Mom …" Demetri sounded dreamy as he called his mother, his eyes already half closed.

That was enough to snap Sulpicia into action. "What's wrong with him?" She rushed to her boy, quickly joined by Atia. "Has he hit his head?!"

Atia knew exactly what was wrong with him. _He'_ _s been drinking Caius_ _'_ _dungeon blood_ , she realised furiously. She couldn't decide who to rest her glare on, Caius or Basileus. Eventually she settled on cursing her mate through her mind whilst taking control of the situation.

"He must be drunk, my dear," she said to Sulpicia as she scooped Demetri up into her arms. "We will take the children home, away from harm, yes?"

Sulpicia didn't like being instructed to do anything with her children, particularly by Atia or Basileus, but right then she was glad of her mother-in-law's clear-headed approach and followed her duly, calling Jane and Alec to do the same. She looked back in time to see Felix moving and she knew Aro would sort their eldest out.

Felix tried to get up, but as he was a little dazed only made it to his knees. With his body bent forward and his head hanging low, the blood gushed from his nose. "DAD!"

That was all Aro had needed to take his attention away from Caius. No sooner had Basileus released him, Aro was at his son's side and manhandled the boy to get a look at the damage. "You're okay, Felix," he said, wincing at the clearly broken nose. "You're okay."

Aro set to searching his boy's memories to see exactly what had gone down in his royal house. What he saw displeased him greatly. He was confused, too. Caius had launched Felix across the room, but he'd only done that to protect Demetri. Aro wasn't sure what to make of that situation, but it calmed the desire to exact vengeance from his co-master instantly. _This is all your fucking fault_ , he thought to his boy.

Felix took a moment to get his head together whilst the bleeding subsided. When he realised what had happened, he was furious. "I'm going to fucking kill him!" he roared, trying to push past Aro to get a look at Caius.

It was only the sight that greeted Felix that put an end to his rage. Seeing Caius being dragged about by Magnus, eventually flung over his shoulder and hauled out of the throne room was a sight he would have paid to see. _Fucking hell_ , he thought, _this is brilliant_! _Totally worth getting punched in the face_!

"I'm glad you think so," Aro said gravely. "Because I'm going to batter you for causing this."

Aro didn't dare turn around and face the visitors in his throne room knowing they had all seen a Volturi coven master knock his son across the room. _Could this be anymore shameful_?! he wondered.

"ME?!" Felix shot back. "You must be joking?!"

"Now listen to me, boy," Basileus growled. Once he was sure Magnus was handling Caius, he was at his grandson's side. "You will keep your damn mouth closed. You have caused enough upset with your pointless jibes at your brother - you caused this, you will pay for it ..."

Aro was quick to interrupt his father. It pissed him off no end when Basileus stepped on his toes with his kids - to do it when he was right there was insulting. "Alright, Dad, I'm handling it!" he hissed,

"Handling it?!" Basileus repeated. "Is that what you call this?!"

Felix sat between the pair and swallowed a lug of blood running down the back of his throat. _They are arguing over who_ _'_ _s going to bollock me, great_ , he thought dejectedly. Felix wasn't stupid, he knew he had started that fight, but he was the one with a broken nose so like fuck was he going to take any further punishment. _A broken nose is enough_! he thought.

Basileus could hear that the boy wouldn't go easily, and it wasn't a good time to have a row with Aro, either. Making a snap decision, he took his grandson's face in his two hands and held him level, eyeing up his bust nose. "Ready?" he asked.

Felix knew what was coming. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and nodded once, holding his breath.

Basileus pinch the end of his nose, pulled and twisted a little until it was in place.

Felix thumped his hand against the floor but that was the extent of his reaction. Aloud, at least. He screamed enough obscenities in his head to make a navy blush.

Biting into his wrist, Basileus offered the boy his blood. It was less an offer and more an order with the way he forced Felix to open his mouth and accept his 'gift'. After a gulp or two, Felix tried to pull away, but Basileus held him fast. _You_ _'_ _ll drink until you pass out so I can get you out of here_ , he thought.

"I'm not arguing with you now, Aro," Basileus calmly whispered to his son. "I'll get the boy home, you still have work to do. Start smoothing this over with the witnesses - this is your circus," he said, jutting his chin at the assembled vampires. "They are your monkeys!"

Aro was incensed and he planned to have it out with his father when the covens had gone. Not that he let his reaction show. Instead, forcing a friendly smile, Aro stood and turned to his waiting guests, all of whom were transfixed by the incident they had seen.

"My friends," Aro said warmly. "I would say between the Creator and Magnus the matter's in hand here. Shall we join our kin in the guard hall?"

He didn't wait for an answer before he started to direct them all away from his son and towards the great hall doors. One look over his shoulder saw Basileus' plan had worked. Felix flopped limply into his grandfather's hold and was carried from the throne room.


	126. Promises, Promises

**AN** : We have so many in the dog house for this chapter that its ended up a little long. A huge thanks to my wonderful Beta Doccoopper for battling through all my drivel. Where would I be without you?!

* * *

 **PROMISES, PROMISES**

"You stupid man!"

Basileus shook his weary head. "Atia, listen …"

"No!" the vampiric witch snapped in return. "You're a fool, Basileus, a damn fool." Atia took to stalking back and forth in front of the fireplace. "YOU have caused this, all of it! Just get out of here," she demanded. "Felix is for Aro to deal with, not you. You can leave Caius be, too!"

"Leave Caius be?!" Basileus repeated those words a couple of times. _You must be fucking joking_?!

"Don't you dare! Don't you even think of blaming Caius for this, Basileus," Atia roared. "He is not the coven scapegoat! Not anymore!"

Many times, so many times, Atia had pointed out since her arrival in the coven that Basileus had allowed the axe to fall on Caius' head instead of Aro's at times of stress. Mostly stress caused by Aro, (she pointed that out, too).

Basileus couldn't deny it. In hindsight, he had treated Caius abysmally ... but it was just something he hadn't recognised at the time. That said, Caius was guilty as sin this time and it was all on him, as far as Basileus was concerned. Feeling his temper rising at the onslaught from his mate, but knowing it would do no good to add fire to the flames, he forced himself to walk away from the argument.

"You could have prevented this whole mess but you chose to let things play out," Atia called after him. "How many times could you have intervened? How many chances did you have to prevent this?!"

Basileus spun on his heel to face his mate. "Well, obviously I never expected Caius to start throwing punches in the bloody throne room!"

"Then what did you expect?" Sulpicia asked, feeling bolstered by her mother-in-law's attacks on the creator. "You know what happened last time he was drinking that rotting blood."

Basileus twitched. It pissed him off to no end on the rare occasion Sulpicia turned her acidic tongue on him. This time it particularly pissed him off, as Felix was the ''victim' of Caius' outburst and Basileus had allowed him to drink the damn dungeon blood, so it was difficult to argue a defence.

"It was kept between Magnus and Caius last time," he explained, drawing on all the reserves of patience he had left. "I assumed it would be this time." _Obviously,_ he thought.

There were more thoughts in Basileus' mind, thoughts Atia had access to and she was livid. "Are you telling me you set this up to see how Magnus would cope with Caius?!" Hands on hips and fire shooting from her eyes, she made a formidable mate at that moment. "Why?!" she roared. "You already know Magnus can handle Caius if need be, so what was the point?!"

That was it, Basileus was getting both barrels.

"At the very least you put Athenodora at risk, you put Caius' marriage at risk, you put Freyr and Magnus at risk. And now this whole thing has imploded, you have put the alliance at risk, too, not to mention our grandsons!"

"Atia, please …" Why he dared to cut in was anyone's guess. Neither Atia or Sulpicia wanted to hear a word coming out of his mouth.

"Put yourself to some use," Atia suggested, tone dripping with patronising venom. "Go and help Aro smooth things over out there."

Sulpicia waited for Basileus to close the door behind him and listened carefully up the stairwell to ensure her children had managed to sleep through the row. Felix was drugged on Basileus' blood, of course, and Demetri was knocked out on dungeon blood and bloodwine so it was only the twins to worry about. When no noise came from upstairs, Sully turned a grateful smile on her mother-in-law.

"I'm not happy about any of this," she said, gesturing upstairs to her sleeping children. "But I do so love seeing you put him in his place."

"Lord knows someone needs to!" Atia said, huffing into the air over her idiot mate. It took a few more breaths before she calmed herself down suitable to talk.

"I have a request, Sulpicia, if you would be so kind?"

"After that?" Sulpicia said, still smiling. "Anything!"

"The children are sleeping, I will stay here with them should they wake," Atia paused and bit her bottom lip knowing her daughter-in-law wouldn't want to fulfil her request. Steeling herself for a rejection, she asked. "Would you pay Athenodora a visit?"

"Me?!" Sully shot out. She hadn't expected that. Sulpicia and Athenodora had put old arguments behind them, but they still weren't on friendly terms. They could be in one another's presence without arguing, or even being passive aggressive towards each other, but no, they weren't friends. "Maybe Carmen would be better …"

"You have lived through such troubles with Aro that are comparable to Dora's with Caius, my dear," Atia explained. She didn't need to spell it out. Men on dungeon blood rampages were often violent and it was their wives who bore the brunt of it. "I think some like-minded support would be invaluable right now. Don't you?"

"She has Freyr …" Sulpicia trailed off, knowing she was being weak.

"Sulpicia, my dear," Atia said emphatically, taking the younger woman's hands in her own. "No one else in this castle will understand Dora's fears like you will. You and Aro came through this, I am asking you to help ensure Dora and Caius do, too."

 _How can I deny that_?! Sully heaved a heavy sigh, but she agreed. "Do I tell them about Basileus' part in all of this?"

"I would ask that you do not." Atia pursed her lips, offending herself that she would be part of the cover-up. "Not for his sake, you understand, but for everyone else's. He has been a fool, an utter fool, but he is the creator and the overlord of us all. It is better for our coven to have faith in him, even if he doesn't deserve it." Ever the excellent statesman.

Sulpicia agreed and sloped off to the north tower.

She could hear the raging and what sounded like furniture being smashed up as soon as she opened the door to the north tower. Assuring herself that Caius was contained upstairs, somewhere, somehow, Sulpicia quietly let herself into the lower floor suite. She had expected to find Athenodora hiding in a bedchamber, sobbing. What she found was Dora and Freyr sitting at the window playing cards and sharing a sociable glass of wine.

"Is that Caius up there?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. She had a whole speech ready, intending on giving her old covenmate a pep talk as Atia had suggested, but there really seemed no need going by Dora's disposition. "Would you like to come to the south tower? You don't need to listen to all of this."

"I'm fine here," Dora replied, offering Sulpicia a seat. "So long as he stays up there."

"He will, my dear," Freyr confirmed. "You know he won't get past Magnus."

Dora nodded, smiling. "If he does, he won't get past you." It felt so nice to have people in her corner. 'Nice' might seem inappropriate, given her mate was being held captive upstairs, but it really did feel nice! Dora believed Magnus would keep Caius contained and help him through the other side of this shit. Freyr would stay with Dora for as long as Dora wanted her to and beyond. It was nice to have that support.

"This isn't his fault," Sulpicia stated. She wasn't going to tell them Basileus had partially set the trap for Caius to fall into, just to see what would happen, but she wanted to alleviate some of the blame Caius would face when he had come down from the drug. "Caius should never have been allowed to take dungeon blood this weekend."

"I have to disagree with you there, Sulpicia," Freyr said sternly. She poured them all a fresh glass of wine and dealt Sulpicia into their game. "Caius chose to take the blood. He went to great lengths to take it, in fact."

"Yes," Sully agreed, taking a sip from her glass. "But, Basileus …"

"Basileus is not his keeper." Dora nodded to Freyr's words. "Caius has his own mind, he chose to take it. He will be the one to suffer the consequences."

Sulpicia was floundering a little. Everything she had expected had been turned on its head. _Still_ , she thought, _I should tell them they can_ _'_ _t rely on Basileus to fix this_. "I don't think Basileus will be issuing any consequences. Not if Atia has anything to do with it … she blames Basileus!"

Dora and Freyr shared a knowing look. "There's more than one way to face consequences around here," Freyr explained.

A particularly loud thud followed, coming from the floor above, followed by Magnus balling 'Stay down!'. Everything went quiet for a moment and the coven ladies listened to see what would happen. Dora checked the clock. _No way will he have settled yet_ , she thought. She was right. A second later and Caius' growling started again ... followed by more clattering furniture.

Freyr was sure that sound was her table collapsing. "I hope Magnus batters him."

Dora laughed and played her card. "I'm sure he will."

Sulpicia followed Dora into the card game and looked between the two women in vague confusion. "So you really don't blame Basileus for letting this happen?"

"He had his part to play, and yes, he could have prevented this," Freyr answered. She had wanted to rip Basileus' balls off at the start of the ball, but now that annoyance had subsided ... and knowing Atia would have done the job for her, Freyr held no further malice towards the creator. "But," she continued, "so could anyone else, including us, if we had chosen to intervene. But that's irrelevant. At the end of the day, the buck stops with Caius."

Sulpicia thought about that for a moment before answering honestly, "If this were Aro, I would blame Basileus."

Freyr was gracious enough not to comment but the look on Dora's face spoke volumes.

"What's that look for?!" Sulpicia asked, feeling affronted.

Freyr shook her head curtly to Dora before turning back to Sully to smooth things over. "You wouldn't expect Aro to take responsibility for his own actions," she said. It wasn't a question. Freyr knew how the Volturi family worked. The buck stopped with Basileus, never his sons, at least not entirely. "And maybe that's right in your situation with your family dynamics, but it's different for Caius. He is judged by his own decisions."

Sulpicia rested back in her chair. It was her turn to play but the card game had left her thoughts. Freyr knew she would have to explain further to help the coven queen understand.

"Caius has access to the dungeon blood stores at all times. He has chosen not to take it for the last six years. He has even refused to work so he wouldn't have to take it." Freyr paused for long enough to prompt Sulpicia to play her card and then continued. "This weekend he decided he needed to take it to impress some sadistic foreigner."

"Fucking Henri, the animal," Dora interjected.

"Indeed," Freyr replied. "Basileus could have banned Caius from taking the dungeon blood, Caius would probably have listened to that and not taken it. But would that be anything to be proud of?"

"Even though you knew he would struggle to stop once he started?" Sulpicia asked, genuinely musing on the differences between Aro and Caius at the moment.

Dora scoffed. "All the more reason for him to choose not to take it at all." She showed little compassion for her mate because it was his own bloody fault!

"Caius is expected to make the right choice on his own, without any threats, without any pressure." Freyr shrugged. "If he can't do that, then he has failed anyway."

Sulpicia felt like her world had been turned upside down. She had never held Aro to the same standard. She had always blamed Basileus, at least in part, for her mate's screw ups. _How have I never realised this_? she wondered. But then seeing something that has developed over the course of a vampiric existence can be difficult without someone else shining a light on the issue. Sulpicia vowed to think more on the matter later. _I need to show Atia I have done something useful_ , she thought, and she wanted to ensure Dora and Caius would come through Caius' latest fall from grace.

"Are you going to leave him, Dora?"

"What?!" Dora laughed. "No," she said, shaking her head and tutting at the noises emanating through her ceiling. "We've been through worse than this. Six years without that drug and things have been great. It's one weekend. It's a good reminder of how bad things can be, but I'm not facing the bad things on my own anymore, and neither is Caius."

"It's taken centuries for Caius to get as bad as he was," Freyr reminded both younger women. "It's going to take time for him to recover from that. For you both to recover," she added, looking to Dora.

"It's happening," Dora said confidently. "I never thought it would. I never thought we could be the couple we once were. But we are now. Almost."

Sulpicia finished her drink and left the two of them to it. Dora had all the support she could need in Freyr and Sulpicia was glad of it. Not because she wouldn't have offered the support should Dora have needed it. She would have, Atia had convinced her of that already. But Sully was glad Dora had people in her corner. It made her think about those in her own corner. Basileus, always, Atia in more recent years. Sulpicia was forced to consider how she tried to simultaneously keep them both at arm's length whilst also calling them in when she couldn't cope, or worse, blaming them for matters beyond their control. Yes, she had much to think about.

Basileus entered the north tower not long after Sulpicia had left. He went straight up to the second floor. Usually, he would have knocked, but by what he could hear, he doubted Magnus would be free to open the door.

"What is he playing at?!" he asked, looking to Caius thrashing on the floor beneath Magnus' excessive weight.

"He will exhaust himself soon enough," Magnus replied a little breathlessly and he bounced around on top of Caius. "He has mentioned that this is my fault for not putting an end to his intake when I caught him in the dungeons."

"How could he have the nerve?!" Basileus whistled into the air. "Cheeky brat!"

Hearing them discussing him only increased Caius' rage. He didn't possess the control to speak his frustrations. All he could do was increase his growls and do his best to throw Magnus off.

Basileus went to help his friend, but Magnus waved him away. He scooped Caius' failing arms up behind his back and held his wrists together with one hand. The other he used to slap him hard across the back of his head.

"You're pissing me off now, Caius" he told the younger master calmly. "Pack it in."

Basileus was amazed at how calm Magnus stayed throughout. Even more so that it actually seemed to be working. Caius continued to growl and resist, but he wasn't putting as much effort in.

"Are the covens still here?" Magnus asked easily.

Basileus looked around the main living chamber, trying to find somewhere to sit. There was nowhere. Every scrap of furniture had been ruined in Caius' comedown. _And he hasn_ _'_ _t finished yet, has he_? Basileus thought. He knew how this went, having brought Aro through enough dungeon blood bouts. He took a seat on the floor near Caius and Magnus. Caius hissed at the creator when he came close. One crack from Magnus put an end to that.

"They are still here. They plan to leave at dawn, so a few more hours yet," Basileus confirmed. "Aro and Marcus are doing their best to keep everyone away from the north tower ... but you do have some observers."

"If one of them is Henri I want him dead," Magnus said seriously.

"That cretin scarped the moment our backs were turned," Basileus confirmed.

Hearing Henri's name stirred the rage burning in Caius and he started struggling again. He almost broke free until Magnus all but lay on top of him, using his weight to keep him down.

"I can take him," Basileus offered. The guilt was crushing him.

"I can handle him," Magnus said confidently. "I've done this before."

"So long as you are sure?" Basileus asked. He felt guilty for the state Caius was in, but even more so that he'd put so much pressure on his friend. His guilt over Caius wasn't enough to prevent him issuing severe punishment, however. "I'm going to have him whipped at the coven meeting Friday morning."

Magnus was so surprised that he almost forgot the task at hand. He had to slam his chest into Caius' back to keep the younger coven master in place. "That seems a little extreme, Basileus," he replied once he'd caught his breath. None of the masters, or even any female guards, had ever been punished publicly before.

"Look at what he's doing to your home, Magnus," Basileus said, arms outstretched. "Look at the state of you!"

Magnus wore a split lip for his trouble with Caius, his shirt was torn and hanging off him, various bruises were visible on his face and chest and there was a burning red bite mark to his forearm.

"I can see all that well enough, but whipping him in front of the coven is too much, it won't solve the problem long term." Magnus shook his head. "It's too much."

"He punched Felix in the face and broke his nose," Basileus reminded him.

"I know Caius will be regretting that for longer than Felix thinks on it," Magnus replied.

Basileus couldn't argue with that. He wasn't willing to leave it there, though. "So what do you suggest then? He isn't getting away with this."

"Certainly not," Magnus agreed. "But you can keep it private, surely?"

Basileus scoffed. "He doesn't deserve for it to be kept private."

"Then do it for me," Magnus implored. "I'm asking you, not him. I'm asking you to keep whatever punishment he has coming private. If this were Aro, you would be looking for ways to support him …"

Basileus cut in at that. "I'd be giving him the hiding of his life first!"

"Yes, first," Magnus agreed. "But then you would be looking for ways to support him. Caius needs the same thing, he deserves the same thing."

"Caius has never wanted my support, that's not the relationship we have, nor have we ever. But you … I'll be back shortly, my friend."

Magnus looked to Basileus curiously as he stood to leave.

Before he got to the door, he turned with a similar expression to the juggernaut. "Magnus, why didn't you stop him in the dungeons? I'm not saying you had to, but why didn't you?"

Magnus shrugged. "What right do I have to stop him doing anything?"

Basileus bobbed his head to himself and left with Magnus still none the wiser.

When Basileus returned half an hour later, Magnus was still on the floor, but now sitting leaning up the wall. He had a tight hold of Caius. Magnus' giant arms wrapped around Caius' chest, pinning them tightly together with Caius' arms trapped uselessly at his sides. Magnus was using all his emphatic powers to keep Caius calm and it was working. The growl still rumbled in his chest, but it was quiet as Caius slumped forward in Magnus' hold with his eyes closed dreamily.

"Are you still sure you want to keep him here?" Basileus asked.

Magnus smiled, his lip splitting a little further as he did so to remind him of the stressful hours he had spent before the calm had taken over. "I'm committed to the task, Basileus," he said, licking the blood from his wounded lip.

Basileus was pleased to have someone like Magnus on whom to rely. He had never had a fall-back guy before. there was Marcus, of course. he was a true and great confidant to the creator, but he lacked Magnus' skill set for much more than that. It was new to Basileus to be able to share the load of what would usually be his duty. Though to be fair, he had never been particularly active in managing Caius anyway. Still, it felt good to have another solid guy who was willing to step up to the plate when it counted.

"Then I will leave this here for you to use as you see fit." Basileus took the five-tail whip from his cloak and put it on the sideboard.

Magnus watched it slowly uncoil. "Me?!" he asked, taken aback. "You want me to whip him?!"

"He needs support, you're right, so support him." Basileus held up a hand to silence Magnus before he could resist too much. "I will agree to keeping this a private matter, as much as we are able to after such a public display of abhorrence. But he needs setting straight first."

Magnus looked back at Basileus like he'd grown an extra head. "Caius isn't going to accept a whipping from me, Basileus. I'm not above him."

"You can be, if you want to be?" Basileus thought out loud, testing the water a little.

"What?!" Magnus barked in return.

 _Okay, too far_ , Basileus corrected himself. "Don't worry about that for now," he said, trying to gloss over his comment. "Caius has crossed a good many of us in the coven this weekend, but none more than you. He has taken all of your support over the last few years and thrown it back in your face. Whether you want vengeance …"

"I don't work that way, and you know it." Magnus didn't do vengeance. Correction, yes, but not vengeance.

"Or whether you want to continue to support him," Basileus continued seamlessly. "He needs to answer for his trespasses and you are the one he has trespassed against. Be sure to make it count because I would hate to have to repeat the message that what he has done is totally unacceptable, regardless of the excuse."

Basileus waited. _If you are truly resistant, I won_ _'_ _t make you do this_ , he thought, _but I want to give you the chance to see this through if you are up to it_.

Magnus took his time to reply as he mulled over Basileus' request. At least he felt it was a request, not quite an order. Caius had fallen into a drug induced sleep in his hold, so he laid him out on the floor. Standing up and stretching out the ache in his bones, he went to the whip Basileus had delivered and considered the implement. He dreaded to think the devastation he could create with that whip wielded in his hands. Most would say his hand was capable of enough devastation without the aid of a five-tail long whip, too!

"I'll give him the option," Magnus eventually replied.

"Perfect," Basileus said, thoroughly pleased. _At least some good might have come out of all of this._

…

Magnus looked out his bathroom window just in time to see Tao and Xola leave with their lions in tow. They were a magnificent sight, all glistening in the morning sun. _Those lions are so majestic_ , he thought as they disappeared from view.

He could have stood by that window all morning, soaking up the sun, but the retching coming from his living room brought the coven master back to reality. Filling yet another tankard with fresh water, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Magnus wasn't entirely sure how old he was. He always said forty and he was sure he was at least that when he was turned. But looking at his reflection now, he thought he could easily pass for fifty ... or more. He looked so tired, the split lip didn't help. His long dark hair hung loosely around his shoulders and was desperate for a comb ... _or better still, a wash_ , he thought, picking out a piece of lime plaster from his crown.

Taking the tankard, he headed back to the living room, or rather, the site of destruction! It was a good job that Freyr had moved the valuables before the ball began as every wall wore a patch of cracked plaster, or in some places an entire missing section of plaster exposing the brick work beneath.

Under the window, Caius sat on the floor with the light dancing off his blond hair. It would have made a beautiful sight had Caius not had his head hung between his knees, dry retching into a bucket.

"You were right," he said to Magnus between heaving. "You told me to ease up on the drinking … you should have insisted." He couldn't bring up any more of the black blood. Not because his stomach was clear of the rotting drug, but because it was proving difficult to force himself to throw up with the pain of three broken ribs burning at his side.

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "So all of this is my fault, is it?"

Caius drank down the whole tankard of water, the moment it hit his stomach it started to come back up, bringing more black slime to add to the rest. At least it came up easier with the water.

"Just don't let me do this again," Caius begged. Hi voice echoed into the bucket and came back to mock him cruelly.

"I'll remind you of this conversation at the next Tribune Ball when you and Henri start knocking back the shots."

Magnus took a seat in his chair - his favourite chair - and promptly crashed to the floor, falling through the seat of the damn thing. Something else that been irreparably damaged in Caius' drugged up tantrum.

Caius at least had the good grace to cringe as Magnus dusted himself down, giving the splintered wood a boot in annoyance. He wanted to laugh, he so wanted to laugh, but he felt too hungover for that.

"Fucking Henri!" Caius thought aloud.

"Henri isn't the one who smashed up my quarters," Magnus boomed, adding "again!" for good measure.

Caius cowered on the floor. His head pounded like a drum - the last thing he needed was the juggernaut's booming voice in his ear. "I'll make good the damages," he offered.

"Damn right you will!" Magnus walked a few paces away, partly to get away from the stench of vomited rotting blood, but mostly to be out of reach of Caius - he was ready to boot the little bastard.

"I'm sorry."

Caius didn't say sorry very often, he didn't believe in it. If you were regretful for your behaviour you should do something to put it right - words were pointless, he usually thought. Over the last few years,though, Caius had been saying sorry to Magnus with a disturbing regularity.

"I was a fool," he admitted, "and I'm sorry." _Gods be damned, I said it again_! "Does anyone know?" he asked, trying to move the subject on. His memory hadn't fully restored yet and he was worried someone from the visiting covens may have witnessed his violence.

Magnus scoffed. "You aren't usually so concerned about showing your arse," he said. "You're going to want to go on another bender when you remember what you did."

"I'm trying to change, Magnus. You know I am …"

Magnus cut the younger man off in his stride. "You were doing a good job of it until you hit the bottle again," he admonished.

"Exactly," Caius agreed. "So I would rather no one saw this setback. It will ruin all my efforts."

Magnus couldn't help but laugh. He knew Caius' amnesia wouldn't last much longer and his memories were about to kick him in the cock when they returned.

"Oh fuck," Caius moaned, the odd flash returning. "Who knows?" he whined.

"Just about the whole coven," Magnus said simply. "And all the visitors."

"Bollocks!" Caius stuck his head back into his bucket. "It's starting to come back to me," he said from inside, heaving as he spoke. "Oh fuck."

"Aye," Magnus agreed. "'Oh fuck', alright."

"What about …" Caius pulled his head clear and wiped his chin on his ragged sleeve. "What about Basileus?"

"Oh yes, he knows. He was there when you launched Felix across the throne room floor and then threw up dungeon blood on your own throne." Magnus smiled contentedly to himself. He was glad to see the memories of the complete ineptitude were having such a strong effect on Caius. "He also dropped by when you were in smash-up mode," he added, gesturing around the living space.

"Did he have much to say?" Caius asked, trying to sound cool about his impending doom and failing dismally.

"He wants you whipped at the coven meeting on Friday," Magnus told him, acting just as cool. He decided to hold off on explaining he talked the creator down to keeping the matter private.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Caius had expected to receive the hiding of his life from Basileus, maybe even the odd broken bone, but a public whipping?! "He never did that to Aro and he was way worse on dungeon blood than I am."

"Do you think so?" Magnus asked, "Really?" he was following Caius' emotional output as they spoke.

"Yes!" Caius shot back. It was clear from Magnus' face that he knew Caius was lying. "I think," he changed his answer to a more honest one. "I'm no worse than Aro. I'm not. Fuck!"

"You knocked out his grandson and had to be dragged out of the throne room in front of the major covens of our world." Magnus was only too happy to remind the man of his depravity after all he been through with Caius that day and a half!

Caius roared to his unfair treatment, as he saw it. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" It didn't take long for those feelings to turn to true panic. "You've got to get me out of this!"

Magnus leaned up the wall as he watched the younger master flounder. "What do you expect me to do?"

"You and him, you're friends, he'll listen to you," Caius said, full of hope. "I know I don't deserve your help, not anymore, but I'm begging you to get me out of it. If I am whipped in front of the coven, I will be finished here. Finished!"

Magnus had played with him long enough. He wanted Caius to feel the stress of a public dress down, even if he had already made sure he wouldn't be getting on. "Calm down, Caius. Basileus isn't going to do anything," he explained. "I've already talked to him. Luckily, he feels like he owes me a favour, so I've convinced him that this should be kept private."

Caius leaned back against the wall beneath the window and closed his eyes. The emotional rush he'd suffered had hurt his head. "Thank you so, so much!" he said, repeating the words a few dozen times.

"Don't thank me yet," Magnus said sternly. "He has agreed it will be kept quiet, but you are still facing punishment. He has shunted the duty to me."

Caius opened his eyes and looked back to his co-master. "You?" he said curiously.

Magnus felt the emotional shift in the younger master. Caius had moved from resentment to panic to relief and then confusion is a matter of minutes. It was making Magnus feel nauseous so God only knows what it was doing to Caius.

"I had to drag your ass out of the throne room, it's my place you smashed up, again, Freyr and I are the ones running interference between you and Dora … so yeah, me."

"And, just what do you intend to do?" Caius asked. His earlier gratitude was long gone. He was sussing Magnus out as an adversary in that moment. "Because if you are thinking what I think you're thinking you can forget it. I'm not submitting to punishment from you. I wouldn't submit to Marcus or Aro, either. It's not happening."

 _You think you can take me_? Magnus wondered. _You sure do learn slowly, boy_. He wasn't worried. Magnus planned on teaching Caius plenty before he would see the outside world again. He knew what he was doing. "So you expect me to keep putting up with your drug induced tantrums without consequence?" he asked simply.

There was no reasonable answer to give to such a question and Caius knew it. "Do you want to beat me? Is that it?" That was the best Caius could come up with.

"I dare say it would be cathartic," Magnus said, taking another look around his trashed living space. But that wasn't it at all. Magnus wasn't a violent man. He would do what was required of him, no more or less than that. "I'm just trying to help you, Caius."

"Why would you still want to help me?" Caius asked. He felt completely dejected by his own self-image. "Everyone knows I'm a cunt."

Magnus shook his head slowly. _Self-pity bores me_. "Many people may well think you're a cunt because that is all that you have shown them. You've shown me different and that man is the one I am here to help."

"You can't save me, Magnus."

"You're right, only you can do that," Magnus replied. He took a seat on the floor in front of his covenmate and hooked a hand under his chin so they were face to face. "But I am here for you when you need me. Whether that's dragging you out of public, supervising your tantrums, or putting you back on the right path, I'm here."

 _Tantrums_?! Caius repeated to himself. _I can_ _'_ _t even disagree. I_ _'_ _m such a twat_. It felt quite oppressive for Caius to be sitting opposite the most moral man in Volterra ... or maybe in the world ... with a laundry list or crimes clouding his own character. Selfishly, and typically for Caius when he felt uncomfortable, he fell back on his old friend pride. He could protect his pride, what little he had left, and there was no way he could submit to any kind of punishment from Magnus. Right or wrong, he had to get out of it.

"It's not going to happen again," Caius assured. "I'm off it. Completely off it. Henri's on his own at the next ball."

 _So_ _, you need a little more help accepting this_ , Magnus thought. _That's okay_. He was used to dealing with the guards and he never laid a finger on any of them until they fully accepted what was to come. He could put such training to good use with Caius.

"And what about when you start on these creations Hilda has ordered?" he asked, knowing Caius would want dungeon blood for the task of turning so many vampires under extreme conditions.

"I'll find a way to do the job without dungeon blood." Caius pulled away from Magnus a little and squared his shoulders. "I'll sort your chambers out and I will replace all the damages." _There_ , he thought, _what more could you want than that_? "Are we square?"

Magnus shook his head with an upturned lip. Never had Caius seen someone look so disappointed in him. "No, we are not fucking square!" Magnus roared. "You're talking about there not being a next time when we haven't dealt with this time!" He took to his feet again, just to make sure he wouldn't slap the little bastard.

Caius actually shrank into the wall behind him as he watched the juggernaut pace his chambers like a caged animal. Magnus was completely in control, not that Caius could appreciate that at the time.

"You will be assuming responsibility for all the costs involved in repairing my chambers, again," Magnus said, coming to a halt at the furthest point away from the younger master. "But, to make it clear, that's just a consequence of your mistakes – it's not a punishment."

Caius gulped down the sick he felt rising. He knew Magnus was right, there was no way he could get out of the shit without paying for it, somehow. _But Magnus?!_ he wasn't entirely ready to submit to his co master, not without at least knowing what he would be submitting to. "What does he want you to do?" he asked. He spoke so quietly that Magnus strained to hear him.

"Basileus?" Magnus checked. When Caius nodded Magnus collected the five-tail whip from a sideboard and cracked it into the air. "He dropped this round after seeing the state of my chambers."

Caius positively baulked. He had never felt the force of that whip. Never. Now it wasn't that he feared the pain, as such, though he was under no illusion that it would be incredibly painful. What he feared was the meaning behind it. That whip was used on disobedient guards, subordinates who needed bringing into line. _Is that how low I_ _'ve fallen_?!

Magnus could see Caius brooding again and wanted to snap him out of it. "I prefer my belt," he said simply with a hand on the buckle.

 _A belt_? Caius considered whether a belt would an agreeable. option. _I can take a belt. It_ _'_ _s better than the whip. But it_ _'_ _s not A belt, it_ _'s Magnus'_ _belt. This is wrong. It_ _'_ _s wrong. If anyone ever found out ... I could say I chose the lesser of two evils, everyone would understand that, wouldn_ _'_ _t they_? _But from Magnus_?! _At least it wouldn_ _'_ _t hurt_ , he thought.

Silly, silly man.

Caius didn't know what to do for the best. "Don't do this Magnus, it will change everything between us."

"Then you're going to have to drag your sorry hide to Basileus and throw yourself on his mercy," he said dismissively. Magnus threw the whip to land just in front of Caius where it unravelled slowly, taunting him. "Be sure to take that with you."

Caius scooted back away from the dreaded implement. "He will show no mercy!"

"I'm not forcing you down for a beating, Caius, though we both know I could." Magnus glared down at Caius for a moment, just long enough for Caius to start to wonder if that was actually going to happen. "That's not my way," he added, a little softer. "You need to make your choice. You fucked up. You need to pay for it. Go to the Creator if you would prefer. He has agreed to keep it private, as a favour to me, so you won't be facing the coven. Or, I can deal with you. It's up to you."

 _'_ _You need to pay for it_ _'_ , Caius repeated to himself. He did need to pay for it, he agreed with that. But he didn't owe Basileus anything. _Going to the Creator for a beating wouldn_ _'_ _t be paying for anything at all. Magnus, though_ , he thought, _I owe him a great deal, again_. Caius didn't want to risk losing Magnus' support. _He said he will still be there for me, but how can I expect him to if I_ _treat him like this and walk out scot free_? It would be a watershed moment in their relationship if Caius let it happen. _There will be no going back_ , he thought, correctly.

"You," Caius said softly, voice thick with emotion for what he was submitting himself to. "I owe you, so your way."

Magnus bobbed his head. He was pleased with Caius' reasoning. When he started to unbuckle his belt, however, Caius baulked.

"I need to stop throwing up first!" he said quickly, heaving his guts up for all he was worth. When he pulled his head out of the bucket, he still wasn't ready. "How is Felix?" he asked, thinking a little light conversation might help, or at least put off the inevitable.

"I believe he has recovered from your punch so he will probably be nursing a sore backside for fighting with Demetri." Magnus thought of something else he wanted an answer to. _If Caius is so intent on dragging out his punishment then I might as well ask now_. "What made you defend Demetri so gallantly?"

Caius shrugged. "I was wrecked."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not lying," Caius insisted. "I WAS wrecked!"

"But that's not why you defended the boy, is it?" Magnus pushed. He didn't suffer fools gladly and lying to an empath was the epitome of foolishness.

Caius huffed. He wanted light conversation, not deep guff. "I guess I felt sorry for him. I know what it's like to live in someone's shadow." Caius didn't like to talk about feelings. Not with anyone. He was relieved to see Magnus nodding sympathetically rather than pushing for more details. _Still_ , he thought, _I better change conversation_! "Did I hit Amun?" He remembered trying, but then another blur clouded his memories.

"No," Magnus replied, rubbing his jaw. "I intercepted your attempt and you hit me instead."

Caius shook his head, disgusted with himself. "I'm so sorry, Magnus."

"You will be when I've finished with you."

Caius' head shot up again. _Fuck, that sounded like he meant it_! Not that Caius believed it, of course. He was a seasoned warrior for Christ's sake! He could take a belting off Magnus, physically. It was the mental side that he was struggling with.

Magnus knew exactly what Caius would be thinking and a part of him, only a small part because he didn't enjoy punishing anyone, was looking forward to setting Caius straight. For the moment, though, he would let the younger man enjoy his false belief. "Marcus has suggested that you write to Amun to apologise over your regretful behaviour to ensure the alliance isn't put at risk."

"Seriously?" Caius said with scorn. "A letter?"

Magnus shrugged. It was no skin off his nose if Caius didn't follow Marcus' suggestion. "You could always pop to Egypt and express your regret face to face," he said, smirking.

"I'll write the bloody letter." Caius did his best bring up the final content of his stomach. When it was only water that returned. He knew his end had come.

"That's coming up clear now," Magnus said, pointing out the bucket. "On your feet." He nudged the bucket aside and started to unbuckle his belt.

Caius heard the jangle of the buckle and his stomach flipped again. There was nothing left in there to come up, but that didn't help the waves of sickness traversing his body. "You're seriously going to do this?" he asked, desperately hoping Magnus would realise how inappropriate the idea of punishing was and back out.

Magnus kind of agreed with Caius, in a way. This was not a usual situation for him either! Sure he whipped the odd guard on a regular basis, but it was the darker side of the job and he didn't like to do it. It's one of the reasons why he made damn sure to do a good job of it - in the hope that would lessen the amount of times he would have to whip anyone.

With the guards, it worked. Few were foolish enough to bring themselves negative attention with any regularity. _But he isn_ _'_ _t a guard_ , Magnus thought, looking at his co master still sitting on the floor. _Caius will need more than they will if I_ _'_ _m not to repeat this message_. He was reminded of Basileus' words when he'd dropped the whip off for him to use. _Being hard on him now will save him a second round with Basileus_ , he thought, resolving himself to the task.

"On your feet," Magnus repeated, pulling Caius to his feet and ripping the remnants of torn shirt from his shoulders. "You can drop those, too," he added, pointing to Caius' britches with his belt.

"What?!" Caius shot out. "You don't do that to guards!"

"You aren't a guard, are you?" Magnus asked simply.

Caius refused to move. Magnus wasn't sure whether it was a defiant expression or one of shock, or maybe fear, but he felt he'd wasted enough time talking Caius around to good sense already. _Last chance_ , he thought.

"You really don't want me to take them from you."

Caius put his hands on his hips, ready to fire off an objection.

Magnus didn't let him get that far. Ever in control, he simply turned Caius to face the wall and pushed him towards it.

"Fine, I'll take them from you. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Moving behind Caius, Magnus easily reached around and took Caius' hands in his own. He could feel through his gift that Caius' trepidation was rising, and he was happy with that. _Knocking a little pride out of him will do him some good_ , he thought. He placed Caius' hands flat against the wall at shoulder height and kicked his legs to part a little. As soon as he backed up a step, he felt Caius' emotions change to relief.

"Why are you so relieved?" Magnus asked. "We haven't even started yet."

Caius shrugged and laughed a little. "I thought you were going to … doesn't matter," he said shaking his head.

"Oh!" Magnus laughed, too. "You thought I was going to strip you now?" Magnus laughed again. "No, Caius. When I said I will take those britches from you, I meant with my belt."

Caius dropped his head. _Oh shit._

Magnus, being a giant of a man, wore a long, wide belt. He wrapped most of it around his large hand, leaving a tongue long enough to do the licking. Before Caius could respond to his comment, which by Magnus' reading of him would be one of surprise and fear, he got himself in position. "You might want to brace yourself," he said simply.

Caius tried to scoff at the very idea, but the noise sort of strangled in his throat resulting in a painfully weak admission of his concern. Before he could attempt to rectify the situation, because the very last thing he wanted was for Magnus to think he had one over on him, that silly, weak noise was replaced with a wail and a roar as the first strike sliced across his backside.

Magnus dropped his belt and stood next to Caius. "Have you just punched my wall?!" he asked in disbelief.

Caius winced when he looked up. He hadn't even realised he done it, but the tell tale pulse of his knuckles confirmed that he had. "It hurt!"

"You've cracked the plaster all the way up." Magnus traced the line to the ceiling with his finger.

"It fucking hurt!" Caius shot out in excuse.

Magnus cuffed the back of his head. "It's supposed to fucking hurt!"

Caius moved his head away sharply. "You took me by surprise," he muttered. His ass burned a blaze where that belt had landed. He'd taken a fair few beatings from Basileus in his time, but the creator tended to focus on his back, occasionally his legs if he were aiming to disable the man for a while. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had struck his backside. _Not since I was a fucking child_ , he mused, which was exactly how he felt right then stood next to Magnus. A fucking child!

Magnus may not have had access to Caius' thoughts, but being an expert in reading emotion he could imagine what Caius would be thinking ... exactly what he wanted him to think! Caius felt emasculated, stripped of his pride, and ashamed. _All that with one strike_ , Magnus thought happily, impressed with himself. Not that he would be ending things there.

"You thought the only issue being punished by me was that it was me, not that I could actually make it count for anything," Magnus said whilst he worked on putting a dumbstruck Caius back in position.

 _Oh_ _, you_ _'_ _re making it count_ , Caius thought, _in many ways_! It was a terrifying realisation, a humbling one, too.

Magnus collected his belt from the floor and wound it back around his hand. "Move again and I'll start over."

Caius found his voice. "How many of these am I taking?!"

Magnus drew back his arm, "Until I'm sure you've got the message." _And_ _until you can_ _'_ _t take any more, you fucked up little brat_!

CRACK!

Now, Caius had been in a great many battles. There wasn't a single mission the Volturi had conducted that Caius hadn't attended. And he didn't just attend. In every one of those missions he had headed the Volturi forces, getting stuck into the fray and fighting fearlessly.

In that time, he suffered his share of pummellings. He'd broken more bones than he could count and he knew what pain felt like. If those battles hadn't done it for him, Basileus had. All that paled into insignificance whilst Magnus released his fury on his hide. The same strength that had protected Caius, even from himself, also ensured his obedience – or, at least, punished disobedience. Protection and punishment were suddenly two sides of the same coin.

To begin with, no two strikes landed in the same place as Magnus worked on covering every inch of skin from his neck to his knees. Caius thought that hell was awful enough. He had never been stuck as hard by anything in his life.

When Magnus had finished with his warm up, and started to overlay strike on top of strike, Caius actually considered throwing himself on the creator's mercy! Being whipped in front of the coven even seemed like a lesser punishment at that moment. He wasn't sure that Magnus would make good on his threat to start over if he moved, but there was no way on God's green earth that he was going to test the hypothesis. His hands stayed fixed to the wall, but they were no longer flat, instead, ball into fists with his nails penetrating his palms. Sweat dripped from his face to the floor at his feet, which he'd welded to the floor. That was, however, the extent of his self-imposed restrictions. The rest of his body convulsed beyond his control to the painful strikes and his lungs, suffering no inhibitions, roared out his pains.

It wasn't just physical pain in Caius' reactions. Magnus felt every scrap of emotion Caius went through, it was impossible for him not to. As soon as Caius moved out of self-pity and into genuine regret, he ended his assault.

It took a while for Caius to realise that Magnus had not only quit whipping him, but that he'd moved away entirely. Not that it made any difference to him. All he could do was hold his position and concentrate on his breathing and tidal waves of burning ignited his senses. It was as if a flaming torch was being held to his skin!

"You can move now," Magnus called from where he perched on the windowsill.

 _Easy for you to say_! Caius thought. He didn't dare move, not even an inch.

"You okay?" Magnus asked when Caius remained braced against the wall. "Caius?"

He knew it was going to hurt, but he had to move if he were to leave the middle floor suit and get himself home. With vampiric speed he pulled his arms away from the wall and moved his legs closer together. _FUCK_! _It'_ _s like being belted all over again_! It wasn't. Not quite. But the movement sure hurt! As soon as his legs were together, Caius felt his britches starting to slide. He had to hold them at the waist to keep them in place and he could feel the breeze behind him. Magnus had made good on his threat.

"Never seen you do that to a guard," Caius muttered. It was to himself, really, but Magnus heard him clear enough.

"As you keep reminding me," Magnus said, "you're not a guard."

Caius did not appreciate the chuckling coming from his torturer. As he stiffly made his way to the door, Magnus stormed past and stood in front of it. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Home …" Caius trailed off seeing Magnus slowly shake his head. "Why not?"

"Dora has asked that I keep you for a while. She asked that you stay here 'until he returns to the man he has become, rather than the man I have known' - her words." Magnus looked to him sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder. His intention was to convey comfort but the pressure ignited Caius' strap burn.

Caius scowled. "She certainly knows how to stick the knife in."

"She sticks the knife in?!" Magnus asked, with heavy emphasis.

"I know, I know!" Caius replied, turning away from the juggernaut in shame. "Do I have to keep stating what a twat I have been in every sentence?"

"It may help you from being a twat in the future," Magnus said, smirking.

 _The hangover is doing that, thanks_. Caius thought better of verbalising his thoughts. He knew Magnus was right, for one. For another, he was humiliated, not only by his actions at the ball, but by his current situation, too.

His state of dress wasn't helping that. "Will you at least fetch me some clothes?" he asked. His shirt lay in waste across the room and his britches were only held together by his hand.

Magnus disappeared into his bedchamber and returned with a fresh white shirt. "Put that on for now. I'll send Freyr to fetch you something when she comes home."

Caius knew what that meant - Magnus wasn't risking leaving him unattended. It stung to feel so untrustworthy, but he appreciated Magnus not saying so outright. No sooner had Caius released the front of his tattered britches, they fell to the floor.

"I told you to take them down yourself," Magnus said, laughing at the state Caius was in. "I bet you do as your told next time."

As Caius pulled the shirt over his head, he felt every strap mark on his back burn with new energy. He was forced to take a few calming breaths to keep the obscenities in his head.

"There is not going to be a next time," he eventually replied.

Taking in his sorry state, wearing his co-master's shirt (which was long enough to reach his knees and brought the reality of the huge difference between the two crashing into Caius psyche) and feeling utterly ashamed of his behaviour on his most recent drug binge, Caius shook his head.

"There will never be a next time," he said again, that time absolutely resolute.

Magnus had been a father in his human life, those days may have been long ago, but he remembered hearing much the same from his own sons. With a knowing chuckle and a piteous expression to Caius, he simply said, "We'll see."

"Ah, Caius," Freyr said on seeing the young master up and about as she entered her chambers. The covens had all gone, the guards were all resting from their three-day drinking session, her duties were done with. "Are you feeling better?"

Magnus closed his eyes and shook his head. "Don't molly coddle him after what he's done."

"I have already made peace with what he has done," Freyr replied, looking kindly to Caius.

She understood there would be set backs along the way, but Caius was making great progress in her mind. But as she hadn't had to deal with the man's meltdown, it was easier for her to feel compassion towards Caius.

"It's what you have done that I've come to assess," she told her mate with a knowing look.

Freyr often complained that her mate was too heavy handed in his discipline of the guards, and as that was mostly conducted in the public space of the masters' office, she had to wonder what he would do in the private space of their home. Oddly, the guards didn't complain about Magnus' handling of them, even the more frequent visitors to the office such as Afton or Odi were still relieved to be facing Magnus over any of the other coven leaders. He was just so damn fair, even when he didn't have to be, that they were left with no good reason to complain. Having his guards accept they deserve punishment before he would begin helped that. As it had with Caius.

"He's still standing, isn't he?" Magnus said simply in defence, as though that would be enough for his mate.

"Does he have a choice in that?" Freyr asked.

Caius was getting a bit pissed off with being discussed in that way. He felt emasculated enough having to submit to punishment from Magnus without the pair of them talking about him like he was their ward or something. But with every breath igniting the burn in his well punished hide, he decided to keep his mouth shut on the matter.

"Well he could have a seat if he wished to have a seat, but he would have to sit on the floor," Magnus said pointedly, gesturing to their decimated furniture.

Freyr narrowed her eyes to Magnus, not convinced. Caius keeping quiet only served to condemn Magnus further in her eyes.

Magnus wasn't having that. He'd taken enough shit from Caius through the night to be dealing with shit from his mate on top of it. Huffing, he went to Caius and spun him around to face the wall.

"What the fuck!" Caius called out at being manhandled in such a way.

Magnus cuffed the back of his head with one hand and lifted the shirt he wore to top of his neck with the other to show Freyr the damage.

"Magnus!" Caius snapped, desperately unhappy at being bared, particularly in front of Freyr.

Caius wasn't particularly 'shy', but he had found the experience of being belted desperately shameful. At the time, when he was suffering through Magnus' wicked swing arm, Caius had been amazed by the shame he felt. But right then, feeling that flash of shame for a second time, he was utterly humiliated!

Caius tried to move, to cover himself, anything! Magnus responded by pushing him harder into the wall.

"See," Magnus said to Freyr. "He's not even bleeding."

"That's not a benchmark for whether you've been too hard on him, Magnus."

She tutted into the air, but decided to leave it there. Caius didn't actually look too bad, all things considered. Freyr pushed Magnus aside to release Caius and give the man back his dignity. What little he had left.

"Why don't you go and lie down, Caius?" Freyr suggested. She wanted to offer him some bloodwine but then that would defeat the object of Magnus' punishing him at all.

"Can't," Magnus grunted as he shunted furniture debris towards the window with his foot. "He smashed the bed up, too."

Freyr immediately flashed to her bedchamber. She had carefully removed all personal, sentimental items from their main living chamber and stored them safely in the bedroom when Basileus had told them Caius would likely be on dungeon blood during the ball. She thought she was saving their precious items from destruction. How wrong she was! Not a piece was left intact. Including that particularly priceless statue of a Norse Goddess that Freyr had lovingly stashed in her bedchamber to be clear of Caius' wrath. Not only that, but their bed had somehow been upturned and was half hanging through the window! Which, of course, had been smashed to allow it's exit.

Caius looked sheepishly to the floor when Freyr returned, face twisted from concern for him to contempt.

"I've changed my mind, Magnus," she said, looking at Caius but speaking to her mate. "You weren't nearly hard enough on the little cretin."

When Caius looked up to plead his case, genuinely concerned that Magnus might belt him again, something most unexpected happened - Freyr slapped his face so hard that he fell to the floor! The only thing more painful than the left cheek of his face were the two cheeks on his ass that he'd landed on!

"I'm sorry!" Caius called out. How many times do I need to fucking say it?! "Just let me go home and I'll keep out of your way, okay?"

Freyr scoffed at the very idea that Caius was getting out of it that easily. She didn't really want Magnus to take his belt to Caius again, but he sure as hell would be making good his mistakes before he left. Fully.

"You aren't going anywhere until you clean my chambers from top to bottom."

And that was it. Caius spent the rest of the day cleaning up the juggernaut's apartment, very slowly to ensure he didn't cause himself additional pain. As Freyr point blank refused to fetch him any clothes until he was done, Caius completed his tasks wearing a massively over-sized shirt and little else. It was certainly a humbling experience for the young master.

The second tribune ball hadn't gone quite as Magnus had expected. He knew there would be trouble the moment Basileus had placed those bottles of dungeon blood on his table three days before, and he thought, then, that he knew how that trouble would manifest itself. Caius would drink the dungeon blood with Henri, and after the covens went home Magnus would have had to bring Caius to his chambers until he had worked through the comedown.

He hadn't expected that Caius would fuck up so spectacularly, in the throne room of all places, in front of every vampire of note in their world, and most of all, he hadn't anticipated punishing Caius in any way for his actions. Most surprisingly of all, Caius had submitted to him. Magnus had not expected that. Even until he had landed that first strike he had expected Caius to storm out of the middle suite and face the creator instead.

Magnus tried to tell himself that Caius was simply fearful of the creator's wrath and that was why he had chosen to stay and face the music where he was. But he knew that was disingenuous. For one, Caius wasn't one for running from his fears, he faced them. For another, nothing scared Caius more than losing his pride and it had taken a damn deep dent in submitting to his fellow master.

 _Fellow master_ … _were they still fellow masters after that whipping_?! _Could they ever be fellow anything ever again_?

Caius had completed all of Freyr's demands, (reasonable requests most would say, but Caius was sore and hungover) and was cleaning himself up in the bathroom when he heard the door knock. He rushed to close the door, leaving just enough of a crack to hear through. He didn't want anyone to see him in his state of disrepair.

"Can I see him?"

 _Aro_! Caius thought. _Oh, fucking hell_. He knew he was the 'him' in question, what he was less sure about was what Aro's reaction would be to the sucker punch he'd given his son. He wouldn't blame Aro for being pissed off, more than that, he fully expected him to be. Caius planned to put in some serious bowing and scraping in the south tower to right his wrongs, as Magnus had suggested, but he couldn't do that in Magnus' chambers, he just couldn't! Certainly not with his backside ablaze and half dressed! _Don'_ _t do this to me_ , he prayed. It had been a long time since Caius had looked to the gods for help, but he called on every deity he could remember as he stood in that bathroom.

"Not right now, Aro."

Caius all but danced on the spot. _Magnus, I fucking love you_!

"Caius is a little busy thinking about what a cock he had been. I'll send him over to you when all of this has settled. I can promise you, he is apologetic beyond belief."

 _Alright Magnus_ , Caius thought in a huff. _That_ _'_ _s enough information for Aro, send him on his way_.

"How apologetic are we talking here? Has Basileus been by already?"

 _Aro_ _, you smarmy arsed cunt. Oh fuck_! Caius suddenly had a horrible feeling that Magnus was going to divulge his brand new shameful secret - that he had submitted to punishment from fucking Magnus. _Don'_ _t tell him, don_ _'_ _t tell him_! _I'_ _ll never live it down_!

"He has been by here, but I thought it best to send him away until he'd calmed down."

"Who needed to calm down? Basileus or Caius?"

Hearing the pair of them laughing at his plight pissed Caius off. He was so pissed off, in fact, that he almost forgot his lack of appropriate clothing and left the bathroom to put them straight. Luckily, the fire from Magnus' strap was still fresh enough to prevent him leaving the safety of his holdup. _What could I say, anyway_? he asked himself. _I'm lucky Aro doesn't want to fight this out after I punched his kid._ Caius listened intently to the remainder of the conversation between his two co-masters and he was surprised to learn that Aro didn't want his head for bashing Felix, he wasn't even angry with him. He expected an apology, of course, but he understood the devastating affects dungeon blood could have on a man's good sense.

When he heard the door close, Caius crept out of the bathroom and headed down the hall to face Magnus. "You lied for me," he said quietly.

"Aye, I did." Magnus poured out two goblets of bloodwine and offered one to Caius. "I won't be making a habit of it," he warned before releasing the cup into Caius' hand. "So I hope you have learnt from all of this?"

Caius gulped at the bloodwine until his cup was dry. He was a little disappointed to find it was the lowest alcohol strength the coven brewed (he was used to the highest strength in his chambers and it packed a better hit) but it immediately helped the ache in his back, at least. "I told you already, this won't happen again." Now he knew his shame would stay a secret, Caius felt much more confident.

Magnus shared a knowing look with his mate before he answered, "Aye, and I told you, we'll see."

…

Aro had left the jollity of his short visit with Magnus to be accosted by his brooding teenager when he returned home. Demetri and the twins were up and about, though the three of them sat nervously far away from their brother.

Felix looked rampant. Pacing the floor, waiting to give his old man both barrels.

The argument started just as Aro knew it would. Felix wouldn't accept any portion of blame for what had occurred in the throne room.

"The twins get away with murder, it's always me and Dem in the firing line," he complained, loudly.

"The twins may cause a disturbance, but it's you pair who …" Aro stopped himself. One look at his crestfallen son and he decided to take Demetri out of the list, too. "Actually, no, it's YOU who causes the problems around here, Felix. Always YOU!"

Atia had spent the night in her son's ear whilst the visiting covens were still in attendance, to ensure Aro wouldn't seek and vengeance with Caius, but she had failed to predict the battle that would ensue between father and son on the same matter.

"Can't you stand up for me?!" Felix roared at his mother. "You never set him loose on the twins."

"If I had a real problem with the twins your father would intervene." Looking to her baby vampires doing their very best angelic poses, Sulpicia stifled a chuckle. "As it is, they may cause me daily annoyance …"

"Annoyance?!" Felix cut in.

"But!" Sulpicia said pointedly. She didn't appreciate her son's aggression. "When they need to behave, they do."

Aro was in his son's face before he could say another word. "Neither of them would dare to behave the way you do in front of the coven."

Felix squared his shoulders. He was too far gone, this was going to be a showdown. "They were pissed at the last ball, or have you forgotten that?"

"And who orchestrated that, Felix?!" Aro shot back, squaring his own shoulders and reminding his boy who was who under their roof. "It would never have been the twins, or Demetri, or anyone else for that matter. It's always you with your bright ideas."

The more he spoke the more agitated he felt. Aro wasn't sure what was going on. For a moment he wondered if he'd been drugged, too. He felt so angry, angrier than he should have felt under the circumstances.

"When are you going to GROW UP?!" he bellowed, right in Felix's face.

Felix should have backed down. His inner vampire sensed the danger ... even if Felix was unaware. He felt an energy traversing his body in waves. Every sense was telling him to back down, but the boy just wouldn't listen.

"When I turn eighteen," he snapped sarcastically. "You only have yourself to blame, Dad, you turned me."

Aro had to shove Felix aside to get the brat out of his face. He felt hot, the pressure in his head was insane. "I'm going to kill him," he growled, walking away.

"Just get on with it then!" Felix called after him. "What are you waiting for?"

Felix had followed his father and jabbed a finger into his back to get his attention.

Aro spun around and shoved him so hard that Felix landed on the floor. "He is asking to be drowned in the Rubicon!" he roared to the room.

"Vampires can't drown," Felix answered cockily, bouncing to his feet.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" Aro ran his fingers through his hair, ragging it at the root. _No_ _,_ _I'_ _m not_ , he thought, finally recognising those very old feelings. _I'_ _m going to do something else_. He hadn't felt that way in centuries, not since he stopped managing the newborns. _Where the fuck is this coming from_?!

"Felix stand down, son." Aro didn't even recognise his own voice when he spoke. It was deep and commanding. Aro was a king, he spoke that way fairly regularly, but not with his kids. More importantly, he knew the only reason for his current tone was because his inner beast wanted to gain control over the troublesome vampire before him.

"STAND DOWN!" he roared, throwing the boy to the floor.

"Caius punched me in the face and you did nothing!" Felix roared back. He was on the floor still but he was showing no signs of relenting. "How can you tell me to stand down?!"

"Caius is facing his own demons," Sulpicia tried to interject, to no avail.

"That's bullshit!" Felix spat to his mother.

 _I'_ _ve got to get out of here_. Aro's world suddenly felt very small. The walls were closing in on him and he fought for control of his own body. Listening to his boy arguing with his mate wasn't helping in the least. _I'_ _ve got to get out of here_.

Without word or warning, Aro flashed from his chambers leaving a raging child and bewildered mate behind him.

"DAD!" he roared as he ascended the stairs to the West tower.

Basileus heard his boy and came out of his suite to see what the noise was about. "I thought you'd be busy with those boys of yours …" No sooner then he set eyes on his son, Basileus knew something very serious was wrong. "Aro?" he questioned carefully. "What's wrong?"

"It's Felix," Aro replied breathlessly. He was sure his heart had started beating again.

"What have you done?!" Basileus started searching his son's mind.

"Nothing." Aro looked to his father with terrified eyes. "Can't be near him. Just can't."

"Forget him for now," Basileus said quickly, taking control and bundling his boy inside. "Come inside, have a drink. Let this all calm down, okay."

"But Felix …" Aro started,

"Can wait," Basileus finished for his son. He forced Aro down into a chair and held him still.

"I can't go there with him, never, I swore to him I never would, I can't go there." Aro was full on panicking. "Not after all this time, I can't …"

"Something else you have done!" Atia said to her mate, and took over with Aro for the moment. "Calm down. Breathe," she instructed, stroking his head. "It won't happen. You won't let it happen. Neither will we."

Aro shook all over as the rancid inner beast vied for control of his body. "He always said he never would, but he did."

"You were attacking me for hours," Basileus reminded Aro. "Felix isn't as stupid as you."

Basileus' remark worked to break the tension a little and Aro could feel his good sense returning. "What's made this happen? I've never come close before. When I think of all the shit he has pulled over the years, yet I've never felt this before."

"You've had a very stressful weekend, Aro," Atia suggested. It definitely hadn't helped.

"It's a hierarchy, son, you know how it works." Basileus sighed deeply, full of regret. "This is my fault for doing it to you. It would have been better if I'd just knocked you out again."

"How did you get rid of it?" Aro asked his father, desperate for help. "The feeling? The impulse?"

"I haven't," Basileus answered honestly. "I've learnt to live with it, so will you."

"And until then?" Atia asked on her boy's behalf.

"It comes in waves," Basileus explained to his son, though he did feel like he was teaching an old dog new tricks explaining such a thing to Aro. "You fuck up and my initial reaction is to get you under control again. I just walk it off and come back to you with a clear head."

"And that works, does it?" Aro asked.

Basileus screwed his face up. "Well, you should know!"

That hadn't occurred to Aro when he'd asked. _Of course it works_ , he thought, giving himself some hope. "I need to get back there! God only knows what Felix is doing now, he was a raging mess when I left."

"I'll go to Felix, you are to stay here, understood?" Basileus waited for his boy to show some sort of confirmation that he would stay put, but Aro just looked back with big amber eyes, begging for help. "Hey, you can handle this Aro. It will subside in time, I'm sure."

"It's been six years since you last … you know …" Aro couldn't say it. He shuddered just thinking of the word.

"Six years isn't very long for immortals, son. Come with me." Basileus pulled his boy to his feet, led him through to the bedchamber and directed him to the bed. "You will drink until you're drugged, and you will wake without these feelings to worry about." He bit a hole into his wrist and fed Aro until he was too drowsy to swallow anymore. "Good night, son."

Basileus didn't speak to Atia when he left his chambers, mainly because he knew he'd only get another round of fucks from his mate for his efforts. Instead, he put those efforts into getting to the south tower in record speed.

"Basileus!" Sulpicia had never been so relieved to see her father-in-law in her life. "Have you seen Aro?"

"He's at my place," Basileus explained, closing the door. "He needs a break from the boy …" Basileus stopped talking on hearing an almighty crash coming from the higher rooms. "Is that commotion Felix?" He could rival Caius!

Sulpicia nodded sadly. "He's smashing up his room."

"Demetri and the twins?"

"Demetri is still tired from all the bloodwine. I dread to think how much he must have drank. I have locked the three of them in my bedchamber. I didn't know what else to do."

"That's good, Sul," Basileus told her. "Keep them there."

Basileus bounded up the stairs to the top floor bedrooms. He could hear Felix roaring and growling through the door. It would seem that even though Felix wasn't aware why his father had left their quarters, the inner vampire was reacting to the threat it felt. Basileus had been fully intent on giving the boy the whipping Aro couldn't deliver, but he quickly changed tack. He needed to settle his grandson's fears first.

Opening the door slowly, Basileus was about to step into the room when the door slammed shut in his face. Felix snarled from behind the door. Guttural sounds could be heard, but no clear words.

"Felix," Basileus called out, keeping his tone even and calm, "let me in, let me help you."

Although he couldn't understand the boy's growled words, he heard his thoughts loud and clear. Felix's head swarmed with questions over his strange reaction to Aro, he could neither understand what was causing him to lash out in such a violent rage, nor could he stop it. Beyond that, Felix's thoughts focused on Caius and Demetri and the fight in the throne room. Underlying it all, of course, was the boy's fear.

I can work with that, Basileus thought, giving himself a curt nod.

"You aren't in any trouble with me, Felix," he told the boy calmly, "open the door."

The door didn't open, but Basileus could make out that Felix had moved away so he tried again to enter the boy's room. He went slowly, not sure of what to expect. He was shocked by the state of the recently renovated bedchamber.

"When you throw a tantrum you really go the whole way, don't you?" Basileus teased gently, seeking Felix out across the room.

The boy huddled on his haunches below the open window, growling lightly, hugging his knees for comfort. Basileus joined his grandson and did what felt most natural to him at the time - he took a seat on the floor next to the boy and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders.

No sooner had Basileus made contact, Felix burst into tears. Feeling completely overwhelmed by earlier events, the boy broke down in a most un-Felix fashion and sobbed his heart out. Basileus didn't say a word, he just maintained his hold over the child and let him cry himself out whilst travelling through his memories to see what the hell had been going on.

"What's wrong with me?" Felix asked, getting himself under control. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried like that. _And over nothing_?! Felix thought.

Basileus chuckled and pulled the boy in tight. "A good many things, but none for you to worry about now."

Felix shook his head briskly to shake the memory away. He just couldn't understand what had happened. "I felt … I felt … crazy."

"I know you did," Basileus said, trying to validate his feelings. "You reacted badly to Aro leaving when you were riled up ready for a fight, that's all."

"It didn't feel like me," Felix explained. "It was like there was something else."

"That was just your vampiric nature, Felix. The beast inside coming to the surface." Basileus didn't want to tell Felix too much, certainly not what Aro had felt during their short altercation.

Felix shuddered. "I don't ever want to feel like that again."

Basileus thought back to the state in which Aro had arrived at his chambers. _You are stronger than you know, son_. "I promise you, you won't." _Your Dad won_ _'_ _t let you_ , he added in thought, wishing he had been so sensible and left Aro on that fateful night rather than kicking off all this shit in his family. It was Aro's fault that Basileus had ended up calling for his submission that night, no doubt about that, but still, Basileus was becoming consumed by guilt for the ructions in his coven.

"Your Dad will be home soon," he told the boy, getting to his feet and pulling Felix along with him. "He's has some work to do, but he won't be long. You need to be asleep when he gets here."

Felix felt drained. He allowed himself to be led to his bed without argument. "Is anyone going to do anything about Caius punching me?" he asked, planning his own revenge if no one else was going to stand up for him.

"It's already in hand," Basileus told his grandson truthfully. Before Felix could ask what, he continued, "Never you mind what has been done ... all you need to know is that I've sorted it."

That was as much information as Felix would be getting and he knew better than to press his grandfather for details. He was happy enough coming up with his own ideas on what Basileus might have done to Caius whilst defending him.

Basileus didn't set him straight. He'd promised Magnus he'd keep it private so the coven would all assume that Basileus had kicked Caius into touch. Knowing Caius as he did, Basileus was sure he would prefer that rumour to spread rather than the idea that he'd fallen under Magnus' correction. When he caught Felix looking a little too pleased by the ideas running rampant through his mind, Basileus decided to temper him a little.

"That brawl never would have happened had you not been torturing your brother over Amun visiting."

Yeah, that sure took the wind out of his sails. "I didn't mean it," he said quietly, feeling ashamed of what he'd said to Demetri. "I was messing around, it got out of hand."

"I'll be speaking with Caius about his conduct, and Aro will be speaking with you about yours. But not tonight. Tonight you need to sleep." Basileus covered the boy over with his blankets and bit into his wrist.

Felix pulled back. "I don't need to feed, I'm okay."

"I know you are, you're hard as nails, you," Basileus said smiling at the boy. "But my blood will settle you down so you can sleep deeply until it's light out, and you will wake without the emotional hangover."

A few gulps and Felix did just that.

When Basileus descended the stairs, he saw Sulpicia sitting in wait for him. "I haven't done …"

"I know," Sulpicia said quickly. It wasn't an accusation she had in mind. After speaking with Freyr and Dora, it was an apology of sorts. "You may have heard in my thoughts that I blame you for this," she said quietly.

Basileus sighed. _Another verbal kicking_ , he thought. "I have indeed, justifiably."

Sulpicia shook her head, soft curls falling about her face.

It was then that Basileus noticed the tears in her eyes. Rushing to her side, he cupped her face in his hands. Whether he was getting another tongue lashing or not, he wanted to know she was okay first. "What's brought this on?" he asked, wiping a stray tear as it rolled down her cheek.

"I'm not always fair to you, or your involvement in our lives …" Sully stalled for a moment, but she had to push herself on. "I'm glad we have you. I want you to know that I appreciate you, even if I don't always show it."

Hearing how Dora and Freyr expected Caius to make the right choices all on his own, all of the time, had given cause for Sulpicia to stop and assess her own expectations of her family unit. She didn't expect the same of them, she wasn't even sure that she should, or that she wanted to. But one thing was she was sure of, she had no right to blame Basileus for his lack of involvement on one hand and then complain of his over involvement on the other.

"I think I put a lot on your shoulders when the blame should lie elsewhere. Or maybe there shouldn't even be any blame?" Sully sighed, but it wasn't sad, more coming to a realisation. "It's just life. Vampiric life with teenage children and a king for a mate."

"Life doesn't have to be good all of the time for it to still be a good life, my dear." Basileus stood and smiled down at his beloved daughter-in-law. They may cross each other from time to time, but he loved her dearly. "If you could tell my mate that we are on good terms, I would appreciate it very much."

"Oh," Basileus hung in the doorway. "And Freyr?" he asked hopefully.

Sulpicia chuckled to herself. "Certainly."


	127. Grovelling Time

**AN:** Last one for this set :)

* * *

 **GROVELLING TIME**

"Will you just go to the guard hall or something?! I'm sick of you wallowing in this self-imposed restriction!"

Caius ignored his mate, choosing to stomp back into his bedchamber instead and throw himself face first onto their bed. It had been a whole week since the tribune ball had ended, so a week and a day since he had been dragged from the throne room, frothing at the mouth. He heard the door slam and assumed Dora must have left their suite. She was pissed off with having him hanging around, bored, and 'messing with stuff'. _It's my home, too, she seems to forget that_!

Caius knew he was being difficult to live with. Partly, it was still the remnants of the dungeon blood hangover making him feel agitated, but mainly, it was his boredom. Caius was a man of action. He didn't sit still, he didn't read or anything as sedentary as that. He liked training with the guards, drinking in the hall, doing things. Anything!

Caius hadn't left his chambers since his return, except to visit Magnus in the apartment above occasionally. Missing the coven meeting on Friday morning hadn't gone down well, from what he'd heard. _It will have added to the rumours floating around the coven about me, I am sure. Fuck_. Magnus had told him to be there, he had even tried to talk him into attending, but Caius had refused.

"Why didn't he insist?!" Caius thought aloud.

It may have been unfair to blame Magnus for his own actions but Caius wasn't about to let that stop him. _I wrote the bloody letter, at least_ , he thought, though that had been the extent of his 'duties'.

He was bored rigid stuck in his chambers but he couldn't leave. A self-imposed restriction to his movements in the coven. _I can't go to the guard hall until I've been to the south tower and grovelled_ , he thought. He knew he had to apologise to Felix for punching the kid in the face, he knew he should probably apologise to Demetri for getting him drunk on bloodwine and dungeon blood. He thought he should really extend those apologies to Aro and Sulpicia - the boys being their kids. _And then there's Basileus!_

Caius rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. _At least it doesn't hurt anymore_. It had taken two whole days and lots of bloodwine for the full burn of that whipping to subside. Caius found himself actually feeling sorry for some of the guards during his recovery. He knew a couple of them, Afton and Odi at least, came up against Magnus on a monthly basis. Mostly minor stuff, but enough minor stuff to see them suffering similarly to him. _Who am I kidding_?! Caius thought. _Magnus would never lay it on that thick with his precious guards_!

Caius heard the outer to his chambers door open. _Dora must have come back_ , he assumed. When the bedchamber door opened, he didn't even look over.

"I'm sorry, okay?!" he snapped.

The door slammed shut. "Not really, no."

 _Fuck_. Caius sat up and winced when his fears were confirmed - Magnus.

"I'm bored," Caius explained, cursing how pathetic he sounded.

"Go and see Aro and then we can go for a drink." Though Magnus smiled as he spoke, it wasn't a friendly suggestion. There was no question there. He had been telling Caius to pull himself together and get on with sorting out his mess for days.

"I'm still psyching myself up for that," Caius admitted. "For both parts," he added a little quieter.

Magnus shook his head. He knew what Caius' problem was and he was getting annoyed with it. _Pride, your biggest downfall_ , he thought.

He sat down on the bed and lay out with his hands hooked behind his head. He'd been training with the guards all morning, nothing too strenuous, but a few of their number took great delight in trying to get sly digs in with the juggernaut ... Magnus welcomed the chance to relax. That's what he was doing when Dora had brought her complaint to him. He hadn't minded. Magnus had asked her to go to him if she had any problems with Caius and he'd much rather intervene whilst those problems were still minor than wait until things were more serious.

"You've been in here for a week," Magnus began. "You're driving Dora nuts with your sullen mood."

"Sullen mood?!" Caius repeated. "She makes me sound like a child." The huff Caius added didn't help his case.

Magnus was gracious enough not to comment on it. "Why won't you go and see Aro?" he asked. "You won't be walking into the lion's den - he's your best mate, and he understands you were in a bad place."

 _I don't like apologising_ , Caius thought. He was sensible enough to keep that in his head, because he knew how weak it sounded, but it was true. He'd much rather everyone would just forget about him being a cunt and perhaps just avoid him for a while. That's how things used to work for him, and he preferred it. No one expected him to apologise.

"Well?" Magnus pushed. "What's the problem?"

This was something else Caius didn't really like - talking. Magnus talked about anything and everything. Granted, Caius seemed to find it easier to talk to Magnus than anyone else, particularly because, through his gift, Magnus knew when he was lying so there was little point to being anything other than honest. But still, Caius didn't like it.

"I don't know," Caius eventually replied. _By the gods, that was piteous_! Knowing Magnus would expect more than that, Caius took a deep breath. "I know I was wrong, I suffered enough, can't that be the end of it?"

"Sure it can," Magnus breezed, giving Caius a little false hope. "I think if Aro and Felix knew I had belted you then …"

"What?!" Caius started stuttering with little decipherable leaving his lips.

Magnus took back over. "If you don't want anyone to know, then you will have to drag your ass to Aro's and apologise, won't you?"

Caius threw himself back on the bed, lying next to Magnus, though he looked decidedly less relaxed. "No one can know," he said quietly. "It's bad enough that I let it happen."

"'Let it happen', huh?" Magnus repeated. "You didn't have a choice, Caius. This is your pride talking and that's what got you into this mess in the first place."

"My pride has nothing to do with it," Caius muttered in reply.

He knew Magnus spoke the truth. He knew he'd only got so wrecked in the first place because he couldn't lose face in front of Henri and of course it was getting so wrecked that led to the disastrous showdown in the throne room with Felix … _and all that followed_ , Caius thought with a gulp, eyeing the master at his side. _But this isn't about my pride_.

"I just don't see the point."

"The point," Magnus said, a little irritated that he was having to teach a grown man to suck eggs, "is that you punched a child in the face when you were in a drugged-up state. That child is Aro's and Sulpicia's son. Their other son, you drugged. You did this in front of the whole alliance …"

Caius shrank hearing his crimes reeled off.

"That's the point!" Magnus boomed before settling himself back down. "Perhaps I didn't do a good enough job with whipping you, is that it?"

Caius refused to say anything. He felt too ashamed. He gave a good 'tut' though.

"Do you need another round?" Magnus offered.

"You don't have an open invitation for that, you know!" Caius complained, instinctively moving a little further away, just in case.

"You think I need an invite?" Magnus chuckled softly to himself. "You can expect the same if and when I feel you need it. Consider it a gift."

"A gift?!" Caius repeated, huffing and tutting again.

 _Hmmm_ , Magnus thought to himself, noting that Caius been as objectionable as Magnus had expected he would. _Was Freyr right_? _Does he want more guidance_? _Does he need me to be firmer_?

"You need to go and see Aro and Felix, at least," Magnus suggested. "Basileus too, ideally."

"Basileus?!" Caius released in a whine. "I can't face him. I just can't. He will know everything as soon as he sees me."

Magnus sucked the air in between his teeth and whistled into the air. "He already knows, mate."

Caius sat upright. "How?!"

"Well," Magnus stalled for a moment. He even considered lying, but decided against it. Though he wasn't going to tell Caius everything. "We have talked it through."

"Talked what through?! Whipping me?! For fucks sake!"

"Calm down." Magnus used his gift to settle the tension a little before he continued. "Not just whipping you, all of it. He feels guilty for letting you take the dungeon blood in the first place, so he's footing the bill to have my chambers repaired."

"Letting me - like I'm some drugged-up delinquent or something?"

When Magnus merely smiled in return Caius realised that's exactly how the pair of them saw him, and his shoulders sunk.

"But at least it won't cost you anything now," Magnus offered as some solace.

"It's cost me plenty," Caius replied.

Magnus smiled. "Only your pride, and you still have too much of that left, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you," Caius muttered, knowing he was right. "Prick."

"Hey! No need!" Magnus sat up and jabbed Caius hard in the chest. "Do you want to go for another round right now?!"

Caius glared at the bedsheets murderously, as if it would help to set them on fire with his eyes. "Sorry," he huffed, rubbing his chest.

Magnus squinted a little as he considered the younger master, as though he couldn't quite see what sat before him. Caius had sought him out many times over the last few years for advice, or just to talk things through on occasion, but he hadn't been particularly deferential. His mask had slipped over those years when they were in private. The four of them alone, that is. _Freyr said I'd changed everything taking him in hand_ , he reminded himself, still watching Caius as he pulled a loose thread on his shirt. _Basileus said the same when we talked this through. But how much_?

"You need to go and see Aro, Caius," he said, getting to his feet and shrugging off his questioning mind for the moment. "I could come with you, if you like, but I think this is something you should do."

Caius' head shot up. _Would that be better or worse_? "No," Caius said, shaking his head. "You're right, I need to do it myself."

"In that case, I'm going to the guard hall to see how they are getting on in there." Magnus stretched out his back. Afton had got him good in training that morning, little bastard. "Send the kids to the hall, the guard are all playing 'Go', its some new game Marcus brought."

Caius didn't move from the bed. "Now? You expect me to see Aro now?!"

"Yes!" Magnus boomed. "And then come and see me and tell me how it went," he added, holding the door open for them both to leave.

Caius swung his legs off the bed and set his feet on the floor, but he didn't move. "I don't want to go to the guard hall," he said quietly, glaring at floor between his feet. it did as much good for his mood as glaring at the bed sheets had. "This is all too humiliating. I know what they will all be thinking."

Magnus sighed. "They all think you've been put in your place by the Creator, does that help?"

Caius didn't reply, and he still wasn't moving.

Magnus had places to be and he wasn't devoting any more time to Caius' pride. Flashing to his side, Magnus hauled Caius to his feet and slapped the back of his head, hard.

"Go to Aro and then come to me!" he boomed, shoving the younger master out of the door.

Caius suppressed all the names he wanted to call the juggernaut for having the audacity to order him to do anything! But still, Caius actually did as he'd been bid and went to the south tower. No one was more surprised than Caius himself as he left, except maybe Magnus, that is.

Aro looked up from his desk as his sons descended the stairs. Felix and Demetri had been getting along rather well since the fated tribune ball, which Aro was pleased about, relieved, even, as he had feared they would have fallen out with their argument in the throne room. Fortunately, or not, Felix concentrated his ire on Caius, not his brother. The boy seemed in a better mood, joking with Demetri, that was until he spotted his father was home and the smile fell from his face.

"What's wrong with you?" Aro asked, already knowing what Felix's complaint would be.

"Have you seen Caius yet?" the boy snapped.

Aro went back to his work. _Yup, exactly what I thought_. "I'm thinking about bringing Caius around here to let him have a second go on you, son."

"Dad!" Felix started to complain loudly, increasing in volume as his siblings all seemed pleased with the idea of having Caius give him another thump.

"I let you off for your behaviour at the ball, both of you," Aro reminded his older pair of boys. Aro had only given Felix a reprieve because he couldn't risk revisiting the shocking temptation that arose in him to have Felix submit for his abrasion, and if he was letting Felix off then he had no call to punish Demetri, either. "I'm choosing to give Caius a break on the matter, too. Particularly as you started it, Felix." Truthfully, he just wanted the whole sorry mess over with and forgotten.

"Will you be nice to him, please?" Sulpicia asked her mate, setting a glass of wine on Aro's desk.

"I'm too important to be nice to him," Aro returned, taking his glass and draining it in one. "His complaints are doing my head in."

"You're never too important to be nice to people," Sulpicia said in return, ignoring the second part of Aro's words. _You're doing my head in, too,_ she thought.

"Caius is," Felix answered his mother's comment. "He's never nice to anyone."

"How do you work that out?" Demetri asked. He had never had too much time for Caius before the ball but he had risen to hero status since the master's defence of him.

"Hello!" Felix said, pointing to his unmarked face as if that was enough.

"A one off, son," Aro told his boy.

"Well other than that one off," Felix shot back. "Which had better be a one off or I'm going to deck him, he's Caius, isn't he?"

Aro set his work aside. He wasn't going to get anything done until Felix had exhausted the conversation, he could see that. "You say 'he's Caius' like it's an explanation. It's not. Caius is strict when it comes to rules and order but he doesn't treat people like shit, not like you do. Or rather, as you try to do."

Felix bit back on what he wanted to say. It had been explained to him by just about anyone with a vague interest in the matter, which seemed to be EVERYONE, that it was his teasing of Demetri that had caused the showdown in the throne room at the ball. Instead, he left that issue at the door so as not to let the conversation turn on him.

"He doesn't miss a chance to bollock someone though, does he?" he settled on saying.

"Doesn't he?" Aro asked, "I can't count the amount of times he's let you two off."

"Why drag me into this?!" Demetri shot out.

"That's only because you call rank on him," Felix said, ignoring his brother and speaking to his father.

Aro shook his head and laughed. "You have been here for hundreds of years and I haven't had to call rank very often - and that's because Caius knows where the line is, unlike you."

Felix was quick to point out the few times Caius had whipped him post-mission, not to mention the occasional times he had taken him to task rather than turning him over to his father, which to be fair to Caius, was much more usual.

"I can't think of a single time he has overstepped the mark with you, Felix," Aro told him honestly.

"That just makes you both bastards," Felix muttered.

Naturally Aro caught it. "How perfectly indicative of your bad attitude. You had better get out of my sight, boy."

"I just want to know what you are going to do about Caius punching me and then I'll leave!" Felix snapped, thoroughly pissed off.

Aro laughed and went back to his work, the conversation over in his mind. "You should think yourself lucky that I have too much work to do to be bothered spanking you for calling me a bastard."

Demetri and the twins burst out laughing at the childish punishment being applied to their big brother, particularly knowing it would embarrass him so much.

 _Spanking me_?! _Why did you have to say that_?! "So you aren't going to help me?" Felix asked a final time.

"I am helping you by telling you to drop it, Felix." Aro was getting sick and tired of explaining things to Felix. "I know Caius punched you, he shouldn't have. No one feels worse about it than Caius does."

"How do you know that?" Felix asked, scoffing at the idea that Caius would be bothered at all.

"Because I've been there," Aro called out, a little louder than necessary with his growing annoyance. With a calmer tone, he continued. "I've done really stupid, regretful things under the influence of that damn drug and I KNOW Caius feels like scum of the earth right now."

Felix flopped into the sofa with his arms huffily folded. "Caius is so full of himself that I doubt punching me would bother him at all. Can't we kick him out of the coven for this, Dad?"

"No!" Demetri called out. That wasn't happening.

"Demetri!" Felix jabbed his brother in the ribs. "You do know that I am your brother, right?!"

"Yes, I know," Demetri replied, jabbing his brother back. "I also know who was dragging me around the throne room and who defended me. Caius isn't going anywhere."

"Caius isn't going anywhere," Aro said forcefully before either could continue their argument. "He's had a rough few years …"

Sulpicia pulled Felix to his feet and moved him to another chair, away from his brother. "Caius has had a rough life, my love."

"Mom!" Felix complained. "You can't side with Caius over me!"

"I'm not, my darling," Sulpicia said, stroking his face. "But you are fine now," she pointed out. "I doubt Caius is. Basileus said he would be taking care of it and no one has even seen Caius in over a week."

"Good." Felix knew how his grandfather worked, and he hoped that Caius had felt the full force of the Creator's anger. _Basileus did say he would take care of it_ , he reminded himself.

Aro looked to his mate curiously. "What do you mean by 'he's had a rough life'?"

Sulpicia turned a frosty eye on her mate. For such a perceptive man the things he chose to ignore astonished her at times. _You know exactly what I'm talking about_ , Sulpicia assumed, correctly, and decided to try and shame her husband a little by answering his question, but directing it to their children instead.

"Caius has borne the brunt of blame for your father's activities ever since I can remember."

 _You bitch_! Aro thought, viciously. He really hadn't expected his mate to sell him down the river like that!

"Why?" they asked, "How?"

"Aro?" Sulpicia questioned, smiling cruelly.

Aro sighed. _Fucking bitch_. "I may have convinced my father that Caius led me astray … slightly."

"Slightly?!" Sulpicia repeated shrilly. "Caius was your proverbial whipping boy until Atia set Basileus straight on the matter. And me! It's no wonder Caius has been …" Sulpicia stopped to think how to phrase it. "Difficult," she chose, "to live with over the last few centuries. Between your father's mistreatment of him, the work he has had to conduct, the constant reliance on dungeon blood …"

"Well, he's changing," Aro interrupted. He didn't need to give his mate the chance to point out the wrongs against Caius ... he knew them well enough. Many of them being his own orchestrating. "Everything around him is changing, too. This is good for us all."

"So what am I?!" Felix complained. "Collateral damage?!"

"This time, son," Aro said happily. A little too happily. Before Felix could start again, Aro decided to offer a sweetener. "If there's a next time I'll take him down for it."

The children all pondered how such a situation would go down and Sulpicia outright laughed in her mate's face.

Aro was offended. "Is there something that amuses you, my queen?"

With a hand in front of her mouth because she couldn't hide her amusement, Sulpicia said honestly, "You can't fight Caius, my love. He'd use you as a dish rag to wipe the floor."

Hearing his children snigger, Felix loudest of all, Aro was truly offended. "I would say we are equally matched at worst, my queen."

"I would agree," Sulpicia said, still smirking. "IF I were protecting your male pride."

 _You utter bitch_! Aro thought, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"I'm sorry, my love," Sulpicia said, smiling to her mate like he was a simple child. "But Caius fights much more often than you. You hardly go on any missions, Caius goes on them all. It's reasonable to assume he would be the man to back if you two actually came to blows, don't you think?"

 _The man to fucking back_?! Aro was astounded and he briefly considered showing his disloyal brood, who were still laughing, that he could handle any member of his coven with ease. But then again, Sulpicia did make a good point. For many years Aro's role had been much more administrative and he'd seen less action than Caius had. Still, he wasn't willing to admit defeat aloud.

"Well, it's not happening anyway," he settled on saying. "I'm not fighting with my best friend over a drugged-up punch that Felix deserved."

"Deserved!" Felix repeated.

"YES!" Aro spat loudly. "Perhaps now you will start to mind your spiteful tongue on matters that don't concern you?!"

"I didn't mean it anyway, he knows that." Felix looked over to his little brother and offered Demetri a pained smile. Whatever else had happened, Felix had finally seen the error of his ways on that score.

"You shouldn't say it then, should you?!" Sulpicia added sternly.

"I've apologised to Demetri, and I won't say anything of the sort again." _Get off my back_ , Felix thought. He had hoped Demetri would have stuck up for him a little, though he knew that was pushing it, really. His brother had accepted his apology, again, but more than that would have to wait.

Sulpicia relaxed a little. "Then at least some good has come from all of this."

The door knocked, taking his mother's attention. Felix called after her, "I still think Caius should apologise to me, though!"

"Sulpicia, may I come in?"

"Of course, Caius."

Everyone's head shot to the door. "Caius?" Aro questioned, not having expected his co-master to come of his own volition.

"Caius!" the children repeated in unison.

Sulpicia glared at her family for their rudeness. "Why do I have an echo?!"

Aro smiled encouragingly to his old friend and stood from his desk to welcome him in. He wanted to put Caius at ease, knowing only too well how hard it was to face coven members after such public disgrace.

Caius bobbed his head to Aro but forced himself to continue on his path to Felix, and not take the easy way out.

"Felix, I, erm … I am very sorry for losing my cool with you," Caius said. He even winced as he spoke. Saying sorry for anything was painfully uncomfortable for the coven leader.

"You broke my nose," Felix replied. He didn't really know what else to say. He'd never heard Caius apologise for anything before and even though he had wanted an apology, he hadn't expected to get one.

"I know," Caius said, hoping he was doing a better job of hiding his shame than he felt. "I apologise."

No one said anything for a moment. It just came as such a surprise to hear Caius genuinely repentant.

Demetri broke the short silence. "I thought it was great!" he crowed.

Caius chuckled a little to the boy's undue adoration. "It wasn't my place," he said softly, giving Demetri a wink.

"I would say that it isn't anyone's place to punch a child in the face, unfortunately," Aro said playfully.

"Even that annoying brat?"

"Jane!" Felix shot to his sister for her comment.

"We've all wanted to do it at some point," Demetri shrugged.

Felix was incensed by his siblings' lack of support. "Dem!"

"I dream about it regularly."

That one surprised Felix most of all. "Alec!" he called out, before huffing dramatically with his arms folded tight across his chest.

Caius was doing his very best not to laugh, knowing it really wouldn't help matters. "I'm sorry, Felix," he said again, hoping the boy knew he meant it.

Felix settled when he realised Caius was being truthful. "Yeah, I know, me too," he said. "For mouthing off at you, I mean."

Caius quickly looked to Sulpicia to check that he'd said enough. _Please, by the gods, let that be enough_ , he thought desperately. When the coven queen offered him a drink and a sympathetic smile, Caius finally relaxed.

"Magnus and Freyr have asked for them to be sent to the guard hall," he told Sully, accepting the wine she had offered and hoping it would settle the last of his nerves. "They have some games, or something."

"Be back before nine," Aro called to his children, none of whom had asked for a curfew before they hotfooted it to the door.

"Nine?!" Felix whined, looking aghast.

"And no drinking," Aro added to them all.

"And no cheating, Felix," Sulpicia quickly tacked on, looking to her eldest boy.

"Mom," Felix said coyly, unable to keep the smile from his lips. "I am offended!"

Sulpicia laughed after them but her thoughts soon turned to her own matters. Atia ... and Freyr, actually, had both requested that she reach out a little more to Athenodora to encourage her back into coven life.

"I assume your good lady is free, Caius?"

"That she is, Sul," Caius replied.

Once his mate was clear of the room, Aro topped up their glasses to the brim and retook his seat at his desk, inviting Caius to take the seat opposite.

"So …" Aro started, eyeing Caius curiously, "has Basileus caught up with you?"

"Yes, Basileus caught up with me," Caius lied. "Don't look, Aro," he asked, knowing his co-master would be desperate to do just that.

 _He will want to see the vicious hiding I got from Basileus, only he won't see Basileus, will he_? _He will see Magnus and I will have to kill him before anyone else finds out_. Caius' thoughts were sheer hyperbole, of course, but his worries over being exposed as having fallen under Magnus were real. There was no way he could let anyone find out, his reputation would be in ruins. _Aro has to believe Basileus was the one to dole out the punishments, he has to_!

"You know how it goes. I feel bad enough without you taking the piss."

Aro saw how dejected Caius looked and could only imagine what his father had done to the guy to exact his vengeance.

"Fair enough," he said, settling into his seat.

He had enough experience with Basileus to know that whatever was in Caius' memories wouldn't be pretty.

"I came to Magnus' but he was still protecting you from the old guy." Aro winced for full effect and laughed into his goblet as he took a swig. "I take it you won't be bringing dungeon blood out in social again?"

"Never," Caius stated sternly. He shook his head to his own foolishness. "I don't know what I was thinking." Caius took a steadying breath before he continued. "Aro, did you know I was letting Demetri drink from my cup? It means he would have been drinking …"

"Dungeon blood?" Aro finished for him. "Yes, I do know." He wasn't happy about that. Actually, he had been fucking furious about that! But Atia had talked him around. "Sulpicia, somehow, hasn't realised. She thinks he was drunk. I suggest it stays that way."

Caius nodded and released a shaky breath, grateful that Aro wished to take it no further. Magnus had tried to assure him that Aro would be reasonable about everything that had happened. But Caius' idea of reasonable was very different to everyone else's. He wouldn't have felt it unreasonable if Aro had wanted to fight it out after what he'd done. He wouldn't have felt it unreasonable for a good many horrible things to happen to him after the fuck up he'd created.

Aro could see his friend brooding and wanted to ease his conscience. "Caius, I know you wouldn't have doped up Demetri purposely. But that is another good reason for keeping dungeon blood to the dungeons, yes?"

"Definitely," Caius agreed. "Have I screwed up the alliance?"

"Not at all. I smoothed things over. I'm very good at my job," Aro said, smirking to himself. How he managed to feed his ego in every conversation was a testament to, well, Aro's ego! "You did make yourself look a bit of a prick, though. So your real punishment will come at the next ball when you have to face everyone again."

Caius groaned and dropped his head into his hands. _Yes, that would certainly prove to be punishing_. "I'm planning on going to the guard hall next, so facing the guards can be a trial run, I suppose."

Aro burst out laughing. He had to agree - he knew the rumours floating around the coven about Caius'' demise. Some actually thought he was dead! "I am SO coming with you!" he said excitedly.

Caius had to laugh, too. What else could he do?

"I thought you would be angrier about all of this. Are you sure you don't want to fight it out?" he asked, head still in his hands looking to Aro through the split in his fingers.

"I was angrier," Aro admitted. "But I've had my mother in my ear reminding me of my very many fuck ups over the years, fuck ups you have covered for, even taken the blame for, and I made peace with it."

Seeing Caius relax again, Aro felt cruel for what he was about to say, but it needed to be said, he felt. "Heaven knows I have no right to tell you how to behave, or conduct your affairs, but I don't want my kids involved again. I'd prefer not to have to pull rank with you on this, brother."

Caius took it on the chin. He was still getting off better than he'd expected. "Understood," he said with a bob of his head. "I really am sorry about, well, everything. I've even written to Amun to express my regret."

"Marcus' idea, by any chance? He does like his letters, bless him," Aro chuckled thinking just how pleased Marcus would be to have set Caius' rarely used pen to paper. "Are you and Magnus okay? I saw the state of his chambers." Aro grimaced. "Yeesh!"

"He's very forgiving, thankfully. We're okay. I owe him a small fortune, but we're okay." Caius closed his eyes for a moment. _Basileus is paying for the damages,_ he reminded himself, but he still owed Magnus a great deal and he knew it. "Freyr though …" he trailed off thinking of the ear-splitting round of fucks he had received from the female coven leader over the last week.

"She's as fearsome as Atia when she's pissed off," Aro added for him.

"You're telling me?!" Caius joined in. "She slapped me so hard I went down to the floor!" He immediately regretted his words. _Why the fuck did I tell him that_?!

"Did she?!" Aro asked, surprised. After seeing the state of her living chambers, Aro didn't blame her one bit. "Go Freyr!" he exclaimed. "I think you're the first man alive to survive pissing off the shield maiden. Think yourself lucky, brother."

"Yeah, I do."

Caius did feel lucky, in more ways than one. Mostly right then that Aro hadn't thought to question why he would have allowed Freyr to strike him without rebuttal. Clearly Aro thought he deserved it, and Caius knew he had. He could only hope that Aro wouldn't think much more on it.

Basileus strode into Aro's chambers, closely followed by Eleazar and Carlisle, only briefly breaking his step when he saw Caius sitting at the desk with his son.

"What have you done to him, Dad?" Aro asked casually. "You've made him meek!"

"Meek?!" Caius repeated, squaring his shoulders a little. "Shut up!"

"What have I done to him?" Basileus said into the air.

He knew Caius wanted to keep his dealings with Magnus under wraps, and Basileus had assured Magnus that he wouldn't blow their cover … yet. He left Caius stewing and begging through his thoughts for a moment before replying to his son.

"Nothing much." He placed a heavy hand on the young master's shoulder. "But I'm glad to see it was effective."

"Certainly, my lord," Caius agreed, nervously eyeing the creator of their kind.

"How are you doing, El?" Aro asked his big brother wearily. "Carmen still planning on ruining your life?"

"And then some!" Eleazar huffed, perching on his brother's grand desk. "I had hoped that spending some time with the screeching Denali brats would have put her off but she's talking through plans with Atia!"

"You're screwed," Carlisle added unhelpfully.

Caius looked between them all, waiting for someone to fill him in.

"Carmen wants kids," Aro explained.

Caius turned a curious eye on Eleazar. "And you don't?"

"Obviously!" Eleazar exclaimed. He would have thought out of their entire coven Caius would understand that the most. "Would you?!"

"They aren't all bad, I suppose," Caius mused, which was shocking for everyone concerned. "I can almost tolerate a couple of Aro's."

"Which ones?!"

Caius wasn't sure who asked that, as they all seemed to be voicing similar sentiments.

"Demetri's alright," he replied, thinking of the kid and his time at the ball with him … before things had turned so sour, of course.

Aro burst out laughing. "Only because he thinks you're a hero now!"

Caius cringed. "Let's not talk about that," he said, begging them all with his eyes.

Basileus applied a little more pressure to Caius' shoulder. "No, let's not."

Aro smirked to his poor brother-in-arms. Maybe it was the conversation he'd had with his mate and children about who would win in a fight between them, or perhaps just Aro's penchant for mischief, but he decided to twist the knife a little on Caius.

"What are your plans?" he asked his brothers and father. "Caius is about to face the guard hall for the first time, its bound to prove entertaining."

Caius dropped his head back onto the top of the chair as he heard the eruption of laughter from the other men in the room. _Aro, you jackass_!

"I think we should all be there for that," Basileus joined in, pulling Caius to his feet. "I, for one, would like to put the rumours to rest. I'm being accused of having murdered you out there."

"I imagine my reappearance will cause a great depression, then," Caius muttered. He knew he was no doubt last on the guards' 'favourite masters' list.

Carlisle and Aro were almost whooping in their excitement on the short walk there. Caius walked along behind them all, like a hangman to the noose. _This is going to be hell_. He briefly considered slipping away and returning to his quarters in shame, but one look from Basileus put that idea of his mind sharpish.

Basileus went ahead of them all and threw open the guard hall doors dramatically. Everyone turned to see what had caused the doors to bounce on their hinges.

And then they all saw Caius.

Basileus directed his sons to the bar, leaving the shamed coven leader alone to face his stupefied audience. You could have heard a pin drop in that guard hall. Caius stood frozen in position, the fight or flight response rising within the longer he stood. And then it started. Caius wasn't sure which of the cocky cunts began the slow clap, but pretty soon every single member of the guard hall was clapping and laughing.

Aro kicked off calling out good natured jibes at his co-master's expense and he was soon joined by the guards, not to mention the creator, his other sons, Magnus and Freyr!

Caius wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself. His immediate reaction was to turn around, bag his things and flee the coven, never to return! Granted, it wasn't the most reasoned of responses, but for a brief moment it felt like the only one. Magnus must have sensed the emotional turmoil the younger master was suffering as he appeared at Caius' side within the blink of an eye and threw an arm around his shoulders, mainly to keep him in the room.

"You're always one decision away from a totally different life, Caius," Magnus whispered into his ear.

"What does that mean?" Caius hissed back. There was no need to be so quiet, no one would have heard them over the raucous in the guard hall anyway, all directed at Caius.

Magnus started pulling him towards the bar. "Laugh," he advised.

 _Is that it_?! Caius wondered then what had ever possessed him to put all his eggs in Magnus' basket. The man was clearly a moron for thinking 'laugh' was any kind of constructive advice under the circumstances.

When Caius got to the bar, Turk presented him with a glass of water rather than anything even remotely alcoholic, and the crowd descended into sheer hysterics.

"Laugh," Magnus repeated quietly.

With no other idea on how to proceed, Caius gave in. He couldn't see what good it would do, but he accepted the glass with a plastered on grin and started laughing. It was as if a switch had been flicked inside him and the tension he had been consumed with only moments before started to melt away.

Growing in confidence a little, he joined in a bit more. He even responded to the guards, telling them to keep it up and he'd get them back in training, in good nature! Caius guessed that Magnus had had something to do with his calming emotions, but he was grateful for the help.

Laughing about it all helped. That ball had arguably been the biggest of his fuck ups, it was certainly the most shameful, being so public. _How is laughing helping_?! Caius didn't laugh at himself - this was a brand spanking new experience for him. He was always too on edge for such a thing, too uptight, some would say. But then, Caius had lived his entire life expecting the need to defend himself at any moment of the day … such a lived experience makes a man rather aggressive in his self defence. He wasn't sure why it was working, but laughing at himself was definitely helping him feel less ashamed.

"Its not so bad, Caius," Basileus called over to him. "You've all had your day," he said, giving all three of his sons a pointed look before rolling his eyes to the heavens in true exasperated father mode.

That was all it took for attention to turn on poor Carlisle. Aro's screw-ups were mostly unknown, and out of respect for Carmen, no one really mentioned Eleazar's early days in the coven. Carlisle was the only one the guards could tease without causing too much trouble.

Carlisle's time in the spotlight was short lived when Magnus started bringing up certain guards' mischief. Magnus and Freyr kept much of 'guard life' away from the other elite members of the coven because it made for a happier and more productive guard in general. Magnus effectively grassing them up was unexpected, but with the tone of the guard hall at that moment, it was fitting, and taken as intended, all in good spirit.

Caius eventually convinced Turk to serve him to a proper drink and he stayed in the guard hall all night. His wings had been severely clipped and his pride even more severely dented. Something as simple as laughing that night ... not fleeing, not fighting, just laughing ... had changed everything he felt inside. Chancing a look to Magnus, Caius' thoughts had turned damn near complimentary towards the man.

 _Perhaps you aren't a moron after all_? 


	128. 1682, February - Tattoos

**AN:** New Bunch. Jump forward four years to see how our vampires are fairing :)

* * *

 **1682, FEBRUARY - TATTOOS**

Basileus pounded on Magnus and Freyr's door, demanding to be let in. As Freyr was visiting with Marcus, Magnus had the unhappy privilege of opening the door to an angry creator. Basileus strode past the coven master, went straight to the table and slammed down a letter.

Magnus didn't need to read it to know who it was from. He puffed out his cheeks and closed his eyes for a moment before closing the door and fixing them both a goblet of bloodwine.

"I assume Hilda has written, again?" he asked, handing the goblet to Basileus.

Basileus looked thunderous. "It's been ten bloody years since Caius opened the door to that torture room, Magnus."

Magnus retook his seat at the table. _I'_ _m in for the long haul_ , he thought.

"When all this happened, after Lucius I mean, you said a bit of time, some missions … he's had both and he still isn't doing anything!" Basileus took the letter from the table and waved it in the air. "And now Hilda is hassling me about the bloody guards she ordered ... the guards Caius agreed to supply, may I add ... and still nothing!"

Magnus sighed into his cup. _I don_ _'_ _t understand why this is my problem_.

"I heard that," Basileus scolded. "You made Caius your problem when you defended him so gallantly at the start of this mess."

"As I have said before," Magnus started evenly, " 'this mess' was not created by either me or Caius."

"I am aware of that!" Basileus snapped.

Magnus held up his hands placatingly, willing the creator to relax a little.

Realising he was being a bit of a domineering cock, Basileus relented and took the seat opposite Magnus before forcing himself to continue in a calmer tone. "I made allowances, but we are ten years after the fact and Caius is still languishing. I hoped pushing him towards other works would inspire some gumption in him." He eyed the juggernaut for a moment. "You assured me it would," he added pointedly.

"Assured is a bit of a stretch," Magnus scoffed. "It was a suggestion, as I recall it."

"I am asking you to help," Basileus said leaning across the table. "Advise him, instruct him, hell, you can whip him again if you have to! Do whatever you need to do to get him to complete Hilda's order." And before Magus could object, Basileus added, "You seem to be the best placed."

 _Lucky me_. Magnus took up Hilda's latest correspondence and quickly scanned the script. She mentioned, more than once, that though she had written to Caius many times she was still to receive a reply from him regarding their agreement. _You told me you_ _'_ _d replied, you little bastard_ , Magnus thought in annoyance.

Still, it was in Magnus' nature to be reasoned. If he was going to have the hassle of getting Caius working, he thought it only fair that Basileus suffer similarly. "I would like to point out that whilst you are pushing for Caius to get back to the rat race, you have two fully grown sons who do nothing at all around here, and never have. How do you square that away?"

Basileus sat back in his chair catching flies for a moment as he tried to verbalise a response to that.

"I don't mean to cause offence …"

"You haven't." Basileus waved away any coming apologies from Magnus. He was enjoying having an extra adult in the coven with whom he could talk plainly and he was trying to stop Magnus' natural need to show deference to him. "You're right. Fair point."

No one had ever dared to mentioned Eleazar's lack of activity in coven life. Basileus complained about his eldest son's apparent ease in floating through life without so much as lifting a finger, but those complaints were restricted to his conversations with his family. Having Magnus point it out, and include Carlisle, pushed Basileus into deciding he would be a little more forceful with the pair of them.

"I'll see to it that my sons are given something to do, and you will see to it that Caius gets on with his work."

Magnus whistled into the air. "I think you have the easier job there."

"Have you met Eleazar?!" Basileus scoffed. "He isn't just work shy, he'd hide up his own ass to avoid it."

Magnus, in good conscience, couldn't disagree. He had been in the coven when Eleazar had arrived and he'd watched the man move from a volatile newborn with a penchant for punch ups to temporarily become the coven playboy before settling into the most laid-back vampire that ever lived. So laid back that he rarely mustered the effort to do anything at all.

"Do we have a deal?" Basileus asked, hand outstretched.

Magnus took the creator's hand and they shook on it. "I'll even make sure Caius writes back to Hilda if you can get your lads working," he said cheekily.

"Oh! Upping the stakes?" Basileus laughed as he walked to the door. "You're good, Magnus, but you will never get Caius to write to Hilda."

"You forget, I got him to write his apologies to Amun," Magnus reminded him. "I'll have a reply for Hilda by the end of the week."

Basileus left, chuckling to himself that Magnus had bitten off more than he could chew.

Magnus had a few things to talk to Caius about already. For one, the guards training rota that Dora had brought him earlier that day. _How am I going to get him into the dungeons, though_? Deciding to put that part to the back of his mind, he headed to the guard hall knowing Caius would, no doubt, be propping the bar up. It was nearly noon, after all.

"Caius, we need to run through this training regime you have planned," Magnus spoke as he strode towards the younger master. "It won't work."

Caius nodded to Turk to refill his tankard before he turned to Magnus. "Why won't it?"

Magnus collected a tankard for himself and had Caius move from the bar to a seat at the far end of the room.

"We don't have enough guards to run patrol and train at these levels at the same time," he explained simply.

"Well that's because I came up with that regime before Aro had decided we weren't taking on any newborns," Caius shrugged as he spoke. "Take your complaint to Aro."

Magnus narrowed his eyes at Caius. "We can't take guards on because of the guards you are trying to create," he reminded him. "Aro doesn't want to be overrun with newbies if your experiments work." Magnus huffed loudly. "Which you are yet to start," he added for good measure.

Caius sat back in his chair and threw his hands up, tutting. "Why are you getting on my case about this?"

"Because if you don't do your job, I can't do mine," Magnus told him. He was calm, and trying to keep Caius calm, too.

"And we couldn't risk Basileus finding out about that, could we?!" Caius scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Magnus and Basileus being friends, as that's what they had evolved to be, had worked out rather well for Caius over the last ten years. Caius knew that. He didn't, however, like it.

Since his slight (major fucking) hiccough at the tribune ball, Caius had stayed on the straight and narrow, so it annoyed him that Magnus was still lording it over him in some ways. Not in all ways, it must be said. Caius liked having the juggernaut in his corner, he liked spending time with him. The four of them, Magnus and Freyr, Caius and Dora, now spent most of their free time together. In private, it could be said that Caius thoroughly enjoyed having a more 'adulter' adult around. Basileus was a sticking point for Caius. Magnus' friendship with the creator put Magnus above Caius, in Caius' eyes, and he did not like that one little bit.

Caius took up his ale and had a swig. "The guards have been here for centuries," he pointed out. "They are all fully trained already."

"You're missing the point, Caius." Magnus took Caius' tankard from him and set it on the table to keep hold of his attention. "That's not my job," he said. "My job is making sure you are doing yours."

Hearing that, Caius blew. He saw all his fears flash before his eyes. _You ARE moving above me_! he thought in horror. "Since when?!" he spat.

Magnus teased Caius' emotions just enough to keep him from properly arguing with him in public. "Since Basileus instructed me to when you started slacking …"

"Stop sucking up to him," Caius snapped, folding his arms like a petulant teen. "It's pathetic."

Magnus sat back and eyed Caius with a cocked eyebrow. "Watch your mouth, Caius," he warned quietly. "You are starting something you aren't capable of finishing, my friend."

Caius made a sort of non-committal noise to the clear threat behind Magnus' words. There hadn't yet been a repeat of the punishment Caius had suffered after the ball, but in private Magnus had been known to give him a slap on occasion. Caius let that go. It was in private, for one, it was just a slap, for another. But Caius wasn't stupid - there was a line. Magnus had whipped him once, there was no way on God's green earth that he would end up in that situation again. That said, he wouldn't want to tempt fate, either. He had been dancing close to the line with Magnus recently, but he made sure to back down in time to avoid crossing that line.

"You do know that I'm not one of your guards, yes?" Caius hissed across their table. He wanted Magnus to know he had no right to threaten him without actually saying the words. The words were shameful for him, as was admitting it had ever happened.

"I know you aren't," Magnus agreed. Aro joined their table just in time to hear Magnus add, "I would have whipped you by now if you were. Think on that."

No one spoke for a moment. Caius was dumbfounded that Magnus would have said such a thing in front of anyone else, let alone Aro of all people. Aro, for his part, wasn't entirely sure what he had walked in on. Magnus remained eyeballing Caius. He'd been careful with what he'd said, it was easily explainable, and he hadn't alluded to anything that had gone on between him and Caius in the past. But he knew Caius would be screwing over the comment.

"Master," Turk called over, breaking the tension between the three coven masters. "We need a barrel bringing up from the dungeons."

Magnus downed his ale and stood, scrapping his chair back noisily. "I'll be back," he said sternly to Caius before he left.

Caius huffed loudly and dramatically. "Can't wait," he sneered, again, loudly.

Magnus didn't comment on it as he headed down to the dungeons for a fresh barrel.

"Whoa!" Aro found his voice. "Did Magnus just put you in your place?!"

"I think he tried to," Caius said, squaring his shoulders to show his stature whilst simultaneously dying inside.

"I think he did," Aro added, whistling into the air.

"Magnus said your old man has him watching me," Caius said, watching Aro for any hint of him knowing about, well, anything really. "Would you know anything about that?"

Aro scanned his own memories for a moment. "He has mentioned that he wanted to make sure you are okay in this new work he has requested."

Caius breathed heavily through his nose. It sounded like fire would soon follow through his nostrils at the rate he was going. "And his way of making sure is to put Magnus above me?!"

"Above you?" Aro repeated, looking at Caius curiously. "Definitely not. Surely not. Basileus is just looking out for you Caius ... after Lucius …"

"I'm sick of everyone making out I like I had a breakdown or something!" Caius snapped, cutting Aro off before he'd even given his co-master the chance to fully reply.

Aro's eyebrows shot up to his hairline seeing how riled Caius was. "Well you kind of did, Caius," he said quietly.

"Fuck off!" Caius shook his head. He hadn't had a breakdown. _Who the fuck do you think I am_?! _I don_ _'_ _t have breakdowns_! "It was nothing of the sort. He's been like this since the last tribune ball. Little things, but lots of them."

"He who?"

"Fucking Magnus!" Caius ground out, wondering if Aro had taken stupid pills for breakfast.

"You mean when he saved your ass from Basileus' full wrath?" Aro asked knowingly.

The whole coven believed that Basileus had 'taken care of' the matter with Caius. Aro thought he knew more, in that he knew Magnus had sent Basileus away until he'd calmed down. Oh, how wrong everyone was!

"What do you know of it?" Caius asked. He felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck.

"Only that Magnus kept you on lockdown so the creator couldn't get to you until he had cooled down." Aro stopped talking and noticed the damp hue of Caius' forehead. "Why?" he asked. "What else is there to know?"

"Nothing," Caius replied quickly, wiping his brow with his sleeve. _Get yourself together, for fuck_ _'s sake_! "That fucker is moving above me, Aro," Caius said quickly to deflect Aro's attention.

"How can he move above you?" Aro questioned. "I'm not giving up my seat so there's nowhere to move to," he explained logically. "You are being ridiculous."

"Easy to say when you are the king," Caius pointed out.

"And you are my second," Aro returned with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You always have been."

"Aww, you two can be so cute when you play nicely together." Freyr stood over the pair of them with a drink each.

"Freyr, have you been told to watch me?" Caius asked quietly.

"No," Freyr replied, though her tone would suggest otherwise.

"Freyr!" Caius barked before she could walk away. "You are spending a lot of time with Dora still."

"Why shouldn't I? We are friends, you know?"

Of course he knew. They spent every night together, usually in his chambers. He knew they were friends, but Freyr also knew that wasn't what Caius was asking.

"Is that all?" Caius pushed.

Freyr wanted to reply properly, she wanted to set his mind at ease, but she couldn't do that with Aro there. "What else would there be, Caius?" she said simply, smiling sympathetically before walking away.

Both Aro and Caius watched Freyr leave, both wondering the same thing - what the hell is going on?!

It was some hours later when Magnus caught up with Caius. "I must say, this is the very last place I looked," he said, taking the seat next to Caius in the library.

"You make it sound like I've been hiding from you," Caius muttered, engrossed in his book ... or at least pretending to be.

Magnus took the book from Caius' hands and turned it the right way up. He didn't comment, but he did snigger a little.

Caius snapped the book shut and chucked it to the floor. Books were the bane of his life.

"Not hiding, huh?" Magnus asked. "You made sure not to be in the guard hall when I returned, and I find you in the library of all places - I'd say that's hiding."

"Atia makes me spend an hour a week in here with Marcus, as you know," Caius reminded him. "Living through all of known history wasn't enough, apparently I have to read about it, too."

"I do know, yes," Magnus agreed. "I also know that hour is on Wednesdays, not Thursdays."

Caius sighed and sunk into the plush chair in which he sat. _Busted_ , he thought. "So … are you still pissed off?"

"No," Magnus replied happily. "I need your help with something."

"I'll come up with a new schedule for the training …"

Magnus waved his hand. "That's not it." _Oh_ _, I hope this works_ , Magnus thought. It was the best idea he had come up with to get Caius down to the dungeons to talk about work. "Your ink, it's permanent, yes?" he asked.

"Totally, it doesn't even fade." Caius collected his discarded book from the floor and flipped through the pages showing the brilliantly bright ink within. "I don't know how old this is, but Marcus has some books we made in 1000 BC and they're as good as new."

Magnus nodded, impressed. "What about on skin?"

Caius gave Magnus a condescending look. "Parchment is skin," he said patronisingly.

 _Cocky little_ … "I mean living skin." Magnus leaned in close, he didn't want the nearby guards hearing of his idea. "How could I put it in my skin, or under it?"

"Like a tattoo?" Caius asked.

Magnus smiled excitedly.

"I've never tried to do that," Caius admitted. "I suppose I could make a cut and fill it with ink … your body will either reject it and push it out as it heals or accept it and show through your skin … but I am guessing."

"Let's try," Magnus suggested, standing.

"Now?" Caius stood, too, warily. "Seriously?"

"You have plenty of silver blades down in the dungeons, you have ink." Magnus watched the younger master carefully. He didn't want to push Caius too quickly, but he knew he'd have to push a little to get him down to the torture room of his own free will. "Let's do it," he pushed

"Wouldn't you rather I practised on a rogue or something first?" Caius asked. "Or a guard, at least?" Though he sounded reticent, he instinctively followed Magnus and left the library with him.

"It only needs to be a few lines," Magnus explained as they walked at a human pace. "Just to see if the ink will take." He offered Caius a supportive smile when they reached the entrance to the dungeons.

It took Caius a moment to calm himself before standing tall and taking the torch from the wall. He descended the stairs ahead of Magnus, but soon stalled. Magnus took the torch from him and guided them both towards the back of the dungeons. Caius felt okay, all things considered, until they reached the panelled door, behind which his torture room stood.

"Keys?" Magnus asked, hand waiting.

Caius unclipped them from his belt and handed them over. He was glad Magnus was taking the lead, he didn't feel up to it himself.

The door creaked as it swung back. "It's dusty in here," Magnus commented.

He went straight to the fireplace and started the fire with his torch. It didn't take long for the large hearth to light the entire room. Caius remained in the doorway.

"You alright?" Magnus called over, beckoning Caius forward.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Caius snapped.

He knew he was being unnecessarily terse, but he couldn't control it. When Caius felt anything less than confident in what he was doing he reverted to being a bit of a cock. Magnus understood, fortunately.

"No reason," Magnus replied, shrugging, and using his gift to relax Caius a little. He didn't want to use his powers too much as he needed to see how Caius would fare in the dungeons. _Time to snap him out of his worries_ , Magnus said to himself.

"Get your inks," he said simply, and then dropped his britches!

"Whoa!" Caius turned away sharpish. "Where do you think we are doing this?!"

Magnus' booming laughter filled the torture room as he took a seat on the fire wall. He was perfectly decent, only his thighs exposed with his long shirt covering everything else. "Do my leg. If you fuck it up, only Freyr will have to suffer the sight of it."

Caius laughed despite himself. Magnus had certainly shocked him from his initial brooding being back in that dreaded place. He collected the ink pots from his stores and grabbed a couple of silver blades for the task.

"Only Freyr, huh?" he asked quietly, hinting that there could be others who would 'suffer the sight'.

"Yes," Magnus said sternly. "Only Freyr." He pointed a finger in Caius' face. "Watch your cheek."

Caius continued to chuckle to himself, but he got down on his knees and set to work. He'd never tried to tattoo anyone before, so he was guessing, really, but he assumed the trick would be to get the ink into the skin rather than the flesh beneath.

Magnus kept talking throughout. He didn't shut up, in fact. Partly it was to distract himself from having random slices carved into his leg, but mainly it was to keep Caius from thinking too much about where he was. So far so good.

"You're healing too fast," Caius complained. By the time he brought the ink to the incision he'd made, Magnus' skin had already healed over.

"Try dipping the blade in the ink and then cutting," Magnus suggested.

Caius did just that. The feeling was peculiar to Magnus. "That stings!" he hissed as the ink entered his body. "Is that a good sign?"

Hearing Magnus hiss, even though it was only for a moment, spooked Caius a little. Magnus saw him flinch. He wanted to ask if Caius was okay, he wanted to check on him, show him that he cared, but right then he knew Caius needed distraction and he launched back into 'waffling mode'.

"I don't remember the ink stinging when I was human," he started. "Freyr and I were covered in tattoos. We started with one for every kill we made but we lost tally. They disappeared when Marcus turned us."

Magnus could feel Caius relaxing, the tension leaving his body the longer they were in the torture room. As soon as he stopped talking, however, that tension started to creep back up. "The Amazonians will be interested in this if it works," he added quickly. "Tao and Xola, too. They were tattooed before they were turned. They used charcoal now, but they put it on every day."

Caius thought for a moment about the African coven. "Pair of women with their makeup bags," he chuckled.

Magnus laughed along. "I'd like to see you say that to their faces!"

Caius, still on his knees, sat back to admire his handiwork. "It's healing," he said, leaning his head a little closer.

Aro stood in the doorway. From his perspective, all he could see was Magnus half-dressed and Caius' head in his lap. "Do I even want to ask what you're doing?"

Magnus spun around. "Come and look!"

Aro shook his head and held his hands up. "You aren't my type, big guy."

Caius waved his knife in the air. "We're trying tattoos, you dick."

Aro still looked a little concerned. "It's his dick I'm worried about."

Caius started laughing even before he quipped, "Shouldn't let a little thing like that worry you, brother."

Magnus was quick to reach out and slap Caius, though Caius was quicker and deftly avoided the shot. "I'm decent, thanks," he called to Aro.

"Hang on ... tattoos?!" Aro said, only just realising what they had said. "Aren't they pretty permanent?"

"Not nearly as permanent as kids," Magnus remarked. "And you collect those."

Aro's curiosity got the better of him and he had to see what they had done. "Is it working?" he asked, moving in closer to get a look for himself.

Caius cocked his head to the side as he tried to judge. "I think it might be." As he'd never tattooed anyone before in his life it was a 'best guess' scenario. "It's healed," he proclaimed, rubbing the ink line. "It's still in."

Magnus wore a black grid on his right thigh, two lines crossing two more lines. "It's really bright." Giving the area a good rub, he checked to see that no ink came away to his touch. He was pleased to discover the ink remained.

"I'd give it a few days to see if it will stay in your body," Caius said. "Our blood is venomous, in theory it should burn up the ink."

Magnus was already pleased with the results. He had a thousand ideas for tattoos he fancied. "Caius, if this works you need to start working on colours."

Caius held up the two bottles of the vampiric ink he had. "I keep red and black, and not much of that, by the look of it." Giving the black bottle a shake, he realised how low his stores were. He hadn't made any ink at all in ten years, plus. _Marcus will riot_! "If you want anything else, you will have to fetch me a few vampires to bleed."

"Any guards you want rid of?" Caius asked, as though offering to knock off a member of their coven for a bottle of ink was a totally natural thing to do.

Aro had to laugh at Caius' cavalier attitude toward their staff.

"Keep your hands of my guards, both of you," Magnus said very sternly. "I'll get some humans, we can kill them when they are turned."

Looking at the black lines in Magnus' skin, Aro rubbed his chin. He foresaw issues immediately.

Magnus caught his expression. "You don't object do you?"

"On you - not at all," Aro said genuinely. he knew he had little say in what Magnus could do. "On the guards …" he mused. "I would prefer any tattoos were in places easily covered - we have no idea what the future will hold, after all. Or how tattoos will be received by the humans." Aro sighed, knowing his issue with tattoos would be his own to deal with. "It's the kids in the coven, I have a problem with."

"Agreed," Magnus nodded curtly. "Adults only."

"I can already see Felix wanting one if the guards start getting them," Aro said, sounding tired in advance for the arguments that would no doubt come. "Though, Felix is still giving Caius a wide berth, so I doubt he'll come down here to ask for the supplies."

Magnus could see Aro's problem. Felix was always his problem. "Caius isn't down here very often, is he?"

Caius' head bobbed left to right and back again between the two other masters as they talked. "Can you not see me sat here?!"

Both Aro and Magnus ignored him.

"Demetri will be the one to watch," Magnus noted. "The boy has turned into his little shadow, can't do enough for Caius in the guard hall, fetching him drinks and what not."

"Hardly surprising," Aro chuckled. "Caius put Felix on his ass - he's a hero!"

"Hero, huh?" Magnus laughed. Caius hadn't seemed much of a hero once he'd got the guy in private.

Aro smirked. "Kids are easily pleased."

"OW!" Magnus roared, and quickly clouted Caius across the top of his head. "Not so fucking deep!" he warned, rubbing out the ache in his leg to encourage the venom to seal the stab wound Caius had inflicted.

Caius straightened out his hair as though nothing had happened. "Just making sure you remembered I am here."

Magnus glared at him, shaking his head to Caius' petulance. "Try the red."

Not that either of them were looking at him, but Aro's eyes were like saucers having just witnessed Magnus slap Caius ... or more importantly, seeing Caius take it without reaction. "I'll come back later when you are fully clothed," he said, backing out of the playroom.

Magnus waited until Aro was clear of the dungeons before he started to push conversation with Caius. "We need to talk seriously. Are you up to it?"

Caius' shoulder slunk. He wasn't stupid, he knew there would be a higher reason for Magnus getting him down in those dungeons, but that didn't make him any more receptive to the conversation Magnus had planned. "I recommend you don't piss me off when I am holding the knife, Magnus."

"You think that little blade would help you win a fight with me?" Magnus quipped, shaking his head. "You know Basileus has asked me to keep an eye on you … OW!"

Magnus pushed Caius aside and gripped his aching leg. Caius didn't care that he was now sitting on his dungeon floor, in the dust. He felt quite pleased with himself. That was until Magus swiped his giant hand across Caius' left cheek.

Caius had to check his jaw was still intact! "Fuck!"

"Do it again and you will be getting more than a slap," Magnus threatened ... or rather, promised! "Be warned."

After that smack to the face, Caius believed him. "It wasn't that deep," he said quietly, collecting his blade from the floor. "I don't need anyone keeping an eye on me, Magnus." Caius dipped the knife tip into the red ink pot and was so gentle when he tried to inject it into Magnus' leg that he didn't even break the skin.

"You're insulted?" Magnus asked, already knowing Caius was. "It's been ten years since you had Lucius down here and you have hardly worked since. Even when you have, it's been under duress. Without your usual flare."

Caius knew Magnus was trying to be kind, trying to help him, again, but right then all he could think about was how this would be yet more proof that Magnus was moving above him, somehow.

"I am still failing to see why it should be any concern of yours," he said, sounding like a sullen teen.

"It's my concern because Basileus has asked it to be so," Magnus explained simply. "Unless you would rather have this conversation with him?"

Caius didn't say a word aloud. _How can I answer that_?! _Of course I fucking don_ _'t_! _I don_ _'_ _t want to have this conversation with anyone_.

"Well?" Magnus pushed. "Would you?"

"No," Caius eventually replied. It was honest ... he didn't want to talk to Basileus about his work, or lack thereof. But he still wasn't happy with the alternative.

 _Thought not_. Magnus was glad Caius chose him, even if under duress. "Try to see me as the lesser of two evils. I'm here to help you, Caius."

"Should I jump up and down in joy at that news?"

"Aye," Magnus chuckled to Caius' petulant expression. "If you like jumping."

Caius concentrated on the task at hand as he mulled things over. It was only that morning that he had been complaining to Aro about Magnus lording it over him, and when he had the chance to change that, he accepted more of the same! "Why has he asked you and not Marcus?"

"Probably because you have been ignoring Marcus' counsel for thousands of years and you've only been ignoring me for a few decades."

Caius rolled his eyes. "I don't ignore you."

"There's your reason, then," Magnus said, smiling kindly, encouragingly, he hoped. He could feel Caius was a ball of emotional charge, and it wasn't all down to their surroundings anymore. If anything, Caius had seemingly forgotten where they were. "Talk to me."

"I don't want to take the dungeon blood and working without it is … difficult."

 _That_ _'_ _s not entirely true_ , Magnus thought. "You don't want to take it? I thought you had promised Athenodora that you wouldn't take it, not even for conducting these experiments. Not after the state you got in at the last ball."

Caius scowled. "Freyr?"

Magnus nodded. "Women talk … about everything."

"Apparently I am easier to live with without it," Caius admitted.

"You are certainly being far less violent without it," Magnus returned, knowingly.

Dora had gone to him a few times since the last ball to ask for his backup with Caius. Well, she'd gone to Freyr and Freyr had sent Magnus to deal with Caius. It had mostly been his job to calm Caius down after some particularly nasty arguments with Dora. Just the threat of a repeat of his previous punishment had been enough to subdue Caius on those occasions.

Caius' scowl turned murderous. He disliked being discussed, particularly out of his earshot. He was a private man, essentially, used to surviving on his own, even within the coven. He knew Magnus and Freyr would have only been having such discussions in concern for him and Dora, but that ugly pride of his spiked and he commented on the matter spitefully.

"I am so glad you and Freyr know the inner workings of my marriage and are clearly discussing such over the dinner table."

Magnus pursed his lips for a moment. He had helped Caius make great steps in breaking down the invisible walls he put up around himself, but his pride still interrupted that progress with a frustrating degree of regularity.

"We don't have a dinner table," he said, and then reminded Caius, "we did have one, but you smashed it up."

"I was being metaphorical," Caius muttered, before trying to dig that blade into Magnus' leg again.

Magnus had predicted what Caius would do and wrapped his giant fist around Caius' hand to stop him. Glaring straight into Caius' eyes, he started squeezing until Caius was forced to release the knife. Caius maintained his moody expression until Magnus picked up his discarded belt and folded it in two.

"No, no, don't do that!" Caius tried to back up, but Magnus still held his hand in his enclosed fist.

Magnus shrugged as Caius attempted to shoot back across the floor, getting nowhere fast. "What did I tell you?" he asked calmly, raising the belt high above his head.

"I'm sorry, okay," Caius pleaded. "I'm sorry!"

Magnus watched him for a moment, testing his emotions to make sure Caius had snapped out of his self-obsessed mindset, for the moment at least. After what seemed like an age, Magnus lowered his arm.

"Do not stab me again," he said, pointing to Caius with the end of his folded belt.

Caius nodded quickly. "Aren't you going to put that back?" he asked, looking to the belt in Magnus' grip.

Magnus smiled and shook his head very slowly.

 _The bastard_. But at least he released his iron grip on Caius' hand. Caius set to stretching out his fingers - they weren't broken but they hurt! _Fucking goon_.

"Tidy it up," Magnus told him, handing him back the red ink. Once Caius started, again, very gently, Magnus pushed their conversation on. "We need to get started on these experiments of yours. Hilda is expecting to see some new members when she arrives for the next ball and she is willing to pay handsomely for them."

"We?" Caius asked. It was nice of Magnus to offer his help, but Caius couldn't see what the man could bring to the table. "How can you help me, Magnus? I need to set people on fire. I need to torture humans without giving into to their blood and then turn them, again, without giving into their blood."

"You have turned thousands of vampires …"

"Yes," Caius cut him off. "But I haven't been doused in their blood for hours before I turned them, have I? How do I resist without dungeon blood? How do I torture people without it?"

"You seem pretty sure about not taking that drug," Magnus said, wondering why. "You used to be able to take that shit without adverse effect in very small doses. I could help you limit the amount, perhaps?"

"No. I can't. Not even small doses." Caius was absolute on that. "I promised Dora. I don't think I've ever been a particularly good husband, but the last few years things between us have been much better. I'm still not good, but I'm better. I don't know how to be a good mate, but I do know dungeon blood makes me a bad one."

Magnus smiled quietly to himself. It wasn't so long ago that Dora would barely have featured in any of Caius' decisions, and now, already, he was putting her first again. Or at least, he was trying to.

"You won't understand," Caius continued. "It's easy for you to be a good mate, because you're a good man. I'm not a good man. I'm a cunt."

"I've had my time, too, Caius," Magnus admitted sadly. He had the odd dark demon from his human life that haunted him still. "I made a grave mistake, it cost Freyr and I dearly."

That had Caius' interest. It also had his concern. "What did you do?"

Magnus silently shook his head, looking lost for a moment. It threw Caius, he was used to Magnus being entirely steadfast. It didn't take long for Magnus to pull himself together.

"Something I'd never do again," he said cryptically. "In answer to how you do this experiment without dungeon blood," he pushed on, "you simply have to let me help you. I can draw away your emotions as you work. It will be just as dulling to your senses as dungeon blood, but you will retain a clear head."

Caius paused and thought about his offer. "That could actually work."

Magnus felt mildly insulted by Caius' clear surprise that an idea of his could be useful.

"I always took you for more brawn than brain," Caius explained, smirking to himself as he put away his tattoo tools.

"You're a cheeky bastard." Magnus rubbed the last of the sting out of his leg and checked out Caius' handiwork. He was taken aback by what he saw. The red was just as vivid as the black, and both colours shone brilliantly though his skin, but the 'design' Caius had inflicted on him left much to be desired. "Have you played noughts and crosses on my leg?!"

Caius grinned. "I won, too."

Magnus took to redressing, chuntering as he did so about what an immature ass his supposed co-master was. _Damn child_!

Caius carried on in blissful ignorance. "How do you think you got your gifts?"

"I was always a strong son of a bitch," Magnus offered. "Hard lands grow hard men."

"What about the empathic ability?"

"What can I say?" Magnus chuckled "I was a nice guy."

Caius screwed his face up. _Yeah, because they go together, don_ _'_ _t they_? "Just your friendly neighbourhood warrior, huh?"

Magnus bobbed his head. "Exactly."

Caius had absentmindedly made his way over to his old workbench. The wood of that bench had been died red by the blood of a thousand vampires a very long time ago. His senses assaulted him as he ran a finger across the length of that desk and the faces of tortured souls coursed through his memories.

Caius hadn't thought twice when he had taken their lives, worse than that, he had relished in the execution with a good many of them. To be clear, the vampires that found themselves guests of Caius' playroom were exclusively against the Volturi cause, and each and every one of them would have been only too eager to treat the Volturi master in the same way. It was kill or be killed, so they had to die. But the fact that Caius hadn't felt anything when he'd done the killing, that was what got to him.

Aro was the one to take care of ceremonial executions, or indeed any vampire that met their end in the throne room. But it bothered him ... Caius knew it bothered him. They had spoken of it often. Aro would still do it, of course, it was part of the job. Caius wanted to reach that point, too.

Killing off rogues, enemies, and the like would always be part of his job, he just wanted to be able to do it and feel … remorse, not quite regret. As those faces passed through his mind, his guts clenched. He didn't feel remorse, he felt out of control, he felt sick, he felt scared. So very, very far away from the way Aro reacted that Caius wondered if he'd ever reach such resilience.

 _Feeling nothing was better than this_ , he thought, eyes drifting towards the barrels of dungeon blood at the far side of the room.

Magnus had watched him silently. He was ready to intervene with Caius' emotions, should he think he was needed, but he knew he had to give Caius the chance to feel if he were to ever fully recover from his damaged psyche. Caius was recovering. He may not have seen that, but Magnus could see it, or rather, he could feel it. Looking for the dungeon blood was his cue to step in.

"We already know that natural ability crosses over to vampiric ability," he said, trying to catch Caius' attention. "There will be many gifts we can't engineer, of course."

Caius was still staring at that dungeon blood with a far off look in his eye. Magnus didn't want to go in heavy, that wouldn't have helped, so instead he casually walked over to Caius and stood in his line of sight. Breaking the eye contact with the barrels seemed to bring Caius back into the room.

"Let's try crushing one." Magnus made damn sure to keep Caius' eye as he spoke. "It might help develop superior strength from their resistance to being crushed."

Caius looked like he was coming out of a dream but eventually he seemed to become aware of who was talking to him, and what Magnus had said. He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment. "It's already on the list."

"There's a list?" Magnus said, taking it from him. "You actually wrote something down?!"

"Yes, I did," Caius rolled his eyes. It wasn't entirely unheard of for him to write, for fuck's sake! "Mainly to show Basileus in case he thought I wasn't doing anything."

"You haven't been doing anything," Magnus commented.

Caius looked at him like he was stupid. "I know," he snapped. "Hence, the list."

Magnus let it go, he was just pleased to have Caius back to his senses. He concentrated instead on reading through Caius' ideas for Hilda's guards. "Just reading this is turning my stomach."

"Do you see now why I have been resistant to start?" Caius asked. It wasn't as forceful as his previous comment. He genuinely wanted to know that Magnus understood why he was struggling. He wanted to know he wasn't being weak. There was nothing worse than being weak in Caius' mind, except maybe showing that weakness.

 _Basileus has set you up with the worst possible job he could have, the idiot_! Magnus considered telling Basileus to shove his plans for Caius working again, and he could have quite happily told Hilda to get fucked, too. The only thing that stopped him from doing either of those things was that he knew neither had landed Caius with such troubles intentionally.

Basileus saw the gift engineering experiment as a much lesser evil to Caius' old work, and Magnus knew for a fact he hadn't thought through how that gift engineering would materialise because they had spoken about it already and none of the ideas on Caius list had come up. On reading through the list, however, Magnus realised both he and Basileus had been a bit naive and Caius was spot on with what would have to happen to the humans to tease out any gifts in their vampiric life.

"This is going to be hard on you." Magnus caught hold of Caius by his arm and pulled him in close. "If you don't want to do this I can get you …"

"I don't want to do it!" Caius said quickly. "But I want to be able to do it."

Magnus understood the distinct difference between those two matters. "In that case," he said, handing Caius back his parchment, "I can get some of the guards to help with this. They need something to do. I'll have Heidi fetch some humans in the morning and we can get started."

"On the ink or the experiments?"

"Both."

Caius felt his stomach flip over and he was suddenly very glad he hadn't more than a couple of drinks that morning.

"Do you want some help getting things ready for tomorrow?" Magnus asked, gesturing around the dusty room.

Caius squared his shoulders. If he was getting back to work in the morning it was time to pull himself together. "I'm more than capable, Magnus."

"I know you are." Magnus could feel Caius didn't really believe what he'd said. "Hey!" he called from the door. "You are more than capable, Caius. You will be okay in here on your own, won't you?"

Caius smiled tightly and said he'd be fine. Still, he was gutted when Magnus actually left him there! Not knowing what to do with himself, Caius started to sweep out the room in a bit of a daze. Mundane work to help clear his mind had been his plan.

Less than ten minutes passed before Magnus returned to the playroom, arms laden with empty bottles. He didn't speak, he just headed straight for the barrels of dungeon blood and started filling the bottles. Caius didn't dare approach. He didn't want to be near it. Smelling it from across the room was temping enough with his current state of mind.

"I'm going to bottle all the dungeon blood," Magnus explained. "We need to keep it in the coven, but it doesn't need to be held in vast quantities in one place."

Magnus was stalling for time. He didn't want to have to leave Caius down in those dungeons on his own, so he went about his task at an absolute snail's pace. "Start cleaning up or I'm telling Freyr what a state this room is in," he called over his shoulder. "I won't save you when she …

"I'm doing it!" Caius huffed, springing into action.


	129. Experiments For Sale?

**EXPERIMENTS FOR SALE?**

"Congratulations," Basileus said, circling what seemed to be the entire body of guards as they stood chatting in the training grounds. "You all turned up on time, you just forgot to start training!"

"We not here for training," Lev grunted in his usual clipped tone. "Waiting for humans."

That had Basileus' interest. "Humans?" he questioned. "For what purpose?"

"Experiments," Lev offered with a shrug. That was quite literally all they had been told.

Naturally Basileus knew immediately what that meant, and his thoughts were confirmed when Magnus and Caius strolled towards him. _How have you gotten him to work already_?! _I only spoke to you yesterday_!

Magnus couldn't hear Basileus' thoughts, but he could read the shocked expression on his face clear as day. When Caius went to address the guards to explain their duties for the day, Magnus bounded over to Basileus.

"Eleazar and Carlisle found gainful employment yet?" he asked, chuckling to himself and knowing they wouldn't have.

Basileus shook his head and laughed. "I thought I'd have more time, to be honest with you," he admitted. Watching Caius dividing the guards for those he deemed useful, doling out the orders, all with an air of confidence he hadn't been able to muster in years, Basileus had to wonder what Magnus had done. "How the hell have you managed this?"

Magnus laughed. "I told him I'd help," he said, making it all sound 'oh-so-simple' just to wind up Basileus a little.

"Oh, right," Basileus replied, raising an eyebrow to the man. "That easy, was it?"

Magnus kept laughing and gestured to Caius across the training grounds. "Well, he's here ... isn't he?"

Basileus searched Magnus' memories to see exactly what had happened between the two coven masters. He was amazed to see Magnus convince Caius back into action by just taking the time to talk to him. He doubted he had the patience try the same with his sons, but he planned to give it a go. _I need to get Eleazar and Carlisle into work, soon_ , he thought.

 _Although_ …

"He stabbed you three times and you did nothing?"

"I wouldn't say I did nothing, I'm just not so violent as you are," Magnus replied.

"You're a pussy …" Basileus said, immediately cursing his word choice. He knew full well that he had gotten such an insult from Aro talking to his brothers, who no doubt picked it up from Felix talking to his.

Magnus appeared to recognise it, too, and laughed again at the creator, of all people, using such casual language.

"Alright, shut up," Basileus huffed. "I will admit temporary defeat …"

"Temporary?!" Magnus repeated. "Caius is working, your sons aren't," he pointed out. "I've won."

"Not so fast, my friend." Basileus threw an arm around the juggernaut's shoulders and turned him so they both faced Caius. "He may be willing to start, but he hasn't done anything yet."

"He will," Magnus said confidently.

"Well, you still need to get my letter," Basileus reminded him. "I can see that you have some seriously impressive 'Dad skills', but you won't get Caius to write that letter before Eleazar and Carlisle start work."

Basileus was absolutely sure he had time to burn on that score. Sure, Magnus had convinced Caius to write to Amun after the last ball, but Caius was particularly regretful and subdued at the time. Without the threat of another belting on the horizon, which Basileus knew Magnus wouldn't deliver for something as simple as a letter - _you let him stab you for fuck_ _'s sake, I'_ _d have taken my lads' heads off their shoulders for that_ \- he believed he was in the clear.

"We'll see, Basileus," Magnus replied with a broad smile taking over his features, also absolutely sure of himself.

With that, Basileus left the training grounds for the day and Magnus joined Caius. The guards were dispersing. Those with useful gifts remained and congregated on the grass, playing with their gifts and relaxing. They couldn't start until Heidi brought the humans, anyway.

Magnus could already feel Caius' emotions were fraying at the very edges. It wasn't enough for Caius to notice, he was still doing a good impression of a completely normal vampiric lord, a vampiric lord who was about to torture ten humans to death.

"Are you ready?" Magnus asked, smiling encouragingly.

"I've been thinking," Caius turned a hopeful eye on his co-master. "Maybe we should reconsider the idea of limited dungeon blood …"

"No." Magnus didn't even consider it.

Caius tutted into the air. "But it was your suggestion yesterday."

"Less a suggestion, more thinking out loud," Magnus conceded. "But still, no." He was going to leave it there, but Magnus felt Caius' spike in annoyance and decided to explain himself. "You gave me a damn good reason to keep you off that drug. You want to be a better mate."

"Yes," Caius agreed, huffing a little. "But this is work, it has nothing to do with Dora."

Magnus shook his head with stern eyes on the younger man. "Everything you do has something to do with Dora, that's how you need to see things. That's what being a better mate entails."

Caius folded his arms and looked away. He knew Magnus was right about Dora, but as it wouldn't help his current desire for dungeon blood, he completely ignored the man. "I don't need your permission to take dungeon blood if I want to."

"Not my permission, no," Magnus agreed. "You're an adult. But I know you want my approval and I am telling you that you don't have it."

When Caius didn't respond, Magnus pushed him into answering. "So what are you going to do now, Caius?"

Caius glowered at the juggernaut for a moment. _I hate how well you know me_. It sometimes felt to Caius as though Magnus had access to his soul … assuming he had one, of course. Caius might not have been willing to admit it out loud, but he couldn't help the words forming in his head. _I do want your approval_ , he thought, kicking himself. "I hope your gift is up to the job, Magnus."

 _Aye_ , Magnus agreed, _you and me both_.

It wasn't long before Heidi arrived, leading a forty-odd besotted, but bewildered group of humans. All was good until Caius spotted a couple of 'unsuitables' in the group. "Heidi, what the hell are they doing here?"

"I thought we would need food for the newborns, master," Heidi explained. "We always use older people for that."

"Not the old folks," Caius shot back. "Them!" he roared.

Faced with Caius' fury, Heidi started to sweat. "Oh," she said, looking down the line to where the coven master pointed at a pair of children. "They followed their mother and I didn't realise they were there until it was too late to take them back."

With Heidi's focus on Caius, the hold on her gift started to slip. The humans, with their dream state slipping, were becoming aware of their surroundings. It didn't take long for the panic to set in when they were rounded on by the guards. Magnus was hit by the force of their combined emotions. Add Heidi's worry and Caius' stress and Magnus was ready throw up!

"Calm down, Caius," he demanded, pushing the master back.

Caius ignored him, directing all his attention to Heidi. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Heidi! You have broken the law, you realise?!"

Magnus took hold of Caius with a hand clamped around his arm, so he wasn't going anywhere, but his mouth was free.

"You revealed your nature to a human we won't be turning …"

Magnus understood Caius' reaction to the children, even if none of the guards did. "We will use them for feeding," Magnus hissed. "Get a grip, Caius. Walk it off. I will deal with the young ones later if needs be." He shoved Caius away from the scene so he could walk off his agitation. "Corin, would you work your magic on ten of the suitable ones, my dear." Magnus started separating the humans and directing them towards Corin. "Heidi, take the rest down to the dungeons, my dear."

Once the humans were divided and Heidi had taken the children away, Magnus caught up with Caius. He was half way around the castle by then and his agitation had only grown during his travels.

"I can't do this," Caius whispered. No one was near, but Caius still felt degraded admitting such a thing.

Magnus scrubbed a hand down his face. This was not the start he had hoped for. Shaking his head, he directed Caius over to the castle wall where a wooden arbour stood. "Sit down," he said to Caius, though he stayed standing. "I know you're going to struggle today. That's why I'm here to help you," he explained. "But I'm not doing it for you."

Caius huffed. "I wasn't asking you to do it for me," he muttered.

"No," Magnus agreed. "You're spitting your dummy out over a couple of kids with whom you won't even be dealing."

"But …"

"I know, I understand, you know I do," Magnus said, cutting Caius off before he could complain.

Magnus knew Caius' issue with those human kids was related to torturing Lucius and Caius' following breakdown, and he felt guilty for minimising what Caius was battling with. But Basileus had been right, Caius was languishing without anything to keep him occupied. He was drinking more and more every day. As yet, such drinking had only caused a few heated arguments between Caius and Dora. Magnus didn't want to wait until something catastrophic happened - he wanted Caius occupied, properly. These experiments and managing the results would serve that purpose if he could get the guy to go through with the work.

"You have been given time to come to terms with what happened, Caius," Magnus reminded him. "Now it's time to face your fears and start working again."

Caius didn't look any happier. His head whirled with ways out of the coming work. He wanted to go to the guard hall and have a drink, he wanted to go home and fuck his mate, he wanted to go on a mission and kill werewolves. He didn't want to deal with humans, he didn't want to hear their screams as he tortured them. He didn't even want to taste their blood ... and he loved human blood!

Magnus watched as Caius fell into his now all too common pit of despair. _What_ _'_ _s it going to take to snap you out of this_? "You can have results or excuses, Caius, not both," Magnus offered. "Make your choice."

Still nothing. Caius didn't even look up.

Magnus heaved a heavy breath. _Right then_ , he thought, _enough of playing nice_. "Do we need to go somewhere private to reorganise your thoughts before we start this?"

Caius' head snapped up, eyes immediately on the older master. "Why did that sound like a threat?!" he asked, eyes darting up and down the empty castle grounds to check for witnesses.

Magnus pulled him to his feet. "Because it was one," he told him sternly. It was a threat he had little intention of carrying out, but Caius didn't need to know that.

Caius tutted and shrugged off Magnus' hold. "I'm fine," he huffed. "Let's get on with it."

 _Fine, he says_? Magnus thought, watching Caius stalk away as though nothing had happened. _Muppet_!

Magnus walked at a human pace back to the training grounds. By the time he arrived, Caius was ready and waiting, doing his best to act like nothing had happened. Magnus could feel his emotional turmoil started settling him. He didn't want Caius to feel anything, to start with at least.

"Whenever you're ready, Magnus?" Caius called over.

 _Cheeky brat_ , Magnus thought back. He plucked a human from Corin's contented group. No sooner had the poor wretch left Corin's gaze, he started to freak out. He struggled for all he was worth, not that Magnus really noticed as he pulled the thing along, like a cave man with his kill.

"Who's going first?" he asked, looking to his guards.

Caius clicked his fingers at Phillipe before turning to Magnus. "I've planned it all out already," he said confidently. "All you need to do is focus on me."

 _A little too confident, perhaps_ , Magnus mused, handing over the human to his guard.

The process would be simple - gifted coven members were to inflict their special powers on a human, then Caius would bite them before they died. Simple.

As Phillipe zoomed up into the skies with a petrified human, Magnus foresaw an issue.

"Shouldn't you be up there with them?" he asked Caius.

Caius shook his head. "I'm going to catch it."

"That's too high," Magnus said looking up. He could only just make out Phillipe and the human.

"Its fine, stop worrying," Caius called back, bracing himself for the catch. With Magnus taking care of his emotions, Caius didn't have a worry in the world.

Up in the clouds, the human who had been fighting Phillipe for his freedom had changed tactics, now clinging on for dear life. Phillipe snapped the odd finger of the poor thing in his efforts to release the man. "I hope to meet you in your next life, my friend," he said, and then dropped the man.

"Here he comes," Magnus whistled into the air. _Too fast_ , he thought, as the human plummeted to earth.

Caius was ready. He didn't so much catch the man, more so he was pounded into the ground beneath the very dead, very mushy human.

Magnus strolled over and lifted the human off Caius. The impact had made a mess of the poor thing and Caius was drenched in blood.

"Too … high …" Caius spluttered. All the wind had been knocked out of him.

Pulling Caius to his feet and trying to ignore the human blood in the area, Magnus suggested again that Caius go up with Phillipe and bite the human on the way down. "You can protect them when you land that way," he explained.

Being dropped from a great height wasn't appealing to Caius, funnily enough! But under Magnus' instruction, Phillipe fetched a new human and zoomed into the skies, taking Caius with him, against his wishes.

Phillipe went just as high, touching the clouds before he dropped the pair of them. No one was quite sure who screamed the loudest on the way down, (though Caius would forever claim it was the human, naturally).

Having somehow managed to save the human from being crushed by the fall, a few broken bones aside, Caius considered that one a win. _Though_ , he thought, as he lay on the ground, back aching and covered in blood, _this is going to be a very long day_.

The guards were a buzz of delight seeing Caius dropped to the floor from the dizzying heights Phillipe had climbed. When Phillipe landed, they crowded around him, congratulating him on doing what none of them had every dared - trying their gift on a coven master.

Magnus was quick to pick up on the general sentiment. "Who wants to go next?" he asked his guards.

Caius hauled himself up just in time to see the bastards fighting for first place in the line. _A very long day_ ...

"I don't suppose you fancy biting any of them, do you?"

Magnus grimaced. Biting humans was supposed to be something all masters did. The newborn would be easier to manage by that master because venom created a deferential impulse in them. Magnus and Freyr had made it clear from early on in their promotion that neither of them would be biting anyone. Freyr had gone further to say that she wouldn't be conducting any executions off the battle field, either. As they were both so fantastic at managing the guard, no one had objected to their terms.

"You suppose correctly. I don't turn them, I just manage the results," Magnus reminded Caius. "I'm fine around human blood but if I taste it I kill them. Always have."

"And you say I have no willpower?" Caius returned, dripping sarcasm.

Magnus wasn't having that, even in jest. With his hands on his hips and looking down his nose at Caius, he said, "Are you seriously going there with me?" After all the help Magnus had given Caius with his willpower, it was a foolish thing of him to pick up on.

"I'll just get on with the next one, shall I?" Caius suggested, sheepishly moving away from Magnus to find his next victim. When Kat stepped forward to be the next guard to try her gift, Caius felt he was in a worse position than the human.

…

Basileus strolled into Aro's chambers, greeting Sulpicia and the children as he met them. To the untrained eye, one would believe the creator to be relaxed, just popping around for a chat with his family, but Aro knew the man better than that - he'd been expecting his father to visit soon.

"It's locked up and Sully has the only key," Aro announced from his corner desk.

"I want to see that for myself, son," Basileus breezed, searching the room with his eyes.

To stop Caius falling off the wagon with dungeon blood, Magnus had bottled the last of the coven's supplies and delivered them around the castle for safekeeping. It made better sense that dungeon blood, as the only pain-relieving agent vampires had, should be accessible at various points around the castle for times of need. Marcus took two, as did Eleazar. Magnus hadn't offered any to Carlisle on Atia's orders, (who had also taken a set of bottles from the juggernaut), but she had instructed him to take one to Sulpicia. Magnus had been wary of doing so, but the vampiric witch was quite insistent that not only would Aro be able to resist, but that it would also been good for him to have to fight the temptation.

If Aro was having a bottle in his chambers, Magnus thought it was only right that Caius be trusted in the same way. Still, Caius was surprised when Magnus handed him the bottle.

"I know you can handle it," Magnus told him supportively.

Caius rolled his eyes. "Oh, thank you so much. Your confidence in me will be the wind beneath my fucking wings."

His tone may have dripped with sarcasm in an effort to hide his real feelings, but Magnus could read Caius' emotions as clearly as words on a page.

"I know it will," Magnus said with a smile, knowing just how much it pissed Caius off that he couldn't hope to deceive the man. "And I'll catch you if you fall, Caius."

Caius nodded appreciatively, until Magnus spoke his add-on. "And then I'll belt you again." With that he closed the door, laughing to himself as Caius caught fish behind him.

The remaining five bottles were stored in Magnus' chambers, with one sent to the guard hall to be stored in a locked cabinet under the bar. Other than Magnus, only Turk had a key to the cabinet and he felt a new sense of pride at being trusted in such a way.

"Sulpicia, would you mind, my dear?" Basileus asked his daughter-in-law.

Sully smiled and removed the key from around her neck. Going to the middle cupboard of the oak sideboard by Aro's desk, she unlocked the door and showed Basileus the full bottle.

That wasn't good enough for Basileus. He took the bottle in hand and fixated on the level of the black, sticky blood. Once he was sure he had the quantity memorised he handed it back and Sulpicia locked it up again, safe and sound.

"I know exactly …"

"How much is in there and you will crucify me if I touch it?" Aro completed his father's sentence without even looking up from his paper work.

"Exactly!"

Whether Basileus saying 'exactly' to the quantity of dungeon blood, or 'exactly' in response to crucifying his son, Aro wasn't sure. Not that it mattered. He was never going to touch that shit again. He'd been lucky not to go on a bender after the night on dungeon blood in the guard hall when Carlisle and Felix had spiked the drinks. Being locked in a cell in recovery from a major head trauma is a good way to avoid going on a drug rampage. More than that, seeing Caius' last bout on the coven drug had sealed the deal in Aro's mind. Caius had looked an absolute twat!

"I can handle it being here, Dad," Aro promised. "Don't worry."

Basileus wasn't so sure, but Atia had insisted it would be good for Aro to try, at least. Besides, dungeon blood wasn't the sole reason for his visit.

"I assume you are up to date on Caius' activities?" he asked, taking the seat across the desk from Aro.

It was smaller than the throne Aro sat in and Basileus didn't like it. It upset the internal hierarchy he had in his mind to sit 'down' from anyone. Aro knew that, of course, and it was one of the reasons the chairs were arranged as they were. It always made him smile to see how uncomfortable Basileus looked in that chair. Still, the creator's mammoth size meant he was still taller than his son even in the lower chair. Aro had briefly considered chopping the legs off at half height but Sulpicia had talked him out of it.

"I have heard he is dropping humans off the castle walls," Aro replied, setting down his quill. "I suppose you are happy he is working, at least?"

"I am happy," Basileus confirmed. "Caius and Magnus make a good team."

"Hmmm," Aro winced. "Magnus is lording it above him, a little. That will create issues, Dad."

"Good!" Basileus boomed happily. "I want Magnus to take a leading role, and Caius needs someone to watch over him - I have enough with you and your brothers."

Aro turned his nose up to that little gem. _Cheeky bastard_ , he thought. But thinking back to his co-masters, "Caius won't like being watched over by anyone, Dad."

"Neither do you, yet it still needs to be done." Basileus sounded so dismissive that Aro felt his temper flare just a little before he got himself under control. "Besides," Basileus continued, "we need to discuss how Caius' lab projects are going to work, not his sensibilities. Lord knows we have spent long enough treading on eggshells around Caius!"

Aro grunted something non-committal about 'Caius' sensibilities'. He may have been more forceful were he not fully aware that his father still felt horrendously guilty about the destruction Lucius had caused to the coven and wanting Caius back to work was mostly to enable the creator to forgive himself.

"Selling guards Caius creates …" Aro started, getting on topic but wondering how to phrase his issue, "the idea of selling vampires is unpalatable to me."

Basileus agreed, in principle. "But," he said, "if covens want the best of the best, then we can commoditize our newborns without too much issue, surely?"

Aro leaned back in his chair to think for a moment. It would be up to him to make the sale of vampires palatable to the rest of the vampiric world. Being aligned to a coven was usually a long-term affair for any vampire, but any vampire who wished could leave. They retained their free will, at least in theory. Whilst Caius' creations could help build a new revenue stream, Aro knew they had to be careful.

"I don't want other covens getting the idea that they own their members, Dad."

"Neither do I." Basileus was firm on that. "But all this spending has to be covered somehow, Aro. We need income."

Aro nodded, he knew that well enough. Since Sulpicia had taken over coven finances and was now running proper accounts, they could see, for the first time in their operation, that the Volturi was haemorrhaging cash.

"It's all about how we sell it," Aro mused out loud. "We are turning new vampires with the intent they will end up with an outside coven, and we will charge for the training they receive whilst with us," he offered as a way forward. "So the vampires who leave our covens for other covens aren't being bought - we are being paid for their education and skill cultivation." Even as he spoke, Aro knew he was talking bullshit. _But it's bullshit I can work with_ , he thought.

"Education and skill cultivation?" Basileus repeated, smirking to himself. _Oh I love how your mind works,_ he thought to his son. "Yes, that's much more palatable."

"I'm going to take the kids out to try on the humans," Aro said, looking to the twins proudly.

"I'm not coming," Demetri declared. "I think it's wrong."

Aro rolled his eyes to his father. Demetri had been quite vocal that morning on the matter of torturing humans and it was becoming tiresome already.

"You can stay here, then," Aro returned. He was mainly interested in cultivating the twins' gifts. "If we could get a couple of adults with Jane's power, or Alec's, our coven could take on the east!" he told Basileus excitedly.

"Then we wouldn't need you two anymore," Felix added to his younger siblings.

"We're here because we're wanted, Felix," Jane reminded her brother coolly.

Felix had been on best behaviour for a full year after the tribune ball. The shock of having not a single member of the coven on his side after Caius had thumped him - not even his parents! - had shocked the teen into curbing his acidic tongue towards Demetri. The last year or two, however, had seen Felix creeping back up to form. Not with Demetri and his venom, thankfully. Felix had taken on board that particular path to sibling destruction was off limits, now his efforts were concentrated on the twins. Jane in particular.

Unlike his efforts with Demetri, which largely saw Demetri upset and crying to their Dad, Felix picking on Jane was having a different effect. Jane didn't get upset, and her tongue was far sharper than Felix could ever hope to match. Jane also had the benefit of her father's undying support, being his princess.

"Perhaps you could try your gift on the humans?" Jane suggested to Felix. "But then again, Magnus is SO much stronger than you, isn't he?"

It was a sore point for Felix, and Jane knew it.

"Is he fuck," Felix hissed back.

"Felix!" Aro boomed across the room. "Watch your mouth, boy!"

"But she …"

"Jane spoke the truth," Aro reminded his boy, trying to ignore the other three hiding their laughter at Felix's expense.

When she was sure her father's attention was taken up with Basileus, Jane carried on winding up her brother. "Jane spoke the truth," she repeated Aro's words. "All this time I thought you might be stronger than Magnus," she whispered, "but you're not, are you?"

"Shut up, Jane," Felix huffed, his annoyance rising as she continued to quietly bait him.

"You might want to reign Magnus in a little before it blows up in your face, Dad," Aro suggested. "He actually slapped Caius in front of me yesterday."

"Why?" Basileus asked. He already knew what had happened as he'd seen in in Magnus' memories that morning, but he was interested to see Aro's take on it.

 _Why_?! _Like it matters why_! Aro thought. "Caius went a little deep with his blade. They were trying tattoos."

Basileus laughed, imagining just how tempting it would have been for Caius to take a little revenge on the juggernaut. "Serves him right, I would say."

"FELIX!" Aro roared, leaving his conversation and flying across the room.

Jane had wound Felix up so tight, so quick, that he had pushed her off the chair. A mild retaliation, really, and one Jane could have saved herself from had she chosen to by simply utilising her vampiric abilities. But, naturally, Jane had wanted Felix to retaliate, she wanted him to push her, or throw something at her, just about anything physical, because then Aro would intervene and Felix would have lost yet another round against his little sister.

"How many times have I told you to keep your hands off her?!" Aro hauled Felix to his feet. "Get to your room, right now."

Felix looked to his brothers for help, both of whom were too busy trying to hide their sniggers. "But I want to come and play with the humans!"

"You must be dreaming?!" Aro looked back incredulously to his boy. "Room, now!" he ordered.

Felix briefly considered arguing his case but he knew it was pointless. He stomped up the stairs stating loudly that he wanted to watch the experiments out of his bedroom window anyway so he didn't care... bless him.

Basileus waited for Aro to retake his seat. "You know that was Jane's fault, don't you?"

Aro tutted. "It wasn't Jane's fault." Aro never blamed his princess. "If Felix can't take it he shouldn't start it."

That was Jane's magic trick, as Felix thought it. She never started anything, she only replied. She never used her hands, she never lied, she never did anything other than remind Felix of the truth - always keeping the moral high ground. So long as Jane didn't set Felix on fire in their battle of wits (not much of a battle, Jane would have said) she knew she was in the clear with her father. Sulpicia wasn't so easily duped, but Aro was wrapped around his daughter's little finger.

Basileus looked over his shoulder just in time to see Jane grinning wildly at another win in the Volturi sibling wars. She soon spun around when she noticed Basileus' eye on her.

"Don't you think it's inappropriate, Dad?" Aro asked, getting back to the Magnus and Caius situation. There was clearly something he was missing, and it was becoming clear that Basileus knew whatever it was.

"Well," Basileus mused, "what did Caius do about Magnus giving him a slap?"

Aro's face screwed up as he realised that Caius hadn't done a thing. "Nothing actually."

Aro, Caius and Magnus were all pretty tactile with each other in the sense that they would often dole out a friendly punch to the arm or something along those lines. _Magnus more than us,_ Aro thought. But if Magnus had slapped him like he'd slapped Caius ... he couldn't honestly say he wouldn't have reacted. It would have offended his status, if nothing else. Caius just winced and got on with the next tattoo.

Basileus smirked to himself. He knew Magnus and Caius' relationship had changed a long time ago, and it was clear from Aro's reaction that his son still wasn't aware that Magnus had given Caius far more than a slap after his behaviour at the last coven ball.

"What's that look for? What do you know that I don't?"

"Oh son," Basileus chuckled to himself, "so many things."

Seeing Aro looking pensive, Basileus decided to leave him with a titbit of information about his co-masters. "If you'd have stabbed me, I would have slapped you, too."

"Yes, but …" Aro called after his father, but Basileus had already left the door swinging on its hinges as he disappeared. "You're my father."

For the briefest of moments Aro wondered if Basileus was trying to make some sort of point about Magnus and Caius, but the more obvious answer - that Magnus was just a little over familiar towards Caius - made much more sense to him.

…

Aro led the twins to the training grounds, accompanied by Carlisle who was keen to see how the experiments were going.

"I've brought the baby vampires to play," he announced, presenting the twins for Caius' use. "You look a mess!" he added, taking in the state of Caius' clothes - various rips and tears, not to mention absolutely drenched in blood.

"That's what work looks like, Aro," Carlisle told the brother.

Aro scoffed looking up and down at Carlisle in his usual immaculate state. "That's rich coming from you!"

Magnus released a shaky breath as he shook his head at the pair of them. "Don't start your arguments out here, we've got enough going on." The strain of Caius' emotions was really taking hold of Magnus, making him terser than he'd have liked.

"Neither of you would know what hard work looks like!" Caius butted in.

They had only been working on the humans for the morning, but he was wrecked already. He couldn't remember the last time his bones ached so badly.

 _Okay, so your both a little stressed today,_ Aro thought hearing how snippy his co masters were. "What have we managed so far, then?" Aro asked.

He could see a line of humans in mid-transformation, writhing around the floor in the pain such a thing brings. Another set of humans, huddled together for safety, sat nearby in fear. Corin's gift had been useful for a few hours but she couldn't keep it up long term. Heidi could have, but after the round of fucks she'd had from Caius at first light she hadn't been seen again.

"Those bastards are loving this," Caius said, gesturing to the guards. "The only one who hasn't purposely used their gift on me is Mikhail."

Aro winked to the twins. "Good luck facing those two," he said, laughing.

Caius sighed, already dreading Jane having her turn.

"My son is making complaints about your activities."

"Demetri, at a guess?" Caius asked. The boy had become his shadow since the last tribune ball and though he would never EVER say it, he had become used to have the little sod around. "Do you want us to stop?" For once, Caius really wanted Aro to call rank and put an end to the experiments, at least for the rest of the day.

"Not at all," Aro said, scoffing at the very idea. The boy needed to get a grip, in Aro's opinion. "I've come with my own request. Have you heard about vipers?"

"Never met one," Magnus admitted. "But yes, heard of them existing."

Caius had met one in battle many years ago. She had melted rocks with her venomous spit which she shot from her mouth like a jet stream. Caius had killed her, being an enemy, but Aro had wanted one for the coven ever since.

"I want another shield, too," Aro added.

Caius let his head fall back and looked to the skies. _This is getting worse_ , he thought. "I really think shields just come from the internal human," he explained, "not the external circumstances."

Aro wasn't listening. He was filtering through the humans in the 'scared shitless group' to see if any of them could hold the keys to becoming a shield.

"You don't fancy helping out with turning any of these, do you?" Caius called over. He had bitten twenty humans that morning and his desire to go further and drain the fuckers was growing with each bite.

"Too busy, my friend," Aro returned. None of the humans seemed remarkable in any way, unfortunately. "Can't Magnus do some?"

"No use," Caius said, thinking of his earlier conversation with the juggernaut.

"No use!" Magnus repeated, having heard the dig. "Would you like to suffer your own emotions?!"

"I meant he's too busy," Caius said quickly. No, he definitely did not want to suffer his own emotions, the little he was feeling was enough!

"Could I have a go?" Carlisle asked, offering his services. Or lack of, as he had never bitten a human before.

"You?!" Caius asked, the sentiment repeated by everyone else in attendance.

Carlisle shrugged. "First time for everything."

"Yes," Magnus agreed quickly before Caius or Aro could say something spiteful. "But with what we are trying to do here I would rather not lose one in the turning."

Carlisle looked up and down the line of humans. "How hard can it be?" he thought out loud.

"If you want to try, get Aro to take you down to the dungeons and you can have a go."

 _Magnus, you bastard_ , Aro thought. Aro was trying to be kinder to his baby brother. Mainly because he'd been told to be, but still.

"Fine," he said, in a tone suggesting it was anything but fine.

Caius wasn't having that. "What happened to being too busy to help here?!"

Aro smirked. "He's my little brother, Caius,"

 _If you aren_ _'_ _t winding up one, it_ _'_ _s the other_ , Magnus thought watching Aro at work, taking the piss out of Caius.

Aro gradually noticed that Magnus was watching his play with an eyebrow raised in annoyance. _Caius may be willing to take you lording it over him, but don_ _'_ _t go getting any ideas about trying that with me_! Aro thought, though he had stopped winding Caius up with his mind on Magnus instead. When Aro realised that, he could have happily booted himself in the shins!

"Where's Marcus? Or Eleazar? They can both bite," he offered, distracting himself.

"Marcus is putting together a plan for raising these newborns," Magnus explained.

"Good luck getting El to help do anything." Caius held out no hope for help from that source. Eleazar had never worked a day in his life.

"I think Eleazar will have to get used to helping out more," Magnus said, chuckling to himself.

Aro looked to the coven master curiously. "What do you know?" Oh how Aro hated to be out of the loop!

Magnus smiled at Aro. "I don't have time to tell you everything I know that you don't," he said, as though he were talking to a small child.

Aro didn't find that funny at all. _You're spending too much time with my Dad, that's the same thing he said to me earlier..._ Aro wasn't pleased by that one little bit.

Caius caught Aro's annoyed expression and laughed. "He's a cocky bastard at times, isn't he?"

Magnus clamped a hand on Caius' shoulder from behind, startling the younger master. "He's a big bastard too," Magnus whispered into his ear. "Try to remember that."

"I'll let you get on with it, brother," Aro told Caius, though his eye was on Magnus. He had many more questions for his father, that was for damn sure. Especially as Basileus and Magnus were now speaking the same bloody language! "Come on Carlisle, time to see if we can make a vampire out of you."

"Jerk," Carlisle called back, though he followed dutifully.

"Shall we give the kids a chance?" Magnus asked, beckoning Jane over.

"Not Jane!" Caius threw up his hands. "I'm not suffering her gift."

Magnus lifted the girl up onto his shoulder. "I'm sure Jane can control her gift so it doesn't affect you, Caius."

"Sure I can," Jane said promisingly. "I won't, but I can."

After putting on a damn good show for everyone suffering Jane's gift, Caius only had a moment to collect his reserves before he was thrust in front of Alec. The boy's gift came as a blessed relief. For one, it didn't hurt when Alec's cloud covered Caius, for another, the boy seemed to have a better hold on his talents and Caius got the job done with ease. The guards were disappointed though. They had much preferred the girl's gift going to work on the coven master.

With another three done, Magnus called halftime. "It's been a long morning, I'm sending the guards for a break. They are doing well around all these humans and I'd rather prevent mistakes."

"Yeah, sure." Caius collapsed into the grass and took a well-earned breather for himself.

Once Magnus had seen to his guards, he joined Caius on the ground, soaking up the mid-afternoon sun. Caius was doing well, much better than Magnus had expected him to do, all things considered, but Caius had yet to suffer any of his own emotions. To the casual observer, Caius looked fine and dandy, but his eyes spoke the truth.

"Your eyes are black," Magnus pointed out quietly.

"I'm alright," Caius shrugged. He needed to feed, but he was already using Magnus' gift to get through the day, he wasn't taking extra blood on top of that. He wasn't weak! He had his pride!

"Just take a break with everyone else," Magnus urged.

"No need," Caius said flatly. "I'm fine."

When the guards re-joined them, Caius wished he'd taken that break. He could smell the bloodwine they'd all enjoyed and even with Magnus' best efforts, Caius was becoming more and more distracted by his need for blood. Still, he pushed on. And plucked another human for the suffering.

"We need to stretch one," he called over to the guards. "I want one on each end."

Odi and Turk took the legs, Lev and Mik the arms, Richard held the man's head steady.

"Nice and easy," Caius told them, getting ready to bite. "Give me the nod when you feel the joints pop."

With his mouth ready on the human's neck, Caius' fangs brushed the man's delicate skin and the first droplets of blood dripped to his tongue... it tasted so good...

"Caius!" Magnus balled out.

It was enough of a shock to bring Caius back to the task at hand. He managed to bite the human before the guards pulled him to pieces, but he was done, he needed a break. Magnus jutted his head towards the castle doorway with a serous expression before heading there himself. Caius quickly followed.

"I didn't do anything!" Caius shot out, his annoyance mainly for himself. Losing control in front of the guards was the very last thing he would have wanted, and he was glad Magnus called him before he drank that human dry, but still, he wasn't going to admit that.

"I can feel what's coming," Magnus said, shaking his head. He offered Caius his wrist. "Just feed a little and you will calm down."

"I feel fine!"

"That's because I'm drawing it all away," Magnus explained. "How's this feel?" He let down his gift just a little for Caius to see exactly what Magnus was drawing away. Though it was only a little, it hit Caius like a punch in the guts!

"Fuck!" Caius doubled over at the waist, baling his fists into his stomach. "Stop!"

Magnus forced Caius to stand and pushed him under the arch of the doorway and covered him from view. Again he offered his wrist. "Feed from me, no one can see," Magnus assured him. "You should have taken a break earlier."

"You should have insisted." Caius said that to Magnus with such regularity that one would think he might start to take heed of the juggernaut's advice.

Caius gulped down Magnus' blood with gusto, the burn in his throat dispersing with each fresh mouthful.

"What are you doing?!"

Caius tried to pull away hearing he'd been caught but Magnus held him fast so he could finish taking what he needed. "It's only Atia," he explained.

"It's been a rough morning, my lady," Magnus explained, smiling easily to the woman.

When Caius finished, he looked sheepishly between the two of them. On one hand, he felt ashamed to have needed such an immediate feed - it was weak, in Caius' mind. He had excellent control around humans, usually, and he, like many of the coven, prided himself on that fact. For Caius it wasn't about being safe around humans, it was a show of absolute control.

On the other hand, seeing Atia and Magnus chat reminded him of things he wasn't privy to in the coven. He wasn't privy to the conversations Magnus and Freyr had with Basileus and Atia, and that pissed him off. Mostly because Caius knew many of those conversations were about him! It had been bad enough in Caius' mind that Basileus sought Marcus' counsel so often, but at least it was only Marcus. Now Magnus and Freyr were also part of the creator's innermost circle, Caius and Aro were very much outside of it. Neither Aro nor Caius were happy, not that either of them knew of a way to change matters.

With his head under control after having some blood, Caius was feeling himself again. "We have worked to do," he muttered, storming back to the training ground.

"Isn't he a sensitive little thing," Atia quipped as he walked away, sending Caius into an internal rage. It took all of Magnus' best efforts to prevent Caius from saying something regretful.

When Atia followed Magnus over to the humans, Caius' shoulders slunk.

"I'm here to help, Caius," Atia explained, before Caius could complain. "Aro has asked for me to cloak one of your humans."

"Invisibility?" Caius asked. That could be useful, actually.

"We'll make that the last gift for today," Magnus said, catching Caius' eye. "I need a break, too."

One moment, Atia stood with a sobbing human woman, the next, both had disappeared. Atia's gifts really were quite remarkable.

Caius went to where he thought the human was, eliciting a shriek from the woman when he stood on her foot. Stepping back, he used his hands to find the human instead.

"Caius, darling, that isn't the human." Atia and the human reappeared. "And, it isn't appropriate."

The guards guffawed behind Caius as they saw Caius' hand cupping Atia's breast.

"Oh God!" Caius exclaimed, jumping back when he realised. "I'm so sorry."

Though he first felt mortified at having copped a feel of Atia, a second thought soon took over. _I can_ _'_ _t wait to tell Aro I felt up his mom_! He took hold of the human woman by her shoulder and gave Atia the nod to make them both disappear again. Then he tried to bite her.

"Ow!"

Atia reappeared, looking less than impressed. "How about I bite the ones that you cannot see, my dear?"

To the sound of more laughter, Caius replied. "That would be for the best, my lady."

Atia repeated the process with another two humans. thirty or so all writhing in the pains of the transformation laid scattered in the training grounds by then, and the vampires ended their day's work.

"Get them into cells and yourselves to the guard hall," Magnus called to his guards. "First drink is on Caius, so be sure to make it a large expensive one."

Caius barged his shoulder into Magnus. "You bastard."

"They earned it." Magnus waited until they were all clear before he spoke plainly to Caius. "You've done really well today."

Caius felt pretty good. It had all the makings for a dreadful day, and though he'd been a little up and down, he'd felt okay about it all. He was even looking forward to another day at it, a little.

"I know there was that spike earlier, but how have I felt, other than that?"

Magnus could see how pleased with himself Caius was, and he didn't want to ruin the moment by telling him the truth. "Much better than I expected, Caius," he lied, leading them both into the castle.

"Caius!" Basileus called, patting the seat next to him. "I have heard you spent the afternoon engaged in foreplay with my mate." Just about everyone in that hall stood still and looked at Caius. "Let's talk."

"Erm … I … no …." Caius made his way very slowly over to the creator.

Basileus glowered at the young master. "I think you dropped some verbs there, Caius."

Aro all but bounced in his seat. "Oh, this is gold!" he gloated, as Caius floundered.

Magnus could tell Basileus was only playing with Caius, but he was doing a good job of scaring him all the same. He brought a couple of tankards over to the table. Caius drank a full one down in one go, such was his panic.

"Atia claims you were fondling her breasts and biting the nape of her neck, are you calling my mate a liar?" Basileus pushed.

Caius stuttered for a moment, trying to find a reply. "No, of course not …"

"Therefore, I refer you back to the beginning of this conversation. You. My mate. Foreplay." Basileus' smile was creeping in behind his words, not that Caius noticed. "Let's talk."

"Leave him alone, Basileus," Magnus said, pushing Caius down into chair. "You are a cruel old bastard at times."

Aro watched how his father just laughed off Magnus' words. They weren't aggressive or threatening, of course. Merely talking between friends. But it was very casual, very relaxed. Caius had been commenting about Magnus and Basileus and their private conversations, the relationship that was developing between the two of them. Aro hadn't paid it much attention, but the last few days he was starting to see differences that were making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was too soon to do anything about it, he knew that - he'd need to work out what he was doing something about, first!

"So," Basileus called across the table. "How has he coped without the dungeon blood today?"

The 'he' Basileus was talking about was, of course, Caius, who would have blushed if he could at being discussed in such a way. _It'_ _s bad enough that I know you talk about me in private, but the guard hall_?!

Magnus smiled broadly. "He didn't really need me at all," he lied.

Basileus nodded knowingly to his friend before congratulating Caius on day well done. "A full schedule tomorrow?"

Caius stretched out his aching back. He was still covered in blood, having gone straight to the guard hall after work. "Another ten planned for turning," he said. He was looking forward to the morning, in as much as anyone looked forward to work, he supposed.

"Very good," Basileus replied. "I can see this being a lucrative deal."

"It won't be lucrative unless it works," Aro reminded his father. "We won't know that for a week or so."

"Either way we will be replenishing the guard stock," Magnus added. "It's a win-win." He didn't want anyone knocking Caius back down in any way after all the effort they had both put in to getting him back to work.

Before Aro could lose himself in thought over Magnus' repeated protection of Caius, Caius, feeling safe now Magnus had called Basileus off, started to wind him up about his activities with Atia. However brief and unintentional they had been, Caius knew just the right words to exaggerate the situation and piss Aro off.

Both Basileus and Magnus rolled their eyes over the younger masters' faux arguments. Neither Aro or Caius realised that it was their immature play that was at least partly responsible for pushing Magnus and Basileus together.

Basileus leaned across the table with his back to the pair of them. "How has he really coped?" he asked Magnus quietly.

Magnus quickly checked to see that Caius and Aro were deep into their back and forth before he replied. "I'm knackard," he admitted, shaking his weary head. Magnus was planning on a night in bed once he'd finished his drink, and Freyr was not invited.

Basileus caught onto Magnus' thoughts and chuckled. "You're doing him a great service, my friend," he said, grateful for all the effort Magnus was putting in with Caius. "You're doing us all a great service," he added, thinking that he wouldn't have wanted to bother himself in the same way. If Caius' inactivity had been left to Basileus to sort out, he had to admit, he would have used threats and force - nothing more or less than that. The creator was starting to wonder if the softly, softly approach might have its uses after all.

Still, Basileus felt obliged, with it being his coven and all, to offer Magnus a way out, should he want it. "If this is too much for you, I'm sure there are other ways around this …"

"There aren't any other suitable ways." Magnus was certain of that. "Caius needs to gain some confidence working again, and he needs to do it without dungeon blood. This is the only way. I'm going to let him feel it a little tomorrow, see how he copes."

Basileus chinked his tankard against Magnus'. "Good plan."

Carmen stormed into the guard hall, looking frantic and taking everyone's attention as she flew to the creator's side, closely followed by a worried Carlisle.

"There are children in the dungeons!" she exclaimed.

Basileus wasn't entirely sure where Carmen was going with such a statement. But his first though was 'why?' which he directed to Caius, the dungeons being his domain.

Caius glared at Heidi across the room for a second before turning back to Basileus. "A couple followed Heidi back when she went fishing this morning."

"Can I have them?" Carmen asked, shocking everybody.

Basileus attempted to direct Carmen into the seat beside him, but she was to overwrought to sit. "I want them," she said forcefully. "Can I have them?"

Aro looked Carlisle up and down. It was blatantly clear from his awkward stance that he had told Carmen about the children in the dungeons. "Well done, dickhead," Aro hissed. "I thought you kept to animals?" he added, looking to Carmen.

"Not to eat!" Carmen spat. Even the words tasted foul to her mouth. "To keep!"

Basileus tried again to calm his daughter-in-law. "Carmen, I think you need to speak to Eleazar about this, my dear."

"It's not up to him, is it?" Carmen shot back. "Am I not capable of making my own decisions?"

 _Great_ , Aro huffed to himself. _More bull from women who think they can get by without their men_.

"Of course, my dear," Basileus agreed, telling Aro with his eyes to keep his thoughts to himself. "But these things require agreement …"

Carmen cut Basileus with dark eyes and hands on her hips. "Eleazar has already agreed."

Basileus wasn't having that. "In theory, maybe," he started to reply.

"I want them. I'm taking them." No sooner had Camren realised that reply wasn't to be agreement, she turned her back on the creator and looked to Caius instead. "Caius, can I have your keys, please?"

Magnus stopped Caius from handing over the keys just in time. "You can't have them, Carmen, they are too young," he explained softly.

Carmen turned to Carlisle, landing him further in the shit with everyone. "You said they are the same age as the twins."

With his father and brother giving him the dead eye, Carlisle wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. "I said they looked about the same age, ish."

Magnus nodded appreciatively. "The twins look very young for their age," he reminded everyone. "The couple down there are only eight and nine." He was lying, of course, which Magnus hated to do under any circumstances, but a kind lie can be right in certain circumstances and this was definitely one of those situations, he felt.

"That's far too young," Basileus said. He sounded dismissive to Carmen's ear but really it was relief at a disaster averted. "It's against the law."

"They are too young, my dear," Magnus stressed, smiling sadly to the forlorn woman.

"You are sure, Magnus?" Carmen pushed. She looked so very desperate that Magnus almost broke.

"I am." Magnus left the table and wrapped his arms around Carmen as the tears rolled down her cheeks. To have been so close and then so far in as many minutes caused an emotional whirlwind in her stomach that knocked her sick. "I have spoken with them already, and their mother. I am very sorry."

"It's alright," Carmen said softly, leaning into the juggernaut. "It's fine," she said, sniffing back the tears. "Excuse me."

With that, Carmen fled the guard hall in the same manner she had arrived, though this time full of a different kind of emotion - pain.

Once everyone had breathed a sigh of relief, Basileus was quick to rip the glass from Caius' hand and tell him, "Get down there and kill those kids, now."

Caius wasn't willing to do that. That would be far too much for his first day back, he thought. "She hasn't got the keys," he offered weakly, showing Basileus his set, like that would be enough.

"She could bite them through the bars," Basileus reminded him. "Go!"

"Carmen's never turned anyone before, they'd probably end up as zombies," Aro said shrugging with one eye on Carlisle. Carlisle had managed to bite a human under Aro's direction. Aro had made his brother bite his arm a few times first, so he could judge the amount of venom to inject into the human, but Aro wasn't hopeful for Carlisle's effort making it through the transformation.

That wasn't enough for Basileus. He wasn't against Eleazar and Carmen having their own young vampires, not in the slightest. He thought it would be good for the two of them. But it was a decision they needed to make together, not just Carmen deciding for them both.

"I want them dead, now," he stressed.

Eleazar meandered into the guard hall and caught his father's demand. "Who are you in a mood with?" he asked.

Basileus turned on his laid-back boy. _This will put some life into you_ , he thought. "There are two children in the dungeons, your mate has been here to ask for them. To turn."

"What?!" Eleazar damn near chocked on his own venom. "No, no, no!"

"We've told her they are too young," Magnus explained. He had to call out a little louder than he would have liked to be heard over Aro and Caius getting the digs in.

"Are they too young?" Eleazar asked, praying they would be.

"I suppose not." Magnus hadn't had any conversations with the children, or their mother as he had said to Carmen, so he was judging based on their appearance, but he was relatively sure they were past twelve. "Not if you want them, but I thought …"

"I don't bloody want them!" Eleazar shot out. "Why are they even here?!"

"They followed Heidi," Caius explained. All of a sudden, he wasn't so annoyed with Heidi, not now he could use her slip up to tease the elder Volturi brother. "We've kept them for feeding the newborns when they wake."

"That could be a couple of days!" Eleazar wasn't willing to take that risk. "We need to kill them now, I'll do it myself!"

Aro burst out laughing to hear brother's stress. "Jesus Christ, he's going to do something!"

"Do you want to have a sit down, El, and catch your breath?" Caius asked, kicking out the spare chair for him. "The shock could kill him."

Eleazar ignored it all and held out a hand expectantly to Caius. "Give me your keys."

Caius huffed. It was no fun taking the piss out of people if they weren't going to join in and grow annoyed. "Your mate is much politer than you," he muttered handing over his set to the dungeons.

Carlisle couldn't quite believe what Eleazar was suggesting. "You can't kill a couple of kids, Eleazar," he said. There was a touch of disappointment to his tone, along with disbelief. Eleazar was his big brother, a pacifist, someone he admired and looked up to - and he was about to execute a couple of human children in the murky dungeons of Volterra.

"I can if the other option is being stuck raising them for an eternity!" Eleazar told him. In no uncertain terms was that horror going to befall him, no way! "But, erm …" Eleazar stalled as he turned to leave. "Don't tell Carmen it was me?" With that pitiful add-on, he was gone.

Caius looked over to Magnus. "He's as whipped as you are," he said, laughing into his ale.

"What was that?" Freyr asked, coming up behind Caius having heard what he'd said and placing a hand on each of his shoulders. Her grip was just a little too tight to be comfortable. "You don't think you're whipped, do you, love?" she asked her mate.

Magnus smiled lovingly to the shield maiden. "Of course not, love," he lied … again. _It'_ _s a bad day for the truth_ , he told himself.

"He's merely brow beaten and hen pecked." Caius ducked, expecting a swipe from the woman for continuing his jibe, but Freyr would never have been so crass as to slap him in the guard hall, though his assumption pleased her greatly.

It didn't please Aro, however, who went back to wondering what was going on with his co-masters. Fortunately, his attention was soon taken up with Heidi who had wondered over now Caius looked less pissed off with her.

"Magnus," Basileus called over, getting the juggernauts attention away from he rest of their gathering. "Where's my letter?"

Magnus raised one eyebrow to Basileus and turned to the man's youngest son. "Carlisle, do you have a job?"

"Me?" Carlisle asked, sounding surprised. "Erm … no. Do you need me to do something?"

Magnus turned back to Basileus, smiling. "Nothing at all, mate."

Basileus crossed his arms in annoyance. "I'm working on it," he huffed.

Magnus chucked to himself. "Let me know when you have achieved it and I'll have your letter written."

"You're getting cocky, my friend," Basileus said, running a hand through his hair. It was the best he could come up with when he was losing so badly.

"I'm not cocky, I'm winning." Magnus wasn't usually one for gloating, but he felt he'd earned it that time. "Caius is working, you can't deny it. Your sons are not. You can't deny that either."

"You're the one who upped the ante with a letter by the end of the week," Basileus reminded him.

"Aye," Magnus agreed. "End of the week - It's only the first day and we have a dungeon full of recruits with another set ready for first light." He leaned back in his seat and continued, "You have one son off killing a couple of kids and another sat in here flirting with my guards. And Carlisle, of course."

Basileus looked over just in time to see Aro leeching over the coven siren. "Aro!" he called, clicking his fingers at his troublesome son. _You_ _'_ _re a bloody liability when you_ _'_ _ve had a drink_! he thought. Basileus wondered if, in fact, he had bitten off more than he could chew getting Carlisle and Eleazar to work. Neither of them had ever had a proper job to call their own in the coven, not really. But with all his doubts over his own sons, one thing he was certain of, Magnus would never get that letter from Caius. Not without force.

"They will be working before you have my letter, Magnus," Basileus said confidently. "I'd bet my last florin on it."

"We'll see," Magnus replied with just as much surety as the creator.


	130. Gifted and Talented

**AN:** Last one for this set :)

* * *

 **GIFTED AND TALENTED**

"You're going to have to take them with you."

Sulpicia was tearing her hair out with Felix and Jane's bickering. It had become a constant stream of one-upmanship between the pair of them that Jane frequently won, leaving Felix seething with everyone else. The atmosphere was driving Sulpicia to the brink. She was doing her very best to shut them out, but trying to do costings for the newborn expenses - and therefore their saleable rate - to the background of her children's arguments was proving difficult.

Aro glowered at Felix and Jane. They had lowered their voices when Aro came home, but it was clear their argument was continuing. He'd only been in the south tower ten minutes and he was ready to give the pair of them a slap and send them to bed.

"I can't take them," he dismissed. "I have work to do."

Sulpicia slammed her books into the table. "What do you think I've been trying to do all day?!"

 _Okay, danger, danger_! Aro said to himself, mocking his mate's stress (though some would say it was telling that he said so to himself and not to Sulpicia). He looked to his vampiric brood. Demetri and Alec, like their mother, were worn down by their siblings' bickering. They both quite enjoyed watching Jane take Felix down when Aro was around, mainly because the show came with fireworks then. Their father was much more likely to end the arguments by slapping Felix, which was fun for them, as his brothers. But suffering the show Felix and Jane put on with Sulpicia in attendance was tiresome to the extreme. Sully just didn't make it fun for them. Demetri and Alec had listened, on and off, all day long to Felix and Jane tearing into each other, accompanied by the odd shrill interjection from their mother which achieved precisely nothing other than to add to the noise.

 _Still_ , Aro thought, _Demetri and Alec are the safer bet_. "I'll take the boys," Aro offered. "Not Felix," he added quickly.

"You either take Felix and Jane or you put them both to bed before you go back out." Sulpicia wasn't budging. She wasn't being left with the pair of them any longer. Moving back in with her mother-in-law suddenly seemed a nice idea under the circumstances.

"Put them to bed?!" Felix repeated. Never a more audacious statement had been uttered in his direction. "I'm not one of your little witches!" he boomed at his mother.

That was it! Jane retaliated and Felix started again with gusto.

"Aro!" Sulpicia called over the din. Her annoyance had gone, it was a call of sheer frustrated desperation. "PLEASE take them," she begged.

Aro stomped over to the clock rack and collected his children's capes. _Caius doesn_ _'_ _t have to deal with any of this shit_. Next, he threw them at Felix and Jane. _No wonder Eleazar wants to save himself from this miserable existence_. Clocking Felix across the back of his head and making a limp, half-hearted effort to do the same with Jane, he had the pair of them moving. _Fucking kids_! he thought, directing his bickering brats towards the dungeons.

"I'm not going down there!" Felix exclaimed, coming to a halt at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, are you scared?" Jane asked slyly, skipping ahead of her big brave brother.

"You should both be scared!" Aro replied before either of them could carry on. "Knock off this damn argument or I'll be locking you two in a cell."

Though Felix flinched, Jane, naturally, had no concerns at all. Aro didn't punish her, not really - the fine line that Felix clumsily walked with their father, Jane danced along effortlessly with precision. When they reached the bottom step and saw Magnus and Caius waiting for them, Jane decided it was time to try and push her big brother over the edge.

"Why have you brought the young ones with you?" Magnus asked Aro once he was close.

"Sulpicia would have killed them if I'd left them behind," Aro replied. "And more importantly," he added, "she would have killed me."

"Fair enough," Magnus chuckled. He would have normally made a point of greeting the children, but they had stayed a safe distance away so they could continue their war of words.

"Stupid oaf," Jane hissed at Felix.

Felix shoved his sister away. "Call me that one more time and see what happens."

Felix enjoyed these sorts of arguments with just about anyone else. Playing with Jane wasn't the same. Any other member of the coven, even his brothers, and Felix was sure of a fair-ish trial with his father. With Jane, Felix was onto a loser from the get go, and he knew it.

"Felix, shush!" Jane told him dramatically with a finger to her lips. She was taking steps towards her father as she spoke, drawing Felix into the site of his doom. "Newborns are impressionable, we don't want them catching your IQ."

"Fucking witch," Felix grunted, just loud enough for Aro to hear.

Spinning on his heel to face his boy, Aro took hold of Felix by the scruff of his collar. "What did I tell you?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Do you want a cell all of your own or can you control your mouth?"

As Felix floundered, Jane's contentment grew. Magnus gave the girl a disapproving look. "You can't just blame Felix, Aro."

"I can do whatever I like, Magnus," Aro snapped back. "They're my kids."

He really hadn't meant to be so terse and by the looks on Magnus' and Caius' faces, he had been far terser than even Aro had accidentally intended. Between a long day in the throne room, going home to arguing brats, those brats continuing their gripes … Aro was on edge. It didn't help matters that Aro was yet to get a clear answer from his father on Magnus' position in the coven, either.

"I apologise, my friend," Aro said quickly, pushing Felix aside with an expression that dared him to continue.

Felix rubbed out the ache in his neck. "You're still a witch," he told his sister. He just couldn't help himself.

"Oh, sorry," Jane replied sweetly. "Am I supposed to be offended by that?"

Felix scoffed. "I know it offends you," he said, smiling cruelly. "Remembering why they burned you keeps you up all night, doesn't it?"

Caius was reminded of what Demetri had told him at the last ball about the twins being difficult in their home during the early years after all they had suffered through the transformation. He was surprised to learn that it still bothered either of them, as Felix was suggesting.

Jane didn't let her feelings show, she simply turned the conversation back on her brother. "As opposed to Felix," she told the group with an air of confidence unbefitting a twelve-year-old. "He stays up all night wondering if his right hand could be a viable substitute for a girlfriend."

Caius burst out laughing, congratulating the girl on a dig well dug! Magnus and Aro were a little less obvious, both doing their best to hide their smirks over Jane's cutting comment. Felix saw them all, of course, and it only added to his ire.

Magnus got himself under control first. "Don't laugh," he directed to Caius sternly. "You're encouraging her."

Caius didn't stop laughing even when Magnus gave him a dead arm for his troubles. "Ow!" he complained through his continued sniggering. "It's impossible not to laugh when you know you're not supposed to!"

Felix moved himself away the action and turned his back on them. "Pricks," he muttered, glowering into the dark.

Jane, with her doe-eyed expression, looked the epitome of innocence, and Aro fell for it even though he knew better. Aro caught Jane's hand before she could go to her brother. _You_ _'_ _ll be staying with me_ , he thought. "Enough now, my princess."

Eleazar and Carlisle were last to join the dungeon crew. Carlisle chose to stop and speak with Felix whilst Eleazar sauntered past, eyeing the new inhabitants as he went.

"It's weird seeing these cells full again," he commented.

Caius had turned thirty humans in total, and those he hoped would cultivate the same gifts had been put together in the newborn cells. Some single cells held double, even triple residents. It had been a week since the start of the experiments and the successful ones had gradually come around from their transformation over the last few days. All adults, mostly men, as Hilda had requested.

"It's certainly been awhile since I had to spend so much time down here."

Since he'd tattooed Magnus, Caius had spent a good portion of every day in those dungeons. Magnus and Freyr had taken shifts to keep Caius accompanied, in case he needed someone. They didn't say so out loud, of course, much to Caius' relief. He didn't say so, either, but he was grateful they had been with him. It was getting easier, though. Now he had fallen back into the pattern of feeding newborns and general dungeon upkeep, he was starting to feel like his old self again. No, it was better than that. He was starting to feel confident in his old environment as his new self. Much better.

"Work your magic, El," Aro called over to his brother. He slapped a hand on Caius' shoulder. "Time to find out if you've been successful."

Eleazar went to the far cell and concentrated his gift on a pair of curious newborns, but not before he'd suggested to Carlisle that he really should leave Felix to his brooding if he wanted to stay on the right side of everyone.

Carlisle did as Eleazar had suggested. He didn't want to leave Felix, certainly not to replace the kid with Aro and Caius' company, but he was doing his very best to show he was one of the adults. He wanted to go off travelling again ... and without Marcus accompanying him, Carlisle knew it would be difficult to gain his father's support on the matter should he be anything less than perfect. It was an unfair appraisal of the situation, really. All Basileus wanted was for Carlisle to act his bloody age!

The most striking thing to Eleazar, having inspected newborns for their gifts many times in his years with the Volturi, was that these newborns seemed much calmer than usual, less anxious, less scared.

"How are you controlling them, Caius?" he called over his shoulder.

"Over-feeding and alcohol," Caius replied, gesturing to the barrel of bloodwine in arm's reach. Another, open barrel, filled with used goblets stood next to it.

"So, you aren't …" Aro made some lewd gestures in Caius' direction. "You know?"

"No," Caius laughed. "I'm not using submission."

"It's a bit soon for that anyway," Aro assumed. "You haven't let them out of the cells yet."

Caius shook his head, looking Aro dead in the eye. "I won't be using submission."

Aro shrugged and joined Eleazar. It was no skin off his nose either way. Magnus though, he was pleased. "Glad to hear it," he whispered to Caius.

"When did we last have newborns?" Aro mused aloud. "'63?"

"About then," Caius agreed. "This is Magnus' first batch."

Magnus suddenly wasn't so pleased. "I'm not having them!"

"Guards are yours, big guy," Aro called over, adding cockily, "As you so often like to remind us."

"And who will be managing the rest of the guard if I'm down here all the time?" Magnus shot back, hands on hips and cutting an intimidating figure of a man. "Are you pair going to start getting your hands dirty again?" he asked, looking between Aro and Caius.

"Good God, no!" Aro was quite offended to have even been asked such a thing.

Caius wasn't too sure how to answer - he'd already done more with the new batch than he would have liked! He went for distraction instead. "Carlisle," he called. "Have you seen your efforts yet?"

Going to the end cell closest to the playroom, Caius unlocked the gated door and brought out the young woman Carlisle had bitten under Aro's instruction. It hadn't gone well … the poor woman wore a vacant expression, her hollow eyes reminding Carlisle very much of the plague victims he had nursed in their moments before death.

"What's wrong with her?" He sounded wounded, poor lamb. "Did I do that to her?!"

Before Aro, or Caius for that matter, could interject with a cruel taunt, as he knew they would, Magnus stepped in. "It was your first attempt, Carlisle," he assured. "A few zombies are very normal to begin with."

"And you would know, how?!" Aro asked, knowing full well Magnus had never turned anyone.

Magnus turned a sharp eye on the coven king. "You're right, I've never turned anyone." He turned back to the youngest Volturi brother. "I've never gotten as far as you, Carlisle. Any I've bitten, I have killed."

Carlisle felt uncomfortably better hearing that. It didn't change the fact that he'd failed to turn the woman into a vampire and condemned her to certain death, but at least he knew that wasn't particularly unusual. It certainly meant he wouldn't have to suffer any jibes from Aro.

"So," Caius said, pushing the woman towards Carlisle. "Do you want to take her home with you?"

Carlisle looked horrified.

"Kill her then, she's yours to do with as you like," Caius told him, leaving the woman to roam around his dungeons aimlessly. "You might as well have some fun with her first, though." There was something off putting to Caius' tone, in Carlisle's mind.

Aro caught onto the joke quickly and was only too happy to join in. "Yes, brother. She's yours to do with as you wish. About as lively as you like your women, I believe."

Carlisle was disgusted! He was most perturbed when Jane joined in on the mocking, too!

"Am I destined to spend my days babysitting you lot?!" Magnus shook his head to himself. "Why must your minds always go to depravity before they find compassion?!"

Aro and Caius continued to laugh. They damn near doubled up when the zombie started stalking Carlisle around the dungeons.

Magnus took over and directed the woman back towards the playroom where he pushed her inside and closed the door. "I assume you will make use of her blood?" he said to Caius.

Caius wasn't so sure about that! "I, erm …"

"I'll give you a hand tidying up down here when Eleazar's done." That was Magnus' way of saying he would help Caius get through his first draining in ten years without having to announce to one and all that Caius needed any such help in the first place.

No one else caught on, but Caius chanced a grateful smile to the juggernaut. Carlisle did too, as he'd removed the source of his distress.

Eleazar wasn't naive enough to think simply removing the woman would be enough to stop Aro from taunting their little brother. He left his investigations for the moment and joined Carlisle, where he made sure to remind Aro that he was the oldest of the three of them and, if that wasn't enough, he would be going to their father if Aro was foolish enough to continue. He wasn't in the mood for his brother's childish play.

Aro might have stood up to Magnus - or Eleazar for that matter - but bringing Basileus into the fray wouldn't have been worth it. He turned his attention away from Carlisle and back to Felix.

"Get away from that woman!"

Felix damn near jumped out of his skin. He was only casually chatting up the newborn, he wasn't doing any harm. That said, he knew he was on his father's shit list. When he clocked the glint in Jane's eye, seeing yet another chance to get her brother into trouble, Felix shifted himself well away from the newborn and took his place at his father's side.

"Why haven't we had newborns for so long?" he asked, trying to keep it cool.

"Because," Jane started, "you and Demetri can't be trusted …" The girl tailed off with Magnus shaking his head at her pointedly.

"I've had too much to do," Aro corrected, answering his son.

"You?!" Magnus shot out in shock.

Caius was similarly confused. "You don't do anything!"

Aro wasn't having that. He couldn't really argue with Magnus on the matter. It was fair to say Magnus worked harder than any of the other masters combined, but Caius had an easy ride as far as Aro saw it. "Says he who hasn't worked AT ALL in ten years."

"I've made up for it these last few weeks," Caius reminded him, gesturing to the heaving newborn cells.

"Aro's been busy playing house, that's why there have been no newborns." Eleazar was bang on the money. "It's good to have the place filled again, a bit of new life in the coven is a good thing."

"Do you want a job, El?" Aro asked, looking his elder brother up and down. _Layabout,_ he thought, when Eleazar simply shook his head in reply, smiling. "You're such an idle bastard."

"Ah, ah, ah," Eleazar wagged his finger in Aro's face. "You missed happy - I'm a happy, idle bastard, floating through life on your coattails."

Magnus had to focus on the floor to hide his growing smile. He knew Eleazar would shortly regret being so cocky about his unemployed status. Basileus isn't the sort of man to welch on a bet. He almost felt sorry for the Volturi prince.

"What gifts do they have then?" Caius was eager to see if the stress he'd suffered had been worth it.

"You have two levitators in here," Eleazar called over his shoulder, making his way back to the first cell.

"So, dropping them works?!" Aro was surprised, happy, but surprised.

Eleazar gestured into the second cell. "One of the ones Atia turned is a shield. Definitely. Not as strong as Renata, but still a shield."

Aro clapped his hands together. "We're keeping that one. I don't care how much we are offered for them." Renata was one of the best guards they had for protection - in a world full of talented vampires, a vampire who could block those talents was worth their weight in gold.

With the adults talking through vampiric gifts, Felix and Jane resumed their argument again! Magnus could feel the tension rising between the pair and he knew it wouldn't be long before Felix blew up.

"Can't you control her?" he asked Aro, eyeing Jane.

Aro tutted into the air. No, actually, he couldn't. Not in a way he was comfortable with, which was why Felix was taking the brunt of the blame and Jane was left unchecked. Aro wasn't about to admit that though.

"Leave him be, my dear one," he directed to his princess. The warm, loving smile hardly helped to subdue the little witch.

Jane responded in her true style. "I'm bored of playing with him now, anyway," she said sweetly. "He has the intellectual calibre of a parasitic protozoa."

Felix wasn't sure whether to be offended or not and wore the confusion on his face.

"An amoeba," Jane explained. "Idiot."

"So why did you say parasitic whatsit then?" Felix snapped. "To sound clever or something?"

"Yes." An evil smile graced the child's lips. "You should try it sometime."

"She is vicious!" Caius sounded impressed.

"Caius!" Magnus hissed sternly. "You aren't helping." He pulled Felix in close and worked on the boy's emotions to keep the lad calm. Felix still complained to his father for Jane 'picking on him', but at least it was calmly done.

Aro took his daughter's hand and gave a squeeze, believing the gesture would be enough to tell his daughter enough was enough. His boys couldn't dream of such gentle treatment!

"Just because I don't react, doesn't mean I don't notice."

 _Is that it_?! Felix thought to his father, absolutely incensed. _Is that all you_ _'_ _re going to say to her_?!

Magnus wasn't impressed, either. "The result appears to be the same, Aro."

Before Aro could respond, his attention was taken with the sound of soft footsteps coming down the dungeon stairs. Only Marcus made such little noise when he walked.

"I'm glad to find you all together." Marcus appeared in the middle of them all and proceeded to unroll a scroll of parchment which he then held it to his chest. "The regime for the newborns."

Everyone crowded him to see what was written, except for Jane ... she couldn't have cared less.

"Basileus and I have devised a rota to prevent any arguments between the two of you," Marcus continued, looking at Aro and Caius in particular.

"Why am I even on the list?!" Aro was seriously pissed! He had enough to do.

Marcus merely smiled and passed the scroll to Aro, making sure to point out the very bottom line - an instruction they all needed to be aware of. "Your father has requested that any and all complaints go directly to him."

"Brilliant!" Magnus was beaming. Despite his earlier protests, he knew he'd have to work with the newborns anyway, them being guards and all, but having the creator instruct the other masters similarly was a major bonus!

"Eleazar and Aro will be working with the newborns together," Marcus explained. "An hour or so a day has been suggested to devote to teasing out their gifts to maximum potential. Basileus would prefer more than that, though."

Everyone looked to Eleazar. Not that he was saying anything in response - he was utterly dumbfounded!

"Magnus, if you could spend the same at least on their physical training, that would be appreciated."

Magnus slapped a hand on Marcus' shoulder. "With pleasure," he answered happily. Looking over to the list Aro was still studying, he noticed something mildly concerning. "Why is Felix' name next to mine?"

"Basileus has suggested Felix should be involved with the newborns' training," Marcus told them.

Felix bounced on the spot. "I have a job?!" _Yes_! "Will I be paid?!"

"How many jobs have I tried to give you over the years?!" Aro asked. Not a single one of them had ended happily. Felix just didn't work, he messed around too much.

"You give me jobs like your job, it's boring." Remembering the hot water he was already in with his father, Felix tried to append his statement to something less offensive. "I don't mind going to work with you, Dad," he crooned, sidling up to Aro. "It's all the hanging around waiting to go home that does my head in."

Aro rolled his eyes to the heavens. "Good luck with him, Magnus."

"The boy needs something to do and he is good in battle. The newborns shouldn't have too much trouble taking orders from him. He'll behave for me." Magnus nodded at Felix with emphatic eyes, pushing for his agreement.

"I will!" Felix was still bouncing in excitement, bless him. "We will be doing proper work, won't we … I mean …"

It was too late. Aro was thoroughly offended by his son who clearly believed the king's role revolved around making fairy wishes and knitting wind!

"Caius, you will be responsible for the newborns whilst they are in the dungeons, as always. Feeding and the like."

Caius huffed, but he agreed to Marcus' terms. It wasn't like he had much choice in the matter anyway.

"Carlisle and I will concentrate on language and culture." With that, Marcus took the scroll and rolled it back up.

That didn't sound too bad to Carlisle, but he wanted to know the finer detail of the role he would be taking on before he agreed to anything. For the moment, he decided to stay quiet. Bobbing his head to Marcus, he went to join Eleazar - who had yet to say a word.

Aro pulled Marcus in close. "Carlisle's language skills aren't that great, are they?" It was important that the newborns were taught by the best - they were the coven's newest and greatest commodity, after all.

Marcus took a brief look over his shoulder, checking Carlisle wouldn't hear before he replied. "He will be working more on culture, I admit, but I hope having him with me will serve to improve his language skills, too." Marcus had said all he had to say on the matter and left, fully aware that Eleazar, at least, would have much more to say in his absence.

"Is that it?!" No sooner than Marcus had closed the dungeon door had Eleazar found his voice. "He swans in here making demands and we all have to such it up?!"

Eleazar, naturally, wouldn't have dared to voice such a thing in Marcus' presence – It was ill advised for anyone to publicly disagree with Basileus' oldest friend. _Oh_ _, to have such standing_! Magnus thought to himself as he soaked up Eleazar's tension. Wanting to help the man, Magnus raised his left hand ever so slightly, but Eleazar caught the gesture.

"Don't touch my fucking emotions!"

"You need to calm down, El," Aro tried, attempting to smooth things over. "Everyone will be helping out, nice and fair …"

Eleazar took a step away. "I notice that none of your royal women are expected to do anything, still."

It was a weak ass retort, but he wasn't thinking clearly. He was pissed off! Pissed off with being given a job he didn't want, pissed off knowing this had been concocted by his father and Marcus so he had little hope of overturning the decision, but mostly pissed off with his dear old dad for landing him in a broil of emotions publicly without the decency of having a conversation with him about it all first!

Jane leaped in to defend her mother before anyone else had the chance. "Sully runs coven accounts," she reminded her uncle. When Eleazar's frosty glare turned on her, Jane took a step behind her father. She'd never seen her uncle even look unkindly towards her before.

"What about Freyr and Dora?!" he snapped, turning on Magnus and Caius.

Magnus was sorely tempted to tell Eleazar were to go, or at least to watch his mouth with him, but he feared it would be overstepping the mark somewhat - Eleazar being Basileus' son, eldest son, at that.

"Because Freyr does nothing with running the guard, does she?" he settled on saying.

"Dora does all my admin, thanks." Caius wasn't taking shit from Eleazar and he returned the man's attitude and then some. "Which takes up as much time as Carmen's role, swanning about the coven dishing out the pay packets once a month."

Eleazar was having a ridiculous overreaction to being asked to do something and Aro was finding the whole display very funny. "Go easy on him, Caius," Aro said, laughing, "he's never had to do anything around here before." Aro started howling in laughter as he remembered his brother's earlier brag. "'I'm a happy, idle, bastard, floating through life on your coating tails'. _Gravy train's over, brother_."

Eleazar was ready to blow. As out of character as his display might have been, he was still in control and he wouldn't disgrace himself by blowing publicly. _No, I'_ _ll blow at Basileus_ , he thought. _It'_ _s all his fault_!

"Where are you going?! Aro called after his brother as he stormed from the dungeons. "You haven't finished telling us about this lot!"

"Work it out yourself!"

Eleazar was gone.

Aro was still wincing when he turned back to the group. "He'll be alright once Basileus has told him he doesn't have a choice," he told them, with little hope.

"JUST SHUT UP!"

Felix barking at his little sister, merely inches from her fragile face should perhaps have worried Aro a little more. As it was, he knew his princess would come out on top.

"You are way too excited," Jane told her brother, checking the length of her nails to prove how little interest she had in Felix and dripping condescension as she spoke. "You need to take your blankie to the corner and give yourself a time out."

Before Felix could react, Aro caught hold of the boy's wrist and pulled him away. "You both do realise I'm going to snap one day, right?"

"Not at her," Felix muttered.

Aro didn't reply. Instead he took his children back to their mother. Unfair as it may be to dump the pair of them with Sulpicia, it was better for everyone's health if Aro wasn't left to look after them for much longer.

…

After the afternoon in the dungeons, where Magnus had helped Caius with draining the zombie, no one had seen Eleazar or Carlisle. The odd guard had reported to Magnus that there were angry growls coming from the West Tower. He told them to leave it be, but it did force him into action with Caius. _No way is Basileus beating me on this_ , he thought, _I will have that letter before Eleazar and Carlisle start working_! He called it a night in the guard hall - it was nearing midnight anyway - and left.

Letting himself into the ground floor suit of the North Tower, it was clear to Dora and Freyr for whom Magnus was looking.

"He's taking a bath, I doubt he'll be long," Freyr called over.

"Wait with us?" Dora had already fixed Magnus a drink and placed it on the side table next to his seat - his seat, because Magnus had named it so and now no one else ever sat there.

Magnus smiled appreciatively. "Don't mind if I do, my ladies." But he didn't sit, he went straight to the corner of the room and started tinkering with the desk. "How much dust is on this thing?!"

Dora saw the stuff swirl into the air when Magnus opened the cherry oak lid. "It hasn't been opened in years."

"At least Caius has a writing desk," Freyr said, pursing her lips towards her mate. "Magnus …"

"Before you say I don't own a writing desk, I will point out that you don't, either."

Freyr laughed in his face. "That's because I work from the masters' office, love, not because I never put pen to paper."

"Well you don't use it, either, Dora," Magnus returned. It was all he had to say as Freyr was right. "So you can pack the laughing in!"

"Who do I have to write to?" Dora questioned. It was known the woman didn't have a friend to her name, expect for the two in her living chamber, that is. "I'm a reader, not a writer," she added quickly, to sound less pathetic. "Freyr, how many books does Magnus have on the go again?"

Freyr's only response was to laugh out loud. Magnus, like Caius, was a man of action. His leisure time was spent working out, wrestling, doing things. Reading was way down his list of things he enjoyed. Still, hearing the pair of them continue to mock him without the ability to refute was annoying. _Bloody women_.

"Erm, Caius, you do have company," Freyr exclaimed seeing the younger master stroll through his chamber in nothing but a towel.

"You're not company," Caius shook his hair out, soaking Freyr, "you're here too often."

"Be careful," Magnus warned him as Freyr took a swipe at a dripping Caius. "They have their claws out tonight … erm …" Magnus paused, "why are you purple?"

"Because he bathes in boiling water," Dora explained.

Being submerged in hot water, as for humans, brought the blood to the surface. Of course, being a vampire, that blood was pale with the venom coursing through the veins and it gave Caius an odd colouring.

"It wasn't boiling," Caius scoffed. "We may be pathetically flammable, but we don't melt from heat alone."

Magnus wasn't convinced purple was a natural, or indeed healthy, look for a vampire, but he let it go with a bemused smile. "Are you going to get dressed?"

Caius flopped into his seat, ensuring the goods were covered with his towel. "Unless someone else is coming, I'm staying as I am."

"Leave him," Freyr said kindly, before changing tone to wind Caius up a little. "We have seen him in worse states than that."

Magnus' booming laughter filled the room. "I've put him in a much worse state than that!"

Whilst three of them found the memory hysterical, Caius huffed like a moody teen. "Why did you have to bring that up?!"

"I want you to be thinking about it." Magnus offered the seat at the writing desk to Caius with heavy hands on the back rest. "Come over here."

Caius was tempted to tell him to go fuck himself, but the 'reminder' had worked well enough to see him haul himself out of his comfy chair to join Magnus.

"Now sit down," Magnus told him, pushing a reluctant Caius into the chair and handing him a quill. "And start writing your reply to Hilda."

"She wrote to Basileus, not me, he can do his own admin." Caius tried to stand but Magnus' bear sized paws kept him in place.

"Hilda wrote to you …"

Caius cut Magnus off quickly. "I replied," he stated flatly.

Magnus scoffed. "I know you're lying."

"I replied!"

"Not only can I tell when you're lying, as you well know, I read Hilda's most recent correspondence with Basileus and she said you haven't replied to any of her letters in the last FOUR years."

Magnus raised a single eyebrow and looked down at Caius whilst he waited for them man to choose his fate. He was always mildly amused at how such a simple gesture seemed to invoke immediate regret.

"For fuck's sake," Caius snapped, dramatically dipping the end of his quill in the ink pot as if to make some point. "I have been working like a dog for the last week, you know?!"

"After a ten-year break, love." Dora was only too happy to join in and push Caius into impending doom.

Magnus gave her the dead eye for her involvement - he didn't like the way the two of them played with each other, as he knew only too well that it could - and did - so easily turn sour - but he stayed on Caius' case.

"I'm asking you to write one letter, not part the Red sea!" In a softer tone, he continued, "I'm sure you have enough energy for that."

"If you need help with the big words, Caius, just ask." Dora jerked away from Freyr just in time to avoid the slap heading her way. "I was only offering to help!"

Sure that Caius was going to write the damn letter, even if it was four years late, Magnus settled into his seat and drained his cup. "Keep it up," he said to Dora with a no-nonsense expression.

Athenodora wasn't quite so keen on that side of the developing relationship she and Caius had with Magnus and Freyr. She loved, really loved, being able to turn to the two of them in times of need, and she quite enjoyed winding Caius up with the threat of bringing Magnus in when things between them were fraught. She definitely liked spending time with Freyr and having a 'friend' in the coven after so long of living her life completely alone. But both Magnus and Freyr were quick to tell her when she was going too far, too - she didn't like that. Not that Dora could see a way to change it.

Caius had been quick to scribble out his reply and was already melting the wax to seal the document.

"Don't seal it," Magnus called over. "I want to see what you've put, first."

Caius eyed him warily for a moment. "You're turning into Marcus, you know? It's not a good look."

Magnus stayed unmoving with his hand extended expectantly. Caius looked to his paper, and then to Magnus, and back again. _He isn_ _'_ _t going to like this_. Knowing he had no choice, Caius handed over his pitiful reply with a grimace.

Magnus glanced over the page and, disappointed, shook his head.

"Would you like me to read it for you, Magnus?" Dora offered sweetly, implying he couldn't manage it alone.

"You aren't too big for a slap, lady!" he told her, before ripping up the page he held and turning back to Caius.

Caius crossed his arms. "Why did you do that?!" he asked, knowing full well that his efforts were poor. "What else do I need to say?"

"More than 'transformation in progress' signed, 'C'. Don't be a brat, Caius, because if you act like a child, then I have to act like a grown up …" Magnus let his words hang in the air as he stared Caius down. He didn't want to get into an argument about it, he just wanted the letter written so he could deliver it to Basileus and clock off for the day. It was, then, gone midnight and he'd agreed to training with some of the guards at dawn - he was already pushed for time off.

Caius might have just shut the hell up and got on with it, but hearing his so-called mate laughing along, willing Caius to push Magnus into action … well, it forced him to reply, if only to salvage a little pride.

"What the hell does that mean?!"

Freyr cut in before Magnus could answer. "It means sit down and write to Hilda, properly."

"Be careful, Caius," Dora said, sly smile on her lips. "You're already dressed for the occasion."

Caius was sure he was blushing, absolutely sure. "If you're trying to take my self-respect, I have bad news for you, love - I gave it to your mother when she begged me to marry you all those years ago."

"I wouldn't have room for it in my trophy case - your testicles took up the last free spot. They sit right next to your hopes and dreams."

"That was a good one!" Freyr put an arm around Dora proudly and brought her in close. "But it's enough now," she whispered.

Having Magnus and Freyr around so much was shining a light on the unusual way Caius and Dora related to each other. Their teasing was just the way they flirted with each other, and in private, they quite enjoyed tearing a strip off each other - to a point. Caius wasn't so keen on their usual patter occurring in public … or private in front of Magnus and Freyr … _or is this public_? Caius couldn't work out what his chambers were anymore with the four of them spending so much time in there together. All he knew was that the temper was rising inside him and he didn't want to blow at his mate.

Magnus clicked his fingers to get Caius' attention. "Just get on with it, please," he implored. "You need to express your regrets for failing to reply before now, explain what we have done today, and what we hope to achieve. And when you sign off, write your bloody name."

It didn't take long, but his second attempt was good enough. Letter in hand, Magnus told them he'd be back soon.

Basileus had been arguing with his sons for literally hours.

"You will be taking on a proper role, and you know what else?" He paused only long enough to fix Eleazar in his sights. "When we do get some unaccompanied kids in here, and we will at some point, you're taking them on."

"Oh, no I'm not!"

Eleazar paced one side of the room with Basileus clear across the other, each keeping away from the other for fear of what they would do. Eleazar wasn't stupid - he didn't want to attack his old man, but he was so enraged by the decree of his new employment that he felt he just might forget his good sense and go in for the kill.

Basileus, too, wanted to tear a strip off his eldest for having the gall to argue with him about his new appointment, but after his talks with Magnus and Freyr, and especially his own mate, he was doing his level best to talk his sons into agreement rather than going immediately to his belt.

Carlisle and Atia sat between the pair of them. They had been watching as the tensions rose all day and Atia, in particular, was concerned about her mate's interpretation of 'talking things out' - it seemed much more like 'roaring things out', in her opinion.

"If you hadn't killed that pair in the dungeons already I would be turning them for you right now. You need something to do," Basileus boomed, without breaking a step.

"Says who?!" Eleazar shot back.

"ME!"

Atia looked to her poor windowpanes rattling with the force of the argument they were trying to contain.

"Do you really want to argue about it?" Basileus asked, daring his son to continue.

"Yes, I do actually." Eleazar came to a halt and jabbed a finger in his brother's direction. "Carlisle does fuck all around here and that's okay, why are you on my back?!"

"You're much older than him, in many, many ways," Atia tried to interject to settle her mate and son a little. All she succeeded in doing was annoying Carlisle, too.

"Great, why am I being dragged into this?!"

"Your brother will be working with the newborns, as will you." There was no room for manoeuvre in Basileus' tone, he was beyond pissed off. Eleazar had the sense to keep his thoughts in his head for the moment, but poor Carlisle, less adept at dealing with the man, voiced his.

"I don't mind helping out, Dad, but I don't want to be stuck doing this forever."

"You don't mind helping out?" Basileus repeated. "You don't MIND helping out?! Can you hear how entitled the pair of you have become?"

Carlisle shrunk into his seat beside his mother, (and protector, he hoped). "Life isn't meant to be lived in one place," he said quietly. "I want to travel the whole world and I won't rest until I have."

"Travelling? That's your calling, is it?" Basileus looked down his nose at his youngest boy. "To what end?"

"To no end," Carlisle shrugged. "Just … just because."

The warning signal finally went off in Carlisle's mind upon seeing his father turn on his heel and face the wall. In any other situation it would have been comical to see the creator of vampire kind growling at the stonework, but knowing Basileus was only doing so to avoid ripping off his head, Carlisle decided to end his part in the conversation and hand it back over to his brother. He hadn't expected Eleazar to turn on him, however.

"That's not a calling, Carlisle," Eleazar said accusingly. "It's dossing about on a wide scale rather than just in the castle."

Basileus spun around. "At least he can be bothered to do something on a wide scale, unlike you."

Hearing a thumping knock, Atia saw her temporary release and headed to the door, though not before sighing at her enraged mate. "Do remember to breathe between bawling's, my dear, or you'll become lightheaded."

She soon returned, guest in toe. "Magnus is here," she announced. "I imagine bringing complaints that your roaring is disturbing the peace at the Vatican!"

Magnus was hit by the emotions in the room as he walked through the short hall to the living chamber. Anger, frustration, annoyance … in one word - tension. At least Atia was calm, if a little fed up.

"You alright, El?" Magnus asked, seeing the older Volturi brother still pacing on his side of the large living chamber.

"No, I'm not alright." Eleazar tutted into the air and gestured to his father as though that were explanation enough for his ire.

"Still not on board with the idea of a job, huh?" Magnus pushed a little. Eleazar simply turned his back. "How about you, Carlisle?"

"I'd rather not be tied down," Carlisle explained quietly.

Oh, how Magnus wanted to laugh right then! "Yeah, an hour a day in the library will really impact on your free time, wont it?" The humour came through his voice even if he had managed to keep those chuckles to himself.

Basileus gave his friend a withering look and plonked himself down at the table, kicking the opposite chair out.

' _Is that an invitation_?' Magnus asked through his thoughts. Basileus merely grunted in reply but Magnus took it as a yes. He couldn't help the smile on his face seeing the creator clearly failing at his task.

"Quit grinning at me, they will be working."

Magnus nodded enthusiastically. "Of course," he said, chuckles now coming hard and fast as he dropped Hilda's letter onto the table.

"No …" Basileus didn't want to believe it. "You must have written it."

Magnus leaned back in his chair easily with his hands joined at his chest. "Feel free to check."

Basileus did! He dove straight into Magnus' memories and read the letter Caius had written for himself through the juggernaut's eyes. "You bastard."

"I wasn't a bastard, actually," Magnus said proudly. "Didn't need to be. Not even a raised voice."

"You didn't use your gift to tip the scales at all?" Basileus asked, hoping he had a way to turn the scales. Although, to be fair, 'no gifts' hadn't been a term to their bet.

"You've just seen for yourself that I didn't." It was time for some gloating, Magnus had earned it. "You dumped me in the proverbial right up to my neck, but I've come out smelling of roses, my friend." Oh that felt good!

Magnus and Caius had managed things very well in his opinion and Basileus, who had had his sons far longer, had descended into chaos, fighting with his boys for control. Magnus didn't think on the fact that he was comparing his relationship with Caius to Basileus and his sons, not at that moment anyway. He was far too happy to be able to put the knife in with the brooding creator. "I can see where Aro gets it from now, you're such a sore loser!"

"Agreed!" Atia called over from where she continued to talk Eleazar around.

Basileus looked offended! "I haven't lost yet."

Magnus smirked and turned in his seat to face Eleazar and Carlisle. "Ready to start work in the morning, fellas?"

"Tomorrow?!" Carlisle whined. "I had plans."

"Eleazar?" Magnus pushed.

His mother's efforts had been a waste. "Fuck off," he growled.

"Hey!" Basileus was on his feet and in his boy's face in the blink of an eye. "Speak to him that way again and you will be working with a limp! I will beat some compliance into you two if I have to."

Through all their arguments that day, Basileus had managed to keep his cool enough to avoid approaching Eleazar whilst he ranted at the unfairness of his life, as he saw it. That last comment to Magnus had flipped him over the edge and Eleazar had to wonder why.

"Why is Magnus so special?" he asked, stepping away from his father.

"Ouch!" Magnus feigned a wounded heart. "Thanks, El."

Basileus caught hold of Eleazar before he could pass. "Magnus is my friend, I am your father - you will show him the respect he is due, got it?!"

With wide eyes, Eleazar bobbed his head and went to join his mother on the sofa, hoping for her protection if the old man really did flip out. It troubled him, though, that Magnus had been elevated so high in his father's eyes that he was to be treated with respect for simply being his friend. Not that Magnus had deserved to be told to fuck off, of course, or that he wasn't deserving of respect in general - he was, Eleazar knew that and would, under usual circumstances have treated him as such - but this was something different. It was as though the respect due to Basileus for being the creator of their kind extended to his friendships. That extension obviously applied to Atia, and Marcus for that matter, but Magnus was a definite new addition. For the moment Eleazar forgot his annoyance with his father for going over his head to arrange this little 'get the Volturi princes to work' scheme and wondered how Aro would cope with such a decree.

Basileus heard his sons rolling thoughts, of course, but decided not to comment on it. He, too, was interested in how Aro would take the news. He hadn't intentionally set Magnus as special in the way Eleazar was thinking, it had simply been a natural reaction to one of his sons disrespecting his friend. That said, he wasn't about to revoke it, either. When Basileus retook his seat, he seemed calmer for having expended some of his pent-up rage.

"What happened to the talking we spoke about?" Magnus asked.

"I've tried it your way," Basileus replied. "It doesn't work."

Atia looked incredulously to her mate. "I must have missed your attempt, my dear."

That didn't help. Basileus tried his best to breathe through his annoyance.

"Try patience, my friend," Magnus suggested.

"Patience?!" Atia laughed into the air as though the very idea that Basileus could be patient was hysterical.

 _Why do women only seek to drive their mates crazy_? Magnus wondered, thinking back to Caius and Dora. He was a lucky, lucky man that Atia wasn't employing Basileus' mind reading gift at that time, as he would have likely been leaving the West Tower less a pair of balls! Basileus heard him, though, and it amused him enough to enable him to shake the last annoyance with his sons.

"I have to save all my patience for when there are too many witnesses," he told Magnus, secretively pointing out Atia and then holding a hand to his own neck, pretending it was hers.

"You know …" Atia had started now, she had more to say. "Magnus achieved his goals without the need for a screaming match."

Basileus didn't reply to his mate, he turned to Magnus instead. "I'm going right off you. You make me look bad."

Atia didn't care that Basileus hadn't replied to her, she carried on regardless. "He is dealing with the most volatile coven member we have with peace and tranquillity, you are fighting with two of the calmest!"

The continued wittering of his mate, as he saw it, only served to rile Basileus back up.

Magnus decided to step up and settle things by talking to Eleazar and Carlisle before the creator really blew. "It's unlikely we will take on any more guards after this set for a while. Vampires only need close monitoring during their newborn year…"

"A year?!" Carlisle shot out. That was much longer than he wanted to be tied down.

"Entitled little …" Basileus started muttering to himself about his 'bloody sons' who 'do fuck all and expect the world' and other such disparaging statements of a frustrated father who'd lost a bet.

"Carlisle!" Atia turned on her youngest. She might not have recognised that she was the one to re-rile her mate, but she certainly saw that Carlisle had annoyed him. "Please! It's just a year," she said, stroking his arm and giving him the wide-eyed treatment to tell him to shut up.

"Maybe not even that," Magnus added, hoping to help.

"You will remain in post for the entirety of that year, at least." Basileus was done. He had spent the whole day resisting the urge to belt the little fuckers for daring to disobey him with this work thing and he was DONE. "Understood?" he asked, glaring at the pair of supposedly grown men who sat like sullen little boys before him.

Carlisle relented. His 'plans' were loose at best, he could move them. "Fine."

"No, not fine," Eleazar said from his brother's side. "I'm not doing it. It's a matter of principle now."

"Oh, is it indeed?" Basileus asked. He sounded so sarcastic that Carlisle briefly looked around to see if Aro had joined them!

"Carlisle, I suggest you pay Marcus a visit and see what your schedule will be." Basileus removed his belt and doubled it over in one hand. "Eleazar, if you need more convincing we can deal with that now."

"You're going to end up doing it anyway, El," Magnus implored. "Just save yourself the hassle."

"Yes, we all know how you hate hassle, son." Basileus said, daring him to test him further.

After what felt like the longest staring competition in history, Eleazar hauled himself to his feet with his head bowed.

Basileus breathed an internal sigh of relief and started to refasten his belt.

"Be sure to check with Marcus for when your presence will be required with the newborns, El. I expect you to put in some proper efforts with this new role."

"Of course, my lord." Good God, that stuck in his throat, but Eleazar went to the door, pushing Carlisle ahead. Before he left, biting his lip he turned back to his father. "Dad, you aren't really going to make me take on any kids, are you?"

"Yes, I am." Even as the words left his mouth, Basileus wasn't sure why he was being so dogmatic about something on which he had previously held so little opinion. The frustration of his day had really got on top of him. But, he stuck by his word, and he'd said it, so that was it in his unmoving mind. "Deal with it, son."

Eleazar's temper flew through the roof as he stormed out the door, quickly followed by Atia, who went to help calm her boy - both thinking Basileus was being a bit of a cock.

Basileus didn't even need to look at Magnus to know he would be grinning like a loon again. "Stop it."

"Didn't say a word, my friend." Not that he had to, the hand in front of his mouth may have hidden the smirk but the humour danced in his eyes.

"Get out of here before you do," Basileus suggested. He had his head buried in his hands before Magnus had even left the room.

Magnus flopped down into his comfy chair in Caius' chambers, accepted the drink Dora drew from the barrel for him and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling wholly satisfied in life. That's when it him … _I compared Basileus with his lads to me and Caius_! _Why the hell would I_ _…_ _what_? It stirred up some emotions in Magnus that he hadn't felt for centuries and even after all that time, he still wasn't ready to face them, let alone deal with them in any meaningful way. Quashing thoughts of his human life, of the sons he and Freyr had raised, and lost, he let the calm in the room subdue him until he was back to his relaxed state.

Freyr looked across and gave him a warm smile. "You seem pleased with yourself, love."

Magnus looked at the three of them for a moment. Caius losing to Freyr in a game of cards (because Dora half lay in his arms, could see his hand and was mouthing them to Freyr) and smiled to himself. Regardless of the painful reminders of his human life, he was happy with the one he had at that moment.

"Aye, I am a little."


	131. 1688, March - Tributes

**AN:** Heads up! After the first two chapters of this set, we will launch into the 'origin' stories. Felix, Demetri, The Twins (including very briefly Magnus and Freyr), Aro, Caius and Athenodora, Sulpicia, and finally Eleazar, in that order. I'm so excited about this set, but they have been a bugger to write with flipping back and forth through the ages, including as much 'real' twilight history as possible, and matching up to the characters as they appear in this fic! I hope its worked, time will tell.

Sooo we have jumped forward to the next tribune ball to sell off those newborns Caius created in the last set… but there's something for our vampires to deal with in the alliance first...

* * *

 **1688, MARCH - TRIBUTES**

"I have to say, Caius," Hilda squinted a little as she tried to work out how recently the man had fed, "with bloodwine on offer I wonder why you bother with human blood at all."

Caius shrugged and made non-committal noise, something along the lines of, 'we are vampires', but nothing more noteworthy than that. His glowing red eyes, as Hilda had noted, were a dead giveaway that he had fed mere moments before the ball.

Dora disagreed with Caius that feeding on humans simply for appearances was in any way necessary, particularly so when Caius had only insisted on feeding on humans for Henri's benefit, again, but she stood by her man and protected his pride.

"We felt like some sport," she explained on her mate's behalf. "It's a good excuse to get out of the castle together for a few hours."

"Aha!"

Hilda certainly understood the pressures of running a coven and being on constant call for her ladies. It was something she was hoping would lessen when they took their new guards home with them. She had yet to meet them, having only recently arrived in Volterra, but she was keen to do so soon.

"About my new members, Caius ... "

Caius nodded and smiled in all the right places, but he only had one ear on Hilda, the other one was listening out around the throne room for anyone who might be discussing the previous ball where he had fucked up so magnificently.

He had already apologised privately to Amun as a follow up to the letter he had sent, which Caius thought was 'fucking horrendous'. Doubly so with Basileus and Magnus there to see he did a good job of it. Aro found the whole thing hysterical, of course. Caius' idea to dupe the coven king into a dungeon blood session, however fleeting, hadn't gone down well with the creator ... leading to Caius being dealt a silent round of fucks at the side of the great hall whilst Basileus injected his angry rant directly into Caius' head. None of it, not the apologising to Amun, having Basileus and Magnus breathing down his neck, or Aro taking the piss had helped calm Caius' nerves for the coming ball. _And now I_ _'_ _m stuck with you,_ he thought, nodding along to Hilda as she wittered on.

"So?" Hilda asked, for a second time.

 _Shit_! Caius had completely zoned out and he had no idea what the question he was supposed to be answering actually was.

"There have been many people involved in their training," Dora replied, giving Caius a nudge. "The new guards," she hissed to her mate.

Caius caught on fast. "Of course," he breezed. "Magnus and Felix saw to their physical training, Aro and Eleazar concentrated on their powers. Marcus and Carlisle educated them."

It was partly true. Caius neglected to explain that neither Eleazar or Carlisle had stayed in post for longer than six months. They only lasted that long because that's how long it took for Eleazar to convince his father that he didn't need a job in the coven. Once Basileus had agreed to Eleazar stepping down, Carlisle quickly followed. Although, with Carlisle, once he no longer had the position as educator as an active duty, he seemed to choose to spend most of his time in that role shadowing Marcus anyway. Basileus had complained about his boy being purposely oppositional and defiant, but fortunately only a select few had to suffer his rantings on the subject.

"Felix?!" Hilda asked. "The boy?" _The wayward boy_ , she thought.

"I'm a warrior!" Felix boomed, joining the conversation uninvited on hearing his name.

Hilda was not amused by the child's antics as Felix stood before her demonstrating the muscles dancing in his arms as he flexed in just about every position he could. She was even less impressed at the idea of spending out on new guards who were trained by a whelp, even if that whelp was a prince.

"If I am paying for the best, I expect the best!" she told Caius tersely.

"And that is what you are getting, Hilda, I assure you." Caius pushed Felix away by his big head. "Though it pains me to admit it, Felix is rather good on the battlefield and the guards took to him pretty well in their newborn year. Besides," Caius beckoned his co-master over, "Magnus was with the boy at all times."

Magnus plastered on a smile and fell into his sale patter, bigging-up the Volturi's new commodity.

Aro had prepped everyone with what to say, such as the intense training the guards had been through, and what to avoid, like the fact that they had been fed solely bloodwine for their newborn year as a test for vampiric development without human blood. As it was, all the newborns had survived their newborn year, bar one who proved simply too feisty to keep alive. The rest though, they were far less agitated than the newborns the coven usually grew, and the masters were divided on why that was. Marcus and Magnus believed it was down to better supervision, more structure and education. Caius and Aro were firmly in the opposite camp - that bloodwine, lacking the kick of human blood with the added element of alcohol helped to subdue the usual newborn aggression.

Those in the know knew Aro's reason for arguing against Marcus and Magnus so vehemently was simply down to who they were - both men being friends of his father's. Since Basileus had set Magnus above Eleazar, Aro had been walking a fine line with the juggernaut, at least in his father's presence. _Just because El was stupid enough to have Magnus put over him, it doesn_ _'_ _t mean it will happen to me_ , he had thought. Aro made certain to flex his status as king only when Basileus wasn't around, and to date, Magnus hadn't pushed back at all.

Magnus had no interest in rising any higher than the position he already maintained. That said, both Aro and Magnus were aware, even if it had remained unspoken, that Basileus wanted exactly that - he was pulling Magnus into his inner circle, a circle consisting only of the senior members of the coven. Basileus was outright excluding Aro, Caius, their mates, and his other two sons in the process. Basileus accepted there would be issues, but he felt he deserved to have a few good friends to call on that were his own, more his age with a shared view of the world. Aro would have to 'just deal with it', as far as Basileus was concerned.

Regarding the newborns, Freyr (being the only woman with an opinion in the matter) had tried to tell the other masters it was clearly the combination of both the bloodwine and the activity that had resulted in an easier to manage set of vampires. But her fellow male masters merely rolled their eyes at her sitting on the fence. The fact that Freyr was right had passed them all by in their efforts to argue with one another. She had been surprised by Marcus, usually so steadfast in his approach, but even he had been swept up in the new stratification of the Volturi elite.

Tao and Xola's arrival, complete with lions, had once again incited a flurry of interest through the female guards. One member particularly, Renata, was damn near salivating over Xola.

Chelsea chuckled hearing Renata's plans to bed the guy. "You cannot claim a man just because he's big."

"He's not just big," Renata replied. She wasn't only interested in Xola because of his size, she had more substance than that. "He's beautiful!" Well, not much more substance.

Chelsea checked him out again before slumping against the throne room's temporary bar. "I don't disagree, but that's not to say he wants to take you back to Africa with him."

"You wouldn't want to leave us, Renata, would you?" Heidi asked.

"No, I love it here, but look at him!" Renata felt the shiver tingle down her spine as she took in the vampiric chief. "We could both go, there are two of them."

Since she had heard of the royal coven, Heidi had spent her time plotting to join - and now the idea of leaving was unimaginable.

Likewise, Chelsea was against the idea. "I'm not leaving Afton for Tao."

Renata leaned over the bar to see around Heidi, all to give Chelsea a good look up and down. "You can't claim to have been faithful to Afton, Chels, I know you haven't been."

Chelsea hushed their sniggers before anyone else could catch hold of their conversation. Turk, manning the bar had heard it all, but the man was already skilled in the true talent of any good barman - knowing how to keep his mouth firmly shut on matters that didn't concern him.

"It's one thing fooling around when Afton's on a mission," Chelsea hissed, having only ever done so on the understanding that her mate might well not return from battle. "It's quite another to try setting up home with a visiting coven leader."

"Tao hasn't looked at us twice anyway," Heidi pointed out. The whole premise of their conversation seemed based on a moot point.

Chelsea was quick to point out that Xola hadn't looked at Renata, either.

 _Not yet_ , Renata thought. "You could make them both want us, Heidi."

"What would be the point in that? It wouldn't be real."

Heidi, though she had the gift for it, wasn't interested in a man who only wanted her for his bed. She would go far as to say the only man who could truly win her heart was one that didn't want her for her body at all. Not that she didn't enjoy the odd sexual escapade, of course.

"Have you ever considered that you go for the wrong type of guy?" It was a conversation Chelsea and Renata had covered many, many times through the life of their friendship, and one that Chelsea had no doubt would be covered many more times to come. "You like big guys, right? But you don't stop to look for anything else before you try and mate with them."

 _That_ _'_ _s not fair_! Renata had a fair few notches on the bedpost, but she'd only mated once. "There's only been Antonio … "

Chelsea was quick to finish her sentence. "Who was a prick."

Renata couldn't disagree. "He had his good points."

Chelsea and Heidi pulled the same face of distaste.

"I can only imagine," Chelsea replied. "You tried for Magnus when he arrived in the coven. Until Freyr … what did she do about you giving him the come-on?"

"It was awful." Renata lowered her voice, she didn't even want the mostly mute Turk hearing her tale. "Freyr was so nice to me about it, understanding, kind - awful! I was expecting a fight, then I could have accused her of attacking me and Aro would have executed her."

Heidi hadn't been with the coven at that time, but even she doubted that Aro would have executed Freyr. Chelsea knew damn straight it would never have happened.

"Aro loved Magnus and Freyr the moment he met them. He didn't even have them stay in the dungeons for their newborn year. Even Odi and Corin got to go straight to the guard hall because they were with Magnus and Freyr." Chelsea scoffed at the very idea. "Aro wouldn't have executed Freyr because you went after her man!"

"Well, he might have," Renata huffed. "I'm glad he didn't, now - Freyr's the best master in this coven."

"But you'd still kill for a night with Magnus?" Heidi added knowingly.

"Who wouldn't?!" Renata realised she was speaking to the wrong women judging by the look on their faces.

Heidi shook her head. "He's too old."

Chelsea agreed. She had known Magnus since his arrival in the coven and he'd always been a pleasure to be around, but she couldn't imagine fucking him! "He's a total father figure," she said, dismissing the idea far from her mind with a shudder.

"I don't mind that." Renata sought out the juggernaut in the crowd, just to confirm her earlier thoughts. "Yup!" she said, zoning in on his solid arms … though her eyes soon went lower. "Still would."

"How can you go from Felix to Magnus?!" Chelsea wore the same face of confusion she always did in these conversations with her covenmate. "What's wrong with you? You're seriously fucked up, Renata."

Heidi had to agree, though she found it funnier than Chelsea. "Don't forget Caius, too," she reminded them all. "Or Athenodora." Both she and Renata had joined in Caius and Dora's games in their time at Volterra.

Chelsea pretended to gag. She was far too traditional to get involved in such things. "I try not to think about it."

Heidi chinked her cup against Renata's. "Happy days." she said. "Now, Caius is a man who knows what he's doing, and he's young enough to still be doing it."

"He's good, I'll give you that," Renata conceded. "But he's too scrawny."

"Scrawny?!" Chelsea repeated. "I've never met a vampire yet who I could describe as scrawny."

"How about Demetri?" Renata said with a sly smile. "Or are you trying to forget that you've been there?"

"Demetri?!" Heidi damn near choked on her bloodwine!

"Afton was away … shut up!" Chelsea's clear embarrassment was, naturally, only too funny for Renata and Heidi. "Why don't you just go back to Felix?" she asked, hoping to divert attention from herself.

Heidi looked over in time to see the boy goofing around with his brother and Benjamin. "Felix is a child."

"Yeah," Chelsea wasn't denying that. "But it's never stopped her before."

"He seems to be getting younger." Renata didn't want to go there again. "It's weird since he stopped being a guard and started being a prince."

Chelsea shot her a look to tell her she was being simple. "He's always been a prince, Renata. Maybe not in word, but in deed."

"Yes, but it was easier to forget how young he is when he was still working as a guard, too." Renata thought for a moment about the last shag she had had, which had been with Felix. It wasn't too bad … maybe? "No. I can't go back to Felix, I promised Corin."

"So, let me get this straight." Heidi wondered if she'd been misunderstanding somehow. "You were happy to fuck Felix when you were mated with Antonio, but not now you have promised Corin you won't, even though she and Felix haven't been a thing for years?"

She had it right. Renata smiled. "I like Corin much more than I liked Antonio."

Heidi and Chelsea absolutely creased. "Your loyalties are so screwed," Heidi told her, but she was privately glad that Renata's females acquaintances could expect better of her than the male ones.

"They are the only thing about me getting screwed!"

Felix caught Renata's final complaint and sidled up to the woman. "I may not be Mr. Right, but I'll throw you a mercy fuck until he comes along."

Chelsea stopped laughing when she saw Renata considering the boy's offer. "Run along and play, Felix," she snapped, pushing the overgrown youth away from them.

Magnus, as always, was keeping one eye on his guards' conduct. He had left the three young women lolling over the bar long enough.

He flashed to their side. "Look alive, ladies!"

The three of them jumped as one, but only Renata replied. "Yes, master," she offered in a simpering tone, fluttering eyelashes and all!

"Yes master," Heidi and Chelsea repeated in whisper to their covenmate, mocking her clear lust.

Renata's mouth dropped open. _There_ _'_ _s no way Magnus didn_ _'_ _t catch that,_ she thought in horror. Turning to face him, her fears were realised. Although, even if Magnus hadn't heard, he could feel Renata's emotions towards him loud and clear.

"Erm … interesting," he stuttered for a moment before catching himself. "Freyr would slaughter you, my dear," he offered. The wink he threw her didn't help Renata's feelings on the matter.

"If I don't find someone new soon I might have to take the risk!"

Magnus felt his cheeks flush with blood and was glad he couldn't blush! "You may wish to go easy on the bloodwine this weekend, my dear," he replied, taking the cup from her hands and leaving it on the bar.

Henri's arrival came as a blessed relief to the juggernaut, giving the excuse to leave the clearly drunk young women and catch hold of Caius before the French leader could.

"Caius!"

Magnus pulled Caius aside before he could respond to Henri's call. "Don't go with him, Caius. I know you feel like you need to impress him."

"I feel no such thing!" Caius tried to remove his arm from Magnus' hold, but he couldn't do so without making a scene. After the last ball, he had vowed to never make a scene again!

"However you wish to explain it to yourself, you have nothing to hide from me, and certainly nothing to prove to some random sadist." Magnus spoke so softly in calm, caring tones that he managed to get through to Caius. Seeing the man was listening, Magnus continued, "Just do your best to avoid Henri," he suggested. "This ball will be short, anyway, with what we have in the dungeons."

Caius nodded, deep in thought. There were more than Hilda's guards in the lower levels of Volterra, and it would surely cause a storm when they were brought to the throne room. Hearing Henri call again, Caius sighed to himself. _That cunt represents everything I hate about myself_ , he thought. Squaring his shoulders, he assured Magnus he would be sensible and that he could handle Henri.

After the usual pleasantries of greeting, Henri dismissed his silent mate and asked Caius about the wonder drug.

"Dungeon blood?" Caius asked nervously. "I don't have any on me," he admitted. "We'll slip away when things are less fraught, Henri, don't worry, I'll handle it." _Look at me handling everything_ , he thought to himself sarcastically, feeling like he was doing anything but.

"What's going on with you?" Henri asked, sensing Caius' nervous state. "Are you sure you're allowed dungeon blood again after the last ball?"

"Allowed?" Caius scoffed. "Why wouldn't I be?" _Why did I say that_?! _It_ _'s fucking obvious why I wouldn_ _'_ _t be. You would be the only fucker uncouth enough to bring it up, though, wouldn_ _'_ _t you_? _Cunt_. Yet again, Henri reminded Caius of the very worst of himself – if tables were turned, he would have brought it up, too.

"Come on Caius, let's not be fools." Henri's sickly-sweet tone broke through Caius' thoughts. "You were forcibly escorted from the building, my friend, by the overgrown upstart of all people."

At the previous ball when Henri was taking the piss out of Magnus, Caius had felt confused over his feelings on the matter. He was annoyed, yes, but he also wished to join in. This time, however, he felt no such confusion. He wanted to defend the man who had done so much for him. Nevertheless, he couldn't ... because, Caius being Caius, he would rather chew his own tongue into a bloody nub than give Henri any hint of their growing relationship.

"What is your problem with Magnus?" he asked, deflecting.

"It's not just Magnus," Henri sneered. "His mate is included in my scorn."

Henri clearly thought he was being funny, but it made every hair on the back of Caius' neck stand on end bringing Freyr into it.

"It upset the balance of things," Henri continued in blissful ignorance. "Some were made to rule, others to serve. They should stay in position."

Finally, something Caius could react to without giving any secrets away. "You do know it was me and Aro who gave them their position."

"I thought it was just Aro."

"You thought wrong!" Caius hissed. _I'_ _m going to fucking kill him_! Caius caught Magnus' eye. _He must be sensing my emotions_ , Caius assumed correctly before setting himself to the challenge of trying to calm himself.

Magnus narrowed his eyes at the pair of them.

"Look at him scowling at me." Henri returned Magnus' glare. "Overgrown prick."

"One of these days he's going to snap, Henri, and he will pulverise you." Caius hoped Magnus would do it soon. _You_ _'_ _ll get away with it_ , Caius thought, knowing how close he and the creator were. _Basileus would batter me for doing the job_. "You haven't seen him in battle, have you? There's a reason he's called the juggernaut."

"Ever heard of the saying 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'?" Henri puffed out his pigeon chest. "He wouldn't be able to take me down."

Caius tutted at the French leader's display. _Alec could take you down, maybe even Carlisle_. Pointing out Magnus, who was still glaring at the pair of them, Caius told Henri, "He's nearly seven foot tall, and almost as wide … "

"Seven-five with his ego," Henri spat, missing the point.

"I give up." Caius shook his head, looking at the floor.

"Oh look," Henri smirked at Caius. "He's calling you over. Run, Caius, run."

Caius looked up to see Magnus crooking a finger at him and he baulked for a second until he realised why. It was time for the address, Aro was already on the throne floor waiting for them.

"Glad you could both make it," Aro hissed, wanting to get the dig in with Magnus before turning to the crowd. "Tonight we celebrate our third tribune ball."

"We appear to be missing an entire coven, my lord."

Aro nodded. "That is true, Siobhan." His features turned dark. "My friends, before we can enjoy the night's festivities, I have a grave task for us all." He paced the throne floor back and forth for a moment. He was deeply saddened to have been put in the position in which he found himself. "The Denali coven are here, they are in my dungeons awaiting trial."

"And what exactly are their crimes?" Henri snapped.

He didn't necessarily feel all that much towards the Denali coven, but the idea that one of the alliance could be put on trial filled his dead heart with dread. Henri, like all the alliance covens to be fair to him, had believed exactly this situation was the motivation for the Volturi opening its doors to the outside world.

"I will show you, my friends." Aro understood that Henri's concerns would be shared by them all and retook his throne. "Brothers, would be so kind as to bring the accused to the throne room."

Caius and Magnus stood. "What about the … " Caius started to ask.

"Bring them all," Aro replied before anything could be revealed.

When he heard the tell-tale shrieking of the Denali coven approaching, though this wasn't their usual joyful sounds, more like distressed wailing, Aro started to explain:

"I received word of an immortal child in existence in the Slavic states from passers-by. Envoys were dispatched and brought the child, along with his patron, back to Volterra."

It was clear from the looks on their faces that the entire room shared Aro's horror, and they had all worked out that Sasha was the guilty patron. Only the elite women of the group said anything in response.

"Surely not?" Hilda called out.

Siobhan, too, was shocked. "Not Sasha, no?!"

"I am afraid so, my friends." Aro went to the back of the throne floor and held the door open for Magnus and Caius to bring through the Denali coven, complete with the vampiric toddler in Magnus' arms.

Hilda rushed towards the Slavic leader. "Sasha what have you done?!"

Sasha could barely speak through her tears. "He can be cared for and live peacefully."

"Your statement would hold more water if the child hadn't decimated a small town," Caius told the woman.

He released Sasha's daughters into the great hall. They had nowhere to go, the so stayed huddled together. Magnus kept hold of the little boy, mainly to keep the child subdued through his gift. Sasha stayed at Hilda's side, begging the woman for her patronage.

"My guards had to finish the job," Aro continued to explain Caius' statement, "or we would have had a hundred newborn zombies running freely across the land and any remaining humans divulging our secret state of being to all who would lend them their ear."

"Hilda," Sasha implored. "Look at the boy, he's innocent!"

Hilda understood why Sasha was putting her faith in her to help, but she couldn't offer any assistance. "The boy cannot be innocent, Sasha," she said calmly, extricating herself from the doomed woman. "Immortal children are scourge on our kind. They can't be taught or restrained, and they cannot keep our secret."

The relief that spread through the Volturi elite was palpable. Aro really thought he was going to cause an uprising - or at least an end to the alliance - having to execute one of their number so soon. Hilda's decree hadn't sealed Sasha's fate, that was already a given, but it had given cause for all the other coven leaders to end their concerns that this was some sort of Volturi led plot to kill them all off.

Sasha moved away from Hilda and threw herself at the others in attendance, begging for their help. No one put themselves forward. Kebi offered a sympathetic smile but seeing Sasha heading their way, Amun pushed his mate and young wards behind him protectively.

"The Volturi have immortal children," Sasha said, flashing to Sulpicia and twins. "Jane and Alec - they are young!"

Sulpicia threw nervous eyes to her mate before pulling her children clear of Sasha's clutches. Sasha made the mistake of attempting to push Sulpicia aside to get to the young vampires. Before anyone else could move, Sully had the woman brought to the floor to the sound of gasps spreading through the room.

"Don't make this worse, Sasha," she whispered. "Think of your daughters." The queen had been kind, under the circumstances, but it was to no avail. Sasha was too far gone to consider her sobbing girls. She was fixated on saving the boy she had turned.

"The age for vampires is twelve – the twins were twelve when they were turned, I turned them myself." Aro had to shout to be heard over the cries in his hall.

"Nobody believes their ages!" Sasha snapped back viciously.

"They weren't well cared for as humans so, yes, they are small, yet they are still twelve." Aro checked the faces of the other coven leaders. Ensuring himself that they were still on his side, he continued, "Besides, neither Jane nor Alec have ever decimated a town in a temper tantrum." _Though Felix has taken out a few_ , he thought.

"Speaking of children," Atia said with a stern eye on her middle son. "They shouldn't bear witness to this. It isn't appropriate."

Every under twenty in the room groaned, but they all knew better than to argue with the coven matriarch. Grumbling, they all left, including Ben and Tia, and of course Noella.

The Denali girls hung around, unsure of what they should do next. Their own mother appeared to have forgotten their existence since she had met the toddler and she sure as hell wasn't paying any attention to them now.

Magnus held the boy high in his arm, where he sat happily smiling without a care in the world, being far too young to understand the seriousness of the situation. Sasha pawed at Magnus in an effort to take the boy. Despite her daughters' pleading and calling, she continued in her efforts, fruitlessly.

Aro waited for the room to clear of all those who wished to leave. Sulpicia would have liked to have gone, like Kebi, but she felt she had to stay to support Carmen. Carmen had built a relationship up with the Denali girls and her heart broke for them. Not only for the fate she assumed they would soon meet, but also for their mother's clear indifference of them now she had a new interest.

"What are you doing about the girls, Aro?" Atia asked, gesturing to the sobbing teenagers alone in the hall.

"They are innocent," Aro professed. "I have read through their memories, they were neither complicit in the immortal child's creation nor were they implicated in any efforts to hide him from us."

"How is that possible?" Amun asked. He didn't wish the girls any ill will, but if they had broken the sacred law against immortal children then justice had to be served.

Aro understood Amun's position and he shared it. "They were not with Sasha when she created the child, they arrived at the decimated village shortly after my envoys and, I am told, were genuinely surprised by their mother's actions." A small part of Aro wished he could end them, too. But he couldn't afford to be anything other than transparent in this case and they truly were without blame.

Irina got herself together quickly. Her mother wasn't coming to her aid, she had to sort this out herself. It sounded to her as though she and her sisters weren't so doomed as she had feared, and she seized the opportunity. "I am nineteen, my lord. I can look after my sisters."

Amun shook his head dismissively. "Teenage vampires cause enough strife under strict supervision."

"I am an adult," Irina demanded, swiping angrily at her tears.

Aro did his best to hold back his smirk when he heard someone in the crowd say, "Said every teenager, ever." He had to agree with the sentiment.

Atia took the place at her son's side. "They are too young to be out in the world alone, Aro," she told him quietly.

He knew that already. "My friends, are any of you in a position to take the girls as your wards?" The great hall had never been so quiet! "Hilda? Your coven seems the obvious choice … strong female guidance could be just what these girls need?"

"With regret, my lord, I must decline." _No way am I getting stuck with those three_ , she thought. "We have plans for adding a mate for each of the English coven members … the Denali girls would take us over our limit."

"I could extend your numbers … "

"Again, it is with my regrets, my lord." Hilda bowed politely and stepped back into the crowd.

"Anyone else?" There was a clear pleading to Aro's voice, but no one stepped up to help the vampiric king. _For fucks sake_! "In that case, for now, they must remain in Volterra."

"Eleazar," Atia called out, arm outstretched to her eldest son. "Would you and Carmen agree to take them as your wards?"

Carmen's heart started beating, she was sure of it! She felt the pounding in her chest, the noise of it was deafening. A false memory, perhaps, of an emotional reaction from her human life, but it damn near knocked her off her feet.

"Of course we will!" she rushed to say, tripping over her own feet as she flashed to the girls.

"We will?" Eleazar spluttered.

"Yes, son, you will." Atia fixed her boy with wide eyes that flicked to his mate and back again, to get her point across.

Unlike his mate who had fled to the Denali girls, Eleazar took his time. The twenty paces came with heavy footsteps and sunken shoulders. It was an excellent portrayal of a fallen man walking to the hangman's noose.

Whilst Tanya and Kate had collapsed into Carmen's arms, desperately needing the warmth and affection she offered, Irina stood rigid. "We will not be anyone's fucking wards!"

"My dear," Atia called softly. "We appreciate you are upset … "

"Upset!" Irina raged. "You plan to murder our mother!"

Caius let his chin fall to his chest. He had only just made peace with having Aro's children in the coven. Demetri had become a bearable annoyance. Jane could be alright, particularly seeing her mocking Felix. Alec at least was a quiet boy. Felix was still a pain in the ass and the Denali girls caused a riot every time they darkened the Volturi doors.

With Irina still screeching her complaints and demands, he hissed for Aro's attention. "Are you sure she wasn't complicit, Aro?"

Aro shared his co masters concerns. "Sadly, quite sure, Caius."

"Eleazar," Aro called over. "Take them."

"Take your fucking hands off me!" Irina wailed, digging her heels into the floor. Seeing Kate and Tanya walking away with Carmen sent her into a rage. "Don't go with her!"

Kate looked between her elder sister and her thoroughly disinterested mother. "What else are we going to do?"

Irina shoved Eleazar's flaccid attempts at control away. "I will look after you, Kate."

"As you say, my dear," Aro half shouted over their noise. "You are a young woman. I believe you do not sleep?"

"No." Irina bit her lip, there was no point lying to a king who could read minds. "Well … only very occasionally."

"Then yes, I will agree you are an adult vampire."

Irina saw a glimmer of hope for getting out of the Volturi coven and leaving with her sisters.

Aro was quick to take it away. "If you wish to leave you may go with my blessing."

Aro walked down the throne steps and came to halt between Irina and her sisters, effectively separating them with his presence. "But your sisters … they are too young to be left without guardians and you are too immature for the task. You are welcome to join the coven and live here with your sisters."

"Irina, you can't leave us," Kate spoke for herself and Tanya. Losing their mother would be hard enough without adding being separated from her sister.

"Come along," Eleazar said to the girl kindly. With an arm around her heaving shoulders as she sobbed, he led Irina out of the great hall behind Carmen and the girls.

The child in Magnus' arms waved happily as they passed, still blissfully unaware of his coming end.

"The boy must die," Aro said to his comrades. It wasn't so much a question, but he wanted their assent. A room of solemn nods was his only answer.

"Magnus, could you maintain your gift, if you please. I see no reason why the child should suffer for Sasha's mistake." Aro retook his throne as Magnus bought the child before him expectantly. Sasha still clung to his free arm.

Basileus came forward to remove Sasha. "Do you want me to kill the boy?" he asked the juggernaut quietly. Sadly, Sasha heard him.

"No, my lord," she begged her old flame. "Please!"

Magnus stroked a hand down Sasha's face and offered her some calm with is gift. "The child won't suffer in my hands, my dear, I assure you."

The boy laughed in Magnus' hold as he manoeuvred the boy into position. His tinkling giggles filled the room as Magnus made the child as happy as he could be before the inevitable …SNAP.

Sasha screamed. The agony of a mother's loss filling her very being until nothing more would come. Basileus went down to the floor with her, his own heart hurting for what he knew he would do when the time came.

Magnus couldn't take anymore. The emotional turmoil was just too much. Killing a boy, a baby really, who never should have been in their court in the first place … it was just too much. It had to be done, he knew that, and better him than someone without his gift, but he was done.

No one saw him leave, he left so fast, only the door crashing to the floor as it broke free of its hinges alerted anyone that Magnus had gone.

"Pussy," Henri muttered. He'd been as loud as he'd dared and rather than finding any agreement, the entire alliance looked to him with disdain.

Aro wished he could have followed Magnus out, as did a good many others. _I need to wrap this up._ "You have broken vampiric law," he directed to Sasha with all the force he could muster. "You have failed in your agreement to our alliance. I am afraid I am left with no choice."

"My daughters … " Sasha croaked, finally remembering the three.

"Will be well taken care of, my friend," Aro replied with sincerity. "I give you my word."

"What is your word worth to me?!"

"I am afraid it is all I have left to offer you, Sasha." Aro turned away, what else could he say to her? "I am saddened to have to ask you this so early in our alliance. I will not proceed without your agreement."

Henri started in on Sasha, telling her what a fool she had been.

"Whilst I appreciate your sentiments, Henri, a little compassion ... if you please." _You really are a prick_ , Aro thought. "Sasha has committed a grave sin against our kind, against our laws, but no one can deny it – her sin comes from a good heart. A good place. It is with immense sadness that any of us are in this position."

Aro looked to the coven leaders. "Your agreement?"

Amun stepped forward to go first. "I agree, Aro." The others duly followed, all giving their consent.

When Aro went to approach Sasha, Basileus held his hand out of his son to stay back. "I will do it, son," he said, voice thick with emotion.

"Are you sure?" Aro knew his father's history with the Denali leader, some of it at least, and he wouldn't wish to cause him more distress than necessary.

Basileus closed his eyes and held Sasha's head in his hands.

"Basileus, no, help me, please!"

Kissing her gently to quieten her pleas, Basileus pulled back for a moment. "Sasha, I'm so very sorry, my love." SNAP. "Forgive me."

Silence fell around the room as Basileus laid out the woman next to her child and joined the masters and his mate on the throne floor. No one knew what to say, there were no words.

"Basileus, my dear," Atia said kindly with a hand on his shoulder. "I think someone should do a perimeter walk," she suggested. "A final check." She could see he needed to get out of that crowded room. He needed time with his thoughts.

"Yes," Basileus replied, sounding lost. "A perimeter walk." Basileus made his way through the crowd, who parted for him to pass, and he left the castle.

"They had a lot of history, son," Atia explained, looking at the door Basileus had just exited.

Aro knew that, but he eyed his mother with concern. "And you are okay with the response?" he asked.

"His heart is hurting," Atia told him. "No, I'm not okay with that. I would never wish for your father's heart to ache."

She smiled to her son with a tear in her eye. Not for Sasha, particularly - she didn't know her well. But for her mate and for his loss. She was secure in the knowledge that Basileus was hers and hers alone, but they all both had history and she knew only too well how it felt to lose someone you once cared for so much.

"He cannot help who it aches for. None of us can."

As ever, Aro was impressed with his mother.

Looking out to the sea of waiting faces, Aro knew he still had work to do. "I suggest, in honour of our fallen comrade, that this ball be made short. It feels inappropriate to me to be celebrating anything with such a sad loss to our alliance. Let's see to the work we have to complete and then disperse as a mark of respect for Sasha."

Everyone agreed with that. They didn't feel much like celebrating anymore.

The masters and coven leaders took up their seats at the meeting table in the masters' office, whilst everyone else headed to the guard hall. With such a sombre mood in the air, no music playing, no laughter filling the rooms, it was an entirely different feel to the previous meetings they had held. It took a few tankards of bloodwine for the masters to loosen their tongues.

Aro broke the ice. "I must say, I didn't expect to have to deal with something like this so early in our alliance."

"I knew Sasha was somewhat lackadaisical," Amun admitted, "but I would never have dreamt she could do something so foolish."

Aro agreed with that. All of it. "It was quite the shock when my guards returned with the whole coven."

"What could possibly make a seven-hundred-year-old vampire do something so reckless?" It was beyond Siobhan's comprehension.

"The desire for a child can be intense," Aro mused aloud, thinking of his own young brood. "I certainly experienced that with my children. I am grateful to the gods that I have only felt that way for older children, but I can understand Sasha's actions on a basic level."

Hilda understood Aro's feelings, to a degree. She knew Noella was young and would take her over code, but she felt compelled to turn her anyway against good sense. She was the only one to understand such a draw, however.

Basileus joined the table next to his mate, who immediately took his hand. "I'm fine, my dear," he said quietly.

Though he appreciated Atia's concern, he wouldn't have wanted her to question anything between the two of them. When he searched her mind for surety, he was relived to find only a caring wife, and not one wishing to take him down for his pain over another woman's death. Atia understood Basileus would have reacted similarly to losing any old, dear friend, and so would she. Feeling they were on the same page, Basileus asked a peculiar question.

"What colour are my eyes?"

Atia sat back in her chair. "You don't know?" she asked with clear confusion.

On his walk around the castle, Basileus had crossed paths with the Amazonian's who had decided to skip the pleasantries and leave. They had told him of some interesting developments in the very northern areas of their continent that had piqued his interest.

"I'm asking for a second opinion," he said simply, offering his eyes for appraisal.

Atia considered them for a moment, finding only the usual hue the creator wore. "Flame coloured," she answered.

Basileus slumped back in his seat for a moment. "Not amber?" he asked, eyes wide again.

"Uhm, not really." Atia could see he was disappointed but she had no idea why such a thing even mattered. "There's too much red in them to be amber."

Basileus bobbed his head and appeared contemplative. "I'm putting the whole coven on an animal blood diet." Draining his cup before he spoke again, he said, "A simple experiment. Indulge me."

"We're ready for you," Magus called out form the doorway. He and Caius had been down in the dungeons getting his head together under the guise of sorting out the guards for sale.

Atia looked back to her mate as everyone stood, realising she hadn't answered him. "As you wish," she said, sure she would find out the reason why at a later date.

"My lords, I am pleased, so very pleased!" Hilda clapped her hands together excitedly. "You found me some handsome men, too, Caius."

"I'm glad you appreciate my efforts, Hilda." Caius moved in a little closer, hoping to keep the next matter private between the two of them. "Now the payment we discussed … "

"I have your money in the east tower, Caius," Hilda announced, loudly. "You earned every penny."

"I assume we will be going halves on that?" Magnus asked, also quite loudly!

"It will be going into the coven!" Aro told them both in an overly sharp tone.

Looking at the scowl his father was offering, Aro cursed his bad judgement. Not for claiming the cash for the coven, that was okay, he believed, but for the way he'd snapped at Magnus in Basileus' presence. _Fuck_! It was exactly the situation Aro had been careful to avoid for the last few years. At least with so many outsiders here he won't make too much of a point, Aro thought hopefully. He even hoped his father caught onto his thoughts and didn't embarrass them all.

"They earned it, Aro," Basileus said coolly. "They should keep it this time."

The 'this time' was important and Basileus hoped Caius knew that it was a onetime deal. If Caius didn't catch it, Magnus did. He'll tell Caius, Basileus assumed.

"How many will you be taking Hilda," Caius asked. "You have ten to choose from."

"I planned on one each for each of my current members." Hilda sorted through the group with her eyes. "Any five will do," she said. They all looked good.

"I'll take a couple," Henri called out seeing there were five for the taking.

Magnus blocked the doorway to the newborn hall. "No, Henri, you won't."

"Excuse me?!" Henri snapped. Even having the juggernaut speak to him offended Henri's sensibilities.

"I said you won't be taking any." Magnus smirked to the little man. "I've seen the way you treat your current members, Volturi trained guards will only be gifted to those covens who will show them the respect they deserve. They aren't toys for you to play with."

"They're Caius' merchandise," Henri reminded him snidely. "Not yours."

Magnus looked over to Caius and back to Henri. "I have a feeling Caius agrees with me," he said confidently. "And vampires aren't merchandise. We aren't breeding a slave race here."

 _Oh bollocks_. Caius knew he had to make a call to stand on one side or the other. It was a no brainer, he would obviously stand with Magnus, but he didn't like being backed into a corner. "He's right, Henri."

 _You are backing him up_? Henri lost a lot of respect for Caius with that simple call. Still, he was fixated on Magnus. "If I offered Aro enough he would sell me YOU, let alone a fucking guard!" Henri laughed to himself. "Oops, how foolish of me, you are one and the same, aren't you, Magnus?"

Hearing his name, Aro and Basileus turned from Hilda and Amun to see Magnus stepping up to Henri.

"I'd happily come to your coven and reorganise things for you, Henri."

"Magnus," Basileus smiled to his friend and clamped a hand on the juggernaut's shoulder. With all the emotion that had coursed through the juggernaut in the throne room, Basileus appreciated he was a little too strung out to be dealing with Henri at that time. He was feeling similarly himself. "Back down."

Henri straightened out his jacket, though Magnus hadn't actually touched him. "You should listen to your master, dog."

Basileus simultaneously held Magnus back and turned on Henri. "Magnus has no master, neither inside these walls nor outside of them, Henri."

 _Damn it_. Aro knew it was coming, he had been waiting for it, but to have it announced so publicly was a kick in the teeth. Everyone other than Aro seemed surprised by Basileus' pronouncement.

"What about you, my lord?" Amun asked, curious as to the answer. So were the other coven leaders, not to mention Caius and Magnus himself! Freyr seemed relatively sure of what would follow – women talk, as we know.

"Magnus is my friend," Basileus said, putting his arm around the man's shoulders. "We hunt together, we drink together, we put the world to rights together - he's not my subordinate."

'Aright, Dad, leave it there', Aro thought with wide eyes on his old man. Basileus heard him, though he paid no attention to Aro's plea.

"Magnus, and Freyr," he said, bowing his head to the shield maiden stood with Siobhan and Hilda, "are as close to my equal as you will find in this world."

With everyone suitably shocked, Basileus turned to Henri. He wanted the cretin out of his coven. "It's time for you to take your dirty drug and leave."

Hearing mention of the dungeon blood stirred Caius into action. "Henri does need some more support in France," he said, sidling over to Henri and his barrel of the good stuff. "The werewolves are rising in numbers … "

Magnus knew damn well the only reason Caius wanted to go to France was for that barrel of shit Henri was taking home with him. "Then we will arrange a mission to take the numbers down to a manageable level."

"You want to come?" Caius asked. _Please say no, please say no_!

"I think that would be best, don't you?"

What could Caius say to that?! "Great." _Fucking wonderful_.

Henri liked the idea of Caius in his own court, but it wasn't so appealing if Magnus would be accompanying him. Still, he had to be gracious if he were to get out of Volterra alive. "That's a start, I suppose."

Basileus wasn't going to let him get away with that. "I think the appropriate response was 'thank you', Henri."

"Yeah," Henri sneered, looking towards the juggernaut but refusing to meet the man's eye. "Thanks."

Regardless of the sneer, Magnus was soon laughing. Seeing Henri attempt to move the barrel through the dungeons was a funny sight. "Are you struggling with that heavy barrel, Henri?"

"It's the size, not the weight," Henri snapped, shuffling the barrel along at a snail's pace.

Magnus swaggered over and pushed Henri aside. In one fluid movement he rolled the barrel around and easily hoisted it onto one shoulder. Putting on quite a show, for Henri's benefit, of course. Although, the ladies were pleased by his efforts, too.

"Freyr, you are one lucky woman!" Hilda said, giving the shield maiden a playful nudge. "How much for him?"

Freyr watched her man strolling along with a giant barrel perched on the thunderous muscles of his left arm. "Too much," she answered. "I'd only sell him by the pound."

The juggernaut spun so fast he nearly dropped the dungeon blood. "Hey!"

Aro had to get his mind off Magnus, he left the Juggernaut and his mate in their usual playful argument and brought the Irish leader over to the guards on offer. "You are yet to expand your force, Siobhan," he stated. "Are you interested in the rest of these to boost your ranks?"

"I can take them, Aro, but I haven't brought enough gold to pay for them."

Aro looked over his shoulder to Caius and smirked. Caius didn't have to hear his thoughts to know what Aro was thinking - _you_ _'_ _ll be keeping Siobhan_ _'_ _s payment, no doubt, cock_.

"I'm sure we can arrange a collection for the amount due," Aro told the woman happily, already planning on sending Renata, knowing she was loyal to him.

"Then I will take the remaining five, my lord."

They shook on a deal well done and Siobhan left the dungeons with her new tribe. She hadn't considered what Liam's reaction might be to taking five gifted and talented men home with them.

Amun was the last of the visiting coven leaders to be in the dungeons with the Volturi bunch. He had waited purposely to speak plainly. "Is there a particular reason why I have not been offered any of these wonder guards?"

"Like Magnus said, Amun," Aro started, planning his words carefully. "These guards are at the peak of their training, the peak of Vampiric abilities. We will not see them go to a coven where they will be treated as less than they deserve."

Amun appreciated the linguistic level Aro had gone to so as not to call him out as an outright cunt, even if that was his concern. "Understood, my lord."

"You're still here?" Chelsea kissed Renata's cheek as she joined her and Heidi at the bar in the guard hall. All visitors had left for their own lands and even many of the Volturi guards had taken to their dorms, giving the hall an eerie quiet which was most unusual for the hub of the coven.

Renata collected a drink from Turk and took her seat with a deflated huff. "Where else would I be?"

"What happened to riding a lion back to Africa?" Heidi asked, thinking of their earlier conversation that day.

"I didn't want to go anyway." Renata took a long drawn out swig of her bloodwine, hoping for something believable to come to mind. "Why would I leave this place? I'm Volturi."

Chelsea and Heidi shared a teasing giggle. "Did Xola turn you down?" Chelsea asked.

Renata slammed her tankard into the wooden bar at hearing the African leader's name. "Apparently he doesn't 'do' vampires."

"What?!" Heidi asked in horror. "Do you mean … the lions … "

"No! You moron," Renata shook her head pitying the simple siren. "I mean he does humans. Only humans."

"So he says," Heidi replied. She hadn't appreciated Renata's condescending tone.

"Renata, my darling," Freyr had heard the conversation and joined the three before anything could turn sour, taking Dora with her. She put her arm around the younger woman and Renata leaned into the embrace. "Why don't you just go out there and find yourself a human you like the look of and we can turn him for you?"

Renata scowled. "Because I don't want to be saddled with one I don't like" she whined. "What if I find one and you have him turned just for me and then I don't like him? I'd be stuck with him. I want to take the horse for a ride before I saddle him up."

"Charming, my dear."

Freyr and Magnus weren't particularly prudish, but the casual way the younger men and women of their coven discussed what they believed should be an intimate experience, never failed to shock them.

"Surely it's understandable after Antonio?" Renata asked. That's exactly how she had been landed with that prick for so many years.

Freyr looked across the bar to Heidi. "I'm sure Heidi will take your wishes into account the next time we collect a group for turning, won't you?"

"I did last time," Heidi replied, her eyes dancing and the smile growing as she spoke. Chelsea outright laughed at Heidi's reply, Renata didn't find it so funny.

"You purposely avoided large strong men, Heidi, I know you did."

That was it, Heidi and Chelsea blatantly cracking up over Renata's misfortune. Even Dora joined in.

"Oh Heidi, you are cruel!" Dora sounded impressed with her old bed fellow, much to Renata's annoyance. Dora knew something about Renata that she could use to join in with the teasing and it seemed a perfect time to deploy such knowledge. "Freyr, why don't you rent out Magnus?" she asked casually.

"Dora!" Renata hissed, covering her face in shame.

Whilst Freyr rolled her eyes at their immature play, Dora continued. "I bet he'd fetch a pretty penny."

"Oh he would!" Renata blurted out, cursing her own foolishness immediately. "Erm … I mean …"

"I'll be sure to pass on your approval, my dear." Freyr desperately tried to sound stern, but she found the younger woman's attraction to her mate quite comical. "I think it's time we retire for the evening," she told Dora, taking the drink from her hands. "Turk, call last orders, there's a love, I think everyone needs to have some down time."

Renata waited for the kind master to leave with Dora in tow before turning to her covenmates. Chelsea and Heidi were literally howling at her shame. Wishing she was just about anywhere else in the world, Renata huffily told them, "I should have asked the lion to mate with me!"


	132. The Start of a Very Long Day

**T** **HE** **S** **TART OF** **A** **V** **ERY** **L** **ONG** **D** **AY**

Basileus peeked into the guard hall. "It's dead in there!"

"Tell me about it," Magnus complained with his head flat on the desk. He didn't even move to greet Basileus.

There was only he and Odi in the masters' office, though Odi looked bored rigid with the juggernaut in his current state for company.

The ball had only lasted a day, less than a day, and Freyr had closed the hall early that night. To make up for the free booze the guards had missed out on, the guard hall had been open from first light until last light the day after, and some idiot, Magnus, had suggested letting the guards drink as much as they could during those hours.

He'd given the challenge a good go himself and he was suffering the effects from joining the younger men in their game. _I'_ _m too old for this shit_ , he thought, stretching out his aching back as he wondered if a vampire could get alcohol poisoning. He could well remember telling his liver to 'man up' as he knocked back the pints. _Far too old_! It had all been in an effort to release some tension in the guard, and the challenge had served its purpose on that score, but it also had a negative effect - every single guard had drunk their fill, so now no one would be buying anything for a week at least.

"It's bad for my takings when that bar is empty."

Basileus chuckled at Magnus' ire. He pulled a free chair over to the desk where Magnus and Odi sat and began searching through the young guard's memories.

"What have you done this time, Odi?" he asked knowingly. Odi was what Basileus thought of as a 'frequent offender'. Never anything too extreme, but he certainly kept Magnus on his toes.

"Nothing," Magnus answered quickly. The stern eye he gave the guard would signify it was anything but nothing.

Odi saw his chance. Magnus always kept him from harm – he had done so since they arrived in the coven. Well … not from harm so much as Odi faced Magnus with a depressingly painful regularity. But Magnus kept most matters between the two of them without involving the other masters.

"Should I catch up with Turk now, master?" he asked. Odi tried hard to make his request sound casual, usual even, but his goofy grin betrayed him.

Magnus gave him the side eye treatment until Odi changed tact.

"Perhaps I should go to my dorm, master?"

With a mere nod from Magnus, Odi was gone and Basileus was laughing again.

Magnus chuckled, too. "That kid gives me as much trouble as Felix gives Aro!"

"Speaking of your precious guards," Basileus started, "do you expect the guard hall to be busy tomorrow?"

Magnus shook his head. "I doubt it, they aren't daft - they drank their fill on my florin, so they won't have to spend their own for a while."

"Good, good."

"It's not good for my takings!" Magnus repeated, wincing at how loud he had been. Hangovers are the real killers.

He was less bothered about the takings and more bothered about the grief Freyr was giving him for opening the bar and covering the bill rather than putting it through coven accounts. Magnus had expected Aro would cover it, as was customary for the tribune balls, or oven parties generally, for that matter. But since Basileus' declaration of Magnus being his bosom buddy with no master to speak of, Aro had the hump with the juggernaut and had told him to pay the bill himself.

Basileus had already traipsed through Magnus' mind and come across the request he had made of Aro for the guards' bar bill. Magnus had been perfectly polite, Aro had not.

"Aro will sort the bill," Basileus said with certainty.

"Just leave it, it's fine," Magnus lied. "I should have checked first."

"You need to stand up to him more." Basileus thought about how Marcus would have dealt with a pissy Aro and though he wouldn't have kicked up a fuss, he certainly wouldn't have stood for Aro's shit either. Basileus was pushing for Magnus to take a similar stand. "I'll be having a word with him when I get chance. I'm the one who changed the order of things, so if he has any complaints he can come to me with them, not you."

Magnus wasn't sure how he felt about being pulled even higher than he already was. He was perfectly happy being Basileus' drinking buddy, and could only see the stress in making things any more concrete than that. _And what will we be making concrete anyway_? he wondered. _Official friends_?

Basileus heard. 'Official friends' made him smile. "I need your assistance," he said, getting down to business. "Eleazar has convinced the girls to join us for a family day and I need you to help relax them a little. It will help to have a bit of an audience, too. My family are much more pleasant when they're not fully relaxed, so I need yours there."

 _Yours_? Magnus repeated to himself. _My what_? "How are the girls settling in?" he asked.

"They aren't," Basileus said sadly. "That's the problem."

"They are grieving," Magnus reminded him. "It's only been a couple of days."

Basileus nodded. "I know, but if you could use your gift to give them a break from their grief, I think it would give Eleazar and Carmen a break from the drama."

"Are they struggling?"

"Carmen is happy, from what Atia tells me," Basileus said brightly. He was truly happy that someone had found happiness in the tragic event, even more so that it was his own daughter-in-law. "But Eleazar doesn't like having to do anything, so yes, massively struggling." Basileus stood and put his chair back. Looking out the window, he could see they still had a few hours of night time left. "Come as soon as it's light out. It's bound to be a long day, unfortunately, but I want to throw the whole elite at this, for appearances ... if nothing else."

Magnus sighed. "So I need to convince Caius and Dora?"

"I already told you to bring your lot." Basileus gave Magnus a look like he was simple or something. "Will it be a problem?"

 _Oh_! _You meant my_ _'_ _family_ _'_? _That_ _'_ _s a bit of a stretch_. "No problem," he replied quickly. "Well, maybe for Caius and Dora, but they will be there."

Basileus started walking out the office. "Now I just need to convince Marcus so he can read their bonds," he called behind him as he left.

"But why do we have to come?!" Dora flopped into her chair, scowling at the news of having her day planned for her.

Freyr took the seat next to Dora and smiled encouragingly. "Those girls will need welcoming into the coven after having their mother die at our hands," she explained.

"Basileus wants me to help with their emotions … " Magnus added, only to be quickly cut off by Dora.

"I get why you need to be there," she huffed, dragging a hand down her face. "Why do we need to be there?" _Or, more specifically_ , she thought, _why do_ _ **I**_ _need to go_?!

Magnus rolled his eyes to the heavens. _You can argue as much as you like, but I bet you still come_. "I thought you women had sorted your strife," he threw out, off the cuff.

"You women?" Freyr repeated, raising her eyebrows to her mate. "Like we are a side species?"

Caius strolled through from the hallway, half dressed, still doing up his britches as he walked. "More of a sub-species."

Freyr reached over the back of the chair and managed to catch him with a smack to the back of his legs as he passed. "Cheeky!"

"We have, kind of," Dora eventually replied to Magnus, though she was more thinking aloud. "Sulpicia and Carmen are being perfectly nice to me, which is more than I deserve. They don't like me, though. There's too much water under the bridge." She turned to Freyr in the hope for more understanding. "It's just going to be awkward for everyone if I'm there."

"Maybe," Freyr tentatively agreed.

"But it always will be if you refuse to engage," Magnus added. "You have been invited, so you're coming."

Dora ignored Magnus completely, hoping Freyr would be offering a way out. Alas, no such offer came. "It's a social convention, dear. Non-optional."

"Why?!" Dora threw her head back to rest on the chair and glared at the ceiling.

"Because I said so," Magnus replied.

Tilting her head ever so slightly so she could see Magnus, Dora thought, _bossy old fucker_!

Freyr stroked the woman's arm kindly. She knew Dora's resistance was down to fearing the rejection of her covenmates. Dora would rather live her days completely alone than put herself at risk in such a way. "My darling," Freyr said softly, "always go with the choice that scares you the most - that's the one that will help you grow."

Dora might have left it there with Freyr's kind words had she not caught Caius' smirk. _Cock_ , she thought. "Then maybe," she said, as though she were following Freyr's final comment, "we should stay home and face Magnus' wrath - that scares Caius the most."

"Shut up does he scare me!" Caius snapped, squaring his shoulders. "I think fucking not!"

Magnus flicked his hand out and clipped Caius around the ear for his mouth, before strolling over to Dora. He pulled her up from her seat and lead her to the door. "It should scare you, too, lady," he whispered, directing them all out and to the south tower.

Magnus and his … whatever they were ... arrived before anyone else, and to begin with the very thing Dora had dreaded was to be her reality - Sulpicia for company. Atia and Freyr sat with Sulpicia and Dora, just to get them started in conversation with each other. When it was clear that neither of them had much to say to the other, and Atia and Freyr were doing all the talking, the elder pair left them alone. The hope was that throwing them in the deep end together would spark some chatter.

"So," Sulpicia said nervously, "have you spent any time with the Denali girls before now?"

"I've heard them, that's been enough."

Dora had replied in her trademark tone, snide and unforgiving, but with reference to the Denali girls, Sulpicia didn't necessarily disagree.

Dora continued, "Irina is the most abrasive brat I have ever met, and I am married to Caius."

"Dora!" Sully exclaimed, before bursting out laughing

"Hey," Magnus clicked his fingers at Dora and pulled her in close, so the nearby children wouldn't hear. "That may be true … "

"And funny!" Sulpicia added quickly.

"But, it is not helpful," Magnus finished. "Don't roll your eyes at me, either."

Not a great start to the very long day, but at least the coven ladies were speaking.

Atia was quick to turn on Basileus when Magnus returned. "I would just like to point out that not only is Magnus expertly managing Caius," she noted, "he is also willing to engage with Athenodora when required."

"Where is this going?" Basileus asked. _As if I don_ _'_ _t already know_!

Atia put one hand on her hip as she continued. "You actively avoid saying a thing to Sulpicia or Carmen … "

"I speak to them often."

"You know what I mean, Basileus," Atia admonished, reducing her mate to a child state. "Don't play the fool, it is most unbecoming in a man of your stature."

"Why is it always the men that have to be the bad guy?" Basileus asked. "Why don't you and Freyr step up and make yourselves unpopular?"

"We do, often!" Freyr added on their behalf. "We just aren't so crude to make our admonishments public like our male counterparts."

Basileus rolled his eyes at the juggernaut. He had no hope of winning against Atia or Freyr, especially not when they were together. All he could do was sell his buddy down the river. "So, Magnus isn't so great after all?"

"Perhaps not," Atia mused. "But he's better than you."

Basileus gave up. "Can you hear the grief I'm getting because of you?" he shot to Magnus.

"Hear it?" Magnus repeated. "I like to repeat it to myself on cold nights."

Basileus went quiet for a moment as he listened to the halls. He could hear Eleazar's thoughts, they were close. "They're coming," he said, filled with apprehension.

Atia joined Sulpicia at the door to welcome them all inside. "Welcome, my dear ones," she said. Amazingly warm for Atia who had a much more no-nonsense approach to emotional matters as a rule.

"I'm sorry we're late," Carmen told her mother-in-law, ushering the girls inside.

"I'm not," Irina added. "I didn't want to come."

 _Hmmm_ , Dora thought from across the room. _Kindred spirit_!

"Irina, please!" Carmen hissed over her shoulder.

Kate and Tanya were happy to be there, or at least they seemed to be happy. Only two days after losing their mother and finding themselves in a very strange situation and they were doing remarkedly well. Irina, however, had a heart full of black bile and she was directing it at the Volturi as a whole.

"What's the point of this?" Irina snapped. "We already know the coven … "

"Aha," Basileus said, flashing to the girl's side. "This isn't about meeting the coven. As you say, you already know them. This, my dear," he said, putting an arm around the older girl, "is about welcoming you into our family, which is altogether a different thing."

Irina was not impressed and deftly avoided Basileus' hold, moving away and giving him the dead eye as she looked the man up and down.

Felix, Demetri and Jane sat in shock at seeing someone behave so disrespectfully towards the creator. They were even more surprised when Basileus let it go with a sad sigh.

Irina was one angry young lady, he understood that after what she had been through, and, out of respect for her dead mother, Basileus intended on giving her time to come to terms with her new life. He had instructed everyone else to do likewise.

"Would you like someone to show you around?" Sulpicia asked the girls as she collected their cloaks.

Irina shook her head and pulled her sisters in close before they could agree. "I have been here before, I know where everything is."

Sulpicia knew they had been to Volterra, that wasn't what she had meant. "I meant the south tower … "

Irina licked her lips and blew Felix a kiss. "I have been here before, too, haven't I, Felix?"

Felix dug himself into the sofa as his mother's gaze fell upon him. _Oh fuck. Kill me now_!

Having mortified the boy in front of everyone, Irina started walking around the lower floor chamber like she owned the place. "I thought all your parties involved getting wasted?"

Aro perched on the edge of his desk with Caius. He flicked the lid off a small wooden trunk and revealed the weed within. "Welcome to my personal stash, Irina. Feel free to indulge, if it will help?"

Irina took the pipe Aro offered without even giving him the respect to look him in the eye. "I will indulge. My mother helped pay for it, after all. In so many ways."

Aro snapped the lid closed a little harder than necessary "Won't this be fun," he told Caius.

Caius closed his eyes and shook his head, blaming Magnus for dragging them into the Volturi family bullshit. The only saving grace was that Aro had the whiskey out for the occasion. Caius started drinking it down greedily, like a man at a mirage in the desert.

With all the women gathered together at one end of the room, all the men around Aro's desk on the other, and Felix, Demetri and Jane sitting with Tanya and Kate (that pissed Irina off, her sisters were already turning against her, as she saw it) Irina took a seat near Dora.

"So, what is this?" she asked. "An intervention or something?"

Dora sighed and looked between Magnus, Freyr and Caius - all three had been insistent she attend and all three had also abandoned her. "Not just for you," she replied.

A smile grew across Irina's face. She'd never spoken to Dora before, though she knew the woman was Caius' mate, but that was all she knew. The simple reply she had offered, however, was enough for Irina to take a punt on Dora. She took a drag from the hash pipe and passed it to over. "I didn't realise you were in Volterra unwillingly, too?"

"I live in the coven willingly," Dora said quietly, taking a drag for herself. "Socialising, less so."

"Yeah, people …" Irina scanned the room with her eyes. "I'm not a big fan."

Eleazar knocked back his whiskey in one, his forehead was damp, his hair a mess from constantly running his hands through it. He looked a mess.

"Steady on, son," Basileus told him. "No one's going to take if off you!"

"How are you finding them, El?" Magnus sensed the turmoil the man was in. _Managing the emotions today is going to be a tall order_!

"Hell." Eleazar rolled his empty glass between his hands in agitation. "It's hell. I am literally living in hell," he hissed. "Kate and Tanya are okay, they're grieving but they are pleasant. The older one … I could happily wring her damn neck."

Watching his son squeezing the glass tighter and tighter, Basileus took it from him. "Let's just top that up, shall we?"

"Every word that leaves her mouth drips with spite," Eleazar continued, still on Irina.

"It's only been a couple of days," Magnus said as he played with Eleazar's feelings to settle him a little. "Don't write them off just yet."

Demetri had been pleased when Tanya had sat next to him, he hadn't even noticed that Irina was on the other side of him, talking to Dora. Felix had noticed, naturally, and he felt his little brother should move for him. Of course, Felix didn't ask Demetri to move ... he started dragging him from his chair instead.

"Just shift!"

"No!" Demetri spat, snatching his arm back.

"I was there first," Felix reminded him.

"Yeah," Demetri agreed, "like first thing this morning. You move, you lose."

Felix told his brother he was giving him one last chance to move before he regretted it, Demetri stood (or rather, sat) his ground. But he was soon squealing when Felix sat on top of him. "Mom!"

"Felix, you're going to squash him!"

Felix beamed at his mother. "That's the plan, Mom."

"Honestly," Sulpicia told them both disapprovingly. "Bring some pretty girls into the coven and you pair start chasing your tails looking for a tree to scent." She was going to shame them into behaving in the hope that it would lessen their arguments for the rest of the day. "Do you think any of them will fancy either of you behaving so immaturely?"

Kate and Tanya burst out laughing. Jane, too, was quick to join in, the three of them throwing out mild taunts to the boys.

Demetri closed his eyes. _Fuck me, Mom_! _That was harsh_.

Felix took one look at Irina, who looked back to him pityingly - which is never a look a teenage boy wants to see from someone he hoped to fuck! - and sprang to his feet. "You might as well have cut my balls off saying that!" he hissed at his mother.

"It's still an option, son," Sulpicia said sweetly. "Demetri, go and see what's taking Alec so long, he hasn't come down yet."

Demetri scowled knowing that would give Felix his seat. "Why me?!"

Felix took Demetri's chair, spreading his legs out for full effect. "Because the little boys should be playing together."

Sulpicia rolled her eyes to the heavens, doubly so when she heard the men all laughing and Aro joining in rather than coming to her aid. "Do any of you want one of them?" she asked. "How about you, Caius?"

Caius glanced over and spotted Irina cosying up to his mate. I few ideas floated through his mind seeing them together. He pointed a finger at young woman. "The only child I would willingly spend time with, is that one." As soon as he said it he realised how fucked up it sounded and his face dropped. The whiskey had gone straight to his head.

"Did you hear those words as they left your mouth?" Freyr asked him, clearly disgusted.

Caius shrugged as Aro mocked him from the other side. "It sounded better in my head."

"You should have heard what he was thinking, Freyr," Basileus added, also unamused. "It was not 'better' at all."

"This is what happens when you start on the whiskey at dawn." Freyr took his glass away and went back to her conversation with Atia.

"Freyr!" Caius called after her, expecting her to give the whiskey back. When she ignored him, he went to pour himself a new glass, only to have Magnus shake his head disapprovingly. _For fuck sake_!

Aro was bitterly disappointed to see Caius give up so quickly. He assumed that, like him, Caius was trying not to push the creator into showing him who was boss. Aro was wrong, of course, but he was blissfully ignorant of what was going on in the north tower. Caius was already painfully aware that Magnus was indeed 'boss'. He was on a different mission entirely with the juggernaut – Caius was doing his utmost to keep it a private matter between the two of them.

Aro might have pushed Caius for a chance to get his opinion on Basileus and Magnus had his youngest son not arrived at the bottom of the stairs, slack jawed horror etched on his face.

"Mom … " Alec called out quietly. "I need you."

Aro looked over curiously to his son, but he didn't offer to attend to whatever it was the boy needed, leaving his mate to deal with it instead. When she returned with Alec and Demetri in tow, trying to convince the younger that 'it's okay', and not to 'worry about it', Aro was suddenly much more interested. _What are you hiding from me_? he wondered.

Sulpicia knew what he was thinking. "It's nothing, my love, we can discuss it later."

"If nothing happened, what's wrong with him?" Aro pointed to their youngest boy, who looked apprehensive.

"He's fine," Sully said, wrapping an arm around his small shoulders. "A window has been broken. Nothing dramatic, my love."

"A window, where?"

 _Must you be so dogmatic_?! "Alec's room." _Just leave it,_ _Aro_ , Sully thought to her mate.

Aro wasn't going to leave it, he was quite annoyed that he was having to play sock puppets to get any information! "So, Alec broke a window?"

"He says not purposely." When Aro gave her the look, the look that said she was protecting their baby vampires from him when there was no need and that the little sods were lying, (oh how well she knew that look!) Sully continued, "My son doesn't lie." That was a foolish statement. "Well, okay," she said quickly. "Felix and Demetri lie, but not Alec."

Felix and Demetri looked to one another with the same thought. _Cheers,_ _Mom_!

"I shot an arrow through it, but it was an accident, Dad, really it was." Alec's voice was so small. He wasn't the most outspoken child at the best of times, often becoming mute when he was in the wrong. To have to voice anything in front of so many people really was painful for the boy. "I was aiming for Demetri, but he moved."

"Alec, you dick." Felix chuckled at his baby brother and his honesty. It was something Felix didn't really understand. "You should have said you thought it was open."

"See, Alec doesn't lie." Sulpicia turned a knowing eye on her elder boys. "Unlike you two."

"How are we getting it in the neck when the brat smashed a window?!" Felix wasn't having that, especially as his mother, once again, was bringing him the taunts of the girls. "You always defend Alec, no matter what he does, so he has no reason to lie."

Sulpicia completely ignored her eldest and ended her conversation with her mate, too. "Like I said, we can deal with it later, my love."

Basileus ushered everyone to the main seating area in the ground floor so it would be easier for Magnus to control any fraying emotions. Once Aro was seated, seeing his youngest still standing awkwardly by the stairs, he called the boy over.

"You had better come and sit with me."

He was meaning to encourage the boy into the room, but Alec was nervous. He didn't like being in trouble, it wasn't something he was used to. Especially not in such a large crowd of people.

Aro could see his boy considering something very stupid. "Wipe that look off your face right now," he told Alec with a finger wag. "Because if you dare use your gift on me, I will tan your hide with a full audience."

Alec wanted to die! Doubly so when no one even blinked at the proposal! Granted, it wasn't a 'spare the rod' kind of group, but the fact that no one came to his defence pissed him off. Worse than that, his brothers found it funny! Alec told them they were bastards, in his head of course ... he wasn't stupid. Gingerly, he made his way around the chairs towards his father, hoping the ground would open up and swallow him before he got there. When he was close enough to grab, Aro caught hold of him and pulled the boy into his lap.

"I wasn't going to use my gift on you," he said quietly. Okay, he had very briefly considered it, but he wouldn't have done it!

Aro turned to his mate. "He never lies, huh?"

Sulpicia shook her head. Aro wasn't getting that as a win. "You're scaring him into lying."

"See what I'm up against?!" Aro complained. He gave Alec a little shake. "The boy smashed a window and I am getting the frosty glares."

That was why Alec didn't like sitting with his father in public. Aro was always in the centre of things, and Alec was much more comfortable behind the scenes. Sitting with Aro meant that he was now in the centre, too, and that was even more painful for him when Aro brought up his indiscretions.

Magnus sniggered to himself. "Boys wreck your house, girls wreck you head."

Freyr's head shot around to her mate. "I haven't heard you say that for a long time, love." It was something he said often in their human days raising their family, such a very long time ago.

Magnus rubbed his chin as he, too, remembered the times he had declared as such with their own children. "There's still truth to it," he said, looking around the group, trying not to land on anyone in particular.

Eleazar's eyes landed on the three daughters of Satan with whom he had been lumbered and he knew only too well that they would indeed wreck his head.

Aro disagreed, as expected. "Not my girl," he declared, lovingly looking at his princess.

"Jane walks on water," Felix spat at his sister. "And then turns it into wine!"

Sulpicia glared at her mate to do something. They had both spoken to Felix that morning, before anyone had arrived, about expected behaviour, but she wasn't going to be the one policing him the whole day.

Aro saw his cue. "Do you want to sit by me, too?" he asked his eldest, patting his knee.

Embarrassing his boy was the quickest way to having Felix adjust his attitude, Aro knew that, and he planned on using it to his advantage. He knew it would be particularly effective in a room with three teenage girls.

Magnus felt the boy's temper flare. "What time do they go to bed?" he asked casually, trying to keep a grip on the different temperaments in the room.

"They've not long got up," Sulpicia told him with a sigh.

"It will still be very soon if he isn't careful," Aro said, looking straight at Felix. "I'm already at the end of my tether with him."

"What is this tether?" Felix needed to deflect his embarrassment desperately and the way he did that was to be even more cocky. "You don't let me know where you are on the tether at any point in the day and then suddenly you are at the end of your tether and it's my fault!"

Aro closed his eyes and willed his boy to shut up. It didn't work.

"We need a tether warning system," Felix continued.

"You get plenty of warnings," Atia told her grandson. She pointed out the murderous expression on both Aro and Basileus' faces. "You're getting one right now," she added in a whisper.

Irina and Dora left the group and went to Aro's weed box on his desk.

Magnus noticed first. "What are you doing?" he asked, seeing Irina had already stuffed her hand in and was filling up the pipe. "Don't you think you should ask first?"

Dora froze, though Irina seemed unperturbed. She smiled coldly at the juggernaut before turning to Aro. "So, what? Are we on rations with this stuff or are you feeling generous?"

"What's mine, is yours," Aro replied. He wanted to tell the girl to get fucked but he, like his father, was playing the long game with the Denali girls.

"Like my mother?" Irina snapped. She turned her back on them all and went back to stuffing her pipe.

It didn't even make sense as a retort, but it pissed Aro off. He considered Sasha a friend and he hadn't wanted to have her executed. He had been left with no choice - and her brats as a consequence.

Magnus felt Aro's anger spike. "She's a silly little girl, don't give her any fuel by reacting … "

Aro's annoyance turned on Magnus. "You have met Atia, I believe?"

"Huh?" Magnus wasn't sure where Aro was going with that. "Of course … "

"Oh good," Aro forced a tight smile before he dropped it and glowered. "For a moment I was concerned you thought I had need for a mother's counsel."

Basileus walked past Aro, having heard his comment, and slapped the side of his head. "You'll have need for your father's attention if you keep up your lip."

Much like how Aro dealt with Felix, Basileus used the same tactics with Aro. Embarrassment was the quickest way to rein the man in. And, much like Felix, Aro tried to deflect desperately.

Playing with the rings on his free hand, the other still wrapped around Alec's waist, Aro knew he looked nervous and he didn't like it. He liked it even less when he caught Magnus smiling sympathetically at him. "Pedestals are high to fall from, my friend," he hissed in a low voice.

Magnus could have taken it either way - a threat ... or a joke. Not wishing to rile Aro up any more than his father already had, Magnus went with joke. "Oh, you think you're funny?"

"I do," Aro replied. "I always have, even when I was little."

Magnus stood up and towered over the coven king. "You're still little," he reminded the man, heading off to follow Basileus.

"I know I told you to leave it," Magnus started.

Basileus didn't need to hear any more. "But you want me to tell Aro to sod off?"

Magnus smiled gratefully. "I would appreciate it."

"Fetch him."

Magnus didn't want to be involved at all, he couldn't see how it would help to keep winding Aro up. And everything Magnus said lately seemed to wind him up.

Basileus jutted his head in Aro's direction and gave Magnus the eye to say get on with it. He knew what he was doing. Magnus wasn't a naturally forceful kind of guy, but he didn't need to be, he just had to show some confidence in dealing with Aro. That's what Aro responded to. It was why he had no trouble being respectful towards Marcus and Freyr - neither of whom were forceful with him, but they dealt with his acidic tongue confidently rather than trying to win him over, like Magnus did. Basileus explained it to Magnus, it made sense, but he wasn't entirely convinced. He still went to fetch Aro, though.

Magnus leaned into Aro's ear. "Someone wants a word with you."

Aro rolled his eyes, knowing it would be his father. "Grassed me up?"

"If I wanted something done," Magnus replied, "I'd do it myself." _Oh_ _, that felt wrong_! Magnus thought, but he kept those thoughts to himself as he led Aro back across the room to Basileus.

Aro may have looked cool, but he didn't feel it. He knew he was playing with fire by taunting Magnus in public. He started the conversation before anyone else could focus it on him. "I'm not sure how Eleazar is going to cope with those girls."

Basileus knew what Aro was doing, but he'd go along with it - for now. "Irina is utterly reprehensible in her thoughts alone, and what she allows to come out of her mouth isn't much better."

Aro winced hearing Kate and Tanya screeching, though he was glad they were happily screeching, he only hoped his precious daughter didn't catch the need for such volumes. "I wish one of the other covens had offered to take them."

"You and me both, son."

Basileus couldn't quite believe the difference between the Denali girls. Irina stood bitching about the Volturi with Dora, who, in his mind, seemed to be enjoying the conversation a little too much, and then there was Kate and Tanya, chatting easily and playing cards with Felix, Demetri and Jane. Neither set made sense to Basileus. Irina needn't have been so hostile, and Kate and Tanya should be thinking more about their mother.

Magnus could see Basileus thinking similarly to himself. "Like I said, girls wreck your head."

Basileus agreed. It was why he chose sons. "We are stuck with them for now, at least, but we are going to have to be on high alert. Irina is already plotting ways to bring us down."

"Shall we kill her off now?" Aro thought out loud. "Save ourselves some hassle?"

"We can't do that!" Magnus didn't like how casual he'd sounded about offing the girl. "The younger two are innocent in all of this and they have already lost their mother."

"Besides," Basileus continued for him. "The other covens in the alliance are aware of their situation - they will all be watching to see how we handle it, to see how civilised we really are."

Aro perched on the sideboard. "You heard that in their thoughts when we killed Sasha, I take it?"

"I did." _They were the loudest thoughts in the room,_ Basileus reminded himself. How they treated the Denali girls was a matter of politics. "Now for another matter … "

"If this is about him … " Aro sneered in Magnus' direction.

Basileus held up a hand to halt his son's ire. "It's about Magnus and Freyr and Marcus."

"Marcus?" Aro asked. "What's he got to do with anything?"

Basileus fixed his son in his sights. "Are you, for some reason, against me having friends?"

Aro looked away. "I'm against you putting your friends above me."

Basileus wasn't having that. He expected eye contact, at the very least. He hooked his fist under Aro's chin and brought his boy's face back around. "I'm not removing your crown, son, you have no reason to think such a thing."

Aro tutted to himself, but he was listening.

"I've seen you give Felix a round of fucks that would make Hades blush because he has disrespected Eleazar, as you should." Basileus removed his hand and was glad to see Aro stayed put. "I expect the same from my sons towards the chosen few I hold as official friends."

 _Official friends_?! Magnus tittered inside his head at the term Basileus had used, having plucked said term from Magnus' mind during the night. Basileus soon caught on and laughed, too.

Aro looked between the two of them. Magnus seemed much more on a par with Basileus than he did with either himself or Caius. He was always complaining about their immaturity. Those extra years Magnus had on the pair of them in his human life truly did count for something, Aro knew that, really. _The creator and juggernaut. They would ma1ke an impressive friendship_ , Aro thought. _Formidable, even_. He wasn't against Basileus having friends, not in the slightest. _If anything, it will get him off my back_! What Basileus had said was right, too. He wouldn't stand for his kids backchatting his brothers, (well, not Eleazar, at least) or his friends.

"That's all this is?" he asked.

Basileus put his arm around his son. Managing Aro's ego had always been part of his job as his father. "Yes, son. Nothing more than that."

"You can keep your pretty crown," Magnus told the coven king. "It wouldn't fit me anyway."

"Finally!" Basileus declared seeing Marcus and Carlisle come through the door. "Where have you two been?"

"I found him in the halls on my way here," Marcus said in his usual drone, one hand on Carlisle's back pushing him into the room.

Magnus could tell Marcus was lying, but he wasn't sure why. Carlisle appeared reluctant to be there, though, of that he was sure. Marcus had bumped into Carlisle in the hall … Marcus had neglected to mention it was the guard hall.

"You actually took time out from adoring yourself in the mirror to be here with us today." Aro flicked the feg in his brother's hair. "One would think with all the time he spends on pruning himself that he wouldn't arrive looking quite so dishevelled."

"Leave him be, Aro," Basileus said told his boy sternly, before telling Carlisle to tuck his shirt in properly. Aro was right, Carlisle did look particularly 'dishevelled'. "What have you been up to?"

Carlisle shoved the tail of his shirt into his britches and fixed his dress coat. "I just checked in on the guard hall," he said with a nervous shrug.

Magnus' brow furrowed together. "You're spending a lot of time there, again."

Carlisle slunk away to join the rest of the party before any other awkward questions could be asked of him.

"The hall or the dorms?" Basileus asked the juggernaut. He didn't need a reply; Magnus' face spoke volumes. "What's he doing in the guard dorms?"

"Really? You need me to explain that?" Magnus offered the man a cocky smile. "How old are you?"

Basileus, Magnus and Marcus were well away from everyone else, but they all turned in time to catch Magnus' comment, and they joined in laughing at Basileus' age.

"I'm tempted to make you explain, knowing how uncomfortable you feel discussing such things."

Magnus shuddered to Basileus' proposition. The bastard was bang on the nail!

"Carlisle isn't causing any trouble," Marcus assured the man's father. "He's keeping things private, I believe."

Basileus accepted Marcus' explanation. He didn't have too much objection to Carlisle doing … whatever he was doing with the guards, so long as it was kept a very private matter. He did, however, question his son's ability to keep it private.

"What can you tell us about the girls, Marcus?" he asked, getting on task. "Anything that can give us an advantage?"

"Kate and Tanya," Marcus began, fixating his gift on the two of them. "They are much closer to each other than they are to Irina."

Basileus thought back to his memories of the girls when he had been with Sasha. He'd met Sasha before she had any of them, but he had called on her after she had turned the three of them, also. Though he'd not met them at the time, he'd seen the girls in Sasha's memories and how they all interacted with one another.

"That makes sense," he mused. "They've always been stuck together. They've always been kids, too, in the main. Sasha treated Irina as her best friend whilst Kate and Tanya were her children."

"Irina's bonds are loose," Marcus continued. "She doesn't even appear attached to her sisters to the degree I would have expected."

"So we could lose her without too much trouble, if we had to?"

Both Marcus and Magnus baulked at that idea.

"I wouldn't go that far," Marcus said quickly. "Even though their bonds to each other are strained, they are still the only bonds they have. If you want to lose Irina, you will have to wait until Kate and Tanya have bonds with other people that outweigh those they have with their elder sister."

"We can work on that," Magnus said confidently.

Basileus rubbed his chin until he came up with an idea to speed up the process. "We could have Chelsea sort it?"

Magnus was immediately reminded of the Demetri / Lucy debacle and wanted to put that idea to rest, quickly! "Using such a gift on children has brought devastation to our own before, would we really wish to risk a repeat?"

Basileus glanced in his grandson's direction. "No, you're right, leave Chelsea out of it."

"We are vampires, we have time, let the bonds develop naturally." Marcus pointed out the girls in question across the room. Kate and Tanya chatting with Carmen, the picture of ease already and they were still in the very beginnings of getting to know each other. "The younger girls are already open to such growth. Irina, too, in her way."

Irina, more concerningly, seemed to have formed an attachment with Athenodora. Magnus' dead heart sank. "I hope you don't mean with Dora?"

Marcus smiled sadly. "My commiserations, my friend."

Magnus squeezed his eyes tight shut. _Fuck_ , he cursed. _That_ _'_ _s going to cause me problems_.

Atia coughed very loudly to get her mate's attention. "If you aren't going to join us, you could at least top up our glasses."

"I believe that would be our cue to get over there." Basileus collected the whiskey bottle on the way and Magnus picked up a glass for Caius, as he still hadn't replaced the one Freyr had confiscated.

With all the seats taken, Aro pulled Alec back into his lap to make space for Marcus and Demetri moved without being asked for his grandfather. Magnus offered Caius the fresh glass, holding it just out of his height. If Caius wanted it, he was going to have to lose his seat.

"Don't be a dick," Caius hissed, swiping for the glass and missing.

Magnus wiggled the glass. "Move."

Caius looked to Freyr, hoping for her to call her man off. Then he remembered the comment that had seen Freyr taking his whiskey in the first place. Announcing that you'd like to fuck the new girl was hardly a high point … Freyr wasn't going to help him. _She_ _'_ _d happily see me whiskey-less for the rest of the day_ , he thought. If he hadn't wanted some alcohol so badly, Caius would have stayed put. As it was, Caius didn't enjoy any social occasion that didn't come with drinks on tap, so he reluctantly slid off the chair and sat on the floor - with the kids. But at least he had his whiskey.

"Magnus," Felix turned to face the juggernaut, leaving the card game in which the others were engaged. "Can I come on your mission to France?"

"Nope." Magnus didn't even pause to consider it.

Felix tutted. "My Dad said I can."

"Is your Dad planning on coming?" Magnus looked to Aro for confirmation, who shook his head. He wouldn't have minded the sport, but Aro knew he wouldn't be able to leave Sulpicia with their brood for six months, and it could possibly be longer than that. "Then neither is Felix," Magnus finished.

Caius clicked his fingers to get the boy's attention. "It's my mission, Felix, not his."

Magnus nudged Caius with the tip of his boot. "Do you want to take him?"

"Hell no!" Caius replied, quashing Felix's hopes.

Magnus shook his head. "Then why be disagreeable in the first place?"

Caius folded his arms and leaned into the leg of the sofa where Magnus sat. "It's a matter of principle."

Magnus caught Basileus' eye who winked at him, and then asked Caius, "Who are you taking on this mission?"

 _Bollocks_ , Caius thought. He couldn't remember who'd they pulled out to take.

"Caius?" Basileus pushed.

"Erm … " Caius stalled. "I haven't decided yet."

"It's on the paperwork," Sulpicia said, having gone through the plans already for costing. "Alexander, Afton, Phillipe, Odi, and Richard."

Magnus leaned down close to Caius' head. "Your mission, huh?"

That was the first Freyr had heard of who they planned to take. "I thought Alexander was on block?"

Being on 'block' was the term they used when a guard had been disobedient enough to be pulled from all duties. In practice, only three guards ever found themselves on block - Alexander, Afton, and Odi.

"He's only got a week left," Magnus replied, waving away his mate's concerns. "We can let him off a couple of days."

"What's he done now?" Aro asked. He didn't like to involve himself too much in guard life, but he liked to keep abreast of any issues.

"Fighting," Freyr explained. "Same as always."

"Who with?" Aro asked.

"Me," Magnus said, shaking his head. "Though it started with Odi. Alex has always been unnecessarily aggressive. He spends more time confined to his dorm than he does out of it."

Alexander was one of the guards Caius had taken a personal interest in and trained him up with particular skills. It made him fantastic for mission work, but difficult to manage in down time. The masters had considered killing him off a few times, but every time a mission rolled around he proved his worth and saved his neck for a few more years. Aro was happy with the explanations he had heard. Well, not happy, but he was glad it was just Alex being Alex.

"Are you really going to run a mission to France to help Henri?" Basileus asked the juggernaut. He wouldn't have blamed Magnus for refusing with how disrespectful the French leader was towards him.

"Caius wants to go," Magnus offered. That was his only reason for bothering himself with the task. It certainly wasn't for Henri's benefit.

"I can imagine why Caius wants to go," Basileus said, looking down his nose to the man at Magnus' feet. "Henri took a whole barrel of dungeon blood back to France."

Magnus bobbed his head. "Which is why I'd rather Caius didn't go alone."

 _I am fucking here_! Caius fumed on the floor, chuntering into his whiskey about which topics were suitable for private conversations and ones that were suited to public. Aro found it highly amusing, of course, as did Carlisle and Felix. _Immature pricks_ , Caius thought. Although if it had been one of them in his position, Caius would have been the first to find amusement in such shaming.

"I could do with some new werewolf pelts, Magnus. They make for the most welcoming rugs." Sulpicia offered a broad smile to go with her heavy hint.

"I will be sure to bring you one back, my queen."

"Now, now, Magnus," Carmen jumped in. "No playing favourites."

"I'll bring one for each of you, my ladies," Magnus replied, bowing his head lightly before going on to promise the same to Freyr and Atia.

 _My ladies_?! Dora repeated to herself, feeing irritated. That was the term Magnus used for her and Freyr in their chambers, and though it was a common term, it felt special to Dora and she was pissed to see him casually apply it to Sully and Carmen. _I notice I_ _'_ _m not being offered any pelts, either_ , she added, winding herself up.

Dora and Irina were the only two not sitting with the gathering in front of the open fire. They were sitting on Aro's desk, smoking his hash, and had long since decided against joining in with everyone else. It annoyed Aro to see them sitting on the old polished oak like it was some bar bench. He had caught Irina dropping some smouldering weed onto the wood and he had fantasised about ramming the pipe down her throat, but he'd said nothing. He, like everyone else, was trying to be understanding of Irina's position. The girl was being forced to reside with her mother's executors. He'd give her the day.

To get his mind off his beloved desk being poorly treated, Aro turned back to the conversation about the mission. "All these promises for pelts," he started, looking at Magnus. "Think a lot of yourself, don't you, big guy?"

"I could kill werewolves in my sleep." Magnus didn't see the issue. He could make good on his promises.

"Could you kill fifty?" Freyr asked, challenging her mate.

"Fifty?!" Magnus repeated. That sounded like a lot of effort.

Freyr gave him a nod. "It would make a nice Christmas gift for the guards, don't you think?"

"Aye," Magnus agreed, thought he sounded a little reluctant. "Alright. Fifty it is."

"More murder?" Irina grunted from the desk. "Moron."

"Werewolves are against our kind, Irina," Magnus explained, turning in his seat so he could see the girl behind him. "Clearing them is part of our duty as the royal coven.

"Oh yes, very honourable. Minstrels will write song of your amazing feat." Irina rolled her eyes dramatically and blew smoke into the room. "Please don't think I'm being patronising," she added, sounding perfectly condescending. "Patronising means to talk down to someone."

"Oh, you're a funny one?" Basileus called over. "You have competition Aro."

"Was she being funny?" Magnus asked. "I must have missed it, but then I'm only a murdering moron, apparently. Not very bright, you see."

"My mother used to say she wasn't very bright," Irina mused. "It was a way to remain passive in a volatile situation. That's how she managed to control our lands so close to the Romanian forces. She was, in fact, insanely clever."

Caius chuckled into his whiskey. "Not that clever if she turned a toddler without a second thought for you three."

Thankfully he'd said it quietly and the girls hadn't heard, for it would have upset them greatly to hear their own thoughts confirmed - that Sasha hadn't thought of them at all when she had turned the little boy.

Magnus leaned down and pulled Caius in close by the back of his collar. "Do you want to lose another glass?" He didn't need to say anything else. Caius shut up, quick!

"Those who aren't very bright tend not to realise it," Irina added, blissfully ignorant of Caius' comment.

"I agree with you there, Irina," Basileus told the girl pointedly, and in case she missed said point, that she wasn't as bright as she believed herself to be, he added, "They tend to talk too much, as well."

Leaving the girl floundering and failing to come up with a retort, Basileus turned back to the group. "What were we talking about before we were interrupted?"

Magnus knocked back his glass and set it on the table. "Christmas presents."

"Aha, yes," Basileus nodded. "You will have to start working on your Christmas lists, girls, Eleazar has money to burn."

"How much will our freedom cost?" Irina asked.

 _Her abrasion is exhausting. It_ _'_ _s no wonder Eleazar looks wiped out_ , Basileus thought, looking at his boy who stared aimlessly out the window like a man lost. "Try and come up with something a little easier to wrap," he suggested to the bitter girl.

Kate and Tanya were more interested. They hadn't celebrated a Christmas before, or any of the other coven festivals. They liked the idea of presents, but they had no idea what to ask for. They started chatting with Demetri and Jane about gifts they had received until they turned to Felix.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Kate asked him.

"A sense of purpose," Felix answered, looking to his father and hoping he heard.

"Deep, son."

Felix heard his father reply and pounced. "I want a job."

Aro sighed. They had been down that road before. "I'm sure Freyr would put you on the guard rota if you could assure her you'd keep your nose clean."

Felix screwed his face up. "A job befitting my station."

"What station?!" Caius asked. He hardly had a job befitting his station, he thought, let alone the kid.

"A prince," Felix said, drawing it out with heavy emphasis.

Aro turned to his little brother as his advisor on all things human. "What do human princes do with their days, Carlisle?"

Carlisle grimaced to his nephew. "They study."

"Carlisle, don't be a dick." Felix moved in the nick of time to avoid the swot Aro had offered for name calling. "Stop pretending to be one of them, it's depressing."

"That's what they do!" Carlisle insisted. "They read, they recite, they learn to shoot and ride, they attend functions … "

"Functions?" _Functions sound okay_ , Felix thought.

"Well yes, older princes act as dignitaries on behalf of their houses," Carlisle explained. "But you aren't old enough for that."

"Or disciplined enough," Basileus added.

"There you go then, Felix," Aro said, clapping his hands together. "You need to spend more time on your studies and riding horses. Wasn't that an easy Christmas present for the boy."

"What do you want Demetri?" Basileus asked his grandson, simply to get the conversation off Felix.

"Do you want purpose too, son?" Aro asked, laughing at Felix's idea all over again.

Demetri beamed at his father. "I want a gun."

Aro burst out laughing. "There's more chance of me giving you my crown than a gun."

"I thought you were particularly precious about your crown, Aro?" Magnus smiled playfully to the coven king after their earlier conversation.

Aro took it in good jest. "Like you said, it wouldn't fit your overgrown head anyway."

"I'd like a new pelt, too, Magnus," Alec asked from Aro's lap. "Please."

"Consider it done, little one."

Magnus heard Caius hiss again that it was his mission. He was getting bored of the man's petulance over the matter. "You can kill the werewolves, then. I'll supervise."

 _Damn it_! Caius thought. _I'_ _m not getting stuck doing all the work_! "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then stop going on about it," Freyr piped up, glaring at the man. "Unless you really would like to lose that glass, too."

If either of them were going to be so blatant in rebuking him, Caius was glad it was Freyr and not Magnus, but fuck it stung. At least with it being Freyr, Aro wasn't giving him the questioning eye – he wouldn't have fucked with Freyr, either.

"I want a pet," Jane piped up.

"You have an Alec," Aro said, bouncing the boy in his lap. "We'll wrap him up in his new pelt and get him to bark, I'm sure he won't mind."

Alec most definitely did mind! Doubly so when everyone seemed to find Aro's idea funny.

"Put your face straight," Aro said to his boy. "It was a joke."

Alec continued to pug. _Wasn'_ _t fucking funny_.

Alec rarely used the same vulgar language his older brothers used in speech, but that was because he could control his mouth around his elders rather than because such words weren't part of his lexicon. Controlling thoughts was damn near impossible for the child.

The smile dropped from Aro's face and he pulled Alec in close, so the boy's back was tight against his chest. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," he whispered into the lad's ear. "But it will be the only time I do, so pull yourself together."

"I didn't even say anything!"

"Alec," Aro willed himself to stay calm with the boy. "You have smashed a window, threatened to use your gift, and swore in the space of an hour … you aren't getting any more warnings. Curb your attitude, now."

 _I didn_ _'_ _t threaten to use my gift and I only cursed are in my head, I can think whatever I fucking well like_.

Aro didn't say anything, he just stood, taking Alec with him and walked the boy silently through the group, stepping over children as he left to take Alec to his room.

Basileus read his son's thoughts. He could see why Aro was annoyed, but he hoped Aro wouldn't ruin the day by being too harsh with the boy. Then he remembered which child Aro was annoyed with … the worst Alec could expect was being dumped in his room. Just as he thought, Aro soon returned, less Alec, who remained in his bedchamber.

Aro went around the room topping up whiskeys and wines to cover his absence.

Basileus accepted his top up and then turned to Magnus with a proposal. "You can't kill fifty werewolves," he said. "I bet you can't."

"Who can't?" Magnus replied, pushing out his chest. "I'm up for another bet, after winning the last one."

Marcus smiled quietly to himself, knowing of the bet to which Magnus was referring. "I'll back you in that bet, my friend," he told the juggernaut, sensing the easy money to be won from the creator.

Basileus frowned but Magnus preened. "Bring some decent knives with you, Caius, we will have to skin them whilst we are there."

"We?!" Caius spluttered.

"You skin vampires," Magnus shrugged. "I am sure you can skin a werewolf."

"I can," Caius agreed. "I just don't want to."

"You'll have to help the old man out, Caius," Basileus joked. "He won't be fit for much after he's grappled with fifty werewolves."

"He's not my old man!"

Caius' eyes darted around the group, fixing on no one in particular as he moved between them too fast to see if any of them had worked anything out. What they might have worked out, Caius wasn't too sure on. Magnus sensed his panic and pulled him in close again. Caius was getting annoyed with being pulled about, but his focus was on other things at that moment, like trying to work out if Eleazar was just playing dumb or if he had worked out he and Magnus were sharing some sort of secret, illicit relationship. _I don_ _'_ _t even know what we're_ _'_ _sharing_ ', he thought. _This is ridiculous_.

"He said the old man," Magnus pointed out. "Not your old man, don't panic."

"Hang on – old?" Magnus blurted sitting back in his seat. "You have a million years on me!"

"Maybe, but I wear it better." Basileus pushed him away playfully. He was going to miss the old bugger whilst he was away. "When do you leave on this mission?"

"Caius?" Magnus asked, trying to give the guy his mission back.

Caius had no clue when they were leaving, as he had let Dora work it all out. "Oh, erm, I don't know. What did the paperwork say again?"

Dora heard from the desk. "You leave next week," she told her mate, and immediately launched into making plans with Irina for whilst Caius was away.

Cards flew into the air, some landing in the lit fireplace, where the younger vampires crowded on the rug between the seated adults. Felix lost … he wasn't known for being a good loser so neither Aro nor Sulpicia were surprised. Everyone else was taken aback. Having their private home become a semi-public venue was always going to bring issues, but as they had agreed to hosting them all, neither Aro nor Sulpicia felt they could do much about it but let everyone adjust to seeing what their children were really like behind closed doors.

Demetri was thoroughly pissed off. Its why he hated playing any games with his brother. "You're an attention seeking, self-absorbed, t…"

Aro was quick to cut in. "Do not finish that sentence!"

"But he is," Demetri whined.

"I wasn't disagreeing with you, son," Aro pointed out. "I'm telling you to watch your mouth."

Felix, sitting close to his father's feet, turned a frustrated scowl on his old man, hardly wining Aro over.

"I'll get him, Dem," Jane whispered to her brother.

Sadly for Jane and Demetri and their plans to bring Felix down, Basileus caught the girls comment. He, like everyone other than Aro, it seemed, was fed up of hearing Jane outwitting her elder brother. For one, it was an easy feat, for another, the girl was relentless once she got started.

"No," he told his granddaughter resolutely. "No you will not, Jane."

Aro broke away from returning his boy's glare to respond to his father. "If Felix can't hack it, he shouldn't dole it out so freely."

"How are you blaming me for this?!"

It wasn't Felix's fault that he'd lost, he couldn't help his temper when he flipped the cards into the air. Demetri called him … well, Felix was pretty sure his brother was going to call him a twat. _And_ _, now Jane_ _'_ _s threatening me_ (threatening might have been a little strong, but not to the boy's overactive teenage imagination) _and I_ _'_ _m the one getting it in the neck_?! No one did 'poor woe's-me' quite so well as Felix!

With Aro giving his children his best 'you-are-crossing-the-line' look, all the fun of playing cards dissipated. Kate and Tanya, understandably wary of the coven king, joined Carmen and Atia, Felix stayed with his father. Aro hadn't told him to, but Felix didn't want to give Aro the chance to tell him to do anything and embarrass him further. He had bedded all three Denali girls the first time they met, and when he first heard they would be moving in to the Volturi coven he had hoped for regular replays of that happy event. With how emasculated he felt in his own home, simply by being treated the way he usually would be in private, he was quickly losing hope for any action ever again in his immortal life!

Demetri asked Jane if she wanted another round, but she turned him down. It was the first time Jane had other girls to be with and she was making the most of the opportunity. Sulpicia offered her boy a game, but Demetri didn't want to play with his mother, not in anyone else's presence, at least, so he rejected her.

"I'll play," Caius said.

Demetri didn't even ask if he was sure, he scooted over to Caius and started dealing, looking at him with a gormless grin.

"What's wrong with you?!" Aro asked, eyeing his co-master with curiosity.

"Someone should teach him how to play properly," Caius replied, taking up his hand. "And you're shit, so it won't be you."

"Must we continue with the vulgar language?!" Atia had taken about as much as she wished to entertain, and her stern tone hushed the whole group.

Once everyone had quietened, Dora and Irina, who's conversation hadn't halted, were heard by all.

"They argue over who's breathing, its relentless," Dora said about Aro and Sulpicia's children. "I always thought they were mouthy enough in public, seeing them in private has come as a shock!"

She turned just in time to see the whole group looking back at her, most in surprise, some, like Freyr, in horror that she could have insulted her covenmates' children so brazenly. And then there was Sulpicia ... it was one thing If Aro and she were complaining about their children, it was even okay if such observations were brought up within conversation with her - Sully wasn't blind to her children's ways - it was quite another to having someone bitching about her kids in what those people imagined would be a secluded conversation.

She stayed silent just long enough for Dora to start to panic and profess a stuttered apology before she waved them away with smile, saying she understood, agreed even, just to keep the peace. Atia was quite proud of Sulpicia for the way she handled the situation and made sure to tell her so later. Dora felt her stomach twist. Even with Sulpicia being so gracious, she knew their relationship had just suffered yet another blow. As with all the other blows, it was Dora's fault.

"They are just being kids, Dora," Magnus told her, his usual kind tone hidden behind a stony glare. "There's no need to hide who they are in their home. I'm sure you can understand that, can't you?"

Dora wasn't stupid. That was Magnus' way of saying they would be having a conversation about her slip when they were in their home. "Yeah, sure," she muttered.

That wasn't enough for Freyr. Dora could be a liability in public at the best of times, speaking before she engaged her brain, sitting with Irina and smoking weed wasn't going to help matters. "You two should join us, I think," she said, making space for Dora to sit next to her.

Irina didn't want to sit with them, Volturi scum, but noticing how painfully awkward and riled up Felix appeared, she decided to have some fun taunting the young prince. Planting herself so close to Felix that she damn near sat on him, Irina took to whispering indecent proposals in his ear, riling him up in an entirely different way.

Alec came creeping down the stairs. He'd only been in his room ten minutes but Aro didn't say anything when he re-entered the room, though Alec had the sense to stay with his mother. Like his temporary removal, hardly anyone noticed Alec's reappearance. Basileus did, though, and he was annoyed. It wasn't so much that he felt Alec deserved any punishment at all, it was Aro's wildly different expectations of his children that pissed the creator off so much. It caused nothing but trouble, though Aro claimed otherwise in his many conversations with his father on the matter.

Thinking on what Dora had said, about the Volturi kids arguing over who breathed, Basileus agreed with her. "It wouldn't be so bad if Aro engaged occasionally," he was thinking out loud and hadn't realised he'd spoken said thoughts until Aro turned to him, tutting.

"I do engage!" he insisted.

Sulpicia burst out laughing.

"No, you wade in and smack them all when Sully's had enough of battling with them." Basileus stopped himself. "Not all of them," he corrected. "Which is another issue."

Aro continued to scoff, but Sulpicia was in full agreement. "I'll tell you the difference in parenting here," she said. "I get: Mom, I'm hungry! I'm cold! I'm hot! I'm bored! Can I have? I want! I need! Can you help me? Can you ask Dad? He hurt me! She set me on fire! He said! She said! They did! I didn't! I want to go there! When are we? Why are we? Why can't we? But, but, but! Why, why, why?"

How she had managed to say all of that in one breath was anyone's guess.

Sully turned to her mate. "What do they ask you, my love?"

Aro thought about it for a moment and smiled. "Where's mom?" He had to laugh, he couldn't help himself. Seeing that Sulpicia didn't find it funny, even though everyone else did, Aro thought it best to defend his parenting, a little. "I tend to them when I need to," he said, hands outstretched as if to ask what else he could do.

"In one way, only," Sully shot back. "Basileus is right on that score."

"It's the only way to tend to them, my love." Aro took a playful swipe at Felix's head, as he was closest. "You should try it, it works."

Irina's flirtation with the young prince had already switched to ribbing him for his childish treatment. The fact that he was physically chastised, she already knew, but to see that such chastisements weren't in the fashion of the adult members of the coven, but as a child could expect, amused her greatly.

Felix glowered at his father whilst he tried to ignore Irina. "Dad, please stop."

"No, don't stop!" Irina half shouted, she was having far too much fun. "I like seeing this side of your life, Felix."

She made the mistake of trying to stroke the boy's face and he erupted, shoving her away with a loud and clear, "Fuck off!"

Aro caught hold of Felix's hand before he could do anything else to the snide little bitch winding him up. "If you carry on like that I am going to be forced to really embarrass you." _Don'_ _t force my hand, son_. "Do we understand each other?"

"Perfectly." Felix hung his head, trying to ignore Irina's cruel giggles at his side. Right at that moment, he felt about as sexy as a syphilitic donkey. Even if he hadn't felt so dejected, he wanted nothing to do with Irina.

Aro was pissed off with Irina, too, and whilst he was willing to allow the brat to disrespect him, and even his property, his kids were another matter entirely. If no one else was going to step up and say something, he would. Grabbing the young woman by the scruff of her neck, he told her, "If you find it so funny, you will be next."

Irina stopped laughing and a gasp went around the room. No one thought Aro wrong, not even Irina's sisters, which was telling, they were mostly surprised to see him turning on a girl - especially thinking of the annoyance Jane got away with.

"I don't fucking think so," Irina hissed, snatching herself away from the coven king to another gasp, this time for Irina's words. "Go ahead," she told them all. "Underestimate me, that will be fun."

"You aren't my problem, Irina," Aro sneered. "I'll leave you for Eleazar."

"He couldn't handle me even if I came with instructions and we both know it."

Irina chuckled in condescension. Having no experience of Eleazar's wrath, she had good reason to doubt the man as a threat. Felix and Demetri could have told her otherwise, both having been on the receiving end of one of Eleazar's hidings, but neither felt they owed her any support.

"Excuse me?!" It was the first time Eleazar had spoken in an hour and he wasn't happy. "I think … "

"Not to be rude," Irina held up a hand to cut Eleazar off. "But I don't really care what you think, like, at all."

Everyone expected Eleazar to blow. Most of them wanted Eleazar to blow! But he didn't. Stretching out the stress he felt building in his neck, he got up and walked away to calm himself.

Magnus was doing his best to maintain the emotions in the room, but with so many people and so many conflicting responses, he was struggling to do more than keep hold of the extremes.

Dora wore a quiet smile as she looked at Irina, seemingly completely unbothered by the powerful men flustering around her. _We are going to get on very well indeed_ , she thought happily.

Carmen walked away, too, under the guise of refilling the wine jugs for the table. She was grateful that Atia had followed her. "I can't do this on my own, Atia. I don't want to do this on my own."

Atia hushed her gently, seeing tears already forming in her daughter-in-law's eyes. "You won't be, my dear," she assured. "You have me, you have Basileus, there's a whole coven behind you in caring for those girls and you can call on any of us when you need to." Atia took over filling the wine jugs to allow Carmen to tend to her tears.

"What about El?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to her mate. He paced the far wall, walking off his frustrations.

Atia saw him too and wondered why her mate was sat on his backside when their boy could do with some support. Truth was, Basileus expected Eleazar to be alright on his own. It was the curse of being the eldest child - parents tend to see the oldest as capable and self-sufficient and therefore largely ignore them unless they screw up or are needed to be capable and handle something. That was the relationship Basileus had with Eleazar. He never expected his eldest son to need him. The opposite of how he saw Carlisle, as his baby, who would always need him whether he wanted him or not!

"Eleazar will pull himself together," Atia said. "Is the shock of it all happening so quickly, that's all."

"Until they are moved on?" Carmen questioned. "I don't want to get attached if I'm going to lose them."

Atia knew why Carmen had such thoughts. Basileus had told Eleazar the girls were only his 'for now', not 'forever'. "Kate and Tanya won't be going anywhere, my dear." Of that, she was sure. "Eleazar needs to believe there is an end point, for now, that doesn't mean there is one."

Relief flooded Carmen's veins. Though there was a sticking point. "What about Irina?" she asked.

Atia didn't want to lie. She had been following the general thoughts in the room towards the eldest Denali girl and couldn't see how Irina could be a permanent member of the coven, not if she remained as she was. "We'll see how she settles." It was as close to the truth as Atia could offer.


	133. Felix, - 500, May

**AN:** Okay, we're still all sat in the south tower having the most awkward family time in history, and now we are going to convince Basileus to recount the origin stories of some of our vamps. They are hefty chapters so grab yourself a brew and settle in :D

* * *

 **FELIX - 500, MAY**

"Mom," Alec called softly. "He's using my cup."

Felix swigged from the small goblet and exhaled triumphantly. "It's just a cup," he said, smirking at his baby brother, knowing how much he hated sharing the damn thing. _Precious brat_.

"It's MY cup," Alec insisted, stamping his foot.

Aro felt on edge after Irina stepped up to him and he wasn't in the mood for any more bratty behaviour. "No, it's just A cup," he said through gritted teeth. "Let it go, Alec."

Felix grinned at his baby brother, mouthing 'loser' when no one was looking.

"But he's only using it because it's mine!" Alec was getting louder, interrupting the other conversations going on around him.

"Sul," Aro called to his mate, making eyes at her to say, 'deal with him or I will'.

Sensing his father was close to losing it with Alec, Felix went in for the kill and slathered his tongue all around the rim of Alec's goblet. "Here you go," he said sweetly.

"Mom!" Alec implored. "Tell him!"

Sulpicia snatched the cup from Felix and disappeared upstairs to wash the damn thing. Alec continued to complain in her absence.

 _I'_ _m going to snap in a minute_ , Aro thought. "Stop whinging about a bloody cup!"

Alec flopped into his mother's vacated seat and folded his arms. "I'm not whinging," he said, complete with his bottom lip protruding.

"Your lips are moving, and you are complaining about something," Aro explained. "That's whinging."

"So anytime you complain about something that's whinging too, is it?" Alec was just loud enough for everyone to hear him, but some, Magnus' tribe in particular, questioned whether he was really being so foolish as to talk back to his father that way. It was unlike the Alec they knew in the wider coven.

"No, because I am a grown up and you are child." _It is so NOT a good time to be back chatting me, boy_. "Stop being cheeky."

"So am I whinging or am I cheeky?"

Just before Aro could launch from his chair to take his boy in hand, Sulpicia returned and gave her baby vampire back his special, and clean, cup. "Now he's happy," she said to her mate with an arm around her child. "Was that really so hard?"

"I prefer the Spartan method of child rearing," Aro explained. "Keep belting the little bastards until the grow up or die."

"Vampiric kids don't grow up," Alec pointed out, feeling extra confident in his mother's lap, even adding Dickhead to his father in his thoughts, which at least gave the boy a giggle.

"I know, it's a lifetime supply of fun." Aro watched his youngest for a moment with narrowed eyes. _I know what you_ _'_ _re doing_ , he thought. "Come and sit with me, I want to know what you're thinking."

"No!" Alec pulled his mother's arm around his waist.

Carlisle was surprised by his nephew. He was used to hearing the twins' minor squabbles, but not to hearing Alec being outright defiant. "He's got quite a mouth on him today, hasn't he?"

Aro looked down his nose at his boy and nodded to Carlisle's comment. To be fair to Alec, he was mostly well-behaved in Aro's presence, but on those occasions when he wasn't quite so angelic, once he started he tended to throw away the halo for the rest of the day.

"I'll be knocking that mouth right off his face if he keeps it up."

"You will leave my grandchildren be," Atia told her son sternly.

Aro, believing his father was clear across the room having yet another private conversation with Magnus and Marcus was set to reply, until Basileus grabbed the back of his chair, making him jump out of his skin!

"Unless you'd like me to employ the Spartan method with you?" Basileus said with a mocking growl.

Aro recovered quickly from his shock. "I'm fully grown already, Dad," he said, cool as ice.

"Physically maybe," Basileus agreed, then he wrapped his arm around Aro's neck and knocked his knuckles against his head. "But you're nothing but a overgrown child in here." While everyone else laughed, Basileus leaned in close to Aro's ears. "I know they're getting on your last nerve today," he said softly, referring to the kids, "but try and relax a little, or you're going to scare the new kids."

Aro nodded his agreement. He knew he was being overbearing but he found his children's disrespect not only frustrating, but embarrassing, too. Basileus heard his boy's concerns.

"They are always like this, you just aren't used to having witnesses."

There was some truth in that, Aro had to agree. Not that it helped his feelings on the matter. Basileus had said all he could at that point and retook his seat next to Magnus.

"I'm struggling to keep a hold of everyone's emotions anyway," he said, for Basileus' ears only. "Would you rather I concentrated on Aro for a while?" Magnus knew what was going on with Aro because he and Basileus had only just finished talking about it.

Basileus shook his head. "Aro's place has always been the epicentre of family life," Basileus explained. "He's going to have to get used to that centre containing more people, that's all."

"And the kids?" Magnus asked, seeing Alec still pouting and Felix still teasing him.

Basileus sighed. "They are going to have to get used to it, too." He knew it wouldn't be quite that simple, but at the end of the day, it was tough, and they _would_ all get used to it. Basileus only hoped that it wouldn't take too long or cause too many explosions in the meantime. He accepted and expected there would be a few.

It wasn't long before Aro was tested again, again with Alec, though the boy was only reacting to his brother's taunts. Aro took Felix clear of everyone else to have a 'chat' with him about calming his exuberance. That 'chat' consisted of an absolute final warning for the boy.

Felix knew how far he could push his old man, and by the look in Aro's eye, he knew he had reached the endzone. When he retook his place in their happy little gathering, Felix offered his little brother a mealy-mouthed apology. If Aro hadn't known how excruciating his son found making a public apology of any kind he might have snatched Felix up right then and given him the hiding he seemed so desperate to receive! As it was, trying to remain calm, Aro shrugged and took up his drink. _I'_ _m going to need to invest in more whiskey if this is to be a regular event_ , he thought.

Caius had never felt so blessed to be footloose and fancy free. "Do you even remember what our lives were like before you got yourself saddled with a load of kids?"

Aro couldn't honestly say that he did!

Caius grimaced. _They look more effort than worth_ , he thought.

Basileus heard his thoughts and called him on them. "Says he who has been playing cards with a fourteen-year-old for over an hour."

"And losing," Magnus pointed out, winking to Demetri. The boy was playing remarkably well - mainly because Magnus could see Caius' hand every time he checked his cards and had been mouthing them out to Demetri.

"A lot of things were different then," Sulpicia said, thinking back to their pre-children life. "Felix definitely marked a change in our relationship."

"Being broody for a family will do that."

Eleazar hadn't meant to sound so sharp, and he quickly took up Carmen's hands to express his apologies. He really didn't want to upset her, and he had an inkling that they were both going to go through the mill with Denali girls in their lives. _Better to do it together_ , he thought.

Atia had only managed a brief chat with her eldest but she was pleased to see he had taken her advice on board. _Now if only we could find a way to have Aro and Sulpicia receive such advice so gratefully_?

"Aro was the broody one, Eleazar," Sulpicia said, smiling lovingly at her mate. "Not me."

Aro scoffed. "You started clucking like a mother hen the moment you set eyes on him!"

Sulpicia returned said scoff. "You have a short memory, my love."

"You both do!" Basileus said in no uncertain terms. "The pair of you were goggle-eyed over the boy."

Felix turned to his father. "What colour were my eyes?"

"Your father won't remember that, Felix," Sulpicia told her son, quite dismissively. "He wasn't interested in you until he realised how strong you were."

"I did break out of the cell in the dungeons," he told the group, proud as punch. "Only one to ever have done that. Even as a newborn."

Magnus scoffed to the boy's bravado. "I bet I could do it now, let alone as a newborn."

Caius shot around on the floor and looked up to the juggernaut. "Don't you dare even try it!"

"I shouldn't dare?!" Magnus repeated, opened mouthed! "Do you want to try rephrasing that, Caius?"

"Yeah, dream on, Magnus," Felix joined in. "It's not just about strength, you have to have the balls, too … "

"Felix!" Atia was sick to the back teeth of the language she was hearing, particularly when such vulgarity was uttered by one of the children. Though to be fair to the others, it was only Felix who was daft enough to say anything out loud.

"That's a sensitive subject for Magnus," Caius started chuckling. "Freyr keeps his in a jar … "

Magnus flicked Caius' head to get his attention. "Keep it up, I dare you." He made a show of cracking his knuckles. "I'll take the pair of you down."

"Blue," Aro blurted out. He didn't want Caius to give Magnus a reason to prove he was higher in the pecking order, even if Basileus had assured him it was only in family/friendship matters rather than coven politics.

"You had blue eyes," he told Felix. "Ice blue, like crystals. I remember thinking what a shame it would be that you would lose those beautiful eyes when I turned you. But I'm a selfish man, and I had to turn you anyway."

"Wow!"

Aro's face scrunched up. "What am I getting the 'wow' treatment for?!" He'd never had a wow from his mate that she meant with goodwill.

"It was a real wow, my love," Sulpicia said, smiling to him lovingly. "Even after all this time you still surprise me."

"I'd like to hear about little Felix," Irina piped up.

Felix sneered in her direction. She had blown all chances with him ... not that it bothered her.

"He was never 'little' Irina," Aro answered for his boy. "But I can tell you about his arrival if you wish." He was trying so hard to be calm and nice to the little bitch.

"Basileus," Sulpicia called. "You should tell the story."

"Why him?" Aro asked. "I can tell it!"

"It's my story!" Felix exclaimed. If anyone was going to tell his story, it should be him!

Sulpicia laughed at her mate and son. "You both lie, we'd rather hear it from Basileus. Besides, he knows it from all angles."

"I'll start when there's a drink in my hand," Basileus said, looking to his mate.

"You're a lazy old goat," Atia told him playfully before releasing his cup.

 **Felix - 500, May**

 _What the hell_ … "Aro!" Caius yelled. "We've got a live one!"

"Already?" Aro called from inside a dark cell. "That was quick."

They had only started biting the humans the night before and they'd only managed three before Aro had opened the cask of dungeon blood. It was game over for the rest of the night as he and Caius enjoyed the delights of not only the coven drug but also a couple of fresh human girls they had brought back to be enjoyed and then devoured.

The stocky young man Aro had taken a liking to in Greece had been the most difficult to contain on their way back to Volterra, so the coven king had bitten him first before tossing him in a cell for the night. It was a remarkably fast transformation and the newborn stood in the middle of the dungeon rooms, eyes rampant with mix of fear, anger and blood lust.

"Why have you let him out?!" Aro boomed to his co-master. "He was difficult enough to get in the bloody cell in the first place!"

"I didn't let him out!" Caius shot back.

Ignoring the newborn growling between them, as both Aro and Caius were adept in taking newborns down when they needed to, Caius inspected the bars on the cell door.

"He's bent the bars!" he called out, partly in awe, partly in annoyance. _No one has ever got out of these cells_ , he thought. But the damage was there for all to see.

"He's going to be useful if he makes it through the newborn year, Aro," Caius said, thinking of the strength contained in the newborn. Newborns were strong, they were made that way for self-preservation, but this strength was far more than Caius had ever seen before. Aro, too, for that matter.

Aro finished injecting his venom into the last of their human haul and locked the cell door behind him. Tossing Caius the keys, he approached the newborn. The guy was a few inches shorter than Aro, but broad, very broad. Aro had watched the young man performing in a strong man competition and he was glad to see that his intuition about the guy's strength had paid off. He was filthy - having been quite literally dragged through the mud all the way from Greece back to Italy, and then thrown into the pits of a dungeon cell. His dark hair, matted, long and also full of mud had crusted to the his beard. As the newborn vibrated with his new-found emotions, Aro wondered for a moment if he might be too much to handle. Not that it would be his problem - newborns were Caius' domain.

"I can't see you having this one submit, brother," he called over his shoulder, keeping one eye on the newborn.

Caius scoffed. "They all go down eventually."

"Still …" Aro wasn't so sure.

He watched the newborn and the newborn watched him right back. He wasn't scared. Not even slightly. That was unusual. The transformation was a harrowing experience and newborns, even filled with their haste for blood and a fighting spirit, even then they were still scared. _Not you though_ , Aro realised as he circled the young man. He flicked a piece of his long, straggling, mud cladded hair and the newborn turned on him, growling, ready to launch. Aro could see behind his angry eyes, the newborn was already trying to work out how much of a threat Aro posed and whether he could take him out.

"You can try, if you like," Aro said quietly.

He was still a little high from the dungeon blood the night before and a good scrap was always a great reliever of the residual effects. Often, he and Caius would end up wrestling each other into a bloody mess, just for fun, at the end of their drug binge. Aro quite fancied a volatile newborn to take out his frustrations.

"Don't fight with it, Aro," Caius called out, kicking the legs of a fitting human going through the transformation back into the cell so he could lock the door. He'd kicked a little too hard and shattered the femur, but it would heal. He didn't even consider the additional pain he had inflicted on the poor wretch. "He'll be useful once I've got him under control."

"You have your fun, brother," Aro replied slyly, knowing just how Caius would be bringing the newborn under control. "And I'll have mine."

Aro launched at the newborn, grappling him to the ground. Any other vampire would have been dead already going in against a fresh newborn like that. Not Aro, not a vampire of the Volturi. One of the things that made the Volturi so strong was that Basileus had been having his coven members practice their fighting skills on newborns since he had first turned Aro all those years ago. Whilst Aro rolled around the floor with the newborn, intent on ripping out his throat, he used his gift to get a sense of the new coven member.

Aro froze for a moment. _Fuck_! His head screamed, berating his own stupidity. Coming out of his momentary daze, he slammed the younger vampire into the floor and held him down.

"Get me some blood!" he roared to his covenmate.

"Are you giving up already?" Caius asked in surprise. He was used to Aro going at the newborns for hours when he had the chance.

"Just fetch me a body," Aro called back, maintaining his grip on the newborn at the back of his neck.

Caius dragged a human, one they weren't turning, out of the newborn hall and took it to his co-master. He had to wedge the man, an old guy they had only brought back for feeding purposes, under the flailing newborn as Aro daren't release him in his volatile state. Once the throat of the old man was offered to the newborn, instinct took over and he plunged his new fangs into the neck and instantly settled, feeding like baby, slurping as he went.

Aro sat on the newborn's back, though he kept a tight grip at the scruff of his neck. "I'm taking this one," he told Caius.

"Taking him where?" Caius asked casually. He wasn't really paying attention, more interested in fetching himself another feed. It was the best bit about turning new stock in Caius' opinion - gorging on the blood of those they rejected for the transformation.

"Home."

Caius spun on his heel. "You want to take a newborn to your quarters?!" he asked. "Are you fucking crazy?!" A normal newborn wreaked havoc and the one Aro was using as a chair looked set to be anything but normal. "He will kill Sulpicia, Aro. She won't be able to control that!"

He spat 'that' like their new coven member was a thing. He was, of course, for the time being. All Volturi newborns were just things they picked up from the streets until they moulded them into guards proper. Only a half of those they turned ever survived to receive the Volturi Insignia and there was no way of knowing if this one would survive.

"I'll control him," Aro stated flatly. "I'll keep him with me."

"If you want a pet there are easier ones to go for, brother," Caius remarked. Then something else occurred to Caius. "What have you seen in his head?" he asked. He knew Aro well enough. You've seen something useful and you want to keep the goods to yourself.

Aro toyed with not telling Caius, but he knew his co-master would badger him until he did. _If I_ _'_ _m right he needs to know anyway_ , he thought. "He's too young, Caius."

Caius looked to the hulking vampire feeding beneath Aro. "What are you talking about? He's fucking huge. He's got to be our age, at least!"

Aro shook his head. "He's a teenager, fifteen, maybe sixteen."

This newborn looked to be the strongest they had ever encountered, and he would be useful, really useful once they had trained him up - they both knew that. They also both knew that Basileus would go fucking nuts about having kids in the coven.

Caius whistled into the dark dungeons and walked away laughing. "I'm glad you turned him!" he said, mocking Aro.

Aro grimaced.

"Your old man is going to fucking skin you when he finds out you have brought a kid into the coven."

Aro growled in return. "Thanks, brother. I don't need it spelled out!"

"We could just kill him now? Add him to our dungeon blood barrels?" Caius offered, brandishing a sliver blade to do the job.

Aro shook his head. "Look how strong he is, Caius," he said, drawing in his co-master. "We have been looking to build the strength in our coven. We need him."

There was something more than that, though. Aro had felt drawn to the human the moment he'd seen him. The only thing he could liken it to was the way he felt when he'd first met his mate. Now, he didn't feel the same drive towards the youth as he had Sulpicia - that was entirely sexual, at least to start with, and he felt nothing like that for the vampire beneath him. But he wanted him. Somehow. He wanted him in his life. He had to keep him. It felt primal and it was something Aro had never felt before with the thousands of humans or vampires that had passed through his immortal days.

"If you're keeping him, you can tell Basileus," he offered with a shrug. Caius didn't really care either way. "It's your head on the block, not mine."

Aro released a shaky breath, trying to play it cool. It was futile, however, as Aro knew Caius was right. His head most definitely was on the block. _And so is my hide when my father finds out I_ _'_ _ve turned a fucking teenager_!

"He's going to batter you," Caius sang out happily.

They had both taken their share of battering's from the creator and Caius knew it was no laughing matter. But, just as Aro did when Caius was in for a round with the creator, Caius made sure to pour salt in the wounds.

"I'm taking him," Aro said, trying to sound more resolute than he really felt. "I'll talk Basileus around."

Caius burst out laughing at the very idea of 'talking' Basileus around. "Yeah, you do that!" he called after Aro as he exited the dungeons with his new pet.

Aro didn't speak to the newborn as he directed him towards the south tower. He was relieved to have passed no guards in that short journey, and positively ecstatic when he found his father's ground floor suit empty. _Thank fuck he isn_ _'_ _t home_!

The second floor remained empty and Aro toyed with putting the newborn in there for a moment ... before thinking better of it. _He will smash the place up unattended_ , he reasoned. That wasn't the only reason. Aro wanted him close. He wished to the gods that he knew why he felt compelled to risk his neck for a stray newborn, but he couldn't help the feelings as they came, even if he didn't understand them.

"What is that?!" Sulpicia stood in shock looking at the filthy wretch her mate had brought home. Aro wasn't looking much better having rolled around the floor with the newborn in the dungeons.

"Our new pet," Aro replied. He wore a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes – they were full of concern.

"I believe dogs are the animal of choice for pets, my love," Sulpicia said, her voice hitching as the pair of vampires at her door dripped mud on the floor.

"We're keeping this one, my queen." Aro gave the newborn a good shake to get him to quit his growls. "He's too young to go in with the other newborns," he explained. "Too strong, too," he added as he firmed up his grip.

"How young?" Sulpicia asked, approaching them.

Aro held his hand up to stop her getting too close but Sulpicia was near enough to look into the boy's eyes. And he was a boy, she could see that. Not by his clothes, or his height or his brawn, but his eyes. They were young, so very young.

"Aro, how old is he?"

"Fifteen? Sixteen?" Aro offered. "I need to go through his head properly, but there about."

"He's big!" Sulpicia said, taking a half step back. _Very big for fifteen or sixteen, and he almost has full beard_! "Are you sure?"

"I just said I wasn't, didn't I?!" Aro snapped. "Just help me get him cleaned up." The tiredness from the dungeon blood binge was setting in and Aro was getting pissed off keeping a hold on the newborn.

Sulpicia went to the bathroom, a new installation in their chambers and one she would have rather not sullied with a newborn pet Aro had brought home, but she lit the fire and started to heat some water anyway.

The round wooden tub was short and deep in the Eastern style in which the bather sits up. Aro had brought the idea home from his travels in Japan with his father. It was just about the only successful thing about their trip as they had found the country, make that, the entire Eastern side of the globe to be overpopulated by vampiric rogues. After slaughtering all but one of each coven they could find, Basileus had decreed they were to never set foot out of their lands or they would face harsh penalties. Aro and Caius wanted to push on and slaughter them all, but Basileus wouldn't hear of it. He only had to threaten them once before they quit their complaining.

Aro brought the boy through and started to rip away his torn and tattered clothes. When he started to struggle again, Aro held him at arm's length face on and whipped the back of his hand across his cheek, hard. He kept doing so until the newborn relented and stilled, though his eyes still flickered with a rage that concerned Aro. _Can I contain him_?

"What's his name?" Sulpicia asked, paying little attention to her mate's actions. She had seen him handling newborns for centuries and she knew there was to be a certain amount of rough handling with their underlings.

Aro hadn't thought to find out his name. "Can you speak?" he asked the newborn in his hold.

Nothing.

"He's only just transformed," Aro explained to his mate, "he'll speak soon enough."

Through his grip on the boy's throat, Aro went into the boy's mind again and sought his answer. "Felix?" he asked.

The boy's eyes flickered hearing the name. Aro nodded to himself, that was all the confirmation he needed. "His name is Felix," he told his mate with certainty.

Sulpicia half-filled the bath tub with hot water and was waiting expectantly for Aro to bring the boy over. "Should I fetch him some clothes?" she asked, averting her eyes as her mate directed the over-grown child into the bath.

"Mine will fit him," Aro replied. "Find him something suitable."

Sulpicia hung in the doorway for a moment considering her mates words. _Yours_? Aro wasn't one for sharing. He didn't play nicely with others. He had always been loving towards her and friendly towards Caius and Marcus, but that was about it aside from his father and sister. To see her mate, the fearsome Vampire King, bathing a newborn boy and offering his home, and the shirt off his back … wow! Nothing more loquacious would come. Just, wow!

"I need some scissors, too, Sul," Aro called, holding up a matted length of hair. "And a razor," he added, looking to the youth's unkempt facial hair.

The boy, or make that Felix, sat in the warm water and had started to relax. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the assault to his senses kept him still enough. Everything was so damn loud! He couldn't understand why the guy bathing him had to shout every single word. _At least she_ _'_ _s quiet_ , he thought, watching the woman searching the bathroom drawers for the implements her mate had requested. _She_ _'_ _s pretty hot, too_ , he thought.

"Hey?!"

Felix snapped his attention back to the guy and received a fresh clout to the back of his head. _What the fuck was that for_?! he thought. He was still without words. Every time he tried to speak it came out as humming growl.

"That," Aro told him with another slap, "was for thinking about my wife."

Felix gulped. 'How do you know what I'm thinking?' he tried to ask, again, only a growl emerged from his lips.

"Why is he growling like that, Aro?" Sulpicia asked, sounding concerned.

"He's trying to talk," Aro explained. "They do this sometimes," he said about newborns. "They talk too quickly and it comes out as a growl. Don't worry."

Sulpicia nodded along, but she kept one eye on the newborn as she went back to the drawers, just in case.

"Felix," Aro clicked his fingers in the boy's face. "Do you understand what's happened to you?"

Sulpicia had seen her mate around the newborns many times. _Maybe not this fresh_ , she thought, _but I_ _'_ _ve never seen him act this way with them_. The best a newborn could hope to receive from Aro, or Caius for that matter, was indifference. As she listened to Aro take the time to explain to the boy all about his new life, what he was feeling, how his senses were working at an accelerated rate, she was drawn in. Sulpicia sat on the edge of the tub and took the boy's face in her hands, waiting for him to acclimatise to her touch before she soaped his face.

"Do you want it all off?" she asked her mate, referring to the boy's half-grown beard.

Aro shrugged. "Just tidy him up." He took the scissors and started hacking chunks from the boy's hair. It was easier than trying to wash it.

Felix, for his part, just sat there. He still wasn't scared, even with the slaps he had received from the guy. _Aro. He said his name was Aro_ , Felix reminded himself.

"You will call me Master," Aro interjected, reading along with Felix's thoughts. "Sulpicia is my mate, my wife. You can call her 'my queen'."

Sulpicia laughed out loud. "Caius and Dora won't like that, my love," she said. "Didyme might have something to say on the matter, too."

Felix wasn't sure why they were both laughing, but he made an attempt to join them.

"No!" Aro snapped. "It's not for you to laugh."

"Aro, he's just a boy," Sulpicia said, smiling at the youth. "Be softer with him."

"Softer?" Aro scoffed. He was being pretty 'soft' under the circumstances already and he had a round of hell coming from his father for not dispatching the kid as soon as he'd discovered his age. "He may be a boy, Sully, but he's still a newborn. You didn't see what he did to the bars on his cell!"

As Aro filled Sulpicia in on finding the boy, who he thought was a man, and bringing him back to Volterra, Felix listened. He couldn't remember anything Aro was talking about. The last thing he remembered was winning in the strong man competition. There was nothing else in his memory except for the unimaginable pain of his transformation. _Whatever that means ..._ he said to himself, thinking of what Aro had briefly explained.

Aro stopped talking when he saw Sulpicia had finished shaving the boy. He moved around the tub to get a good look at his face. _It'_ _s not enough_ , he thought. "Shave it off."

Felix put his hands to his cheeks. He didn't want a bare face. For a boy of his years, he was proud that he could grow a beard at all. 'Why?!' he tried to say, but again it came out as a strangled growl. It sounded more word-like, but it was still a growl. Aro read the word in his mind.

"I want the guards to know you are younger than they are," Aro explained. "I want you to know you are younger than they are," he added more sharply, remembering how volatile teenagers could be at the best of times, let alone newborn vampiric teenagers. "Most importantly, I said it was to be shaved off." Aro gave the rug on Felix's face a good tug, making sure he had every ounce of his attention. "If I tell you to rip off your own fucking arm you had better do it, do you understand me?!"

There was something about the tone of Aro's voice that finally unnerved Felix. It was like he was reaching inside the boy, deep into his soul, and talking to the essence of his new vampiric being.

"You say, 'Yes, Master'," Aro instructed.

Felix attempted to say the words but soon gave up in favour of thinking them to his new lord.

"Your survival in this coven," Aro corrected himself, "make that, in this life, relies on your ability to follow my commands."

'Yes, master,' Felix thought again.

Aro and Sulpicia went back to their conversation, catching up with all Aro had been up to whilst he was away rounding up humans for the transformation to refill their guard. Well, not quite all. He missed out the night on dungeon blood fucking humans in the dungeons. But the rest they chatted about.

Felix allowed himself to be manipulated as Sulpicia shaved his face and Aro cut his hair and talked about him rather than to him. When he attempted to object to the conversation as Aro explained that he may not make it through the newborn year and Sulpicia shouldn't get too attached to him, Aro grabbed a fistful of his newly cropped hair and pulled his head back uncomfortably.

"If the only noise you can make is a growl, I suggest you make no noise at all."

 _That didn_ _'_ _t sound anything like a suggestion_ , Felix thought, rubbing out the ache in his neck. The bucket of water dumped over his head came as a shock, but Felix quickly got his growl under control when Aro took him by the scuff of his neck again.

Sulpicia willed her mate to relax a little and he eventually did.

"Out," Aro instructed simply. Felix obeyed, but being unused to his new vampiric speed, and slippery wet, he crashed into the far wall. Felix stayed where he was in a crumpled heap on the floor as Aro laughed at his uselessness.

Sulpicia left the boy to Aro for dressing, feeling her prolonged presence was inappropriate. _There_ _'_ _s nothing appropriate about a vampiric child,_ she thought, wondering what her father-in-law would have to say on the matter. Actually, she knew exactly what her father-in-law would have to say, _and what he_ _'_ _ll do to my poor Aro_.

Aro took the up the clothes Sulpicia had brought in and shook out the black woollen tunic, sizing Felix with one eye. "It will be a bit big for you, but my cast-offs will have to do until I can get you your own." He was speaking to himself more than to Felix.

"Get up," Aro instructed, "and get dressed." With that he left the boy to his own devises, though he left the door open, so he could hear if he tried to bolt out the window or something.

Aro joined his mate in the main chamber of their quarters where she sat eagerly waiting for him.

"Do you think he's still hungry?" she asked, offering to fetch the boy some blood from Caius.

"No," Aro shook his head. "He's having my blood."

"Your blood?!" Sulpicia shot back in surprise. "Won't that weaken you, my love?"

Aro bit his lower lip and thought about the risk of being weak around a newborn. Particularly the dangers of being weakened around one as strong as Felix. It was the only way, though. "It will help him bond to me," Aro explained. "It will help me control him." Aro could see his mate still looked less than convinced. "It's better than the other way, my queen," he added.

"Yes," Sulpicia agreed, knowing the other way was submission. "Of course, okay."

"You should feed him, too," Aro announced. He really was thinking on his feet with this newborn.

"Me?" Sulpicia and Aro often shared blood in the throes of their love making but to feed a child, a guard, a boy, a coven member … whatever Felix was … it just didn't seem right.

"He's going to have to stay in our quarters, Sul," Aro explained. _If we are able to keep him at all_ , he thought to himself. "I won't leave him with you alone, but you need to be able to control him."

"I won't be able to control him, Aro. He's huge!" Sulpicia was visibly shaken by the idea of having to manage a newborn under her own steam. "Newborns are strong, and volatile … "

Aro held up his hand to silence his mate. He wasn't in the mood for frivolous wittering from the woman. "He'll settle. They all settle." Of that much he was sure. Felix would settle down. _But we need to get him through the newborn year first_ , he thought with a shudder.

Something more pressing was playing on Sulpicia's mind. "When are you going to tell Basileus?" she asked quietly, as though the creator might hear their torrid conversation.

"He'll find out soon enough, I expect." Aro heaved himself out of his chair, sighing dramatically. "Felix!" he called out in the general direction of the bathroom. "Get in here, boy!"

Felix barrelled into the living chamber like a lion released into the gladiator ring. He crashed to the floor again, this time at Aro's feet.

"You will get the hang of it," Aro said, pulling Felix to his feet.

As vampires had no need for undertunics, as they didn't perspire as a rule, the Volturi coven wore only the outer sleeved tunic. The guards wore fabric belts with theirs, but nothing else, and like their human soldier counterparts, kept their tunic above the knee to give greater dexterity in battle. The masters all wore tight trousers and their tunic a little longer in length. The clasps to the cloaks they wore were also highly decorated with gold work and jewels, unlike the guards' plainer adornments. Still, they were the only coven that provided anything for their underlings, so the guards were relatively pleased with their lot. How they would feel seeing Felix in masters' dress would be another matter entirely, and it was something Aro briefly considered before he decided to stick it out.

"He needs a belt," Aro called to Sulpicia, who dutifully fetched one of his for the boy.

The boy held his trousers to him, scrunched at the waist. He didn't have enough control over his hands to do the fastenings himself. _You really are a clumsy oaf_ , Aro thought watching the boy attempt to make the ties. Aro took over and then rearranged the shoulders to the black tunic he wore and finally fastened the belt around his middle.

"There," Aro proclaimed. "He looks alright."

Sulpicia looked over the boy. Now he was dressed, clean shaven and shorn haired, he looked young. Still big for his age, but he truly did look like a child. The years had been washed away along with the dirt and grim.

Aro could see his mate becoming misty eyed. _Oh no_ _,_ he thought, _he isn_ _'_ _t for you to cluck over_! "Sulpicia, you need to understand this boy is a guard," he said softly to his mate. "He might even become our personal guard. But he's still a guard."

"I understand, my love," Sulpicia replied. _But do you_? she wondered as her mate continued to fuss over the boy, talking him into taking a chair.

Aro towered over Felix, who instinctively shrank into his seat. "Your eyes are blackening," he said, mainly to himself. He didn't expect Felix to understand the relevance of black eyes.

A vampire should have red eyes, as a rule, unless they were hungry or particularly emotional. Anger was the usual emotion to bring about such a change. In either of those circumstances, the eyes could turn black as coal. There was that odd orangey hue animal blood gave to their eyes, but Aro mostly thought such a colour represented the oppressed, or the desperate of their kind. He had been known to execute such poor creatures, believing he was putting them out of their misery by ending their immortal suffering.

Placing a hand on the boy's head, Aro delved into Felix's mind to get a feel for his emotional state. _You don_ _'_ _t sound angry_ , he surmised, finding only confused thoughts inside Felix's head. _Hungry, then_?

"You need more blood," Aro told the boy, waiting for some sort of response from Felix to show he understood. "Food, remember?"

 _Food_? Felix thought. Aro had explained blood was to be his food now. He didn't like that idea.

Aro bit into his wrist and winced momentarily as his fangs broke the skin. "You are going to feed from me, understood? Only me or the blood I give you." He brought his wrist to the boy's mouth and any disgusted thoughts Felix had merely melted away when the sweet nectar hit his burning throat. The relief was instantaneous.

Aro focussed on the fire as the boy fed. It wasn't so much that feeding someone hurt. After the initial bite there was no pain to it, as such. The problem for Aro was that it went against everything he had ever done before. He had never fed a newborn. Nor a guard for that matter. He and Sully blood-shared during sex, he'd even done the same with other sexual partners, but he'd never just fed someone for feeding sake. He'd drank his father's blood countless times but then that was to make use of the magical healing powers of Basileus' blood.

"Aro!" Sulpicia hissed, gaining her mate's attention. "Is he sleeping?" she whispered, watching the suckling boy.

"No?" Aro spun to face the newborn sitting in his chair. "Surely no?"

Felix's eyes were closed, and he murmured softly as Aro pulled his wrist away and licked the wound quickly to heal the skin.

Crouching on his knees, Aro clicked his fingers in Felix's face and watched the boy intently for a reaction. "He is!" Aro exclaimed. "He's out of it."

"Perhaps he hasn't finished transforming?" Sulpicia suggested.

It sounded plausible to Aro. "He did wake up very quickly." Whilst Aro was thinking about possible reasons for the newborn to be sleeping like a, well, a newborn, he supposed, but of the human variety, Sulpicia had already gone into their bed chamber and was returning with an armful of bedding.

"Where are you going?" Aro asked, over his shoulder.

Sully lifted the bedding in her arms. "He needs somewhere to sleep," she explained. "I'm making up a bed in your study, my love. Bring him through, just give me a minute."

"Bring him through?!" Aro repeated. "Like … carry him?"

"Yes!" Sulpicia called out, disappearing into the study.

Aro cocked his head to the side, again sizing up the boy in his quarters. _How the hell am I supposed to carry that_?! The weight wasn't an issue for a vampire, even Sulpicia could lift the weight. It was the size of the kid. Felix was just about the biggest child he had ever seen. His boyish looks appeared mismatched to his hulking body. Settling for flopping the youth over his shoulder, Aro lugged the boy into his study.

Sulpicia had laid out blankets covering the large bench seat where Aro laid the boy. Not once did he wake, though the soft murmuring continued.

"Is he thinking?" Sulpicia asked, wondering if the boy was failing to fully transform. "I didn't know the newborns slept sometimes."

"They don't," Aro said in concern.

He didn't want the boy to die. He'd never really cared about losing the odd newborn before. Suddenly it mattered very much if this one died. With a hand on his forehead, Aro checked on the boy from inside his head and soon smiled to his mate.

"He's dreaming," he said. "About a farm … maybe where he was raised …" Aro followed the boy's dreams and told Sulpicia all he saw. The sat on the floor together, Aro with one hand on Felix to maintain access to his thoughts and ran through the boy's entire life history as he recalled it.

"ARO!"

Basileus' bellowing voice broke through their shared moment.

"Fuck," Aro said softly. He sounded utterly dejected. "Stay with the boy," he instructed his mate, "but if he wakes, fetch me immediately."

Aro slipped out of his study, leaving the door ajar, and joined his raging father in the main chamber.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Basileus roared the moment Aro came into view. He flashed forward, the force nearly took Aro off his feet.

"Dad, listen … " Aro tried, backing away when he saw the man's nostrils flare.

"Listen?!" Basileus repeated incredulously. "You dare to tell me to listen?!" He snatched Aro up from the floor with a hand around his throat.

Aro desperately tried to suck in some air so he could speak but the iron fist around his neck was too damn tight. ' _I didn_ _'_ _t realise he was so young when we took him_!' he thought to his father.

"You should have finished him off in the bloody dungeons, then!" Basileus boomed, inches from his son's face and shaking him like a rag doll. "Not brought him home to play happy fucking families!"

The him, of course, was Felix.

' _Please, my lord_!' Aro begged through his mind. ' _There was just something about him_ …'

Basileus' eyes widened for a moment and Aro wondered if he might actually die for bringing the child into the coven. Basileus wondered that, too. Sensing he was about to go somewhere he really didn't want to go, the creator threw his son across the room to put some distance between them. Aro tucked and rolled until he hit the wall where he sprang into a defensive stance. He had no intentions of attacking his father, but he was ready to defend himself if he had to.

"If this is another of your fucking fetishes you can get him out of your chambers, now!" Basileus yelled, jabbing an angry finger at the door. "Show some respect to your wife!"

Aro felt sickened. It wasn't that he hadn't had fetishes through the years, some weirder than others, but the idea that he would have taken the boy into his quarters for that was abhorrent.

"It's nothing like that!" Aro shot back in disgust.

Basileus wasn't so sure. _At least that would be a reason_ , he thought, _a poor excuse but a reason nonetheless_. "Then what is it?! What was so important that made you bring a vampiric child into our coven, Aro?!"

"I don't know," Aro admitted.

It was the truth. He couldn't put a finger on why he wanted to turn Felix. There was his strength, of course, but it would have been disingenuous to claim that was the only reason, or even the main reason.

"I hope for your sake that you can come up with a better excuse than that, son."

Aro watched his father carefully. Basileus paced at human speed on one side of the room, Aro stuck to his side. Deciding he was far enough away to risk it, Aro went with the truth, as he felt it.

"I don't know why I wanted him … I assume it's the same way you wanted me."

That stopped Basileus in his tracks.

"He's staying, Dad," Aro braved. "I'm taking responsibility for him. I'm keeping him in my quarters. I'm training him myself. It's no one else's concern."

"Are you daring to say the members of my coven are none of my concern?" Basileus asked, annoyed that Aro would dare to suggest such a thing.

"That's not what I'm saying … " Aro spoke softly, calmly, "please …" he implored his father to take his side. "Just let me keep him."

Basileus dived inside Aro's mind and sought out his son's motivations for taking the child from Greece. He was sure his son was hiding something. When he found Aro was being truthful - that he hadn't realised how young Felix was until he'd already turned, that he had been instantly drawn to the boy - he relented and took a seat at the window.

"What are you playing at?" he asked curiously. "Are you starting a family or something?"

"No!" Aro snapped back.

He most definitely wasn't doing that. Basileus was the only vampire either of them knew of who had turned a vampire purposely to be part of a familial relationship structure. Aro didn't want that.

"Nothing like that."

"Because if you are," Basileus continued, "the rules still apply - I want no children in this coven, Aro."

"You haven't even seen him yet, my lord," Aro said as he carefully approached his father, trying to incite some interest in the child. "He can be easily taken for an adult. He's big and strong, and he will be useful."

Basileus narrowed his eyes at his son, still trying to suss him out. He was used to Aro's games and usually knew when he was being played by his son, but occasionally a misdirection would work and Basileus would curse himself for missing any such events. Still finding nothing but honesty in Aro's words, he bobbed his head and invited Aro to sit.

"Where is he?" he asked once his son was settled.

"Is he awake, Sul?" Aro called out, peering through the gap in the door where he could just about make out his mate.

Sulpicia came out first, closely followed by a fearful overgrown child. Now the initial self-protective anger was subsiding, Felix was feeling the tension of his precarious situation. Hearing the creator of vampire kind roaring and growling in a primordial fashion through the open door had helped to bring those feelings to the fore.

"Felix, come here, boy," Aro called, standing and reaching out an arm to welcome him over.

With an encouraging nudge from Sulpicia, Felix went and joined his new master at his side.

"Master?" he croaked in question.

"Aha!" Aro exclaimed. "Wonderful. He speaks!" He slapped a firm hand on the boy's shoulder intending it to look supportive, natural even, but he was fooling no one. Basileus knew full well that Aro was making sure the boy stayed in place whilst he inspected him.

Taking to his feet again, Basileus circled the boy slowly.

"How are you controlling him?" he asked Aro. "I don't like the idea of you using submission with a child." Squeezing the boy's bicep, he added, "Even a large child."

Aro shook his head. "I'm not, Dad."

"Caius?"

Basileus assumed the other master would be, as he had general control over newborns and he knew how Caius controlled those newborns. He wasn't against it as such - it was an unusual practice in large covens to keep subordinates under control. He couldn't honestly say he entirely approved, either, mind you.

"No," Aro admitted. "That's why I pulled him out of the cells."

Basileus stopped circling and stood in front of Aro. "So, what are you doing?"

"Feeding him," Aro admitted under his breath.

Basileus made him repeat his answer three times until he was properly audible. Aro looked submissively to the floor, hoping it would open and swallow him up.

"Are you going to say anything?" he eventually asked when nothing was forthcoming from his father.

"You are making yourself weaker in an already dangerous situation." Basileus hooked his finger under his boy's chin and lifted Aro's face until they were eye to eye. "So I assume this child is important to you," he added softly.

Aro released a shaky breath. He hadn't even realised he'd been holding it in, but it came rushing forth along with thanks to his father.

"I still don't like this," Basileus said sternly, cutting off his son's adoration. "You and I need to have a long conversation about what happens when you dare to flout my commands."

Aro swallowed down the venom pooling in his mouth. He had been expecting as much. "How do you want this to work?" Aro asked, jutting his chin towards the newborn between them in an effort to distract himself from his coming 'conversation'.

Basileus took a moment to go through the boy's thoughts and got a feel for the vampire he was, or maybe, would be. Seeing the boy brake out of the dungeon cells piqued his interest. He took the child's hand and placed Felix's palms flat against his own chest.

"Push," he instructed the newborn.

Felix did as he was bid. He hadn't intended to push hard but his strength was overwhelming. Basileus stood firm, however.

"Harder," the creator called out. "Push into me as hard as you can."

Felix braced his bare feet against the marble floor and pushed for all he was worth. After a minute of exertion he felt beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck, but he still hadn't moved the creator.

"Very good," Basileus said, smiling at the youth.

Aro started to relax a little. _Great,_ he thought, thinking his father could see some use in the keeping the child.

 _But you didn_ _'_ _t even move_?! Felix thought in annoyance.

Basileus' smile grew even wider hearing Felix's thoughts. "I didn't, no, but you are still the strongest vampire I have met," he answered honestly.

Felix's eyes widened in surprise.

"I can read your mind," Basileus explained, "and I have just told you that you are the strongest vampire I have met, yet you couldn't even move me." Placing a strong hand on the youth's shoulder, Basileus told him, "if you DARE to break a single order, you will face me, and the consequences will be severe."

Felix released a very shaky breath and his eyes shot down to the floor at his feet. _Don'_ _t fuck about_ , he thought, translating the threat into his own words.

"Indeed," Basileus said sternly before leaving the boy to his fear and turning to his son. "This one has a lot of energy," he surmised. "You will have to help him burn it off."

Aro and Sulpicia both agreed and fired off the multitude of ways they had already run through to do just that.

"Don't let anyone find out that he sleeps, either," Basileus advised.

"So that wasn't a one-time thing?" Aro asked.

They had never had children in the coven before and it was something that was frowned on outside of their coven, too. Basileus had seen enough vampiric children in the early days, before everyone realised what a pain in the ass they could be, and he knew the traits the younger members of their race exhibited.

"Children sleep, Aro," Basileus said firmly. "He will sleep every day, or night if you prefer." Scratching his chin, Basileus wondered about the implications that could have coven-wide. "I'd suggest you keep it from everyone if you want him to be seen as a Volturi guard." He stressed everyone to ensure Aro understood his fellow masters would be included in that.

Aro understood.

"And you keep him with you at all times."

Aro agreed. He wanted to keep Felix with him anyway, even if he wasn't sure why.

…

"You stay with me, got it?" Aro whispered to the boy at his side as they moved through the castle. "Keep your eyes down and your mouth shut."

Felix replied with a respectful, "Yes, master" as he had been instructed to do and continued to walk at Aro's pace, which was hard with his new-found energy and speed.

"Only speak when you are spoken to," Aro continued, "and for the love of the gods don't do anything to make me regret your existence."

Felix felt a sickening feeling overcome his body. He wasn't entirely sure what he was, what had happened to him, or who the fuck this king guy was meant to be, but it all sounded so very precarious, very dangerous, very regimented. Felix didn't do well with regimented anything. He was, from what he could remember, a freewheeling kind of kid.

Aro threw open the doors to the throne room and strolled in with Felix at his side. When he took his throne, with both Marcus and Caius eyeing him strangely, he remembered the boy at his side.

"Go down there," he hissed to the youth, who dutifully joined the rest of the guard and the other newborns.

It was the first time the newborns were meeting the rest of the coven and Aro, as was the tradition, gave a short address, running through coven rules and expected behaviour. As he talked, he focussed heavily on the boy he had brought with him and was pleased to see Felix focused on the floor for his entire speech.

Once the speech was through in Greek, Aro started speaking again in a different language, one Felix didn't understand ... which could be just about every other language. It seemed to go on for hours and the agitation Felix felt was rising like ball of fire inside his core. He had to move, do something, but he daren't with Aro's instructions ringing in his ears.

By the finish, Felix felt like his head would explode with rules, and codes of conduct, and lists of duties … _Fuck me, I am never going to remember all of this_! He would of course, but Felix wasn't aware of just how perfect his memory would be from then on.

Felix only noticed that the address had ended when drinks started to be passed around. He was still stood in the middle of the guard hall as the old Volturi guard introduced themselves to the new members of their flock. No one spoke to him. He didn't speak to them either. _Am I supposed to be talking to them_ , he wondered, trying to make eye contact with someone, anyone, whilst also keeping his gaze low.

It seemed the other Volturi members were already aware that he was different. _Aro said I_ _'_ _m different_ , he reminded himself. _Younger than everyone else by at the very least a good five years_ , he thought, looking around. _What the hell do I do now_?

As if sensing the boy's awkwardness, Aro joined the youth and handed him a very large cup of wine. _It'_ _s almost a jug_ , Felix thought, though he happily took it from the man and gulped the liquid down greedily.

"Is he wearing your clothes?" Marcus asked, appraising the boy with his eyes.

Vampires didn't need clothes to protect themselves from the weather in the way that humans did and the Volturi favoured simple tunics as their main dress, in the style of the Roman military before their fall. The only real difference was the colour. The masters all wore jet black tunics which were both laundered and replaced often, the old items being fed down to the guards. The guards, therefore, wore tunics of varying degrees of grey.

In a sea of grey tunics, Felix stood in an oversized (on him) jet black tunic and trousers to match the masters.

"What if he is?" Aro shrugged, chinking his cup against Marcus' before he drained its contents.

"I'm sure there are some clothes in the guard closet that would fit him, Aro," Marcus suggested. He saw no reason for the boy to be borrowing from his co-master's wardrobe.

"He's fine as he is," Aro insisted with finality.

Naturally such finality was lost on Caius. "They're a bit baggy."

"Maybe," Aro muttered, rearranging the shoulders to the boy's new threads to pull the tunic up his body a little. "But he's fit for purpose."

Caius scoffed and looked to the boy with derision. "You really are separating this one out, aren't you?"

"He's young," Aro said. "He needs to be separate from the other guards. They will eat him alive."

Felix raged internally at the idea of being eaten alive by anyone. He had heard how Aro and Sulpicia and even the creator had all been amazed by his strength and he felt pretty self-assured that he could handle himself if he had to.

"He doesn't look that young to me," Marcus said, squinting as he looked at the youth stood by his co-masters.

Marcus was a good twelve years older than Aro and Caius, at least, and he often couldn't tell the difference between the guards ages below thirty - they all looked the same to him. One thing that stood out to Marcus about the young newborn was Aro's affinity to him. He could sense, through his gift, that his co-master had bonded with the boy already, and quite intensely.

Aro stretched out his back and winced. "I've taken the whipping that proves he's young, my friend," he said, bringing Marcus back to their conversation.

Marcus nodded to himself. He knew Basileus well enough to know how he would react to a child being one of their number, particularly if Aro had refused to dispatch the boy, as Marcus correctly assumed that he had.

"You will have to let him play with the others for training," Caius announced, clicking his fingers to a guard for more wine to be brought to them. "I'm not coming up with a separate regime just for your pet."

"I'm training him, Caius," Aro said, taking his refill.

"You?" Caius spat the wine back into his cup before he choked on it. "Yourself," he checked, "one on one?" _We never train newborns one on one_. _Why does this one deserve personal attention_?

Aro looked his co-master dead in the eye. "Yes," he said. There was no room for Caius to ask more questions to such a final tone.

"He will still need to be socialised with the other guards, Aro," Marcus reminded his younger covenmate. "It's how our coven works."

The Volturi coven owed its success, in the masters' minds, and Basileus' too, to the bonds between coven members. A part of fostering such bonds had been to tap into the vampiric nature which craved socialisation. Sadly for vampires, their naturally competitive nature at odds with this desire for socialisation, along with the bonds it built, was something that required strict structure and expert direction to achieve. If Felix was removed from the guard he would miss that vital part of his Volturi education.

"I'll have him involved where I can, Marcus," Aro relented, before asking his fellow master to get the boy up to speed with his languages.

Marcus always had to go through languages with every new influx of guards. They took humans from far and wide so as not to drain local resources or cause suspicion. The new vampires came with a myriad of languages and few crossovers. First point of call, after feeding, was getting everyone on board so they could speak one tongue in the coven. Aro had made his announcement in many different languages that day, which came as a surprise to Felix as he was sure he only heard two – the one he knew, and the one he didn't.

"And will you be accompanying him to the library?" Marcus asked.

Caius was responsible for newborns, so whenever they were out of the cells, Caius was with them and he kept them under control at all times. If Felix wasn't falling under Caius, then Aro had to be present, in his mind.

Aro huffed and complained until Marcus told him to teach the boy languages himself. That was enough for Aro to agree to attend with the boy.

"STOP!" Caius roared, breaking their quiet conversation.

Every single vampire in the room froze, other than Marcus and Aro, of course.

Caius flashed to the pair of bickering newborns and took them by the throat in one hand a piece. He easily slammed them into the floor. "Should I kill them off for their insolence now, Aro?" he called over his shoulder.

Felix watched the display being carried out in front of him from slightly behind Aro. Still, he could see how Caius' eyes danced with excitement as he listened to the fearful newborns struggling under his grip.

"It's their first day, brother," Marcus replied before Aro could. "I think we can forgive their trespasses today, can we not?" He waited expectantly for Aro to agree with him. When Aro merely nodded, Caius stood back up to full height.

Felix noticed that the newborns stayed down, cowering from the coven master. Rather than leaving them be, as Felix had expected, Caius slammed his hobnailed shoe into the left knee on each of the newborns who wailed in pain at the surprise assault. "Any more arguing and I will be feeding you to the guards," he warned before strolling back to his co-masters.

The older guards looked to each other with quiet smiles. Caius always made sure to make an example of the odd newborn publicly. It helped to get the rest on board with meeting the strict coven expectations.

Felix remained fixed to the spot watching the newborns on the floor. As everyone went back to their conversations, no one paid them the slightest bit of attention. No one helped them up or made any effort to fix their busted legs. The poor things just stayed on the floor clutching their shattered knee caps in agony.

"The boy looks scared, Aro," Marcus said, catching the youth's expression. "I assume you have told him how our coven works?"

"I have," Aro answered honestly. "He's more brawn than brain."

"Then our classes will be interesting, won't they?" Marcus commented, with a roll of the eyes. He wasn't in the mood for tempering a vampiric child when all he really wanted to do was run through the basics and get back to his mate. He drifted out of the throne room in his usual way, heading to the library.

Aro threw the last of his wine down his throat. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

Clicking his fingers to the guards, Caius had them following him like lost sheep and took his newborns to the library. A couple of longstanding guards took the newborns with broken legs along, bringing up the rear. Aro hung back, keeping Felix with him.

"You sit down, you listen, you learn," Aro said simply to his new charge.

Felix nodded. "Yes, Master," he added seeing Aro's eyes turn momentarily frosty.

By the time Aro and Felix arrived in the library, Marcus was ready to begin. They needed no materials for the session, as this was to be a purely spoken exercise. Aro shoved his charge to the front and sat him next to Marcus before taking seat with Caius right at the back of the room. They could still hear everything perfectly from where they sat and would be ready to intervene if necessary. Caius knew he would have to, he was already making silent bets with himself on who and when. Aro though, he felt a cocky confidence that the boy would do as he'd been told.

Felix only lasted five minutes before Marcus was complaining about him.

"He's just a little young, Marcus," Aro breezed. "Give him a break."

"I'll give him a break, if you like?" Caius offered. He had only been with the fresh batch of newborns for a day, but he had made them all submit to him already.

"You won't touch him!" Aro announced loudly for all to hear.

Felix was completely clueless as to what Caius had proposed, he assumed broken knee caps like his fellow pair of newborns were suffering. Regardless, he was grateful Aro had issued an embargo on touching him.

"Calm down!" Caius shot back at his co-master, shoving him half off the chair. "What's your problem anyway?"

Marcus, too, was surprised by Aro's outburst. Through his gift he read the ties in the room and he considered Aro's odd alignment to the boy he had brought back from Greece. Generally speaking, no one made ties with the newborns. It was a futile exercise in practice as they only ever kept half of them and they wouldn't know which half until towards the end of the newborns' first year in the coven. Even after that, few of the elite members had bonds with the guards. There was, of course, the odd one that Caius and Aro chose to continue using submission with, which often turned to just freely fucking, but other than that … Marcus made a mental note to discuss his findings with Basileus as soon as he could.

"I don't have a problem," Aro eventually replied to Caius. "I'm just laying it out for you now so there are no misunderstandings going forward." Puffing his chest out a little, he continued, "you don't use any of your usual tricks on Felix, either. He's too young."

"And your usual tricks?" Caius hissed back in question, knowing full well Aro was referring to submission. "How about those? Seeing as they are the same tricks as mine and you will have him living with you."

Aro didn't answer. He was still working out how he was going to manage Felix on a daily basis. Or how he was going to run the coven with a child in tow. Or how he was going to maintain his relationship with his mate with the boy in his quarters … lots of 'what ifs' floated through Aro's mind, but luckily, the effect of answering them to himself helped to calm him down.

Aro turned to his co-master. "I need you to take these newborns on your own, brother." It wasn't a question.

"I guessed that when you bolted out of the dungeons yesterday," Caius bristled. He didn't like the idea of having all nine to himself. Too much like hard work. "Lazy bastard," he said, but as he hadn't openly objected, Aro took his insult as agreement.

Caius waited for Marcus to have everyone's full attention before he unleashed his curiosity on Aro. "So are you going to tell me why you want that kid so badly?" he asked, with sly eyes on his co-master. "You bored of Sully, or something?"

"Fuck off!" Aro half shouted in return, drawing the attention of all the newborns and a scathing look from Marcus. Aro waved them away and went back to Caius. "I don't know what it is, it's not THAT, but I need him."

"You've picked up the gift of prophesy, then?" Caius asked, dripping with sarcasm. "And Basileus is just letting you keep him, is he?"

"I wouldn't say 'just letting' me, Caius," Aro replied, feeling the welts on his back pulsating as the venom in his blood stream attempted to fix the slashes in his skin. "He whipped me bloody last night for breaking his command," Aro admitted quietly.

"You're lucky that's all he did, brother."

Caius' eyebrows were raised high, he knew he didn't have to say anymore. It hadn't been too long ago since Basileus had threatened the pair of them with submission over their conduct.

Aro scoffed. "Basileus has been threatening us with that for centuries. It's not on the cards, Caius." He sounded sure, much surer than he really felt.

"And are you really not going there with the kid?" Caius asked.

He and Aro had both used submission with their underlings to keep them under control, but Aro was leaving this bunch in Caius' hands alone. He did wonder what that meant for the kid living in his co-master's quarters. Even in Caius' mind it wasn't a good idea to focus all that dominance over just one vampire.

Aro shook his head. "No," he said flatly. "Like I said, he's too young for that." Before Caius could ask what he planned for controlling the youth, Aro said, "I'll find another way." He didn't want to tell Caius he was feeding Felix. He felt embarrassed about it, in a way, like he would be showing a weakness.

"It's like having a bloody toddler in here, Aro!" Marcus called out, dragging Felix across the floor by the scruff of his neck.

Caius burst out laughing. "You only have one to control, Aro," he said through his amusement, "let's see how well your untested 'other ways' work with a volatile teenager."

Aro merely smiled sardonically in response and ordered Felix to sit at his feet. He could still hear Marcus' lesson from there. Felix didn't sit, though. Well, he tried. But he couldn't stay still. First one leg started bopping up and down. Then the other. Then he was up on his knees. Aro watched the boy, wondering what the hell was wrong with him! He was used to seeing newborns with excessive energy, but they could usually contain themselves until it was an appropriate time to release it.

"Sit still!" Aro growled into the boy's ear.

The growl shocked Felix, having been completely taken up with trying to do just what Aro had ordered. He thought he was doing pretty well. _Clearly not,_ he scolded himself.

He didn't want to piss Aro off, not with all the threats of death ringing in his ears. Between Aro and Basileus, Felix felt like he was quite close to death already and he didn't want to push either of them to make good on their promises of 'severe consequences'. He wasn't entirely sure what severe consequences would be. He thought death sounded pretty severe, but the way the king and creator had spoken to him it sounded like death was an entirely separate threat.

 _Maybe it_ _'_ _s the whip_? Felix thought. He had heard the punishment Aro had taken from the creator for bringing him into the coven. It sounded much more brutal than anything he had received in his human life, that he could remember. Yet afterwards, Sulpicia had bandaged up her husband and he had redressed and continued with his day. _How did he manage that_? Felix wondered. He didn't think he could be so stoic if occasion called for it.

Aro had surreptitiously placed his hand on the boy's exposed neck and followed his thoughts. He was pleased the boy was scared ... _that will make things easier_ , he reasoned. When he growled at the boy again, Felix spun around to face his master. It was then that Aro noticed the boy's eyes.

"He's hungry, Aro," Caius said knowingly. "There are a few humans left in the dungeons, if you want one."

Newborns in the Volturi coven, unlike most other covens, were kept well fed. It was an easy way of maintaining order. Hungry newborns were angry newborns. It baffled the Volturi elite why other covens, particularly the Romanian coven with whom they were currently having major issues, all kept their newborns at the point of starvation. The idea was not to waste resources on coven members they might not keep, and also to control them. Submission was easier, Caius and Aro had reasoned, and keeping them well fed kept down the level of violence in the newborn hall.

Caius had offered Aro the perfect get out clause. He didn't want Felix flouting his authority in the library in front of everyone, and he didn't want to have to batter the kid publicly, either. _But in the dungeons_ , Aro thought, _I can batter him down there_.

"Come!" Aro ordered to the boy, taking Caius' keys as he stood.

Felix followed his master out of the library silently, looking over his shoulder to see the other newborns all scowling at his preferential treatment. From the little they had learned of coven life so far, newborns weren't to be treated so well, so why was this random boy who had been brought back to the castle with them suddenly teacher's pet. Well, not teachers pet, as Marcus appeared to be the teacher and he hadn't stood for his insolence, but the king's pet! Which was infinitely better, they had reasoned.

"Ma, Master, I'm s, s, sorry," Felix stuttered as he followed Aro through the halls. "I can't stay still."

Aro stopped and turned on the boy. He had been intent of just whipping him or something to focus his attention on following orders ... _increase the fear_ , he had thought. But looking at the nervous youth in front of him he just couldn't do it.

"You need a full feed," he said softly to the boy. "And then you need some activity or something." He was thinking out loud more than anything else.

Aro toyed momentarily with giving Felix another newborn to fuck. _That would get rid of some pent-up frustrations_ , he thought, before thinking better of it. _No, he would annihilate whomever I gave him until he has his strength under control_.

"Feed first," he said resolutely, guiding the boy down to the dungeons.

On opening the newborn hall, the few humans that were left scattered to the edges of the room. Aro was about to turn and explain to Felix what he had to do to feed, as they occasionally had to with newborns, but before he did Felix had flashed past him and devoured his first victim.

 _He'_ _s a messy feeder_ , Aro thought, watching the boy create a mangled mess of the neck of his human blood host. Aro didn't like mess. Not many vampires did. When the boy finished and turned to Aro shyly, wondering if he had committed another error by feeding before he was allowed, he caught the look of disgust on his master's face and panicked.

"I'm sorry!" he called out, fearing reprisals.

Aro simply walked over to the nearest human and snapped its neck. Less flailing on the human's part would make it easier to teach Felix to feed properly.

"Come here," he called to the boy.

Felix approached, keeping himself half bent to the floor. He didn't know it, but it was Aro's venom and Aro's blood that was making him hold the submissive stance. Aro knew what was going on, and he was pleased to see his bodily fluids were having some control over the boy if not the full control submission would have given. _I can work with some_ , Aro thought.

"You don't have to chew at them," he said to Felix, holding the dead human up by its hair. "Go slowly, just pierce the skin with your fangs," he instructed, and then gave the boy a demonstration making two holes in the human's neck. "Then just let the blood flow."

Felix clamped his mouth over the holes Aro had made and sunk to the floor with the dead body in his arms. At first, he went slow, but as the heart had already stopped pumping, the blood didn't just spill into his mouth and he was soon frustrated.

"Suck gently," Aro said, holding Felix by the scruff of his neck and pinching a little to control his tempo. "Much better," Aro said happily when the boy had finished. He had still made a mess of the neck, but he hadn't smashed the whole body to pieces like he had with the first one.

"More!" Felix demanded, giddy with the blood he had drank down so greedily.

"That's enough for now," Aro said, pulling the boy to his feet. He knew how prone to gluttony newborns were and Felix had already filled his stomach with the blood of two humans.

Felix wasn't to be perturbed so easily. "More!" he demanded again.

Aro took a step forward and glowered down at the boy. "No."

That was all he said. Aro was testing Felix to see how far he would go in his desire for blood. It was the strongest impulse newborns had, the desire for blood, and Aro knew he had to be able to control that part of the boy if he were to live.

Fortunately for them both, Felix eventually relented and cast his gaze to the floor. _Very good_ , Aro said to himself. _Now to get rid of some of that energy_ , he thought looking at the boy who visibly vibrated before him.

Aro removed his cape and flung it to the floor. "Let's wrestle," he said, eyes twinkling with excitement. Aro loved wrestling with the newborns and he often went in for the kill, or at least with intentions of causing bodily harm. _Not this one though_ , he thought. He wanted to try an entirely different game with the boy. He wanted to try putting him down without hurting him. Oh how Aro loved to test himself.

Felix panicked. In the long drawn out list of rules Aro and Basileus had gone through with the boy, they had both made it very clear that he was not to put his hands on anyone outside of training. Basileus had made it patently clear that he would crush him if he ever attacked Aro or Sulpicia, in particularly.

"The creator said …" Felix began, only to be cut off by his new master.

"I know what he said." Aro shook his head thinking of what his father would have to say about this little exercise. "You answer to me, not him, got it?" _I answer to him_ , Aro added to himself, shaking that particular thought from his head as well.

Felix nodded with a curt, "Yes, Master", but still wasn't enamoured with the idea of attacking Aro with all those threats ringing in his ears.

"You can't hurt me, Felix," Aro said, scoffing at the very idea. "But go ahead and give it your best shot."

When Felix continued to stand staring at the floor, Aro took matters into his own hands. First, he cuffed the boy's head.

"Come on," he encouraged.

Nothing, so he gave the boy a good shove. Felix stepped back with the force, but he still didn't attack. Aro didn't mind, he was busy psyching himself up. He knew the boy would retaliate eventually and then he could test out his new ideas for bringing down a newborn without harming it. _Him_ , he corrected his own thoughts. _This one_ _'_ _s not an_ _'it'_.

…

"What on earth happened to you two?" Sulpicia asked when for the second time in two days Aro arrived at their door looking worse for wear with his new pet. Rather than mud, this time, their black tunics were grey with dungeon floor dust and both had their share of visible scrapes to their arms, and even a few on their faces.

"We've been playing," Aro said excitedly, exuberant from his brawl with the boy. "It was fun!"

Sulpicia smiled at her mate's happy disposition. It's not often you come back from your day so … well … bouncy!

"And what about you, Felix?" Sully asked the boy. "Did you have fun?"

Sulpicia had no idea what sort of activity Aro would have come up with to do with the child that could be termed fun, but she was keen to find out.

Felix had left that morning with sunken shoulders and a look of fear in his eyes, but now, he, like Aro, seemed animated. He really does look like a boy, Sulpicia thought, as he excitedly told her about the feeding, the wrestling, more feeding, more wrestling. He was a buzz of joy.

"Okay," Aro said, pulling the boy away from his mate. After getting the sense for how strong the child was, quite literally at some points with Felix using every ounce of strength to keep Aro down, he didn't want the boy too close to his delicate wife. "Go and clean up." He pushed Felix towards the bathroom.

Aro went to his bedchamber with Sulpicia following and he filled her in on all he had learned of the child whilst they'd played in the dungeons.

"I had to rile him up to get him going," Aro explained, removing his torn tunic and handing it to Sulpicia. He didn't say so, but it was clear he expected her to work her magic and repair the item. "Once he got into the swing of things, he was great to wrestle with!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed your games, my love," Sulpicia said softly, trying to calm her mate's exuberance with her tone. "Because I have something to show you."

Aro collected a fresh tunic and his belt from the bed. Sulpicia took Aro's hand and guided him to his own study, where the boy had slept the night before. It looked a little different now. Sulpicia had spent the day reorganising the room for their new guest. Now all of Aro's books and the trinkets of his immortal life that he liked to surround himself with had been stacked high on his writing desk, which had also been shoved into the very corner of the room. Now a great deal of the space had been given over to a large bed, that Aro recognised from the middle floor suite, and a wardrobe, from the same quarters.

"How did you get all of this up here?" he asked his mate. He wasn't too sure how he felt about actually losing his study to the child. _We have to put him somewhere,_ he reasoned, _especially if he is going to be sleeping every night_.

"Your father helped me," Sulpicia said smiling.

"Oh!" Aro exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist and nuzzling into her neck. "So I get a whipping for the boy, and you get help?!" he said, pretending to be wounded by the injustice.

"Basileus likes me more than you, my love," Sulpicia replied, "you know that."

"Don't I just!"

Aro stretched out his back. He had enjoyed play fighting with his new pet, but the activity had opened up all the wounds on his back that were only barely healed in the first place.

Sulpicia saw the bandage, which had been clean when Aro had left that morning, was now bloody across her mate's back. It was soon covered by the clean tunic Aro pulled on. She was pleased that her mate wasn't too bothered by his punishment, doubly so that he hadn't taken it out on the boy.

Aro strolled around his study, or rather Felix's new room, until he got to the wardrobe. On opening the door, he discovered half of his own outfits contained within. "Care to explain?" he asked his mate, thumbing through the items.

"He needs more than one set of clothes, Aro," Sulpicia replied. "Especially if you are to be wrestling with him, tearing the ones he wears." She joined her mate to show him many of the items she had donated to the boy were not the ones Aro wore with any regularity anyway. "I'll take them in for him, so they fit properly."

Aro watched his mate as she went to the bed and fixed the sheets, not that there was anything wrong with them. _Clucking like a mother hen again_ , Aro thought. He didn't want her getting any ideas. _The kid is a guard still, she has to know that_.

Sulpicia may not have had her mate's gift for reading minds, but she could read her mate like a book, regardless. "I know what you are thinking, my love. I know he's a guard."

She had said the right words, but Aro had a feeling her heart would read different to her head if he had access to its feelings.

"He needs something to sleep in of course, Sulpicia continued. "You obviously don't have anything he can use."

"Hmmm," Aro wasn't sure what to do about that.

He couldn't send a guard out to fetch something suitable without alerting them to the fact the boy slept. And he wasn't about to go out into the human world to steal nightclothes for the boy himself, that was beneath him. Not that he could go without taking Felix with him anyway. _He'_ _s not ready to be around humans, yet_ , he thought. _He'_ _d kill every one we come across_.

Felix cleared his throat in the doorway, wearing only a pair of braies and holding his filthy black tunic.

"He can sleep like that!" Aro announced happily, solving his own problem.

"Come on in, Felix," Sulpicia called over. "This is your room now."

Aro frowned at that. He supposed he would be moving his things out entirely then. He put the boy's strength to use by having him lug the writing desk out to the main chamber and sat back with a glass of wine whilst Felix moved everything else, too.

"He needs to use up his energy," Aro had offered as an excuse for using the boy for all the heavy lifting.

As the evening drew in on Felix's second night as a vampire, his tiredness was beginning to show. Though he had come home happy and chatty, he was now starting to grunt in response to the questions Sulpicia asked. Aro wasn't having that. With a resounding crack across the boy's head, he left him in no uncertain terms that respect was to be maintained under any circumstance.

"Watch your mouth or you will be picking it up off the floor!"

Felix stepped back, offering his apologies at just the moment Basileus had decided to pay them all a visit. Basileus didn't knock. He saw no reason to in his own coven and just let himself into the top floor suite to be greeted with an annoyed Aro and a repentant child.

"What's going on?" he asked sternly, glaring at the boy.

"Nothing," Aro breezed in response. He didn't want to give his father a reason to go trailing through his mind to find the wrestling games in the dungeons. "Just a little mouthy."

Basileus took a moment to read the boy's emotional state. Holding his wrist in one hand, he got a handle on how Felix felt. He wasn't angry, or even frustrated. He was exhausted!

"I'm not surprised he's mouthy at this hour!" Basileus said, turning on Aro. "I told you he will need to sleep, Aro."

Aro's eyebrows knitted together. "But he's still awake," he thought out loud, looking at the boy.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Basileus mocked his son's lack of foresight. "He isn't just going to fall asleep standing up," he said, shaking his head. "He will sleep like a human," Basileus explained. "So that's what?" He scanned his memory bank for human sleeping habits. "Let's say ten hours a night."

"I need him in the castle grounds by dawn for training!" Aro exclaimed, wondering how late it must be already. It had been dark for hours, he was sure. _Damn it_!

"Then he is going to have to miss tomorrow's session, isn't he?" Basileus said, talking down to his son. "If you want to keep him, Aro, you need to start thinking about these things."

Aro grimaced, knowing he had screwed up so soon. _And you don_ _'_ _t even know about the wresting, yet_ , he thought. The moment the words had formed in his mind, Aro regretted them. He saw the tell-tale expression on his father's face that told Aro his mind was being invaded.

"Fucking idiot!" Basileus bellowed, having seen only the beginnings of the brawl.

Sulpicia flashed forwards and stood protectively in front of her mate and new guard, facing off the creator. "My lord," she crooned, carefully. "Please be sure you have seen everything before you react. They came home so happy," she explained.

Basileus never could refuse anything his daughter-in-law requested of him. He wouldn't call it a gift, as such, but Sulpicia certainly had the ability to wrap him around her little finger.

Softening his approach, he again went through Aro's mind and saw exactly what his son had been up to. When he realised Aro had used the exercise to find ways to take Felix down without hurting him, he stopped.

 _Why would you even care about hurting him_? Basileus wondered. _That isn_ _'_ _t something Aro usually cares about with the newborns. Or any of the guard, for that matter. This kid has done something to your head,_ he thought, wondering where this new boy would lead the coven king.

Seeing his son enjoying the brawl, and Felix, too for that matter, Basileus changed tact. Sulpicia had been right. He had no reason to react as he had initially done.

Relenting, he said to Aro, "If you want to do it again, make sure I am there."

Aro quickly agreed. _That was easier than expected_!

Felix had remained as still as possible since Basileus had arrived. He didn't want to annoy the man, not after everything Aro had told him about the guy. He knew Basileus was the creator of vampiric kind - though he was still working out exactly what that meant in real terms - and he knew the man was Aro's father … but he wasn't too sure how that worked either. Regardless, he understood, fully, that getting on the wrong side of the giant man would end badly for him, one way or another.

"Come here, boy," Basileus called over, with a hand outstretched towards him. Felix nervously made the torturously long five-step journey to the creator.

Basileus hooked a finger under the boy's chin and tilted his head up to get a look at his eyes. It was then that he noticed the scrapes to his face. With Basileus' sight he could see other, shallower scratches had already healed, but there was a nasty gouge in his arm that could do with some help.

"You were rough with him, Aro," he said turning to his son. "You should have fed him after your fight."

Aro tutted, noticing his father hadn't shown the same concern over his mild wounds. "He's fed plenty today, Dad."

Basileus ignored him, of course. "Go to bed, Felix," he told the boy.

Felix was only too happy to leave the creator's presence and flashed from the room, knocking into the door frame with his excessive, unrestrained speed as he went. He had no intention of going to bed though. _I'_ _m not even tired,_ he thought, lying to himself. Instead, he hung around behind the closed door, listening in on the conversation in the main room.

"Let him sleep until he wakes, tonight," Basileus instructed his son. "And from tomorrow, have him in bed at dusk. He'll be up long before dawn but that will be for the best, I think." _I think, I don_ _'_ _t fucking know though, do I_?! Basileus didn't like kids in covens. He had a good many reasons, but the simplest of those was because they worked to a different clock than adult vampires.

Felix was incensed! _There_ _'_ _s no fucking way I am suffering the indignity of a bedtime at my age_! _Dusk_?! _Dream on_ , he thought bravely. Oddly enough, it was only his temper flaring from being so tired that allowed him to be so brave (or rather, foolish) in the first place.

Aro agreed, but tried to stop his father when he saw the man turn towards the boy's bedroom. "What are you doing?" he asked nervously, feeling protective.

Basileus shook his son off. "I'm going to let him know him that he has no choice in this," he explained, having heard Felix's thoughts on the matter already. "And I'll feed him to get rid of those scrapes you have inflicted on the poor kid." _What did you think I was going to do to him_?! Basileus wondered as he closed the door behind him.

"What is that about?" Sulpicia whispered to her mate, joining him at the boy's door where Aro was listening intently to the goings on inside.

Basileus' blood could restore a vampire to full health despite any ills or ailments they might have suffered. He rarely did so, however - even after battles he expected his coven members to heal themselves with a little time. He would happily feed the masters and their wives, should they require it, but that was it. Not guards. Never guards. It was quite a personal, intimate thing to offer your blood to someone.

"He's accepting the kid as ours, Sully," Aro explained, congratulating himself on sealing the deal. "Felix isn't going anywhere now, my queen. He's our guard, our personal guard."

Aro wasn't aware of it at the time, but Basileus was accepting Felix as far more than just a guard. And in time, so would Aro.


	134. Demetri - 600, November

**AN:** Happy Easter :)

* * *

 **DEMETRI - 600, NOVEMBER**

Basileus' storytelling had gone down a storm and everyone was feeling a little nostalgic. Even Felix was thinking back to his early days. He hadn't realised at the time what a big deal it was that Aro had taken him into his chambers. He certainly hadn't known how close he had come to being dispatched ... or to becoming Caius' plaything.

Felix had been a little worried before Baslieus started that his version, being the truth, would be more embarrassing. The boy was pleased his grandfather had stopped when he did. After his first few days in the coven, Felix, the real Felix that is started to come out as he grew in confidence. He had taken his fair share – more than – of punishments during his time in Volterra and he'd rather not have such things recounted in glorious detail in front of such mixed company. _Or any company_ , he thought, horrified by the potential humiliation.

Aro and Caius were uncomfortable, however. So much talk of their earlier ways with submission hadn't been expected. Aro was glad, for once, that his dungeon blood recklessness had been included – it was how he had explained away many of his sexual encounters to his mate, so at least Sulpicia wouldn't be on his case. She had looked thoroughly disappointed in him whilst Basileus was talking. That stung, but Aro knew he deserved it. His mother's gratuitous tutting through the tale had been annoying more than anything else.

Caius felt he had come off worse than Aro. _At least everyone knows Aro stopped using submission then … they probably all think I still do_! _Fuck_. Yes, Caius definitely came off worse. He pretended to be engrossed in his card game with Demetri, but really all he could think about was his hideous reputation. _Is there any point in trying to be anything else_ , he wondered? He wanted to be better than his past, on a good day he felt that he was, but all anyone would ever know of him was the man that was.

The glasses were topped up with whiskey and wine. With Aro feeling particularly loving towards his eldest at that moment, he gave his boy a glass, too. Wine, not whiskey ... Aro wasn't crazy.

Irina took a whiskey for herself. She didn't even like the stuff but it was about self-preservation. _If Felix isn't allowed whiskey because he's too young, then that's what I will drink_! She had grown frustrated with the kid by that point. Felix wasn't responding to her teasing, as the boy concentrated on pretending she didn't exist. She soon moved on to Demetri.

Sulpicia watched as the wanna-be temptress moved from Felix's side to join Demetri and Caius. _You are sitting far too close to my fourteen-year-old_! Sully thought. Caius caught the queen's eye and Sulpicia gestured to Irina, hoping he would intervene.

 _Is it not enough that I'm playing cards with the kid without having to chaperone his next conquest_? Still, Caius made a point of stretching his legs out, conveniently separating the pair before Irina could get her talons in. Sulpicia mouthed a very grateful 'thank you' to Caius. That felt nice. He wasn't exactly used to doing the sorts of things for which people would have cause to thank him. _Maybe I can change_?

"What about when Demetri was a little vampire?" Irina asked, fluttering long lashes at the boy.

"I think you mean a younger vampire," Alec was quick to say. "He's still little now."

"Bigger than you, runt!" Demetri snapped back.

"Aro, my love," Sulpicia called, sounding exhausted by her children's bickering. "Your sons need your attention."

Aro placed a hand on each of the arm rests of his chair and made to stand with his eyes fixed on Demetri. His backside hadn't left the seat before Demetri backed down.

"No, Dad, no I don't!"

Aro watched him for a moment to make sure he was contrite. Satisfied, he turned to Alec. "Anything to say for yourself?"

"It was a joke," Alec said quietly, cuddling his mother.

"At some point," Aro told his youngest, who still had far too much cheek, "she won't be there, and I will."

Caius brought Demetri close to him, to move him further from Irina and so he could offer a word of advice. "You don't have to answer every time someone yanks your chain."

"Sounds familiar," Magnus commented, leaning into the short conversation. "Good to know you actually understand that piece of advice."

Caius rolled his eyes to Demetri and they continued their card game. Caius had started winning since Magnus had stopped cheating for the boy, but he threw the next game to give the kid a boost.

Getting nowhere with Demetri, Irina decided she wasn't siting on the floor for nothing, so she started 'lounging out' most inappropriately alongside Caius. He saw what she was doing, of course. He felt it too, when she started stroking his leg. So long as she didn't go any further, he decided to let her carry on. Dora wouldn't care anyway, that was the sort of relationships they had, so she would only be shaming herself, in Caius' mind.

"So," Kate pushed, looking for another tale. "What happened when you brought Demetri home?"

Irina frowned at her sister. Even though she had been the one to bring up the boy's early life, she didn't like that Kate was actually interested. Both Kate and Tanya were keen to hear more stories. They wanted to know where they were living, who they were living with. Despite what Irina thought, they were both upset about losing their mother – of course they were! But Sasha had committed a grievous crime, one she knew would lead to her death. Worse than that, it could have cost her daughters their lives, too, and Kate and Tanya were grateful to have been spared.

They saw a brighter future living with Eleazar and Carmen. A happier home with more stability than Sasha was capable of offering. It was an adventure, as they saw it. The Volturi family seemed like a real family, complete with all the normal family relationships they remembered form their human days. Good and bad, better or worse, they were a family and they both wanted to be part of it.

"Demetri's arrival was a little different," Aro admitted, glaring at his firstborn.

"What?!" Felix scoffed. "I was just protecting my place."

"You nearly lost your head, let alone your place," Aro reminded him.

Felix shook his head. "You're exaggerating. I wasn't that bad."

No one believed him. Poor lamb.

Basileus rattle his empty glass. "If you want another story I'll need another drink."

Felix obliged the creator, but only so he could ask him, "Will you leave out the cringy bits, please?"

Aro laughed at his boy's attempts to have an altered tale. "That wouldn't make for much of a story, Felix."

 **Demetri - 600, November**

"You are over code, Amun," Aro drawled to the defeated leader of the Egyptian coven.

Basileus held the man to the floor and had forced him to watch as his coven was destroyed. After the war with the Romanian coven eighteen months before where the Volturi had, naturally, emerged victorious, Basileus had instructed his son and co-masters to start controlling the vampiric world. No longer would vampiric covens set their own rules on important matters, and no longer would they risk another coven gathering enough members for them to become a strong enough force to offer any resistance to the Volturi control.

The Egyptian coven had seemed to follow the new edict without complaint. That was until Aro had discovered the coven had actually broken into six covens, all directed by Amun.

The Volturi had been reasonable at first. Marcus visited the Egyptian leader and had been sympathetic to his complaints, but still he had left the man in no uncertain terms that the next time the Volturi visited, it would be with a fighting force and should Amun have continued to maintain his umbrella coven operation, they would be taken out. Amun didn't heed the Volturi master's advice and had maintained his operation, even adding in number to his own major coven ... taking his force up to ten members.

When Basileus read through the leader's thoughts, he soon apprehended that they had no choice, and they had to eradicate the problem. On Marcus' advice, they chose to leave Amun his wife and two members to form a new coven. With the six under covens obliterated, and five from Amun's personal coven killed, that left a coven of five including Amun … one too many.

"Just kill one, Aro!" Caius called out. He had enjoyed the battle but now he was keen to get home and return to his mate and a hot bath!

Aro walked around the four standing members, leaving the leader under his father. "I think we should take one," he said to his co-master.

"Get on with it, then!" Basileus called over.

Like Caius, he was bored now, and looking to Felix he wondered how much longer the boy could stay awake. He gestured to the young guard before fixing his son with a look that conveyed all he felt.

"I'll allow you to keep your mate, Amun, as I am feeling so generous."

Amun called out his thanks as he struggled beneath Basileus' foot pinning him down. Above all, he wanted his mate. He could live without the rest but not his mate. As Amun continued to witter his pleas, Basileus moved his foot from the man's back and stood on his head instead, pushing the man's face into the dirt.

"Is that really necessary, my lord?" Marcus asked. He didn't have a cruel bone in his body and the act seemed unkind, even to an enemy.

Basileus shrugged. He was far more concerned about the flagging young guard at his side than the enemy coven leader beneath his feet. "Aro! Now!" he commanded. "I'm done with your games!"

Aro sighed and took hold of the youngest member of Amun's coven. He had already decided he was taking the child home when he found out about the kid's gift. "What's your name, boy?"

"Demetri." The child was barely audible in response, but Aro heard through his contact.

"Well, Demetri, you are being promoted," Aro said kindly. "Welcome to the Volturi."

"Another fucking kid?!" Caius complained.

"He's a good tracker," Aro explained, dragging the boy along with him. He delivered the boy to his father's safekeeping and ignored Caius' complaints.

"Are you sure about this?" Basileus asked, taking hold of Demetri so Aro could say some final words to the Egyptian leader.

Aro shrugged and looked the new kid up and down. He had a good feeling about this Demetri and his gift would be invaluable, he was sure of it. "I was right about Felix, wasn't I?"

Caius baulked at that one. "Depends who you're asking, Aro."

Amun heaved himself out of the dirt and stood, dejected and defeated in front of the vampire king. That's what Aro was now. He held dominion over all of vampiric kind. Amun's coven had been the last to fall under his rule, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind, not least Amun's, that that was exactly what had happened.

Aro took the man's hand and scanned his thoughts. He couldn't have cared less for what Amun was thinking about him, or the destruction of his coven, all Aro was searching for was information about the boy he was taking home with him.

You have been a cruel bastard to the kid, Aro thought, seeing how Amun handled the child. Aro, in his time, had been just as harsh with his own guards and would continue to be, but he believed only in such cases where a harsh response was warranted. He didn't beat his coven members with wanton malice just because he could. None of the Volturi masters did that. He had never beaten Felix with iron bars, either, nor threatened submission on the boy to bring him into line. _At least you didn't actually do it to him_ , Aro thought, looking to the frightened child. _You will have a better life with me, boy_ , Aro thought to the scared youth.

Caius stormed away, taking his guards with him. There was no point in him hanging around if Aro wasn't even going to pay lip service to their agreement about making such decisions in consultation with one another. Only Marcus hung back, wanting to ensure relations with Amun were left on a good note. Or as good as they could hope to be after destroying his coven.

"I'll close things up here, Aro. Go home," he told his co-master.

By the look on his father's face, Aro thought he might have been better off staying in company. When Basileus slung the new kid over his shoulder and started heading down the path leading away from the burning coven, Aro followed taking Felix, who seemed to be in an even worse mood that the creator, with him.

"What's up with your face?" Aro asked.

Felix huffed. "Nothing Master," he said, snottily.

If Aro wasn't so exhausted from the battle he might have landed the cocky whelp there and then for spitting 'master' as he had. "I will assume you are tiring, boy, or your attitude will see you whipped when we return to Volterra."

That shut Felix up, but he continued to scowl as they walked at a human pace together, behind the creator.

When Marcus caught up with them, which didn't take long, he was greeted by four sullen looking vampires.

"Have you explained the state of play going forward?" Basileus asked his old friend as he adjusted the boy over his shoulder with a slap to his ass when he tried to break free.

Aro's eyes snapped to his father and it was not a pleasant look he gave him. Basileus noticed and raised one eyebrow in his son's direction. As the boy continued to struggle, Basileus tested out an idea he had brewing and slapped Demetri again, much harder.

"Don't!" Aro snapped. "Just give to me if you are only going to be a bastard to him!"

Basileus reared up, which was a little harder than usual with a child hanging over his shoulder. "Do you want to say that again?!" he roared at his son.

"Give him to me," Aro repeated. He wasn't backing down. The boy was his, just like Felix was his. He expected a round of hell for the way he was speaking to Basileus, but that wasn't going to stop him.

Rather than attack, though, Basileus simply smiled and delivered the crying child to his son. "Here you go then," he said, still smiling.

That threw Aro off guard! "What's that grin for?!" he asked, growing even more concerned when Marcus joined in the gurning. The smiling quickly turned to laughter between the creator and his old friend and Marcus congratulated him on a job well done.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Aro demanded.

He wasn't privy to all the conversations his father held with Marcus and the two had been discussing Aro's change in demeanour over the last hundred years since Felix had joined the coven. Basileus had said Aro would take another, and more than that, he wanted him to. But he hadn't expected the opportunity to present itself whilst taking out the Egyptian coven.

"Nothing, son," Basileus said, getting himself under control. "Nothing at all." He slapped a hand on Marcus' shoulder and asked him to catch up with Caius. "We may take a little longer," he explained, gesturing to the two sullen boys in their party.

"So how do you want to play this?" he asked Aro once Marcus was out of the way.

"Play what?" Aro asked snottily. He was still pissed off with being left out of the joke.

Basileus threw an arm around Felix and held up his face for Aro to get a good look at him. The moonlight lit up the boy's exhausted features, his eyes were black and barely open. "These two are knackered, I think we can agree."

Aro nodded. Taking a good look at Demetri for the first time, he could see the Egyptian child was in a similar state. Running at full speed would take a couple of days to get back to the castle. If they stopped for the boys to sleep that time would easily double. The only option they had to get home any sooner was to carry them whilst they slept.

"I don't suppose you fancy carrying them both?" Aro asked cheekily.

Basileus frowned. "I do not."

"I don't need carrying by anyone!" Felix muttered. _This new brat might be a little kid but I'm not_!

Basileus heard the young guard's thoughts and shook his head, silently cursing the child's abrasion. _He won't come easily_ , he thought looking at Felix puffing out his teenage chest trying to prove he was a man. _And neither will the new one_ , he thought, as Aro had to keep a tight hold on Demetri to keep him with them. The boy cried softly as he fruitlessly struggled to break free.

Sighing, but feeling he had no choice, Basileus grabbed hold of Demetri by the back of his head and held him tight. "I'm going to feed you, understood?" he asked the boy.

His calm soothing tone didn't match the harsh hold he had of the child, but Demetri, fearing for his life in the hands of this hostile coven, agreed. Basileus bit into his wrist and forced the spurting blood into the boy's mouth. After only a few gulps the greying to Demetri's face disappeared. A few more gulps and the child released his latch as he fell dreamily into Aro's arms.

 _I cannot believe you fed him_! Felix thought in horror. He knew such a gift as Basileus' blood was reserved for only a few choice coven members, Felix being one of the few. It had made Felix feel so special when he'd discovered the hidden meaning behind Basileus offering him his blood and now that special feeling was being overtaken with bitterness. _Feeding waifs and fucking strays_ , he raged inside his mind. He knew Basileus could hear him, but he just couldn't stop thinking! _Feeding our enemies_ , he thought hatefully, watching Aro hoist the boy over his shoulder into a comfortable position. Rather than staying there thinking himself into a furry, Felix turned and stalked away.

"Get back here, now!" Aro roared after him.

He stopped for a moment, but feeling his rage building up inside Felix thought he was better off taking a whipping for insolence than being killed for attacking them all. He started off again, not making it more than two steps before Basileus had clamped a hand heavily down on him, screwing his fist into a ball at his back, pulling the boy's tunic tight round his throat.

Without saying a word, Basileus reopened the holes in his wrist and forced his wound onto Felix's mouth. Petulantly, Felix refused to take the feed he was offered. Keeping his lips clamped shut, he shook his head.

"Felix don't be a prat! Just drink it and sleep," Basileus instructed gruffly.

 _So I get miserable Basileus and the stray gets soft and fluffy Basileus. Prick_ , Felix thought loudly, still refusing. Felix was lucky the creator was in a good mood from blasting their enemy or he may have lost his head for that snide remark.

"Oh?!" Aro exclaimed. "Tough guy, are we?" he said, cuffing the back of Felix's head.

Basileus sighed to himself knowing the young guard had just entered into a power play with Aro. It had happened a few times already in Felix's short life in the coven and every time had ended badly for the boy.

Looking to the tired and miserable youth, he said, "if you have any semblance of sense, you will apologise quickly and take the blood."

"No, no, no, Dad." Aro pulled Felix free of his father's hold. "He didn't accept your offer gratefully, so now he can do without."

Basileus toyed with just forcing Felix to feed and sleep so they could get moving. Aro and Felix were making life difficult for themselves with these infantile games they played with each other, he had discussed as much with Marcus only days before they had left for Egypt. _Marcus said I should let them get on with it, so long as Aro wasn't being cruel … maybe I should_?

"We're going to have fun swimming across the Med with him," he said to Aro, jabbing a finger in Felix's direction.

"I don't have to walk with you," Felix offered sullenly. "Just let me catch up with the others."

Aro shook his head slowly. _No chance_! He wasn't having Felix expose himself and his need to sleep in front of Caius, Marcus and all the guards!

Basileus heard his son's thought and agreed. Taking Felix childishly by the hand to remind him just how young he was, he pulled him to his side and started walking. "You're staying right here with miserable old me, Felix."

They reached the shore by sunrise, just as Demetri was waking from his forced nap. Felix was seriously floundering. He had never been so tired in his life! The boy had managed with only very short cat naps on the way to Egypt, mainly on the buzz of adrenaline for the coming fight. He had performed valiantly in battle, staying between Basileus and Aro at all times he had torn his enemies to pieces on sight! But now … four days after they had left home, and he had last slept, now he was regretting refusing Basileus' blood.

 _Just ask me again_ , he begged through his mind. _Please just ask me again_! _I'll take it_! _I'll drink, I'll sleep_!

Basileus heard him of course, but what could he do about it now?! "We are at the shore, Felix!" he shot back to the exhausted boy. "You had all night to feed and sleep!"

"I'm so sorry," Felix whined, dog tired. "Please!"

"Please, what, Felix?" Aro asked. Setting Demetri on his feet. "We aren't dragging you across the fucking sea!"

Felix felt tears of frustration building behind his eyes. He wasn't one for crying usually. Even those times he had been punished, he had managed to get away without too many tears (lots of cursing, gasping, even the odd scream, but few tears). Now he was stood on the beach feeling himself well up whilst the stray looked on, bright eyed and eager to see what would happen.

"I'm going to sink to the bottom of the ocean and die!" Felix announced, flopping into the sand and bawling with sheer exhaustion.

"I knew this would happen!" Basileus growled. "I fucking knew it!"

"Hold him," Aro said to his father, shoving Demetri in his general direction, feeling the boy was still a flight risk, and sat on the sand with his young guard.

"I'm sorry," Felix said to his master, getting his tears under control. He could hardly keep his eyes open and the growing sunlight flooding the area was only adding to the effect.

Aro took hold of Felix by his chin, turning his head left to right to get an idea of much he was suffering. His sallow skin and the heavy black bags under his eyes told him the boy was pretty bad.

"You're going to have to feed him, Dad," Aro said to his father. "He won't make it across otherwise."

Basileus looked askance to his son. "I'm not dragging his ass across the ocean whilst he sleeps off the feed, Aro!" _I'm the creator of vampire kind, son of Zeus_! _Not a fucking cargo ship_!

"What else do you suggest?" Aro asked. "Look at him."

"It's his own bloody fault," Basileus growled. "His and yours."

Aro bristled at that. It was a fair point, but he didn't want to hear it. "How about you feed him now and we walk the coast until he wakes?" Aro offered.

"It's daylight, Aro," Basileus reminded his son. "These shores will be teaming with humans any moment." He was right, they could already see a good many humans milling about. The small vampiric troupe were out of their eyeline, but they wouldn't be for long. "We need to get in the sea, now. You can drag him across."

"I know you forget this from time to time, Dad, but I am just a normal vampire, not a demi-god like you." Aro huffed from the sand where Felix had started to doze into his shoulder. "I'm knackered, too!"

Basileus could feel his frustrations growing and soon enough those frustrations emitted as a ferocious roar! Flinging Demetri to his son on the ground for safekeeping, he stormed away.

Aro caught hold of Demetri's wrist as the boy followed the creator with his eyes until he disappeared, wondering where he was going.

"To find a solution," Aro told him, answering the boy's thoughts.

He knew his father well enough to guess Basileus was off to find them a boat. Aro heard the boy wondering if he should try and make a break for it now, or when they were in the water.

 _I'm fast_ , Demetri said to himself. _They'd never catch me on land_ … _but I could hide under water_ …

"You are aware that I can hear your thoughts as loudly as if you spoke them to me, yes?" Aro asked, flexing his grip on the child.

Demetri flushed with panic.

Aro continued to talk calmly to the boy. "Basileus, my father, is the creator of our kind and I can assure you whatever your great speed, he is faster."

 _Why do you even want me_?! Demetri screamed. It was a silent scream with his thoughts doing the work of voicing his concerns to the vampiric king.

"I want you because you're special, Demetri," Aro explained, pulling the boy closer.

Demetri had been called special before … that's what Amun used to say, he remembered, when he had first taken the child from the banks of the Nile. The other vampires under Amun disliked the child and would torment him cruelly for being so 'special'. Special was not a good thing to be in Demetri's book. One of Amun's number, a particularly cruel son of a bitch, had once told Demetri how special he was as he'd tried to bed the boy. Aro was assaulted with the images of the child desperately fighting the goon off before Amun arrived and saved him.

"No!" he called out, stopping the boy's thoughts with immediacy. "Not special like that!" He went on to explain to the boy that his gift made him special and he could put such a talent to good use under the Volturi's direction.

"But aside from that," Aro said softly, "you deserve a better life than the one Amun offered you, and I can give you that."

"Because you're the king?" Demetri asked. It was the first sentence he had spoken to Aro.

Aro laughed. "Because I'm not an evil cunt," he said, laughing again.

Demetri smiled to himself, feeling for the first time in his vampiric life that perhaps he hadn't ended up in hell after all.

They didn't have long to wait for Basileus to return dragging a small rowing boat across the sand.

"Is that the best you could do?" Aro asked, wondering how they would all fit.

Basileus eyed his son dangerously for a moment. "Would you rather swim?"

Aro altered his reply. "It's a fine vessel, my lord," he said, smirking cheekily.

Basileus rolled his eyes and took the boat to the shore, wading in to his waist and calling his son and the young ones over.

"Can I trust you?" Aro asked Demetri, glancing to the grip he had on the boy's arm.

Demetri looked back across the landscape he was about to leave behind. The brief conversation he had had with the king seemed more hopeful, more purposeful than anything Amun had offered. When he thought about the way Felix had acted on the beach he knew had that been him and Amun he would be buried under the sand by now in bits and pieces. Yet Felix had been allowed to doze into the king's shoulder and the creator had fetched him a boat.

"Yes, master," Demetri said respectfully, mimicking the words he had heard Felix use.

Aro kept eye contact with the boy as he slowly released his grip on him. "Go to the boat," he said, shooing him away.

Heaving himself to his feet, Aro bent back down to scoop Felix from the floor. The young guard was so tired that he barely flinched as Aro carried him through the water. Even when Aro dunked him, accidentally on purpose, he didn't stir.

Demetri was already seated in the small vessel and once Aro added Felix to the load there was little room for both Aro and Basileus. "So …" Aro said, looking to his father. "How do you want to do this?"

"Get in," Basileus said jutting his head at the boat. "I'll push you."

"Seriously?" Aro didn't wait for the response before jumping on board himself.

"Never let it be said that I don't look after the weaker members of my creation," Basileus said slyly, splashing Aro before they set off.

With Basileus swimming at full speed the small boat skipped along the water at an enormous speed with the front end suspended high in the air. Demetri felt like they were flying! They made good time and could see the boot of Italy emerging in the distance in no time at all.

"How are you holding up?" Aro shouted, grinning like a loon at his old man.

 _Transparent little sod_! Basileus thought. "Yes, I'll take us around," he said, ignoring Aro's actual question and answering the reason he was asking in the first place - to know whether Basileus would continue to propel the boat around the coast until they were at the port near their castle home on the other side of the country.

Aro hooked his hand behind his head and sunk into the boat, soaking up the soothing rays of the sun.

"He's done it again, Sully," Basileus called out over his son's head the moment Aro opened the door to his chambers. "He's brought you another one!"

Sulpicia sat sewing at the fireplace, accompanied by Didyme and Athenodora, all of whom looked up just in time to see the four soggy vampires come into the top floor suite.

"Oh, brother," Didyme exclaimed. "More pets for the coven?"

"Dora," Aro said, bowing his head lightly to his co-master's wife, and ignoring his sister. Or rather he tried to ignore her.

Didyme, ever the annoying little sister she had been in his human life, flung her arms around Aro's neck, refusing to let go until he returned her embrace. Aro acted annoyed, but he fooled no one - he loved her playful ways.

Gesturing to the tunic Sulpicia was busy repairing, Aro said to his mate, "You might want to start sewing something for this one, Sul." Aro pulled the new boy into view.

"He's a raggedy looking thing, isn't he?" Athenodora said to her covenmates. It wasn't said unkindly, Demetri did look a state. Soaking wet from the sea and dressed in his old coven's uniform, which wasn't dissimilar to the Volturi's except for its sandy colouring, was fraying and dogeared.

"Black?" Sulpicia checked. The answer would tell her everything she needed to know about the new addition. If Aro answered grey, she would know the boy was to be thrown in with the guard, or perhaps to another master, but either way would not be her concern. If he answered black, the boy was hers, just like Felix.

"Naturally," Aro said, returning his mate's small smile without saying further word on it.

Sulpicia set down her work and greeted the boy properly now she knew he was staying. "Welcome to the coven …" she looked over her shoulder to her mate. "What's his name?"

"Demetri, my lady," the boy answered on his own.

"My lady?" Sulpicia repeated, glowing. "It took three months for Felix to remember to say that!"

Everyone laughed but Felix. Feeling he was about to explode, he stormed out of the main chamber and headed for his bedroom. He might have got away with flouncing from the room had he not slammed the door on his way. Cursing himself for being so stupid, he watched the door like a hawk and desperately listened to hear anyone approaching. Sitting at the furthest point away from the door on his bed wasn't helping, but he was too scared to move any closer. _Why does silence sound so fucking loud_? he wondered as he waited nervously.

After awhile, when no one came, Felix started to relax. He was still shattered, still sopping wet, and still bruised from the battle. He was also bloody freezing! Flopping from his bed to his knees and crawling over to the fireplace, he huddled his shoulders and concentrated on the fire.

Felix may have looked a mess on the outside but all that paled into insignificance compared to the mess he felt on the inside. _Why did he have to bring him back, anyway_?! Felix thought, scowling at the flames. The 'he', of course, was Aro and the 'him', Demetri. As the boy sunk into his miserable thoughts, which were mainly concerned with where he was going to end up now a replacement had been found, his bedroom door creaked open.

"Care to explain what that was about?" Aro breezed in his usual forced calm tone.

A siren went off in Felix's mind hearing that tone, screaming 'danger, danger'. Flashing to his feet, Felix kept well back from the coven king. "I apologise for slamming the door, master," he said softly with his head down.

He didn't mind so much that Aro would punish him, but the idea that one of the elite ladies would hear ripped a hole through his guts. It was amazing that it hadn't already happened. In the hundred years since Felix had joined the coven, Aro had slapped the boy more times than Felix could count, but he'd only whipped him a handful of times for inciting fights with the other newborns, for which other newborns were also whipped at the same time. Caius had done so once, too, after Felix had repeatedly fucked about in training. None of those occasions were in front of the Volturi ladies. Sulpicia had seen him get a good few slaps from both Aro and Basileus, but nothing more. With Aro having left the door open, Felix could hear the voices of the women in their chambers floating through to his room.

"I didn't ask for an apology, Felix," Aro said carefully, trying to work out what was going on with the boy. "I asked you to explain what that was about."

Felix wanted to tell him he was worried what adding Demetri to their quarters would mean for him and his place in the coven, he wanted to tell Aro he was scared, he needed reassurance and comfort. But he couldn't. He did his level best to keep the thoughts from his head in case Aro checked whilst he slept.

Instead, he went with, "I think I am overcome with tiredness, master." It wasn't a bare faced lie, as Felix felt like he could have slept for a week.

Aro sighed. He had hoped for a little more honesty from the kid, but he wasn't going to be pandering to his temper tantrums. "It's nearly dusk," Aro thought out loud, glancing out the window over the boy's shoulder. "Take a bath and go to bed."

Felix couldn't believe his luck! He had been a complete jerk on the way back from the mission and he'd rudely stormed out the main chamber and slammed his door, and Aro was only giving him an early night … _what crazy world is this_?!

He didn't get very far before Aro stopped him, however. "I hope for your sake your attitude is much improved when you wake."

"Yes, Master," Felix agreed. He hoped that, too.

When Felix emerged from the bathroom, he stuck his head around the door to see who was in the top floor suite. Only Aro, Sulpicia and Basileus remained. Dora and Didyme had gone - Felix felt a little better about that. The brat was still there, though. Chatting his head off about the Egyptian coven and everything he knew of the other vampires in the area of his old lands. Aro and Basileus hung onto his every word, lapping up the information. _Suckers_! Felix thought.

"Join us, Felix," Sulpicia called over, seeing the boy in the doorway. He wore only a pair of shorts, as they were what he wore to sleep in and Aro had told him he was going to bed after his bath.

"He needs to sleep, Sul," Aro said, barely breaking away from Demetri.

Felix suppressed the mild growl he felt brewing. "I'm not tired anymore," he said softly, hoping to be allowed to join the three of them.

Or maybe not, as he didn't want to sit with the stray. But he did want to sit with the other three. _Or maybe not Aro and Basileus_ \- he knew he was on their bad side - _but definitely Sulpicia_ , he thought. _Maybe_.

Basileus looked down his nose to the young guard. "Look how it ended the last time you said that." He was clearly referring to the end of the Egyptian battle two nights before.

"Oh Basileus, let him join us!" Sulpicia spoke up on the boy's behalf. "He will be in bed soon enough."

Aro and Basileus shared a look which said they knew better, but both relented eventually.

Felix slipped into the seat next to Sulpicia, siting closer than he usually would. He felt even more shit when Aro and Basileus decided to fill the woman in on just how disgracefully he had behaved after the battle was won.

"What on earth has got into you?" she hissed at Felix when they had finished.

Felix declined to answer, choosing instead to glare at Demetri.

"So, Felix, you have a playmate in the coven," Basileus said, sipping his wine. "That should make things more interesting for you around here, don't you think?"

Felix make a sort of non-committal, though negative noise in response, bringing him to the attention of all three adults and the stray.

Basileus had had just about enough of the boy's sullen attitude and he wasn't prepared to sit through any more of it. "It's been a long few days, son," he said to Aro, looking pointedly at Felix, "I think I will retire now."

"Why don't you show Demetri where everything is in the bathroom, my love?" Sulpicia suggested to her mate, similarly looking to their moody young guard as she spoke.

Aro considered sending the young guard to bed before he left but he foolishly hoped his mate could talk some sense into the boy.

"Come on," he called to Demetri, leading the way to the grand bathroom where a fire roared. "It's like a bloody oven in here!" Aro said, speaking to himself. Water bubbled in the cauldron above the fireplace and Aro used it to fill the tub for the boy, topping it up with more water from the pump.

"Are you particularly shy or can we talk?" Aro asked. "It's just that this is about as private as we can get in this castle and I need to run through some things with you."

Demetri pulled his tunic off and shrugged, "I'm not shy," he said.

He was used to swimming naked in the rivers back in Egypt. Taking a bath wasn't a particularly private thing in Demetri's mind.

Once he was in the water and settled, Aro started to explain coven rules to the boy. Most of them were fairly standard - the usual about not fucking another man's mate, be respectful to other coven members, particularly the coven masters and their wives, and the like. Some were a little more unexpected. "Don't let anyone know that you or Felix sleep," Aro said, telling him that it was to protect his status, even his life.

"On the point of protecting your life," Aro said, "do yourself a favour and do as you are told." He didn't want another Felix. _Felix isn't so bad_ , he reminded himself, _though he isn't so good, either_.

Demetri nodded. He was, he thought, pretty good at doing as he was told. Not that it had made a difference living under Amun and his volatile nature. The violent rages that saw Amun lashing his coven members always appeared to Demetri to occur completely at random. It hadn't been, actually. Amun was firm, and though not entirely fair he wasn't a complete bastard either. But unlike in the Volturi coven where, Aro explained, he aimed for transparency and would take the time to explain why discipline was due. Amun didn't do that. He just delivered what he felt necessary and left the other coven members to fill each other in. As no one ever filled Demetri in he was left to make up his own reasons. The main reason being, in the boy's mind, that Amun was a cunt!

Demetri looked younger with each layer of grime he shredded in the soapy water, which reminded Aro of another thing he had to say to him. "You won't be like the other guards, Demetri," Aro said, breaking into the kid's thoughts. "I'm not saying you are above them, exactly …"

It sounded exactly like he was saying Demetri was above them, to Demetri.

"… more that you sit outside of the wider guard body. You report to me."

"I understand, master," Demetri said, dunking his head into the warm water, enjoying how it relaxed his aching body. Even with Basileus' blood and the forced sleep, the boy had been awake for days preparing for the fight between the covens and he was, quite frankly, exhausted.

Seeing the boy was tiring quickly, Aro took over cleaning him up and washing his hair. With that careful, kind touch, Demetri banished even the tiniest notion of leaving the Volturi to get back to the Egyptians. _I'm staying right here_.

"You aren't," Aro replied to him, "you're going to bed."

"An actual bed?" Demetri asked.

Aro sighed. _Jesus Christ, Amun. Was there any need to treat the kid so badly_?!

Back in the main chamber, Sulpicia was desperately trying to coax conversation out of Felix. "You can take Demetri to the guard hall tomorrow, Felix," Sulpicia suggested gently to the scowling boy. "Introduce him to everyone."

Felix spun and faced Sulpicia in disbelief. "How come he can go to the guard hall?" he asked, voice dripping with attitude. "He's only just arrived!" he complained. "I had to wait a whole year before I could go to the guard hall!"

"Demetri isn't a newborn like you were, Felix. He can go to the guard hall and you will look out for him in there." Sulpicia thought that would be exciting for Felix, to have someone his own age to hang out with.

Felix rolled his tongue around his cheek as he psyched himself up. "Oh, will I?"

He would never have dared to speak that way to Aro, but Sulpicia often took the brunt of his teenaged petulance. She rarely told Aro of their young guard's behaviour when he was out of ear shot, but she wasn't above using the fact that she could to her advantage when she needed him in line quickly.

"Would you like to say that again, Felix?" she asked the boy sweetly. "Just so I can make sure to pass the message on to the king."

He was about to say it again, being the cocky little sod he could be at times, when Sulpicia took the wind out of his sails completely.

"And the creator, of course."

Felix visibly deflated, shoulders sinking in defeat. "No, my lady."

Aro flashed through the room one way, disappearing into Felix's room, and then he flashed back into the bathroom without saying a word. Felix could see that his master had taken something with him from his bedroom, but he had no idea what.

Demetri soon emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of braise that swallowed his slight form.

"Are they mine?" Felix asked, looking the new kid up and down in utter disgust.

Aro raised an eyebrow in warning, hoping he wouldn't have to do anything else.

"Now, Felix," Sulpicia tried to placate the boy. "You will need to share what you have for now until we can buy Demetri his own things."

Felix tutted and crossed his arms angrily.

"On that note," Aro said, hauling the young guard to his feet, "you can get your ass to bed. Both of you."

"Where's he sleeping?" Felix asked, spitting 'he' like a dirty word.

"With you for now." Aro dared Felix to object.

On a good day, Felix wouldn't have. But that day was not a good day - the tiredness, feeling threatened by Aro taking a new kid in, the pressure of knowing he had fucked up and seemingly gotten away with it … it was all too much and Felix exploded.

Flying into attack mode, Felix launched at Demetri, bringing Aro down in the crossfire. He didn't get too far before Aro had grappled him to the floor. The coven king had to punch the boy in the guts to get him to quit his attempts to attack physically. "Stay down," Aro bellowed, giving his young guard a good boot in the kidneys. "That's your final warning."

Felix may have stopped but Demetri had promised no such thing. He wasn't so brave to attempt a physical assault, but he was sure enough of himself to attack verbally. He had been a quiet boy in the Egyptian coven, through fear of the very many ways Amun's controlled his coven, but the pent-up emotions contained in the young vampire came rushing to the surface with vigour. The vitriol spewing from his mouth surprised no one more than Demetri! Felix, never one to back down in conflict, returned Demetri's attack. Aro maintained his hold on Felix and Sulpicia kept Demetri out of the way with his arms pinned behind his back.

"STOP!" Aro roared, freezing the whole room.

He pried himself off Felix and flashed to the door of his chambers.

"Where are you going, Aro?" Sulpicia called out. "You can't leave them like this!"

"I need a moment, my queen," Aro replied breathlessly. "I will be back."

"They are fighting," Aro announced, bursting into his father's suite.

"They, who?" Basileus asked in return, showing no reaction to his son's outburst.

"Felix and Demetri," Aro said, flopping into the spare seat at his father's desk. "What do I do with them?"

Basileus put down his quill and set aside the inkwell. "You wish to keep them both, I assume?" Basileus asked.

"I do," he agreed, "and I don't want to whip Demetri ... or Felix for that matter. Not for fighting between themselves."

"Why not?" Basileus asked, eagerly awaiting the answer.

Aro shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Demetri has been through enough at the hands of Amun … anything too harsh will see him running off." Aro didn't want that, he definitely didn't want that. "Aside from that," Aro continued, "they will be living together for eternity, Dad. They are going to fight now and again, surely?"

Basileus had to agree with that. All vampires kept in close quarters were prone to fighting, teenagers were even more likely to take to battering each other. "They are kids, Aro, I'd rather you treated them as such."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Aro asked.

He felt clueless. If it were a guard he might have ripped off a hand, or an arm, or maybe snapped an appendage. He didn't want to do that with a couple of kids. He could whip them, but that felt too 'adult' too. He had only done so a few times with Felix to date, preferring instead to threaten him into submission with a hefty slap here and there. He needed something in his arsenal that would come way below a whipping and above a clip around the ear.

Basileus had listened in on his boy's thoughts as they came and slowly started nodded to himself, thinking of the perfect implement to bring the boys into line. Disappearing into his bathroom, he soon remerged holding a short, think brown leather razor strap.

"Here," he offered the implement to Aro, "use this."

Aro turned the strap over in his hand before bringing it down onto his own palm. It stung a little, but the pain immediately dissipated.

"No, no, no!" Basileus said, taking the strap back.

Grabbing hold of Aro with a tight hold on his left bicep, he drew his arm up high above his head before wrapping the leather across the coven king's backside. Aro squeaked in surprise at the pain that engulfed his rear end and stood on his tip toes trying to escape the device. It had appeared a fairly innocuous item when he held it, but in his father's hand it wielded great power.

"It will wield great power in your hands, too, son," Basileus said knowingly, handing the strap back over. "Go back up there and give them what for before they think its permissible to kill each other."

Before Aro had made it to the door, Basileus called him back. "Aro, you know why Felix erupted, don't you?"

"Because he has to share his room …" Aro trailed off. He could see by the look on his father's face that he had missed something pinnacle.

"Oh, son." Basileus laughed a little before he continued. "Felix thinks you are replacing him. Make sure he knows you aren't and adding Demetri into your home will be easier," he explained. "And one other thing." Basileus felt a little guilty about what he was going to say next, but he wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true. "You are too soft on Felix. You need to take a tougher line with him. And for the love of the gods, stop letting him get away with things. It's making him worse."

Walking a little stiffer than he had when he came in, Aro left and headed back upstairs.

The moment he opened the door to his chambers, Aro was assaulted with a wall of noise - Felix growling at Demetri, Demetri gobbing off at Felix, Sulpicia screeching for their compliance above the din … _Great_! Aro thought. Looking to the strap in his hand, he decided it was time to put the thing to good use. The burning stripe across his ass told him it would be just what those boys needed to focus their attentions.

He swaggered over to the boy's bedroom and leaned against the door frame where he waited for the three of them to notice him. Sulpicia saw him first, having been facing her mate, so hers was the first voice to cease. Aro was glad of that. Though he would never have told her, the screeching she added to the boy's argument was far more annoying than just listening to the pair of kids tear a strip off each other.

Neither Felix or Demetri noticed the coven king as he stood there. They didn't notice him counting softly to himself either. He got all the way up to 53 before Felix caught the guy out the corner of his eye. Seeing the bruin come to a halt in his verbal tirade, Demetri congratulated himself for a moment before he realised why.

"Oh, no, please do continue," Aro cajoled, spreading his hands emphatically. "The floor is yours."

Neither boy moved. Neither did Sulpicia for that matter, wondering where her mate was going.

Aro waited for a moment, just long enough to make Felix and Demetri feel painfully uncomfortable with the silence before he spoke again. "May I assume from your silence that your argument is over?"

"Yes, Master!" Both boys tripped over themselves in an effort to reply first.

"Have you got it out of your system now?" Aro asked. It was an open question really, but Felix knew damn well that it was directed at him. Which is probably why he neglected to reply aloud.

 _No. There's a fucking cuckoo in the nest and I don't want him here_! Felix screamed at Aro through his thoughts. _He doesn't have your venom, he has no right to be here_. Felix had made damn sure to tell the stray that in their argument.

Aro could see the young guard feeling perplexed and flashed to the boy's side, clamping a hand on his forehead to read his mind. When he was sure he had come to the crux of the matter, that Felix felt pushed aside, or rather, that he worried he would at some point be pushed aside, Aro let go.

When Aro spoke again, his whole tone had calmed. "Do you have any idea how many humans I have bitten and allowed to transform into vampires, Felix?"

"No master," Felix answered honestly. He assumed a lot, but had no figure to place on it.

"Hundreds, maybe thousands," Aro told him. "Some of them are dead, some of them are at out posts, some of them are in this castle." He circled Felix slowly, unnerving the boy every time he disappeared from view. "They might be Volturi guards, but they aren't MY guards. You are my guard because I say you are my guard, got it?"

Felix nodded his head so rapidly that it caused a blur at the top of his shoulders.

Aro put his hand on Demetri's young shoulder and pulled him in close. "The same way that Demetri is mine because I say he is mine, understood?"

Again Felix nodded at an accelerated rate. He was doing his level best to keep the tears from escaping his eyes.

Aro saw the boy's efforts, he wanted him to cry. "If you EVER throw my venom in his face again I will fucking crucify you, you ungrateful cunt!"

He growled nose to nose with the young guard. It worked. Felix burst into tears, much to his shame.

"Good!" Aro announced, pleased with the result knowing he had broken through the boy's pride. "The sun set long ago," he commented, only Felix knowing the reference. He was supposed to be in bed by now. Without being asked, Felix went to his bed and was ready to slip between the sheets, until Aro called him back.

"We have something to deal with first," Aro said to the boys. "I'll join you in a while, my queen," he called over his shoulder.

When he heard the door close behind her he turned, took hold of Demetri's small left bicep, just as Basileus had done to him, and spun the boy to the side. Lifting the strap high above his head, Aro landed a solid strike. Demetri wailed with the burn than ignited across his ass and threw his free hand back in self-defence.

"Move your hand and stand still!" Aro commanded.

Demetri did as he was told and moved his hand, but he couldn't stand still.

Aro landed another strike in the exact same spot. Demetri's cries spiked into another wail of pain. Aro kept going until he reached a count of ten, then he let the boy go. He had half expected the kid to jump out the window, but instead he merely hopped on the spot rubbing the scorching pain from his hide. Aro wasn't sure what to do. He needed to talk to the boy, he knew that. _But do I wait until he's shut up_? he wondered. _Will he ever shut up_?! Deciding to get on with Felix instead, hoping for a more measured response, Aro clicked his fingers to his young guard and pointed at the spot in front of him on the floor.

 _I am sixteen_! Felix thought, outraged. _I am not suffering the tragic indignity of a strapping at my age_!

"Here. Now." Aro stated flatly, pointing at the floor with the strap in his hand and glaring at the boy.

"But …" Felix began, only to be cut off by Aro's frosty glare.

"Come to me or I come to you and double your load," Aro explained calmly. He wanted to take a long hot bath and fuck his mate. Strapping a pair of vampiric teenagers was way down on his to do list so he wanted the unpleasant task over and done with sharpish.

Mortified, Felix moved around the bed and joined his master where he tried to plead for a reprieve. "Master, please just whip me instead," he begged.

Aro tutted to the child's display and just as he had with Demetri, he turned Felix to the side and got a good grip on him. Felix had much larger biceps than Demetri but Aro made sure he could hold the boy steady before he began.

Felix hadn't been sure what to expect. Yeah, he'd seen Demetri throwing a fit over what he'd received from Aro, but the new kid was clearly a total pussy so that response was only to be expected. He wasn't prepared to react in an almost identical way, that was for damn sure! The first strike took him totally by surprise and damn near knocked him off his feet. It was only Aro's tight hold that kept Felix from running off!

"OW!" he yelled, cursing his own emotional outburst.

Aro kept going, paying little attention to Felix's yelps and begs. When Felix got to ten, or there about, he believed his punishment was over. Oh, how wrong he was. Aro kept going for another ten strikes and by the finish, Felix, too, was a sobbing mess to join his partner in crime.

Whipping the bed clothes back, Aro ordered them both to get in. It took some serious effort on their part to settle into a comfortable position and a little longer to calm down enough to be spoken to without Aro having to raise his voice above the row they were making.

"That was for fighting between yourselves," he explained. "I won't have my days interrupted by your squabbling." Turning to Felix, he added, "And, I'm sure I don't need to explain why you got more with how you have been behaving!"

Felix grunted something about understanding and knowing he deserved it, wearing his shame on his face.

Aro rolled his tongue around his cheek wondering how much he should explain to the young vampires. "You only have each other in this coven," he said carefully. "I will back you up, but out there, amongst the guards, I won't always be there."

Demetri looked far more bothered about that than Felix did.

"I need to know I can rely on you to have each other's backs."

Felix knew that was another question directed solely at him. "I'll have his back."

"I'll have your back, too," Demetri said looking to the older boy.

Felix burst out laughing. "I feel much more secure now, thanks!" he mocked the new kid, nudging him playfully with his elbow. But unlike all the other jibes he had thrown at the younger boy, he didn't mean that one nastily.

Aro nodded to himself. "You will have your own bed and your own clothes as soon as I can arrange them," he told Demetri, "but I am sure Felix will share his things with you in the meantime, yes?" he looked expectantly to Felix for an answer.

"Yeah," Felix said, "I mean, yes, master."

Whilst Aro wondered if the boy would ever acquire the ability to refer to him properly, he had a bright idea. "You keep bugging me for a job in the coven, Felix," he said, smiling to himself, "this is your job." He gestured to Demetri and offered his confused guards a broad grin.

Felix screwed his face up, unsure of how to turn the new kid into a job of any sort. "What do you want me to do with him?"

"Look after him," Aro said simply. "Think of him as your brother, like I have Caius."

Felix looked pensive for a moment before he agreed.

Seeing that neither one could keep still, and still feeling the burn from the one strike Basileus had offered him with the strap, Aro did something he swore he would never do before or again, and joined the two of them in their bed, offering a wrist to each for them to feed.

"It won't heal you completely," he explained, "but it will take the sting away."

"Seriously?!" Felix checked before he bit into the king's wrist. Aro hadn't fed him since his newborn year. Demetri, too, just held Aro's hand, waiting for confirmation.

Aro encourage them both to take what they needed. "I won't be making a habit of this, lads, so make the most of it."

Each young guard only took a few gulps before their latch broke and they drifted off into peaceful sleep. Rather than leaving them to it and joining his mate, or even taking a long-awaited bath after his time away from home, Aro stayed put, watching the boys as they slept.

…

"Why are you still here?!"

"Huh?" Felix barely moved from his seat at the table where he sat with Demetri but Aro's stern glare had him sitting up straight at least.

"You should be on guard, shouldn't you?"

Aro was sure Felix was supposed to be on patrol that morning but as Caius was on rota duty he assumed he must be wrong. Felix knew better than to skip duties.

"You said he was my job now," Felix explained jabbing a finger in Demetri's direction. "I can't do patrol and look after the stray."

Aro flashed forward, nose to nose with Felix. He heard the boy gulp and then he growled, "Do you want to rephrase that?"

"I meant Demetri ... not stray ... erm ... sorry?"

"Master," Aro added for him, pointedly.

"Yeah, Master … sorry Master." Felix breathed a sigh of relief when Aro backed up a step.

 _Cocky brat_ , Aro thought to himself. He had hoped he'd knocked that out of Felix the night before, though in the last hundred years of having Felix he had long since learnt that various messages needed repeating.

"I want you to show Demetri around the coven, take him to the guard hall," Aro said. The queer look Demetri wore gave him cause for concern. "What's wrong, boy?"

Demetri stalled, finding it hard to find his voice at first. "You're going to let me out? Into the coven, I mean?"

Aro smirked to himself. _You think you'_ _re a prisoner_ , he correctly surmised. "There are no bars on the windows, Demetri," Aro explained. "We have high walls and solid gates around the castle, but no guard here would refuse your exit if you asked them."

"I don't want to leave, Master," Demetri said quietly, he had simply been surprised to be offered freedom so soon.

"Good, glad that's sorted."

"How many guards do you have, master?" Demetri asked.

He was so polite that Aro couldn't fail to like the kid. It also showed Felix up for how disrespectful he could be. But then Aro wasn't willing to scare the boy to death to ensure he was deferential. Part of Aro didn't even want Felix to be that way - he quite enjoyed the battle of wills he had with the boy. He always won, of course, but it was good sport nonetheless.

"We have around twenty guards here at the moment," Aro explained. "Marcus and Caius, their mates, me and Sulpicia, and Basileus of course."

"What about me?!" Felix shot, feeling disgruntled to be missed out.

"I was getting to you!" Aro snapped. He turned back to Demetri and jabbed a thumb in Felix's direction. "And the village idiot."

"And the village idiot!" Felix repeated Aro's words with a petulant expression.

"About half our guards are women," Aro explained to the new kid, hoping that might inspire some interest in the boy.

"He wouldn't know what to do with one of them," Felix chipped in, laughing to himself.

Aro was about to reply on Demetri's behalf but it was clear from the look on the young boy's face that Felix had, in fact, been right. He pulled Demetri to his feet and gently pushed him in Felix's direction.

"Take him to find an insecure girl to practice on, and then he will know what he's was doing when the right girl comes along."

Aro called time on his father's storytelling. "You just had to slip that last bit in, didn't you?"

Atia had commented on Aro's advice to his son before, not that it stopped her from doing so again. "It's repulsive that you made the suggestion in the first place, Aro."

Atia flashed to her feet and the coven king jumped back in his chair, much to the amusement of those watching.

"I was trying to help him feel comfortable in the coven, Mom," he implored, to the heckling of Carlisle and Caius.

"And it's been biting you in the ass ever since," Eleazar added, knowing just how much his brother regretted the free rein his sons' had enjoyed now he was trying to have them act their ages in that department … and mostly failing.

Aro started chuntering to himself. "It no longer applies now," he directed to Demetri.

"Because he's had enough practice?" Carlisle asked, feigning sweetness and light just to annoy his brother.

"Can we talk about someone else now, please?!" Demetri begged. This storytelling lark was painful for the one on show.

"That might be best," Basileus agreed, looking around the room for his next victim.


	135. The Twins - 800, August

**AN:** I'm going to be a smidge late with the next update, major computer malfunctions and I've lost the whole chapter :( So sorry, please bear with me!  
This one is a chunky chapter, grab a brew and the biscuit barrel before you start :)

* * *

 **THE TWINS - 800, AUGUST**

As he scanned the room for his next victim, Basileus saw something most unsuitable from the corner of his eye - Irina working her hand up Caius' britches! The coven master appeared to be quite enjoying the attention, though it wasn't enough for him to break away from his game with Demetri.

"AHEM!"

Everyone stopped, except Irina.

Magnus followed Basileus' eyeline to the Denali girl, and then to Caius. Luckily, Caius' britches fitted too tightly at the knee for Irina to work her hand up them too far. It was already far enough for Magnus. He nodded to Basileus to say he would deal with it, being closest, and lifted Caius from the floor by the back of his dress coat, thereby breaking Irina's contact.

"What's wrong with you?" Magnus hissed into Caius' ear.

Caius couldn't reply, what with being strangled by his own clothes.

Aro eyed his father as Magnus verbally berated Caius for his lack of decorum. He feared momentarily that Caius would fight back, an explosion, something! Aro's head buzzed with 'what ifs' - getting Demetri out of the crossfire, how the Denali girls would react, whether anyone else would join the fray, who Aro would back, who everyone else would back … but nothing came.

Magnus set Caius back down with a thud and though it was clear Caius was pissed off by the manhandling and the verbal rebuke, he did nothing more than adjust his neckline and rub out his throat.

Aro couldn't help the thoughts forming in his mind. _Caius must have had some sort of brain transplant_! _There's no way on this earth I am letting Magnus treat me that way_.

Basileus heard him alright. "You had better take care to give no cause."

It was just cryptic enough for the rest of their gathering to be unsure to what, or to whom, Basileus was replying. Aro did a decent job of acting like nothing had happened, so no one would think it was him.

Under the unmoving glare of the creator and the juggernaut - Aro was right, they made a formidable friendship - Irina shuffled back across the rug and to the other side of the seating area. Now sat with Dora and Carlisle, Basileus had a sense of doom fall over himself. It was an occasional gift, as he called it, not so much a premonition of the future, but a sense of something coming. He felt the oppressive weight of darkness as he looked at the three of them together. _I have no good reason to separate them_. _Where do I want Irina anyway_? _Where would be a suitable seat for her_? Basileus wondered. _In another bloody coven_!

"Tell them about the twins, my lord," Marcus suggested, breaking the tension that had befallen them all. "Their story makes me smile."

Aro looked incredulously to his co-master. "Only because of the near-death experience I suffered as a result!"

"You and me both!" Caius huffed from the floor. "I always get dragged in on your idiocy," he added, frowning to Aro.

"You could have refused, Caius," Marcus pointed out. Having been with them both when the twins were found, and turned, Marcus knew Caius had options.

"Hardly!" That was the same thing Basileus had told him when they had returned to Volterra, right before he laid a whip across his back. "I had no choice with him throwing his status around." The him, of course, was Aro, who at least at the decency to offer his brother-in-arms an apologetic smile.

"One would think, as the rulers of our race, that you would stick to the laws."

Basileus regretted his word choice instantly upon seeing he had piqued Irina's interest.

"We didn't have an age limit then," Aro proffered quickly, he, too, noting Irina's curiosity.

"I believe we used that argument at the time," Caius reminded him, giving a shudder for good measure.

"Yes, you did," Basileus smiled down to Caius. "And how did that work out for you both?"

Caius returned the creator's smile, though his had a nervous tinge to it. "Painfully," he admitted.

Aro shook the memories from his head. He had no desire to revisit such pain. "If you're telling the twins' story, could you at least leave out our part?"

Felix tutted. "That wouldn't make for much of a story, Dad," he told his father, in much the same way Aro had told him when he asked for the same with Demetri's tale.

Having all and sundry listening so intently to him receiving a strapping was bad enough. Alec had damn near bounced in glee as his brothers hung their heads through the indignity. Felix was well up for a story where Aro had his ass handed to him. Demetri was keen, too!

"I would really like to hear the twins' story. I only saw the aftermath …" Felix burst out laughing at his father and threw Caius a goofy grin for good measure knowing he had been left in a similar state. Felix had been sent to the old middle floor suite by Sulpicia to check on them both. Best day, ever!

"Can't you slap him or something?" Caius grumbled to Aro.

He didn't particularly want everyone hearing a rehash of his own punishment. It was a private affair, in his mind. Or it had been! _Basileus looks intent on hanging everyone out to dry if that cocky smile on his face is anything to go by_.

"He could," Atia agreed. "If he wanted to receive one in return."

With everyone, EVERYONE, hoping to see the coven king suffer such disgrace, Carlisle tried to encourage his brother into forcing their mother's hand.

"Do it, Aro!" he said, eyes gesturing to Felix. "Slap him."

Felix was gob-smacked. "Carlisle! You turncoat!"

"Take one for the team, Felix!"

They all burst out laughing hearing Sulpicia, of all people, joining the repartee!

Aro turned to his father, "Start your story before this turns into a blood bath."

 **The Twins - 800, August**

"Are you sure this is where he said?"

Caius hated these random trips to cold climates just to seek out 'witches' unknown'. All based on a hunch from the creator, of course, which was worth its weight in horse shit to Caius.

"You were there when Basileus gave us the order, Caius," Marcus reminded him. "He said it was the village of Lanyon, between Morvah and Madron …"

"They don't even sound like real place names!" Caius complained.

"They're Cornish place names," Marcus replied through gritted teeth. "The Cornish folk would say Volterra sounds odd, I am sure."

"Cornish?" Caius asked. "Where the fuck is Cornish?! I thought we were in England. Have you lied to me …"

"For fuck sake, Caius, shut up!"

Aro shoved his covenmate hard, and as the three of them were running at full vampiric speed through the pitch black of night, it doesn't take a genius to work out what happened - Caius reached out to Aro to steady himself, the two collided into Marcus and all three ended up in the dirt.

Sitting in the mud, because of course the ground was sodden (even in summer) - _Fucking England_ , Caius thought - the three of them scowled at one another until the eventual laughter broke through their misery.

"We need to check it out," Aro explained more calmly. "Basileus is convinced we will find Apatouria through the humans calling out witches."

"But we won't!" Caius insisted. "If Basileus thought his precious sister was here, he wouldn't send us - he'd come himself."

"I don't disagree, Caius," Marcus said quickly before Caius and Aro could break into a fresh row. "But nevertheless, he sent us. The creator. You had the chance to voice your complaints to Basileus before we left."

Caius huffed to himself, but he said no more. What more could he say anyway? _Marcus is right, I should have spoken up before we left_. As if he would have dared!

Aro stood first, offering a hand to Caius and Marcus to help them from the dirt. "Let's get on, we should make it to Cape Tor before dawn."

Cape Tor, named so for being both surrounded by water and atop a rocky cliff, was a stronghold on the very tip of England's southernmost point. Compared to the grandness of their home in Volterra, Cape Tor Castle was little more than a wooden shack with a deep ditch to demarcate the land. Aro couldn't see the point in the place, but he had grudgingly set up an outpost there when Basileus bought the land a few years before. He had said at the time that Cape Tor would play a pivotal part in their lives at some point - so far, it had been somewhere to crash when vampires found themselves in that corner of the world, which had only happened once in its short history.

"We're closer to the village than we are Cape Tor, Aro," Marcus pointed out. "We should pass through on the way."

"What will we learn in the dead of night with no one to speak to?" Caius asked.

He wanted a hot bath to warm his frozen bones. Italy wasn't warm enough for Caius, let alone England - he was going to be the first vampire to freeze to death, he was sure of it.

Simply because Caius had objected, Aro agreed with Marcus and the choice was made. When they arrived in the sleepy village of Lanyon, they were hit by an overwhelming stench, one they knew well - humans burning. Following their noses, they soon came across the source.

"Humans are sick fuckers," Caius derided, seeing the smouldering remains of what was no doubt the village 'witch'. Caius spent much of his time torturing Volturi enemies, but even he wouldn't turn his tools on a complete innocent - as those unfortunates so often were.

"Shush!" Aro called out, asking his co-masters to freeze.

He heard it again - sobbing, children crying softly, without hope, he felt. Two children, of that he was sure, and they seemed to be calling to him. Aro followed the quiet cries to the edge of a crudely constructed hut. He peered inside but found only an old woman who slept soundly.

Walking the circumference of the hut with his lightest step, he came to an odd structure. Many sticks dug deep into the ground in a circle, fastened at the top with rope to create a pen ... and inside there were the children. Two young and scrawny scraps of humans huddling together for warmth and comfort in the cool night air.

Aro quickly removed his heavy cloak and fed it through the bars. The children, a boy and a girl, twins he soon discovered through his brief contact, should have feared him. Aro's eyes glowed brilliant red and as a foreigner to their lands, let alone their village, Aro would have expected such young children to recoil. Instead, they were so grateful for his kindness that they clung to his arm through the branches of their holding cell.

"Why are you here?" Aro asked, plucking information from their minds as he held the girl's hand.

"They took our mother," she explained. "They burnt her."

 _Fuck_. Aro wasn't sure what else to say to that. "What are they planning with you two?"

"God is angry with us," the boy answered. "We must burn for our sins."

"What are your sins?"

The children looked to each other in confusion. They really didn't know. No one had told them.

"Aro!"

Aro couldn't ignore Caius for long without alerting the whole village to his presence. Looking back to the children clinging to him through the stick-bars, he said, "I will be back for you, little ones." With that, he left them and returned to his covenmates.

It took only fifteen minutes for the three of them to reach Cape Tor. The guards at the outpost hadn't been expecting visitors, but like all Volturi outposts, the guards had an action plan should the Royal House arrive and within the hour Marcus, Aro and Caius had been brought humans to dine on and mead to drink through the night. They had been given the great hall for their own and Caius had instructed them to not only light the central fire, but to fetch double the wood necessary to keep the thing going all night long.

"It really isn't that cold, Caius," Marcus sighed, fanning his face.

Caius looked around incredulously to his co-masters, both sitting well away from the flames whereas Caius was damn near in them! _And you call yourselves Greeks_?! Caius had set a bowl of water above the fire, heating it up to near scalding before he would be willing to wash with it.

"Let's hear it then," he called to Aro. "You're plotting something."

Aro barely said a word all the way back to Cape Tor, his head whirling with thoughts of those two children in their makeshift pen to be burnt for unidentified crimes. He knew it wouldn't go down well, but he told his co-masters what little he knew of them, and then he dropped the bombshell.

Marcus was dumbfounded, but Caius had plenty to say. "Why would you want more fucking kids in the coven?!" he spat. "Felix and Demetri are bad enough!"

"What do they do that's so bad?!" Aro shot back, cursing the question as he knew Caius kept a running tally of all the guards fuck-ups.

"They are mouthy, they forget orders, they fail at guard duty, they fuck everything that passes them …"

 _Yeah, yeah_ , Aro thought, thoroughly disinterested. _Keep going, whatever_.

"… And that's before we start on the blood lust sprees Felix used to go on."

Aro wasn't having that. "Twice, Caius. And I cleaned up his mess ... I never ask you to do anything with him."

"You don't have to, Aro," Marcus told him sternly. "His existence affects all of us."

 _Damn it_! Aro had hoped for Marcus' support. Still, he wasn't leaving those kids behind, regardless of how his co-masters felt. They argued back and forth for the rest of the night, sometimes Aro even gained Marcus' support, only for Caius to remind them all of one of Felix or Demetri's fuck-ups and he would lose it again.

Aro had had enough. "I'm going back to that fucking village and I'm taking those kids. You're either with me …"

"Or?!" Caius asked, unmoving.

"Or I tell Basileus you abandoned his only son."

Caius rolled his eyes to his supposed king. "You are such a prick."

"Maybe, but I'm still your king, Caius."

That was it, Caius launched for Aro, Aro retaliated. Marcus let them get a few punches in before he separated them

"Let's not start such foolishness now." Marcus shoved Aro back and forced Caius to sit down with a hand on his shoulder. "We will all go so Aro can meet these children properly," Marcus paused for a moment as he fixed Aro with his eye. "But, I will have nothing to do with you taking them back to Volterra."

"Neither will I!" Caius added.

"I'm not asking you to," Aro sighed. "Just come with me."

The sun was high in the sky by the time the agreement was reached. It would be difficult reaching the village and staying out of the sun's rays - as Caius pointed out multiple times on their short journey - but they managed it by sticking to the woodland, though it undoubtedly took longer.

Nearing their destination, they saw a plume of smoke rising in the sky and the unmistakable smell of burning flesh.

"We're too late," Caius said without emotion. "We'll find you some new brats from somewhere else."

Aro pushed them to move faster. "It's not just about new kids, you prick! It's those kids. I need them!"

Marcus and Caius reached the village just a step behind Aro. They expected Aro to stay in the shadows of the trees, what with the sun bouncing off their diamond skin being a revealing trait of the vampire and therefore absolutely against their laws. Aro only planned on staying put whilst he worked out what to do.

One pyre, the one they saw the smoke for, the one they smelt, held an old woman. It was the old woman Aro had seen sleeping the night before. Her shrill shrieks were only heard for a second or two before her heart gave out in shock to the unimaginable pain.

 _Where are they_?! Aro search the crowd for the children he had met, but he couldn't find them. He was so lost in his search of the villagers that he missed the second pyre. It wasn't until the crowd moved over to get a good look and the fire was lit that Aro notice the twins at the top of the wooded heap.

"It's over Aro," Marcus said with a hand on his co-master's shoulder.

"No," Aro insisted, searching for a path free from sunlight. "There is always another way."

"If anyone can find it, it's you," Caius agreed. "But you have run out of time, brother."

Time. It slowed right own and sped up all at once. The flames that had only just sparked with the wood were now up to the children's waists, yet Aro's vampiric speed felt achingly slow as he flashed to retrieve them.

"He's lost his fucking mind!" Caius roared, following Aro and killing every human he reached.

Marcus did the same, the object being to leave no witnesses to their co-master's idiocy which was sure to reveal them all.

It took only a few moments and the whole gathering was dead. A few more and Aro had freed the children and brought them to safety. Seconds for Marcus to put out the flames on Aro's left leg and then a few more for him to move to the twins, blotting out the flames with his cloak. And in a single second, they realised it was all for nought - there was no way those children could make it through their ordeal. They lay silent and still in the grass, their bodies charred from the waist down.

Aro wasted no time, slim chance or none. He dragged the girl closer to him and bit deep into her neck. Job done, he tried to stand to get to the boy, but he dropped to the floor before he'd made it even a single step - the flesh on his leg, the one Marcus had thankfully put out so quickly, was mangled, melted. He couldn't walk.

Aro roared out his frustrations, the pain he ignored. All his efforts were concentrated on those children. "I am commanding you to bite him NOW!"

Marcus outright refused. It was left to Caius.

Caius sighed to himself. Marcus could get away with refusing when he wanted to because he had Basileus' ear. Caius wasn't so fortunate. Basileus already blamed him for a good many things Aro fucked up outside of Caius' control. If he denied Aro's order, Basileus would wring his neck. Caius went to the boy, sure he was already dead, but he bit him anyway, just to shut Aro up.

Chuntering about the absolute idiot that was his king, Marcus started rounding up the dead humans, dragging them to Aro for him to feed from. "Drink until you cannot drink anymore," Marcus instructed. "It's the only hope you have for saving that leg."

Caius worked on throwing the remainder onto the fire. He felt a cool satisfaction that he was feeding the demented human mob to the pyre they had built for others. He enjoyed such a happy coincidence. Once Aro had drained more humans than he could stomach, Caius added those to the fire, too.

The children, much to everyone's surprise, started moaning. Their eyes were closed and they barely moved, but the venom was doing its job - they were entering the transformation. Aro had never been a religious man, not even in his human days when it was expected, but he prayed to every deity he had ever heard of to bring the twins through alive … or dead, depending on how you view vampiric living status.

Marcus stomped off, fuming. He wished the children no ill will, of course - they were innocent. But he was having nothing to do with taking a couple of minors back to Volterra. When he came to the hut Aro had found the night before, and found it vacant, he thought it an excellent hovel for his co-masters to hide out in until the children could be moved. Going back to the clearing, without word he slung Aro over his shoulder and clicked at the kids for Caius to bring.

Caius dumped the pair of them on the floor awkwardly, but Marcus soon lay them out straight. Aro felt a glimmer of hope for a moment, thinking Marcus had softened his stance on the twins. When Marcus stood and issued some instructions to Caius, such as to find Aro more blood for his leg to heal, to find something to bandage him with, to have a feed ready for the children even if it were only animal … well, Aro started to wonder.

"Are you not staying, brother?" Aro asked. The pain had hit him, and it could be heard in his tone.

Marcus puffed the air out of his cheeks. He did wonder how they would get back to Volterra without his help … _or without killing each other_ , he corrected himself. But he was done. There was only so much of the 'Aro and Caius' parade that he could stomach and adding in a couple of immortal children … he'd done all he was willing.

"I'll see you when I come back to Italy."

With that he was gone, leaving Caius and Aro catching flies as he left. They didn't stay that way for long. Marcus was sure he heard the two of them arguing before he was out of hearing range.

He didn't have a direction in mind. All Marcus heard was the cool ocean waves calling his name and he headed straight for the coast. Lanyon's closest coast was north to the Celtic sea. _I haven't been to Ireland in a very long time_ , Marcus thought, thinking that was a good enough reason to detour his journey home. Walking out to his waist and then diving into the water was just what he needed to indulge in to wash away the stress of what awaited him in Volterra. He swam slowly, taking his time and enjoying the cooling ocean. Marcus went at such a leisurely pace that a human could have swam side by side without tiring. So slowly in fact, that it was dusk by the time he came to land.

What a treat, Marcus thought happily. A skirmish on the beach. It is my lucky day.

Unsure who was right or wrong, Marcus simply picked the side with less humans on it and joined their fray. It soon became apparent that he fought with a husband and wife team and perhaps their son. And a girl … her bond wasn't that of a daughter, but they were certainly fond of each other. They were doing well against so many adversaries before Marcus had joined in the fracas. Once he had, however, the fight was over. Marcus only realised he may have gone too far when the woman and younger pair retreated, leaving her giant sized husband to face him alone.

The Viking looked the mysterious man up and down in his finery. He didn't look like much of a warrior, too slightly built. Solid though, and he couldn't deny what his eyes had seen - _whoever this guy is, he knows how to handle himself_.

"You're not from round these parts, friend."

 _That's a bit rich_ , Marcus thought, knowing the man was a Viking and therefore not from Ireland, either. Marcus considered the man in his presence, wondering if he had seen too much. _Seen too much, or I showed too much_? Marcus berated his foolishness at ripping apart humans in front of, well, humans! Hmmm, he watched the man carefully. _You aren't giving much away, my friend_. He could tell from their dress and their fighting style that three of them, at least, were Vikings. If he'd had to place a bet, he would say they were from Norway. _Not the girl, though_ , he noted. Marcus looked over his shoulder to the vessel he had passed in the sea, bobbing about in the distance, anchored and awaiting passengers.

"Neither are you," Marcus answered, pointing to the boat. "Norse men?"

"Aye."

Marcus smiled gently to the giant man. "Raiders or traders?"

 _You're almost as tall as the creator, as old as me, too. It would be nice to have some adult company in the coven … assuming you could survive the transformation._

"Neither," the man replied, with a hint of sadness. "My wife and I," he gestured behind him where the woman stood with her two younger charges. "We are searching for our sons."

Marcus nodded, though it was mainly to himself as he wondered whether he could take them all back to Volterra.

"Magnus," the Viking introduced himself. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted the man from the sea who had come to their aid. "Freyr, bring them," he called back to his wife.

Freyr approached, keeping the younger pair behind her.

"You have nothing to fear from me, my dear," Marcus encourage. "My name is Marcus, I hail from Italy."

He considered the youngsters momentarily. He wasn't sure on their age. Anything under thirty was 'young' in his mind. He wasn't willing to take children back to Volterra - he didn't want to be stuck managing them for eternity as Aro was doing. But he could feel, through his gift, that the four of them were bonded together. Magnus and his wife held a bond so strong, so fierce, that it affected Marcus' senses. _Only vampires mate with such ferocity_ , he thought.

"Are these your children?" he asked, looking to the woman.

"Sort of," Freyr admitted carefully, still sussing out whether Marcus was a threat to them. She held the pair by their shoulders, one in each arm. "Odi is our son, or as good as. Corin we met on our travels."

"They aren't our blood," Magnus explained. "But we will protect them as such." He wasn't saying so to offer a fight, but Magnus wanted to be sure the man, _Marcus, he said Marcus_ , he wanted to be sure Marcus understood his allegiances.

"I offer no threat to them, my friend," Marcus explained quickly. "How old are you?" he asked the youths.

"I'm in my twentieth year," Odi explained. "We both are."

"That will do," Marcus thought out loud.

The humans looked to each other questionably. "What will do?" Magnus asked.

"I have a proposition for you all." Marcus again pointed to the boat bobbing about in the sea. "I have need for your vessel, and I am willing to reward you handsomely for its use."

"How so?" Magnus asked.

Marcus considered telling them the truth, but he couldn't risk that on the coast, not with sunrise due in a few hours. He also didn't want to risk them fleeing - then he would have to kill them all and he had a good feeling about the Viking pair, at least. The younger two he only hoped would be old enough to be considered adult vampires.

"Come with me to my castle home, and you will never have to think on your human life again."

"What does that even mean?" Odi hissed to Magnus, who soon hushed his belligerence.

 _Never have to think on your human life again_ …

Freyr and Magnus simultaneously replayed those words over and over in their minds. It had been ten years since their only daughter had died in her bed. Three since their teenage sons had left their lands, and two since they had followed to find them. They knew their journey was full of false hope, but it was all the hope they had. The years had worn heavily on the pair of them. To begin, each day held new hope, but after two years of fruitless hunting, each day held misery. Neither one was willing to say so, but they both knew their sons were dead, long dead at that.

 _Never have to think on your human life again_ …

"Aye," Magnus replied for them all. "We'd like that."

"We would?!" Odi asked, still none-the-wiser to what it was they were being offered. Magnus and Freyr weren't sure, either, but it had to be better than the life they had.

Magnus looked to Odi, wondering what to do with the boy. _He's not a boy anymore_ , he reminded himself. _Twenty. We_ _'_ _ve had him since he was ten, or little more_. His sons had brought their friend home to stay when they found him wandering the fields, alone. He had no family to speak of, was wafer thin and alone in the world. Magnus and Freyr hadn't thought twice about taking him in. _He showed me more respect than my own two lads did_ , Magnus thought, remembering the bitter argument between himself and his boys about leaving their lands. Magnus had told them not to go. Odi was the only one who had listened to him and stayed put, the other two disappearing into the oceans, never to be seen again.

And then there was Corin. They'd only met a few months before, further around the Irish coastline. The young woman had been desperate to leave her village and had seemingly been on the lookout for Viking marauders to take her far away from her home lands. It wasn't completely unheard of to find Irish girls willing to leave with the warriors that invaded their country. Rare, but not unheard of. Corin had been sensible when she'd selected the Magnus and Freyr. By choosing a clearly married and older couple, she had hoped to become their servant, of some kind. As they couldn't understand each other, not speaking the same language, they had never shared a conversation, but Magnus and Freyr had shown her kindness, kindness she had never known in her own home. They allowed the girl to follow them when they left, and Corin had stayed at their side since.

Magnus turned Odi by his shoulders to face him. "You aren't obliged to come with us if you don't want."

"You're leaving me here?!" Odi had to catch his breath, panic setting in.

"No," Freyr insisted. "Just giving you the choice to make you own way in the world."

"I don't want to!"

Odi was a follower, not a leader - he didn't want to make his own way in anything. Magnus and Freyr were the only family he had memory of and he wasn't ready to leave them. He doubted he ever would.

Marcus spoke to Corin in her own tongue, explaining the offer Magnus and Freyr had made to Odi, and offering her the same. She answered by coiling her hand around Freyr's arm, clinging on for surety that they would keep her, too.

Magnus turned to Marcus and gestured to the sea. "It would seem that we are all with you, my friend." It was the first time he had felt a hope for the future in many, many months. "After you."

Basileus paused his tale seeing the effect it was having on Freyr. The shield maiden had tears rolling down her face and an ache in her heart that she hadn't felt for many years.

"My apologies, my dear," Basileus offered quietly. "I got caught up …"

"Not at all." Freyr smiled brightly to the creator and dabbed at her cheeks. "I can remember my children and be sad occasionally. It is far more often that I remember them happily." Regaining her composure, Freyr shook out her blonde locks and reassured the creator again, and her mate, that all was well.

Marcus raised his glass to the woman. "It is preferable to remember than forget, is it not, my dear?"

Freyr nodded, "It is indeed."

"I forgot you came with Odi and Corin," Felix mused aloud, breaking the awkward silence. "Is that why you're always on Odi's case?"

Magnus tutted. "I'm not always on Odi's case!"

"He is always with you in the guard hall," Caius said looking up at the juggernaut from the floor.

He suddenly felt threatened as the pieces pulled into place in his mind. He'd never thought about the fact that Odi followed Magnus around like a lost puppy. Caius had assumed it was because he was so young, certainly the youngest guard in the coven.

Magnus could feel Caius had gone from relaxed and calm to curious and then jealous in a matter of seconds. _This does not bode well_ , he thought sadly.

"He can't breathe in this coven without you two knowing about it," Felix continued, with Demetri offering his opinion on the matter, concurring with his brother.

"You would think he might keep his nose clean, if that were the case."

Magnus was neither confirming or denying Felix's claim. He could feel Caius boring holes into the side of his face with the sharpness of his eyes. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_! He had done well, he thought, to manage Caius without it affecting his relationship with the Odi. Similarly, he was pleased with himself for managing the guards without involving Caius, or anyone else from the elite table, for that matter. Basileus had just blown a massive hole in his boat, so to speak.

"Corin keeps her nose clean," Freyr pointed out. "But then girls have more sense." She couldn't help but look to Atia, and then they both looked to Irina before turning back to each other.

"Usually," Atia added.

"Odi is a guard," Magnus pointed out. "It's my job to know what he's up to." He was desperately trying to downplay the relationship he had with Odi for Caius' sake. It was a shame, then, that Freyr didn't catch his drift and sold him down the river.

"We do keep a closer eye on the younger guards, love," she said to her mate. "But that's not what it is with Odi. He's our link home, he's special, he's our son."

Caius dropped the hand of cards he was playing and looked directly at Magnus. With his elbow digging into the juggernaut's thigh, Caius made damn sure he had Magnus' attention. "I didn't realise you and Odi were so close," he sneered.

Magnus grimaced and removed Caius' elbow as he tried to explain himself. "I suppose I feel … I don't know. Odi's only here because we took him away from his home in the first place."

"He had no home to speak of, Magnus, his home had been with us for many years before we left our lands."

 _Freyr, you aren't helping_!

Freyr may not have understood Magnus' issue, but Marcus realised and tried to move the conversation forwards.

"I am just glad they were both adult vampires," he said quickly.

Basileus damn near choked on his whiskey. "Odi's as much trouble as Felix," he said. Turning to Marcus and jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in Magnus' direction, he continued, "Magnus just keeps him off the radar - he has done so since they arrived."

It was then that Basileus finally caught up with the thoughts in the room - with both Magnus and now Marcus screaming at him to shut the fuck up and fucking help, he twigged what he had done. Caius had no idea that Magnus looked out for Odi at all, or that they were particularly close. How, Basileus couldn't fathom, but somehow Magnus managed to play many parts in his coven without any of those parts crossing over. _And I always thought Aro was the one who wore so many hats so easily. Damn it_. Basileus mouthed silent apologies to his friend.

Caius had only ever involved himself with the guards for missions and training. Odi wasn't a warrior and rarely attended missions so he wasn't on Caius' radar. Aro had dealt with guard discipline before Magnus had stepped up, but with Magnus keeping the lad undercover and dealing with him himself, Aro and Odi had rarely crossed paths.

Aro picked up on one thing his father had said, "Magnus covered for Odi … is that so?"

"What if it is?" Magnus asked the coven king. "I'm master of the guards, I can do what I like with them."

"You're master of the guards now, but you weren't always," Aro pointed out.

Caius was hot on his tail. "It is a very recent appointment, relatively speaking."

"It sounds like they wish to challenge your authority, my friend." Basileus wasn't having that. He thought Aro understood his position after their talk that morning, but if he didn't, he was happy to have that conversation again.

"Not his current authority." Aro wasn't stupid. "But his previous conduct is free territory, surely?"

"Yes, previous conduct," Caius was ready to pounce. "Let's get him for that."

Magnus looked first to Aro and then to Caius. "And what do you two think you can do to me?"

Aro and Caius were clearly running through many options in their minds before Aro called out, "Coven discipline?"

"Go ahead," Basileus offered. "Aro's still above Magnus in coven matters, for now. But you should both think of the times he has helped you out of trouble before you act."

The 'for now' caught the attention of many, although no one commented on it out loud. It felt to Basileus as though Atia was screaming at him about his slip up. ' _It wasn't a slip up_ ', he thought back to her.

Atia closed her eyes and shook her head. Thinking of the Denali girls who had just joined their ranks, and the situation with Magnus and Caius, she had to wonder what her mate was playing at. ' _Could we deal with one drama at a time, my dear_?!'

Caius and Aro watched each other - Caius thinking of his recent bout on dungeon blood, Aro thinking of how Magnus gained his position in the first place by taking out Antonio for Felix … neither knew what the other was thinking, but they both relented, quickly. Although they were now wondering what secrets the other held.

"Sorry, Magnus," Aro said shyly, slinking back into his seat and playing with the rings he wore, as he so often did on the rare occasions he felt nervous.

Magnus gave him the nod and turned to Caius expecting to receive the same from him. Instead all he got was a huff and the cold shoulder as Caius sought to retake his scattered cards.

"What makes Odi so grown up anyway?" Felix asked, breaking the tension, again. "Using sleep to define 'child vampires' is a bit of a blunt tool, don't you think?"

Aro's heart really sank then. He looked up to the heavens. _I know I was a knob for trying to knock Magnus down a notch, but must you curse me with this boy's arguments as a punishment_?

"I could use many other tools, you would still be defined a child, son," he answered, hoping to put an end to whatever hare-brained nonsense Felix had thought up.

"Like what?" Carlisle asked.

 _It would be you who takes up the gauntlet_ , Aro thought to his brother before responding with, "Maturity. The ability to foresee the consequences of your actions. Rationality, impulsivity …"

"What about things like growth," Felix cut in. "I'm huge." He offered Kate a wink as he spoke, much to Eleazar's annoyance.

"You are huge for a child, yes," Aro agreed. "For a man, you would be a normal, even average height."

"Hair then?" Felix asked, dragging his shirt over and off his head. "How many kids look like this?!" he asked, tugging at the rug on his chest.

"Put your shirt back on," Aro told his boy sternly. "Or I'll be removing your britches to match."

"Dad!"

Any hope Felix had with the Denali girls, and there was only a little hope to begin with, had just been snatched away. Hearing the taunts and laughter of those around him burned at the boy's fraying pride.

"You are an adolescent, Felix." Basileus was bored of the boy's interruptions. "You look like one. You could pass as an adult on occasion, but you are not now, nor will you ever be, a grownup."

His unremitting tone had Felix retaking his seat at his father's feet as he muttered about the unfairness of the vampiric world.

"Thank the gods Odi and Corin sleep," Marcus thought aloud. "Didyme would not have been pleased if I'd had cause to move them in with us."

Caius looked opened mouthed to Marcus for moment before he caught up with himself. "I like how that would be your only concern, Marcus! We had to face him!"

Basileus bristled as Caius jabbed a finger in his direction. Magnus was doing a sterling job of keeping everyone from tipping over the edge, but it wasn't enough to keep everyone truly calm.

"Marcus brought home a set of adult vampires who have been a pleasurable addition to our coven," Basileus reminded the young coven leader. "You pair brought the twins!"

Jane became a furious little imp from where she sat with Tanya. Alec, was the opposite, upset in his mother's lap.

"Not that you aren't also a pleasurable addition, my dear ones," Atia told them quickly. "Your grandfather is just making his point rather badly."

Realising his mistake, Basileus dropped to his knees and took his grandchildren's hands in his own. It was way over the top, but their giggles to his efforts made it worthwhile.

Kate and Tanya looked on, watching the creator's interaction with the twins and wondering where the beast was of whom their sister warned them. Basileus had been nothing but nice to them so far. None of the Volturi presented as Irina had told them they would. Aro had let his children's cheek go with verbal rebukes. Only Magnus and Basileus had responded to anyone physically and that was only towards Aro and Caius - _which was really funny_ , Kate thought, reminding herself that everyone else had found it funny, too.

Sasha hadn't looked to them once in the throne room before they were forced to leave. Not that her final treatment whitewashed their lives together. Sasha had been a loving and indulging mother, Kate and Tanya loved her very much. They loved Irina, too, but they just didn't feel the bitterness towards the Volturi that Irina did.

 _Irina wants us to run first chance we get_ , Kate thought, looking to her twisted sister. _I don't want to leave_. She had a feeling Tanya wouldn't want to either, not with the way she had snuggled into Eleazar's side. Kate knew she would have to negotiate between her sisters. That had always been her role. Irina being the eldest and somewhat bossy, and Tanya being the youngest with a fiery temper. Kate was the mediator and she had a feeling that if they were to stay in the safety and luxury of Volterra, she would have to use every trick in the book.

Whilst Basileus proffered his absolute assurances to the twins that they were very much wanted and pleasurable company, he missed Caius hissing from the other side of the fireplace. "Aro brought the twins, not me."

Magnus couldn't believe Caius. He had been worried about Dora before they arrived, but Caius had pushed and pushed that morning. "You have a death wish today, don't you?" he whispered to the younger man.

Caius pulled away. "You already have Odi to fuss over, leave me to my death wish."

Magnus flopped back into his chair. _Oh for fuck sake_ , he cursed, wishing he could boot Basileus in the balls for the trouble he had caused him.

Tanya looked up from Eleazar's side. "What happened next?" she asked once the creator had settled back into his chair. "How did you get the twins back here?"

Irina started chuntering to herself about her disloyal sisters. _First Kate and now you_?!

"Did you keep your leg?" Kate asked Aro. "Or have you got a wooden one, or something?"

Aro rolled down the hose on his left leg revealing a heavily scarred leg. The fire had burned deep furrows into his flesh and the skin remained grey and sallow, but it was still attached, and it still worked.

"It's much better than it was," Basileus explained to the girl. "Vampires continue healing for as long as they continue living. With scars so deep, it will take a thousand more years to look fully repaired."

Aro refastened his hose and looked to his baby vampires. "Totally worth it," he told them both. "The whipping I took, however," he added, glaring at his father.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Aro." Basileus took a swig of his whiskey and was soon back in storytelling mode.

"Marcus said you need to keep feeding," Caius called out over the screams.

The children were turning, they were close to the end from what Aro and Caius could tell. It wasn't an exact science and they both knew the kids could still wake as zombies. Their burns had all healed, though, which was a good sign. Still, the screaming was horrific!

Caius had brought Aro a stag to feed from, but Aro was reticent. Feeding from animals was a poor man's game.

"Find me a human," he ordered. Aro's leg was still thumping beneath his bandages and he needed blood, yes, but proper blood. Human blood.

"I've already tramped around this godforsaken hell hole of a village to find you bandages and clothes," Caius pointed out. "I've even fetched clothes for your brats and dressed them!" Caius didn't even want to take the damn things back to Volterra, so Aro could forget it if he thought Caius would be going further afield to find humans for a feed.

Aro attempted to stand, but his leg hurt too damn much. He was soon back to sitting in the only seat the hovel offered.

 _Great_! Caius thought as he watched his co-master's failed effort. "How am I supposed to get us all back to Volterra with you in this state?!"

"You need to find a horse and cart, get us to the coast, find a boat …"

"All this shit I am finding because you have no impulse control and just had to add a couple more kids to your household." Caius stormed out. _Utter prick_!

It had been some hours since Caius had left, by Aro's reckoning, when the twins started to wake. Aro shuffled himself off the chair so he could be close to them, bundling them up into his arms. They opened their eyes at the exact same time as though they had synced it somehow. As they came around, panic started setting in. The children clung to Aro with frightened eyes darting around the single room dwelling.

"Do you remember me, little ones?" Aro asked softly.

The boy covered his ears, even the quiet tone of Aro's voice was deafening to his supersensitive hearing.

Aro went through their thoughts to find their names. It took longer than usual for him to work it out. Neither child spoke much in their human life, and when they did, it was only to each other. Even their mother didn't speak to them unless she had to, clearly blaming the children for the scorn she suffered from the villagers.

"Jane?" Aro asked, looking to the girl.

She only answered with her eyes. They flickered towards Aro on hearing the familiar name.

Aro nodded to himself. "And Alec?" He turned to the boy.

Alec smiled just a little. From what he could remember, only his sister had ever said his name so pleasantly. To hear his name called without a snide remark or ending in 'the witch' was a nice surprise.

"I am Aro," he told them both. "I will take care of you now."

The twins looked to each other, clearly puzzled. Aro wondered if he'd used the wrong words, but he was pretty sure he had a good handle on the English tongue. He even knew the various dialectical differences thanks to Marcus dogmatic belief that the Volturi should be able to converse with anyone they would ever meet.

"You can't take care of us," Jane explained. "We are evil."

 _Fuck_! Aro pushed his hands into the pit of his stomach to quell the sickness that hit him. He was surprised by the strength of his emotional reaction to the girl's words. Aro was no stranger to the myriad of ways children suffered at the hands of their parents - he had himself, severely so - but it never failed to affect him. Still, with the twins explaining they were evil and undue of care, he felt different. Perhaps it was the way Jane put it as a simple statement of fact? _She doesn't even seem bothered_ , Aro thought, considering the girl. Then he realised … _it is a statement of fact_! _They aren't bothered because they believe what she said - they think they are evil and unworthy of care_.

If their mother hadn't already be burnt at the stake, Aro would have killed her. Useless leg or not, he would have killed her. If the villagers weren't dead he would have killed them, too. Feeling the temper rising within him and knowing it would do those kids no good to see him blow, he pushed the thoughts aside. _I have an eternity to convince them they are worth more than those barbarians told them. But first they need to feed_.

He disentangled himself from the twins, assuring them he wouldn't leave them and shuffled across the floor to the dead stag Caius had brought him. Calling the children to him - they flew towards him with all the force of newborn vampires, if little ones - he explained what they needed to do to take a feed. They weren't impressed with the idea of drinking blood from the dead beast, but they did trust the man instructing them.

Aro knew how to get the show on the road. He dragged the beast across his good leg by its antlers and exposed the neck. Then he clawed it open. The stag had been dead for hours, so the blood wasn't ideal, but it hadn't been long enough for it to have spoilt. Unfortunately, it had congealed already so it wouldn't be anywhere near as satisfying as a fresh feed. _It will have to do until Caius gets back_.

"Take the blood," Aro instructed. "You must drink it."

Watching them feed, Aro was impressed. They hadn't liked what Aro had told them about drinking blood, he could tell that from their faces, but they did as they were told without argument. That wasn't the only thing to please him, however. The fact that the twins, as two newborn vampires, were sharing their feed -their very first feed - without a fight, or even an argument … Aro had never seen such a thing before. _Felix and Demetri argue over who breathed first that morning_! _I would never trust them to share a feed and they have two hundred years on these pair_! _Felix has three_! Yes, Aro was impressed.

Caius returned to the hovel shivering and soaked to the bone. "It's fucking August!" he complained. "Is this wretched country ever warm?! Or dry?!"

Caius couldn't remember a single visit to England that hadn't pissed him off to his very core. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the twins were awake.

"They look better for transforming," he commented.

He'd never turned a child before and he hadn't expected either of the twins to make it through the transformation alive, let alone to look so good on it. They were still tiny things, but the venom had done its job and toned up their small muscles. They no longer looked like the emaciated beings they had bitten.

"Look at this," Aro said, lifting the skirt Jane wore to show Caius her legs. "No scarring."

"I don't think you will be as lucky, brother," Caius noted, seeing Aro's bandage seeping blood still.

Jane was quick to re-cover, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs. She didn't know who the new guy was, and she didn't want him looking at her.

Caius noticed and found her funny. "Who do you think dressed you, kid?" Still laughing, Caius crouched down on his knees to get a close look at the two children who would bring his doom. "Names?"

They answered for themselves at the same time.

"Jane."

"Alec."

But they said no more.

 _At least they'_ _re quiet_ , he thought. "Caius," the master told them with a slight bow to his head. That's when he spotted the bloodied-up stag. _We need to get them a proper feed_. "I've got us a horse and cart. It's getting dark out, we should get moving." Caius clicked his fingers at the kids to follow him outside. They did, dutifully.

Aro's fears were melting away. _There's no way Basileus won't like these two, they are the exact opposite of the boys_. But there was no way he could get back to Volterra on land. "We need a boat, Caius, I can't run."

"One problem at a time, Aro," Caius called through the cloth door.

He soon returned to the hovel, dragged Aro to his feet, and helped his brother-in-arms to the cart.

Aro needn't have worried, Caius had everything in hand. They made their way to the coast on the well beaten dirt tracks. Restricted to the speed of the gnarly old nag Caius had found, it took until the midnight to reach the same beach from which Marcus had departed. The only boat about was a two-man rower. Small, and certainly not designed for proper sea travel, so they would have to follow the coast closely. But it would do. Caius was so excited to be heading home to the warm that he didn't stop to get opinions on his plans, he merely dumped them all in the vessel whilst it was still on dry land and pushed them out to sea.

The twins were petrified once they were bobbing about in the water. The skies were pitch black, the sea even darker. With them clinging to Aro for dear life, Caius huffed and took up the oars.

"You owe me for this," he said, before he settled into rowing.

He rowed all night. The short time they spent in the Celtic sea went fine, crossing the English Channel was a little dicey in such a small and overmanned boat. Following Spain's northern coast through the Bay of Biscay wasn't much better. It confirmed to Caius that any place associated with the word 'north' was to be avoided. Before they had made it around the peak of Spain, the sun was rising. Looking over his shoulder, Caius spotted fishing boats leaving the ports of Portugal.

"We're going to have to go further out," he said, gesturing to the boats.

Aro search the beaches. The few boats in the sea were the tip of the iceberg compared to all the fishermen readying their boats. This sea would be swarming with fishermen soon, on that he agreed. But they couldn't go further out in two-man rowing boat already overstocked with four people. They couldn't risk the Atlantic Ocean!

"They are already scared of the water, Caius," Aro said, careful to keep his voice light so as not to frighten the twins further. "If we capsize, you'll be dragging the four of us to land - I can't use my leg and they can't swim."

 _Oh will I_? Caius thought wickedly. It was only a fleeting consideration, but drowning the kids didn't seem like such a bad idea. _They wouldn't drown though_ , he realised. _I'd end up having to retrieve them from the sea bed_! Something else Caius realised as he assessed the people in his boat - _they all need to feed_.

Caius started rowing again, propelling the boat through the water at great speed - too great a speed considering there were humans in the area, humans they were fast approaching.

"Erm … brother," Aro called. "What are you planning?"

"An upgrade and a feed for you lot."

Aro smiled to himself. Caius always came through for him. Sure, he whined like a bitch over having to do anything for anyone else, but he still did it. For all his faults, Caius was solidly reliable.

Aiming for the smaller of the fishing boats, one driven by a single sail and manned by three men, from what they could see, Caius stopped rowing and allowed the small boat to decelerate. The fishermen were clearly perturbed by their approach, leaning overboard to shout obscenities and wave them away from their fishing lines.

The excitement danced in Caius' eyes. He lived for such conflicts. The only conflicts he didn't enjoy involved the creator of their kind - any other and he was right in there from the get-go. Aro might have been more eager himself if he'd had use of his leg.

"I'll go first," Caius announced, and dived deep into the clear waters.

Jane and Alec didn't say a word, but their eyes spoke for them. Bright red and filled with wonder as Caius emerged near the fishing boat and used their own lines to pull himself up and aboard. They could just about make out Caius headbutting the three fishermen, knocking them unconscious before he threw a rope overboard.

Aro rowed them close and caught the rope. "Can you climb?" he asked the children.

Alec looked apprehensive, but Jane was keen to try. Her new strength pleased her greatly as she easily pulled herself up the rope and to the top.

"Very good," Caius told her, clearly impressed as he brought the girl onto the deck.

Aro assumed Alec would want to go next, having seen his sister accomplish the task so easily. He was used to Felix and Demetri in constant competition with each other - if one could do something, the other wanted to prove they could do it better. That wasn't how Alec and Jane worked. From their birth they had been a subject of scorn in their village. With no father to speak of, their mother had raised them alone and struggled to do so. She suffered for bringing two children into the world without a man at her side and the twins suffered similarly. The accusations of witch craft weren't new. They had been hearing such taunts since they could remember. The three of them were ostracised with the only social interaction they had being that of accusations or discourtesy. The village children weren't allowed to play with the twins, so Jane and Alec were exceptionally close as a result. There was no competition between them at all.

"Your turn," Aro pushed the boy. "Well?"

Alec shook his head and turned fearful eyes on the vampiric king.

"Caius!" Aro shouted up. "Come and get him."

Caius hung over the side, "Fuck off! Just throw him up!"

"No!" Alec gasped. _Throw me up,_ he thought in horror, sure he would die somehow.

Aro could have thrown him, if he could have stood to do it. _I doubt I can throw him from a seated position_!

Alec caught the wondering in Aro's eyes and felt a panic come over him.

Caius leaned back over the side to see what was taking so long. "Aro?" he called down, seeing his co-master lying awkwardly in the boat.

With his vampiric sight he could just about make out a haze around the man, a mist of some kind, like a very faint fog. No human would have been able to detect it, but there was definitely something there.

"ARO!" he roared, diving off the boat and back into the water.

When he came to the surface, he was just in time to see the mist, or whatever it was, absorbing into the boy's hands and Aro coming around.

"What the fuck was that?" Caius was speaking to himself, not expecting the child to have an answer.

Aro looked bewildered. "What happened?"

Caius answered him, telling him what he had seen, but he kept his eyes on Alec. The boy shook in his seat, proffering apologies for whatever he had done, quietly begging for his young life to be spared.

Aro hushed the boy gently and took him into his arms, using his touch to see what the boy had done. "We have a gifted one, Caius," he said, excitement clear in his voice. "I knew these two were special."

"Let's hope they're special enough to impress the creator." Caius heaved himself into the little rower and nudged Aro with his foot. "If you aren't dead you can haul your ass up there, I'll take the kid."

It took some coaxing, but Alec was eventually convinced to mount Caius' back. The little sod damn near strangled his pack horse, but Caius had them aboard the boat in seconds. Aro quickly followed, flopping over the side and cursing his fucked-up leg for being such little use.

Caius simply stepped over him and got into action. First, he ripped the fishing lines from the boat and threw them to the seas, next he pulled the anchor and set the sails. _This is much better_ , he thought as the wind carried them off.

Jane and Alec stayed together, although they were inching their way towards the forgotten humans on board. Aro caught them from the corner of his eye and slid himself across the deck.

"Come," he called to them, lifting the larger of the unconscious men into his lap.

Aro bit into the guy's neck and drank his blood thirstily, though he made sure he didn't take too much. Having already seen that Jane was the more adventurous of the pair, he offered the human to the girl.

"Just like with the stag," Aro encouraged.

He didn't need to say anything else. Jane's senses took over at the sight of the blood dribbling around the wounds Aro had made. It looked quite absurd to both Aro and Caius to see the child feeding - they had never witnessed such a thing with one so young, or at least, not with one so small. Jane had all the strength of a vampire, if a little one, and easily manipulated the man into a better position as she sucked down on his throat. By the finish, she had pulled him clean off Aro and into her own lap as she devoured every last mouthful of blood he had to offer. When she pulled away, not only had she left the wound clean - no chewing, no mess - but Jane herself was also immaculate with only a little blood gracing her top lip which she quickly licked away with a swish of the tongue.

"Very good!" Aro congratulated. He couldn't help but compare Jane's efforts to Felix's first feeds where bloody corpses were left in disarray from the boy taking his nourishment. "Very good indeed!" He turned to Caius, pointing out how well the girl had done. "It took Felix years to get that good."

"I can well believe it," Caius said, utterly disinterested.

He was enjoying sailing as it wasn't something he got to do on a regular basis. Having his co-master turn into a mother hen at the sight of new brats was enough, he didn't have to hear about it, too.

Alec was a little more reticent than Jane, again, but the call of the blood pumping through the humans drew him in, just as Aro knew it would. The nearest man looked as though he was coming around from Caius' smack in the face, and Aro didn't want a screaming human to put the boy off his first proper feed so he slammed his elbow into the guy's forehead. Aro saw his eyes roll around before they closed. He was out of it again. _Perfect_ , Aro thought.

The boy edged closer and with the gentlest of touches grazed his fangs against the man's skin. He hadn't expected his teeth to be so sharp, but that gentle touch was enough to pierce human flesh. Blood filled his mouth and Alec crumpled into a satisfied heap atop the sailor.

Aro was content. They had both had a proper feed, the boy, at least, had a gift to speak of and he expected the girl would have, too. _She just needs a little time_ , he thought. Vampiric gifts sometimes took a few days to show themselves, it wasn't unusual. All he could do now was hope his father agreed they were worth bringing into the coven.

"You should take the other one, Aro," Caius called as he adjusted the sail to the wind. "Your old man is going to flip if you can't walk by the time we get back." He couldn't help but laugh knowing Aro had little chance of walking, regardless, after Basileus had got hold of him.

 _You're right_ , Aro agreed, _but you don't have to be so happy about it_! With a shudder Aro pushed thoughts of Basileus out of his head, took the last human for his feed, and then he concentrated on the kids. He ran through their new life in coven leader fashion, ticking off the rules they needed to know one by one in his head as he went. He planned to soften up a little once he had them safely in the south tower, but for the moment they had to know the rules were to be strictly obeyed, always.

Caius burst out laughing every time Aro reached an expectation that Felix had failed to meet … which gave him quite a few laughs, one would imagine.

"You've left out a few rules, brother," Caius said, passing the three of them lounging out on the deck as he worked. He didn't mind being the only one doing anything - the idea of 'lounging' had never appealed to Caius - he was on the go at all times, just as he liked it.

Aro ran through his checklist. There was nothing he hadn't covered. He'd even gone so far as to tell the twins all about the Volturi's relations with other covens and that had nothing to do with them at all. Aro could think of nothing he'd missed.

"What about staying away from mated vampires?" Caius asked, knowing not only that the twins were far too young for such a thing to be an issue, but also that it would wind Aro up to even think of it. He nearly played the coven king, but Caius' own chuckles brought him down before Aro could react.

 _Cocky cunt,_ Aro thought to his mocking laughter. "You're lucky I can't walk."

It didn't take long for Caius to bring them through the Strait of Gibraltar and they entered the Med. Aro, now certain he had covered everything of importance, moved into softer territory.

"Were in the Mediterranean, the cradle of civilisation," he explained.

The Mediterranean was his sea. The lands it licked, his lands. Every vampire that lived in those lands were under his rule, one way or another. He started by regaling the pair with tales of mythology, but the stories seemed to scare the boy a tad, so he moved to more tangible things. The potted history he offered appeared to please them both. The Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Moors, the crusades. All of it their human history but it might as well have been another world for the twins.

As the children cuddled into him, Aro noticed how sleepy they were becoming. _No, no, no_ , he said to himself, jolting the pair to keep them awake. _You can't sleep yet, Caius can't know_. Fortunately for Aro, he could make out the port through the night sky. _You will be home and in beds soon enough, little ones_.

…

Caius pulled Renata out of the guard hall and directed her to the castle entrance. "You are needed at the gates," was the only instruction he offered the woman.

Renata bowed politely to Caius and headed out of the castle. Caius had refused to be part of bringing the twins through the doors, hoping that might save him some grief with the creator. It was a slim hope. He'd brought his co-master and the new kids to the gate house, and he'd made Aro a makeshift walking aid from a short oar off the fishing boat they had commandeered. Caius was done. He wanted a hot bath to warm his frozen bones - dramatic much?! - before he was called to face Basileus, as he knew he would be.

Renata met Aro at the front gate and had to employ all her Volturi training to keep her face passive considering the children at her master's side. Aro explained that he needed use of her gift to keep their presence hidden from the creator, just so he could get the twins to his chambers. Renata obliged, naturally. She was dying to ask Aro why he was bandaged and limping, but knew better than to query a coven master.

Luckily for them all, Basileus was taken up with Marcus' new recruits in the dungeons. Basileus was as keen as his old friend to have some more mature vampires in the coven and he was watching over their transformation willing them to fully turn. He'd never bothered doing that with any other potential guard before, but he had high hopes for what the married pair could do in his coven. He wasn't so keen on the other two.

 _The girl - Corin_ \- Marcus had told him _and Odi, the young lad_ … _they had better be adults_ , Basileus said to himself. _Even if they aren't, they would only be just shy of it. But if they sleep_ … _can I make Marcus take them into his chambers_? That was a conversation he wanted to avoid.

He had made it a rule since he'd met the man never to give him orders - they were friends, friends don't order their friends to their bidding. In their entire history, as yet, there had been no need as Marcus had a way about him that pre-empted Basileus' requirements and made sure to offer before he was asked. Basileus checked in on the younger pair writhing in their newborn cell. _Marcus would take them, if he had to, but Didyme_? His head filled with awkward 'what ifs' as he watched over the turning humans.

Aro managed to make it up the stairs with the twins following behind. Renata had been dismissed as soon as they had reached the south tower once they had made sure Basileus wasn't near. _I've skipped the dragon_ , Aro thought. _Now to face the wife_!

It was the dead of night. If his young guards valued their lives they would be sleeping, so Aro could deal with introducing Felix and Demetri in the morning. Aro couldn't have planned his timing better, he was starting to feel like luck really was on his side.

"My queen," Aro called, opening the door to his chambers and keeping the twins from view. "I have a gift for you."

Sulpicia had been out on the terrace enjoying the cool night air, but hearing her mate's voice, soon came.

"My love, I …" she stalled in the archway seeing the state of him. Shock befell her soft features. She had never, in all their days, seen her mate return from battle in such a bloody mess. And he hadn't even been in battle, just a reconnaissance mission. "Wh … what happened?!"

"I am well," Aro assure her. "Just a flesh wound."

"But Aro …" She was still struggling, recent feed rising in her throat.

"Hush," Aro called. "Not now, I have a gift."

Sulpicia nodded, though her mouth still hung open and she remained in the archway.

Aro pushed the children from behind him and brought them front and centre. If Sully had been shocked to see the state of her mate, she was stunned to see vampiric children in her home. Of course, she had Felix and Demetri already and they were young, but they trod the boundary between child and adult, like all teens. _They are children. Actual children. Immortal children_.

The coven king felt pretty good about himself, sure his mate would be overjoyed to receive the urchins into their home. It came as a surprise to him to hear her reaction.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Erm …"

It was Aro's turn to stumble. His mate didn't shout, she didn't really curse, she certainly never did either of those things towards him! He wasn't the most forgiving of mates. She was damn lucky those kids were between them or he might have reminded her why she didn't talk to him that way!

"They need to rest, my queen …"

"Your father will kill you, Aro!"

 _My leg's burning like a bitch, the twins are getting nervous, and you doing your very best impression of a damn fish wife isn't helping_! Still, Aro understood his mate's concern for his life - he had the same concern.

"Listen to me, my queen," he went on with a softer tone. "I talked him around with Felix and Demetri, I'll do the same with these two. Renata tells me Basileus is fussing over the newborns Marcus created, so we have the night at least."

He hobbled over to his wife, clunking his oar into the floor as he went, and took her hand. Sulpicia didn't particularly want to take his with how filthy he was, but she didn't say so.

"Trust me," Aro crooned, going in for a kiss.

Sulpicia held her hand to his mouth, but she relaxed her stance and smiled. "I do, my love." She screwed her nose up as she rejected his advances. "But you stink."

At least it broke the tension in the room.

Aro relaxed, too. He couldn't disagree. "Run a bath for these two so we can get them cleaned up and into a bed. They are exhausted."

Sulpicia hung in the archway, her eyes fixed on the children. "Are we really going to keep them, my love?" she asked as quietly as she could. "I wouldn't want to get attached if we might lose them."

"On my honour," Aro said, hand on heart. "They are ours."

Sulpicia floated to the bathroom, her head a daze. _Tiny vampires,_ she thought happily. _Baby vampires_! It wasn't long before she returned for the girl. Aro had flopped into his chair by then and the twins on the rug, huddling together.

Jane looked to Alec and then to Aro. She didn't know who this woman was. Aro had talked about his wife, and that she would take care of them, but Jane didn't know her. She didn't want to leave her brother, either.

"Jane," Aro clicked his fingers to snap the girl's attention. "Go."

Dutifully, if reluctantly, Jane disentangled herself from her brother. Alec watched wide eyed as she left. Aro caught the kid's expression. It was as if he feared he would never see his sister again. He called the boy to him with a flick of his fingers. Once Alec was close enough, Aro reached out and pulled him into his lap.

"Remember what I told you?" Aro asked. "You are safe here."

Reading the boy's thoughts, Aro knew Alec believed he was anything but safe, but he would still be compliant so Aro was happy with that, for the time being. Alec did feel comforted, however, which was an entirely new experience for the boy. Soon enough he had slumped into Aro and fallen asleep. Aro quite liked it, even the pain in his leg seemed to dissipate slightly as he cradled the boy. With his eyes half closed and tracking Alec's thoughts, Aro didn't even notice when Sulpicia brought Jane through the main living chamber wrapped in a towel and on into their bedchamber.

"My love," she whispered into her mate's ear. "He needs a bath before he's getting into our bed."

Aro's eyes shot open. "Our bed?!"

Sully stood up straight and shrugged. "Where else will they sleep?"

 _Okay, first major hiccough in the plan_ , Aro realised. Aro wasn't one to object to sharing his bed if only his queen would allow - but a couple of kids wasn't what he had in mind!

Sulpicia flashed in and out of bed chambers collecting various items of clothing. Aro didn't ask what the growing pile of outfits slung on the werewolf rug was for, though he did ask her to 'stand bloody still' so they could talk about the bed situation.

Sully huffed at being distracted when she had things to do. "They will have to take our room until we have remodelled our chambers."

Remodelled? _What the hell_?! Aro hadn't considered where he would put them. He hadn't thought much at all beyond the fact that he had to have them.

"They can't go in with the lads?" he asked, unsure whether that were a reasonable suggestion or not.

"That wouldn't be appropriate," Sulpicia replied. "There isn't room for another two beds in there, my love. I was thinking we could …"

As Sully started telling him her plans, Aro zoned out. He was just happy to be home. He had in his chambers the children for whom he had risked his life. Another two across the hall who he would give his life for, and his mate. What more could he wish for? _A working leg would be nice_ , he supposed, feeling the sting. Having Alec in his lap wasn't helping anymore and his calf ached under the boy's weight.

"You're right," he agreed. Aro wasn't exactly sure what he was agreeing to, but he would check again when it came time to reorganise their living space. "Take him," he said, offering the boy to his mate.

"He's a little boy, Aro," Sulpicia moved Alec's blond, filthy hair from his face but she didn't take him. "I'm sure he would be more comfortable with you."

"He's only young," Aro offered in reply. "I doubt he'll care."

Sully shook her head. "That's for him to decide, and I think he might care." She may have been speaking to her mate, but her eyes hadn't left the child in his lap.

"He's only had a mother before now, he'll be fine with you."

Aro couldn't remember what age boys developed issues with females in close quarters. Felix had no shame to speak of, neither did Demetri, for that matter. But their attitudes were born of excessive confidence more than anything else. That said, Aro wasn't moving for shit! His leg hurt, he was travel weary, and he had yet to face his old man who would be nothing but a cunt about the kids. _Damn it_! It suddenly hit Aro what he had said about the boy's mother.

"They are not your children, my queen," he reminded his mate, as he had done a thousand times with Felix and Demetri. "They are our guards."

Sulpicia smiled to herself. _You can call them what you like, but I know what I feel._

"Alec," she called, giving the boy a gentle shake.

His eyes opened briefly but he was clearly shattered. Aro leaned him up to stand, which he did, with his eyes still halfway closed.

Sulpicia took his hand. "Come with me, sweetheart."

Aro leaned back in his seat. He told himself he was stretching out, but really, he was trying to see Jane through his open bedchamber door. He couldn't, not quite. He could make out a single foot protruding from beneath the blanket Sully had wrapped her in, that was enough. Satisfied that Jane was safe, warm, comfortable, Aro settled back into his chair though he kept one eye on the bed chamber door.

"They just need to rest," Sulpicia assured him when she came back through with a hazy Alec. The boy sleepwalked along with her, hand in hand, now clean! "They will be absolutely fine." She was talking to herself more than her mate by that point as she ushered Alec through their chambers.

"No, they won't," Aro said to himself. "They will be amazing."

How he wished he could stay with them for the night, or better still, join them and sleep himself. If only! But no, he had to make the first move with his father. The main thing was that Aro didn't want Basileus in his quarters until he'd had chance to talk him around. That meant cutting the creator off on the lower floor in his own chambers. Explaining his plan to his mate, Aro left. He was sure he heard Sulpicia bolt the door behind him.

She had, of course. Sulpicia trusted her mate to put in his best effort in convincing Basileus they should keep the twins, but just in case, that door would stay locked. She set to work on the clothes she had collected. The various items, 'donated' from each member of their household, would do for the twins until she could arrange the tailor to fit them out properly. Sulpicia spent the rest of the night with needle and thread running up clothes for the twins to wear the next day.

Aro hobbled down to his father's suite with use of the oar Caius had given him. He hoped by looking suitably pathetic that his father might take pity on him. Opening the doors to the castle floor and his father's chambers, Aro sat in direct line of sight so Basileus couldn't hope not to see him. Then he waited.

Aro alternated between looking behind him out the window to assess the time of night and staring ahead through the open doorways ready to catch Basileus before he passed the ground floor suite. He didn't have to wait too long. Whether that was good or bad, Aro couldn't decide.

"My lord," Aro croaked when his father came into view.

Basileus stood in the castle hallway, eyeing his son with curiosity. He looked a mess, though that was to be expected after being away. The bloodied bandage on his left leg gave cause for concern.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Basileus asked, rushing forward. "Did you find my sister? Did Apatouria do this to you?!"

He began undressing Aro's war wound but stopped when he saw the pain it caused his son. Aro leaned forward with his head in his hands as Basileus flashed around the large main chamber, collecting cups and mead as he went.

"Drink this," he ordered, bringing a brimming cup to his son's lips.

Aro felt horrendously guilty. _Don't be caring, don't be nice_ , he thought. _I've gone against your rules, you're going to regret this kindness._ For once in his life, Aro wished Basileus was tracking his thoughts so he wouldn't have to admit his failings.

As it was, Basileus was far more interested in working out what the hell had befallen his son. He made short work of detaching the bandage Caius had applied, though the cloth took some skin with it.

"Your flesh is melted Aro!" Basileus felt the sickness rising in his gullet.

Without waiting for an explanation, Basileus rushed off again, collecting a bowl of water, some rags, and fresh linen to redress his son's wounds. As he got going on the task, he asked Aro what had happen.

"Explain, now!"

 _Oh fuck_. Aro shrank into his seat and knocked back the whole cup of mead. "There was a

fire …"

"A fire?!"

"Yes …" Aro had to take a deep breath so he could explain in one rush. "There was a fire, two children at the top, I saved them, burnt my leg, bit the children, brought them home."

 _There_ , he thought, _it's done._

Basileus didn't say anything at first. He was processing what Aro had told him, but also trying to work out what the hell to do with his son's damaged appendage. The skin would heal over, he was sure of that, and it mostly had already ... just the odd raw patch that had come away with the bandage. The flesh had melted, from what he could see, grey and sallow beneath the new skin with a purple tinge from the venom in his body working to repair the damage. Basileus knew vampires healed, they continued to heal, always. Even scars grew less with time. _These are going to take a hell of a lot of time_!

Rinsing away the dirt and debris, Basileus wiped down his son's war wound and bound his calf tightly, pulling together the flayed muscles so they would knit back together in the healing process. Job done, Basileus sat on the floor reading through his boy's mind to what on earth had happened in England.

"You aren't saying anything," Aro pointed out, looking down to his father at his feet.

"Can you stand?"

 _Okay, that wasn't what I was expecting_. Aro nodded to his father's question. "I can't put much weight on it, though."

Basileus hadn't looked his son in the eye since he'd explained what had happened. It was making Aro nervous, but right then he didn't care. He was trying to work out what to do.

"I can feed you, I don't know what good it will do, but it will be a start."

"No," Aro replied, though he was desperate for the blood. He quite fancied being knocked out for a few hours. "We need to talk about the children I brought home first."

"Let's hear it then." Basileus was quite relaxed under the circumstances, but then he didn't know their ages, yet.

They are amazing, or they will be …"

Aro, through all his pain, became animated as he told his father about 'the twins'. Basileus smiled and nodded. He thought his son mad to want more after all the drama Felix and Demetri caused him, but he had to be honest, he liked the effect children had on Aro. They softened him. _And you risked your life for these two_. Basileus was impressed. _They must mean an awful lot to you._

Basileus took a trip down memory lane himself, back to how he felt when he first met Aro. He was so engrossed in his own memories that he very nearly missed Aro slip in the twins' ages, very nearly …

"Fucking twelve?!" The roar erupting from the creator filled the room. "For the love of the gods!" Basileus was across the room in a blink.

"Don't go crazy. I had a feeling about these two and …" Aro shut up and ducked to avoid the wooden cup being launched at his head. "Dad, listen …"

"They are immortal children, Aro!"

"They aren't, they really aren't," Aro insisted.

Basileus flashed to the window and threw the wooden shutters wide open. He needed air. _We have two laws - no revealing ourselves to humans, and no immortal children. How hard is that to follow_?!

"They aren't immortal children, Dad," Aro continued. "They follow orders already, from me and Caius, even when they didn't want to." He scooted around in his chair to get a better look at his father, mainly to assess his progress. "I hadn't planned on turning them right away, but they were already close to death when we went back to take them."

Basileus shot his boy an incredulous look over his shoulder. "Then you should have let them die!"

Aro felt his stomach flip. "I couldn't do that, Dad. I had to have them."

Tutting into the air about his son, the supposed king of their kind having such little impulse control that he had to break one of their two only laws. Basileus went back to his window, sucking in the early morning like a drug.

"Four kids in your quarters?"

Basileus was merely thinking out loud but Aro clung to his words and the slither of hope they offered.

"I was thinking I could move Felix and Demetri into the middle floor suit. Maybe all four of them in time …"

"You can think again, son," Basileus told him. He didn't turn to face his boy, he was too damn angry with him to risk looking at him. "Vampiric children need closer supervision than that. I told you that when you took Felix in, and again with Demetri. I'm telling you now - you want them, you will suffer them."

He couldn't decide what to do. _Kill the kids and get it over with_? _Should I try and suss them out first, see if they could be tamed_? Immortal children were illegal for a good reason in the creator's mind and breaking that rule because Aro had felt the warm and fuzzies was as abominable to Basileus as what Aro had done in the first place. _But still_ … _he ran through a burning pyre to save their lives… he's either stupendously well bonded to them already - can that even happen on first sight_?! - _or he_ _'_ _s plain stupid_. At that moment Basileus wasn't sure which. He was sure of one thing, however. He needed to get Aro out of the way if he were to have hope of meeting the apparent wonder kids without his son's interference.

"Caius was in on this too," he said, tone crisp, giving nothing away regarding the children. "Fetch him."

Aro gulped. He didn't fancy facing his father alone, but he didn't want to bring Caius in on his doom, either. "Dad, listen …"

Basileus spun on the spot and growled out his frustrations. "You tell me to listen one more fucking time and I'll rip your fucking ears off!"

Aro knew Caius would be skulking in the dungeons. It wasn't only Caius' place of work, it was his refuge whenever coven life was too much. The dungeons were where he felt reassured. Aro found the Great Hall similarly comforting; Marcus, the library. As soon as Caius heard Aro hobbling down the stairs with his wooden prop clomping on the flagstones, his refuge fell to pieces. He was waiting for Aro when he reached the bottom step.

"Basileus wants to see me?" _Please say no, please say no_.

"How did you guess?"

Aro at least had the decency to flash an apologetic smile. Not that it helped Caius' feeling on the matter.

"I will fucking murder you for this, Aro!"

He was sorely tempted to disable the fucker's good leg for dragging him in on a round of fucks from the creator. Thinking it wouldn't help his case with Basileus, Caius went for the next best thing - a shot or two of dungeon blood. _At least it will dull the senses a little_ , he thought.

Aro thought the same. "Give me a shot, brother. We're going to need it."

Walking at Aro's crippled pace through the halls didn't help either of them, the apprehension rising with each painfully slow step, in vampiric terms. Funnily enough, arriving at Basileus' chambers didn't feel much better either.

Aro took a look at his co-master before he knocked. "Are you shaking?"

"No!" Caius shot back in disgust. Of course, he was. His hands were sweating, as well. Oh how he wished he had followed Marcus into good sense rather than Aro into lunacy.

"GET IN HERE!"

Basileus' bellowing through the closed door had the pair of them moving. It damn near had the pair of them throwing up their last feed, too!

Aro scanned his father's chambers as soon as he entered the room. He was looking for a clue to his demise. _Shit_. He spotted the whip in his father's hand. _We really are fucked this time_. Aro was used to Basileus at least giving a lead up to the punishment, it seemed the format would be different that day.

Basileus glowered at the pair of them, the fearless rulers of the greatest coven in the world. They stood before him as recalcitrant young men who didn't know their boundaries, as far as Basileus was concerned. That was okay, he would be reminding them of those boundaries soon enough. He was done with them breaking orders, crossing lines, fucking about in his fucking coven … the longer he stood there glowering at them the more reasons he thought of to condemn them. _They have been too cocky for too long_ , he thought. _I should have done this a while ago. Let's put things straight_.

"I've been to see the children." Basileus started to pace. Aro and Caius were just glad his piercing glare was being redirected to his path. "You can keep them," he told Aro, quickly adding, "for now."

Aro had joined Caius in the hand sweating stakes. 'For now,' wasn't exactly good, but he would take it.

Basileus wanted to make that state of play crystal clear for his son. "If we get even a hint that they are immortal children, I will kill them."

It was a punch in the guts. Aro had to hold on tight to his oar to stay upright. Thing was, he couldn't disagree - Aro had executed countless immortal children in his role, they were illegal beings. It was that simple with the justice he meted out to others. Having the law turned on himself … it reminded him of the only other time he had broken vampiric law, back when they only had one law. Basileus' punitive measures on that occasion had been barbaric. One look to Caius and it was clear his covenmate was remembering the same event. Basileus had never been that harsh since. Not that it meant he couldn't be.

Basileus, for his part, had no intention of being quite that brutal, but he was glad they were both thinking back to when Sulpicia joined the coven and that he had their full attention.

"We are in a precarious position in the vampiric world …" Basileus stopped mid-sentence seeing the slightest of smirks ghost Caius' lips. "Something I say amuses you, Caius?"

"No, my lord," Caius quickly replied, cursing his reaction.

He just didn't believe they were in a precarious position. Neither did Aro. They were untouchable … outside of the coven. Inside was a different matter, as their current situation proved. Basileus knew what they thought, and it served to confirm to him that they were both too big for their britches.

"I know we have pushed our way to the top of the tree," he agreed. "Most vampires submit to our authority, but we can't claim to have control. Not yet. Now is not the time to get complacent."

 _Cocky brats_! Neither one made a move to concede to his point, less agree with him. Basileus wasn't standing for that.

"You hear me?!" he roared.

They both flinched at the roar, and they both professed that they had heard, but still neither expressed any agreement.

Basileus was done. "Lose the tunics. Get up that wall."

"But you're letting me keep the twins," Aro hissed. "There's no need for …"

"I am," Basileus agreed, uncurling his whip. "Think yourself lucky I haven't slaughtered them in their sleep. You still turned those children knowing damn well I would be against it."

"I was against it!" Caius shot out quickly before his nerve left him. "Aro ordered me to bite the boy." It was such a weak defence.

"You had options, Caius, don't give me that guff. Marcus engaged his brain and refused - you could have, too." The creator sneered at the young master's attempt to avoid blame. "You know damn well that there were very few matters where I expect you to defer to Aro's authority. Breaking our rules is not on the list."

Caius started pulling his tunic over his head. ' _The list'_ , he thought. He had long wondered what the fuck was on that bloody list. Caius was working completely from guesswork when it came to 'the list'.

As Caius had submitted to his fate, Aro could hardly hang about. Unfortunately, it proved a little difficult to undress standing on one leg. Basileus was only too happy to help, ripping the clothing from his son's upper body and …

"Alright, Dad!" Aro called out, ending his father's storytelling right there. "I think that enough for young ears, don't you?"

Atia was quick to agree. Though the little darlings were all eager to hear the gory re-telling of the coven masters taking a severe lashing, she didn't feel it appropriate to indulge them.

"I think you should skip ahead, my dear," she told him, stern expression telling the man he had better agree with his mate.

Basileus looked to his audience, particularly his grandchildren. "I'm sure they want to hear it," he replied playfully.

Aro looked ready to crawl up his own ass. Caius had suddenly forgot his quarrel with Magnus and was using the juggernaut's over-sized legs to hide himself from view.

Despite the very many requests to hear the full smackdown, Basileus eventually agreed with Atia. He was pleased to have embarrassed the coven masters a little. "Okay, okay, I'll skip ahead …"

Basileus threw the whip to the floor. It landed between Aro and Caius but neither of them even flinched. They didn't have the strength.

"I'm telling the pair of you now, you bring any more kids into this coven and I will kill them ... and you. Both of you. I don't even care which one of you brings them, got it?!"

Between them they coughed up a shaky reply, telling the creator that they understood and agreed. Caius wondered briefly if Aro's apparent penchant for bringing young ones into the coven would see them both losing their heads!

"And I want a new law. These new two are twelve, yes?"

"Yes, my lord." Aro's voice hitched embarrassingly high. Inhaling hurt! It split the slash lines in his back.

"I want none younger than that. Anyone who turns an under twelve will die. No question. No trial. No special circumstances. They die."

With both Aro and Caius feeling sorry for themselves, they had zoned out as Basileus continued with his lecture. Basileus growled to get their attention back - he soon had it!

"Got it?!" he barked.

A quiet ''Yes, my lord," came from them both.

"I'm going to check on the newborns Marcus brought back here, the adult newborns. God knows I am in desperate need of such company!" He collected the discarded tunics from his floor and threw them to the coven masters.

Aro looked back to his father incredulously. _What good will they do_? he thought, looking to the rest of his tattered clothing. His britches lay in rags around his melted leg! The creator had made his point clear, their cocky petulance was to be put to rest.

"If I find you here when I return I will assume you need a second round."

With that, Basileus was gone, the resounding echo of the door slamming filled the space he left in his chambers.

Caius tried to stand but his legs buckled. He eventually made it onto all fours, but the whip wounds screamed at him to stop moving.

"How the fuck am I going to get across the castle like this?!"

The north tower was the furthest point away from the south tower, the dungeons only marginally closer. Caius wasn't going to risk a guard seeing him in this state. His pride would never allow it!

Between them, they made their way to the spare suite on the second floor where they collapsed to the floor. Climbing a spiral staircase in their condition was almost as bad as the punishment Basileus had delivered. Almost.

Aro and Caius only suffered until sunrise. Marcus worked his magic with the creator and insisted that his co-masters both needed the use of their bodies if they were to run the coven. Basileus couldn't, in good conscience, disagree, but it wasn't enough for him to do much about it. When Marcus pointed out that there were newborns unattended, Caius' job, and two new children in the coven, Aro's job, Basileus finally went and gave the pair of them some of his blood to heal their torn-up flesh. The blood offering did wonders for Aro's leg, too, of course.

By the time the coven king emerged from the second-floor chambers, his high guard had already woken and Sulpicia, not believing the sweet children to be any danger, sent the twins with Felix and Demetri to the guard hall.

"To fucking mingle?!" Aro was honestly dumbfounded. "They are fucking newborns, Sul!"

Aro still walked with a limp, and he sported a rather impressive war would, but he still got to the guard hall in record time. It came as a surprise to Felix and Demetri who had been teasing the twins over coven hierarchy. They shut their mouths quick when they saw Aro barrel into the hall, but it was too late, he had seen what the lads were up to. Aro was mainly worried about the twins retaliating - he didn't want to give his father any reason to deem the young vampires immortal children.

"Until you all learn to get along," Aro hissed into Felix's ear, "pretend to get along. I expect civility and respect, or I will bring the gods down on you all."

The twins paled before him. "Which god?" Jane asked.

Alec visibly shook. "God doesn't like us."

"No," Aro tried to placate the pair. "Not a real god, it's just a saying."

"I'm scared, Jane," Alec told his sister, reaching out with his arm to take her hand, neither one of them prepared to take their eyes off Aro in case he called for God to smite them.

"You don't need to be scared," Aro said carefully.

"They should probably be a bit scared."

Aro clouted Felix across the back of his bullish head. "Felix, knock it off."

Felix saw the smile tugging at Jane's lips. He wasn't standing for that. "Should I round up the gods for you, Master?" he asked, smirking at his new sister.

Aro tutted at his eldest guard. "You know damn well that I'm not talking about any actual god."

"The false gods are the worst gods!" Felix crowed, whistling into the air to signify just how fucked the little witches were.

"Our own God doesn't even like us," Alec whispered, tears pricking his eyes.

"I said it for effect," Aro insisted. "Forget the fucking gods!"

"Aro, be careful, brother," Caius warned, joining the scene. "You're scaring the boy."

"You're pissing the girl off." Felix looked Jane up and down, the tiny imp a ball of fury, her eyes turning jet black. "She's going to blow."

"Felix, just stop!" Aro roared, pushing the hulking young guard away.

Felix kept his eyes on Jane and she watched him right back. "What do you think you're going to do to me?!"

Whatever happened next, no one was quite sure at first, but they all saw Felix drop to the floor, screaming in pain.

"Hey, little one." Out of nowhere, a guard the size the creator bustled through the crowd, wrapping Jane in his huge arms. "Calm. Calm," he cooed, cuddling the girl until Felix stopped screaming. "Take some deep breaths, young one."

Once the child had calmed, Magnus stood to his feet and tried to fall back into the crowd. He didn't get very far. "I'm not sure who was more impressive, there," Aro said, smiling broadly.

"You're impressed?!" Felix hissed, soon adding another hiss of a different kind when Aro whipped the back of his hand across his mouth.

"That was your fault," Aro told the boy. "Go back to the tower and stay there. If the gods are on your side I may have calmed down by the time I get back." Aro immediately regretted his word choice. "Not the gods," he insisted to the twins. "Nothing to do with any gods."

When three of his high guard scuttled back to the south tower, it didn't take long for Aro to realise Felix was still lingering. "Why are you still stood in my presence?!"

"Do you want me to take him down to the dungeons?" Caius offered with a menacing smile.

"Maybe that's what he needs?" Aro mused, both men playing with the youth.

"No Master!" Felix started backing up. "I'm going, I'm going."

"You!" Aro called to the man who had helped calm Jane. "Marcus brought you back, yes?"

"Both of us, Master," he replied, pulling his mate forwards. "My name is Magnus, this is my wife, Freyr."

Aro shook the man's hand and scanned his mind as he did so. "Caius, neither of these need to be in the dungeons with the other newborns."

"Thank fuck for that, have you seen the size of him?!" Caius' eyes bulged. There was no way he would be using any of his usual tricks on those two. "What about them?" Caius asked, pointing out the other pair of newborns in the guard hall.

"You came together?" Aro asked. "A family?"

"Sort of, my lord," Magnus replied. "Odi was my ward before we were turned. My son, of sorts."

"You can control them both?" Aro asked, looking the young newborns up and down as he spoke. _I reckon Felix could control those two, they look so fragile_.

"Can and will," Magnus confirmed.

Aro clapped his hands together happily. "Then they can stay with you so long as you can keep them out of trouble."

"I doubt he'll struggle with that," Caius scoffed. "He's at least as strong as Felix."

"Yes, I can see," Aro mused. "But that's not your gift, is it? You feel things, you took the girl's anger away."

"I suppose I did … I don't know how …" Magnus had followed his instinct, nothing more or less than that.

"We will help you understand, and we will help you harness your gift." Aro offered his hand to the man again. He had a good feeling about Magnus and his mate. "Welcome to the Volturi, my friends. May your career with us be long and fruitful."

Caius tutted so loudly it was theatrical. It was also loud enough to end the twins' tale.

"It was definitely fruitful," Caius muttered, thinking on what Aro had wished the Viking newcomers at the time. "They shot right to the top."

Magnus rolled his eyes and looked to the creator. 'You've landed me in it up to my neck, my friend'.

Basileus knew he had, however unintentionally. He turned a stern eye on Caius. After his pride, jealousy seemed to be Caius' second failing. Basileus knew Magnus and Caius' relationship was in the early days, and he truly hoped Caius wouldn't throw away the bond they had built now he realised he was sharing some of the juggernaut's time. _Is it time_ , Basileus wondered. _Or attention_? _Perhaps it's sharing affection_?

Whatever was at the root of Caius' issue with Magnus and Odi, he wasn't sitting by while the young master disrespected the man in front of him.

"You, above everyone, should be the most grateful that they are in the position they're in right now."

Caius' eyes flew wide open for just a second before he got control of himself. That second was enough for the more astute to pick up his reaction.

"Why," Felix asked, his eyes dancing with excitement. "What's happened?"

As the blood rushed to his face, Caius privately thanked the fucker who'd turned him as he knew the venom in his body was the only thing paling the rush of blood to his face and he would otherwise have been beet red! It wasn't shame, though. It was far worse than shame. It was horror. He turned beseeching eyes on Basileus and begged him for a bailout.

Telling the twins' story and remembering just how cocky Aro and Caius could be left unchecked, Basileus decided to ignore his plea. If anything, he shone a bright torch on Caius' secret.

"Nothing for you to know about," he said to his grandson, even adding a wink for full effect.

Felix damn near bounced from the floor. "Is Caius in trouble with Magnus?"

"Shut up, Felix," Caius spat. "You don't know what you are talking about."

Taking shit from the creator was one thing, he wasn't suffering the boy disrespecting him. The irony being that it was Caius doing just that to Magnus that had caused Basileus to speak out in the first place.

"What did you do, Caius?"

Caius wasn't even sure who had asked, it felt like everyone in the room was calling out the same question. His eyes darted from one to the other. He couldn't answer any of them. Seeing Felix and Carlisle team up with their goading pushed him to the edge.

"Someone sort them out, or I will!"

Aro chuckled. He knew Caius had no hope of sorting anyone out in such a crowded room, he knew Caius knew it, too. "I'm quite interested in the answer to their questions."

 _You would be_ , Caius thought. _Nosey prick_. "It's time for me to leave."

"Lads, leave it," Magnus told them all, employing his gift to settle Felix and Carlisle in particular. He kept a heavy hand on Caius' shoulder to keep him seated. "You all already know. Caius smashed up my quarters a few years ago and I didn't charge him for the damages. That's all Basileus meant."

Relief! Though, of course, Caius wasn't about to thank Magnus at that moment, oh no. The chip on his shoulder over Odi weighed him down as heavily as Magnus' hand did.

"Are we done with the storytelling now?" he asked. "Or is there any more humiliation on the agenda for today?"

Caius wasn't even sure why he had to be at the Volturi family get together - his presence had never been required before. Rather than feeling included, he simply felt awkward. _Dora was right, we should have stayed home_. That was when Caius looked for Dora. It had been the first time he'd really sought out his mate in the room and he realised, after promising her he would stay at her side, that he hadn't said two words to her since they arrived. At least she seems to be enjoying herself, he thought, seeing Dora gossiping with Irina.

Atia started searching through her mate's mind, vetting his potential stories. "Do you have any tales that are suitable for all audiences?" she asked, gesturing to her grandchildren.

Basileus held his hands together pleadingly. "I only speak the truth, my dear."

"You were quite brutal in that one," Atia replied. She had seen through his mind exactly how harsh Basileus had been with Caius and Aro, and she was glad their son had stopped his re-telling before the twins had heard it fully. Not to mention the new girls.

"It was a different time," Basileus shrugged. "Humans still treat each other that way."

Atia was quick to reply, "Let's not pretend we are humans, Basileus."

"You're right there," Basileus agreed. "We're vampires." He flashed a wicked grin to his son and Caius. "Neither of you were in any real danger. It had to be brutal to get the message across. And let's not forget that I restored you both to full health within a few hours."

"Only thanks to Marcus," Aro huffed. "You decided we could keep Felix and the twins … why did I have to take a whipping for them?"

"You?!" Caius scoffed. "I didn't want to turn the twins and I still took a whipping for them. Explain that one?"

Basileus ignored Aro's question. It was one he had answered a thousand times before. Instead, he went for Caius again. "You turned Alec, did you not?" he asked simply, keeping his cool.

Caius nodded though it pained him to do so.

"That's why you took the whipping." Basileus would have let it go there if he hadn't heard Caius' vicious thoughts towards him. Even still he might have let it go had he not caught the look the young master was offering. "Get those sly eyes off me, Caius, it's bad for your health."

"We hadn't even set an age when we turned Jane and Alec."

Caius was so glad Aro mentioned that because he was dying to!

"Are you two still complaining?" Basileus was getting bored and his glass was empty - not a good combination for a stressed-out creator. "Because if you really need me to explain what you knowingly did wrong, we will give the whole room a damn good show."

Carlisle and Felix started again. "Please keep complaining, please!" Carlisle all but begged.

Aro jabbed the toe end of his boot into his brother's thigh - "Shut it, runt" - and swiftly received a clout from his father for his efforts, which the younger vampires found hysterical.

"I called him a runt not a cunt!" Aro only just avoided a second swipe for his mouth.

"Then you got it wrong, Aro," Caius called across the floor. "He's a …"

Basileus broke in before Caius could finish his sentence. "Magnus, please slap him for me."

"Couldn't do that," Magnus said sadly. "It will mess up his pretty hair."

Caius retorted with a muttered, but clear enough ''Prick'', stunning the room as it was so undeserved.

"Drag him over your knee, then," Basileus suggested. "That will shut him up." Any humour that there had been vanished with immediate effect.

Magnus looked down his nose to see Caius' tell-tale expression. He was calling him every name in the book in his mind. Magnus didn't need a telepathic gift to know that. He could feel Caius' internal annoyance as It burnt him up from the inside out. And the jealousy, he could feel that, oh my, could he feel the jealousy! Magnus couldn't do much about it in the king's chambers. Any rectification would have to wait until they were all back in the north tower. With Caius doing his best to set Magnus on fire using only the whites of his eyes, the juggernaut made the decision to join Basileus in putting the little sod in his place.

"Oh that is very tempting, my friend. Maybe after another drink?"

Caius baulked!

"I think it's time to put the whiskey away now," Freyr suggested, wondering what the hell her mate was playing at.

Atia was quick to agree, already halfway around the room collecting glasses. "Something with more substance, I think."

Before anyone had time to resist, the vampiric witch and the shield maiden had removed every shred of alcohol from their grasp and set to herding them all to the bloodwine barrels. Aro only kept the weakest bloodwine in his quarters so his children couldn't hope to get drunk 'mistakenly' drinking from the wrong barrel. Felix only got away with that once, much to his pity.

Caius caught hold of Magnus before he could leave. "What were your sons names?" he asked.

It was an unexpected question, but Magnus answered anyway. "Ivar and Sven. Why?"

"You told me you had three sons," Caius replied.

"Did I?" Magnus knew where this conversation was heading.

"He told me the same," Aro added in, sliding up to Caius to join forces.

"So, what?" Caius pushed. "Did you miscount?" He didn't leave time for Magnus to draw breath before adding, "Or do you mean Odi's the third?"

Aro was just in it for the fun of winding up Magnus, but Caius seemed genuinely pissed off. Not that Aro would waste time thinking on why, not when he could poke the bear a little more.

"One would have to wonder why we didn't know about this," he said to Caius, eyeing Magnus like an errant guard.

Magnus wasn't happy with that. In his entire Volturi career he had never been seen as an errant guard by anyone. He had a perfect record.

Caius agreed with Aro, naturally. "It's an odd thing to keep under wraps, if you ask me."

"No one was asking you, either of you."

Magnus didn't want to pull rank on either of them, truly, he didn't feel he had the right, certainly not in coven affairs. _But this isn't the coven, this is home_. That's what Basileus had told him when he'd explained how he wanted Magnus to deal with such petty behaviour. Still, he felt uncomfortable doing it.

"I haven't kept anything from you, perhaps you need to pay more attention to the bonds in your coven."

"We are out of bloodwine." Sulpicia didn't directly ask Magnus to fetch a fresh barrel, but the sickly-sweet smile she turned on him was a clear request, if not the mother of all hints.

"That will be me schlepping down to the dungeons, then, will it?" As it was, Magnus was only too happy to get away from the pair of bitter co-masters blighting his day.

Basileus waited for Magnus to leave the main chambers before he clicked his fingers at Aro and Caius. "A word."

Such a simple call but it shot like a lightning bolt through the two men in question as they followed the creator up the stairs for their round of fucks.


	136. Aro - 1280BC, July

**AN:** I'm sorry for the delay guys, I'm still playing catch up with all the files I lost in computer malfunction so the next chapter may take a couple of weeks, too. Massie thanks to Doccoopper for rushing the edits through on this one for us all :)

* * *

 **ARO - 1280BC, JULY**

Basileus descended the stairs, followed by Caius sporting a blooming hand print to his right cheek, complete with the outline of Basileus' rings. There wasn't much point trying to hide it, there was no way in heaven that every guest of the south tower hadn't heard the resounding clout the creator had offered. Aro came last and wore an imprint matching his co-master's. Neither felt the hefty slaps had been deserved until Basileus pointed out how callous their questioning was of Magnus over his dead sons, of all things! They had both shut up pretty quickly after that and taken the round of fucks the creator had offered.

The Volturi elite had spread themselves around the grand ground floor, breaking into smaller parties discussing whatever matters they felt poignant in private grouping. Caius headed straight to his mate, who was again perched on Aro's desk, smoking hash with Irina. The window behind the desk had been opened by Sulpicia to bring some fresh air into the room before they all fell into an intoxicated stupor.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Caius asked Dora, hopefully.

Dora smirked seeing the bruising to her mate's cheek. When she'd heard the strikes, she just knew Caius would have received at least one of them.

"Not particularly," she drawled, stoned. Dora hadn't wanted to go to the south tower that day, but since palling up with Irina she was quite enjoying herself. The hash helped.

Irina took the hash pipe from her new best-friend-forever and took a drag. "You aren't leaving me with them on my own, Dora."

Caius narrowed his eyes to the pretty young woman and shook his head. "Could you excuse us, Irina?" he asked, "Now."

Irina huffed and handed the pipe over to Caius before she grudgingly sought out her sisters.

Caius took a scorching, deep drag, hoping the wonder drug would calm him a little before he passed the pipe onto his mate.

"Did you know about Odi?" he asked, trying to play it cool.

He never had been able to pull off the nonchalance Aro had mastered. Caius called a spade a spade and when he spoke on any matter he could never hide what he truly thought. He sounded jealous and he knew it.

"Of course," Dora replied. "How didn't you know?" It made no sense to the woman that her mate could have missed the bond between Freyr and Magnus and Odi. "Odi is often in Freyr's chambers, that's why they come down to us in the evenings."

Caius huffed. Truth was, he knew ... of course he knew ... but it had suited him to ignore the relationship his co-masters shared with the young guard. If he were being honest, he didn't mind sharing Freyr, however, sharing Magnus with Odi had sparked a terribly strong revulsion in the young master. It was a feeling Caius could neither understand, nor control.

"If they don't want to be around the jerk why don't they just send him packing?"

Dora snorted at her mate. _Fool_! she thought. "It's not that they don't want Odi around, Caius," she explained, as though she were talking to a small child. "They keep things separate for your sake."

"My sake?!" He tutted into the air, although it did give him a little hope. _Maybe he thinks more of me than Odi_? Cais wondered, thinking of the juggernaut. There was another matter on Caius' mind in relation to the young guard. "Have you ever fucked Odi?"

Dora scowled to her husband. "Don't ask, don't tell, love - your rules."

Between the two of them, there were very few coven members that Caius and Dora hadn't known carnally. That was okay, neither were bothered by the fact. They usually shared their extra marital conquests but they both sought other sexual partners on occasion and lived by the 'don't ask, don't tell' rule as they had since the human beginnings of their relationship. Something was different this time, though, and Caius needed to know if Dora had been with Odi. Taking hold of her wrist and pulling her painfully tight, he asked again.

"Tell me," he demanded through gritted teeth.

"I haven't," Dora spat, snatching back her arm. "Will you calm down?!" Dora may not have understood why Caius was so bothered - Caius didn't understand that himself - but she quickly gathered the oozing jealousy coming from her mate wasn't actually over whether or not she had fucked Odi. "Are you seriously jealous of Magnus and his son?"

 _Son_?! Caius pushed his fists into his stomach to prevent the whiskey from rising. _Son_?!

"I know I'm fucked up." It wasn't any kind of real answer, but it was the best he could formulate under the circumstances.

"You say that like it excuses you being a prat, Caius. It doesn't." Dora was her typically unforgiving self. "Just 'unfuck' yourself."

Caius shot her a tight smile. "Very helpful, thank you."

Dora pulled him back before he could walk away. "Unfuck yourself is good advice," she told her mate. "Be who you were before you became so fucked up."

"I think you've smoked enough weed today, love," Caius replied, peeling her fingers from his arm to free himself.

It would have been good advice if only it were possible to erase a few thousand years' worth of psychological damage so easily. Caius hadn't always been the twisted fool he was. But the seeds of bitterness had been sown early in his vampiric existence and Caius could barely remember a life where he didn't feel defensive and on guard.

Magnus returned from the dungeons with a barrel over his hulking shoulder. Caius knew from clear across the room which barrel it was.

"Why did you bring that one?!" he asked, dashing to the man.

"Because of its low alcohol content," Magnus replied, setting the heavy container on the floor for Sulpicia to man.

The coven made the creators special brew in three bands - the gold band was opium infused, the black band, alcoholic. The silver band that Magnus had brought still contained alcohol but only enough to preserve the blood. Getting drunk with it was impossible.

"There are children here," Magnus explained for his choice.

"And alcoholics," Basileus pointed out, looking to his middle boy.

"I'm not an alcoholic," Aro insisted. "Caius is. I'm his best mate so I like to be supportive when he goes on a bender."

"Get fucked, am I!" Caius shot back.

"You are a bit," Freyr agreed, raising her eyebrows pointedly to the man's word choice.

"They're as bad as each other," Marcus added. "Although, I suppose we don't often see them properly drunk."

"Pft!" Magnus shook his head. "We don't often see them properly sober, either."

When Caius and Aro started bitching about the scorn they were taking, Magnus noticed the state of their faces. "What happened to you?!" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Aro mumbled, accepting a goblet of bloodwine from his mate and turning his face from view.

Aro might have got away but Caius was closer to the juggernaut. Magnus pulled the younger master in and turned the man's face into the light. Caius complained, but it was too late. Magnus could tell what had happened. Even if he hadn't worked it out, Irina was quick to reveal all.

"Basileus slapped him," she told the overgrown master. "We all heard it."

Caius spun back to the Denali girl. "Dora's free - go back to your plotting,"

"Oh, dear!" Magnus said pointedly to Caius. They had a few long conversations coming, Magnus was sure of it. _At least if he's been gobbing off to Basileus, those conversations wont all be about me and Odi_.

Basileus rounded his sons towards Magnus and Marcus. "I think we're on the same page now, aren't we lads."

"All of them?!" Magnus asked in surprise. Carlisle and Eleazar hadn't done anything wrong, as far as he knew.

Marcus felt similarly. "You are on the warpath, my friend."

Basileus shrugged. He'd only had a brief word with Eleazar and Carlisle, nothing like the rounding out he'd given Aro and Caius. "I'm done with the sniping, and now they all know it."

"Two of us weren't sniping," Carlisle pointed out.

Eleazar was in a fairly mute state, still in shock from the upheaval to his life that the Denali clan had brought, but he agreed with his little brother. Basileus' main point to his eldest son hadn't been about Magnus at all, in fact. It was about the girls and more importantly, as Basileus saw it, Carmen. 'You need to get your head in the game, son,' he'd said. Eleazar still moped morosely.

"Why would you be sniping?" Aro asked his little brother. "Neither of you have a position to protect, do you?"

The coven king deftly avoided a clout from his old man. Basileus' effort caught Carlisle instead, by mistake, much to Aro's amusement.

"You said I had to play nicely with your bosom buddies," Aro pointed out to his father. "Not my brothers."

"What on earth made you choose him, Dad?" Carlisle asked, rubbing the sting from his ear where his father had caught him. "Out of all the humans you could have picked from, why him?!"

"He was special," Basileus explained, looking to his first turned son.

"Yeah, he's real special!" Carlisle hissed, shoving past his brother on his way back to the seating area.

Once everyone was re-seated, in much the way they had been before, Basileus continued. "The truth is, every single one of you are special. That's why you were chosen."

There were a good many among them who couldn't quite see how that worked.

"We were just brought back to be guards," Freyr proffered. There was nothing special about their choosing, as she saw it.

Marcus appeared offended at the very idea. "Not at all, my lady." There were very few vampires that Marcus had picked out for turning and none of them were chosen without thought, without reason.

"You two showed Marcus something special back on that beach in Ireland," Basileus explained. "And that's why he brought you here."

"And, thank heavens he did," Atia said quietly to Freyr. She couldn't imagine coven life without another woman of her age and mindset to share her days with.

"Aww, poor little Demetri," Felix cooed to his brother. "You weren't special. You were war booty."

"He was special," Aro insisted quickly. "I chose him the same as I chose you and the twins. I didn't bite him, but that doesn't make any difference." Aro offered Demetri a warm smile, wanting to be sure his son felt none of the anxiety he had previously suffered because of Felix's teasing. "I imagine had I met you as a human I would have taken you then."

The boy smiled back sadly to his father. It wasn't that he didn't believe Aro, more that he just hated to be reminded that they didn't share the same bond as Aro did with Felix - however imagined that was. Demetri had accosted Caius as soon as his backside had touched the floor for another game of cards, and had seemed excited, but being reminded of his non-Volturi venom had seen his spirits dampened.

"Dora and I weren't bitten by the Volturi either," Caius pointed out, giving the boy a supportive nudge.

"No, you weren't," Basileus agreed. "But I picked you out as special the same way Aro did Demetri. Well, not exactly the same way, but like when I met Marcus, I knew you and Dora would be part of my coven, my family."

 _Family._ Caius had never considered himself as part of the Volturi family. Volturi elite, sure, right from the start. But never family. There had always been a distinct difference between the way Basileus treated Aro and the way he treated Caius, and Caius had felt it right from the start. Living in Aro's shadow had affected Caius' psyche massively over the years and he'd worked hard in more recent times to shake the shackles of such treatment. Caius' thoughts immediately turned to Magnus and Odi and where he fit with the juggernaut if Magnus already had a son, a proper one. _I'm not being relegated again_.

"What about us?" Tanya asked the creator, breaking the short contemplative silence that had fallen. "Are we special?"

"We aren't special, Tan," Irina told her sister. "We're prisoners."

Tanya was a resilient little thing, all things considered, but her sister's constant objections were starting to get to her. It wouldn't have been so bad if someone had objected to Irina in return, but the silence was deafening. From her seat at Eleazar's side, she became teary eyed.

"Eleazar," Atia pushed, gesturing to the girl. She hoped his sense of selflessness, which Eleazar undoubtedly had on a good day, would spark seeing the child upset.

His brain may have been slow processing all his thoughts about the three young girls who had been dumped in his quarters, but once he caught on to the conversation that gone on around him, Eleazar found his voice and put his own issues aside.

"Regardless of the circumstances," he told Tanya quietly. "You've ended up in the royal coven. That makes you special."

Tanya wiped at her eyes and quietly cuddled into his side.

"Hardly," Irina tutted.

Eleazar took Tanya's chin gently in one hand and forced her to face him, not her sister. "You're here, you're special." He spoke with such total certainty that it was enough for Tanya to shut out Irina's sneering.

Carmen closed her eyes for a moment and thanked whatever there was above for the minor breakthrough. Eleazar was talking to the girl, reassuring her, comforting her … _we'll be okay_ , she thought in relief.

"But still, Dad … Aro?" Carlisle asked his father. "Really?"

Basileus smiled as he thought back to the beginnings of his family. It had been a long time since he'd found Aro and turned him. Looking around the south tower, a room full of vampires, full of family, it was strange to think how close he had come to choosing an entirely different path.

"Truth is, I didn't pick out Aro myself," Basileus told the gathering. "My father did."

That had everyone's attention!

 **Aro - 1280BC, July**

Basileus, the ancient creator of vampiric kind, sat outside his hovel home staring into the night sky. A clear night, but nothing special. It felt as though he had seen that same night a million times, because he had, of course, and the very idea of seeing that night again sickened him to his core. He turned briefly, hearing the murmuring from his make-shift bed. The women he'd brought home were stirring in their slumber. Basileus had planned to fuck and feed the night away, but after fruitlessly fucking all three he left them, all exhausted and drunk, to sleep off their activities. He couldn't even be bothered to try and finish himself off. _At least they enjoyed it,_ he mused. He could make out one of the women as the moonlight danced on her face. He hadn't thought to ask her name, or that of her friends. They might have told him in the course of their evening but if they had he hadn't heard them. _She's attractive enough_ , he thought, _her friends, too_. _If I can't keep it up with three wanna-be Aphrodite's, what's the point in carrying on_?

Thing was, Basileus didn't think it was worth carrying on. He couldn't count the years he had lived by then, each new year merged into the last, a hundred days passed in a blur, a hundred years the same. With his impassable eyesight, Basileus could make out the famed Lion Gate at the main entrance to the Acropolis. He could remember the damn thing being constructed and though they still stood proud, they were passed their prime. _I've been in Mycenae too long_. Basileus didn't mix too heavily with the humans, but he needed to move every ten years or so if he was to remain beneath the radar. He'd been in Mycenae for fifty at least, though to be fair to him, he only used the place as a base. Those fifty years had been one long, hard attempt to end his days.

Basileus ruled out various methods of suicide before he began on his quest, knowing that though they worked for humans, such simple methods wouldn't work on him. Strangulation was out, as were drowning, and suffocation. Starving a vampire of oxygen was a pointless endeavour.

His first attempt was to try and bleed out. Biting into his own wrists, Basileus held open the wounds and watched his blood redden the ground. He'd been in his little hovel that night, the earth still glistened with his offering of the pale, discoloured vampiric blood. He'd

been greatly weakened, but still lived.

He had sunk to the depths of the ocean floor once expecting the water pressure to blow him to pieces. For his efforts he had been rewarded with a raging ache that burned his bones and a headache that had lasted three phases of the moon! He was in no hurry to try that again.

He had walked to the peaks of every mountain on earth and thrown himself from the tops. The force of the falls had left Basileus battered and bruised, even some broken bones ... but still very much alive. Unfortunately.

Silver had the power to cut his hair and graze his skin with enough force. Basileus put that knowledge to good use, sharpened silver pieces into daggers and tried to sever his own head. Regardless of the force he employed, he only ever managed to break the skin, never the tendons, never the bones, never even deep enough to leave a scar.

There was one death Basileus had avoided. Burning.

After Zeus had commanded him to gain control of the vampires he had created, Basileus had travelled the globe hunting his own creations and executing the wretched, lawless beings. He'd burnt vampires, living and dead, and it was the one thing that he feared. The agonised screams, the plumes of purple smoke, the ash that was left … such a death, though potentially quick, sickened him. He had sworn it was something he would never try, but that night, he decided otherwise. _It's time_.

"Will you give a beggar man a place to rest for the night, my friend?"

Basileus had been so deep in his morose that he'd missed the approach of a frail old man. The man had come close enough to tap Basileus with the branch he used to old himself up. The feeble and partially crippled individual stood only three-foot-tall in his hunched over state. Basileus didn't even bother to respond to the old man's request.

"I beg of you to let me rest here, my friend," the man asked again.

"Move on, friend," Basileus sneered. "I have no time for beggars."

"I'm a stranger in need of help, my friend," the old man explained, and for a third time, requested warm hospitality from Basileus.

It wasn't an unreasonable request. Every society has certain rules, expectations and customs. In those ancient days of the early Greeks, one never knew when the beggar knocking at the door might be a god, disguised or else watching from above, passing judgement. Hospitality toward strangers and travellers was expected and frequently given.

Still, even knowing all that, even believing in all that as his father, Zeus, King of the Gods, had taught him, Basileus refused.

The beggar man nodded to Basileus and awkwardly retreated a few steps to stand clear of the ancient creator. There was something about the nod he'd given Basileus, something about the look in his eye that had Basileus thinking twice about his inhospitality. So much so that he watched as the frail old thing hobbled away. Still, it wasn't enough for him to change his mind, simply enough for the old guy to hold his attention. He watched as the three-foot, hunched up thing stretched out his back. It clearly took some effort but he managed it, rising an extra foot in height and seemingly no longer needing his stick for balance. The stick, he held aloft in his right hand and pointed it towards the clear night sky.

A flash of light and a thundering crack blew Basileus back. He toppled over until he caught friction on the ground. Shielding his eyes from the ferocious light, Basileus peered from under his hand to make out what had befallen the old beggar man. Where his once frail, un-shoed feet stood, the ground was scorched and there stood another man. _No_ , Basileus thought, shocked to his core, _not a man ... a god_.

"How dare you refuse me?!" Zeus boomed in all his glory.

Basileus stayed low to the ground but dared to raise his head to speak. "I didn't know! I didn't know it was you!"

Knowing or not was irrelevant to Zeus given the customs he expected Basileus to observe. "I taught you better than this, my son!" With a resounding blow, Zeus struck his son's face with his hand and the mighty creator of vampiric kind went down to the floor again, clutching a busted cheek.

Zeus turned away from his progeny, disgusted by what he saw. He'd been watching Basileus for a while and the degradation to which his son had subjected himself was sickening to the King of the Gods. His refusal to honour the most basic of their customs was the final nail in the coffin in Zeus' mind. His boy needed a wake-up call. He needed direction. Purpose. Zeus could offer him that ... _but first he needs to feed_.

The hovel in which Basileus subsisted had crumpled to the ground with Zeus' eruption, and the women the creator had bedded that night lay injured and whining like wounded prey. Zeus considered healing them and setting them free, but their bodies could be put to better use for a higher power. Pulling two of the women free from the small wreckage, one in each fist, Zeus dragged the bloodied humans to Basileus.

"You will feed," he commanded.

His voice still thundered, but the anger was already dissipating. It had been so long since he had walked the land, so long since he had seen his favoured progeny. It took so much of his strength to walk the earth and Zeus wouldn't have done it for anyone else.

Basileus considered rejecting his father's offering, but he could hear in the god's thoughts that he would be made to feed should he refuse. _Starving myself hasn't achieved anything, anyway_ , Basileus reminded himself.

Reluctantly, he took the first woman in his arms. Her body, scraped and bruised from the hovel falling on top of her, sang to him. The blood coursing through her veins in fear, powered by the adrenalin of the peculiar circumstances in which she found herself … it took only seconds for Basileus' desire for blood to rekindle and a few seconds more for the him to drain her body of life. His eyes rolled back into his head as he felt the burn in his throat quenched for the first time in an age. Blindly, he reached out for the second woman and brought her neck to his mouth. She screamed, she fought, but it was a futile effort. Basileus sucked so hard at her throat that the veins collapsed before he'd drunk his fill. He moved to her wrists and did the same, and then the legs. By the time he'd finished, the woman's body had been ravaged by the creator's fangs. Basileus lay back in the grass and licked the last morsels of blood from his lips.

Zeus chuckled softly to himself as he took a seat on the ground beside his boy. He watched as the bruising to Basileus' face faded, aided by the blood he consumed. He would have liked for his son to have felt that swipe for a little longer, truth be known.

"I didn't save you from the war to see you live this life."

 _Eugh_ , Basileus sighed. _The war_! He'd heard that speech before. When Zeus had sent his creations into hiding to save them from the Great War of the Gods, he had done so with the instruction to live a good life, as far as they were able. Basileus was sure his father had left other instructions, but true of any son hearing his aged father's wise words, he hadn't been listening at the time. Opening his eyes, Basileus saw the night stars looking down at him once again. They didn't seem so bad with some fresh blood in his stomach, but still not so good that he wanted to go on seeing them forevermore.

"I said …"

"I heard what you said," Basileus replied quickly, hearing his father's tone turning dark again. "But by saving my life, you incurred a value on it. It's a value I do not know how to spend."

Zeus bobbed his head. He knew that already - that's why he had gone to earth to seek out his son.

"You shouldn't have come to me, father," Basileus said quietly. "These visits weaken you."

"Rather be weakened than spend the rest of my life watching your attempts to destroy yourself," Zeus replied. "It won't work, you know? There is no way to end your own life."

Basileus sat up and eyed his father carefully. _No way to end my own life_ , he repeated to himself. _But ..._ "Would you do it for me?"

"NO!" Zeus thundered, appalled once again.

Basileus ducked for cover, throwing his arms above his head in defence.

Zeus regained his self-control and forced Basileus' arms down. He took his boy's face in one hand and fixed Basileus' eyes with his own. "There is nothing on earth that will kill you, nothing. Only the fires of Hades will kill you, my son. The value I incurred," he said sternly, "is for you to spend wisely."

Basileus nodded but his soul remained hollow. For all the words in the world, Basileus was still alone. His father only ever stayed for brief moments and he spent the rest of his time alone, lonely, in his pointless existence.

Zeus stood from the ground and pulled his son up with him. "I know what you seek, son," he told his boy cryptically. "You will find him at Delphi."

"Find who?" Basileus asked. "Lykaios?!"

"No, you will not find your brother, not until you are both ready." Zeus went back to the hovel and pulled the final woman free of the wooden rubble. "You need someone, though," he called to his son. Placing healing hands on the young woman he healed her wounds, restored her to health, and lifted her into his arms. Strolling back to his son, he said, "Someone not so transient as these women you lay with."

"You said him. I will find him …" Basileus drifted off with a confused face. "I don't want a him."

"Go to Delphi, my son," Zeus instructed. "Seek the Oracle there, and you will find him."

"And this 'him' will give my days meaning?" Basileus asked, wondering if the aged god had finally lost the plot. _You haven't been watching me very closely if you think some bloke is the answer to my suicidal desires_.

Zeus smiled broadly. "He will fill your days and then some, my son." He stroked the pretty woman's face with one hand and watched as she awakened. He liked what he saw well enough. "I'm taking this one," he told his son, and then the two of them disappeared, leaving a somewhat bewildered Basileus in their wake.

Basileus paused his trip down memory lane when he finally noticed the expressions on the faces around him. Complete shock coming from one and all. Atia's only surprise was that her mate had told the group of such dark days after swearing her to eternal secrecy on the matter.

Aro found his voice before the others. "I didn't know you had … tested your immortality." His voice shook a little, and he hadn't wanted to say 'attempted suicide' - testing immortality meant the same thing, he reasoned. But still, the idea that the creator of their kind, the demi-God, _my father could attempt … that_?!

"Let's call it as we see it, son," Basileus replied. "I hadn't simply tested my immortality, I had tried very, very hard, to end my life." A shiver ran down the length of Basileus' back and he made no attempt to hide it. "We've all had dark days," he added, clapping his hands together to bring an end to the contemplative feeling in the room. "Don't make the mistake to assume yours are darker than anyone else's."

"You don't feel like that anymore though, right?" Aro still couldn't say the words - that was as close as he could get.

Aro wasn't a fool. He didn't expect to know everything about his father, even with all the years they had spent together. But to find out something so dark, to hear how close to the edge Basileus had been … it unnerved him greatly. He moaned like a bitch about his father's interference in his daily life but he wouldn't want to imagine a time when Basileus wasn't there to guide him, help him, keep him company.

"I haven't felt that way since the day I met you, son." Basileus flashed a bright smile to the room. "I fight entirely different demons these days."

Irina looked around the gathering, all hanging on the creator's every word like he was some kind of special and snorted. "It's not true," she sang out in spite.

"What's not true?" Basileus asked in return.

"Your twisted tale," Irina spat back at him. "There's no such thing as 'Zeus'. It's a fairy tale."

Alec scowled at the Denali girl. "What makes you think fairy tales aren't true?!"

Alec believed everything he read and almost everything he was told. The Greek Gods his father and grandfather had told him of were every bit as real as King Arthur and Robin Hood to Alec. He may not have experienced the truth of such tales, but he believed very much in their possibility ... so Irina's claim was fighting talk to the youngest Volturi.

"Because they are fairy tales, obviously." Irina rolled her eyes at the brat having the audacity to question her. She added a 'fucking idiot' under her breath to the boy, which Alec worked out what she'd said by reading her lips.

"Did you think vampires were true before you became one?" Alec asked, glaring daggers at Irina. His three siblings groaned in unison. That was always Alec's answer when they tried to convince their little brother that the things he read and believed in were mostly fictional. "Well?!" Alec pushed. "Did you?"

"Settle down, my darling," Sulpicia told her child, hugging him close to her chest.

Irina couldn't answer without looking like a fool, having worked out Alec's premise. She merely shrugged in reply and turned away.

Alec smiled broadly. "Shut your mouth, then." He, too, added a 'fucking idiot' in return, though Alec made no attempt to temper his volume.

Whilst Sulpicia made a wishy-washy attempt to chastise Alec's insult, Aro did nothing. Felix was only to keen to point out the injustice to his grandfather, who had recently been pointing out the vast difference in the way the Volturi children were treated, with Felix bearing the brunt of his father's discipline whilst Alec mostly walked away unscathed.

Basileus hushed Felix before his complaints could cause any trouble and turned to his youngest grandson. "Alec, that's impolite," he pointed out.

"It's a fair comment," Aro answered for the boy, knowing they all thought similarly regarding Irina.

Basileus fixed his son with stern eyes. "Not from his mouth, Aro."

"Why don't you continue, my dear?" Atia interjected, pushing her mate into restarting his story.

With a nod in return, Basileus restarted...

Theus sat in the dirt watching the evening passers-by. There was barely any breeze running through the street, it was hot and dusty ... and by the gods, he was so bored!

"Can I come in yet?" he called over his shoulder to the open doorway behind him.

No response. He heard his father's grunting, but that grunting wasn't in response to Theus, it was for the woman in his bed. Calling the man his father might have been a bit of a stretch - Theus had no idea who his father was, really. His mother said it was him, though. And the guy put up with Theus hanging around his place, so Theus reasoned he could possibly be his father, at least. Before long - though too long, had you asked the boy - a woman emerged from the doorway and patted Theus' black haired head. He thought he recognised her from the whore house, but there were so many women passing through that place and few bothered with the boy, so he wasn't entirely sure. They all looked much the same to him anyway. He could never understand what took some of the old guys so long to select the woman they would fuck.

"Can I come in n…"

"Just give me a minute, for fuck sake!"

Theus huffed at the rebuke and leaned into the door, playing with the street dust with his bare feet. He continued to watch the passers-by when one took his eye. He was right at the end of the street but Theus could already tell there was something different about him.

"Aro!" he called, rushing inside.

"What did I just tell you?" Aro answered from his bed, face down, unclothed and uncovered.

He had spent all his energy and wanted to bask in the afterglow for a while. _Instead, I have the spawn of Hades bothering me_. He didn't mean it. Aro quite liked the kid. Loved him even. He had denied that Theus was his when he was born, but, at only nine years old the boy was his spitting image ... it was getting harder to deny.

Theus grimaced seeing the scarring to his father's back, slash after slash of badly healed whip marks ran from his shoulders to his backside. Aro never had told him how he'd gained them, only that he wasn't a runaway slave. Theus still wondered if he might have been, though.

"But there's a rich one coming," Theus said impatiently, handing Aro his tunic and cloth belt.

Aro's eyes widened and flashed with excitement. Taking money from rich idiots was his favourite pastime; his trade, even. He sprang to life and dressed quickly, heading for the door as he tied his belt.

"I'm kind of hungry," the boy called out shyly.

Aro stalled in the doorway. He didn't have enough coin to give the kid a feed that day. It had been a slow week, work wise. "I fed you yesterday." He shoved the boy out of the single room abode by his head. "Go back to the whore house and find your mother if you want feeding again."

He watched the child leave with sunken shoulders, but the boy didn't get far before Aro called him back. "Theus!"

The boy spun on his heel hearing his name. He knew Aro wouldn't really send him back to the whore house. Not at such an hour. It wasn't safe there for Theus in the evenings since some of the visitors now deemed him 'of age'. _Whatever that means_ , Theus thought.

"Don't bother your mother, just stay out of sight until I've I finished working this rich guy."

Theus beamed for a moment before scampering down the street to find something with which to amuse himself.

Guilt assuaged, Aro left his home and started seeking out the rich man of whom the boy had spoken. It didn't take long to find him. The stranger in town looked just that - strange. A giant of a man, dripping with importance. If Aro didn't know better he would have sworn it was Zeus himself. The rest of the street backed away as the man made his way down the dusty road.

Not Aro. Aro never backed away. Even when he sensed danger he held his ground. The rich guy looked official. Only rich officials wore the cloth draped around his shoulders. _You do look weighed down by your finery, my friend. I can help you with that_. Aro nodded to himself and squared his shoulders, psyching himself up for dealing with fresh meat. No one was surprised to see Aro approaching the god-like man. A few of the older guys shook their heads at his display, but others stayed to watch, with the odd one taking bets on how successful the street prophesier would be.

"Do you want to know your future, friend?" Aro called out, moving to block the stranger's path.

Basileus barely broke his stride as he pushed Aro away. "I've already visited the temple of Delphi."

"It's the temple of Apollo at Delphi, you dickhead," Aro replied under his breath. "Oh yeah," he called a little louder, rushing to get back in front of the rich stranger. "How did you get on?"

Basileus came to a halt to avoid squashing the impertinent wretch. That's when he first laid eyes on Aro. _FUCK_! He took a step back and looked the younger man up and down. _Could it be you_? he wondered, thinking on his father's words. _You look like me. So much like me_ …

"So …" Aro tried to deflect the man's attention. The way he appraised Aro was disconcerting, to say the least! "How did you get on?" he asked again.

"It wasn't a prophesy for me, it was for a king," Basileus answered. He told Aro the prophesy he had witnessed, "Do not loosen the bulging mouth of the wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief."

Aro snorted hearing the Priestesses words. "Good to hear the batty bitch is being as clear as ever." Even though the high priestesses of Apollo were supposed to be virgins, Aro had known the current Pythia intimately and she was still, as she had been when Aro knew her, mental! But then, that made for interesting prophesies which is why she had shot right to the top!

"What's your trade?" Basileus asked.

"I sell prophesies, friend," Aro explained, stressing the 'sell'. "And mine make much more sense than the warblings of the mad women from the temple. If you want to know your future, you can buy it from me."

Aro continued with his sales patter as Basileus nodded along. He was silently running through Aro's mind to discover all he could about the man whilst he worked out if he really was the one Zeus had sent him to meet.

"I'm going to pay you for a private reading and you are going to be truthful with me."

"I'm always truthful, friend."

The glint in Aro's eye suggested otherwise. His poker face wasn't good enough to fool the creator of vampiric kind, but Basileus did feel oddly drawn to him. It wasn't just because Zeus had sent him either ... there was something else.

"Hmmm …" Basileus mused, leading Aro to his own door. "Let's see, shall we?"

Aro should have known then that something was off - when a mysterious, rich stranger rocks up in your street and shows you to your own door, your mind should start questioning what's going on. As it was, Aro was fixated on the bulging, jangling money pouches attached to the man's belt and his thoughts were concentrated on earning Theus a decent meal.

Aro leapt ahead of Basileus and tried to clear his home as he went, which basically construed of throwing everything from the two-seat table to the bed and chucking a sheet over it all.

"We should take care of payment first," Aro suggested, eyes on the pouch as he took a seat. "Those seeking the counsel of Apollo offer laurel branches, money, black ram …"

Basileus unhooked one of his money pouches from his belt and dropped it to the table with a heavy thud. "Start talking," he said, taking the free stool. It creaked under his weight and it was a little lower than was comfortable, but it would do.

Aro took Basileus' hand in his own and let his eyes roll around in his head, ever the theatric. "You are much older than you look."

"And how old do I look to your eyes?" Basileus asked, smirking to himself in the knowledge that the so-called prophesier had no chance of a true appraisal.

"Fifty …" Aro guessed cheekily. He always poked a little fun at his 'guests' knowing it knocked them off guard and he would be better able to read their responses going forward.

"Insolent brat!" Basileus boomed, pulling away his hand and making to collect the cash from the table.

"What am I saying?!" Aro cursed himself and apologised, pulling the man's hand away from the money. "Forgive me. More like Forty."

Basileus watched Aro for a moment before telling him to continue.

Aro went back to his prophesying. "You have really lived … many, many partners."

Basileus nodded to that. _Only the gods know how many,_ he thought. "Any in particular?"

"No, I don't believe so."

Basileus scowled at that. There were some memorable encounters, they weren't all 'transient' as his father had claimed. He had to remind himself that this guy didn't really know what he was saying, he didn't even know what Basileus was, let alone his life.

"What about family?" he pushed, wondering what the false prophet could possibly come up with in response to such a question.

Aro didn't like it when his subjects were so specific. "You don't know about your own family?" he asked, head lopped to one side.

"Don't get cocky, boy …"

"Boy?!" Aro shot back, offended. "I'm twenty-eight!"

Of course, Aro had no idea how very, very young that sounded to Basileus' ears. "Well I'm knocking fifty, apparently," he replied with the same lopped head Aro had used. "Just answer me."

Leaning back in his chair, but maintaining contact with Basileus' hand, Aro fired off what he thought he knew. "No mother … a father … no wife … no children."

 _Scarily accurate_! Basileus thought, though he tried not to give too much away by his reaction. "Siblings?"

"Of course," Aro bobbed his head. "One of each, but you aren't close." Seeing the muscles in the man's jaw tighten slightly, Aro amended his guess. "You aren't close anymore."

"Aro?" Theus' small voice broke into the one-roomed home as he peaked his head around the door.

Aro jumped up from his seat, snatching the coin pouch on his way and pushed the boy outside. "Here," he said, depositing a few coins in the child's hands. "Find someone who will feed you. I won't be much longer."

Retaking his seat, Aro apologised for the interruption.

"Is the boy yours?" Basileus asked.

"Sort of," Aro half-heartedly confirmed. "Someone has to feed the poor sod."

Basileus smiled sadly to himself. Could he take the boy's father for a vampire of his own? The child was too young to fend for himself in any meaningful way, though many tried to do that just as young as him, they rarely reached appropriate adult lives.

"His mother?" Basileus asked, hoping he wouldn't be leaving the child an orphan.

"A whore," Aro replied, quickly grimacing seeing Basileus' face turn sour. "I'm not being disparaging, friend. She is a whore. A well paid one, at that."

Seeing Basileus become contemplative again, and knowing Theus would be home soon to claim his bed for the night, Aro pushed on. "So, how did I do?"

"Not bad," Basileus said. "But I know you aren't blessed by the gods with your gift, so how are you doing it?"

Aro pulled his shoulders back, every stitch of his calm façade faded and he started to stand, slowly. He doubted he could take down such a giant of a man easily, but he would give it his best efforts if he was about to be attacked in his own home.

Basileus chuckled at Aro, who clearly had experience being called a charlatan. "Sit back down," he said, nudging Aro's stool towards him. "I've paid you handsomely and I will keep your secrets."

Warily, Aro returned to his seat, but his eyes stayed fixed on the rich stranger, wondering exactly who he was. Now he'd collected the funds to feed Theus, his mind had lost its distraction and Aro wondered what danger he was in. _Are you an official_? The more he looked at the man, the surer he became that he was. Some official from the temple seeking to put him out of business. He'd had trouble with them before.

"I'm merely interested in your work, boy," Basileus explained calmly, softly.

Aro kept hold of Basileus' coin pouch. "You aren't having your money back."

"If money is your motivator, have some more." Basileus untied a second purse, just as heavy as the first, and scattered the contents on the table. "Now tell me how you do it."

Aro collected the coins together. It was more than he earned in a year, more than he could hope to earn in ten years, even!

"I just guess." Aro smiled down at the coins in his lap. "Prophesying only works if you keep the details loose."

Basileus looked into the cup sat on the table. He splashed the contents to the earthen floor and took up the jug to refill it. He had expected water, so it was a nice surprise to find the jug pour with wine. Aro looked to his wasted wine on the floor. The fact that he could buy a million jugs worth with the money his recent subject had given him was irrelevant. Aro never wasted a drop of wine, ever!

"There has been a shrine here for a hundred years, a little over. The naval of the world," Basileus paused to take a swing of the cheapest, damn near rancid wine. "I've visited before, but you are the first who has the gift for seeing inside a man. Why are you out here and not in there?"

"Are you sure you've been here before?" Aro asked, smirking at the man's mistake.

"I've warned against your cheek already, boy,"

Aro held out his hands defensively. "You seem to have a limited understanding of how things work in Delphi, that's all." Aro rolled his eyes at having to explain such a basic tenant of life! "Only the priestesses of Apollo can become the Pythia, the head woo woman, if you like." He shrugged like he didn't care - he did, the injustice when Aro was so clearly gifted to prophesying stung every time he thought of it. "I make enough coin out here from guys like you."

Basileus scanned the room that Aro called home, and apparently shared with a street rat. "Not quite enough, by the looks of things."

Aro shrugged again. _I'll be moving somewhere grander sometime soon, I reckon_ , he thought, feeling the weight of the coin in his lap.

"Let's see if I can guess about your life, shall we?" Basileus set the empty cup down on the table. "Your name is Aro, you aren't from around here and I doubt you came to Delphi to make your fortune selling prophesies on the street …" Basileus paused and decided to play with Aro a little. "So, I'll say you ran away from home, young, you ran away young. You are single. Single-ish." He ended his purposefully weak appraisal of Aro's life and looked to him expectantly, waiting for a response.

Aro whistled into the air. "Yeah, great."

"You are unimpressed?" Basileus asked, playful smile tugging at his lips.

"You heard the boy call my name," Aro pointed out. "And it's obvious by my accent I am not Delphi born. Clearly I am single." Aro spread his arms wide to his small home which bore no sign of a female touch.

"You want more?" Basileus mused, smile growing. "How about this …"

Basileus took Aro's hand. Through that simple touch he injected pictures into Aro's mind, which he narrated, telling Aro all about the future he would have with the creator of vampiric kind. Aro struggled, he pulled, he dropped to the floor, scattering money to every corner of his home. He didn't even look for where the precious coins landed, such was his fear over what he was seeing. Eventually, Basileus released Aro's hand.

"What the fuck are you?!" Aro roared, scrabbling back to the wall.

"Settle down," Basileus replied calmly.

"What the fuck are you?!" Aro raged again. He was trapped with some sort of bewitched monster, he was sure of it! "Are you a god?" Aro asked, peering up at the man from the floor. "You're a beast or a god, which is it?!"

Basileus stood and loomed over Aro for a moment, blocking out all light from the few candles that lit the room. Dragging the younger man to his feet by a hand coiled tightly around his throat, Basileus told him, "I'm a beast and a God." He sunk his fangs into the exposed flesh of Aro's neck and injected his venom deep. "And when you wake, you will be, too."

Only a short time passed before Theus returned.

"Hello, little one," Basileus said, bringing the boy inside to see his father.

Aro lay on his bed convulsing and moaning as the venom traversed his veins, changing him from human to vampire.

"What have you done to him?!" Theus asked, rushing to Aro's side.

Basileus had already been through Aro's entire life history and he had witnessed some key conversations between Aro and the boy. "Your father is my runaway slave," Basileus lied, pulling the boy back by his slight shoulders.

Theus' mouth dropped open. He knew his father had lied about those whip scars! He knew it! To the child's ears, hearing his father was a runaway wasn't as ghastly as it might have been to many others. To Theus it simply sounded like his father had had a great adventure. It was a shame he'd been caught, of course, _but what an adventure he must have had_ , Theus thought.

"I'm going to take him with me to work off his debt but he will return for you when you are older," Basileus continued. "The shock of finding out he has to leave you for a while has made him sick." _Bloody hell, that was a poor lie,_ Basileus thought to himself. But what else could he say to explain to the boy why his father was bouncing about the bed in clear distress.

Basileus had already collected up the scattered coins and refilled the money pouches he had given Aro. "Here," he said, passing them both to the child. "This is the money your father earned in my service. Take it to your mother, it's enough for the two of you to start a new life together."

Theus' arms dropped to his sides with the surprise weight of the purses he'd been given. He had no way of knowing how much was contained within, but going solely by the physical effect on his limbs, he assumed a lot! But still, all the money in the world and the promise of a grander life wasn't enough to tear the boy's eyes away from his father. He couldn't understand how the man could be so suddenly sick when he'd been so clearly well only an hour before.

"We will meet you at the temple in ten years' time on this very night. Will you remember that?"

Theus nodded slowly. _Ten years_?! That sounded like a very long time. _Longer than I've even been alive_! Theus knew he had no say in the proceedings. He had no say in anything. "Will you really come back?"

"On my honour, we will return for you."

Basileus ended his tale there for the moment, seeing Aro walk past him, heading to the bloodwine barrels.

"Thanks for that, Dad," Aro spat as he went.

The creator cursed himself again, for he had revealed yet more secrets to the group that weren't his to reveal.

Aro returned to his seat with the bottle of whiskey in his hand. It didn't last long, being passed around the dumbstruck gathering, but Aro made sure to get a glass full at the start and another when the bottle made its way back around to him.

"You had a son before me?" Felix asked, utterly gutted that he wasn't, in fact, Aro's 'first born'.

"As you heard," Aro said, glaring at his father. "I have no idea whether Theus was mine or not. I just looked out for him as a favour to his mother."

"Favour?" Caius repeated in question. He was one of the few who already knew of Aro's human life and he had barely looked up from his cards. "For free fucks, more like."

"Caius!" Freyr admonished.

Atia tutted into the air. "If you cannot speak civilly, you will cease to speak!"

Caius glanced in their general direction and muttered an insincere 'sorry' before nudging Demetri to play his hand. Demetri was more interested in the story by that point.

"What happened to your son, Dad?" he asked.

Aro sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't know that he was my … it doesn't matter. We went back ten years later and we met up with Theus at the temple, just like he promised," he said, sticking out a thumb in Basileus' direction. "We had planned on turning him, but when we met he introduced me to his wife and daughter. He was happy, settled." Aro found his voice becoming a little shaky with the emotion he felt and passed the story back over to his father.

"Theus' mother put the money we gave her to good use," Basileus explained. "She bought her way out of the whore house and secured Theus a trade to learn. Carpentry, wasn't it?"

Aro bobbed his head.

"We set Theus up in a villa of his own and gave him some money to see him right and then we said our goodbyes." Basileus reached over and rested a hand on his son's knee. "He had a good life, Aro."

"I know," Aro replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Aro had been the one to refuse to turn Theus on their return to Delphi. Basileus tried to insist that the boy would get over losing his family and would enjoy the vampiric existence at their side, but Aro just couldn't see it done to the boy. He had missed ten years of the kid's life and he wouldn't wish for Theus to miss out on his daughter's childhood. The girl was still a babe in arms and with the money Aro gave the young family, her future promised to be bright. Aro knew he'd made the right decision for the time. He had hardly been ready to parent teenagers when he'd turned Felix, let alone nearly eighteen hundred years before!

"When we left Delphi," Aro said, clearing his throat of the emotion he felt, "We went back to my father's farm. That's when I found Marcus lusting after my baby sister."

"She was a woman who demanded being lusted after," Marcus explained to the group with a faraway look in his eye.

Aro grimaced. Thinking of anyone lusting after his sister was … odd. No doubt it is for all brothers of younger sisters.

"Anyway," Aro said quickly to push the thoughts from his mind. "I killed my human father, it was one of the things Basileus had promised me whilst we travelled the globe, and then I turned Didyme. Marcus joined us on our travels and Didyme eventually grew to tolerate Marcus."

Aro received a cushion to the head from Marcus for his blatant lie. Didyme had loved him as a human, let alone as a vampire - they were inseparable from the moment she awoke.

"Didn't you want a mate?" Tanya asked the creator outright. She wasn't one to hold thoughts in her head for too long. "You and Atia haven't been together that long, have you?" Tanya knew Basileus had been with her mother at some point, but she wasn't privy as to when. She did wonder how the creator managed to be single for so long when he seemed so besotted with the mate he had.

"There was one," Basileus told the girl. "Xanthe." The creator shuddered thinking back to his failed relationship. "I met her when Aro and I were travelling and turned her to be my mate. It was a bad decision, I rushed things." Basileus puffed the air out of his cheeks. "One day I came home to find Xanthe trying to kill Aro, and as she was a newborn and Aro wasn't specifically trained to deal with her rampage alone, he was losing the fight. She damn near ripped of his head, until I ripped off hers and …"

"Did you love her?" Irina butted in, stopping Basileus mid-sentence.

"Xanthe?" Basileus asked. "Yes, I did."

"But you …"

"I loved Aro more." Basileus didn't need to hear Irina telling him what he'd done to her - he knew well enough and it still vexed him. "I did what any parent would do. Xanthe was a threat to my son," he explained.

"Your love appears to be quite fleeting, Basileus," Irina sneered. "You claimed to love my mother once, she said."

"I did." Basileus turned away from Irina for the moment and looked to Kate and Tanya instead. "Your mother was a wonderful …"

Irina wasn't about to give him the chance to get her sisters on side. "But you love men more?" she asked, with a snide smile.

Magnus burst out laughing at Basileus' side and quietly ribbed the creator about his illustrious past. The juggernaut's good humour was just enough to quell the anger rising in Basileus. He could have happily snapped Irina's neck. Even thinking about doing it was pleasing him at that moment. Giving Magnus a playful thump in the arm to shut him up, Basileus took up his goblet and drank down his bloodwine. He was suddenly on Caius' side about the bloodwine - alcoholic would have been much better under the circumstances.

"I'll tell you all about my love life when you're mature enough for the details, sweetheart."

Irina was annoyed. She was trying to get a rise out of the creator. She wanted him to blow up and prove her right. With a side eye glance to her sisters, both of whom seemed far too comfortable sitting with their captors, Irina pushed on in a different direction.

"So, you love your sons more than you love Atia?"

"I wouldn't say that, exactly." Basileus closed his eyes for the moment and wished to the gods that he hadn't promised his mate that he would take a back seat with the Denali girls. Atia's reasoning had been sound enough - Eleazar wouldn't take control if Basileus did it for him - but right then, as his eldest son sat gormless, watching the Irina show with everyone else, Basileus really wanted to set to the girl straight.

Magnus sensed his friend's emotions taking a nose dive and put all his efforts into picking the man back up, to no avail. "You are asking questions about things you aren't old enough to understand, young one," he answered on Basileus' behalf.

"I would bury Aro if I thought he was a threat to one of our children," Sulpicia added. "And we've been together for thousands of years. I would expect the same of him if I were a threat to them. It's called parental responsibilities, Irina."

"I've heard how Aro treats your children," Irina replied to the coven queen, getting a quick smirk into Felix, too. "It would seem you a little lacking in parental responsibility."

Magnus switched from Basileus' emotional state to Sulpicia's, stopping the queen from erupting in the manner she wished.

"Irina, just stop!" Kate called to her sister. She knew what Irina was up to. In all the years they had lived together, Kate had never seen Irina lose. Maybe the odd argument, but Irina never quit until she'd won the war.

"What do you mean?" Aro asked, the hackles rising on the back of his neck. "How do I treat my children?!"

Magnus took hold of Aro's emotions on top of Sulpicia's. With all the other emotions in the room battering him through his gift, the strain became apparent on his face.

Irina didn't answer Aro's question directly. She was getting what she wanted and was enjoying the Volturi's downfall, as she saw it. "I'm just surprised," she mused, sounding sickly sweet as she played. "From what we knew of the Volturi, Caius was the one with a penchant for cruelty yet he seems meek, and you, vicious."

Caius flashed to his feet from the floor in one fluid movement. "Fucking meek?!"

"ENOUGH!"

Magnus' roar silenced the room. Even Aro flinched, much to his own annoyance, especially as Caius noticed and did nothing to hide his smile over the matter.

A good few minutes passed by in silence whilst Magnus got himself together. It was a difficult situation for the empath - being surrounded by so many different and conflicting emotions in a relatively small space, and trying to contain any eruptions … difficult. Basileus started speaking quietly to the man as they sat together. It didn't take a genius for anyone to work out the topic of their conversation as the pair of them intermittently glanced over to Irina.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Irina asked. Magnus had broken her stride somewhat but Irina wasn't done yet. "Just because my pretty face has turned your head, do not assume I can be so easily distracted."

Basileus had intended on ignoring the little bitch but he wasn't letting that comment go without countering. "Pretty face?" He looked the Denali girl up and down from his seat. "I am surrounded by pretty faces, it takes more than that."

"Much more than you are capable of offering," Magnus added. "I assure you."

"Dirty old men." Irina's ego was almost on par with Felix's. All men wanted her, in her eyes.

"You are a child, my dear, you have nothing to offer men like us," Basileus explained.

Atia and Freyr snickered from across the room - they knew the girl couldn't hope to turn their mates' heads. Basileus didn't find it so funny. He wouldn't stand for anyone else on the planet speaking to him the way Irina was and it went against everything he knew to just sit there and take it. Magnus winced, feeling the creator's emotions spike towards rage again.

"You will do well to show us some respect," Basileus told the girl through gritted teeth.

Irina gave a short, tinkling, and fake laugh in response, followed by a flick of her hair as she turned away from Basileus. The gesture signified quite clearly how little the man impressed her. "You won't have an ounce of my respect until you've earned it."

Atia tutted at the girl. She could see her mate was struggling to keep himself contained and thought it best to take over if she could. "That's not how it works around here, young lady."

"Yes, I find the premise that respect is earned is usually hated by people who think age or position gives them the right to be a cunt."

The room gasped in unison, most trying to work out if Irina had called Atia a cunt, or Basileus, or whether it extended to all of them. Basileus was truly ready to snap.

Atia, however, didn't even blink, "Sadly for you we are all old and highly stationed, so we doubly hate it."

Irina narrowed her eyes at the vampiric witch. Atia was always going to be the more difficult to break, Irina had already worked that out. "I'm entitled …"

"You're entitled to nothing!" Basileus boomed.

He flashed to Irina and dragged the girl to her feet by her throat. Everyone else rushed to stop him from hurting the Denali trouble maker - not so much for Irina's sake, but for her young sisters looking on hysterical at the scene.

"And if I hear you calling anyone in my coven a cunt again," Basileus growled into her ear, shaking Irina like a rag doll, "I will forget my patronage to your mother and snap your pretty little neck."

Basileus allowed Magnus and Marcus to pull him away and they all exited the south tower for a break from the tension.

Irina shoved everyone away from her, the fact that some at least were trying to offer comfort was irrelevant. She flew far across the room coughing and spluttering in true dramatic fashion.

Carmen and Atia tried to approach the girl once she had settled into quiet sobs. Again, Irina pushed them away. Kate caught Tanya's eye and nodded towards their elder sister. Neither of them really wanted to go to her, but they knew they had to. It was expected of them.

Irina smirked to herself for a moment seeing her sisters approach. Basileus had given her exactly what she needed to keep her the younger girls on her side.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, placing a gentle hand on her sister's arm.

"Like you care!" Irina spat, shrugging off her sister's gesture. "Why are you sitting with them? Laughing with them?!"

Kate sighed to herself as Tanya fought back. "Like you and Athenodora, you mean?"

"That's different!" Irina hissed. She gave her throat a good rub for full effect. Basileus' efforts would likely not have left much of a mark but all the rubbing Irina was doing surely would - she was damn near giving her neck a Chinese burn! "Dora had nothing to do with our mother's murder. Do you have no loyalty to our mother at all?"

Both Kate and Tanya had much to say in response to that. For one, a good many of the Volturi family had nothing to do with their mother's demise, for another, they didn't blame the Volturi when their mother had broken a sacred law of their kind.

Kate wouldn't voice such things. Not then. She needed to keep her sisters calm at that moment and filled the space between them with platitudes and accessions. Tanya, however, rarely held back.

"Our mother didn't show much loyalty to us, Irina." Tanya flicked her hair out in much the same way as her sister had done to Basileus. "Why should we show her any loyalty now when we are being offered a better life?"

"A better life?!" Irina all but bawled the words back to Tanya.

The rest of the gathering were doing a good job of pretending not to notice what was going on behind them, trying to give the girls some space. Jane watched them intently, however, having never had sisters she was intrigued by their relationship. That day she had already held longer conversations with Tanya and Kate than she ever had with Felix or Demetri. She hoped they stayed in the coven … but she wouldn't miss Irina when her grandfather really did snap her neck.

"I will be leaving this place when the time's right," Irina told her sisters. "Will you be with me ... or against me?"

Tanya shook her head. "I don't want to leave …"

"With me or against me, Tanya," Irina pushed. It wasn't a question of whether she wanted to leave the coven, it was a test of loyalty. Irina rubbed at her throat again, stretching out her neck to reveal raw skin from all her efforts.

Kate gulped seeing such a sight on her sister's neck. "We'll be with you," she said quietly, and gave her little sister a nudge. "Won't we, Tan?"

Tanya looked over her shoulder to the Volturi family behind her. She wanted to tell Irina to go fuck herself and that she must be crazy to want to leave the royal coven and the life it could provide. But there was no point arguing with Irina when she was so hell bent on ruining their new life. _Well_ _, she can ruin her own life ... she's not ruining mine_.

Tanya shrugged, hiding her true opinion and eventually answered, "Sure."

Irina missed Tanya's real feelings on the matter and launched straight into her modus operandi: "The Volturi may have won the battle, but they will lose the war. They are going to mess with our heads - stay away from Corin - she will make you feel happy when you aren't, tricking you into staying here. And Chelsea! She will break our bonds. They only want you Kate, they will kill me and Tanya if they get you under their spell. We have to stay together, and we have to stay strong …"

Tanya and Kate nodded along, neither listening, neither caring. Tanya's head was full of her new life, life as a Volturi princess!

"How will you convince them to let us leave?" Tanya asked, wondering if her sister's plans required anything of her that would interrupt her new princess status.

Irina smiled broadly, finally believing she had her sisters on side. "By being too much trouble to keep."

Tanya smiled back. She already knew the sort of trouble the guards caused in the coven without ejection, let alone the schemes Felix had impressed the girls with on their first meeting. _You will have to do a hell of a lot to get us kicked out_ , she thought, still smiling. _We_ _'_ _re staying_.

Kate watched her sisters stalking back to their seats and her shoulders sunk. She knew her sisters well. _Irina will do anything to leave, Tanya will do anything to stay_. Kate, therefore, had the deciding vote. The only thing Kate really wanted was for the three of them to stay together. She couldn't face losing either sister, not so soon after losing her mother. That said, Kate was naturally cautious and Irina wasn't presenting a strong option. Kate glanced to the window. Life out there? On our own? Life with Sasha had been chaotic enough, let alone life with Irina at the helm.

When Basileus returned, he was in a much better mood. He even apologised to Irina for his man-handling of her. Not that the Denali girl wanted his apology, she was far more interested in talking to Dora and Carlisle by that point, with plans for introducing her into coven life properly. Irina was glad of Basileus' little tantrum as it had sealed the first part of her plan - she felt it brought her sisters on side.

The second part of her plan she could take care of herself and she was going to use the two outsiders to do it. Carlisle and Dora had something in common, something neither of them ... or anyone else, for that matter ... seemed to recognise. They were inbetweeners. Neither fitted in with the other adults, and they were clearly too old to be considered youths, which left them always on the outside, always looking in.

There was resentment there, Irina was sure of it. Insecurity, too. Sasha had taught her girls how to play men, how to pick out the things that make a man tick and how to worm your way into their trust. It was how they survived in a harsh landscape with the ever-present threat of the Russian coven invading the Denalis. Irina could put that knowledge to good use with women, too. Dora and Carlisle would be easy pickings for the Denali girl.

Kate looked on as her sister batted her eyelashes to Carlisle and sucked up to Dora. She could see Irina was already putting the wheels in motion to get the three of them out of the coven. To Kate's other side sat Tanya, welded to Eleazar as if to sit further away would see him escape.

Kate's attention, like everyone else's, was soon taken up with the almost fight in front of the fireplace as Alec ever so accidentally-on-purpose spilt some of his bloodwine on Felix. Felix, naturally, launched at his baby brother before Aro caught the boy mid-air. He slammed Felix ass-first back to the floor and held him there whilst giving him a round of fucks for overreacting. Seeing his father's eye turning on him and then the clear gesture from Basileus to Alec, Aro relented and turned on his youngest next.

"You need to be more careful," Aro admonished Alec. "I have told you umpteen times …"

"See, that sounds like a lot," Alec said, interrupting his father, "but umpteen is still in the teens, isn't it, so it's not that many when you think about it."

The comment made Aro laugh, saving Alec from any further rebuke, much to Felix's annoyance. On a good day, Basileus would have let it go, but he had been so riled up by Irina, so emotional with some of his storytelling, so pissed off with Aro for treating the children so differently and causing grief between them all when there was already enough grief … he snapped! Reaching out with one hand to steady Alec, he used the other to take a swipe at the boy's behind.

"Enough!" he said sharply.

Alec yelped and sprang away from his grandfather, back to the safety of his mother.

"He was playing, Dad," Aro explained, rolling his eyes. "Felix was the one over dramatising."

"Playing?!" Felix spat. "Dramatising?!"

"See?" Basileus asked Magnus. "He's overly permissive with some, and over the top with the one."

"Recipe for disaster," Magnus agreed.

"I wasn't asking for parenting tips from either of you, thanks." Aro fetched Alec from Sulpicia and retook his seat, pulling the youngest Volturi into his lap to comfort his baby boy. "You aren't right about this just because you're older. It may just mean you've been wrong for longer."

"It may mean that," Basileus agreed with the premise. "It doesn't, though. Not in this case."

"You need to treat them fairly, Aro," Magnus added.

"I can't treat them the same," Aro replied, drawling out his words as though he were speaking to the village idiot. "Alec's half the size of Felix and he doesn't cause anywhere near as much trouble, either."

"He does, Aro," Basileus said knowingly. "It's just in a different way."

"So, you admit they are different then?" Aro said quickly, thinking he had his father.

"Of course they are," Basileus replied. "Treating them fairly does not mean treating them equally."

Felix had been quite keen to see where the conversation would go, but Basileus had lost him on that point.

"Differentiating children's discipline to the individual child's needs is fair," Basileus explained. "But you aren't doing that. You let Alec and Jane do as they please whilst coming down far too hard on Felix. Can't you see that it causes you problems?"

Aro glared at his eldest son for a moment who was enjoying the conversation again, a little too much for Aro's liking. "Felix causes me problems, that's what I see."

Basileus flopped back into his seat and shook his head. _Damn bull-headed brat,_ he thought to his son. But oddly, he smiled. It was a smile of satisfaction, contentment. He wasn't pleased with Aro at the at moment, but after thinking on how close he had come to finding the fires of Hades and ending his life, he was pleased to have ever met him. Basileus heard his father's words again. 'He will fill your days and then some'. Aro had certainly done that! But it wasn't just Aro. Turning Aro had set forth a chain of events that had led to a whole room full of vampires for Basileus to call family. Taking his whiskey glass from the table, Basileus made an imaginary chick into the air to his own father for saving him that day, and he knew Zeus would be watching.


	137. Caius, Dora, and Sully - 1100BC

**AN:** I seem to have caught up with myself after my computer dramas, so back on track now :) Thank you all for your patience and to Doccoopper for putting up with my sporadic chapter updates for editing! :)

* * *

 **CAIUS, DORA, AND SULLY - 1100BC**

With Basileus claiming to die of thirst from all his storytelling, and many of the adults needing more than non-alcoholic bloodwine if they were to resist the temptation to murder a certain Denali girl for the rest of the day, it was decided that hard liquor was in order.

While Basileus was busy pulling out bottles from the drink cabinet, Aro went to Dora and Irina, still sprawled over his precious desk, to have a blast on his weed before the fuckers smoked the lot!

"Alec, get off me."

Felix resisted the urge to throw his baby brother into the fire, but he hoped calling the brat out on his behaviour might at least draw one of the adults into telling Alec to leave him alone.

He was to be disappointed.

Magnus and Freyr wouldn't get involved, not outside of the guard hall. It would be inappropriate. Atia would have, but Sulpicia was there and she didn't want to step on her daughter-in-law's toes. Actually, she did want to, but knew it would cause grief between the two of them. Eleazar would have pulled Alec up on his behaviour, usually, but he was more engrossed in rearranging his mind to make space for three young girls in his life.

Felix wasn't left with many options when Alec continued to loll all over him, purposely trying to wind him up. The young boy was bored, to be fair to Alec, and he wasn't used to being cooped up all day with so many people. Felix felt the same, but he knew damn well that if he reacted he would be the one in the firing line whilst Alec walked free, again.

"Get the fuck off me," Felix hissed into Alec's ear.

Alec huffed and jabbed his small elbow into Felix's side. "I'm hardly on you."

"Go back to sitting with mommy, Alec," Felix told his brother, continuing quietly with, "before I set you on fire, you fucking witch."

It was a low blow, but Felix was getting pissed off and he wanted rid of the brat. Alec spent most of his time with Jane … who was busy with Kate. Or Demetri … who was busy with Caius. Alec wasn't just being annoying for the sake of it. He just wanted some attention, some reassurance in a busy room that he had a safe place to be. Sulpicia was his go to in such situations, but his mother's attention was divided between her guests and Alec just needed to be close to someone safe. Why he chose his big brother was anyone's guess!

The next time Alec sat too closely to his brother (by his side, though Felix translated that as in his lap!) - Felix moved himself into Aro's vacated seat.

"Caius," he called. "He's yours, can't you tell him?" Felix jabbed a finger in Alec's direction when Caius looked back confused.

"He's not mine," Caius replied, still confused. Caius was barely responsible for himself ... let alone someone else's kid!

Felix glowered down to his baby brother and replied, "Well he's not Aro's, is he?"

Aro went seamlessly from his playful flirt with Dora to bellowing across the room at his boy. "What did you say?!"

Felix really hadn't expected his father to hear him. "Just that …" The boy faltered seeing Aro flash towards him.

"Because if you said what I think you said you are going to be so very sorry."

Looking around, it was clear Felix had misjudged the situation massively. Even if Aro hadn't reacted to the boy's words, it was suddenly very clear that someone else would have done so. _Oh man,_ Felix thought. _Mom looks livid._ So did the rest of his family, for that matter. Except Jane who was enjoying her brother's downfall. Even Alec had a small smile. _Little shit_ , Felix thought murderously.

"Well?!" Aro got his boy's attention by clocking him across the head. He expected a response. "I'm warning you, Felix."

Across the room, Basileus felt his shoulders drop. Yes, Felix had been out of order, but with Aro making a show of him for it and backing the boy into a corner, publicly so, Basileus knew exactly how his grandson would react.

"Why are you getting on at me for?" Felix shot back to his father.

 _Yup,_ Basileus thought. _He will come out fighting._

"I didn't even say anything," Felix insisted. He pushed Aro back so he had room to stand, a gesture that earned the boy a shocked tut from a good many of the observers. "Alec's been mouthing off all day and he hasn't received so much as a slap from you. I say nothing, and you threaten to … well I don't know what, but something!"

Aro looked down to the hand Felix held on his chest and took it in a vice like grip. Twisting the boy's wrist, he had his son back in his chair quickly. "You are implying something about Alec that you know damn well disgusts me." Each word was delivered through gritted teeth.

Felix should have sensed the danger. Perhaps he did, but he didn't let it show. "I didn't say it though, did I?! What about him?!" Felix pointed out his baby brother who was quick to turn his excited eyes into teary ones before Aro turned to see him.

Aro wasn't so easily fooled and shook his head slowly to his youngest before getting back to Felix. "We're talking about you right now, I'll get on his ass later."

Basileus had done well to keep his thoughts to himself until that point, but hearing his son's blatant lie, for he knew Alec would be walking free despite his continued disruption, he couldn't help scoffing at his boy.

 _Just fucking leave it, Dad!_ Aro roared through his thoughts.

"No you won't, you never do!"

Though Felix replied with force, he stayed seated, mainly for fear of what Aro would do to him in such a crowded room. He was sadly used to the shame of being reprimanded in front of his mother and siblings, even his grandparents, and Eleazar and Carmen, come to that. The Denali girls bearing witness to any potential discipline was throwing the boy a little. Having the other coven masters there wouldn't have been Felix's first choice, either.

Basileus was less interested in Felix's head and far more interested in Aro's by that point. "Do you want to try that again?!"

Aro ran his hands through his hair, there was too much going on. Aside from all the earlier stress with Irina, having Felix bring up the venom issue, and then his father apparently threatening him … too much.

"Go to your room and wait for me," he said, pulling his boy back to his feet.

Felix's eyes flashed around the entire group to assess his options, moving at such a speed that made him dizzy. No one came to his aid, not even his mother. _She still looks pissed,_ he thought. That wasn't the worst reception to his predicament, however. A few members of the group looked positively gleeful - Jane, Irina, even Alec. Caius sat rather expressionless, but Felix translated that to agreement with Aro. _You're all cunts!_

"Felix!" Basileus warned, hearing the child's thoughts.

Like Aro, Felix's senses were overloaded ... too much. Turning to look his father dead in the eye, Felix said, "Fuck. You."

Again, Basileus' shoulder sunk. _Oh, damn it!_

"Fuck me?" Aro repeated. "Fuck me?!"

Caius leaned in closer to Magnus as Felix and Aro began their all too common battle of wills. "Did he really just say that?!" Caius asked the juggernaut, assuming he surely must have misheard. "To Aro?!"

Magnus bent down and kept his voice low. "He's young enough to think he can, but old enough to know he shouldn't. Unfortunately he's foolish enough to go right ahead and do it anyway."

Felix couldn't hear what was said, but it was clear as day that the pair of them were discussing him. "It's got nothing to do with you, Magnus. Or you, Caius."

"You don't want to take us all on, young one," Magnus replied calmly. "It didn't work out so well for you last time."

"You can fuck off, too!" Felix called back. The boy was so riled up he'd lost all reason.

Basileus was bitterly disappointed to see Aro smirk to Felix's words. If it had been anyone else Felix was telling to fuck off, Aro would have done something. The only reason he resisted then was because it was Magnus.

"Felix," Basileus called. "You talk to him like that again and you will be finishing the conversation with me."

"Whatever," Felix said with a disgusted snarl to his grandfather - he'd expected some back-up from the man, not more condemnation.

Aro breathed an internal sigh of relief. If Felix pissed off Basileus, Basileus would be less pissed off with him! He extended his arms wide and threw on a sarcastic smile. "Maybe he really does wish to have us all play a part?"

Atia wasn't sitting through any more. She had only held back in the hope that her mate would succeed in calling an end to the unpleasantness. Seeing Basileus becoming angrier, and Sulpicia still sitting mute, Atia stepped up. "I'm sure Felix wants nothing of the sort, he is feeling annoyed at being treated so differently to his brother."

Aro scoffed into the air. It was something he had heard no end of times over the last few months from both his parents and his mate. "He doesn't feel annoyed when it's in his favour, Mom."

Whilst Atia was replying, reasonably, she felt, in Felix's defence, the boy rendered all her good efforts pointless with one simple statement:

"Alec's not even my brother."

"You had to say it didn't you?!" Aro dragged his son from the spot and launched him towards the stairwell. "Ungrateful, selfish brat!"

Felix panicked. He looked back to his grandparents, both of whom had been in his corner and would have saved him from such shame had he not pushed things so far. But Felix did push, that's what he always did. He always regretted it, too.

"I swear to the gods Felix, I will deal with you here if you force me to."

With a gulp to his father's words, Felix flew up the stairs. He didn't make it to his room, though. Instead he hung around at the top, listening to the arguing going on downstairs. It was conducted in hushed tones, from what Felix could make out, and he thought, rather foolishly, that Atia would win against Aro on the matter. All the woman achieved was to rile Aro up further, sadly. When he ascended the stairs, it was in a state of pure fury. Felix flashed to his room but Aro had already seen his boy defying yet another command.

"This has got to stop, Felix," Aro said, unbuckling his belt.

Felix knew that already, he wasn't even sure why he had said such a stupid thing about Alec in the first place! He didn't mean it, just like he hadn't meant it about Demetri, either. It was just something to say, a way to get one over on his little brothers - sibling stuff, in Felix's mind. Clearly not in Aro's!

His mouth dried right up at the sight of his father folding his belt. It always made him feel like a little kid. There is something about 'getting into trouble' that just reeks of immaturity, and Felix was becoming increasingly embarrassed that he even got to the point where his father felt the need to whip his backside, let alone the embarrassment of actually getting whipped. _I know I screwed up, so what's the point in going through with it?_ Felix could feel himself on the edge of a second row, but good sense kicked in. _The tower is full of people, I can't take it, not now, not with everyone listening. I need to convince him not to punish me_ _…_

Felix backed up slowly, walking around his bed to put something between himself and Aro. "Dad, please, can we wait until everyone has gone?"

Aro stopped dead in his tracks. "You're making demands?!" He wasn't even attempting to hide his annoyance with that faux calm he liked to use in such situations. "You think that's how this is going to go?! You are lucky you and I are just talking right now. Lucky! Damn lucky!"

"Please don't shout," Felix begged, voice barely above a whisper.

"Quite happy shouting your mouth off at me though, weren't you?"

Aro walked around Felix's bed to reach his boy. By the time he was at the foot, Felix had flashed over the top.

"I didn't mean it."

"Oh, yes you did," Aro replied. "I saw the glint in your eyes as soon as you heard Caius bit Alec."

 _Okay, I can't deny that_ , Felix thought. "It's just interesting to know, that's all," he shrugged. The tiniest of smiles graced his lips and Aro saw red!

"Oh you prideful little cock!"

Aro flashed to his son, but Felix saw him coming and flashed to the window. It was open with the weather being pleasant and the boy genuinely considered jumping out the fucking thing. Aro didn't want that. For one, he wanted to lay his belt across the little shit, but, more reasonably, he wouldn't want his son to be hurt in the descent from three floors above ground level. Felix sat on the window ledge and swung one leg over. It was enough to hold Aro back, and that gave the boy a boost in confidence.

"You can belt me, Dad, but you know you treat me and Jane differently and you know why. We're yours, they're not."

"Is that truly what you think, Felix?" Aro asked. His rage quelled for the moment as he considered his boy.

"Honestly? Not just to wind up your brothers up but because you actually think you are somehow more special to me than the others?"

No, that's not what Felix thought at all actually. He really was just using the whole venom thing to wind his brothers up - but he was in no mood to admit something so childish, not with a crowded audience listening downstairs. He stayed quiet, leaving Aro to decide. Naturally, Aro assumed then that Felix really did believe he was somehow more special than his brothers.

"Right then, I must have been showing you some sort of undue favouritism. I'll be putting that right, don't you worry."

 _Shit!_ Felix was thrown by that comment. "What does that mean?" he asked, warily.

Aro took advantage of his son's momentary anxiety and flashed forward, pulling Felix clear of the window and into the safety - or otherwise - of his room. "You'll see, son," Aro answered, dragging Felix to his bed. "You'll see. But first, to take care of your appalling attitude."

Felix saw his fate rushing towards him. _No!_ No chance was he submitting to punishment. "But everyone's downstairs!" he said in his struggle. "I can hear them!"

"So can I," Aro agreed rather happily. "And I intend on giving them a good show. Think yourself lucky that they are only catching the audio."

Aro managed to strike Felix only once before Felix broke free. With his path to the window blocked, he went for the door instead. "I'm your first, that makes you treat me differently, and it's not my fault."

It was such a bullshit response to the whole situation, but like his father, Felix wasn't good at accepting blame either - deflection was something he'd learnt long ago from Aro himself.

"You just heard you weren't my first son, Felix," Aro reminded him rather cruelly. "Or weren't you paying attention? You aren't a patch on …"

"ARO!"

The creator's voice cut Aro off before he could say anything he would regret.

"That's enough! I want you both down here now!" Basileus already had one foot on the stairs and he was ready to intervene if his order wasn't followed with haste.

Felix didn't need telling twice. He ran so fast down those stairs that he tripped over his own feet and all but landed in his grandfather's arms.

"I didn't mean it," he admitted quietly to the man, obviously referring to his claims over Aro's venom and his brothers. "I don't know why I said it."

"Then don't say it again," Basileus replied. _Damn idiot_.

It wasn't Felix Basileus was annoyed with, though. It was Aro.

"This is exactly what I have been talking about," he told his son when he appeared, still fastening his belt. "You need to better manage these situations."

Aro glared at Felix as his father continued to berate him. They were all grateful that Atia had, in her usual statesman like fashion, directed everyone else to the very far side of the room. Only Magnus, Caius, and Eleazar were within listening distance. The three of them had somehow wrestled the hash from Dora and Irina. _I'm going to have none left at this rate_! Aro thought.

"Are you listening to me?!" Basileus asked, jabbing Aro hard in the chest. "Forget it, go and smoke," he said, pushing Aro over to the others. "It might calm you down."

It was a bit rich, in Aro's mind, that Basileus thought he was the one who needed to calm down. _You had a girl around the throat an hour ago!_

Basileus might have gone after him for that thought, but luckily for Aro, he wanted to first speak with Felix privately.

Eleazar passed the pipe to Aro. "That sounded brutal, brother."

"He was arguing and giving me the run-around," Aro explained. "I hardly touch him."

"But with everyone here …" Eleazar gestured to the room, which was rather fuller than it had ever been. "No need."

"My parents spanked me as a child and as a result I suffer from this rather bizarre condition called respect for others." Aro purposely used the 's-word', as Felix referred to it, knowing it would horrify the kid.

"Bullshit do you!" Basileus appeared at Aro's side and took the pipe for himself. He wasn't massively keen on the effects of the herb, but Aro had been right in his thoughts - they all needed to calm down. "Your parents didn't spank you - your father whipped you bloody to near death on a regular basis."

"I never dared disrespect him," Aro said, as if that made his actions justified. "Not once."

"Maybe you should give it a go Basileus?" Magnus helpfully suggested.

Aro barged his shoulder into the juggernaut for such assistance. "He has, thanks."

Basileus blew out a great plumb of smoke as his only response. He'd drawn so hard on the pipe that he'd burnt out the last of the herb it contained.

It fell to Caius to restock the pipe, but at least that meant it was back in his possession. _What kind of smoker only has one pipe?!_ Caius couldn't help but think of the very many pipes he owned that sat useless most of the time. Freyr refused to sit surrounded by smoke so Caius rarely got to smoke anymore. _Next time I'm forced to endure this one-big-happy-family shit I'm bringing supplies,_ he thought.

"It does sounds like Felix is suffering from delusions of grandeur," Caius commented. He'd only managed a couple of quick blasts before Magnus took the pipe for himself.

"More like delusions of adequacy, I doubt his mind could create grandeur," Aro replied, shaking his head. "He drives me to insanity."

With Basileus and Magnus both tutting in earnest, Aro pushed on to get them on side. "Do you not remember all the shit Felix caused with his mouth about my venom?"

"Aye." Magnus took a quick glance to Caius as the memory of the tribune ball floated through his mind. "I remember alright."

"So what am I supposed to do when he starts like that?" Aro asked them all. "Leave him to it?!"

Basileus closed his eyes and kept his thoughts to himself. He was bored of the arguments and he knew Aro was in no mood to listen to reason, anyway. Rather than causing another row, he walked away.

"I'd be leaving him smeared across the floor," Caius answered helpfully. "Cocky brat."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Which is one of many reasons you don't have children."

"And never will!" Caius agreed, taking the pipe from the juggernaut before Eleazar could get a go.

 _Thank the Gods for that, I have enough to do as it is._ Magnus puffed the smoke from his cheeks thinking of the horrific idea of Caius with kids. It was quite possibly the most disturbing thing Magnus had ever considered.

"You might be speaking too soon, Caius." Eleazar pointed out Athenodora across the room. "Dora is actually laughing with Irina."

"I can't remember the last time I saw Dora so happy …" And Aro was really trying to recall such an occasion! "It's weird!

"If my mate gets any stupid ideas about kids … what am I saying?" Caius shook his head and laughed at the premise. _Ridiculous!_ "Dora won't want kids, she's happy with her life."

 _Happy with her life_ _…_ Magnus, too, thought _'ridiculous'_. Dora wasn't happy, he knew that. She and Caius were in a state of transition, as he saw it, from their old life to a new one. But Dora wasn't happy yet, or not as happy as she should or could be. And he would know, being the empath.

"I thought Carmen was!" Eleazar grunted.

Caius quietly passed the pipe to the elder Volturi brother asking, "How are the two of you?"

Aro burst out laughing at his brother's expression. "I think that face answers your question, Caius."

Eleazar had to laugh, too. It was true - the state of his life was plastered all over his face. "Carmen and I will be fine, but I'm not happy," he explained. "How long am I going to be stuck with them?"

Sudden quiet spread through the men.

"Well?" Eleazar pushed.

"The girls?" Aro asked, stalling. "Only until I can find another coven willing to take them on."

Eleazar glared at his brother. "All the covens refused at the tribune ball, Aro. All of them."

"I'm sure we'll find someone to take them on, El," Aro said soothingly, patting his brother's shoulder with one hand whilst taking the hash pipe with the other. "Don't worry."

"Irina hates us, she's going to be trouble in the coven," Eleazar added, hoping to spur his brother into action in getting the girls out of his precious coven.

"Yes," Aro agreed. "But that trouble will be for you and Carmen to deal with," he said, only too pleased that someone else would have the horrors of child vampires inflicted on their life.

"Carmen, you mean," Eleazar scoffed. "She wanted them." There was no way on earth that Eleazar was dealing with children's strife daily. He also knew that if he did, he would end up keeping the girls forever. _Not happening._ Eleazar planned to let the whole coven suffer the Denali girls - that way they wouldn't be anyone's problem for long … he hoped. "Irina will be your problem too, I bet," he added to Magnus.

"Why me?!" Magnus hadn't seen that one coming.

"Just wait until she gets into the guard hall," Eleazar told him. "It will be like loosing off a fox in a hen house."

Magnus' whole face screwed up. _That would be a bloody nightmare!_ "I will ban her from the hall, then."

"You can't just ban her before she's caused you some sort of trouble." Aro couldn't keep the smile from growing at knowing Magnus would suffer Irina, too. "That's not how this place works."

The juggernaut returned Aro's earlier barged shoulder, with far more force it should be said. "Look at how excited you are about me having more grief! As if I don't have enough as it is with ALL the guards!"

Aro's enjoyment winding the juggernaut up was cut short when Felix approached. "Dad, I'm sorry. I've apologised to Alec, are we straight?"

Aro gripped his golden goblet a little too tightly and felt the metal compress. "You dare bring it up again and I'll …"

"You don't have to say it," Felix said quickly before Aro could shame him further. "I'm sorry, okay?"

Eleazar made sure to keep an ear on their quiet conversation and was ready to intervene, but fortunately for Felix, Aro had calmed a great deal by then and their talk was just that, a talk.

"If you're having grief with the guards you need to get them under control," Caius said quietly to Magnus. "Or is it just the one guard?"

Magnus wasn't a fool, he knew who Caius was referring to. "Odi's fine, thanks."

Caius did a similar thing to his goblet as Aro had done. Still, he continued. "I can give you some tips for bringing them into line, if you like."

Magnus knew exactly how Caius 'kept guards in line' when he was over them all and those methods were utterly abhorrent to the juggernaut. He'd play along, though, if Caius wanted a reaction, he'd get one.

"That would depend on whether you would like to see such 'tips' used on you when I next need to bring you into line, Caius."

The idea of the juggernaut using submission against him flipped Caius' stomach into knots! No, he would not like to see such tips used on him, thank you very much! Magnus caught Caius before he could retreat.

"I know Basileus has told you to back off." He spoke quietly so only they would hear. "Now I'm telling you. Drop your attitude with me and we can discuss the cause later, in private." Magnus felt Caius' emotions starting to change, there was a definite spike in annoyance which Magnus knew could easily turn to anger if he didn't nip it in the bud. "Or, keep going and we will discuss it in public," he offered. It was enough to see Caius back off.

Demetri bounded over to Caius before the man could respond verbally, though Caius was glad of the distraction from what Magnus was threatening.

"Can we play again?" the boy asked, clutching his cards.

Truthfully, Caius was bored with the kid, but it was better than sitting through any more stories without a distraction. Caius didn't do well 'relaxing'. He was always doing something, and when he wasn't, he was drinking to high excess. He knew his intake was under scrutiny and he knew he couldn't leave, so yeah, playing cards with Demetri was his best option.

"I think you're ready for a proper game," Caius said, taking the cards from the boy. "Ask your dad for some cash."

Catching what Caius had said, Aro scoffed. "If he wants to play for money he can lose his own, not mine."

"What makes you think I will lose?!" Demetri asked, offence on his face.

Aro ruffled his boy's hair - patronisingly, had you asked Demetri - and replied, "Caius cheats - you will lose."

"You already play a better game than your old man," Caius told the boy, deflecting Aro's weak attempts to thump him for his comment. "Fetch some cash," he added to Demetri, who dutifully did.

Caius slid up to Magnus again and bumped his shoulder into his arm to get the man's attention. "Have you got any coin on you?" he asked, knowing full well Magnus would have. "Save me going back to the north tower," he explained.

Magnus emptied a pocket of coin into Caius' waiting hands. Unlike any of the other masters, Magnus always had cash on him. It was far easier to settle disputes in the guard hall over who knocked which drink over by simply replacing the drink with his own money than escalating the matter. It was a simple gesture that kept the guards grateful for his even leadership.

"Go easy on him, Caius," Magnus said quietly seeing Demetri return with a pot of florins. "He's only a child."

Caius rolled his eyes and huffed. "Because I'm such a cunt that I would nail the kid to the post over a few florins?" He didn't wait for Magnus to explain himself - of course Magnus hadn't meant what Caius suggested! - before storming off to join the boy back on the floor. "Thanks," he muttered darkly as he went.

Magnus followed, shaking his head over the sullen master, soon joined by everyone else as the group returned to their seats.

Felix was already seated which meant Alec was already sitting on him, too. Not wishing to push his father any further that day, Felix didn't complain, though he did move Alec to his side rather than his lap. "Whatever happened to your brother, Caius?" he asked, as Alec started lolling over him again.

The question threw Caius a little. No one ever talked about his past, particularly not that far back.

"I assume he's not knocking about the vampiric world somewhere?" Magnus pushed, taking over from Felix. "He did turn you, didn't he?"

"Yes," Caius nodded. "He turned me."

"So?" Felix asked. "Where is he?"

"Dead and buried." Caius did well to cover up his mild involuntary shudder. "Well, not buried, burnt."

Dora, in her stoned state, missed her mate's reticence to divulge their tale and joined in the explanation a little. "Our story started long before we were turned."

"What happened?" Felix was very keen on a Caius and Dora story. For one, he didn't really know much about the pair from their time before he had arrived in Volterra, for another, there was no possible way that Felix could be embarrassed by Caius and Dora's story because he didn't even exist then. It was a win-win for the kid.

Caius shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being centre stage and he didn't like it. But, with everyone's eyes on him expectantly, he knew it would have been worse to keep completely silent.

"I knew my father would object to my relationship with Dora …" he began, only to be quickly cut off by Felix.

"You're really old, why would it be up to your father?"

"Really old?!" Caius' face screwed up at the insult. "I'm twenty-eight!"

"Yeah, so you're an adult," Felix replied. "Twenty-eight was an adult then, wasn't it?"

Caius relaxed a little realising what Felix had meant. "Yes, but I was more like eighteen when I met Dora and I had already brought shame on my family, so I was under scrutiny." That wasn't quite what had happened, but Caius hoped his tale would end there.

Irina looked Dora up and down. She was definitely younger than her mate, but Irina wasn't sure by how much. "If he was eighteen, how old were you?"

"Fourteen … is that bad now?" Dora really wasn't sure. She had so little to do with human sensibilities.

Marcus wiggled his hand in the air. Fourteen was neither here nor there for aristocratic marriage. For the commoners it was considered far too young, but not for the human equivalents of Volturi status. Though the adults understood, the children in the room seemed to be aghast at the idea.

"It wasn't bad then," Dora explained. "I was running away from a marriage when we met."

"I'd been married by that age, too," Sulpicia said, nodding along. She looked over to her own daughter. Sulpicia had been Jane's age for her first marriage. "I'm so glad you were turned before you were old enough to suffer marriage, my darling."

"Suffer marriage?!" Aro shot across the room.

"At a young age …" Sulpicia said. _Obviously._ "You know what I mean, my love."

Very quietly from Eleazar's side, Tanya spoke up, "There are worse things than being married young."

Having an entire room of heads suddenly spin around to the girl's direction was disconcerting for the young Denali sister.

Eleazar and Carmen were the only ones not to look at Tanya - Eleazar turned to his father, hoping for some insight for what was behind the child's words, Carmen doing the same with Atia. Basileus shrugged and looked away. He knew the life the Denali's lived but his loyalty to Sasha affected his opinion on the matter. As far as Basileus was concerned, the girls no longer lived with Sasha, so their life would be different going forward, there was no good reason to dwell on the past (mainly because the way Sasha had used her girls, and herself, made him uncomfortable). Atia's response was a little more illuminating for Carmen. She didn't say much, but the raised eyebrows and subtle shake of the head Atia gave to her daughter-in-law said it was something Carmen should speak to her about in more detail when they were in private.

With no more information coming, Felix quickly grew bored of waiting. "So?" he asked, turning back to Caius. For once everyone was glad of the boy's poor attention span for moving the conversation on and away from Tanya.

"So what?" Caius asked, shrugging. "We ran off together, my brother found us, turned us, I killed him, met Aro, end of story."

"You are a god-awful story teller," Freyr told him as everyone else chuckled to Caius' tale.

Caius smiled back to the shield maiden. "Well that's as good as you're getting from me."

"I'll tell it then."

Caius' eyes darted over to the creator.

"Yes, Caius," Basileus smiled back "I do know the whole story."

Basileus held out his cup, expecting yet another refill to be brought to him for his continued storytelling. Atia obliged, but only so she could get closer to her mate for the moment.

"Haven't you revealed enough secrets today, my dear?" she asked with eyebrows raised to her hair line. _'Be careful!'_ she thought to him.

"There are no skeletons in my closet," Caius muttered. "I have nothing to hide."

Magnus snorted in his attempt to hide his laughter. "Yeah, you're a real 'wear your heart on your sleeve' type, aren't you?"

 **Caius and Dora - 1100BC, January**

Caius had been waiting by the well since daybreak. It hadn't been all that long, but he was cold and tired. The night before he'd spent staring at the skies, wondering how to rectify his latest fuck-up. Rectify it he must, he knew that.

His father had been apoplectic when he'd discovered Caius had got one of the rich, un-wedded girls pregnant. He still didn't know what he was going to do, but he hoped if he could speak to Jocasta, his young, pregnant lover, then he could work it out. He daren't go to Jocasta's home, so catching one of her friends at the well was his best shot. Half a dozen or so girls had been to the well that morning and he could have had any of them, he thought, with his self-inflated ego, but he needed a rich one to turn up. It was one of the few tasks the rich girls were permitted to complete, and they only did so at all because it was the only time they saw the outside of their homes. Jocasta fetched lots of water … where she would meet up with Caius to conduct their illicit love.

 _Finally!_ Caius though, seeing a slightly familiar face approach. He'd never spoken to her before, but he'd seen the girl with Jocasta. _She will do._ "Do you know Jocasta?" he asked, helping to pump water.

"Caius, I assume." The girl didn't even bother to fill her pail before walking away, shaking her head. "You'll not see her again. Nor will we ... because of you."

Caius rushed forward to get ahead of the girl. "So you know her?" he asked, holding his arms out wide to block her path. "Where is she? I need to find her."

The girl stopped clear of Caius' touch, as though if he were to lay a finger on her she, too, would be sullied in the same way as Jocasta.

"You won't find Jocasta - her father has made sure of that already."

Seeing the peasant boy look so downcast, the girl felt a pang in her heart. Jocasta had talked so often of her common love and he really was a good-looking boy. The fact that they were both willing to risk their lives for their love had been a tale all the girls had attached to in a wistful way. There was a group of them that socialised together, or rather, that were permitted to socialise together. All young teenage girls married to wealthy old men by money grabbing fathers. Their unfortunate circumstances, as they saw it, brought them together and they had all been living vicariously through Jocasta's illicit love life.

"The only one who might know where Jocasta has ended up is Athenodora. She's married to Jocasta's uncle. But even if she knows she may not tell you."

It was too late to offer any warnings, Caius was gone. He had a name, that was enough. He could find his lost love through this Athenodora, whoever she was.

He knew where the young brides spent their days weaving. The richest fucker in the land hosted the girls - and that fucker was Jocasta's uncle. If Athenodora was married to him, she would be in the weaving room. It was still early in the day. When Caius arrived at the window to the ground floor weaving room, he couldn't hear much movement within. Knowing he was risking life and limb, Caius warily peeked above the window ledge. As if timed by the gods, his eyes locked with the only girl in the room - Athenodora.

"Leave!" Dora commanded the few servants who attended her. They dutifully did so, without question. With a crooked finger, and far more confidence than a fourteen-year-old girl should really have, she beckoned the boy inside.

"Jocasta …" Caius didn't get to say anything else before Athenodora's tinkling laughter cut him off.

"So you're Caius?" Athenodora looked the common wretch up and down. She had advised Jocasta against a relationship with the drover's boy but seeing him in the flesh … _not such a wretch after all._

Caius just stood there with his mouth half hanging open, looming unusually gormless. He was fairly adept at wooing women, even rich, posh women who shouldn't have looked at him twice. He had been the love of Jocasta's young life, and he'd loved her, too, in his own way. As he took in the vision of beauty before him, he damn near forgot about Jocasta completely. If it weren't for the fact that she carried his child, he might well have never mentioned her name again. It was only his feeling of duty that pushed him to ask the girl about his lost love. But, bless him, in his love-struck state for Athenodora, Caius' words came out as an utter cluster fuck.

"Jocasta … you know? Gone … fuck!"

"So, it speaks!" Athenodora nodded to herself. "Not very well, granted, but it speaks."

Caius cleared his throat and started over. "I'm looking for Jocasta," he explained with his cheeks a little flushed. "Do you know where she is?"

"I've heard things, none of them good, none of them a location." Athenodora folder her arms and looked down her nose to the drover's boy, which was difficult as the boy was at least a foot taller than her. "You may have cost her her life, you know?"

"Her father would really kill her for being with me?!" Jocasta had waxed lyrical to Caius about her father's ways, but to kill his own daughter for following her heart ... _what kind of people are you? Being rich makes people cunts!_

"Not for being with you, Caius," Dora explained. "But she's lost her worth now it's known about."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Aside from being offended, Caius was confused.

Dora huffed haughtily at the poor little commoner who didn't understand the wider world. "Jocasta's worth comes down to her virginity. That ship sailed by when the child you implanted in her started to show."

"Well, if she's not worth anything, I'll have her." It was simple for Caius.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Dora laughed back. "You are a drover …"

"My father's a drover, not me."

"Fine." Dora spoke ever so slowly so Caius wouldn't be confused. "You are a drover's boy. It would be a humiliation to Jocasta's family if she wedded you."

 _A humiliation, huh_? _Fucking self-inflated rich pricks_.

"What about the baby?"

"If there is a baby, it won't be yours, or Jocasta's."

"Another humiliation, no doubt?" Caius spoke evenly but his heart ached for a child he'd never even known, nor would ever know, by the sound of it.

"There's a price on your head," Dora went on. "They don't know who you are, yet, but they will find out."

She quite liked that Caius hadn't back down yet, and she wondered how far he would go for Jocasta. He would never see her again, Dora knew that, but she was impressed by his resilience.

By 'they' Caius assumed Dora was talking about Jocasta's family. _No doubt her sick fuck father._ It wasn't too much of a surprise. Neither was losing Jocasta. Caius hadn't expected to ever marry the girl, or even for their fling to go on as long as it had. She was nice, too nice really, and that just didn't interest Caius. He'd only started seeing the girl after being dared to by Helios, his brother. He'd only continued seeing her because she was carrying his child. If both were now lost, Caius would move on quickly. _But_ _…_ _a price on my head?_

"So," Caius drawled leaning in very close to Dora. "I'm now worth more than Jocasta?"

"To some," Dora agreed.

She didn't pull back from his advances, Caius liked that very much. Wooing Jocasta had taken more effort than he'd liked. Dora already looked like a sure thing. Sadly, time was short, he had been expected home an hour before, at least. Hoping Helios would have covered for him with their father, Caius moved closer still, as close as he'd dare. Dora looked him dead in the eye and smiled confidently. _Oh, I like that!_ Meek and mild was beyond boring to Caius.

"There are worse things than being married to a drover's boy."

"I know that well enough," Dora replied honestly.

There was little worse than being married to the fat grunting bastard to whom she'd been effectively sold. Worse than that, she knew she would soon be 'sold' again when the aging reprobate worked out that Dora couldn't give him a child. Like most wives, Dora hoped her husband wouldn't use a mistress, but Dora's worry was that he would impregnate another woman and then realise it was his wife's fault for their lack of issue, and not his. She was living on borrowed time.

Caius went in a little closer and tucked Dora's hair behind her ear, trying his luck. Dora laughed at such an obvious attempt, but she didn't stop him.

"Have you forgotten Jocasta already?" she asked, watching his reaction.

Caius looked away shyly. It was false, of course - Caius was never shy. "You told me to forget about her."

"Do you usually do as you're told?"

Caius could hear the disappointment behind Dora's voice. She was desperate for adventure, for excitement, and she appeared to be pinning her hopes on Caius to provide. He wrapped one arm around Dora's tiny waist and drew her in, pressing the length of his body against her.

Athenodora knew she was supposed to reject him, she was supposed to pull away, get away. Instead she parted her legs and squeezed his leg with her thighs.

"Dora!" One of the other young wives ran into the room in a panic. "We have company!" she blurted breathlessly.

Dismounting, Dora shoved Caius towards the window. "You need to go!"

Moments before he could be pushed out the building, Caius caught hold of Dora's hand and snatched her in close. "I'm coming back for you," he whispered into her ear, kissing her gently on the neck as he withdrew.

"You better had."

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Helios sprang out from behind the cattle pen and pulled his brother down to the ground. Caius deftly avoided the first slap his brother offered, but not he second.

"I'm not that late," Caius huffed. "I told you where I was going."

Helios shushed Caius quickly. Caius assumed his father was on the war path - he had been since Caius had explained about Jocasta … which he'd only done because his father had overheard a conversation on the matter between Caius and his brother.

The pair of them had copped a hiding for that with the cattle rod which was doubly shameful at their ages. The brothers thought at eighteen and twenty that their days of physical chastisement were over … they had been sadly mistaken. Helios pointed to their house. It was a good distance away from the cattle pen, but Caius could easily make out the men hanging around outside their home. That was unusual.

"That silly slag you shagged wasn't as discreet as you thought, brother," Helios said quietly. "Her father's cronies are after you."

Caius wore his horror on his face as he gulped down the air around him. _Fuck! They know who I am_ _…_ _fuck!_ "What should I do? Helios, they've put a price on my head."

Helios was already racked with guilt over the beating Caius had taken for fucking Jocasta - he had pushed his brother into going for the girl in the first place. It was supposed to be a bit of fun, drunk fun, at that.

"We'll talk to Dad when they've gone. He'll know what to do."

Helios' faith in their father forever baffled Caius. Their father was a simple man, in Caius' mind, with simple dreams, simple plans. He wouldn't be much use.

They waited. Caius should have been more nervous, panicked, even, but all he could think about was Athenodora. Helios mocked his brother for his fleeting love, but Caius insisted Dora was different. She was a match for him, she excited him. Dora wasn't like the other girls they knew, or the other rich girls they knew of. When Jocasta's father's men left their homestead, the precarious situation Caius was in came rushing to the forefront of his mind. He suddenly felt quite foolish for telling his brother all the things he planned on doing with Dora when in all likelihood, he wouldn't live long enough to see the girl again, let alone fuck her!

"Come on," Helios said, pulling his brother to his feet.

Although Helios offered an optimistic smile, but Caius could see it didn't reach his brother's eyes. They both knew he was fucked.

When the brothers reached their home, they didn't have time to open the door themselves. It was thrown open, damn near hitting them in the face, and they were dragged inside by their father. He dumped the pair of them ceremoniously in the middle of the room, missing the fire by mere inches.

Caius nodded along to the barrage of abuse his father delivered for his complete and utter ineptitude. Helios stayed with him, but as always, only Caius received any scorn from their father. Still, he was glad his brother stuck by him. Helios was the apple of his father's eye and forever had been. Caius had never questioned it, he was the spare in his father's eyes and he'd long since learnt to live with it. He couldn't compare with Helios, so he never tried to. Helios was obedient, dutiful, respectful, mostly at least. Caius was none of those things. Fortunately, his mother doted on her sons equally, so Caius had some respite from his father's wrath. Even Caius didn't expect any help that time, however. He'd truly fucked up - not so much by fucking Jocasta, but getting her pregnant had been a huge mistake. Having his name known … that was the major fuck-up.

His father was winding down his rant, and he ended on the money shot. "You need to leave, Caius."

 _Leave_? Caius felt punched in the guts. The only thing that made his father's decree slightly less painful was that the man sounded slightly reticent. Caius may not have been his favourite, but he didn't want to lose the boy. Still, there was no option.

"You've already brought shame on this house," he explained. "You'll not bring death to my door, too."

No one said so, but they all knew the consequences of messing with the rich girls. Their fathers would only relent their quest for killing off the wretches that chased them with a substantial payment. If Caius' father had enough gold or goods he could have paid Jocasta's family for their loss. The girl was useless to them now she had been sullied by a drover's boy. Of course, Caius' family had no such wealth, so he had to die. Simple as that.

Helios wrapped an arm around Caius' shoulders. "I'll come with you, brother."

"You will not!" Caius was ripped from his brother's hold as his father continued to bellow at Helios. "I'll not lose you for his folly."

Helios stood, too, and tried to reach Caius, but his brother was roughly shoved aside before he could touch him. "But it wasn't his fault, it was my fault."

"You aren't going anywhere, Helios. You hear me?!"

Helios gulped down the rising vomit in his throat. Caius knew any hope he had of a companion was lost - Helios had never stood up to their father in all his living days.

"Yes, sir."

 _Wimp_ , Caius thought, but he smiled and nodded to his brother anyway. He didn't blame Helios at all. Squaring his shoulders, and puffing out his chest a little, Caius was ready to go. But …

"Where should I go?" he asked. They had no extended family to speak of, nowhere he could hide.

His mother wiped at her face and started rushing around their home, putting together a package for Caius to take. Some food, blankets, nothing much. "Far, Caius. Very far," she told him through her tears.

"If they find you, they will kill you," his father explained. "So don't let them catch you."

 _The first time in my life you have sounded bothered about me,_ Caius thought. Typical. He would have liked to have stayed and seen where the new relationship with his father could go if the man did give a shit about him, but it was too late for that. As his mother started to bundle together what she had collected, his father added their entire worldly wealth to the pile. A few coins, some jewellery worth more for sentiment that anything else. Caius was touched regardless.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the bundle from his mother.

She threw a hooded cape around his shoulders and hugged him for the very last time. "It isn't much, but it's all we have," she said sadly.

"It's more than enough."

With tearful goodbyes said, Caius left.

He went straight back to Dora's villa, where he waited at the window until the girls were left alone in their weaving room. When the servants were sent out for more wine, he ducked inside and removed his hood.

Dora rushed to close the doors and demanded the other girls keep watch. They weren't so keen on Athenodora's 'management style', particularly with her being the youngest of them, but she was married to the most powerful man in their lands and they had to do as she said.

"You should run, Caius," she told the drover's boy. "They know who you are."

Caius smiled brightly, hiding any fear he felt. "I know that already, and I am leaving. I want you to come with me."

"Run away with you?" Dora asked with her head cocked to one side. She'd been up for some fun with Caius, but leaving with him? "Leave my life, _for you_?"

"You hate your life," Caius said, laughing. "You all do."

No one objected to that, not even Dora. Their days were spent weaving. Day after day, weave after weave. Night after night they serviced their husbands, and then back to their weaving. The most exciting thing that happened to any of them was when they were asked to fetch some water from the well.

A servant tried to open the door, only to find it pushed back at them. "You need to go," one of the girls hissed, holding it shut.

"Come with me, Dora," Caius insisted, taking her hand and holding on for dear life.

Looking into his eyes, Dora saw a thousand images rush through her mind - all the fun they could have, the adventure. But, looking back to the other girls … "I can't leave…"

"There aren't too many around here that will risk their neck for you cosseted brides," Caius said quickly, guiding Dora to the window. "If you stay now, you'll stay forever. Passed from miserable old man to miserable old man until they pass over you for a younger model."

"And what can you offer me more than these miserable old men?" Dora was used to being rich. She liked being cosseted. "At least they have money, they have property, they have station. They can make my life comfortable."

"Comfortable?!" Caius snorted as he repeated the word. "Where's the fun in comfortable?" he asked. Caius didn't want a comfortable life - it was boring. Something told him Dora didn't really want that either. "I have no money, I don't even have a home anymore but whatever I have is yours and I won't stop until I've given you the world. But if you'd rather stay here being a brood mare for these miserable old men until you can't …"

"Stop!" Dora snatched her hand back and held both up to halt Caius' words. "Just stop!"

Caius had been bang on the nail - Dora would be passed over, and soon, too. She couldn't produce a child, or rather, not another one. Being married off so young and giving the old man a son when she was still a child herself had ruined her chances of having another. And with the babe born blue, living no longer than an hour, her husband needed another heir. If Dora couldn't provide one, she would be moved on. If she were lucky she would be married to another old fool, if not, she would likely meet the same dark fate as Jocasta.

"You aren't happy here," Caius said. "I know how to make you happy. Come with me.

"Where will we go?" Dora asked.

Caius smiled and pulled her into his chest. "I would go to the end of the world with you."

Dora wasn't a fool. In her young life she had seen the way men treated women. None of them loved for long, they all moved on. Jocasta had been the love of Caius' life, apparently, and only days after her dismissal he was now looking at Dora.

"But would you stay with me?"

"I imagine I'd have to," Caius drawled. "You seem like the kind of girl who would be impossible to shake off once you've had a decent shag."

The tension shattered, and Dora laughed for the first time since … she couldn't remember when.

"They're coming!" "He has to leave!"

The girls at the door were doing a sterling job of keeping the servants out, but one of the traitorous cowards had gone to fetch help. The hall outside was filled with men, all pushing hard to break into the room.

Caius jumped over the window and held out his hand. "Dora?" he asked, for a final time.

The girls couldn't believe it - Dora was leaving with a drover's boy!

"Are you crazy?!" one of them asked.

Dora hiked up her dress and slipped her legs over the window ledge. She flashed them a broad smile, "Completely," she said, and was gone.

"They spent the next ten years on the run, by my count," Basileus said to his audience. "Before your brother tracked you down as a vampire and turned the pair of you."

"That's it," Caius agreed. "Our story ends there."

"So Caius used to be normal, even nice, sort of?!" Alec's mouth literally hung open after he'd spoke, such was his surprise.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Felix replied, nudging his little brother. Alec was doing his head in, but Felix did enjoy when his baby brother's annoyance was being turned on someone else.

"Do you need a slap for every story we tell?" Aro asked seeing Felix whispering god only knows what to Alec.

"Which one of them?" Caius huffed, losing another hand to Demetri. The boy was clearing up using the tricks Caius had taught him.

"Obviously me," Felix replied, glaring to his father. "Never Alec."

Aro looked around the room with a puzzled expression. "Where's that whining noise coming from?" he asked before his eyes rested on Felix. "Oh!" he exclaimed in mock surprise. "It's you!"

 _Funny fucker,_ Felix thought murderously as those around him laughed at his plight.

"So what happened to you?" Alec asked Caius innocently. Or rather, it would have been innocently had his smirk not given him away. "If you used to be nice …"

"Alec, enough." Basileus' unmoving glare focused on Alec, the boy quietened down quickly.

Caius answered Alec regardless as he dealt a new hand to himself and Demetri. "Once upon a time I gave a shit, now I don't. The end."

"Why do you say things like that?" Freyr asked, irritated by Caius' phrasing. "Do you really believe coming across as a cruel thug is preferable to someone possibly thinking you can be nice?"

"It isn't being nice he's worried about," Magnus said. "It's being vulnerable."

Caius, aghast, looked from Freyr to Magnus. _What are you trying to do to me?! You're killing my cred!_ He was most put out when Marcus took over and continued the conversation.

"Extremes of nature produce extremes of men. The same can be said for the extremes of nurture."

 _Marcus?!_ Caius thought murderously to his co-master. _Seriously?! Shut up!_

"Indeed," Basileus nodded knowingly to his old friend. "I didn't treat Caius as well as I should, and I damaged him. I see that now." _Hindsight's a bitch,_ he thought.

"Shit happens," Caius said quickly, hoping to end the conversation there.

"It needn't have," Basileus said truthfully, adding, "I'm sorry."

Caius offered the creator a tight smile. He knew Aro had mislead Basileus, he knew Basileus would do anything to protect his son, he knew he was way, way down in the pecking order in Basileus' mind. Caius didn't hold any of that against the creator, it was just the way it was. Basileus, reading such things in Caius' mind, went to say more. He wanted Caius to know that he did matter, that he really was sorry … he didn't get a single word out before Caius scooped up his coins and held them out in offering.

"I will pay you to stop talking about me."

"Oi!" Magnus knocked the money out of Caius' hands, so it landed in the master's lap. "That's my money, Caius!"

Demetri pulled in his own winnings to keep it separate from Caius' stash. "It will all be mine soon!" he said gleefully. The boy couldn't believe how well he was doing!

"Tell them what I did to my brother and his mate," Caius suggested to the creator. "That will set the record straight."

"Will it?" Basileus asked, suddenly sitting back in his seat wondering what Caius was talking about.

"It shows who I am," Caius explained. It was clear to him. "None of this weak slushy shit you're peddling."

Basileus furrowed his brow as he sought through Caius' memories to the event. "I think, perhaps, your guilt over leaving Dora in a precarious situation, and then having to kill your own brother, is skewing your memory on the matter, Caius." It was just another example of Caius' screwed up psychology Basileus realised. "From what I have seen in your head, it ripped you apart to do what you did, and you only did so at all because you love your mate so much."

Caius stopped dead still, hand in mid-air holding the card he was about to play. He hadn't thought of it that way before. Or at least, not for a very, very long time. In Caius' mind he had convinced himself that he'd ripped his brother and sister-in-law to pieces in an uncontrollable rage … he had, of course, but the reasoning was something he had ignored for a long time. Helios had raped Dora, and Caius had defended his mate. It was a valid course of action, especially for a highly emotive newborn, mated vampire. Caius had forgotten all that though, he'd internalised the 'uncontrollable rage' as a part of his personality, as part of who he was … that hadn't been the case. His actions had been a reasoned response, under the circumstances.

"Fuck."

Dora flashed to the creator's side and brought the whisky bottle to his cup. "Would you like another drink, my lord?" she asked, her eyes begging him to stop telling his tale before the details endangered her life.

"Thank you, my dear." Basileus held out his glass and watched as Dora filled it right to the top with a trembling hand.

"But what happened?!" Irina asked, annoyed to have the story stop before the juicy details were given. Irina was storing up all the information she was hearing for future use and knowing more about Dora was of particular interest for the Denali girl.

"I came home and caught my brother _with_ my mate," Caius explained darkly. He didn't need to state what 'with' meant, everyone had an imagination to use and those that didn't weren't so crass to ask for details. "And then I killed him."

"You killed your brother," Magnus said aloud to himself. "But you sounded so close."

Caius nodded once. _We were_ , he thought with a gulp.

"Why did you care?" Felix asked. "You two, both …" Even Felix wasn't crass enough to state what he was thinking - that both Dora and Caius practised an open relationship and therefore, why would Caius be bothered by Dora fucking Helios.

"I know what you're trying to say," Caius said to the boy. "But Helios was my brother and Dora wasn't willing."

"Oh!" Felix shut his mouth sharpish after that. He wasn't great with deep emotional stuff.

"Actually, Basileus," Caius turned to the creator with a curious expression. "As you know everything … was she willing?"

"Caius!" Dora shot across the room.

Although Dora was clearly appalled Caius would ask such a thing, Magnus' reading of the young woman's emotions revealed she was nervous of Basileus' verdict, too.

"Just a question," Caius shrugged to his mate. "Helios was my brother, after all. I did kill him on your say so." He waited a moment to give Dora chance to state her case if she wished. When nothing but stony silence came, Caius bobbed his head and looked to Basileus. "I'd like to know if I made the right decision."

"I cannot believe you would even ask the question!" Dora flashed to her feet but went no further, the rising panic giving her both momentum and an inability to move simultaneously. "After all this time …" Dora stalled. She didn't know what to say, what to do.

Basileus held up his hand to silence the woman and Dora's stomach twisted into a knot. He looked Caius dead in the eye before he spoke. _Some things are better left unsaid,_ he thought. "You did make the right decision, Caius."

 _Oh for fuck sake,_ Magnus cursed. Reading Basileus' emotions, he knew the man was telling the truth - Basileus did feel Caius had made the right choice in killing Helios and his mate. That decision had led Caius to Aro and into the Volturi. For all Basileus' complaints about Caius over the years, he wouldn't have wanted to be without him. But Magnus was getting something else form the creator, and Basileus confirmed it when his eyes cut across to the juggernaut - Dora had lied all those years ago. Helios hadn't raped her at all … she had simply misjudged Caius' reaction to her fucking his brother. A misjudgement that cost Helios his life and, more than that, had started Caius down a very dangerous road, psychologically tortured for having executed his own brother on spurious grounds. _Marvellous!_ Magnus said to himself in an unusually sarcastic moment of contemplation. Sometimes it was better not knowing the truth.

Dora flopped back onto the desk, releasing a shaky breath as she did so. "See?!" she barked at her mate.

"I had to ask," Caius replied completely unfazed by his mate's annoyance.

 _No you did not!_ Dora sensibly kept those thoughts in her head, though she still earned a stern eye from the creator for having the nerve to think it, what with him knowing the absolute truth of the matter.

Freyr was intuitive enough to work out what had gone on, and, like her mate, she wished she didn't know the truth. There was another point in Basileus' storytelling that Freyr was fixated on, however. Caius had been second best to his brother in is human life. Much like he had come second to Aro in his early vampiric life. Magnus had told Freyr of the pointed digs Caius had made about Odi already and they both expected some backlash from the younger master when they were alone, but Caius' attitude made sense to Freyr now. He feared being relegated again. Understanding the issue, Freyr felt better prepared to deal with it, but from all she'd learnt about Caius over recent years, she knew they had a long road ahead.

Feeling sorry for him, Freyr decided to do what she could to ease his feelings for the moment and direct attention away from Caius.

"Whats your story Sulpicia," she asked the coven queen.

The questions being thrown at Caius ceased and she watched as he visibly relaxed.

Sully smiled warmly to her mate. "I thought I had met a god," she said, thinking back to the first time she'd met Aro. "I was amazed by him. I still am, occasionally."

Kate sighed wistfully. "It sounds romantic," she said hoping for a happy tale where someone or other wasn't beaten or murdered!

Sulpicia chuckled. "That depends on the version, sweetheart."

"Sul!" Aro barked, gesturing to their very many guests who knew nothing of any version!

"Oh, come on," Sulpicia scoffed at her mate's reticence. "Half the people here know anyway."

Aro folded his arms in a huff. Magnus and Freyr didn't know, neither did Eleazar, Carmen, or Carlisle. Aro looked at his children, they didn't know, and it wasn't something he wanted them to hear, either.

"So there are different versions?" Eleazar mused. "Why ever would that be, little brother?" He knew Aro too well. If there was another version to the version he knew about - where Aro had simply asked Sulpicia to join him in immortality and she'd agreed, end of story - then there would be a juicy version hiding behind the scenes.

"Well …" Basileus barely got one word out before Aro shot to his feet.

"You aren't telling any versions with the kids in here." He shook his head, looking to the Denali girls and then doubly so looking to his own four young vampires. "Over my dead body are you telling them, Dad. They aren't old enough to understand."

"Night kids!" Eleazar sang out happily. He did enjoy tales about his little brother's downfalls.

Carlisle, too, was eager to hear all. "Yeah," he joined Eleazar. "Scram brats," he said, and playfully thumped Felix in the arm for good measure.

"Surely you count as one of the kids?" Felix said in reply, punching his uncle back with far more force than Carlisle had used. He made it past all the adults before anyone could rebuke him - not that they would have for simple play, but Felix was on edge after earlier events.

"He's not wrong, there," Aro sang out, smirking to his brother when no one else defended his status.

"Well I'm not going anywhere," Irina said haughtily, flicking her hair. She was annoyed that her sisters had so been so easily commanded from the room, though they both stood at the foot of the stairs waiting for Irina.

"Talk about loyalty?!" Tanya spat at the eldest Denali girl.

 _Shit_. Irina was caught in her own double standard.

"Irina, come with us?" Kate pleaded, wanting to avoid the standoff between her sisters. She knew Tanya was close to completely rejecting Irina. "Please?"

She went with them.

"Are you going to tell them everything?" Aro asked his father when the room was clear of young ones. "You don't come off so well in the real version, either, Dad."

"Then it will be good for your father, too," Atia answered for her mate. She was already concerned about the secrets Basileus had revealed, and wondering about his motives for doing so, too, but if Sulpicia's story could bring her mate some shame she felt it would do him good to speak it. "It doesn't hurt to be reminded of your faults occasionally."

Freyr nudged Atia as she settled into her seat. "It's a shame, being women, that we have so few to think on."

Every guy left in the room rolled their eyes to that one.

"How bad is this story?" Magnus asked. He could sense the levels of anxiety rising in the room and it was coming from Basileus, Aro and Caius in droves.

"Bad," Caius offered.

"Brutal, more like!" Aro corrected his co-master. "He nearly killed me."

Magnus and Freyr were surprised when Basileus didn't try to deny such claims. Eleazar and Carmen, too.

"Before I start," Basileus said quickly. "I want you all to keep in mind that this happened a VERY long time ago and we have all mellowed with age."

Aro took a seat on the floor next to Caius where he stretched out his legs with a satisfying click. "There speaks the voice of regret," he tutted.

"Definitely," Basileus agreed. "I would handle the situation very differently if it happened now, but back then …"

 **SULPICIA - 1100s BC**

Tiryns had once been the centre of the Mycenaean world, but by the time Basileus took his small coven to visit the place, the great palace had already been destroyed. Not that such wreckage had seen a decrease in population - the citadel and lower town still hosted fifteen thousand people, and the high walls of Tiryns offered plenty of shade for vampires to move around in daylight, unaccosted by the sun.

That day, the nobles of Tiryns were taking their weekly walk around the city and stopped to rest in the shade of the walls. Aro crept along the tree line from where, with his vampiric vision, he could soak up the beauty of one particular woman.

That was where Caius found him.

"Who are we perving on today?" he asked, sneaking up behind his brother-in-arms.

Aro flinched with surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Caius' approach. Still, he didn't turn, his eyes remained fixed on the noble woman.

"Look at her, Caius," Aro sighed dreamily. "Have you ever seen such a vision walk this earth?"

"Yeah," Caius agreed half-heartedly. He preferred Dora. But then no one had ever matched up to his mate, in his eyes, nor would they. Still, he'd fuck Aro's find if it was on offer. "She's alright. Are you bringing her home to play?"

Aro scowled. "Hey, eyes off!" he said, giving Caius a shove. "This isn't one for you to drag into your sordid games. This one's mine."

 _MY sordid games?!_ Caius and Dora had never seen a good reason to limit their sex life to just the two of them and they enjoyed bringing in new players to the game - Aro being one of them. Although, that was becoming a problem for Caius and Dora.

Since they had met Aro and joined the creator's coven, their sex life had been all but ruined. They couldn't shake Aro's involvement! Dora was convinced Aro had a secret gift and somehow 'sensed' sex. Every time she and Caius made plans, Aro was there. Truthfully, Dora found it funny, but Caius was growing annoyed with it all. That was why he was there in the first place. He'd told Dora he was going to confront Aro. _But if you have found your own toy_ _…_ _that will be less awkward for all!_

Caius gave Aro a nudge forward. "Go and fetch her, then!" he said, full of excitement for the prospect of Aro having his own mate to use and abuse.

Aro was quick to pull himself back into the shadows. "I'm not turning her yet," he said with a shake of the head. "I want to give her the choice."

"Don't do that to yourself, Aro." Caius knew how such an idea could end and he wasn't letting the opportunity skip by so easily. "If you ask her to join us, and she doesn't want to, you will have to kill her."

"What makes you think she won't want to join us?"

"Most humans are scared of us," Caius reminded the man gently. "Not to mention what your father would do if he found out you revealed yourself and didn't turn her … or kill her."

"Kill her?!" Aro worse his disgust on his face. "I love her!"

Caius burst out laughing. _Love lorne fool._ "You've never even spoken to her, mate."

"I'm going to court her," Aro said, deciding on the spot in his course of action. "Basileus doesn't need to know about any of this."

He didn't want to take the woman in the night and turn her, he wanted her to love him, he wanted to love her. It was all very idealised for a man who's most romantic attachment to date had been with a regular prostitute back in his human life.

"How will you manage to court her?" Caius tutted into the air. _If that's your plan I'll ended up sharing Dora forever, for fuck sake._ "You're going after the most eligible woman in town - how will you even get to her, let alone in the hours of darkness?" Caius pulled Aro around by his shoulders to break the apparent entrancement the woman had over him. "Just flash in there, take her, bite her. It's very simple."

Aro looked back over his shoulder to the woman. She was a goddess in every way he could imagine one to be. He'd seen a fair few of them through his father's memories - but none of them could hold a torch to the one he was looking at.

"I can't just bite her, she's too special." Aro turned back to Caius. "How can I talk to a woman like that?"

 _Too special?!_ Caius was starting to seriously worry about Aro's mental state. One thing was clear - Aro wasn't going to approach the woman without a push in the right direction. Caius, being a typical man, the push he offered Aro was ridicule.

"What's wrong with you, you're not usually _this_ awful with women."

"Not usually _this_ awful?!" Aro repeated. "You cheeky bastard! I have an excellent track record, thank you very much."

 _"_ Excellent?! With the ones you pay, maybe." Caius burst out laughing at his own joke, cock that he was. It was doubly funny when Aro failed to offer a counter argument. Caius didn't want to put Aro off, though, not when he was so close to being able to enjoy his own mate in peace! _"_ What's wrong with you?" He really had meant to sound supportive, but his tone left much to be desired.

"I really like this one," Aro answered, still staring at the woman as she giggled coyly to her aged husband.

"You haven't even spoken to her, Aro," Caius reminded him. "At the moment, she's just a potential fuck at best. Not even that if you keep glaring at her."

"I'm fine with potential fucks, but she is something else, her heart calls to me."

 _He must be drunk_ , Caius assumed, as the only possible reason Aro could be so soppy. "That will be the blood," he explained. "We are vampires."

"No, you dick." Aro turned and took a few steps closer through the trees. "It's not the blood. Her heart calls to my soul."

"Did you seriously just say that?" Caius all but doubled over laughing. "Oh brother! I am never going to let you live that one down!"

Aro didn't care. He had never been an overly emotional type, but he'd been secretly watching this woman since they'd arrived in Tiryns and each illicit, one-way encounter had seen him fall deeper and deeper in love.

"I've never felt this way before," he said, mainly to himself, barely above a whisper.

Whilst Aro was doing his best to stay quiet as he made small steps forwards, Caius damn near outed their presence with his guffaws of laughter. "You're being way too intense!"

The both dropped to the floor as the small group looked in their directed, alerted by Caius' unnecessarily loud comment.

"I'm a vampire, Caius," Aro hissed. "Intense is what we are."

Caius quickly returned the jab in the side Aro had offered, both staying low. "Only trying to help," he hissed back.

With the little group assuming they had heard an animal in the woods, they went back to their chatter and Aro helped Caius to his feet.

"What you need to do is …"

Aro's face cut Caius off in his stride. "You think I need to pick up tips from you?"

"Well …" Caius drawled. "I have a mate and at least one new conquest a week. How do you think that happens? Tip - it's not by staring at them and hoping their clothes drop off in the street."

"Fuck off! I'm not that bad."

Aro's swore his heart started beating when the men in the group broke away from their women. He couldn't make out why they had, not that he cared. It was the first time in his weeks of stalking that the woman had been on her own. Well, only one other woman accompanied her, plus a couple of servants milling around. That was almost alone. It was alone enough that he could talk to her … _I can't talk to her!_ Aro stood statue still, frozen with anticipation.

"You're not even blinking, Aro," Caius whispered into his ear. "She's going to think you're a freak if you go over there like this."

"Thanks for the support, brother!"

"Let me help you."

Caius sussed out the surroundings. With a few vampiric flashes, he could make it to the woman and hang in the shade of the citadel buildings. Then he was gone!

"I don't need your help, Caius!" Aro followed his brother-in-arms out of the trees but stayed in the shade. "CAIUS!" he called in a half hiss, half growl that alerted too many passers-by to his odd behaviour. _I am going to fucking slaughter you, Caius! Oh fuck, shes looking. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Okay, relax. Blink. How often do humans blink? What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

Basileus had to end his storytelling - no one could hear him over the laughter and jibes being levied at Aro.

"I would like to point out that I was not that clueless with women," Aro told them all resolutely. "And he was not that good, either," he added, jabbing at Caius.

"I'd say it was a perfect rendition of what went on!" Dora could barely breathe for laughing as she flopped down in the free seat next to Sulpicia. "You were like a love-sick puppy lusting after Sully."

Caius was quick to agree. "If I hadn't introduced you, you never would have got together."

Aro shut out the taunts from his brother - the taunts from Dora and Sully were a little harder to ignore - and responded to Caius, "I was about to go and talk to her when you turned up, you just heard that."

"I heard you bottle it just before I turned up," Caius said, gloating a little. "Are you still bitter that Sulpicia fancied me more than you?"

"She did not." The sudden silence from his mate made Aro question his own surety. "Did you?" he asked Sulpicia

"Oh, I can't remember, my love," Sully replied, a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. "It was such a long time ago."

"Of course she fancied me more," Caius said with a wink to the coven queen. "Look in the mirror, Aro."

"You cheeky bastard!" Aro pushed Caius away by his head. "If you thought you had a chance with her you would have gone for it."

"Caius was desperate to set you up with a woman because he was so fed up of you joining in with us," Dora explained, much as Basileus had with his story telling.

"It's true," Caius said, backing her up. "You were doing my head in."

Aro wasn't having that. They were killing his cred. "Putting you to shame more like."

Caius looked to his mate expecting her to refute such claims. He was most put out to see her stumbling over her words and laughing back at him!

"Dora!" he exclaimed to the sound of Aro's jibes over his talents.

Sulpicia was perhaps a little too quick to join in. "She's being polite, Caius."

"Sul!" Aro damn near choked on his whiskey with that dig!

Caius threw an arm around his co-master. "You're just lucky I was desperate to fuck my own mate in peace or I wouldn't have passed Sully on to you."

"Excuse me!" Sulpicia looked aghast to Caius for his blatant crudity. "I think I had something to do with who I ended up with, thank you very much."

"You really didn't, Sul." Caius held his thumb and forefinger a smidge apart. "You were this close to being another notch on my bed post."

"Caius!" Sulpicia glared at her mate for his help. "Will you defend my honour please?"

"That depends on whether or not you would have been a willing notch on his bed post, my queen."

"She would still be a willing notch on my bed post, Aro."

"Dream on, Caius." Aro twisted Caius' wrist a little as he removed the man's arm from his shoulders. "You don't share well, do you, my queen?"

"Do you remember the first time we tried?!" Dora pipped up. "You nearly ripped my head off!"

Once Sulpicia had joined Aro in the afterlife, the foursome tried … well, a foursome. It had been a fairly enjoyable affair until Sulpicia realised Aro was actually having sex with Dora right next to her. At that point, her vampiric senses kicked in and it had taken both Aro and Caius considerable efforts to stop Sulpicia from killing Dora.

Sulpicia bit her lip as the memory formed in her mind. "I'm still so sorry about that, Dora," she said, grateful when Dora laughed away the awkwardness.

"You were a raging newborn, Sul," Caius said, shrugging and smirking from the floor as he looked up at the woman with playful eyes. "We could try again if you like? It would be a different experience now you're calmer. Not too calm, though, I hope?"

Sulpicia floundered in response to such a bold proposal.

Caius chuckled, pleased with himself for the effect he'd had on her. "She's thinking about it, Aro," he said, nudging the coven king. "This day is looking up."

Aro wasn't against sharing … in fact he quite missed it now he'd been reminded of those happy days. But that wasn't at the forefront of his mind. "Did you fancy him more than me?" he asked Sulpicia outright.

"I did a bit," Sully admitted. "Caius was very charming …"

"WAS very charming," Aro repeated with heavy emphasis on the 'was'. "Not so much now, huh?"

"She still would, and you know it." Caius was confident in few matters - sex was the top of the list.

"It's not as though Dora's ever turned me down," Aro huffed.

"Dora's never turned anyone down."

"Caius!" Dora wanted to say more but it was true. Sex was her thing, too. It's why she and Caius were so successful as mates!

"It's true, Dora," Caius shrugged. "Some of the guys you used to bring home to play …"

"Some of the women weren't much better," Aro reminded Caius of a particularly shocking encounter. Even with the dusky glow of a single candle in the dead of night, neither man had been able to get it up for that shocking specimen.

Dora wasn't having them castigating her alone. "Granted, love," she said to Caius. "You could charm the fish out of water, back in the day, but we can't all be as charming as you." She turned a smirk on Aro. "And your fishing generally resulted in fresh air," she reminded him.

Sulpicia found the whole thing hilarious.

"You're making out like I was totally clueless, but I got my queen."

Aro smiled lovingly to his mate in hope she would bolster his self-esteem a little. It might have worked had Caius not slipped in,

"Thanks to me!"

As their 'private' conversation had gone full circle, Basileus thought it time to remind the foursome of their presence.

"Do you think they've forgotten we're here?" he said to Magnus, loudly.

"I'd say so," Magnus replied, rolling his tongue around his cheek to keep the smile from forming.

Sulpicia and Dora searched the floor with their eyes to hide their embarrassment at such a carry on in front of half their family. Sully was particularly glad the children had been set to their rooms for the story! As Aro hadn't redeemed his manhood, he was glad they weren't there, too!

"Please do go on," Atia dared the four of them, hoping to illicit more shame from her son and daughter-in-law. "We're all ears."

Freyr could see Caius didn't feel a drop of shame. "Yes, we're learning so much about your early days."

Freyr was right - Caius didn't care. He found it quite funny, especially as he hadn't come off looking too bad, in his mind. _In for a penny, in for a pound._ He turned to Carmen and Eleazar. "You know, Carmen …"

"Don't even go there, Caius," Magnus called to end his play.

Eleazar merely smiled and wrapped a loving arm around his mate. He knew how Caius and Aro played and he knew it didn't mean anything - even if it had offended the older members of the group.

Sulpicia stood and smoothed down her dress. "Any more drinks, anyone?" she asked with a slightly shaky voice.

"I'd say you four have had enough for today," Atia injected, taking the bottle from Sulpicia's hands and excluding certain members from the top up. "Only the gods know where this will end if you drink anymore."

"I can tell you where it will end …" Caius drifted off as the shield maiden fixed him in her sights. _Or maybe not,_ he thought, putting to rest his ideas of an impromptu orgy with his co-master's wife.

"I think you should continue, my dear," Atia prompted her mate.

Aro had been meeting Sulpicia under the cover of darkness for six months straight. The coven, Basileus, Marcus and Didyme, Caius and Dora, all knew he was meeting her in such a way. What they didn't know was that those illicit liaisons had shifted from night, to day.

At first Aro used the cyclopean tunnels to meet Sulpicia to hide his true nature from her, but soon enough he revealed to her what he was; a vampire. Sulpicia had taken the news in her stride, for she'd already fallen in love with the man … make that, vampire. The vampiric tricks Aro showed her had helped. He was so fast, so strong, and he knew everything about her. Her hopes, her dreams, her past … he'd even told Sulpicia of her future, which, naturally, involved her running away with him and living a fabulous immortality at his side.

Truthfully, Aro could have told Sulpicia she would be living in a mud hut and she would have wanted to be with him, but Sully knew it wasn't her choice. She was beholden to her husband. For all intents and purposes, he owned her. Of course, her husband was old, and ill, so she would soon be returned to her father's household. That had been her whole life. First married at the tender age of thirteen, and widowed by fourteen, her father had been quick to recognise the commodity that his daughters could be. With each new marriage he paid for their dowry, and with each widowing, he collected the dead man's estate. He had built up quite the empire trading his daughters in such a way.

Sulpicia, being the eldest of his daughters, was starting to lose her value. She had never had children - being married to flaccid old men hadn't leant well to procreation - but nearing twenty-eight was making her a less attractive marriage option. Sulpicia was aware of this, too. She knew what her father had done to her and her sisters, but being the dutiful daughter she was, she would never think to object.

Aro and Sulpicia were genuinely in love and she understood what he was, what she would have to be, too. He had money - her father's main motivator. But that wasn't enough for the man to hand over his daughter. 'Selling' Sulpicia to another man whilst she was still married was unthinkable - how would that look to other potential husbands of his other daughters?! Scandalous! Aro had been forced to meet with the man to plead his case. He'd spent the last month meeting with Sulpicia's father, in fact, and the rest of her family and friends. In the hope of tipping the scales in his interest, Aro had been a little lax with his vampiric state, and eventually, he'd shown them all what he was. He'd impressed them so much, in fact, that they ALL wanted to join his coven and enjoy immortality, too! Sulpicia thought it was a great idea, and Aro was left in a quandary. He wanted Sulpicia, not a host of vampiric in laws for eternity - who the fuck would want that?! - but he couldn't deny his new bride to be, either.

Aro returned from his meet up mentally exhausted to find naked dead bodies littering the coven's home. They were living out of town, for safety, in a small villa on the outskirts of the woods surrounding Tiryns. From the dead bodies, Aro knew only Caius and Dora were home - they liked to fuck their feeds before sending them to their deaths which Marcus and Basileus found distasteful. Didyme didn't care either way, but Caius and Dora's wouldn't have left such a mess if they were expecting to be disturbed. Aro noticed one of the humans was still alive, but he was head was too screwed up to feed, even with the smell of the blood permeating his senses.

Caius and Dora appeared in the doorway, swigging wine and looking content with themselves.

"You've left one breathing," Aro commented, nudging the poor fucker with his sandal. "You must be slipping."

Dora flashed to the half-dead wretch. He tried to resist her advance, but he had been too badly damaged to put up much of a fight. Dora quickly drained him of his entire life force.

Aro dragged a dead woman from the bench seat so he could lie down and contemplate his life. He didn't get the chance as Caius took the seat before Aro could, spreading himself out. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, reading Aro's melancholy expression.

"You'd better get these bodies out of here before Basileus gets home."

That wasn't much of an answer, Aro knew it, but he couldn't tell Caius what was really on his mind. He was scared to even think about his situation what with having a mind reading father!

"Have you not fucked her yet?" Caius asked. Whether Aro wanted to admit it or not, Caius knew the only thing on his mind was that damn woman.

"Her name is Sulpicia," Aro reminded him. He shoved Caius from the bench and made quick work of taking up all available space. "And I'm not discussing it with you."

"That's a no," Dora called to her mate, licking the last of her victim's blood from her lips. "A definite no."

"We don't all use sex as an ice breaker," Aro shot back.

"What else is there?" Caius quipped. Nothing better, in his mind.

"I'm impressing her," Aro told them both.

With his head to one side as he contemplated Aro's words, Caius tentatively asked him how, preying to all the gods that Aro wasn't doing something stupid.

Aro could have lied, perhaps he should have lied, but his head was overloaded with the crime he had committed. It was Basileus' only law - one laid down by Zeus, no less! Vampiric existence must remain secret from humans. He'd broken that law, and Aro knew he was in some damn deep waters if his father found out, but he needed to talk to someone.

"I have certain talents …" he said, looking to Caius pointedly.

"Tell me you are joking?!" Caius started to pace with his hands in his hair, tugging hard at the roots as if it would help. "Dora, get out of here," he demanded quickly.

"But …" Dora wasn't sure what was going on, having not clicked on to Aro's hidden message in the way her mate had.

"Go!" Caius roared, dragging Dora to the door and flinging her outside.

He hadn't meant to be quite so rough with the woman but if Dora didn't understand what Aro had possibly done, then she was in the clear. Caius understood how Basileus worked - he was to be obeyed completely. He and Dora had been with the coven less than a year, but Caius had seen Aro take a few hidings in that time. He'd received one himself for his disrespect when he'd first joined the coven - Caius wasn't willing to put his mate in the creator's path for something Aro had done. He had learnt that Basileus was a reasonable man, so he wouldn't punish Caius, or Dora for that matter, for something Aro had done. But Basileus would bollock Caius as an accomplice if he didn't go forward. There was no question in whether Caius would go forward - he wouldn't. Aro met Caius in the midst of grieving the loss of his brother, and soon replaced Helios in Caius' affections. Aro was firmly Caius' best friend, and Caius was loyal to a fault, regardless of the personal cost.

"Have you shown Sulpicia what you are?" he asked. _Say no, for fuck sake, say no._

"What if I have?" Aro replied quietly, knowing full well what a ridiculous thing it was that he'd done.

"Are you insane?!" Caius growled, grabbing Aro by the shoulders and shaking him hard. "Your old man will kill you, Aro! You have to turn her, now!"

"No."

"Aro ..."

"No!" Aro flashed to the window. He needed air and he was slightly worried Caius was about to hit him. "Not yet," he said, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"There will be little point in you winning her heart when you lose your head for your efforts." Caius continued to pace as he spoke. It was beyond him how Aro could stay still! "Sulpicia has been passed from husband to husband for years - if you offer her father enough money he will marry her to you and we can leave this place with our heads on our shoulders."

"I'm not buying a woman, Caius," Aro spat.

Caius stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow to the man. "Because you've never done that before, have you?"

Aro laughed. He couldn't deny it. "That's not the reason … her heart … I already have her heart."

Aro went on to explain just how deep in the shit he really was, that her whole family, all her friends, hell, half of Tiryns wanted to join their coven because he'd shown them ALL who he was, what he was … he was truly fucked. But still, Aro refused to break Sulpicia's heart by telling her that her dream of taking family and friends into the vampiric life were utter folly. Caius tried to make him see reason, but Aro was having none of his logical good sense. Instead, Caius came up with a plan.

"We'll meet with these humans and we'll explain that we can't take them all in one go," Caius suggested as a way out. "We'll tell them we'll come back for them in a year, or something."

"And when we don't?" Aro asked. "How will Sulpicia deal with that?"

"By then we will be far away from here," Caius went on. "I'll leave the coven for a few weeks on my own. I'll return and tell her the whole city had been wiped out. It will work."

It didn't sound such a bad plan to Aro, actually. It was far better than anything he had come up with, at least. Agreeing with Caius, they decided to go and present their case to Sulpicia and her family.

It would have been a good plan, had Marcus not overheard the entire fiasco. Unlike Caius, his loyalty was not to Aro, but to Basileus. Even that may not have been enough for him to inform the creator of the drama Aro had created, but Marcus was loyal first and foremost to the greater good. Leaving a city half full of humans who knew about vampires could be disastrous for their kind and Marcus wasn't willing to do that. Regretfully, as he knew he was consigning his covenmates to severe punishment, he went to find the creator with the hope of intercepting the pair before Aro and Caius could make the situation even worse for themselves.

"You bastard!" Aro erupted, interrupting his father's tale. "You grassed on us?!"

Marcus held his hands up in the air and shrugged. "It was the right thing to do under the circumstances," he explained. "I'm sure everyone can see that."

Sadly for Aro and Caius, everyone there did agree with Marcus.

"You should be grateful to him," Basileus added to his son. "Not only did Marcus end your plan before it could destroy our kind …"

"Destroy?!" Aro repeated. "Doubtful."

"But," Basileus continued with a stern eye to his son. "He stopped me from killing the pair of you afterwards."

"I still don't see what I did so wrong."

"Oh really, Caius?" Basileus re-started his tale showing Caius, and anyone else who was wondering, exactly what he had done!

Basileus and the remainder of his coven arrived at Sulpicia's family home expecting to find Aro and Caius having some sort of sit down meeting with the woman's father. That is not what they found.

The streets lining the ostentatious home of the richest man in town, were filled with humans all jostling to get to the front and get a good look at the pair of semi-drunk vampires showing off their talents in front of the villa!

"What are they playing at?!" Basileus hissed to Marcus.

It was all Marcus could do to hold the creator back. "We must take reasoned action, my friend," he said quietly. "Let's not add flame to the fire."

"But look at them!"

Caius and Aro, stripped to the waist and glistening like diamonds in the sunlight, were entertaining their audience with their excessive strength and speed.

To begin with, Caius hadn't understood why Aro would want to reveal his nature to the humans. Doing so with Sulpicia made sense, a little - it was a sure way to win her over. But the rest of them? No, Caius hadn't understood it at all. However, after a few drinks whilst they talked, and with some encouragement from Aro and the humans, Caius had quickly got into the swing of things, enjoying the buzz of being applauded and cheered for.

"Selfish cretins!" Basileus raged.

Marcus took his mate's hand and sighed sadly. "How long could you keep those people deliriously happy for, my love?"

"As long as you need," Didyme replied.

Her heart ached for her brother, knowing Aro had hell to come from Basileus, but she believed he would live through it, which was more than Dora expected for her mate.

"Please, my lord …" Dora sobbed at the creator's side. "Please …" she couldn't formulate anything more loquacious as fear gripped her soul.

"Caius will live, Dora," Marcus assured her.

"Will he?!" Basileus shot out. He hadn't decided yet.

Marcus raised an eyebrow to his old friend and turned back to Athenodora. "They will both live," he assured, partly speaking to the creator, too. "But for now, you have work to do."

"Anything," Dora said gratefully. "I'll do anything."

"Whilst Didyme keeps the humans contained with her gift, you will have to make a start on the executions."

It was a tall order to place on the shoulders of barely five-foot-tall, seven stone wet through woman, but Dora agreed.

"What will you do, my love?" Didyme asked her mate.

"We will handle with Caius and Aro."

With there being no need to hide their vampiric nature - Aro and Caius had made sure of that - the four of them made their way out of the shadows and into the sunlight. Humans everywhere scattered to allow them to pass through and looked on adoringly. Each and every one of them fell under Didyme's spell and they flocked to her, following her as she walked.

Rounding the humans together, Didyme managed to break a sizable group of spectators away from the others, and Dora set to work moving through the town people, snapping necks as she went.

Basileus and Marcus stalked purposely towards Aro and Caius, neither of whom noticed their approach until it was too late.

It was Caius who noticed first. Dropping the sizable boulder he held in his showmanship, he swallowed hard and cursed. Basileus replied by slapping the young man so hard he went down to the ground with his face caved in on one side. Without breaking his stride, he continued on to Aro who looked similarly fearful, and did the same to his son.

"Your ego-fest has been cancelled," he told them both.

Cupping their busted cheeks, Aro and Caius stayed on the ground, spitting blood from their mouths into the dirt.

Basileus picked out Sulpicia easily enough and gave Aro's love to Marcus for safekeeping. He slaughtered the womans family and friends gruesomely. The growing dead bodies piled up in front of Aro. He wasn't too attached to the humans, but he wouldn't have wished such an end for them. Seeing the state his father made of Sulpicia's family had Aro worrying for himself, too. One look to Caius and it was clear he was running through the same fears in his mind.

Once they were all dead, and Basileus dripped with their blood, he went to Sulpicia. Only Marcus' strong arms kept her upright as she wailed over the brutal end to her family.

"Not her!" Aro called out. "I will never forgive you," he warned. It was a brave gesture for a man in his position.

"You cannot kill her, my friend," Marcus said quietly, holding Sulpicia away from Basileus.

The creator breathed fire through his nose in his rage, but he had no intention of executing the woman. Whilst Marcus still held her, Basileus swept Sulpicia's long chestnut hair from her neck and sunk his fangs into her flesh.

Behind him, Aro collapsed onto his back and smiled up at the skies. _Okay, so it all went to shit,_ he thought of their foolish plan. _But if he's turned her, he's not going to kill me._

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you, son."

Basileus ripped Aro from the floor and threw him towards Sulpicia's family home. They were closely followed by Marcus carrying Aro's new bride to find her somewhere comfortable to go through the transformation.

"Caius, you had better help your mate!" Basileus called over his shoulder. "Leave no one alive, you hear me?!"

"Of course, my lord!" Caius fled from the spot to join Dora in killing off the humans.

"And don't you dare feed, you little shit!"

Caius doubted he could have stomached blood anyway, but with Basileus' voice ringing in his ears, there was no way he would even contemplate it.

Marcus had found a bed for Sulpicia upstairs and was waiting in the villa's grand ground floor with two slaves in his hold. "I suggest we keep these alive for the woman to feed on, my lord."

Basileus nodded and stamped at their knees, shattering the bones to keep them from running away.

"That wasn't necessary, my friend. I brought rope …" Marcus said, holding the roll out to Basileus as the slaves screamed at his feet.

"I can put that to better use," Basileus said, snatching the rope from Marcus.

The tatty length of rope was thinly spun, and roughly knotted. _Perfect_ , Basileus thought, looking to his son. Without word or warning, he started laying into Aro, wielding the rope as a whip against his son. It took a few strikes for Aro to really register what was going on. A few more and he'd gone down to the floor, trying in vain to use his arms to protect his body. The knots on the rope thumbed against his bare skin - it was like being punched over and over again by tiny fists. With the creator's strength, the knot-free strands slashed into Aro's flesh, sending venomous blood splattering to the marble floor. The assault was relentless, and Aro blacked out a few times before being rudely awakened with another sharp strike.

Marcus tried not to watch, though from the corner of his eye he could see Aro twitching and convulsing, curled into the foetal position. His back laid bare without space for more lashes. He kept hoping Basileus would tire, or at least work out his rage. When neither seemed to be on the horizon, Marcus intervened.

"Don't try and stop me," Basileus roared, sensing Marcus approach.

"I wouldn't be so bold, my friend," Marcus said, carefully laying a hand on the creator's whip arm, doing exactly that. "But if you expend all your efforts on Aro you will have none left for Caius."

Basileus tugged his arm free of Marcus and hit Aro once more, a particularly vicious shot that saw Aro spewing his guts up over the floor.

"That's enough, my friend," Marcus said sternly, disapproving of the creator's force.

Basileus already felt guilty for what he'd done to his son, but the rage inside him hadn't quelled, yet. "Fetch Caius."

Marcus sighed in relief for Aro and went to the villa door to call Caius inside. Caius and Dora were still working through the humans and the strain of using her gift in such quantities wore heavily on Didyme's pretty face. The sooner Caius had been dealt with, the sooner Marcus could help his mate and bring an end to the day's disaster.

With a hand on his aching face, Caius warily approached the villa. He had heard the beating Aro had taken from clear across the street. _Basileus loves Aro, he barely tolerates me_ , Caius thought, knowing he was in for a round of hell. He peered around Marcus to see Aro lying bloody and broken on the floor.

"Is he dead?" he whispered.

"Not quite," Marcus said with a sad smile. "It's your turn, I'm afraid."

Basileus paced the floor inside the villa, flexing his hand around the bundle of rope he held, which dripped Aro's blood to the floor. The noises coming from the creator were unnerving - he sounded feral!

"I'm not going in there!" Caius hissed back to Marcus, turning to leave.

"You have no choice, Caius." Sensibly, Marcus pulled the younger man back, knowing it wouldn't bode well for Caius should he run. "I won't let him kill you."

Basileus words floated invaded Caius' head. 'You'll be amazed what a vampire can live through.' It was a phrase he had heard the creator use a hundred times since Caius had joined the coven - usually when they were killing off rogue vampires. Caius feared that phrase would now apply to him.

"Maybe he will feed you both afterwards," Marcus whispered to Caius as he guided the man to his doom.

"Un-fucking-likely!" Basileus boomed, flashing to Caius and throwing him to the floor. "I have one rule!" he roared and laid the rope across Caius for the first of many strikes.

"I still don't know how you recovered from that, my love." Sulpicia wiped a stray tear from her cheek and shot Basileus a frosty glare into the bargain. "He's still scarred," she reminded the creator for good measure.

Basileus didn't need his daughter-in-law's help to feel guilty for his viciousness - he had beaten himself up for centuries over his actions.

"Are you really still scarred?!" Freyr asked, surprised to hear such a thing. Basileus painted quite the picture but she couldn't imagine how bad it would have been to scar a vampire.

Aro was only too happy to rub salt in his father's emotional wounds and remove his shirt, showing them all the everlasting damage.

Aro's back was a criss-cross of faint silver scarring. It perhaps wouldn't show to a human unless they really looked for it, but vampiric vision could easily pick them out.

"Not all of that was from me," Basileus said to the room, though he still felt an utter cunt.

"That's true," Aro agreed, redressing. "I have been blessed with two mean sons-of-bitches for fathers."

Retaking his spot next to Caius, he looked to his mate adoringly. "Some days I think she was worth it."

"Some days?!" Sulpicia repeated with a playful smirk.

Aro nodded. "Most days I know you were, my queen."

"Soppy cock," Caius grunted from his side.

"What about you, Caius?" Freyr asked.

"Sulpicia is lovely but I don't think she was worth it."

Caius received a cushion to the head from Sulpicia.

"Such insolence," she quipped. "I should act like a true queen and have your head removed."

"You aren't scarred like he is," Freyr said, getting back on track.

Caius shrugged his shoulders and furrowed his brow back to Freyr, thanking the gods that no one asked how she would know whether his back was scarred or not! His head was already swirling with the prospect of anyone finding out how informal his relationship had become with Magnus and Freyr. The fact that she had seen him half naked in her own home after Magnus had belted him was not something anyone would guess, but Caius' paranoia was working overtime anyway.

"I wasn't trying to kill Caius," Basileus explained. "Just hurt him … a lot."

 _Lucky me!_ Caius thought. "That was the day he started believing I was a bad influence on his precious son."

Basileus scoffed. _No, that wasn't the day_ , he thought. "You can be so sullen at times," he told Caius.

"Sullen?!" Caius wasn't keen on this big family bullshit - it was relegating him to the kid's table. He was starting to understand Carlisle's complaint.

Magnus was doing well to keep the thoughts forming in his mind, but he had been quite shocked by Basileus' harshness. Disappointed, even. He was glad to hear the young vampires descending the stairs to give him something else to think about.

"What makes you think you can re-join the party?" Eleazar asked as Irina appeared, closely followed by the others.

"I'm not supervising the village idiot losing an argument to the witch."

"Village idiot?!" Felix said barging his shoulder into Irina as he passed her.

Jane, however, didn't pass, she shoved Irina in the back making her slip off the bottom step, which Irina, naturally, did dramatically.

"Did she call me a witch or a bitch?!" she asked her twin.

 _Oh no_! Alec thought, knowing what his sister was about to do.

"Witch," Irina spat. "Though bitch works just as well."

Irina dropped to the floor, screaming!

"Jane!" Sulpicia, being closest, grabbed her daughter and tried to break the hold of her gift. Even shaking the child had no effect.

"I'm not taking that from her!" Jane said, fixated on the screams she was eliciting from Irina.

Aro took over from Sulpicia, throwing Jane over his shoulder and taking her clear across the room. It still wasn't enough for Jane to stop.

"Don't force my hand, Jane," he said to his girl. "I'm begging you."

With a huff at having her fun ended so soon, Jane withdrew her gift.

"Now apologise," Aro told her, happy that she had done as she was told and completely ignoring their cardinal rule about the twins not using their gifts uninvited.

"I'm so very, very sorry," Jane said sweetly, dripping contempt at Irina.

"Kate," Irina called to her sister, breathless from the pain. "Get her."

"What?!" Kate shook her head, blond hair covering her face.

"For fuck sake, Kate!" Irina called, picking herself up from the floor.

"Don't do it, Kate," Tanya said to her sister before turning on Irina. "You're the one pissing everyone off!"

"You are a pair of disloyal brats!" Irina glowered at the pair of them. "No wonder mother didn't think twice about leaving you!" she added spitefully.

"Jane!" Aro bellowed seeing Irina shaking, her eyes rolled back in her head and screaming again.

"It's not me!" Jane shot back to her father, annoyed that he would rebuke her regardless.

Atia quickly realised what was going on and removed Kate's hand from her Irina's arm. "Come along, my dear," she said gently to the girl. "Your gift won't work with me sweetheart."

Atia led Kate to Carmen so she could help calm her down and hissed at Eleazar to get off his backside and do something with Irina. _Something_ , because even Atia wasn't sure what would be for the best by that point.

The younger two Denali girls were already setting themselves apart from their elder sister and Kate's actions confirmed to Basileus that they might be able to lose Irina at some point whilst keeping the little two. _Two should be enough to keep Carmen happy without driving Eleazar insane,_ he mused.

"You bitch!" Irina roared at her sister.

She attempted to flash around Eleazar to get at Kate, but he caught her in time. Irina wasn't used to such treatment and ended up scratching at Eleazar for her freedom whilst she continued to bellow at her sister.

"To think I'm living in this shithole because you begged me to come with you!" she raged. "I could walk out that door right now, Kate, and never see you again."

"No, Irina, don't leave us!" Kate called back. That was the last thing she wanted.

Irina smirked evilly to herself knowing she'd found her sister's Achilles heel. _That will come in handy,_ she thought. "You want to start thinking about whose side you're on!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kate sobbed.

Irina stopped fighting off Eleazar once she realised she had Kate under her control. When he released her, Irina waltzed over to Aro's desk and took a seat, lighting the hash pipe, as though nothing had happened.

Basileus huffed to himself seeing it would take longer than he thought to separate the Denali sisters. _Still, Tanya stayed quiet_ , he thought, looking at the youngest one who had made a point of sitting next to Jane.

"You three are going to have to get your mouths under control, quickly," Atia told the girls. "And your tempers," she added, seeing the scratches on Eleazar's forearms.

"Begging?" Basileus said, rolling his eyes to the heavens at Aro when he retook his seat.

Aro tutted into the air. _Yeah, it's my girl that's the problem_ , he thought sarcastically. Before Basileus could respond to his thoughts he tacked on, "Leave it, Dad, please."

"Is there anymore to your story, my dear?" Atia asked Basileus, hoping to resume some normality to the room.

"Not really," Basileus replied. He was already worried what the kids might have heard.

"When I woke up from my battering," Aro said, stressing the 'battering' to his father. "Sulpicia was just coming around from the transformation. The rest is history, as they say."

"It took Sully a while to forgive me for what I had done to her family." Basileus flashed a sad smile to his daughter-in-law.

"I do understand that it had to happen, Basileus," Sulpicia replied. "But you could have been more considerate with your method."

"I agree," Basileus nodded. "And I apologise."

"Erm …" Aro cleared his throat. "What about me - do you apologise to me?!"

"You?!" Caius shot out. "What about me?!"

"They are such whiny brats, aren't they?" Magnus said, laughing at his co-masters. "Half of these stories you pair have wanted an apology."

"I wouldn't do the same thing now as I did then," Basileus explained. "But under the circumstances, you got what you deserved at the time."

Irina pipped up from the desk. "It's disgusting behaviour towards someone you claim to love."

 _Shit_! Basileus knew they were all listening to his tale. He should have seen that coming, really. Telling a bunch of kids that they couldn't listen and sending them to another floor wouldn't be quite enough to stop them from all keeping an ear on the conversation.

"What we think now is rather irrelevant to what happened then," Marcus offered the girl when no one else spoke up.

"So you once thought it okay to beat your supposed son to death?" Irina asked the creator.

 _Why won't you just shut up?!_ Basileus smiled tightly to Irina. "Clearly he didn't die. And he is my son, no supposing about it."

Irina had already learnt not to push the creator too far, satisfied with simply annoying him, she moved on to Sulpicia. "So he killed your mother, too?" she said to the coven queen.

"It was Aro's mistake that cost my family their lives," Sulpicia replied. "Not Basileus'."

"Just as it was your mother's mistake that killed her," Felix offered in support of his family.

"It was Basileus, actually," Irina spat back at the Volturi prince. "He killed her."

"You act like killing all those people bothers you," Tanya said. "Why?" It was clear the girl was wondering how that worked. She had killed hundreds of humans, probably thousands. "They're only humans. Who cares?"

Eleazar and Carmen shared a worried look. They maintained a totally animal diet - having three human blood drinking girls in their quarters would be difficult for them, but neither wished to bring up more potential confrontation at that point. Aro would usually have taken great delight in goading his brother over his diet but it would be better for him in the long run if he didn't have three little killing machines eating the local population.

"We care," he said. "All of us care. No one in this coven, or any civilised coven, would kill humans wantonly."

"It sounds like you two used to," Irina directed at Caius and Dora.

"Not anymore," Dora replied.

"But humans are the food source …" Tanya continued, still missing why they should be concerned about human death.

"Yes," Aro agreed with the girl. "But taking more than you need is unnecessary and damaging to the prospective food source."

That hadn't really been an issue for the Denali girls as they lived in such remote areas that killing off the closest hamlet every now and then had been a matter of survival.

"You can't tell me the vampires here don't feed on humans, I know they do, I can tell by your eyes." Irina pointed out Caius and Dora, the only others with red eyes in the room apart from the Denali girls. "Your eyes are bright red."

"We fed before the ball," Caius explained. "We usually drink bloodwine."

"Why did you go out to feed before the ball?" Irina asked.

Caius didn't answer her. He didn't want to tell anyone why he had insisted on feeding. Doing so to please Henri sounded beyond weak in his mind … because he was.

"Well?" Irina pushed.

"Just fancied some human blood," Caius grunted from the floor. "It's not a crime, is it? Let's all just start drinking from each other so we don't offend anyone."

"Is that an attempt at sarcasm?" Magnus asked the man. After what they had heard about Caius' exploits, Magnus wondered briefly if it was a serious suggestion.

"Sounds more like thinly veiled contempt to me," Basileus commented to Magnus.

"Who was asking either of you?" Caius muttered. He hadn't intended on being heard, but he was slightly too loud for that.

"Do you want to try that again?" Basileus barked in his direction.

"Caius," Magnus said quietly, leaning forwards to block Basileus' path to the man. "Sit back over here, I can help you relax."

It sounded like a genuine offer of help to everyone else, but Caius wasn't daft - it was a 'move over here and chill out now or we will be discussing it later' offer. He shuffled across the floor feeling like a prick, but soon enough enjoyed the relief Magnus offered by taking his tension away.

"I haven't had chance to tell you all yet," Basileus spoke up, "mainly because I didn't foresee an issue, but I want the coven on animal blood until further notice."

Tension returned! "Why?!" Caius asked.

"Because of us?" Kate whispered hoarsely. Sobbing over her sister had exhausted the poor girl.

"Nothing to do with you at all, my dear," Basileus replied honestly. "This is above you."

"Are you going to enlighten the rest of us?" Aro asked, wondering what his father was playing at this time.

Basileus simply smiled and shook his head. He had been speaking with the Amazonian coven during their visit and he foresaw a trip across the oceans coming their way soon. Knowing that the lands to the west were full of werewolves, and that the Amazonian coven passed freely amongst them due to their strict animal diet, Basileus knew his coven would have to have perfectly amber eyes if they were to pass freely, too. He wanted his family to be prepared, especially as he had yet to decide who would be going with him.

Aro tutted at his father's silence. "How long will this go on?" He wasn't bothered about the diet - being the one to police it bothered him much more than the lack of human blood ever could.

"Until I say otherwise."

"But the tribute ball …" Caius rushed his words in his panic. "The next one … we won't be on animal blood then, will we?"

"Perhaps," Basileus answered. "I'll see how I feel closer to the time."

"What's the big deal, Caius?" Magnus asked. How he hated that Caius felt the need to suck up to Henri!

"No big deal," Caius said, trying ... and failing ... to contain his emotions on the matter. "Let's go back to the storytelling."

Basileus looked around the room. "I'm running short of victims!"


	138. Eleazar - 1330, September

**AN:** Sooo BIG news! Colethetwilightlover has set up an Amino for It's a Long, Dead Life! Get over to Amino Apps and search for the It's a Long, Dead life to chat and share and all sorts of things :D I'm brand new to Amino and still getting to grips with it all, but it's like a whole new world and I'm spending lots of time playing on there finding my way around :)

Last one for this set - Let me know what you think!

* * *

 **ELEAZAR - 1330, SEPTEMBER**

"No more stories!" Aro shouted out with a shudder. "I end up being battered, one way or another, in most of them."

"Sounds to me like you earned them all, Aro," Magnus happily pointed out.

"He doesn't have to put so much effort into the detail in the retelling, though," Aro stretched out his back. "I can feel it all over again."

"I have no doubt that you will feel it all over again," Basileus said, sounding tired at the prospect. "One thing these stories show is your penchant for screwing up and requiring correction."

Aro folded his arms and huffed like a child. "I don't know that I would put it like that."

"Sounds spot on to me, brother," Carlisle chipped in, only too pleased to hear more tales of his brother's downfalls.

Aro threw his brother a withering glare as he said, "Well there's no one left to discuss, so you will have to get your kicks somewhere else, Carlisle."

Carlisle ignored Aro and looked to Eleazar instead. "How did you end up here, El?"

Aro shook his head. "You heard about Eleazar's arrival at the …" he stalled for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

"At the card game of doom?" Caius suggested, grinning.

"Yes, that."

Caius, still grinning, went on, "You heard a rather edited version at the card game of doom, Carlisle."

"More versions?" Carlisle said, settling into his chair and getting ready for another tale of his brother's demise. "I like these stories."

"Thanks for that, Caius," Aro half growled to his co-master. _You cock!_

"Does Aro get walloped in this one, too?" Magnus asked with a grin to match Caius'.

"Oh yes!" Basileus replied. "And Caius."

"Even better!" Magnus gloated, flicking the back of Caius' head.

Caius had forgotten his part in Eleazar's arrival, though Christ knows how with what he went through. "You can be a right bastard sometimes," he hissed to Magnus as he fixed the feg in his hair. "I hadn't done anything wrong."

The whole room scoffed at Caius' claim - it was wearing thin when each story he had nothing to do with actually involved him quite heavily.

"You never have, according to yourself," Basileus said, choking back his chuckles.

"Alright, alright," Caius said to the growing laughter. "But that time, I really hadn't done anything wrong."

"I wouldn't go quite that far, Caius," Basileus said with an eye on the young master, "though it's true you were blamed for Aro's behaviour and you shouldn't have been. I was led astray on that score, wasn't I Aro."

Aro's shoulders sunk low knowing another shameful tale was about to be divulged in all its anti-glory. The worst of it all was what he'd done to Caius. "You believed what you wanted to believe," he muttered.

Basileus wasn't having that! "You were a vicious little bastard and because I was concentrating so hard on setting you back on the right path I didn't check up on what you were telling me about Caius."

Caius watched Aro crawling up his own ass trying, and failing, to defend himself. _Good,_ he thought, _you deserve to feel like a cunt!_ "Even with the round of fucks I took, I still like Eleazar's arrival. It's the reason Aro isn't allowed to drink dungeon blood anymore."

"Shall we remind everyone why you can't drink it anymore, either?" Magnus asked.

"I can," Caius replied, puffing out his chest. "I choose not to."

"Is that what you think?!" Basileus shot across the room. "Perhaps we should remind everyone?"

Caius scowled to the floor, thinking it was a safer bet than scowling directly to the creator. "No need for that, everyone here was there," he said, hoping to end things there.

"There are other things I could mention if he doesn't settle back down." Magnus only spoke loudly enough for Caius and Basileus to hear, the two of them being closest, but Caius still jumped in his skin.

"I'm settled!" he hissed over his shoulder, picking up the cards for another round with Demetri - anything to distract himself!

"So, can you drink dungeon blood anymore, Caius, or not?" Basileus asked, teasing him a little.

"No," Caius snapped back. "But I don't think anyone should unless it's for medicinal purposes."

If Caius' assertion to having done nothing wrong hadn't caused the group to fall about laughing, him claiming dungeon blood should be solely for medicinal purposes certainly did!

"That's rich!" Aro shot to him, still laughing.

"I'm not banning anyone else from dungeon blood until they give me a reason," Basileus told the young master. "In fact, we could get a bottle out now and there are only two people in the room who wouldn't be allowed to drink it."

 _Two?! Cheeky bastard!_ "There are eight kids in here, Dad," Aro told his father.

"Seven, thank you very much," Irina called out.

Carlisle counted the young vampires in the room and realised Aro had lumped him in with them. _Prick. Utter prick._

"I expect the kids could handle it better than you pair!" Magnus never wanted to experience either Caius, or Aro, on dungeon blood again.

"In small amounts it's a wonder drug for vampires," Marcus mused aloud. "The devil is in the dosage."

"Which is precisely their issue, wouldn't you say?" Basileus asked his old friend.

Why Aro or Caius expected any kind of back-up from Marcus, they couldn't say, but seeing him smiling patronisingly to them was the final nail in the coffin.

"Let's move on, shall we?" Atia suggested. "What happened with Eleazar?" She held up her hand quickly before her mate could start talking. "AFTER the card game of doom revelations, Basileus. There's no point going over old ground."

Aro heaved a sigh of relief. _I love you so much!_ he thought to his mother. Reminding his children that he had tried to force himself on his mate in front of them, and that he'd smashed up his chamber, his mate, and his son in the process, was not high on his to-do list. By the looks on their faces, their memories were doing the job well enough without hearing a rehash from their grandfather anyway.

"I'll skip ahead to when you woke up, then, shall I?"

Aro nodded to his father and settled in for another shameful tale.

 **Eleazar - 1330, September**

Basileus walked into his bathroom carrying a semi-conscious Aro in his arms. Heading straight for the bath, which was full of icy cold water, he dumped his son in with a splash. Aro came to life immediately, coughing and spluttering from the water he inhaled in the shock of his rude awakening. When he tried to get out, Basileus pushed down on Aro's head and dunked him back under, again and again, until Aro quit fighting. Bobbing his head, satisfied that Aro would stay awake this time, Basileus relented and let him out. While Aro shivered as he sat on the edge of the bath, he tested out his limbs to see what his injuries were.

"How long have I been asleep?" Aro asked. He expected to be in a worse state, truth be known. He vaguely remembered breaking his wrists from punching his father, and he was sure he'd broken some ribs. _This doesn_ _'_ _t feel so bad_ , he thought.

"You haven't been asleep," Basileus thundered. "You've been unconscious."

Feeling around his head, Aro noticed a few lumps that had yet to fully heal. The memories were sluggish to return, too.

"I knocked you out upstairs," Basileus explained, seeing Aro was struggling to put two and two together. "That kept you down for a day. When you woke up the first time you came at me again."

"So you knocked me out again?" Aro assumed.

Basileus scoffed to his boy. "Twice." With that he stalked out the room, soon returning with fresh clothes. "Get changed, you're dripping on my floor."

Aro winced as the door slammed shut. His head pounded with his dungeon blood hangover. He still wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, or rather unconscious, but if the hangover was rampant it can't have been more than a week. Stripping out of his wet clothes, Aro took a look in the mirror to assess the damage. The bones beneath may have knitted back together, but his body was black and blue with bruising. Each one he saw triggered the memory of how he'd come by such injury. Fighting with his father had been stupid. _Damn stupid!_ he thought, tracing the purple blemishes lining his ribs. But, worse than that was that he'd fought with Felix. _No,_ he corrected himself, _worse than all of that is why Felix fought with me_ _…_ _Sulpicia, I am so sorry._

"Get a move on!" Basileus boomed from the living chamber. "We have much to discuss!"

Hanging his head, Aro kicked aside his soaked clothes and picked up the fresh set to redress.

"I know what you're going to say," he told his father as he limped into the room. "I know I was out of order …"

"Out of order?!" Basileus repeated into the air. "He thinks he's been out of order?!"

 _Talking to yourself?_ Aro wondered what the hell was wrong with his old man. _Okay, I was a cunt, I get it. I_ _'_ _ll stop being a cunt. No need to crazy!_

"You are destroying your life, Aro!" Basileus shot across the room.

 _Back to talking to me, then, great._ "A little dramatic, Dad." Aro creaked and whined as he eased himself into his father's high back chair. Everything ached. Everything.

"Dramatic?!" Basileus started pacing, ranting into the room. "I'm dramatic?!"

 _Surely you_ _'_ _ve had a week to chat to yourself, Dad_? _Let'_ _s move on, shall we_?

Basileus had spent the week going through this conversation, naturally, but he'd hoped Aro would have shown some shame. He knew his son felt it, but he wanted the little fucker to show it. As he wasn't (or perhaps refused to do so) it only confirmed to Basileus how deep in the shit Aro was. _I'_ _ll bring you back_ , he thought to his boy. _I'_ _m not losing you this way_.

"Can you not see what you are doing to those kids?" Basileus asked. He flashed to his son's side and took his hands in his own. "You're scaring them, Aro."

"They aren't kids," Aro huffed. "They are guards."

"You wanted them because they are kids, Aro, don't play me for a fool."

His voice was stern, but Aro could hear the concern there. _Are you worried about me_? he wondered.

"When you brought them home I hoped you were turning a corner," Basileus continued. "You seemed to be. For a while at least. What happened?"

"They are guards," Aro repeated.

Basileus shook his head. "You need to start treating them as the children they are, not as your miniature crew of attendants."

"I take care of them," Aro insisted. "They want for nothing!"

"Physical needs, maybe." Basileus at least partly agreed with that. "What about their emotional needs? What do you think all this shit is doing to their heads, Aro?! You spent at least two years getting the twins to trust you when you brought them home, and every year since proving to them that they can't!"

Basileus was worried, Aro had been right about that, but he wasn't just worried about Aro. The creator's concern was for his whole household, of which the four 'high guard' were equally part. With his worry, his volume increased.

Aro cradled his head in his hands. "Will you stop shouting at me?" he whispered. _I'_ _m in the same fucking room!_ _"_ The twins trust me."

"I'm telling you, they do not," Basileus said, pulling Aro's hands from his face. "They fear you, especially the boy. They see you coming home in this state, abusing your mate, abusing them …"

"I do not abuse my mate or my high guard."

"Can you really not see it?!" Basileus took up pacing the room again. "Honestly?!"

With his hands tugging at the roots of his hair, Basileus contemplated the mess of Aro's life. "How can you not see what you're doing?!" he questioned. "This is my fault, I've been away from the coven too much. I'll be here from now on, son. You will be sick to death of the sight of me before long."

 _That status is already achieved, I assure you_. Aro looked to his father curiously. He had said ... well, thought ... a few things that would normally land him a slap. _Hmmm…_ _you_ _'_ _re not in my head? CUNT! Okay, this is good._

When Basileus undid the belt around his waist, Aro baulked. He couldn't take a whipping on top of the damage he already suffered. Even if his bones were healed, he was still suffering the aftermath of those breaks. Making a snap decision, he worked to deflect the attention from himself onto some poor unsuspecting other.

"It's the dungeon blood, Dad …"

"You think I don't know that, Aro?!"

"No, I mean, it's the dungeon blood that makes me this way," Aro said, carefully. "I can't control myself, Dad. I struggle with it, I've been really struggling with it. I've tried to stop taking it. I hate how it makes me, but Caius …" Aro let his co-master's name hang in the air and sucked the air in through his teeth, drawing in his father.

"What about Caius?" Basileus asked. It wasn't fair, but Basileus had seen Caius as the root to Aro's debauchery for many years, but until recent events, that debauchery hadn't meant cruelty. At least not towards Sulpicia and the children. "What has he done?"

"I don't want to tell you, it's not his fault. I'm the one to blame." Aro did a good impression of sounding sorrowful, which is exactly what Basileus had been so desperate to hear. Aro was landing his father - hook, line and sinker.

"What about Caius?" Basileus asked again.

"He thinks I'm weak because I can't handle the dungeon blood like he can. He's questioned my authority, my kingship, your choice of putting me in control …"

The pang of guilt hitting his stomach caused Aro to pause, but pushing it aside to save his own neck, he soon picked up the pace. "I had to drink it, Dad. I couldn't leave Caius with the idea that I was weaker than he. I was trying to hold the coven together. You've been away so much, I'm here on my own with Caius questioning my leadership."

Basileus had quit pacing and was hanging onto every word Aro spoke, a quiet rage filling his body. Aro could see it in the man's eyes, what he couldn't see was whether that rage would be directed at him, or at Caius. All he could do was twist the knife a little further to see which way the creator would blow.

"I know that was the wrong choice, I get it now, it won't happen again … well, my part won't happen again," Aro winced. At best, he was saving himself a lashing by giving one to his co-master, and he loved Caius dearly. But his selfish fear pushed him on. "But Caius …" he said, shrugging. "What can I do, Dad?"

Basileus stayed silent. It could only have been a minute or so but if felt like an age to Aro who waited in trepidation for some sort of verdict.

"You're going to stay here, I'm going to see Caius," Basileus said. His voice shook, such was his fury. "When you are recovered, you and I are going out there to find you a calmer play mate."

"Who was not calmer in the slightest," Aro interjected, pulling Basileus from his tale.

"Not to start with, no," Basileus agreed. Seeing Eleazar's shoulders slump, he added, "I have to be fair, son."

"If you were being fair you would be throwing Carlisle to the lions, too," Eleazar muttered, but his eyes stayed on his father. _Carmen doesn_ _'_ _t know everything about me_ _…_ _about my_ _'_ _early years_ ',' he thought, silently praying to be heard.

Basileus nodded curtly, showing he had, and looked to his youngest. "Carlisle has been remarkably well behaved recently," he answered Eleazar to cover their silent 'conversation'.

"You talk about me like he does about his kids," Carlisle complained, pointing to Aro. "Can you treat me like the rest of the adults here, please?"

"You're the baby, Carlisle," Aro said, ruffling his brother's hair and messing it up. "You always will be."

"It sucks," Alec declared, as the resident baby vampire.

"You should be glad you're my baby, Alec," Aro told his boy. "It's the only reason you get away with the things you do." Instantly he regretted saying such a thing, seeing Felix fold his arms and nod rampantly.

"Hardly!" Alec shot out before Felix could say his peace. "You don't think I'm capable of anything, you always hold me back, you …"

"My queen," Aro called to his mate. "Please shut him up before I overreact."

"He's right, being the youngest sucks!" Carlisle continued for the boy who was being hushed by his mother. "I'd like a younger brother for Christmas, please."

"I want one, too!" Alec agreed.

"Unfortunately, my darling," Atia said to Carlisle, "we know we couldn't do better than the sons we have, so we are sticking with three."

"That's much nicer than I would have put it," Basileus chuckled. "If I'd have had Eleazar first he would have been an only child."

"Thanks, Dad," Eleazar said proudly, gloating to his brothers.

Aro and Carlisle answered in one. "Golden bollocks!"

"Being the eldest has its own troubles," Eleazar replied. "So much more is expected of me than of either of you."

Aro could have choked on his own venom, hearing such a declaration. "You don't do anything!" _Lazy bastard!_

Eleazar knee what Aro was thinking and he didn't care - he loved his charmed life! "I meant in relation to temperament, personality, family matters. I would never get away with how you act, Aro." Eleazar turned on his baby brother. "Or you, Carlisle."

With both Aro and Carlisle trying to defend themselves, Felix sided with Eleazar. He had very much to say on the expectation of 'firstborns'

"I think that's true, El," Freyr agreed, looking to Magnus. "We always expect more of eldest children. We expected far more of Ivar than Sven or Odi."

 _Love, you_ _'_ _re killing me here!_ Magnus had been hoping if no one mentioned Odi again that Caius might somehow forget his quarry.

"Odi sounds like more trouble than he's worth."

Magnus scowled down to Caius. _Yup, there it is._ "He's no trouble for you," he replied through gritted teeth, and sat back to listen to the barrage of sniping Caius deployed in response.

Demetri was quite pleased. He couldn't understand what Caius' issue was with Odi, but whilst the coven master was concentrating on Magnus, the boy swapped their cards around so he was sure to win another round.

"I'm the eldest - you always make an example of me and he gets away with murder," Felix said, continuing his argument. "And don't even start me on the shit Jane gets away with!"

Jane smirked to herself and nudged Tanya to watch her go winding up Felix. She'd already told the Denali girl how easy it was to play with the bruin. "When I listen to you talk I have to wonder who ties your shoelaces for you," she said to her brother, innocent eyes of an angel.

Seeing Tanya giggle at Jane's side flipped Felix's good senses - he had to reply for his pride's sake, if nothing else. "You know what I wonder about?" Why I have never murdered you in your sleep."

"You know how some minds are prone to wander?" Jane asked Tanya. "Well his walked off and never came back."

"You need to stop," Aro told them both, though he was looking at Felix. "Or, you can go to bed."

"Dad, can you please stop!" Felix hissed. "You are humiliating me!"

"Guess how I feel about your behaviour, son?" Aro hissed back. "It's a similar feeling, I assure you."

"So, can I have a brother?" Alec asked again.

"They can't get one younger than you, Alec," Irina replied to the boy before anyone else could. "Not unless they turned an immortal child. And then your grandfather would have to rip the heads off your parents and leave you all as orphans."

"How pleasant, Irina," Atia offered with a tight smile. "Thank you so much for joining in with the conversation."

Irina wouldn't be hushed so easily - Atia's stern eye did nothing to threaten her. "I wonder who you would be dumped with if that happened? Maybe you'd go back to the Egyptian coven?"

"Fuck off!" Demetri roared. He'd been mostly quiet through the day, so his eruption caused some surprise. He even shocked himself!

"He'd stay here, where he belongs," Felix answered the bitter bitch. "Not that we will ever be orphaned, thanks."

"Who knows what the future might hold?" Irina said back, smiling cruelly.

"I think that's enough joining in, dear," Atia told the girl. She made use of Magnus' gift to make Irina queasy. It was enough to shut her up for the time being. "And, I would ask that the rest of you temper your language if you wish to join in further," she said, looking at no one in particular. The offenders knew who they were.

Aro had been making his way around the group refilling drinks. Caius tutted at him and refused the top up when Aro got to him.

"What?!"

"Is that really what you told him about me?" Caius asked, eyebrows raised. "Is that really what you said?"

"It was," Basileus answered for Aro as his son floundered. "Amongst other things I excluded to save both of your blushes."

"Come on, Caius. I was desperate," Aro said, apologetically. "You would have done the same thing."

Caius gave a scoff and a tut in reply, but he held his glass out for the whiskey Aro offered.

"He wouldn't have done what you did," Basileus told Aro. "I see that now. Caius doesn't lie, not like you do."

"He lies to himself plenty," Magnus muttered, still annoyed that he was copping shit from the man for having the audacity to have an allegiance to his own son!

"But not to others," Basileus pointed out. "Not just to save his skin."

Caius wasn't too sure how to take that. "Thanks … I think?" he said to Basileus whilst scowling again at Magnus for his contribution.

Magnus scowled right back at him. "I thought Caius got a hiding in Eleazar's story?" he said, nudging Basileus to continue.

"It's coming, I have no doubt." Caius turned back to his game with Demetri, throwing a few coins in the pot without realising the switch about the boy had done. He had no interest in reliving that day and he doubted Basileus would ever realise the effect it had on him.

Basileus winced. He knew only too well how badly he had fucked up with Caius. "It's more shameful for me than it is for you, Caius," Basileus said, gulping down the last of his drink. He was going to need that whiskey inside him if he was going to divulge what an animal he'd been.

"CAIUS!"

Basileus burst into the Volturi playroom in a thunderous blaze. Caius had been busy at work, 'extracting' information from the Romanian rogues they had picked up. It had been quite a haul - it was the reason he and Aro had decided to throw their dungeon blood party in the first place. Caius still had a hangover himself and could have done without a raging creator bellowing in the echo chamber - particularly as he had no clue as to how he'd pissed off the man!

"You lying, conniving, upstart cunt!"

Caius dropped his tools and backed up to the wall. Only the fire separated the pair.

"What have I done, my lord?" he asked, voice quaking.

"This is MY coven, Caius," Basileus thundered. "MINE!"

 _So?_ Caius thought. He had meant it in a 'I know this' way but, after what Aro had told him, Basileus took it in a 'I don't care' way,

Taking up the first thing that came to hand, which happened to be a set of iron pliers, Basileus launched the implement at Caius'. It came at the man's full vampiric strength and embedded itself in Caius' shoulder.

 _What the fuck is going on?!_ Caius went down to his knees, begging Basileus for some sort of explanation.

"How dare you question my authority?!" Basileus wasn't answering Caius - he was demanding answers for the things Aro had said, which were still a mystery to Caius!

The set of sliver blades were the next thing Basileus could grab. Caius had just enough movement to avoid some of them as they were levied at him, but two caught him in the thigh, going in deep. Realising he would simply be taking a round of hell from the creator, Caius went down to the floor and stayed there, not that he could stand with a pair of knives in his leg and a busted shoulder.

Basileus flashed to Caius' side, taking the fire pick as he went and started beating the coven leader with it! Paying little attention to where the strikes landed, Caius was thoroughly battered. One hit was so hard it broke the iron pick - one half went flying into the wall, whilst the other remained in Basileus' grip. It broke Caius' leg in the process. Basileus took up another, repeating the process until that one broke, too. He reached down and lifted Caius from the flagstone floor by the scruff of his neck.

"You will make me something strong enough to beat a vampire without breaking," he told the broken man. "And I'll test out the results on you when you have."

With that he dropped Caius back to the floor in a bloody heap of confusion.

"You're lucky you're breathing, boy!" he spat, panting from the exertion. "LUCKY!"

Basileus exited the playroom with the same forced he'd entered, slamming the door so hard behind him that the hinges shattered.

Caius stayed down. He told himself it was in case Basileus returned to exact more vengeance for crimes unknown, but really, he couldn't move. Hours he lay there, slowly extracting the odd tool that had invaded his body. All the time, those rogues who'd had a front row seat to his humiliating beat down called out taunts, jeering at the coven master. It was psychological torture and it went in deep. He hadn't been able to defend himself against Basileus physically, and he couldn't defend himself against the rogues mentally. They became the voices he always heard when he went into that room, the voices that spurred him on to exact unspeakable cruelty on his victims.

All metal removed, Caius dragged himself to the dungeon blood barrels with his good arm. Flicking the tap on the barrel, he let the gloopy tar drip into his mouth. Swallowing hurt, everything hurt, but Caius knew if he drank enough of that shit he could block out all the pain he felt. It took a few days for Caius to recover, and he stayed in the dungeons the whole time with those Romanian scumbags laughing the whole while. He had his revenge on the rogues, though - that was the day Caius started flaying his victims.

"Magnus?" Basileus said slowly as the juggernaut breathed heavily at his side.

The coven empath was struggling with his emotions, Basileus knew that, he could feel it. Magnus radiated shame, anger, shock … the emotions he was taking on were coming too hard and fast for him to fully absorb.

"Magnus?" Basileus tried again. "Whoa!"

The juggernaut's bloodwine tankard crumpled in his hand, sending the ruby red liquid spurting into the air. It came back down to soak Magnus and Basileus, not that the former cared.

"How could you do that?!" Magnus spat at the creator.

Freyr gasped at her mate's nerve. "Magnus, don't!" she hissed in warning.

"He's right to question me, Freyr," Basileus said quickly. "I behaved like an absolute animal. It was despicable."

"It's not a big deal, old news," Caius lied, shrugging it off. "I'm over it." Another lie. He couldn't hide his feelings so easily and Magnus had been pummelled with a room full of feelings all day - the spike from Caius and Basileus during that last portion of the take had been enough to send the empath over the edge.

"Magnus, listen …" Basileus tried. "I …"

Magnus shook his head. He couldn't even look at the man. "Just give me a minute," he said gruffly. Turning away, Magnus concentrated on his breathing as he got a fresh grip on the emotions he felt.

Everyone stayed very still and quiet whilst Magnus worked through the emotional burst. It didn't take him long. Once he was sorted he set to taking away the awkwardness in the room to ease everyone's tension.

"Did you ever make something strong enough?" Carlisle asked, peering around his brother to look at Caius.

Caius chuckled to himself briefly, though there was little humour in it. "Where else do you think your old man's cane came from?" he asked Carlisle,

Eleazar, Aro, and Carlisle shared a shudder, even Magnus joined them!

"So it's your fault?!" Carlisle shot back to the coven leader.

Caius was flabbergasted. "Were you not paying attention?" "It's Aro's fault."

"Aro has his part in the blame," Basileus corrected. "But my actions were my fault, and I'm very sorry."

Magnus pulled Caius back by his collar. "Having suffered the effect of that damn thing, I feel like booting you across the room for making it." A second shiver ran down his spine. "My back burned for a week."

 _Your back_? That annoyed Caius - he'd been subjected to the humiliation of taking his beating from Basileus on his backside, like a child.

"You?!" Tanya called across to Magnus. "But you're huge!"

"I don't follow," Magnus said, looking bemused.

"Well, you know …" Tanya pushed, wondering why it wasn't obvious. "Couldn't you fight him off?" she whispered to the juggernaut. There wasn't much point in her whispering in a room full of vampires, especially at a volume that travelled across the room, but it was sweet that she'd tried, bless her.

"Oh!" Basileus exclaimed, catching on.

"No, little one," Magnus told her. "That's not how it works. I had thrown Caius across the library and given him and Aro a few good thumps. I took what was due as my penance."

"I would have paid good money to see your penance," Aro sang out.

Caius agreed. He held out the scraps of coin he had left in his possession to the creator. "I'll pay good money now for the story if it's in the same excruciating detail I just suffered."

Magnus knocked the coins out of his hands for a second time. "Will you stop offering my money about?!"

"I'm not reliving that experience," Basileus said. He and Marcus shared a laugh at how he'd been after disciplining Magnus that one and only time. "I've never felt so awkward in my life."

Aro look askance to his father. "We couldn't have you feeling awkward, could we?!" _Don'_ _t worry about the rest of us after the shit you_ _'_ _ve told today!_

"To be fair to Magnus," Marcus piped up. "I believe it is the only blot on an otherwise perfect record. Not quite comparable to the rest of you."

Caius rolled his eyes to the heavens and caught Aro doing the same. "From the one who walks on water and then turns it to wine," he said quietly, playing his hand and losing yet another game to Demetri.

"When are you going to get to Eleazar?" Kate asked, keen to find out about the man she would be living with.

Basileus took a moment to remember where he'd got to, "After I'd dealt with Caius, Aro and I went to England …"

"We haven't been here for a while," Aro mused looking up the cliff face. Peeking out above the top stood actual stonework. "Have you built a castle?"

Basileus threw his arm around Aro's shoulders as the pair waded through the cool waters to shore. "I told you Cape Tor would be pivotal in our future," he reminded his son. "We needed to build a proper stronghold."

"I have been asking to extend Volterra for years!" Aro tutted and shook off his father's hold as they came to shore. "You said we didn't have the funds!"

"And now you know why," Basileus replied. "Wait until you see it."

 _I don_ _'_ _t want to see it_. Aro knew he sounded petulant, so he didn't voice his thoughts aloud, not that it mattered with a mind reading father.

Basileus simply laughed as he walked ahead of Aro across the beach.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, pointing out a crude wooden staircase fixed into the cliffs. "They got my message."

Basileus had sent word to the guards manning Cape Tor to arrange the building works. He'd sent very specific plans for them to follow, and seeing the steps, one of the simpler elements of his plans in fruition, gave him hope for the rest.

"Come on!" he called to Aro, and flashed up the cliff side.

By the time Aro made it to the top, after having petulantly taken his time, he was greeted by three guards and his father, looking irritated.

"Lev," Aro nodded to the first, "Mik, Kat," he continued. "So this is their top secret vital mission for the Volturi cause, is it?" he asked his father.

Basileus smiled broadly. "This place …

"Will be pivotal in our future," Aro finished. _Yeah, yeah, so you_ _'_ _ve said._

Taking in the landscape, Aro was surprised by how much had changed. The last time he'd visited Cape Tor had been when he'd turned the twins - five hundred years ago, give or take. The wooden shack that was the mead hall had long since gone, but that wasn't the surprise. A gigantic keep stood proudly where the hall had once been. _That must have cost a fucking fortune_! Aro assumed, correctly. Glaring daggers at his father, he went on, _I'_ _ve been putting off vital repairs in Volterra and you_ _'_ _re funding this_?! _I hope you_ _'_ _re listening_!

If Basileus was he made no effort to respond.

"How are you finding your diet, Lev?" he said, blatantly ignoring Aro.

Lev grunted in reply, but Basileus caught his intended word. 'Unnatural.'

"Well, it shouldn't be for much longer." Basileus slapped a hand down on the man's shoulder. "You appear to be near completion," he said, free arm spread to gesture to the great works Lev had arranged on his behalf.

"Yes, my lord," Lev agreed. "Better in daylight," he added.

Mik stayed silent, as was his way, whilst Kat stepped forward to update the creator. Basileus listened to all she had to say. He was keen to know of their relations with the humans, too. It was the only issue Basileus had worried about when sending the three ex-Romanian members to do his duty - Lev wasn't known for his diplomatic skills. But he was the creator's most trusted guard, and once an order had been given, Lev saw a task to completion. Finding nothing of concern in their memories, Basileus thanked them all gratefully.

"So this isn't punishment?" Lev asked. He'd been in England for nearly a year by that point - it was common for troublesome guards to be sent away from the coven for periods of time to give them the chance to think about their Volturi careers. It was a kinder exercise than killing them off. Lev and Kat had discussed their every move in Volterra, wondering what had consigned them to being sent away from the coven.

Basileus' booming laughter at such a notion soon put that concern to rest. "I could trust no one else to complete this task for me," he told Lev. "But I miss having you in Volterra. You will return soon, you have my word."

"How much has this cost us?" Aro asked his father outright.

"It's cost you nothing, son," Basileus replied. His concentration, however, was fixed on the keep. "Very good, very good," he said, mainly to himself. Lev was right, it would be better to see the full effects in daylight, but from what he could make out, the creator was pleased.

"Would you like to see inside, my lord?" Kat asked, gesturing to the grand stone construction.

Basileus declined. "I'm leaving your king in your care, I'll be going straight onto London."

Aro started to fume. It was bad a new sibling was being forced on him, seeing the excess of Volturi funds being wasted on a scrap of waste land such as England had pissed him off, but what tipped him over the edge was the way his father had been treating him since the dungeons blood/fight incident. _You_ _'_ _re treating me like a fucking child_ , he thought, trying to keep hold of his temper. Aro felt his left eye start to twitch through his efforts, but he just about resisted throwing his father off the cliffs!

"Erm … why?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"To choose your new brother, of course," Basileus answered, beaming. He was quite excited by the prospect now he'd set his mind to the task.

Aro rushed to his father before the man could leave. "And I'm to have no say in the selection?"

"Obviously not." Basileus forcibly removed the hand Aro had placed on his arm. "I've decided to choose from the upper ranks, this time."

"We never turn high ranking humans, Dad. It's dangerous. They expect to keep their profile …"

"I am aware of our traditions, Aro - I established them, after all." Basileus had no reason to listen to Aro's opinion on anything, in his mind. Aro had proved his counsel couldn't be trusted with recent events. "I'm sure I will find someone suitable," he explained. "I want one more refined, this time."

It was a purposeful dig at Aro's human beginnings, a pointed jibe to remind him where he came from and who it was that plucked him from obscurity and gave him his royal seat in the first place. Deep down, Aro knew he'd earned such ire from his father - if not for his own debauchery, certainly for what he'd inflicted on Caius in his desperation. _But still,_ he thought, _patronising cunt._

"I'm sure you have much to tell our guards about all they are missing in Volterra," Basileus said through gritted teeth. Had said guards not been there, he would have taken a swipe at his son for such thoughts. "Take a look around, relax," he insisted, pushing Aro towards the keep, and then flashed out of sight.

"Master," Lev called from the keep's doorway.

Aro headed over, knowing he had no other choice.

It was near daybreak when Basileus returned with a writhing, dark haired man slung over his shoulder. He stopped to greet the guards when they opened the keep for him, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Aro hung at the back of the large hallway, waiting for his father to grace him with his presence. On hearing his boy's petulant thoughts and deciding Aro was still being an incorrigibly fractious brat, Basileus ignored him completely and took Eleazar into the only furnished room in the keep. Furnished was an overstatement, really, as the only furniture contained in the drawing room were two benches and a small table with four stools. It was simple, but then the creator hadn't made plans to live in Cape Tor, merely to have the place available for future use. Mikhail made use of his gift to light the fireplaces and set the wall torches aglow, which even with the dawn sun shining were needed. England could be a gloomy place, as Caius often commented.

Aro waited for the guards to leave the drawing room before he entered, just in time to see Basileus gently lying out his new brat on the floor. _Not a brat_ , Aro thought, horrified by what he saw.

"He's older than me!" he exclaimed rushing to the well-dressed man.

Basileus dragged the closer bench towards the fire where he could keep an eye on his new charge. "That is not accidental, son," he replied, grinning wildly as he took his seat.

Basileus had arrived in the royal court of Edward III in time to pluck out a wealthy noble, but on seeing the man he'd brought home, his agenda changed. Something had drawn Basileus to the man, it could have been simply the way he looked - tall, dark, handsome - very much like Basileus himself, though much slighter in appearance. Basileus didn't think for too long what it was, he didn't even search the man's memories, he just waited until the guy left the royal party for his own quarters and snatched him out of the night, biting him without thinking twice. The creator often worked on such impulsive feelings, and they generally turned out well, in his opinion.

Aro's opinion differed on that point, particularly as he took in the new 'brother' that had been foisted on him. He twisted the man's face into the light of the fire to see what wretch he'd been gifted. The slight lines around his eyes were already disappearing with the transformation in full progress. Aro had hoped the turning would be a failure, and then he would have time to convince his father that adding to their ranks was a foolish plan. _No such fucking luck!_ Aro thought, annoyed.

"You aren't putting him above me." It was barely above a whisper, but Aro fully intended his father to hear.

"Like you said, he's older than you." Basileus leaned forwards and rested his elbows on his legs, cupping his chin on his hands. He looked relaxed but his tone was anything but when he spoke. "He's your big brother."

"You aren't putting him above me!" Aro repeated firmly.

It might have been more impressive had he not also stamped his foot like a toddler. There's something about arguing with your parents that turns everyone into a child, Aro suffered similarly, even after thousands of years.

"You know we work on human ages for placement, son," Basileus replied. He couldn't hide his smirk over Aro trying to put his foot down. Luckily for Aro, he was in a good mood. _A new son, new possibilities_ , he thought, looking down to the man. Aro had no chance of bringing down the creator's buzz. "This one is older than you," he told Aro. "So in family matters between me, you, and him, he's above you."

Aro roared out his frustration, expecting his father to at least turn and face him, but Basileus stayed fixed on the new vampire turning in his presence. He was very close to punching his father in the back of his big fat head, but, seeing sense, he decided to leave instead.

Basileus still didn't turn, but he heard through Aro's thoughts that he was about to leave. "If you walk out of that door, you will regret it," he called out.

"I'm going to fetch your new son a feed, Dad."

That wasn't where Aro had planned on going, but he didn't actually want to fight his old man again. It had taken far too long to recover from the last one with Basileus putting Aro on limited feeds.

Basileus smiled to himself. _He is learning, then._ "Bring enough for us all."

 _Bring enough for us all,_ Aro repeated to himself, mocking his father's voice. It was as petulant as he dared to be under the circumstances.

Basileus heard the clatter of Aro returning long before he set eyes on his son. Dragging four humans along behind him, Aro entered the drawing room.

"You took your time," Basileus called, approaching his son.

Getting a look at the humans Aro had brought gave Basileus a good indicator of his son's mood - four men, big men, all battered and bruised from fighting with the vampiric king. Naturally, Aro didn't have a mark on him, even his clothes had survived the scrap fully intact.

"Feel better for beating them up?" Basileus nodded to the poor bastards that would be their dinner.

Aro half grunted a reply, suggesting as his father had thought, that he was still in his pissy mood. "Is he close?" he asked, looking to his new big brother. The man lay still as stone - either the transformation was nearly at an end, or he hadn't made it through. _Please say he_ _'_ _s dead, please!_

"I think so," Basileus replied, ignoring Aro's thoughts. "Kill them now, I don't want to listen to their screams." Before Basileus had even turned his back to return to his seat, Aro had the four necks snapped. "Eleazar, that's his name."

"Not very English," Aro muttered joining his father,

"He's Spanish, a linguist,"

"Marcus will be pleased." Aro crouched down and manipulated Eleazar's face towards the light. Not a single sign of human ageing was left. He looked much younger than when Aro had last seen him. "How old is he?"

"Twenty-nine."

 _For fuck sake!_ The fact that this Eleazar was only a year older made Aro all the more bitter knowing he would be put above the coven king in so-called family matters. Basileus planned to do just that, once Eleazar was through the newborn year, that is.

…

Magnus and Freyr had finished their guard duties for the day and were heading back to the guard hall when they heard the commotion. Music coming from the hall wasn't unusual, the place could be damn rowdy at times, but the caterwauling wasn't quite so customary. Still, they wouldn't have worried too much had the creator not flashed past them in the hallway. Picking up the pace, they arrived only moments after Basileus to see half the guard hall inhabitants involved in some up close and personal 'dancing'. Odi used his speed to get away from the action, as did a good many of the other guards. It was too late, though - those involved had been noted. Luckily for most of them, Basileus was only interested in Caius and Eleazar.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" the creator thundered, ending all activity in the room. Stalking to Eleazar and Caius, Basileus ripped the pair away from the young guards they danced with and shoved the girls back against the wall. "This is not a whore house, you damn ingrates!"

Since Aro had been instructed to distance himself from Caius, Caius was at a loose end. Eleazar had stepped into his brother's shoes quite well and he and Caius had been fucking their way through the guard for a few months. If they had been discreet about it they wouldn't have had too much of a problem - everyone was willing, after all, but the blatant debauchery was pissing Basileus off, particularly after what had happened with Aro and Caius so fresh in his mind.

"I gave you a job, Caius," he growled at the young master. "I'm yet to see any results."

Caius knew what he was talking about - _'_ _I want something strong enough to beat a vampire_ _'_ _._ Oddly, Caius wasn't rushing to complete the task considering whatever implement he came up with would no doubt be used on him! "I've been trying, my lord," Caius replied backing away. Each step he took towards the door, Basileus matched. "It wasn't a simple request."

"Oh, I think it was," Basileus told him. "Whose opinion do you think I will be going with?"

Caius gulped. "Yours, my lord."

Basileus snatched Caius from the floor by his collar and pulled him in close. "Get down to your pit and work," he hissed, letting Caius feel the growl that rumbled in his chest. "That's why you're here."

Dropping Caius and feeling pleased to watch him flee, Basileus turned back to Eleazar. "Stay away from him son," he warned the new prince. "Caius will only lead your life to destruction."

Eleazar should have been grateful to receive such a tempered response from the creator, but his newborn emotions continued to make him unstable. Basileus could see his boy readying for a fight and there was no way he would let that happen, in the guard hall of all places. _Angry and violent_ \- Basileus thought to himself, as he wondered, not for the first time, what he had done taking on another vampire of his own.

Stepping up to Eleazar and encroaching on his personal space, Basileus kept his tone low and even. "Get yourself a drink and relax, son," he insisted.

It took Eleazar a few seconds to get himself under control, but he eventually nodded and relented and sought out the wine barrels where Magnus stood. That was the only saving grace with Eleazar, as Basileus saw it - he was compliant, or rather, he wished to be. Basileus hoped that once he got the guy through his newborn year and his emotions settled down, that he would be more reasoned and his propensity for compliance would make life easier.

Magnus passed Eleazar a goblet of wine. Well, it was a half full goblet of wine, which Magnus topped up with water. Eleazar briefly considered complaining, but with a quick glance over his shoulder he realised his father remained in the guard hall. _Perhaps half measures would please him more_ , Eleazar wondered, thanking Magnus for his offer.

Magnus had one eye on Basileus, too. He didn't like the way the creator was laying into the guards, particularly not when the girls had simply been going along with Caius and Eleazar's requests. It wasn't as though the poor sods could refuse a coven master and a Volturi prince! Deciding he had to do something to save the younger members of the guards from future strife, he asked Eleazar to sit with him for a while.

"You're causing yourself a lot of trouble here, young prince," he said to the new Volturi brother. "There are more productive ways to expend your energy."

"There are certain ways I prefer," Eleazar joked. _Too loud_ , he thought quickly seeing his new father turn a vicious eye in his direction.

"I'm sure," Magnus agreed quietly.

For a moment he concentrated his gift on Eleazar's emotions, making sure to get the best reading he could. He soon discovered that Eleazar's need to fulfil his wanton desires weren't the main feelings in his heart. _Are you just distracting yourself?_ he wondered, looking at the young prince. _What do you want most?_

Magnus followed Eleazar's eyes - though Eleazar was trying to be discreet, he couldn't help but repeatedly seek out Basileus. _You want to please him_ , Magnus worked out. He could use that and better direct Eleazar's activities. It was above his station to advise a prince, he felt, but Magnus' loyalties were to the guards, the younger ones in particular, and he would happily put his neck on the line for them.

Clearing his throat to get Eleazar's attention, he quietly said, "Your willpower is lacking and until you progress to delaying your gratification, the creator will see you, and treat you, as a newborn."

"It's frustrating the hell out of me!" Eleazar replied, a little too loudly.

Magnus played with his emotions to keep him calm so they could talk. "That's what willpower is about - the ability to withstand frustrations."

"Caius doesn't have to display any willpower," Eleazar huffed, though he was quieter.

"Caius is a coven master and he has a thousand years on you," Magnus reminded him. _Though the way Caius is being treated right now I don_ _'_ _t think he_ _'_ _s getting away with anything, either!_ _"_ I imagine he has shown willpower at some point in that time. You have been a vampire for nine months and they have been some fraught months from what I have seen, young prince."

Basileus looked in their direction and for a moment Magnus froze wondering what the creator would have to say about a guard speaking to his son co candidly. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the man offer him a curt nod before he left the guard hall, leaving the girls Caius and Eleazar had been messing about with crying in the corner after their round of fucks.

Eleazar winced when he heard the guard hall doors slam. "I think he regrets turning me."

"That's not how he feels," Magnus assured him. "Trust me, it's a gift."

"Hey," Odi drawled, sidling up to Magnus. "Can I get one of those?" he asked, pointing to Magnus' cup.

"What do you think?" Magnus asked in return, glaring at the young guard. Before Odi could ask why he was copping for the man's bad side, Magnus added, "I saw you."

Odi whistled into the air and started retreating backwards, but not before he heard Magnus tell Eleazar, "Basileus loves you, Eleazar, make him proud. That's all a father wants."

Odi knew Magnus was saying that as much for his benefit as he was for Eleazar's. The raised eyebrow he received from his father confirmed as much. He went to do what was expected of him - apologise to the girls he'd help cause trouble with. Odi clashed with his father on the matter of morals with some regularity. Magnus would have been happy for Odi to take a mate or not, whatever or whoever he chose, but he was not comfortable with the boy flaunting his conquests in his presence.

It was an awkward living situation for them both, really. Mentally, Odi was who he was when he had been turned - on the cusp of being a man, but still needing his family support. Every time he considered leaving the coven to spread his wings a little, something would happen to make him realise he wasn't ready, that he still needed Magnus and Freyr, and wanted them, too. It was a dance they had been doing for five hundred years, (and a few years before that in their human days, as well).

"How do I do that, Magnus?" Eleazar asked, grabbing the juggernaut's attention.

"It's not for me to tell you that, I have already said more than I should have," Magnus replied. He ran his free hand through his hair and shook out the back, going on to rub out the stress in his neck. Eleazar remained fixed on him, waiting expectantly for more advice. "Fine." Magnus huffed. "If you must have a woman, have one. And stick to the one you choose."

"I don't want a mate …"

"I wasn't suggesting such a thing," Magnus said, cutting the prince off. It wasn't a good idea for newborns to mate at the best of times - too emotionally charged. But what he was suggesting didn't sit easy with the juggernaut's morals. "More a regular acquaintance," he said, hoping Eleazar understood. He did and he immediately started searching the room for possibilities. When he cut across to Corin, Magnus got to his feet and blocked the man's view. "NOT that one. No. Just no." Corin wasn't his, but he felt responsible for the girl and he wasn't turning her over to be a prince's plaything.

For a moment, Eleazar felt his temper peak. _Who the hell are you to tell me no_?! he thought to the juggernaut. But then he looked up at the man - a mountain of a man - and thought better of arguing. Particularly when his father was already pissed with him. "Corin's too young for me anyway."

"Aye, she is," Magnus nodded his approval. "That one, though …" he pointed out Ashanti, who, naturally, was eyeing Eleazar up from across the room. Magnus knew Eleazar had already been there ( _it'_ _s Ashanti,_ he thought, _everybody_ _'_ _s been there!_ ) "She's trouble," he warned. "But I doubt Ashanti could cause too much trouble for you." _It'_ _s better than you working your way around the guards._

Eleazar nodded along. Sticking to one woman would be better than being branded a slag, which is how Aro currently referred to him. _Jealous little prick,_ he thought. Still, Eleazar knew what Magnus proposed would see him rise in Basileus' estimations, at least. "What else should I do?"

"You must stop fighting with the guards," Magnus instructed. That instruction wasn't solely for the Eleazar's benefit. The young prince had already had a ruckus with Odi and Magnus wasn't about to stand by and watch it become a regular occurrence. "It's beneath your status," he said to offer Eleazar a more solid reason. "Take out your frustrations with them in training, if you must. Every morning these goons are out there in the field just dying for a good scrap. Plenty of opportunity for you to right whatever wrongs you feel. Or even just to blow off some steam."

 _It sounds so simple_ , Eleazar thought, wondering why no one else had told him how to direct his energies before!

"The rest of your time," Magnus continued. "Spend in the library. Your father seems to find high esteem in knowledge and the willing acquisition of knowledge. I'm sure Marcus can help you better there."

"And this will work?" Eleazar asked. "This will make him see me differently?"

"I guarantee it, young prince."

"Is that it?" Aro questioned his father when he stopped his tale.

Caius shook his head and half growled in annoyance. "I like how you skimmed over his history so respectfully," he sneered.

"How long did it take you to work your way through the guard hall, El?" Aro asked his brother, wanting him to feel the same discomfort as everyone else had suffered.

"I was a newborn, I couldn't help it," Eleazar replied, his eyes flashing to Carmen. He wasn't sure what she knew about his early days, only that he hadn't been massively forthcoming with any details. He correctly assumed Sulpicia had filled in any blanks Carmen had asked about, but he didn't want a show down with his mate over his previous activities, particularly not when they had the Denali girls to deal with! "It was Caius' bad influence, anyway," he offered in defence.

Caius scoffed from the floor. "Why is it, everything you lot do, is somehow my fault?!"

Magnus was wondering the same, it must be said. There was certainly a pattern to Volturi family fuck-ups - one way or another, Caius was blamed. Magnus felt even more concerned about Caius' life experience than he had already after hearing so many stories, especially knowing he'd be dealing with the fallout.

Carlisle was simply annoyed that he'd missed the boat. "I wish I had known how easy it would be to get out of trouble - I would have been blaming you from the start!"

"Caius is definitely the reason why I get in so much trouble," Felix agreed with his uncle. Though to be fair, Felix had used Caius' fiery temper to get out of a few arguments with Aro over his own conduct, blaming Caius' unreasonableness at times.

"I think its Caius' fault that I smashed that window this morning," Alec added, getting in on the action. "He told me to do it, Dad," he told his father with a cheeky grin.

As the rest of the group joined in, playfully throwing wild accusations in Caius' direction, Magnus leaned in close to Basileus. "I didn't know you knew about me offering El some advice."

"I was grateful for it," Basileus replied, chinking his glass against the juggernaut's. "I know everything, my friend."

 _It'_ _s a curse and a blessing,_ he thought, having heard how disappointed in him Magnus was over his conduct. Basileus couldn't ... and didn't ... deny that he had been unconscionably harsh in his actions, particularly those towards Aro and Caius, but it still stung to hear someone's disgust, even if they didn't voice it.

"So, are you a proper prince?" Tanya asked Eleazar excitedly.

"My brother is a king," Eleazar replied. "That makes me a prince in human terms, yes."

Tanya squealed in joy. "Am I a princess now?" she asked. "I am, aren't I?! Kate, we're princesses!"

Irina was quick to put a dampener on her sister's happiness. "You aren't his daughter, you fool, so no, you aren't a princess. You are a Denali orphan."

"I don't want to be an orphan, I want to be a princess," Tanya spat back at Irina. She wasn't taking this away from her with her bitter misery.

"Then it's a shame Basileus murdered our mother instead of mating with her, isn't it?" Irina called back.

It had been a very long day, and with that last comment, even Eleazar was done. "I think it's home time," he said, standing and taking Tanya's hand to lead his new family out.

"It's also bedtime," Aro told his brood, making sure to catch his eldest's eye.

"ME?!" Felix tutted into the air and took over Eleazar's seat. "It's not even ten!"

Aro was quick to take the bloodwine goblet from his son's hand. "It's still time for you to go to bed."

"Why is it time?!" Felix hissed back, feeling thoroughly emasculated by the situation. "Since when do I even have a time?!"

"Since he brought you home, Felix," Irina called from the door. "We already heard this morning."

"Good night, Irina," Atia sang out to the girl.

With an exaggerated huff and a flick of her hair, Irina said a final good bye to Dora, firming up their plans for the next week before leaving.

"I go to bed at midnight at the earliest and I'm still up first every morning," Felix reminded his father, once he was sure Irina had gone. "Theres no point in me going to bed now, I'll be up at five in the morning."

 _Fuck me!_ he thought. _Is there anything more embarrassing than arguing about bed times at my fucking age?!_

Aro knew Felix would be dying inside. Even if the girls were gone, there were still some fair few non-immediate family members around. Naturally, that was just how Aro wanted him to feel.

"You made me aware of the grave injustice I had committed by treating you all differently. I am putting it right by treating you all exactly the same."

"I said sorry, Dad."

"I don't think you believe me yet, son."

"I get it - we're all the same to you, I'm not special. I get it." Felix implored his father to just drop the matter. He even said please.

Aro pretended to consider the boy's request, but all too soon the smile broke and he shook his head. "Nope. I plan on enjoying righting this wrong."

Felix shaved himself back into his seat and crossed his arms. "Well, I'm already pissed off with it."

Aro sat forward, looking positively gleeful. "Did you just curse at me?"

"No," Felix said, wondering where his father was going. "In front of you, yes, but you've never had much of a problem with that so long as I'm not directing it at anyone." He threw his hands in the air, knowing he was falling into a trap but not understanding how. "I'm just saying I'm pissed off!"

"Those are some big brave words for a little boy," Aro sang out, full of the faux calm that both annoyed, and scared his son.

"I'm not a little boy," Felix said, jabbing his thumb into his chest. "HE is a little boy," he added, pointing at Alec.

"You are all the same in my eyes, son," Aro sang. "Now, if Alec cursed in my presence, particularly with your attitude and without a rushing apology, I would put him over my knee."

"No you bloody wouldn't," Basileus muttered. "You wouldn't do anything! That's my point …"

Felix saw some hope when his grandfather commented, but as his rant ended up in Magnus' ear, not Aro's he saw his hopes soon dashed.

"Apologise and go to bed, or get yourself in position," Aro told his boy with a firm slap to his knee, reading and waiting for Felix's decision.

"Dad, you win, okay?" Felix rushed. The humiliation was killing him! "So you go easier on Alec because he's the youngest, and we all know I screw up more than anyone else so I totally deserve to be punished more often … I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. Can we end this now, please?!"

"No, I don't think so, son," Aro replied, tapping his thigh.

"Aro," Atia warned, looking down her nose to him, thoroughly unimpressed.

"He gave a mighty fine speech, Mom," Aro replied. "But he missed out a few important things.

"Like what?!" Felix shot out. "I know we are all the same. I know it doesn't matter who has whose venom. I get it. I'm sorry."

Aro very nearly pushed the fight on. He'd had a drink and a battle of wills with Felix looked like a good way to expend his energy. One final cutting look from his mother had him changing his mind - he didn't want a fight with Atia! "Alright then."

"Can go back to normal now?" Felix asked.

"We'll go back to normal, Felix, but if I get even the slightest hint that you have been disingenuous tonight, I will cut you down to size with immediate effect."

Felix cocked his head to the side, a little confused. "I don't really know what that means, but I don't have to go to bed, right?"

"Right," Aro nodded. "You two still do," he directed to the twins.

"That's not fair!" Alec decided to try the same thing as Felix, wedging himself into a free seat and folding his arms. He didn't look quite as imposing as his brother, more an angry little imp.

Sulpicia attempted to pull the boy up. "Alec, we so are close to ending your father's sport with your brother, can we not begin again with you, please?"

"If Alec wants to be treated like Felix I am game," Aro said to his mate. "I may need to invest in a few new belts."

Alec baulked. "I don't want to be treated like Felix, not in that way."

"No, that's right, you all want to cherry pick the best bits," Aro said, glare switching between his eldest and his youngest children. "How about you all accept you are treated differently, but fairly so?"

Alec nodded slowly, but it was mostly to himself as if he were weighing up the trade-offs. For then, at least, he seemed to feel it was worth it.

"Wonderful!" Aro wished the twins good night and turned to Demetri. "You can have another hour but you had better start winning."

"Start winning?" Demetri held up the pile of coins on his lap. "Dad, I've cleared him out!"

Magnus peered over Caius' head to check out the truth of the boy's claim. Seeing his coin pouch completely empty, he clocked Caius across the head. "Have you been purposely losing my money?!"

Caius tittered to himself, he was so proud of his petulance that he didn't even fix the mess Magnus had made of his hair.

"You'll be paying it back!" Magnus told him.

 _Bet I don_ _'_ _t,_ Caius thought.

They all said their goodbyes, with Freyr agreeing to send a guard in the morning to fix Alec's broken window, and headed out of the south tower. Magnus wanted to strike whilst the iron was hot with Caius, knowing the younger master would wish to give him an earful about Odi at the very least.

"Caius, we need to talk …" he drifted off when Caius stalked ahead without even a cursory glance that he'd heard Magnus at all. He took Freyr's hand and kissed her fingertips. "One of us should check on the guard hall," he said tiredly.

"I'll go," Freyr offered.

"No, I'll do it." Magnus tucked a lock of hair behind his mate's ear. He knew he was going to miss her terribly on his mission to France, doubly so if Caius was going to be a childish cock the whole time. "I need to run through a few things for whilst I'm away anyway," he added, as an excuse.

Really he just wanted some time to process all the new information he'd heard. Magnus thought he already understood Caius and his problems, but having just discovered how some of those issues were caused in the first place, he wanted to sit and think things over. As Caius had stormed off with his arse in his hands, it was as good a time as any.

"Don't go scaring them all," Freyr called after him, thinking of the few guards who would be receiving behaviour warnings. _Thankfully he_ _'_ _s taking most offenders with him,_ she thought.

"As if I would," he called over his shoulder, flashing a winning smile.

Freyr and Dora walked home together with Dora telling the shield maiden of the plans she'd made with Irina for whilst Caius was away in France. She was excited, although with the amount of hash she'd smoked it came as a dull drone to Freyr's ear.

"Where's Magnus?" Caius asked when they entered the north tower. He was leaning against the ground floor door with his arms crossed, looking irritated. "He was the one who wanted to talk and now he's not here," he grunted before Freyr could explain. "Says a lot."

"We have other duties, Caius," she eventually got out. "Magnus has gone to the guard hall …"

"And where are you going?" Caius asked. "Home?" he looked up the stairwell, wondering if Odi was there. "I might come with you."

"You are welcome to come with me," Freyr told him. She could have been annoyed by his tone, but she didn't have it in her. Especially after what they heard that day. "You're always welcome." Freyr was utterly sincere, but Caius just couldn't hear it.

"Won't it be a little crowded up there?" he sneered.

Dora rolled her eyes to Freyr - which was harder to do stoned than she'd anticipated - and shoved passed her mate to get to the door. "Oh honestly, Caius!" she tutted at him. "You are behaving like a spoilt brat who has been asked to share his toys." She went inside, chuntering to herself about what a spiteful and bitter man her husband could be, and how she had no interest in returning to such misery if he planned on continuing his gripe.

Caius didn't care what she thought, he was intent on a row. He wanted one with Magnus but as he'd dumped him, Freyr would have to do. "Is Odi up there?"

"Most likely at this hour, yes."

Caius' mouth dropped open. "You're not even going to deny it?!" he hissed back, thoroughly annoyed.

"What do I have to deny in your mind?" Freyr asked, keeping her cool. "That my son is welcome in my chambers?"

"You just said _I_ was welcome."

"Exactly," Freyr replied emphatically, hoping Caius caught the implication.

He might have done, if he could have believed for even a moment that he, a stray for all he was worth, could possibly match up to a real life, living breathing son. Even an adopted one. Caius assumed Freyr was simply being polite. She tried to cup his cheek to show her sincerity, but Caius pushed her away. For a moment they stood there, Freyr wanting to comfort him, Caius wanting to receive it, but his damn pride wouldn't allow it. Eventually, Freyr smiled to him sadly and started walking up the stairs.

"Freyr," Caius called, stopping her before she could get too far. "Does he know."

Naturally, she knew what he was talking about. "No," she told him, coming back to his side. "Odi doesn't know anything about us. As far as he is concerned, he can't come to your quarters when Magnus and I do because we discuss coven matters. But, even if Odi knew everything, he wouldn't tell a soul without my say so."

Caius nodded. _That_ _'_ _s something, I suppose._ There was something else on his mind, but he couldn't ask. He knew the truth and he didn't need to hear it confirmed. Before that day, that very long, revealing day, Caius had started to come around to the idea that he meant something to Freyr and Magnus, something more than a troubled co-master they looked out for to save him from facing the creator.

 _I was deluding myself,_ he thought. _Why would they if they already have Odi?_ His only saving grace was that he hadn't said anything to either of them about how he felt, so at least his pride was intact. Could there be anything more embarrassing to Caius, more horrifying, even, than being rejected again? He doubted it.

"Is that your only concern?" Freyr asked when Caius stayed silent in thought.

 _Just ask her,_ he told himself. _Ask her if she cares about you, ask her who she cares about more!_ Pushing such thoughts aside, because he couldn't hear the answer, he shrugged and said, "What else could there be?"

Freyr shook her head and sighed. She didn't have the gift of mind reading, nor one for reading emotions, but she had been a mother for a very long time and she could see inside Caius. After all Basileus had revealed she knew what would be on his mind - Odi, and what Caius' place was with her and Magnus going forward. She could have just told him, it would have been so simple. But Freyr really did know Caius well, and she knew he wouldn't believe her. Caius was a man of action and he believed in actions, not words. It would take much more than a few promises of understanding for Caius to believe anything. That was okay, she was in for the long game.

"You leave for the mission in a few days," she reminded him gently. "Spend some time with your mate before you go."

"So, I'm not welcome!" Caius' whole demeanour flipped again and he turned his back on Freyr to enter his quarters.

"I know what you're doing, my darling," Freyr said, pulling him back to face her.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in tight to her chest. To his own surprise, he hugged her back, instinctively.

"I'm not fighting with you," she whispered into his ear. "I love you too much for that."

Caius gulped. No one said _that_ to him. No one ever said _that_ to him! Other than Dora, of course, though it had been a good long while since he'd heard it from her with him being such an unstable, volatile cunt for the last god knows how many years. It was different coming from Dora, anyway. She was his mate - love is expected, really. But from Freyr, someone who didn't have to love him, who had no reason to, in Caius opinion … it blew his mind.

"Good night, Caius," Freyr said, with a final squeeze before pushing the dumbstruck man into his chambers.

When the door had closed behind him, and he was sure no one could possibly hear him, Caius replied for his own sake, "I love you, too."


	139. 1688, December - I'll be Home for Christ

**AN:** New set :) We're jumping forward to December and our mission crew returning from fighting werewolves in France...

Had a few messages about getting onto It's a Long, Dead Life on the **Amnio App** , here's the invite code to paste into you're browser: /invite/B2Y2NUVLFS

* * *

 **1688, December - I'll be Home for Christmas**

Atia floated into the guard hall, the happy bearer of good news. "Our beloved warriors return, would someone spread the word around the castle?"

Chelsea bolted out of the door at the news, having missed her mate terribly, but a few other guards took the time to agree to Atia's request before following.

Freyr sank into her seat at the bar as a wash of contentment took over her being. "I knew he'd be back for Christmas." Magnus had promised as such and she had faith her mate.

"He never lets you down," Atia agreed with a warm smile.

Guards flooded into the great hall just as the mission crew started to enter. The pristine vampires of Volterra were astounded by the stink that filled the room!

"What is that smell?!" Corin asked, unable to hide the retch that followed.

Her state wasn't helped by Odi, who gave his fellow guard a hug.

"Get off, get off, get off!" she screamed, pushing him away before she vomited.

"Curing werewolf pelts is not for the faint hearted," Magnus announced.

Corin briefly hugged Magnus, gagging again, before they returned to the usual formality expected of them.

Chelsea couldn't care less about the smell. She was used to Afton going on missions without her, but the werewolf cull had taken longer than anyone had anticipated. The mated pair forgot the covenmates around them and wrapped up in each other's arms.

Richard wheeled in a cart full of werewolf pelts behind the pair and crashed it into Afton legs. "Can't you wait until you get to your dorm?!"

"It's alright for you, Rich," Afton replied, shoving the man away with decidedly more force than necessary. "You took your stress relief with you."

"I'm your stress relief?!" Chelsea looked down her nose to her mate, but soon broke. "It's a good job I missed you."

Magnus had seen the exchange between Richard and Afton. _They are only the tip of the iceberg,_ he reminded himself. It had been a stressful mission and seeing the fractions continue between the few guards that went was the last thing he needed. Richard was about as affable as the came, so if he was being pissy Magnus knew he was in for a tough time bringing his guards back together.

"They are so snuggly!" Tanya and Jane had already dived into the pile of pelts, the former pulling a brilliant white one free and wrapping herself in it. Unlike the mission crew, the pelts had been cleaned! The giant wolves made impressive blankets and it easily wrapped around the girl twice over. "Feel the fluff, Irina!"

"Yeah, great, Tan," Irina sneered at her sister's traitorous happiness. _I_ _t'_ _s wonderful that you can be bought so easily!_

Tanya barely noticed her sister's ire. It was so commonplace that it rarely registered with Tanya or Kate anymore. She was far more interested in the snowy fur encasing her body. "Carmen, I want this one," she burst cheekily. "It's fit for a princess, don't you think?"

Carmen was still getting used to the Denali girls. Irina's obvious displeasure was hard to contend with, Kate was pleasant, if quiet - both understandable, in Carmen's mind, after losing their mother. Tanya, however, baffled her. The girl seemed to think of Sasha so infrequently and was mostly a happy little thing. Carmen worried the child was storing up her grief for future release, but Tanya had settled into Volturi life beautifully. She was quite taken with the idea of being a princess and managed to shoehorn her new title into every available opportunity. Indeed, she had an ego to match Felix on that score.

Carmen attempted to unravel her young ward, but Tanya wasn't giving up her rug easily. "It's mine!"

"You will have to ask Magnus, Tanya," Carmen insisted through gritted teeth before smiling nervously to Magnus. She had seen Sulpicia suffering for years with the kind of parental embarrassment only a child's rudeness can provide, but it was still a struggle for Carmen to endure with it being so new.

Magnus smiled kindly to Carmen, having experienced her feelings himself in his human life. Thinking of Caius and Odi and their recent behaviour, those feelings were still present in his daily life! He got down to the girl's level and explained she would definitely be getting one, once he had sorted through them.

Tanya relented and handed over the fleece, though she stood guard over it protectively.

Magnus chuckled seeing the girl glare at any who attempted to touch the white fur. "It will be yours, don't worry," he told her with a wink. "Should keep you warm through these winter nights."

"She's a vampire," Irina stated, blunt and terse. "She doesn't get cold."

"No," Carmen agreed. "But it's nice to feel cosy on cold nights, don't you think?"

"Irina likes everything to feel as cold as her icy heart."

Irina didn't have to even turn around to know the comment came from Felix. The pair had been rubbing each other the wrong way since the start of the very long day involving Basileus' storytelling. Judging roughly where he was from the sound of his voice, Irina slammed her elbow backwards and caught Felix in the ribs.

"We do not hit!" Carmen told her sharply, pulling Irina away before she could do anything else.

Irina shot Carmen a filthy look for daring to touch her, let alone admonish her in the great hall, and flounced from the room.

 _'_ _We do not hit_ _'_ \- It was a phrase she uttered with alarming frequency. It was frustrating the hell out of her how physical the girls could be between themselves. Carmen was breaking up cat fights on a daily basis.

Sasha hadn't involved herself too heavily in the girls' conduct, from what Atia had worked out through searching the girls' memories, so it shouldn't have come as such a surprise to Carmen that they policed themselves (or rather, didn't!).

Carmen had been full of ideas for her nephews' conduct and was falling flat on her face with the Denali girls. She was ever so grateful that Sulpicia was kind enough not to point out her faux pas. She and Aro had been seen giving each other the odd knowing smile when the girls were ripping into each other whilst Carmen and Eleazar floundered trying to control them, but nothing more than that. Not to Carmen, at least. Aro was taking great delight in winding up his brother.

The _best_ parents are those without children … managing the real life little bastards was always much more complicated.

The only saving grace in Carmen's day was, oddly enough, Dora! Irina had really latched onto the woman whilst Caius was away and Dora was at a loose end. That meant free time for Carmen and Eleazar with just Kate and Tanya. The younger Denali girls were much more pleasant company. The four of them made a family unit. The girls still argued and fought - breaking old habits would take time, after all - but they were manageable without Irina in the mix.

Carmen and Eleazar divided their feelings between being glad Irina was out of the way for a while and feeling guilty that they couldn't console the young woman who had lost her mother, her confidant, her friend. The guilt dissipated quickly enough when Irina returned home with the ever-present storm cloud over her head.

Basileus strolled into the great hall to meet the returners, going straight to Magnus. The juggernaut offered a hand shake but Basileus wasn't having that, he was too glad to have the man back in the coven for a hand shake. Instead he embraced Magnus properly, as old friends should.

"Come on, then," he said, looking to the single cart of pelts. "How many?"

"Ninety-five." Magnus stood tall and proud. "I killed one hundred, not bad, lost five pelts because the skins were too torn up."

Basileus looked to the cart. "You didn't kill a hundred werewolves." _There_ _'_ _s not ninety-five pelts there._

Unfortunately for Basileus, Phillipe and Alexander brought in more carts, one a piece, both stacked high with pelts.

Marcus had arrived just in time to hear Magnus' announcement and see the disappointment on Basileus' face. After greeting and congratulating Magnus, Marcus turned on the creator.

"I will see you in the south tower tomorrow, my friend, be sure to bring our winnings."

"Bastards!" Basileus was going to have to visit his vaults to pay up on the bet. "One hundred?" he checked with Magnus again. "No, it's not possible!"

"Maybe for you," Magnus laughed. "I'm a machine!"

"He's an animal," Caius called over, not exactly good naturedly, either.

Now all of the mission crew were in one room, Basileus caught onto the tension. Magnus shook his head and sighed. _'_ _I'_ _ll explain later_ _'_ he told the creator through his thoughts.

"The way he ripped through those packs turned my stomach," Afton added, agreeing with Caius.

Odi flopped into the cart of pelts, like the others, exhausted from his travels. "Afton actually threw up," he announced gleefully.

"Shut up!" Afton broke away from Chelsea to knock Odi off his perch. "I skinned half of those beasts without breaking a sweat whilst you cried in the corner."

Odi managed to save himself before he crashed to the floor. "I wasn't crying. I've just never been that close to the process before."

"It was mushing up the brains." Alexander's face paled as he thought of the 'process'. "Eugh!"

Basileus was surprised to hear their fiercest guard talking in such a way. He had seen the volatile vampire wrap the entrails of his opponents around his neck and carry on fighting in battles the coven had fought. "Surely it didn't bother you, Alex?"

Afton was only too pleased to add to Alexander's falling image. "He was in the corner, crying with Odi."

"I was nowhere near the coward," Alex shot back, squaring up to Afton.

On a good day Afton would have backed down but having just returned from a long mission full of bad days, he was up for the fight if Alexander wanted to go there.

"Coward?!" Odi repeated. There was nothing worse than being called a coward in the Volturi coven. Hardly any of them blinked at being called a cunt but being called a coward? There was nothing lower. "At least I got involved! You were so wrecked you didn't even know where you were!" Taking leave of his senses, Odi went for Alex!

Magnus caught Odi before he could do himself any damage - because just about every other guard in the coven was capable of squashing the kid if he gave them the opportunity - and gave all three a hefty swat to their heads for the arguments.

"You all had your chance to expend some energy when we were away, you've lost the opportunity now we're home." Magnus stared at them all until they lowered their glares. It took longer than it normally would have, the pent-up aggression coursing through them all. "Am I understood?!"

Afton, Alex, and Odi all agreed, though Magnus knew their hearts weren't in it. _Merry fucking Christmas,_ he told himself, knowing he hadn't heard the last of their petty bullshit.

"You shouldn't be fighting each other," Caius hissed as he passed Afton and Alexander, his eyes darting to Odi.

Pulling his son aside, Magnus said, "Odi go to my chambers, I'll meet you there."

Magnus wasn't sure what was going on, but he caught the smirk Caius offered Afton and Alex and he caught their returned rolled eyes, too. _It can wait, whatever it is,_ he thought, before dismissing the rest of the weary travellers. "Hit your dorms, guys, it's been a long couple of months."

"Hit the baths, first!" Chelsea may have missed her mate, but he wasn't getting into their bed in those soiled clothes.

Basileus caught Magnus' eye. "Problem?"

"Many," Magnus replied, his eyes fixing on Caius as he spoke.

Freyr and Atia were the last to arrive, with Freyr feeling like a lovesick teenager heading straight for her mate. Like Chelsea, she didn't care about the state of her man.

"Are there any werewolves left in France?!" Atia asked, surprised at the cart loads of skins the warriors had brought home.

"Not in the south," Magnus replied. "The remaining packs have moved to Normandy. Hopefully Henri will start proving his worth and finish the job."

Freyr gently tugged at the beard on Magnus' chin. "Have you been showing off, love?"

"Just putting the youth to shame." Magnus heard Caius scoffing behind him - he was ready to knock out the petulant brat.

Freyr sensed the tension between the pair. There had been a few choice words between them all after Basileus had revealed Magnus' affinity to Odi, but she had hoped being away together, fighting out their stresses with werewolves … well she thought they would come back in better moods, stronger bonds. From the look on Caius' face, Freyr realised how foolish those hopes had been.

Atia sensed it, too. "I'm glad you're all back for Christmas," she said quickly, trying to distract the two men from their obvious gripe.

"I promised Freyr new pelts for Christmas," Magnus explained. "I'd die before breaking a promise to my wife."

Another scoff from Caius, believing the juggernaut was having a dig at him and his failure to keep the promises he had made. He had, of course, but it wasn't for Magnus to comment on. _Cunt._

"You promised fifty," Basileus complained, still sore over losing so much money. To be fair, he would have lost had Magnus only brought back fifty, let alone ninety-five.

"Going above and beyond is my duty. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't strive for that?" Magnus managed to maintain his control but hearing yet another pathetic scoff from Caius had the bile rising in his throat.

"Couldn't you share him, Freyr?" Atia asked playfully. "We are good friends, after all."

Magnus beamed at the playful banter, especially seeing Basileus floundering for words.

Freyr loved her man, but she never stoked his ego, it just wasn't the way they worked. "I believe Renata has dibs on him if anything happens to me."

"Freyr!" Renata was so shocked by her master's comment and the embarrassment it brought her before her giggling covenmates that she momentarily forgot the informality of her address. She tried to recover, bless her, "I mean, master … eugh!"

"I'll get in line, Renata dear," Atia promised, joining in on the fun. "Don't worry."

It did little to save Renata's blushes.

"You are mated to the creator of our kind, Atia," Freyr reminded her friend, trying to pull Basileus back into the conversation.

"I know." Atia turned to her beloved mate. "When was the last time you went above and beyond?"

Basileus floundered in an entirely different way, coming up short with a single example. Instead, he thumped Magnus in the arm. It was childish, but it was the best thing he could come up with.

"Do you set out to make me look an ass in front of our women?"

Magnus rubbed at his bicep (which again, didn't help Renata at all!) and laughed. "A happy coincidence, my friend."

Freyr and Atia left their mates to inspect the goods in the great hall. It wasn't just pelts the mission crew had brought back, there was an array of goods from France - books, wine, and weaponry making up much of the haul. The return journey had to be taken on horseback pulling the wagons of pelts, which was a painfully slow way for vampires to travel. But as they had the wagons anyway, Magnus had made sure to fill them to the brim with whatever goods he could lay his hands on. As Magnus and Odi had been the only ones to collect it up, the haul was theirs and theirs alone.

Basileus had waited for Caius to approach him for long enough. _You_ _'_ _re hiding something,_ he thought, calling over the young master. "I imagine Henri is very appreciative of your efforts?"

Caius barely grunted in reply. His eyes were red and bloodshot, he looked tired. Not that that in itself was unusual after a long mission, but something was off about him, Basileus was sure of it.

"Henri was off his face when we arrived at his coven," Magnus answered. "We had to wait a few days for him to come down from his high before we could get started."

"Just him?" Basileus pushed, glaring at Caius. _Now it makes sense._

"Yes." Magnus threw an arm around Caius to bring him in close, though it wasn't for friendly reasons. "Caius didn't join in on the drug binge until we were out on the field, did you?"

 _You absolute cunt!_ Caius screamed at the man inside his head, not caring for the moment that Basileus could hear him. "I had a few sociable shots with a coven leader from the alliance. As was expected. I even looked after the guards."

Magnus sneered at Caius' attempt to make his behaviour sound in any way reasonable. "You encouraged the guards to get as fucked as you."

Caius worked his way out of Magnus' grip and turned his back on the man. "Not all of them."

"Oh no, you're right there. There was one you made damn sure to leave out." Magnus paused to mouth 'Odi' to Basileus before hissing his annoyance at Caius. "Pathetic."

Basileus took a quick tour through both of their memories and was gob-smacked at what he found. "So you fought the werewolves on your own?" he asked Magnus. "All of them?"

Magnus merely nodded. He was trying to keep his own spirits up, but, frankly, he was livid with Caius and the shit he had caused on their mission. Seeing Odi being treated with such scorn by first Caius, and then the other guards following Caius' bad example, had been infuriating. He could feel Basileus' guilt over causing the tension between them all, but Magnus wasn't letting Caius off with such an excuse. _'_ _He needs to get his head out of his ass',_ he thought to the creator.

It was unusual for Basileus to hear anything from Magnus about Caius that wasn't spoken in defence. He truly hoped he hadn't blown their newly formed relationship to pieces with what he had revealed during his storytelling. _This won_ _'_ _t do at all,_ he thought. Even though he felt guilty (and he really did) Basileus, like Magnus, wasn't prepared to let Caius' abominable behaviour go without calling him out on it.

"You usually get stuck into battles," Basileus directed at Caius. "What happened this time?"

Caius grunted something non-committal again. If he didn't find his voice soon Basileus would be dragging it out with a fist down his throat!

Magnus was only too happy to reply on Caius' behalf. "Apparently he and Henri had so much to discuss that he couldn't tear himself away until I had finished the job."

 _Are you trying to bury me?!_ Caius looked the juggernaut up and down. "You barrelled in there like a crazed bull and ripped them all to shreds before the rest of us could get started." Caius spoke barely above a whisper - he didn't need the guards hearing if he was about to take a public dress down.

"You can speak, then?" Basileus noted. "Is it just me you're ignoring?"

Caius barely looked at Basileus, but he heard him. _You_ _'_ _re a cu_ _…_ He cut off his own thoughts just in time to save his neck. He didn't have anything to say to Basileus that wouldn't end in causing him more grief.

"That's because I don't need to wait for dungeon blood to hit before I can take out our enemy." Magnus wasn't making any attempt to keep the matter between the three of them.

Caius shushed the man through a vicious hiss. "I had to keep the shots up what with watching you on the battle field. You went down under packs of those dogs and I thought you were dead at least three times."

"Didn't think to come and help though, did you?!" Magnus was even louder in his reply than he had been to start with!

"I wanted to see how you'd do on your own, having been the one to train you, after all."

Caius shrugged like it was no big deal, but truthfully, even though he was too fucked to help, he had been a nervous wreck seeing Magnus in the field risking his life alone. Not that he was going to let Magnus know how regretful he was, or how scared he had been. He had his pride.

Basileus heard his thoughts, naturally, which gave him some hope for repairing the damage to their relationship. "The student became the master a very long time ago," he told Caius sternly.

He didn't say it out loud, but Magnus' thoughts were screaming. _Don't get cocky with me, boy, I_ _'_ _ve let a lot go while we were away, but I can find us somewhere private in the blink of an eye now we_ _'_ _re home._ He wouldn't say it, because he didn't believe it was his place. It was one thing dealing with Caius at Basileus' request, it was okay in Magnus' mind to remind Caius of the single time he had taken the man to task, and even the occasional slap he had given the younger master in private … it was quite another to take over and discipline Caius properly without being _asked_ to do so. It wasn't his right, Caius wasn't his.

 _What the fuck have I done?!_ Basileus berated himself hearing Magnus' thoughts. _He'_ _s yours! I gave him to you! Fuck!_ Although his head was screwing, Basileus maintained a perfectly passive stance, if a little stony faced. "Sounds like you two had fun."

"He's lucky we had guards with us, Basileus. If he hadn't done such a good job preparing these pelts I might have leathered the little sod." _I shouldn_ _'_ _t have said that,_ Magnus cursed himself. He was just so damn angry with Caius … at least he had said it quietly - only Basileus and Caius had heard him.

"You should have."

For a moment, Magnus wasn't sure if Basileus was replying to his spoken words or his thoughts.

"Regardless of the guards," Basileus added, to make damn sure Magnus, and importantly Caius, knew exactly how he felt on the matter.

Caius wasn't having that. Magnus didn't have an open invitation to 'leather' him, whatever that entailed. "I don't fucking think so!" Caius knew he couldn't stop Basileus from punishing him for the mission - he expected him to, although it pissed him off. But he wasn't taking it from Magnus. He wasn't taking anything from Magnus ever again.

The stern lines in Basileus' face furrowed even deeper "You're lucky you were aiming for fur and not leather, or he would have had the resources to tan your hide with one of those beasts you failed to fight."

 _Failed_. Caius knew how Basileus worked - coded messages hid behind simple words. _Failure is a very bad_ _thing_.

"I hope you aren't going to be continuing your troubles now you are home, Caius."

"There wasn't any trouble, my lord," Caius replied through gritted teeth. "I was just glad of some pleasant company."

Magnus moved himself away. He could feel the stress taking an iron grip at the nape of his neck and if he hadn't removed himself he knew he'd be taking a grip of Caius' neck in return.

"Henri? Pleasant company? Who are you trying to kid?" Basileus couldn't have cared less where they were or who was watching, he took Caius by the front of his not-so battle-worn tunic and lifted him to his tiptoes. "Don't let Henri's bullshit go to your head. You know how much Magnus has done for you, and I know you wish to keep Magnus in your corner. From what I have seen you owe him an apology, Caius."

Caius didn't reply. He was raging inside that Basileus had done that to him in front of the guards. He usually did a much better job of tempering his thoughts around the creator, and his attitude generally, but the dungeon blood was still in his system and working against him. He had drunk the drug to excess in France and regretted it from the first mouthful. He couldn't face the long journey home on a dungeon blood comedown, so he'd taken a bottle of the tar from Henri to sip at along the way.

Caius had done well to only drink the equivalent of a shot a day on the way back. It was just enough to stave off a proper comedown, but not enough to drug him. It had still, however, left him an emotional mess and he knew he wasn't in control of himself. He was soon going to be alone with his mate who would be only too happy to tell him what a complete cock he had been to Magnus, and Odi, too. Caius was most worried about that. He was worried what he would do to Dora, feeling as uncontrolled as he did, if she started on him.

The only man in Volterra who could be of any help to Caius was Magnus, and Caius had spent the last nine months alienating that man. And for reasons only the gods could understand, Caius knew all of this, he knew it whilst they were away, too. But he just couldn't stop himself from picking at Magnus more, like a scab that refused to bleed, he picked and picked. Magnus had done nothing to stop him, either, confirming to Caius that Magnus didn't give a shit after all. All that had gone on between them, it meant nothing. On the mission Magnus had Odi and Caius wasn't wanted anymore, just as he'd feared from the first moment Basileus highlighted the fact that Odi was Magnus' son, proper.

As all that swam around in Caius' head, Basileus followed. _I can fix this, I can get them back on track,_ he thought, somewhat relieved.

"I expect some kind of response from you." Basileus jabbed Caius in the shoulder, hard, but he didn't get a response. Not verbal anyway. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?!"

Caius hadn't meant to roll his eyes, but he wasn't thinking clearly. He did take a step backwards hearing the sharpness of Basileus' tone.

"Not much point backing up from me, Caius, it won't be me you'll face."

Caius knew what that meant. _He won_ _'_ _t give a shit anyway,_ he thought, glancing at Magnus.

Basileus took the turn of Caius' eyes to be another eye roll at him. "And again?!" he declared, astounded by Caius' blatant disrespect, as he saw it. "Magnus, my friend!" Basileus boomed. "Now you are home, I have a situation I would like you to 'throw your weight' at."

Magnus turned from his guards and spotted Caius still scowling. He didn't need Basileus to say anything else, he understood exactly what was wanted of him.

"It will be my pleasure."

Magnus may have been resistant to rebuke Caius whilst they were away in front of the guards, but he had decided he would be saying his piece now they were home. He wanted to do much more than that, he wanted to set Caius straight, he wanted to recover their relationship, but he felt he needed permission before he could. _Basileus is giving me the go ahead,_ he thought. _That_ _'_ _s good enough for me._

"What?!" Caius spat.

He had thought Magnus was just mouthing off his stress to Basileus earlier in their conversation. He didn't expect Magnus to actually do anything!

 _That_ _'_ _s not fair!_

Magnus had watched as Caius had thrown himself off the wagon with the dungeon blood and done nothing. He'd watched as Caius had rounded up the guards to follow him into debauchery and done nothing. He'd watched as Caius had taken every opportunity to rip into Odi and done nothing … _why care now?!_

"He always cared, you fool," Basileus hissed in reply to Caius' runaway mind. "You'd better get home before I have him deal with you in here."

Caius backed away slowly, looking between Magnus and Basileus. The creator appeared angrier than the juggernaut in that moment. Magnus was angry, sure, Caius knew that. He had every right to be. Caius knew that, too. But there was something else in Magnus' eyes as he watched Caius backing away - disappointment. _Fuck, that stings!_

Freyr started organising her guards to take the full haul back to her chambers. They had pawed at the goods long enough and now it was back to work. As the room began to clear, Basileus held Magnus back.

"Christmas day I would like to get us all together, just the family. We'll use Aro's chambers."

Magnus nodded along, unsure why he was being given such information.

"I've spoken with Freyr already, she's agreed unless you offer any objections."

"Oh!" Magnus clicked. "You mean us, too?"

"Of course I bloody do!" Basileus wondered if one of those werewolves had knocked some sense out of his old friend. He was certain they had knocked some confidence out of him if his handling of Caius was anything to go by. "Dora seemed resistant, I'll let you and Freyr talk her around."

"Thanks for that," Magnus chuckled as they made their way through the halls. "We'll be there."

Basileus bobbed his head. "Now, about Caius …"

…

"Irina," Magnus said with a nod. He held the door wide open to the ground floor suite, waiting expectantly.

The Denali girl turned to Dora. "Is that my cue to leave?"

Dora widened her eyes, begging Irina not to use her usual ire with Magnus. With just about anyone else, Dora found it funny. It was uncomfortable when Irina spoke with derision to Freyr, it was downright incomprehensible to speak that way to Magnus.

"It would seem so," she said quietly, walking her friend to the door.

Once the Denali girl had gone, Magnus scooped Dora into his arms. "I have missed you, my lady," he said, as she hugged him back. Dora was glad Magnus had bathed and changed before he'd gone to see her - Caius' clothes had been thrown to the fire already and even with the windows open she could still smell dead dog.

Caius scoffed from his seat. The scoffing was really starting to get to Magnus. When he set Dora on her feet, he caught the questioning expression on her face. _Oh_ _, you will be hearing all about it soon enough,_ he thought. He offered a tight smile in return for the drink she gave him and settled into his chair. He'd missed his chair. His back creaked a little as he sat. _I'_ _m getting too old for such long missions._

Caius did his best to look in any direction that wasn't Magnus. Now, Caius' main living chamber was a large open space, but the seating area was confined to the fireplace so there wasn't much to look at other than those sat opposite you … Caius looked a fool for trying to avoid Magnus' eyeline.

 _We can drag this out if you wish,_ Magnus thought. "Have you been dressed like that with Irina here?"

Dora brought her mate a drink and joined him on the sofa. "I think you mean 'undressed'," she said, tugging at his towel.

"I've just got out the bath and I barely said two words to her." Caius made doubly sure he was appropriately covered before he finally looked at the juggernaut. As soon as he did, a rush of regret hit him, soon followed by shame knowing Magnus would be able to read those emotions like an open book. "You know this is my home, don't you?" he snapped.

"I do," Magnus replied. "We can use mine if you would prefer," he offered, cool as ice.

 _Basileus, you rigid prick_. Caius knew he had it coming. A very small part of him needed to repent somehow, but a greater part of him wanted to protect his pride. Magnus hadn't been bothered enough to step in and stop him acting like a twat in the first place so why should he get to step in and wail him now?! Even Caius knew it was nonsensical, but alas, those were his feelings on the matter.

"Well?" Magnus pushed. "Where would you prefer?"

Caius folded his arms. He wasn't going anywhere. "I didn't even do anything."

"You're damn right there, Caius, you didn't do anything, did you?" Magnus drained his cup and set it down on the side table. "Other than sit on the sidelines getting fucked with Henri, you did nothing at all. You didn't even walk by the end of the day - I had to drag you back to Henri's castle because of the state you were in."

"Oh Caius, you weren't that bad, were you?"

There was almost as much disappointment in Dora's tone as there had been in Magnus'. She had been cuddled up to her mate but soon withdrew her affection, hearing of his failure. There was only one way Caius got 'fucked', and that was dungeon blood.

"Maybe," Caius admitted quietly. "The dungeon blood went to my head, I suppose."

Dora felt crushed, though Caius seemed not to notice her reaction.

"Maybe?" Magnus repeated. Leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, he made sure Caius gave him eye contact. "You suppose?"

Magnus was totally calm as he spoke, which served to make Caius feel even worse about himself. "It did, yes. Happy now?" he snapped. "Dungeon blood is allowed on missions, it's the main reason we keep it."

Magnus ignored the spite in Caius' voice. He knew Caius well enough to know he was covering his real feelings with aggression. "Did you take a bottle of that shit from Henri for the journey home?"

"How did you … Basileus?" Caius threw his hands into the air. "What a cunt!"

"It certainly explains why your abrasion has continued all the way back here." Magnus sat back in his chair. "With the creator, no less!"

"My abrasion is because you insist on treating me like some sort of child." Oddly enough, Caius had never sounded so childish as when he'd said that.

"I wonder why." Dora had moved away from her mate at the first mention of dungeon blood, sitting at the other end of the sofa looking back to her mate in disgust. She was glad when Freyr arrived.

"So will we all be taking this beating, then?" Caius asked, thoroughly pissed off. "None of the guards stepped in to help with the werewolves, either."

From the look on Magnus' face it was clear as day that only Caius would suffer.

"What about your precious _son_?!" Caius shot out, pointing to the ceiling assuming the cosseted guard would be in Magnus' chambers.

"What on earth has happened between you all?" Freyr asked outright. Having just come from the guard hall, she was keen to find the root of the problems brewing between her staff. "Missions usually cheer you all up - I've got Afton and Alexander arguing with anyone who crosses their path, both are complaining about Odi, you pair are at each other's throats …"

Magnus caught his mate's hand as she walked past and kissed the tips of her fingers. "It's been a very long nine months," he told her, soaking up her love and using it to keep himself in control.

Caius still fumed. It was bad enough that Basileus knew what a cock he'd been. It seemed Magnus was intent on Dora finding out and now Freyr was in for the show. _Fucking marvellous!_

"Is there any left?" Magnus asked. "Dungeon blood, the bottle you took from Henri …"

"No," Caius snapped, cutting Magnus off, but it was too late. Freyr had heard. She was always going to find out, but he felt so ashamed. The look she gave him wounded his soul.

"Why do you lie to me?!" Magnus asked, sick to the back teeth of the battle he'd been having with Caius.

"Because its fuck all to do with you!"

Caius took to his feet. It was hard to look angry walking around with wet hair and nothing but a soggy towel for protection, but he gave it a good go. He was angry! Not with Magnus, with himself, but Caius wasn't going down without a fight. He was too conflicted, too confused. The dungeon blood bender hadn't helped ... but deep down, since Basileus had shone a light on Odi, Caius had been waiting for Magnus to turn his back on him. _You already have a surrogate son, why would you want me, too?_ Quite simply, in Caius' screwed up head, the answer to that question was that he didn't. Magnus didn't want Caius, too. The mission had been one long test on Caius' part and Magnus hadn't done a thing. What exactly Caius expected him to do with an outside coven present, not to mention the guards, he wasn't even sure of himself. But having the juggernaut fall so seamlessly back into old patterns now they were in private was confusing the hell out of Caius.

Dora, like Freyr, still wasn't entirely sure of what had gone down in France, but of one thing she was certain - she wouldn't be putting up with Caius on dungeon blood again. "If you're drinking that shit you can go back to France."

"I'm not!" Caius insisted. "I drank some on the way back, it took months … I had a single shot a day, that's it."

Magnus held out his hand and fixed Caius with a stern eye. _Come on,_ he willed. _Just hand it over, end this._

Caius knew what Magnus wanted, naturally. He slipped off to the bedchamber and soon returned, now at least half dressed in britches and carrying a near empty bottle of dungeon blood.

"Is this all you have left?" Magnus held the bottle up to the light coming through the window. As the tar settled, it was clear there was very little remaining in the bottle. "Have you seen this?!" he asked his mate, passing her the bottle for safekeeping.

Freyr sighed sadly and nodded. Disappointment oozed from the woman when she saw how much Caius had drank on just the journey home.

"Right." Magnus slapped his hands down on his thighs, startling Caius, and stood. "Where are we doing this?" he asked, slipping his hefty belt from his waist.

 _Fuck me! Humiliation overload!_

"We aren't doing anything," Caius insisted. It was bad enough that everyone in the room knew Magnus had whipped him before. Having the event announced so poignantly by the removal of a belt was just too much!

"In here then." Magnus didn't mind, he was easy. "Basileus has ordered it, to ensure you don't go off the rails …"

Caius backed up to the central pillar with Magnus on the approach. "You can't punish me in advance of going off the rails, Magnus, that's ludicrous."

Magnus placed his free hand on Caius' shoulder. "I'm not going to," he said calmly. "You know I don't work that way."

For a moment Caius thought he might have got off with the last few months … he wasn't sure whether that was what he wanted, but it would certainly hurt less, he reasoned. Boy was he wrong!

"Fortunately I have plenty of reasons of my own," Magnus explained.

All the confusion was doing his head in and Caius exploded. "And what's that?!" he asked, shoving past Magnus and back into the freedom of the room.

Magnus heaved a heavy breath. He had lost his confidence with Caius whilst they were away which had had a disastrous effect on them both. And the guards, by extension. In his brief chat with Basileus, Magnus had come to realise that he was to blame, too, for the way Caius had acted and going through this merry dance with the man to get him back on track would be his own punishment. He kept calm, he stayed cool.

"Drinking dungeon blood again," Magnus began, quickly adding 'socially' when he saw Caius readying himself to object. "Your general shitty attitude, lying to me, and failing on that mission."

He decided to leave Odi out of it. He would have to break that news to Freyr gently - the shield maiden did not take kindly to the guards bullying on a good day, if that bullying was directed towards Odi, Magnus feared what the woman might do.

"Failing?!" Caius repeated.

It was the word Basileus had used in the great hall. Caius knew he was fucked when he heard it the first time, but he had expected to be taking the hiding from Basileus, not Magnus. _That would have been easier,_ he thought. There was no shame taking a whipping from Basileus, little feeling, either, on Caius' part. It was the complete opposite with Magnus. Caius had so many feelings in relation to the juggernaut from both ends of the scale that it felt tortuous to be facing the man.

"As you said, you didn't do anything. Worse than that, you were incapable of doing anything and because you drank dungeon blood, and the guards followed suit."

Dora congratulated Magnus. "Sounds like failing to me, Caius."

"Fuck off, you two faced bi…"

"Conversation over," Magnus cut Caius off before he could say anything too damaging, pulling him away from his mate by a vice grip on his bicep. "Pick a room."

"You can't do this, Magnus," Caius complained, desperately trying to free himself without looking like a coward in front of the women.

"I didn't think I could either," Magnus replied, keeping his hold. "I thought I needed permission, but apparently I don't. So I can."

 _Basileus gave you permission to whip me! This time, or any time?!_ Caius didn't dare ask the question, he feared the answer.

"You need to get this over with, Caius," Magnus told him. "We're all going to Aro's in the morning …"

"All?!" Dora shot out. _I don_ _'_ _t think so!_ She had told Freyr she wasn't going!

Magnus nodded. "All of us. I've already agreed."

Dora's resistance took over Caius'!

Magnus wasn't in the mood for any more grief. "Why do you argue with me whenever I say we are going to Aro's?"

Dora shot him an incredulous look. "Because you agree on my behalf when I don't want to be there." _Obviously!_

"I know that you do want to be there, Dora, you just feel awkward." Magnus tempered his tone, he needed to be kinder with such a sensitive matter. "Theres really no need."

Magnus may have been having trouble with Caius whilst he was away, but Freyr hadn't had a much better time at home with Dora. She didn't feel like being too kind on the matter. "Surely you will want to see Irina?"

"Freyr!" Dora shot out angrily before turning away in her seat.

Magnus and Caius forgot their to-and-fro and concentrated on Dora. "You aren't actually hanging around with her, surely?!" Caius asked.

"Sometimes." Dora huffed dramatically, complete with hair flick - a habit she had picked up from Irina that was driving Freyr nuts! "She needed a friend and I am friendless."

"You are not friendless," Freyr insisted - as she had many times in the preceding months.

"Sulpicia and Carmen have each other, they don't need me. They don't want me, either." _And I don_ _'_ _t want them,_ Dora told herself. "Irina's only a couple of years younger than I. We get on."

"I don't want you to get on," Freyr said under her breath. "She's vile."

"How can you get on with her?" Magnus asked. It was unfathomable! "How can anyone?!"

Seeing she was getting nowhere with Magnus and Freyr, Dora turned to Caius. "We have similar tastes …" she gave him a wink and let her words hang in the air.

"We do?!" Suddenly Caius was much more interested in his mate's new friendship.

"We do …" Dora nodded very slowly, smirking her pretty little face off.

The pair of them thought themselves ever so clever to be discussing their sex life in front of Magnus and Freyr. Naughty, even. In a nice way.

Magnus may have been old, but he wasn't dead! "Oh hell no!" he boomed. "You can forget that right now."

Caius tutted loudly. "Our sex life is none of your concern."

Magnus stepped up to Caius. "I will be making it my concern if you bring that teenage GIRL into your deviancy," he told him, voice low and dark.

"Deviancy?!" Dora repeated. "She's an adult vampire, Magnus. If Irina's up for it …"

"No!" Magnus boomed. He was so loud that his voice ricocheted off the walls. "You cannot fuck Eleazar's ward. Just no. Neither of you."

That was them told!

"Do you still think we should all go for Christmas?"

Magnus had to laugh. "You aren't getting out of it," he said shaking his head at the young woman. "We are going. It's just a few hours, a few drinks, then home. Easy."

Dora eventually relented, seeing no other option.

Happy to have one problem dealt with, Magnus wanted to get on with the rest of his duties for the day - there was dealing with the guards, speaking with Odi, but first, he had to finish up with Caius. "You aren't getting out of what you have coming, either."

"I bet Odi ..."

Magnus' features turned uncharacteristically dark as he turned on Caius. So dark that Caius shut his mouth with wide eyes.

"If you even mention that kid's name again I swear to the Gods I will …" he had to stop, he had to take a breath. Magnus had never issued a threat he hadn't delivered on and he didn't intend on starting then. "You're pissing me off now," he warned.

Caius didn't say anything else. He'd pushed and pushed for it anyway, on some unconscious level, and he knew he wouldn't be leaving his quarters without Magnus taking him to task first. Wordlessly, he headed back to his bed chamber for the minuscule amount of privacy it would offer him.

"Excuse me, my ladies." Magnus followed.

Having said all he'd had to say on the matter, Magnus got straight down to business reaffirming some authority with Caius. Though she wouldn't have wanted her mate's job, Freyr found it difficult to sit through catching the audio from the main living chamber. Dora, however, barely seemed to notice. She was lost in her head thinking about Caius and Henri, Caius and dungeon blood, Caius and all his broken promises. That last part had been the main topic of conversation between Dora and Irina whilst the mission crew had been away.

Irina, worming her way into Dora's life, had been quick to offer her opinion on the woman's husband, primarily that Caius had no right to remain her husband if he so often broke the promises he made. Irina had an ulterior motive, of course - she quite liked Dora and, importantly, being in Dora's chambers. She was just close enough to her sisters without having to suffer living with them and nowhere near the rest of the Volturi family scum she hated most. Caius coming back from the mission had ruined her happy streak and Irina planned to make the man pay by manipulating Dora.

The door knocked just as Magnus reappeared in the living chamber. He quickly fastened his belt before Dora could open the door.

"Where's Caius?" Freyr asked, peering around her giant-sized mate.

"Probably still composing himself." Magnus sounded so tired. "I've got to deal with Odi yet. I need to talk to him, but I have no clue what I'm supposed to say."

"Some fatherly advice will go a long way with him, love," Freyr said, fixing her mate a drink. "It always has."

"Hmmm," Magnus murmured to himself. Freyr was still unaware of what had happened with their son whilst he was away. He knew he had to tell her, and he did, and just as he'd anticipated, Freyr was crushed.

"Odi hasn't done anything wrong," Magnus quickly added. "And he doesn't get why Caius suddenly wants to burn the ground he walks on. The guards are on his back because Caius has been bad mouthing the kid to them."

Freyr didn't say anything for the moment, she was processing what had happened and she knew Magnus would have only told her the minimum to save her stress.

 _I could happily wring his bloody neck,_ she thought of Caius. The anger soon subsided when she gave the matter more thought. Odi was her son, there was no question there for Freyr, but she loved Caius, too, in a very similar sort of way. _The same, even,_ she realised.

"Boys fight, love," she said quietly, smile tugging at her lips.

Magnus mimicked his mate, before laughing lightly. It was something they had said so many times in their human days with three boys - Viking boys at that! - under one roof.

"Don't I know it!" Magnus agreed, scooping Freyr into an embrace.

She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his scent. Freyr had missed her mate so much, but his homecoming was not what she had expected. "Will Odi be safe in the guard hall?"

"I'm sure he will be." Magnus kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there. Thinking about Odi and the guards a little more, he tacked on, "I need to talk to Alex, and Afton, too."

Dora had remained at the door, trying to hide the identity of her visitor. Hearing the snide laughter floating across the room, Magnus and Freyr soon guessed it was Irina.

"How close are they?" Magnus asked his mate, voice barely above a whisper.

Freyr spoke softly in return, "Whenever I call around to Dora, Irina is here."

"But why?"

Similarly to Freyr, Magnus had expected an easier return to the coven than the one he'd been handed. Dora and Irina being bosom buddies would only cause him grief, he knew it.

"I imagine boredom," Freyr offered with a shrug. She'd asked Dora a hundred times why Irina was so special but had never received an answer beyond an irritating hair flick. "Neither of them have much to do around the coven."

Magnus winced at the ear-splitting shriek of laughter Irina bellowed out from the doorway. _Then we_ _'_ _ll have to find something for Dora to do,_ he thought. _Quick!_

"Now Caius is back Dora and Irina may drift apart anyway," Freyr continued, sounding hopeful.

Magnus wasn't so sure about that. He'd seen the way Dora had reacted to the news of Caius being on dungeon blood, and he didn't blame her, either. Neither did Freyr, come to that. They didn't want Dora alone with Caius if Caius was still on a come down.

"They do seem to get on well," Freyr finished, fixing herself a goblet of bloodwine.

"Do we want them to get on?" Magnus asked, wincing at the next shriek that came. Disturbingly it came from Dora - another habit she had picked up from Irina.

"You talk like it's our choice, love," Freyr raised an eyebrow as she spoke. "We don't get to judge her choices, just support her in them."

If anyone had asked Magnus that morning what his rights were in relation to Caius and Dora, he would have faltered. But his brief chat with Basileus on his return had bolstered his confidence somewhat and he was feeling far surer of his place in proceedings.

"I think we get a say after all the work we've put in with the two of them."

"Work?" Freyr repeated in question.

"Assistance?" Magnus offered, unsure what word to use. "Whatever you want to call it, love, we're involved."

Neither of them had confessed their feelings for Caius and Dora aloud, both apprehensive of what the other might think if they did. Would Magnus see it as disloyalty to their human children? Would Freyr see it as overstepping their mark in the coven? Many, many questions floated in the air between them, so for the time being they both stayed quiet on the matter.

Caius came shuffling out of his bedroom nursing a limp for full effect, hoping to get Freyr on side before he told her about Odi. Little did he know that Magnus had already briefly filled her in. When Magnus saw the show he was putting on coming down the hall he rolled his eyes to the heavens, took his bloodwine and searched out his comfy chair.

Caius limped all the way to Freyr, but soon stood up to full height and pulled his shoulders back when he saw Dora at the door with Irina! "How long has she been there?!"

"Not until _afterwards_ ," Freyr said, making no mention of the smackdown he'd endured. "Don't worry."

"There was no need for it," Caius huffed.

"Really?" Freyr's eyebrows shot up and she turned a stern eye on Caius.

 _Shit! Does she know?!_ It worried Caius more than he cared to admit that he might have annoyed Freyr. _Annoyed?! Who am I kidding? If she knew she_ _'_ _d be livid._

He watched the woman intently as her stern eye turned to a saddened face, telling him she did know what he'd done to her baby. Caius wasn't worried anymore, he oozed regret in the face of the shield maiden's disappointment.

Magnus picked up on Caius' change in emotions and scoffed from across the room.

Freyr took Caius' hand to keep him with her rather than let him go and start arguing with Magnus. "It hurts him more than you, Caius,"

 _I doubt that very much,_ Caius thought, rubbing the sting from his neck where Magnus' belt had bitten in hard. "Why does he still look so pissed off?"

"Have you apologised yet?" Freyr asked, adding quickly, "Without an attitude?"

Caius looked shyly to the floor.

"There's your answer."

Freyr drew a goblet of bloodwine from the barrel and passed it to Caius. She was still annoyed with him, sure she was, but she didn't like to see anyone suffer and the bloodwine would ease his pain.

Caius put the cup to his lips but soon pulled away without taking a sip. An instinctive reaction. He could have drunk the whole cup down, but if he did so without Magnus' permission he would be going against him again. He wasn't ready for that. _Freyr'_ _s right, I owe him an apology_ , he thought, schlepping over to the juggernaut.

"May I drink this?" he asked, quiet as a church mouse.

"Nothing to do with me, is it?" Magnus replied, though the expression on his face said differently.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Caius muttered. "I fucked up." Even Caius knew that was a poor attempt at apologising for being a major cunt for nine months. Apologies weren't his strong suit.

"If you keep putting me in this position, Caius, you can't keep blaming me for taking control. You can end this anytime you like." Magnus felt the hackles rising at the back of his neck when Caius didn't respond. "Right," he boomed. "If that's what you want, I'll talk to Basileus …"

"No!"

Dora spun around to see what the commotion was behind her, allowing Irina the chance to get a gawp in the process. Caius looked quite handsome only wearing his britches and a loose shirt, neither of which were fastened, exposing his amazing vampiric abs.

Irina had already laid the seeds to involve herself more thoroughly in Dora's life but seeing Caius in all his glory pushed the Denali girl forwards with her plan. She dragged Dora into the hall to discuss the prospect of a threesome more privately. She didn't know Magnus had already put an end to her play before it could begin.

"No," Caius said again, sounding calmer once the audience had lessened. "I'm sorry. I only kept taking the dungeon blood on the way home to stave off the come down."

"I could have helped you with that if you had asked me," Magnus replied, also sounding calmer now Caius was finally sounding a little repentant.

"I screwed up taking it in the first place, but I wanted to manage the come down on my own."

Magnus leaned back in his chair and rubbed his bearded chin. Caius had always been an independent being, and Magnus didn't want to push him too far. But, then again, he didn't want to waste his time or give too much of his heart if Caius simply didn't want anyone. That was the message Magnus had got from the man on the mission - 'leave me alone, I'm my own man'. _Okay,_ he thought. _You don_ _'_ _t want to be flung back to Basileus' mercy, but that doesn_ _'_ _t necessarily mean you want to be mine, either._

"Perhaps you don't need me anymore?"

"Erm …" Caius stalled.

It sounded very much like Magnus was giving him the chance to walk away, if that's what he wanted to do, (because he was!). Any other day Caius might have taken the swift exit on offer for the mercy of his pride, but it wouldn't have been what he wanted. In a very brave moment for Caius, he decided not to fuck himself over and remove Magnus from his life. Instead, he asked the juggernaut for permission to drink his bloodwine, exuding the sort of deference Caius rarely showed to anyone.

Magnus' heart swelled in that moment and he took Caius' gesture as he'd intended it, to say he still wanted the guy as his … well, Magnus wasn't sure the term he'd use.

 _Guardia_ _n,_ he guessed. It didn't sound quite right. _Father?_ He highly doubted Caius would go for that! Magnus wouldn't push Caius on terminology, they had time to work that out, no rush. In a bid to keep his emotions in check so as not to startle Caius with the force of them, Magnus reminded himself of what had brought them to their current situation in the first place. Caius had caused him a shit storm on the mission, and he hadn't truly forgiven him for the abominable way he'd treated Odi, either. _You aren_ _'_ _t getting that bloodwine just yet,_ he thought.

"I think it's a little soon, don't you?" he replied, watching Caius' shoulders slump. Magnus was pleased he hadn't argued, though. Once Magnus had got Caius alone in his bedchamber, he hadn't argued there, either, which was encouraging. "Sit and suffer a while first," he suggested, to see how far his new authority would go.

Caius huffed and rolled his eyes, as though the request were beneath him, but he flopped into the seat nearest the juggernaut anyway. He soon regretted doing so with such force.

"Jesus!" he whimpered, gritting his teeth.

"Man up," Magnus laughed from beside him. "You know I went easy on you."

The incredulous look from Caius would say otherwise!

Magnus chuckled a little more before he stood. "You can drink your bloodwine," he offered quietly, draining his own cup. "I need to be getting on …"

"Odi, of course," Caius muttered spitefully. He hadn't really meant for Magnus to hear him. Scratch that. He hadn't meant to say it at all, but Caius' jealousy could be just as damaging as his pride.

"On that note," Magnus said, sounding stern again, "I will leave you to explain to Freyr about your little vendetta against her baby boy."

 _You cunt._ Caius damn near jumped out of his skin when Freyr took her mate's vacated seat.

"I've only given her very brief details," Magnus said, kissing his mate goodbye tenderly as he spoke to Caius. "I thought you'd enjoy the chance to explain yourself."

 _Utter cunt!_ Caius thought again, watching him leave. It was with a heavy heart that he turned back to Freyr to cover anything Magnus had missed.


	140. A Very Un-Merry Christmas

**AN:** Sorry for the delay folks, here we go :)

* * *

 **A Very Un-Merry Christmas**

Dora had already suffered through the Christmas address in the great hall. Standing alone in a room full of people had been heart wrenchingly hard. Of course, Caius, Magnus, and Freyr were in their thrones being their important selves whilst Dora stood around like a lemon without a soul to talk to.

Irina had refused to attend the coven's Christmas event, as she had all events since the Denali girls had been held captive in Volterra.

Dora hadn't attended any whilst her mate was away on the mission, either, choosing instead to stay in with Irina. No sooner than Dora had arrived in the great hall, she was wishing she'd gone to Irina's instead. It came as a huge relief when they finally left, though having to endure the afternoon in the south tower hardly seemed to be an improvement.

"Don't leave me alone in there," Dora whispered to Caius as they approached the south tower door.

"I promise I won't," Caius agreed, taking his mate's hand in his own and offering her a supportive squeeze.

Aro had only briefly seen Caius in the great hall that morning for the coven Christmas address. They had so much to catch up on, with Caius having been away for so long. As soon as Caius and Dora came in through the door, Aro accosted his co-master, drawing his attention away from his mate.

Dora clung on as Caius inched further and further away. Before she had said a word to anyone, their hands slipped apart, and she was alone again. _You couldn't even keep your word for a minute,_ she thought, completely dissatisfied with her relationship.

Sulpicia, as she had been directed by Atia, greeted Dora and tried to engage her in conversation. It was stilted - the pair had so little to say to one another, but Dora was grateful that she'd made the effort. Naturally, that effort dissipated quickly when Carmen arrived with Eleazar and the Denali girls. No sooner had Irina joined Dora, Sulpicia made excuses to leave and join Carmen instead.

"I was hoping you would be here today," Irina said to Dora once Sully was out of the way. "Already swimming with the sharks, though?" she questioned snidely, looking to the coven queen.

"She doesn't have the gumption to be a shark," Dora whispered. "Out right bitch, that one."

The pair giggled feverishly together until Caius caught their eye. The awkward smile he offered Dora turned her stomach. _Prick,_ she thought. _Two-faced, double-crossing prick._

"He always leaves you, doesn't he?" Irina noted more than asked, winding Dora up further. "Never apologises."

"He doesn't have to," Dora replied. She felt like she was seeing her mate with true clarity for the very first time and she disliked what she saw. "I know I'm not worthy of his apologies," she added sardonically.

"That's good," Irina said, feeding her arm through Dora's so they were joined together. "Because he never will."

"How is it good?!" Dora asked, looking crushed.

Irina pulled Dora in close as they walked through the south towers grand living space to the back window where they could talk privately. "You had a life in mind when you met Caius, and you imagined a future in it, and that's great." She sat the two of them down on the window ledge, keeping Dora tight. "But if it didn't turn out to be a healthy and stable life for you, you're not obligated to stay in it."

What Irina had said was good advice for anyone, especially to another woman in an unhappy relationship. Unfortunately, Irina only said it to move Dora closer to her and further from her husband.

Still, Dora found truth in Irina's words and, importantly, for a woman feeling lost in the world, Irina offered her comfort, comfort that wasn't so forthcoming from anyone else. Even Freyr and Magnus played it cool in front of other coven members. Dora knew they did that to protect Caius' pride, but it hurt her greatly that no one had thought how that made her feel. _But then why would they?_ she mused. _My feelings are second best on a good day!_

"You are a staging ground for his life, Dora," Irina added with a whisper. "You don't have to put up with it … unless you like being treated in such a way, of course."

 _Like it?! Who would like it?!_ Dora thought, glaring viciously at Caius who laughed and joked with Aro, completely unaware of his mate, her hurt, or the trap into which Irina was leading the pair of them.

Caius' good spirits only lasted until Magnus and Freyr arrived. He turned his back on the juggernaut as soon as he walked in.

Magnus sighed in response but did a good job of otherwise hiding his emotions. He'd already sat through the Christmas address with Caius avoiding his eye completely. _You can't avoid me much longer, boy._

Freyr spent the whole night in the lower floor suite arguing with Caius about Odi. Magnus was fuming. Their conversation had started out well enough, Caius had even been apologetic over his treatment of Odi. His regret only lasted until Freyr said her piece on the matter, which is when Caius exploded and started ranting about the kid. When he ran out of things to complain about with Odi, he set in on Freyr, and then Dora … the list was endless once he got into the swing of his oration. Caius knew it was the dungeon blood, or rather, the come down from the dungeon blood. He only hoped Freyr hadn't told Magnus some of the things he'd said, mostly the things he'd called her.

With a sly glance over his shoulder, Caius caught the juggernaut's eye. It was only a brief moment, but it told Caius everything he needed to know - Freyr had told Magnus and Magnus was seriously pissed! _Oh yes, you little cretin,_ Magnus thought, scowling at Caius. _I have plenty I want to say to you. You'll be getting both barrels once Christmas is over._

Caius winced and turned back to Aro. "Fill it right up to the top," he said, holding out his glass.

Aro held the bottle hovering above the glass. "It's whiskey, not wine."

"I'm aware of that." Caius knocked the whole thing back with a gulp. It burned on the way down and he didn't try to hide it. It was almost as if he wanted to punish himself.

"How bad was the mission?" Aro asked sensing the awkwardness between Caius and Magnus. "Was it something Magnus did?"

"No," Caius heaved a heavy sigh. "I wish it was, but no. It was all me."

Aro bobbed his head, refilling Caius' glass. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet."

Caius knocked back the second glass.

Reluctantly, Aro filled his glass again. "You're going to owe me a bottle, brother."

Caius winced as he took the third glass in full. That was damn near half a bottle of whiskey in 30 seconds. "Take it out of my wages."

Aro handed the bottle over to his co-master. "Just don't get kicking off in here, Caius," he offered in friendly warning. "The kids …"

Caius dragged his hand down his face. "Yeah, I know," he muttered, knowing he was making things worse, but seemingly unable to stop himself.

Jane came stomping over to her father with a scowl on her face, elbowing her way in between the co-masters.

"Why aren't any of my presents barking?"

"Because you are not having a bloody dog!" Aro shot back. "You already have an Alec and you never play with him."

"Will one of these do for now, Jane?" Magnus asked the girl, handing over her werewolf pelt.

She would have liked to continue scowling at her father, but Jane couldn't hide the smile on her face when she rubbed it into the fluffy pelt.

Aro thanked the juggernaut on his girl's behalf as Jane, without a second thought, bolted to show Tanya what she'd received.

"Jane!" he snapped after her, not that she cared. _You are picking up far too many tips from the Denali girls!_ Aro thought, annoyed by her rudeness.

That left Caius and Magnus alone.

"I expect you to come to my chambers when we are through with this," Magnus said sounding dangerously calm. "You should stop drinking, you'll want a clear head for what I have planned."

Caius shuddered. "I think I'd rather be drunk, if it's all the same to you."

Naturally Caius was thoroughly expecting another showdown with Magnus ... which would lead to a massive round of fucks for the younger master. That was on the cards, sure, but Magnus had other plans, too. One of which could well send Caius running for the hills - he planned on telling Odi the truth about their odd arrangement to explain why Caius had so suddenly started treating him like dirt.

"Where's mine?!" Tanya whined when she saw Jane with her wolf pelt.

Eleazar growled lightly and she didn't say anymore, though the impish scowl remained.

Hearing the girl, Magnus chuckled. "You might have met your match, Caius," he hissed. "The Denali girls are bigger brats than you! Who thought such a thing possible."

 _Yeah, funny. Twat._ Caius took himself to a chair and gently lowered himself down. He was still suffering from Magnus' belt the day before, though with his abrasion continuing, it clearly hadn't made much of an impression on him.

Handing over the snowy white pelt Tanya had spotted in the great hall, Magnus flashed her a smile. "I believe this is the one you chose, my dear?"

"Oh thank you!" Tanya squealed, bouncing on the spot.

 _Typical!_ Aro sneered to himself. _The one time that kid says thank you after my own didn't._ Aro had become accustomed to the embarrassment his older boys brought. Feeling it through Jane's actions was a definite rarity and he wanted to keep it that way. _At least no one else noticed …_ _ah fuck!_ Aro soon stopped when he saw Eleazar with a big, goofy, self-satisfied grin on his face.

Since Eleazar had taken on the girls, the sibling rivalry between the two eldest Volturi brothers had reached a height never before seen. It displayed itself in a very peculiar way - one-upmanship through their children's actions.

Despite the general mischief Felix and Demetri caused, they had been on a good run since the girls arrived, much to Aro's delight and Eleazar's annoyance. Add to that, the Denali girls were still volatile little beings, and Eleazar barely had control over them on a good day - when those girls blew up, they took every ounce of his pride with them.

Overall, then, Eleazar should have given up his game with Aro and taken it on the chin, but, his darling niece and nephew were bringing the goods! Jane was really enjoying having a couple of similarly aged girls in the coven and she was taking her lead from Kate and Tanya. Alec, therefore, had lost his playmate. With Sulpicia growing annoyed with the boy's near constant whinging and whining over his boredom, Alec was left to follow his father around. Oh yes, the twins were providing Eleazar with many much-needed wins against his brother.

"Did you hear Tanya say thank you?" he asked his brother, still grinning.

Aro rolled his eyes. "A small win, brother," he said. "My daughter was perfect before your girls came along …"

Hence, another argument between the two brothers began.

"Irina, look!" Tanya swished the pelt around behind her shoulders, encasing herself in white fluff.

"Yeah, great, Tan," Irina sneered from her perch. Even at Christmas she couldn't be relied upon to be nice to anyone.

"Aww Tanya, you look adorable!" Carmen said quickly, covering the rest of Irina's sneering comments before Tanya could take them to heart.

Freyr adjusted the pelt for Tanya and stepped back to get a good look at her. "It must be nice to have a few more girls, Atia."

"They aren't her girls," Irina tutted and did that damn hair flick thing that riled Freyr to her core.

"It's nice to have some more girls, I agree," Atia replied to Freyr. "But not that one." On turning to greet Magnus she came face to face with a werewolf! "Why do they have heads?!" she shrieked, taking a step back.

"Special order." Magnus launched one of the headed pelts over the women's head to reach Felix.

"Magnus you are amazing!"

"See," Aro hissed to Eleazar. "Felix said thank you."

"Hardly," Eleazar hissed back.

Tanya was quick to notice Magnus still held onto a final pelt, another headed one at that. "That's not fair! Why does Felix get two?" she asked with a definite bratty whine to her tone.

"Tanya, don't be so rude," Carmen told the girl, offering a tight apologetic smile to Magnus.

Aro positively glowed!

"This one's Demetri's," Magnus explained, passing the final pelt to the boy in question.

Making his way through the floor full of vampiric kids, Magnus headed to the open window where Marcus smoked his opium and Basileus, unusually, smoked Aro's hash.

"This isn't like you," Magnus commented, taking the creator's hash pipe and having a blast.

Basileus gestured to Irina who sat plotting with Dora. "It's the only way to keep that girl from getting stoned," he said. "She won't come within five feet of me."

"Irina hasn't settled in whilst I was away then?"

"Her abrasion grows daily," Marcus told him quietly, too low for anyone else to hear. "Kate and Tanya can be pleasant."

The 'can be' did not skip Magnus by. They seemed nice enough kids to him, just used to different expectations. "Eleazar appears to have gotten over his shock, at least," he noted. "How is he coping with them?"

"Better, but not brilliant." Basileus winced when he heard the girls shrieking laughter rising. "The noise they make, goddamn the noise!" They were making the creator a nervous wreck! "And that's the happy noise. The walls shake in my chambers from their arguments."

"You're telling me about arguments?!" Magnus chuckled. "I live above Caius and Dora!"

Marcus nodded along. Granted he lived yet another floor above Caius and Dora but their arguments could reach epic proportions. Or, at least, they used to ... before Magnus became involved in their lives. Marcus was very grateful for the juggernaut's intervention.

Magnus wasn't wining that one. Basileus shook his head. "At least Dora doesn't squeal her frustrations."

"No, that comes with an entirely different type of activity and it's even more disturbing, I assure you."

Again Marcus nodded along with Magnus.

From nowhere Irina dived into Caius' lap, forcing him to make full contact with the seat he had been half hovering above. It was all he could do to keep the obscenities in his head with the burn engulfing his backside. Burn may have been a little strong, Magnus hadn't been that hard on him and Caius had knocked back plenty of bloodwine to help with the issue. It was his pride that hurt the most and he desperately didn't want anyone to know what had happened. The single whimper he had released was bad enough.

"Has Dora had time to speak with you?" she asked, playing with the opening of his shirt.

Caius soon forgot his pain. "She mentioned something."

"You can have me, my lord. If you want me?"

Before Caius could answer he heard Freyr calling him from behind, "Are you alright, Caius?"

 _Nothing kills a turn on quicker than having your old dears in the room_ , he thought. Knowing he was already in for a round of hell from Magnus after the way he'd spoken to Freyr, he decided to save himself and not push any further.

"Oh, I want you," he told the girl. "But no, I cannot have you." Caius pushed Irina from his lap and went back to Aro ... and more whiskey.

Basileus raised an eyebrow to Magnus. He didn't have to say anything else.

"I've taken care of it already," Magnus assured. "Caius won't be going there with Irina, trust me."

Basileus was visibly relieved to hear such news. "Thank the gods for that."

"I think you mean, thank Magnus for that," Marcus quipped.

Magnus puffed out his chest, trying to match Basileus' size. To be fair, he was only an inch or so off. "Magnus/God - no difference, my friend."

"Alright, alright," Basileus knew how to bring the guy back down to earth. "Have you dealt with Caius for the mission yet?"

It worked. Magnus' shoulder sunk a little. "Aye, it didn't go down well ... but he took it. I think Freyr had a bigger effect on him, though. She really let rip when she found out." He left out how sour Freyr's turn with Caius had ended.

"Why is Caius so disgruntled?" Marcus asked. "I heard about the mission, but I assume there is something else?"

"Oh there is, Marcus." Magnus replied. "Caius is jealous of Odi, though only the gods know why!"

"Aha! Understood." Marcus and Basileus shared a knowing look that had Magnus confused.

"What do you understand?" Magnus asked. "Share it with me because I am baffled!"

Marcus looked to Basileus for the go ahead before he spoke. Receiving a nod from the creator, he explained, "Caius' bond with you and Freyr, particularly you, is very strong, my friend. He must see Odi as a threat to that."

Basileus couldn't keep his laughter quiet any longer. When he saw Magnus looking gormless and confused still, he let rip.

"I'm glad you find this so funny, Basileus," Magnus hissed, thumping his fist into the man's arm. "All of this started with your story telling!"

"I'm sorry, my friend," Basileus replied through his chuckles.

Magnus folded his arms, huffing in a most undignified way. "I might believe you if you stopped laughing!"

Basileus got himself under control. "I just find it funny to see someone else battling with sibling rivalry."

"Sibling rivalry?!" Magnus damn near choked on the words. "Odi's my son, yes, though he resists that fact when it suits him." He took a glance at Caius only to receive a scornful look in return. It hurt Magnus, it really did. He loved Caius like a son, but he doubted Caius would ever truly feel the same. "Caius isn't mine at all. How can this be sibling rivalry?"

"You can call them whatever you wish, Magnus, but those are the bonds." Marcus turned his hands to the air. "The bonds do not lie."

Basileus rested his hand on Magnus' shoulder. "You should have taken Odi with you when you took those private chambers."

"Odi didn't want to come with us," Magnus explained. "We asked him at the time."

"You should revisit that option now, my friend," Marcus suggested.

"He still wouldn't want to. Odi wants to be a guard." Magnus shrugged. "Caius wouldn't be happy with it, either."

"You're giving them both too much say in the matter."

Magnus expected Marcus to disagree with Basileus on that point, he could usually be relied upon to take a softer hand in proceedings. Seeing the man simply nod came as a surprise.

"You pair are screwing with my head!" Magnus said. He had too much to think about with Caius and Odi as it was without his best mates throwing in more things for him to consider.

Basileus winced again, that time it was Irina and Dora shrieking their laughter.

"I'm not happy about that, either. Basileus," Magnus said darkly looking at the Denali girl with Dora.

Dora had never been particularly confident, at least, not in the time Magnus had known her. But seeing how easily Irina was worming her way into Dora's life concerned Magnus deeply. Seeing Dora mimicking the Denali girl in her mannerisms plain irritated him!

"None of us are, my friend," Basileus replied. "I'm concerned Irina will be undoing all of your good work with Dora."

Marcus agreed. "That truly would be a great shame."

Magnus felt a spike in annoyance. "Then why has no one else thought to stop them spending so much time together?"

"What can we do?" Basileus shrugged. "They are both adults …" The incredulous look he received from both men cut him short. "Well, Dora definitely is. I wouldn't tell Sulpicia who she can be friends with."

Magnus couldn't disagree, but he still wanted Irina away from his girl. "Could you ask Sulpicia to be friendlier with Dora?"

"It's been done," Marcus said sadly, knowing such efforts had already been tried, and failed. "Sulpicia has invited Athenodora to a lot of things whilst you were away, to my knowledge she only attended once, and she brought Irina with her."

Magnus ran his hand through his hair. He could feel that tight tension knot at the back of his neck again. He turned to Basileus, "Tell me what she is she thinking, my friend."

"Honestly?" Basileus grimaced. "Dora thinks Sully and Carmen are too 'old' for her to hang around with and she's quite glad to have Irina in the coven."

"But she's been following Freyr around the coven like a lost puppy for years," Magnus returned. "Freyr is much older than Sully and Carmen in every way."

Basileus coughed up the swing of bloodwine he'd swallowed! "That sort of thinking will see you castrated, my friend!"

"Dora doesn't see Freyr as a friend," Marcus explained. "Their bond isn't based on that, I think you know this already."

Magnus held up his hands quickly! "That's enough about bonds, Marcus. Ignorance is bliss."

With a wry smile, Marcus bobbed his head and caught Basileus' eye. The pair of them appeared to be conducting a private conversation in front of Magnus' very eyes. _Just keep it to yourselves, fellas_ Magnus thought. He didn't need to hear anything else about bonds and labels - his head was swamped with them already!

Assuming he was still worrying about Dora, Marcus tried to offer some solace to his friend. "Dora is young, Magnus," he said, as though that were any help to the juggernaut.

Basileus knew that only too well. "She's only a year older than Carlisle and look how immature he can be!"

"That is partly because of the way you treat him, Basileus," Marcus noted, much to the creator's annoyance, before he turned back to Magnus. "Maybe have Freyr talk to her?"

Magnus didn't think Freyr would be much help. If anything, Freyr was doing her best to tolerate Irina in support of Dora's new friendship. Add to that, Freyr didn't believe it was her place - or Magnus' for that matter - to involve herself in Caius and Dora's life without request. 'They're not ours, Magnus,' she had told him.

Magnus rarely went against his wife, but he felt he had no choice. He had yet to admit it to Freyr, but he felt very much that Dora was 'his', Caius too. _I have no intention of providing an easy way for folk to get themselves into trouble. Ignoring Dora falling into Irina's clutches would be doing just that._

"No …" Magnus shook his head. "I'll have to do it myself."

Basileus watched Magnus leave them and scowled. _Before nightfall Atia will be comparing us again,_ he thought. Atia was very quick to point out how Magnus had no fear dealing with the women in the coven, much to Basileus' ire.

"I'm starting to think that one only exists to make me look bad."

"I have heard your sons complain of the same things about their brothers," Marcus chuckled.

Basileus' head had never moved so fast as he spun to face Marcus. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The bonds do not lie, my friend," Marcus replied, much the way he had to Magnus earlier.

 _Bonds?! As in my bonds with Magnus?!_ Basileus looked curiously to Marcus. _My sons and their brothers?! What the hell?!_

For his part, Marcus merely smiled watching the pieces slot into place in Basileus' mind.

Basileus wasn't ready to confront Marcus on what he'd implied. Instead he tried one of Aro's tactics - deflection. "Are you being purposely cryptic or is it the opium talking?"

"Always, my friend," Marcus chuckled, adding, "Merry Christmas," as he left for his own chambers and some peace and quiet.

Magnus flopped himself down next to Dora. "We haven't had chance to catch up since I got back."

"What's to catch up with?" Dora asked. "Nothing happens in my life."

Irina rolled her eyes, "I will assume this is about me," she huffed, stalking away to find her sisters.

"Is it?" Dora asked, looking none too impressed.

"Aye, it is." Magnus knew he had to tread carefully with Dora, so he started gently. "I have concerns …"

"You and everyone else in this damn place," Dora shot back at him before he could go any further. "What is everyone so concerned about? Is the idea of me having a friend in the coven so ghastly?"

"Not at all!" It upset Magnus to think Dora assumed he would be against such a thing. "I'm concerned because I love you, no other reason."

Dora softened hearing those words. There hadn't been much love in her life for a long time. "You're the only one that does," she said sadly, leaning into Magnus. She would have liked to been cuddlier with him, as they would be in their chambers, but too many prying eyes put rest to that idea. "I know I have Freyr and Caius, too, in his way, but it's not the same. I love Caius but he's my husband. I love you and Freyr but you're my … you're our … ours."

Magnus smiled to himself hearing her struggle to name their relationship. He felt the same. 'Ours' summed them all up quite nicely, he thought.

"I just want a friend."

Dora sounded so lost and alone. It suddenly hit Magnus just how badly she needed Irina. _Why her, though?_ he cursed. "Sulpicia and Carmen …"

"Are not my friends," Dora hissed.

"The guards, then?" Magnus suggested.

Dora shook her head. "Being friends with the guards is … awkward."

"Because?" Magnus pushed. "I know Caius thinks being friends with the guards is beneath him, but I know you don't think that way."

"It's because I've had sex with most of the ones I could have seen as a friend."

"Good grief!" Magnus clutched his dead heart.

"Not all of the guards," Dora tagged on quickly, though it did amuse her how pious Magnus could be. "Just the ones …"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Magnus hushed her with a hand clamped over her mouth. "That's enough for this old man's ears," he said with a shudder. "Just watch yourself with Irina, okay?"

Dora settled back into his half hold. "There's really no need, but I do appreciate your concern."

"It's not just concern, Dora," Magnus whispered into her ear. "It's a warning."

Before Dora could respond, Sulpicia called over to Magnus. "Lev's here for you," she said from the door.

Magnus didn't think anything of it, assuming the guards needed a barrel of bloodwine bringing from the cellars, or similar, so he went without saying goodbye. He only expected to be gone ten minutes.

Basileus had heard what Lev wanted through his thoughts. _You won't be back tonight, my friend._

"Caius!" he called from his window seat. "A word."

Aro and Caius shuddered. A word with Basileus was never nice. Caius handed Aro his glass and dutifully flashed to the creator.

"Is your temper in check now?" Basileus asked.

Caius wasn't sure how he'd pissed off Basileus as he hadn't even spoken to him that day beyond wishing him a Merry Christmas. _Must be about the yesterday in the great hall_ , he presumed. "I apologise for …"

Basileus shook his head. _No, Caius. Not the great hall._ "I know you've been dealt with for your attitude, and I would normally say it's done with," Feeling his temper rising, Basileus took a deep breath to steady himself. "But …" and another deep breath - he was unnerving Caius! "You've caused trouble in the guard hall. I expect you to set things straight."

 _Oh shit!_ Caius wasn't sure whether Basileus knew about the way he'd treated Odi, but if he didn't, Caius didn't want to give too much away. "What things?" he asked, trying to play it cool.

Basileus smiled and wrapped an arm around Caius, bringing him in painfully close. "Don't play dumb with me, boy," he warned through gritted teeth. "I asked if your temper is in check."

Caius gulped. "It is."

"Then get your ass to the guard hall and sort this out."

Caius wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but he wasn't about to refuse the creator's direct order. He didn't see Dora's face when he left, but if he had, he might have noticed her desolate eyes following him out of the room.

Sitting completely alone in a room full of people, full of chatter that didn't include her, she was crushed. Caius had promised to stay with her. He broke that the second they walked through the door. That had been hurtful enough, but to actually leave without her, or even a glance in her direction?! Someone noticed, though … Irina.

 _You are all making this too easy for me,_ the Denali girl thought, leaping in to save Dora from her misery and twist the knife a little deeper.

With Basileus' cryptic, if forceful, suggestion in his head, Caius headed to the guard hall to find out what had happened. No sooner had he stepped through the doors from the masters' office, Caius was struck with the gloomy mood of the hall.

Since the coven had started hosting Christmas, it had been a happy day, one full of joy, life, laughter. _Something bad must have happened,_ Caius assumed, correctly. The guards at the bar cleared the way to allow their coven leader to skip the queue, as was customary. At that moment, Caius saw the state of Turk's face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Caius asked, leaning across the bar.

Turk put his head down, but it was too late, Caius had already seen the black eye he sported.

"There was scuffle, Master," he said softly, putting a goblet of bloodwine on the bar.

"And you were involved?!"

Nothing had ever sounded quite so ludicrous to Caius' ear. Turk was not a fighter. There were a good many in the coven who had been trained for defence, only - Turk was definitely one of them. He could handle himself if he had to, but the coven bar keep never entered into the brawls of which some of the other guards were fond.

"Briefly, Master," Turk said quietly.

The way he looked at Caius gave the coven master cause for concern. Turk and Odi were best friends, and Caius had to wonder what Odi might have told the barman about the mission, or more poignantly, about the total jackass Caius had been towards him. A darker thought crossed Caius' mind. _What if Odi's told Turk things about me and Magnus?!_

How could Odi have done so when the kid knew nothing about the relationship between his father and Caius? Unfortunately, Caius didn't think long enough to ask himself such an important question. Instead he asked Turk where Magnus was, so he could check out the damage for himself. He should have asked about the fight, he should have asked who was involved, what it was over, anything, but Caius' mind was fixed on himself.

Caius knocked his drink down in two massive gulps to steady his nerves. "Where's Magnus?"

"Dealing with the others involved in the fight, Master."

"Where, Turk?!" Caius snapped impatiently.

"The dungeons, I believe."

Caius copped for another side eyed look from Turk before he left. The fact that he did nothing about such a thing said a lot to them both - Caius knew he'd been a cunt to Odi, and Turk knew he regretted it.

Caius descended the dungeon stairwell to the sound of Magnus' bellowing. Whoever had crossed him was no doubt wishing they hadn't from what Caius could hear. He had to gulp when he caught the jist of what had gone on with the guards.

Afton and Alex, choosing not to beat the crap out of each other, had instead turned on Odi when they caught the kid returning from Magnus and Freyr's. Lev broke up the fight after Turk had taken a slug and gone running to him for help.

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ Caius cursed, knowing the only solitary reason Afton and Alexander would turn on Odi would be down to the things he had said about the young guard and the preferential treatment he received from _some_ of the coven masters. Half of him wanted to flee the dungeons and hide so he could save his shame, but Caius knew damn well Basileus would catch up with him for doing so. _Or maybe it would be Magnus?_ Caius wondered, tossing the idea around in his head over who would be worse … _facing Magnus is worse,_ Caius reasoned, as he could still feel the effects from the man's belt from the day before, but still who he'd choose. It took real effort for Caius to put one foot in front of the other and make it down those stairs.

He slid up to Magnus in front of the two closed cell doors. "I have guests for Christmas?" Caius' attempt at cool and nonchalant only proved to show his nervous state.

"They're here for a month, and if they touch Odi again it will be a year." Magnus banged on the cell doors. "Do you hear me?!"

Alex and Afton answered together with haste, "Yes, Master," the latter following up with a whimper. Afton was all hot air - he was easy to rile up, but quick to repent, too.

"Are you satisfied now?" Magnus ground out.

It took Caius a moment to realise he was talking to him! "I don't know what you're talking about," Caius shrugged, lying through his fangs.

Magnus smiled, but there was no humour to it - no happiness either. It was an odd look for Magnus to wear and it sent a shiver down Caius' spine.

"Come with me and I'll show you what I'm talking about," Magnus said through gritted teeth, false smile still in place. He didn't give Caius time to object, ripping the younger coven master from the spot and hauling him up the stairs.

Magnus didn't let up his pushing and shoving until he had Caius in the middle floor suite of the north tower, and all the way into the 'spare room', which was, of course, Odi's.

"There, are you satisfied?" Magnus boomed into Caius' ear, giving him a shake for good measure.

Odi cuddled into his blanket, his face battered and bloody, one arm looking limp.

Putting two and two together, it was clear to Caius that Afton and Alexander had beat the shit out of him, or at the very least given it a damn good go.

"Not my fault," Caius grunted. "It's got nothing to do with me if your guards are fighting between themselves." He might have sounded like a heartless bastard, but Caius felt horrendously guilty seeing the state Odi was in.

"Afton and Alex have ten years on him," Magnus raged. "He's just a kid. He's the youngest guard in that hall." Seeing Caius was looking just about anywhere than at Odi and the mess he'd created, Magnus grabbed the younger master by the back of his neck and forced him to face his fuck up head on. "Look at him!" he bellowed down Caius' ear. "They set about him in his own dorm!"

"Like I said," Caius winced at the force of the juggernauts grip. "Your guards …

Magnus shoved the man away roughly, disgusted at the way Caius tried to evade blame. It was gutless, cowardly even. "Thing is, Caius, I know you feel guilty, I can feel it. You feel regretful, too."

"Stop telling me what I feel," Caius raged back, squaring up to Magnus.

Magnus could usually be relied upon to defuse a situation, but he went right over to the other side that day. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked, shoving Caius back another step. "Afton and Alexander have it in their heads that Odi receives 'special attention' from me. Do you know what they think that means, you sick little fuck?!"

Caius had been all ready to go in for a fight with the juggernaut until he heard that last part. _Oh fuck!_ His whole demeanour had changed in an instant when he thought about the shit he'd fed Alexander in particular about Odi's charmed life. It could have been taken many ways, he realised then, but then was a little too late - the damage had been done.

"What are the guard thinking? Submission or something?" he asked quietly.

"More like 'and something'," Magnus replied, shaking his head before looking away, crushed that his guards could think such a thing of him.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Caius called out. _Shit, fuck, shit!_ "It's Alexander's fault …"

Magnus spun back to Caius hearing the brat still deflecting blame. "Well that's the rumour spreading around my hall like fucking wildfire!"

"I'll talk to Afton and Alex, so they understand what I meant," Caius offered. "And I'll get them to back off."

"You'd better ... before I give you some of this 'special attention' I am now so famed for!"

Magnus forced himself to calm down and sat on Odi's bed. Pulling the kid's hand away from his face, Caius got a good look at the state he was in _._

 _His cheek bone is definitely broken_ , Caius thought, wincing at the sticky venomous blood that came away when Magnus wiped at his son's face. It was amazing that Caius' thoughts weren't focused on himself - Odi had witnessed Magnus pushing him about and threatening him without much recourse from Caius. Under any other circumstance Caius would have caused a major ruckus with both Magnus and Odi for his pride alone. But as he watched Magnus tend to his son, it wasn't pride on Caius' mind, it was fear. _I'm going to lose him for this,_ he thought, eyes fixed on the juggernaut. _I'll lose them both! There's no way Freyr will forgive me this time._

Fighting back the tears, it was a very small voice that Caius called out with, "Can I do anything?"

"You've done enough," Magnus spat back, cold and angry.

Caius gulped down the bile rising in his throat and walked slowly to the door. He had such a good thing going with Magnus and Freyr and he'd fucked it all up with his jealousy. The regret floored him. _Perhaps I can talk my way out of this if I can get Magnus alone?_

"Are you coming back to the south tower?"

Magnus was utterly flabbergasted by the young master's ineptitude. "Think about the states you have been in here in my chambers, which unlike Odi, were of your own making. Have I EVER left you?" He didn't give Caius time to answer before adding, "Merry Christmas, Caius. Merry fucking Christmas!"

Barely ten minutes passed between the time Caius left and when Basileus and Freyr arrived, Freyr understandably frantic. The creator waited in the main living chamber whilst Freyr ploughed ahead to check on her boy. She soon sent Magnus out so she could tend Odi without him interfering.

"I thought you might have use for me?" Basileus wiggled his wrist in the air offering his blood when Magnus came into view.

"You didn't have to come, I know you won't feed the guards," Magnus grimaced to his own tone. It was harsh and accusing, not how he'd intended to sound at all. "No judgement," he added. "I don't blame you. They'd all be running to you with every scrape if they thought they'd get away with it."

Basileus let Magnus run out of steam but the look on his face spoke volumes.

"What?" Magnus asked when he noticed Basileus looking at him like he had two heads.

"That kid isn't a guard, is he?"

"Not to us, no," Magnus agreed. "But to the coven …"

"To the coven, Odi is whatever you tell them he is. You have that authority as a master of this coven."

Basileus placed a heavy hand on the juggernaut's shoulder. _Poor bastard looks wrecked,_ he thought. Magnus had been through a tough few months and with recent events that tough time seemed like it would continue for a while yet.

"It's your authority to use as you see fit, I just want to make sure you are aware that it's up to you how you play this."

Magnus didn't have a clue how to play anything! His life seemed to be imploding in every direction. No sooner had he sorted one drama out, another erupted! But still, he appreciated Basileus' effort to reassure him.

"Where's my patient?" Basileus asked, snapping Magnus' thoughts from his troubles.

The juggernaut led the way through to Odi's room where the boy lay with his head cradled in Freyr's lap.

Basileus was taken aback by the sight of the kid's battered face. "They made a mess of you, didn't they?" he said rolling up his sleeve.

"He's lucky Lev arrived when he did," Magnus said, anger present in his voice. "Though Turk took a slug from Alex before he managed to get help."

"Fucker," Odi muttered, thinking of Alex. "Him and Afton …"

Basileus took a seat on Odi's bed and turned the boy's face gently to see the damage. "They'll get theirs, don't worry about that," he told the kid as he took in the damage.

The break in Odi's arm would heal fine with a feed of the creator's blood, but the busted cheek bone needed resetting before Odi could take the magical offering or he would end up looking deformed. With an apologetic smile, Basileus pressed his thumbs into Odi's cheek bone until he felt the bones sit level. Odi wailed in response to the pain and soon returned his head to his mother's lap for comfort.

Basileus noticed Magnus wince, too, as the juggernaut quickly absorbed his boy's pain for him in full. "You know you're going to have to whip Alex and Afton, I assume?"

"You can't!" Odi called out, trying to sit up. "It's bad enough already!"

Freyr pulled Odi back down. "Hush up, grownups talking."

"I'll do it at the coven meeting Friday," Magnus agreed. "If I do it now I'll fucking kill them."

Basileus nodded, he had fully expected Magnus to feel such a way. _That's one thing dealt with,_ he thought. _Now for the other matter…_

"You should know," he started, feeling more than a little awkward. "Caius asked me to come and help Odi. I would have anyway, of course, but the fact that he plucked up the courage to tell me about all of this and ask me to come … I think that says something about his priorities, wouldn't you say?"

Magnus looked away from Basileus and glared at the wall. Freyr did similarly. Basileus hadn't expected such a reaction. Anger, argument, something like that, sure, but not silent stares. He couldn't even gauge their feeling about Caius from their thoughts, both were thinking of the guards, the rumours, Odi, how to fix things. Basileus started to panic, taking their lack of acknowledgement of Caius to mean they were done with him.

"He even told me about the rumour he started," he added, trying to big Caius up a little. "It was unintentional, but still, he knows he's to blame."

Still nothing from either Freyr or Magnus. The only noise in the room came from Odi's quiet, pained whimpering.

Basileus sighed deeply. "I didn't want to have to do this," he said, sad for the offer he was about to make. "I hoped I could help you fix things with Caius somehow, but, if you want me to take him back off your hands …"

Freyr's head spun around to face the creator. "That's not what we want, is it, love?"

"No, not at all," Magnus agreed. It was the opposite of what Magnus wanted, in fact.

Basileus released a shaky breath, visibly relieved! "If you want a break from Caius I could find him a mission to head up."

"Caius isn't leaving this coven without me," Magnus stated firmly. "He will think himself lucky to move around this coven without me looking over his shoulder."

Odi had watched the conversation play out in front of him in the same manor he had with Caius and Magnus only an hour before - with complete confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked, reminding the three of them of his presence.

Basileus looked sheepishly to Magnus for dropping him in the proverbial once again, but Magnus waved his friends apology away.

"I'll explain everything when you wake, son," Magnus told the boy.

 _Wake?_ Odi thought to himself. _When will I sleep?!_ Even if he had the ability there was no way on earth Odi could sleep through the pain he felt, even with Magnus drawing so much of it away.

Basileus bit into his wrist. "Drink."

"Me?!" Odi gasped. "But …" he said no more, his mouth filling with the creator's blood that fixed his battered body and sent his head to slumber.

Basileus left the middle floor suite once Odi had drank his fill. He didn't get very far, however, as Caius waited nervously outside his own chambers in the hope of catching the creator as he passed.

"How is he?" he shot out as the man descended the stairs.

"Odi ... or Magnus?"

"Both," Caius said, looking up the stairs, hoping Magnus and Freyr weren't coming.

"Odi will recover, and Magnus …" Basileus drifted off as he thought of what to say. Magnus was livid with Caius, he'd heard that much in the man's thoughts when he'd first arrived, but he really did love the guy and that would override for Magnus, Basileus was sure of it. "He will forgive you." Caius tutted at such an idea. "He will, Caius," Basileus affirmed.

Caius leaned his back against the wall. "Any idea when that will be?"

"When you deserve to be forgiven," Basileus replied. He could hear Caius feared it would be a lifetime before he would deserve such forgiveness. "You're lucky Magnus is the man that he is. If Aro was ever the reason I was having to restore Carlisle to health after an attack he caused, I would have whipped him bloody before I came to my senses. Be grateful he didn't do something you would have both regretted."

"Completely different," Caius huffed. "They are your sons."

Basileus smiled despite the situation. "No, Caius. It's not different at all."

Caius wasn't too sure what Basileus was trying to imply, or rather, he was sure, and it made him uncomfortable. "How long am I to stay away?" he asked, deflecting his real thoughts. "Forever?"

"You are destroying yourself with these questions, Caius. And for what?" Basileus took Caius by the shoulders and fixed him in position. Looking deep into the young man's eyes, he continued, "Because of Odi? What about him?!"

Caius tried to look anywhere but at the creator - an impossible task being so close.

"I expect an answer from you," Basileus told him with a shake. "What is your problem with Odi? What is your problem with Magnus and Odi? What is your …"

"I can't match up!" Caius just wanted to end the interrogation but once he'd blurted out the answer he couldn't close the floodgates. "I can't match up to Odi. I can't match up to the bond they have. I'll always be second. I'll always be in his shadow. I'll always be waiting for …"

"Rejection?" Basileus finished for him when Caius stalled. Getting a single nod from the man, he continued. "You aren't talking about your relationship with Magnus and Odi. You're talking about your relationship with me and Aro." _Or possibly your own father and Helios,_ Basileus thought to himself.

Caius pulled out of Basileus' grasp and turned his back on the creator. He needed a little space. "It doesn't feel so different to me," he muttered quietly.

"Yes it does, that's what scares you." Basileus was sure as the sky is blue that he heard Caius sniffing, as though he was crying. _Surely not?!_

In all their years together he could count on one hand the times he'd seen Caius emotional enough to cry. "Caius, I know I let you down, I know I ignored you when you needed me, needed someone."

"You don't owe me anything. Neither does Magnus." Caius wiped at his eyes quickly, keeping his back to Basileus the whole time.

"And yet he has been there to help you without you even having to ask."

Caius scoffed. It was true enough, but that ship had sailed. " _Has_ being the operative word," he said believing, despite Basileus assuring him otherwise, that he had lost Magnus forever by getting his son a kicking.

Before Basileus could reassure Caius further, their privacy was disturbed by Dora entering the north tower stairwell with Irina on her arm.

"What are you doing here?" Basileus directed at Irina, who barely gave him a second glance.

Dora answered on Irina's behalf without giving her mate the time of day. "I'm not being alone with him when he's so clearly still on a come down, so I've brought Irina home for the night."

Caius didn't even blink. He'd expected Dora to turn on him, everyone else that mattered had. From what Basileus could hear, Caius was dangerously close to ending up on a depressive spiral if something didn't change!

"Erm …" he started, ready to send Irina home.

"Good night, my lord," Dora chipped in quickly before he could do so, ushering Irina inside.

Basileus put his arm out to block Caius when he tried to follow. "I don't think so," he said, taking hold of Caius' bicep.

"No, Basileus," Caius whined, seeing where the creator was taking him. "Not yet, they don't want me here."

"Magnus!" Basileus thumped on the juggernaut's door with Caius still in his hold. When Magnus answered, he explained, "Dora has Irina to play with and he's not invited."

Magnus looked down his nose at Caius, making sure the younger master knew exactly what he thought of him.

Caius tried to break free so he could flee to somewhere less depressing. _Like hell_! "I'll just go to the dungeons …"

"With all those barrels of dungeon blood and bloodwine at your disposal whilst you're in this mood?" Magnus asked, taking over Basileus' hold of the man. "Not a chance. Get in here."

If Caius wasn't already aware of what Magnus thought of him, the pinching grip on his arm soon told him. "You told me to leave," he snapped, pulling away.

Magnus clouted the little sod across his bullish head. "No I didn't," he thundered. "I told you I wasn't leaving Odi, you left on your own accord."

Caius had to stop and think about that. He had it in his head that Magnus had thrown him out. A complete invention of his own mind, actually, as Magnus had done no such thing. That was the problem with Caius' head - it made the situation fit his feelings so when he felt rejected, feared rejection, he experienced it - whether it happened or not!

"I thought you wanted me to leave."

"You thought wrong," Magnus told him. He was pissed off with Caius, sure he was, but he would never turn him away. Caius started to wish his fucked-up head had been right when Magnus dragged him inside and flung him towards a chair. "Sit," he commanded. "We have much to discuss!"

Basileus watched Caius squirm for a moment before checking the man's thoughts. Even though he was receiving both barrels from Freyr, Caius' thoughts were grateful for the reprieve he'd been offered with being allowed back into their home _. They will be okay,_ Basileus thought, feeling a similar relief to Caius.

"I'll leave you to it," he told them all, closing the door behind him.


	141. Happy New Year?

**AN:** Sorry for the delay guys, life is busy, man!

* * *

 **Happy New Year?**

Three days later when Friday rolled around, Magnus' world seemed set to collapse. In an effort to explain why Caius had been such a jerk, he and Freyr had sat Odi down and told the boy everything. The conversation had taken an entire day to complete for various reasons – one being the difficulty of explaining their relationship without using any of the usual words attached to such a thing, another being the constant interruptions from Caius, demanding Magnus to shut up and for Odi to swear on his life that he would keep all he'd been told completely private.

After the most torturous discussion of his life, all Caius wanted to do was go home and hide, but he was being held captive in the middle floor suite as Irina had pretty much moved into the ground floor suite with Dora.

Dora, for good reason, didn't want Caius home. The long mission, the nine-month dungeon blood intake, the stuff with Magnus and Odi ... Caius was still overly emotional and prone to outbursts. So, no one blamed Dora for refusing to put up with that from her mate.

Freyr was quite proud of her for taking a stand, actually. She wished Irina wasn't so involved, but if the Denali girl gave Dora the confidence to keep herself safe from her mate, then so be it ... even if she and Magnus had to contend with Caius in the payoff.

Caius offered to go to the dungeons to get out of their way, but there was no way Magnus would permit such a thing. He could feel how unbalanced Caius' emotions were and letting him wallow in the dungeons next to barrels of bloodwine and dungeon blood would be disastrous for everyone.

That said, the clash between Odi and Caius was wearing thin for the guard masters. Odi was used to being much more informal when he was in Magnus' chambers. He didn't even call them by their name in private, and instead he usually called them Mom and Dad, as he had done from his early human life. But with Caius around he was finding the formality Caius expected from him difficult to balance. Matters hadn't been helped when Magnus told Odi to call Caius, Caius, and not 'master' as Caius had instructed.

"These are my chambers, my rules," he had told them both. Magnus was pulling his hair out with the pair of them!

Caius couldn't understand why Odi was even still there. He was fully recovered, thanks to Basileus' blood, but Magnus wouldn't let him go back to the guard hall. Not until he had dealt with Alexander and Afton for their attack.

Oh, the guard hall!

The guard hall was missing both the guard masters and three coven members. What it had gained was a whole host of rumours about Magnus that whilst no one seemed to believe, were continuing to grow in detail and ferocity.

That pissed Magnus off most of all. How anyone could even entertained the idea that he would use submission on anyone, let alone Odi, was unconscionable! In return for the guards' disloyalty, Magnus had refused to hand over the keys to the bar, so no one had been able to get any bloodwine, or alcohol of any sort, since Christmas day.

Not a huge deal in itself, but it had sent a very stern message to the whole coven that Magnus had weight and he was no longer wary of using it.

Basileus had joked that he'd created a monster, but he was happy with the results. His sons weren't quite so pleased. Aro, in particular, realised he couldn't overturn Magnus' decision about keeping the guard hall locked. For one, he didn't have the keys! He knew deep down that even if he did have the keys, even if Basileus wasn't there to keep him in check, even if he disagreed with Magnus, he couldn't have opened that guard hall. Magnus wasn't just a master of the coven … in some matters the juggernaut really was above the king. It unnerved Aro when he realised it, but he couldn't deny it.

Fridays, when the coven held their housekeeping meeting, there was often the odd guard to be called up for discipline. Usually that would be a simple dress down, nothing physical, though the whip still found its regular victims. It wasn't an unusual affair. In fact, it was so regular that it rarely even dampened spirits. That Friday was different. There was a tension in the air that Magnus found difficult to sit through. Already stressed and on edge, his gift was working against him, soaking up the tension and making him a tightly wound spring ready to release.

"This will be a bloodbath if you don't take control," Atia hissed to her mate.

Basileus didn't necessarily disagree, but he refused to take over unless he was called upon. "If our own coven members had attacked one of our sons, what would you want me to do?" he asked in return.

Atia didn't have a reply for that. It wouldn't be ladylike to voice her thoughts. Basileus was shocked enough by what was in her mind!

"Exactly," he said.

Soon enough, Aro had made it through his address. There would be no Christmas honour that year, at Magnus' request. Aro had never felt so awkward stood before his coven. The complete lack of control over proceedings was new. Even when he was in serious shit with his father, Basileus had never taken over entirely. To hand the gauntlet to Magnus was … novel.

"Before we deal with you pair," Magnus started, glaring at Alexander and Afton. "I want to know who believes these rumours about me."

That took Aro by surprise. There had been many rumours in the coven over the years about Aro and Caius. The way they both dealt with it was by ignoring them, in the main. Occasionally they would do something to prove the rumours untrue, but they never called them out.

"You all feel very guilty to me," Magnus continued. "But is that guilt because you had a part to play in spreading fallacious bile, or is it that you believe the rumours?"

He stayed fixed in his chair, gripping the arm rests as though it were the only way to stay seated. Magnus didn't need to move. He focussed his gift on each coven member in turn until he found the truth.

One.

Only one believed Magnus capable of using submission on Odi, or anyone else for that matter - Alexander. The rest were, as Magnus had thought, guilty of playing the pathetic game of spreading gossip with no thought to the cost to a man's station, his credibility, his self-respect! He made damn sure to tell them all what he thought of their game and by the finish there wasn't one left standing who wasn't oozing regret.

Even Alexander felt regretful. By the end of Magnus' roaring round of fucks he didn't believe the rumour anymore either - and he'd been the one to start it, off the back of the misinformation Caius had given him, of course.

"I raised that kid from the age of ten!" Magnus boomed. "I've kept him close since we arrived in this coven because he is my son. You ALL KNOW THIS!" He had to stop. He was losing control. That was not a road anyone wanted to go down.

It was true, all the guards did know. But when Magnus and Freyr stepped up to coven master and didn't take Odi with them, they all took that as the pair moving away from the youngest guard.

As it was, they hadn't moved Odi to their private chambers because Odi was happy with the best of both worlds. He went to the masters' chambers whenever he liked, and he enjoyed falling back into their old relationship when he was there ... without the coven watching. It felt all the more special to him because it was so private. But he also enjoyed being in the guard hall with his friends. The separation had allowed Odi a little more freedom without his parental figures constantly watching over him and he felt more secure in the guard for it. Caius had totally fucked that up by setting forth a chain of events that led to Magnus having to officialise his relationship with Odi.

After a few minutes with no one daring to speak, Basileus went to the back of Magnus' throne and lent down to his ear. "My friend, I will take over with Afton and Alexander if you …"

"No," Magnus replied quickly. "Caius will."

Caius baulked. "Me?!"

The spotlight was already on him in the coven as it was, he didn't want to be more involved whilst he was still so unsteady in both feeling and thought.

"Yes." Magnus looked past Aro to see Caius. "It was you who started all of this, so you can whip them both."

Caius squared his shoulders and took the whip Aro offered. He didn't particularly want to play whip master that day, but what else could he do? _It's not like I haven't done it a million times before,_ he told himself. If Caius thought he was getting off that easily, he would be sorely mistaken.

"Think yourself lucky that it's not me holding that whip, Caius." Magnus vibrated with the rage he felt. "Because I'd have you stood next to those pair of morons and you wouldn't be walking out of this room!"

Caius stalled mid-step - he damn near fell down the throne floor stairs! The coven members, who had been mostly dumbstruck during proceedings, suddenly found their voice in the form of a combined gasp that spread through the great hall. Everyone had their eyes on Caius.

Every. Single. One.

 _Oh fuck!_ Aro thought, ready to pounce on Caius should the man blow as he expected him to.

The guards weren't stupid. Though the masters ran the coven, they all knew it belonged to Basileus. They all knew, or rather some knew and most presumed that Basileus would have taken the masters to task over the years. Aro's regular disappearance from coven life rarely went unnoticed. Caius had similar instances of removal from the general populace. So hearing Caius being threatened with such punishment was not out of the realms of possibility. But _Magnus_ issuing the threat - that was unprecedented and shook the whole coven. Even more so when Caius, unlike as Aro had anticipated, silently continued down the steps, manhandled Afton and Alexander into position, and got on with the task at hand.

Caius felt every pair of eyes from the guards on his shoulders as he whipped those guards. He daren't look up as he knew the elite gathered on the throne floor would be looking to him similarly. He had spent the previous three days trying to convince Magnus that a rumour about submission wasn't a big deal, it wasn't worth creating a fuss over. 'Who cares?!' he had said. 'I hear shit about me all the time,' he had said, and again with the 'who cares?'.

Magnus cared - that was who cared! Caius could live with a tarnished character because he legitimately had one. Magnus wasn't willing to participate in coven life with his reputation tarnished with such depravity.

Basileus completely understood, of course. He felt the same about his own secret, the one that haunted him on the same matter. If anyone ever found out that he had been forced into submission with Aro, he couldn't honestly say how he would cope.

Magnus calling out the rumour publicly had worked a treat with the guards. It forced them all to stop and think about what they actually believed possible, and when they did, none of them believed it could be true, even after using their own mouths to spread it. That said, it wasn't going to end the Volturi rumour mill, it wouldn't end the way gossip travelled around their halls.

Magnus hadn't intentionally fed the guards a new titbit of gossip - he was neither a callous or vindictive man - but his comment to Caius about whipping him would electrify guard gossip for years to come.

From Caius' thoughts, Basileus knew the master was fully aware that the entire guard would be watching his every move, his every interaction, his daily conduct, his relationship with the other elite members … Caius was screwing! The guards were silent, but their thoughts were loud. ' _Is Magnus over Caius?_ _' '_ _Can Magnus whip Caius?' 'Has Magnus whipped Caius before?'_ Basileus chuckled to himself. _Let's see how you like those rumours, Caius._

…

"Nope," Magnus said casually, directing Caius away from the ground floor door and towards the winding staircase.

Caius hadn't said a single word since they left the throne room. Magnus was feeling much better now he'd set everyone straight, but he sensed he still had to deal with whatever Caius was about to throw his way. That was okay. He was ready. With Caius storming ahead, Magnus made sure he was last to take the stairs, letting Freyr and Odi go ahead of him. No sooner than he had closed the doors, the eruption started. But it didn't come from Caius.

"Why did you do that?!" Odi shouted out before Caius had a chance to say anything. "You've singled me out, you've made me a fucking target!"

"Excuse me?!" Freyr shot back. "Who on earth do you think you are talking to?!"

"That fucking idiot!" The 'that', was Magnus and Odi wasn't done. "All the guards are going to be against me now. Why would you do that to me?!"

"What he did to _you_?!" Caius asked, flabbergasted. "What about what the fucking idiot did to me?!"

"You caused this, Caius," Odi snapped, spitting the man's name. "You deserve everything you get."

"How dare you talk to me that way?!" Caius shook on the spot. "I will rip your fucking throat out!"

"Then he will whip you and I will make sure everybody knows it, too," Odi offered in return, full of a false bravado the young guard rarely felt.

Caius' eyes widened. It was everything he feared in one sentence. "You'll be dead you stupid prick."

Magnus may have been initially taken aback hearing Odi come at him verbally, but he soon recovered when he saw the pair of them readying for a fight. He was between the two in a flash.

"SIT DOWN!" he roared, shoving each into a seat.

When he stepped back, Caius reached out and booted Odi in the shins. Odi was back on his feet ready to fight. He knew he'd lose against Caius, or anyone else in the coven for that matter, but he didn't care. He'd taken months of Caius' frustrations on the mission, completely undeservedly, and the few short days they had been back from the mission had been miserable for the lad.

First being set about by Afton and Alexander, then learning he would be sharing his parents with the goon who'd caused his torment, and having to suffer Caius' continued company whilst they were all on house arrest.

The announcement in the great hall had been the icing on the cake that would surely see the guards distancing themselves from Odi, in the same way everyone liked to maintain a comfortable distance from the elite, so they could conduct their days without fear of reprisals. The guards would assume Odi would grass on them to Magnus and Freyr and they would exclude him, 'just in case'. He knew they would and he fucking hated Caius for all he had caused.

Magnus caught the kid in mid-air and gave him a wicked smack to his backside for the trouble. Seeing that cheered Caius right up until Magnus clouted him around the ear for the initial kick. Forcing Odi to retake his seat, Magnus dragged his chair in close. They couldn't hope to get near enough to each other with Magnus in reaching distance. Or rather they could, if they were willing to risk the slap that would surely follow.

"Love," Magnus called to his mate. "Could you return Afton and Alexander to their dorms and take them some bloodwine."

Freyr was relieved to hear her husband sounding so calm, so reasoned. She was pleased to be able to get back to her guards, too. Her anger with Afton had long since abated. Afton was a nice guy, a good guy, but he enjoyed a fight and was easy to lead into one. Alexander had always been an issue in the guard hall, but Freyr even felt bad for him after Caius had left the man a bloody mess in the great hall.

"What about the guard hall?" she asked, taking the keys from the side and jingling them.

Magnus leaned back in his chair and looked between Caius and Odi. Ideally, he would have liked to have put off leaving his chambers until he had the pair of them on an even keel, but Magnus knew the coven would have died of thirst if he waited for such a miracle. Instead he made a snap decision.

"Spread the word that the hall will be open on Sunday for New Year's Eve, and that we're having a party to ring in the new year and new beginnings."

Odi and Caius watched Freyr leave, both wishing she would stay.

"Right then," Magnus began, grabbing both young men's attention from the closed door. "Let's set a few things straight, shall we?"

If Caius or Odi thought that meant it was time for them to voice their complaints, they were profoundly wrong. Magnus didn't have the will to hear any more of their bitching. He told Odi he was free to go back to his dorm, if he so wished, but that he was free to stay, too.

It only took one sharp look to Caius for Magnus to keep the man in check as he offered Odi his choice. Odi just wanted things to go back to the way they were. He wasn't sure they could, not after his father's announcement, but he wanted to try and maintain his dorm as his home from home, with Magnus and Freyr's place being his proper, if infrequent home, as it had been.

Magnus was fine with that, so long as it was what the lad wanted. _It will make my life easier,_ he thought, seeing the petulant expression on Caius' face. In the hope that it would prevent Caius from going through with ripping Odi's throat out, Magnus had the kid swear not to reveal anything about the relationship the masters shared.

"What happens in these walls, stays in them." Magnus pinched Odi's chin and held the boy's face still so they could maintain eye contact. "You know that, yes?"

"I know," Odi agreed, wincing a little. "I wouldn't say anything."

"It will be your death if you do!" Caius butted in.

"And as for you …"

Magnus turned on Caius, reminding the coven master why he was stuck in the middle suite, again, and that it was all down to his own pathetically bad behaviour. It seriously pissed Caius off to have to take the round of fucks that came in front of Odi. It was improper. But what else could he do?

Basileus had been bang on the nail on Christmas day - Caius' relationship with Magnus, and Freyr, too, wasn't the same as the one he held with Basileus. It _did_ feel different, and it _did_ scare him. Though he wasn't ready to admit it to anyone - even himself - Caius was scared of losing them. His biggest fear, though, was that one day those two loving people, those giving and forgiving people, would finally see him the way he saw himself.

"Neither of you are invited to my party on New Year's Eve unless I can be sure of your conduct going forward."

 _What?!_ That stabbed Caius in the guts. He couldn't _not_ be at that party. _How would that look?!_ he thought in horror. It would be bad enough braving the coven after Magnus' stunt in the great hall, but it would be infinitely worse for the rumour mill if Caius didn't attend.

"You have two days to show me I can trust you."

To be fair to Odi, Magnus was really speaking to Caius, but both men agreed. Both also knew it meant they weren't being released from Magnus' chambers until party night … and apparently only then if they were lucky!

Once he was sure the three of them were on the same page, Magnus replaced his chair and fixed them all a drink. "There's one more thing," he said, passing out the bloodwine. "I don't care what you choose to call me, what you choose to call what we have, what we are to each other," - he did actually, he cared very much, but Magnus understood Odi's need to be a 'normal' guard and Caius' need to protect his status - "but, if either of you dare speak to me again the way you have today, I will take my belt to your bare backside wherever we are. Do we understand each other?"

Odi nodded rapidly. There was a tiny part of him that was quite proud of himself for having the balls to call his old man a 'fucking idiot', a tiny part. He had never spoken to his father the way he had that afternoon, never. Not even in the rather fraught teenage years when he was human. He doubted he ever would again anyway, but hearing that threat, Odi decided to make damn sure not to if they were anywhere other than private chambers!

Caius was less interested in the threat Magnus had issued and more in the other part. _What you choose to call me …_ Caius knew what he thought of Magnus as, but he wouldn't say the word even in his own head. He knew Odi called Freyr and Magnus Mom and Dad in private, and likely always had done, he now assumed. Caius thought of them the same way, and somehow, after the shit storm he'd caused, Magnus still seemed to think of him as a son. Caius couldn't get his head around that. He didn't deserve their love, if that was what was being offered. _But still, 'Dad'_ _?_ He tried out the word. _That felt weird!_ He had been right before, Magnus was Magnus. _Don't push things too far,_ he told himself.

There was another issue with the whole family labelling for Caius. It was one thing thinking of Freyr and Magnus as parental figures. Caius couldn't deny that he did, even if he struggled with the terminology. Freyr and Magnus were Odi's parents. There was no assuming there, no pretence, Odi was their son. _What the fuck does that make me and Odi?!_

"Caius?" Magnus pushed. "Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, sir." Caius wasn't even sure why he said _sir_ , but it felt appropriate at the time.

…

"You ask," Caius hissed at Odi.

"You're the coven master," Odi hissed back. "You ask him!"

They had been sitting in the window, playing chess for hours watching the sun getting lower and lower in the sky. Freyr was with Turk getting the guard hall ready for the New Year party, so Magnus stayed on babysitting duty. He sat reading a book - Caius had never seen Magnus read before, but then they usually spent their time together in Caius' quarters drinking and playing cards. Magnus wasn't exactly engrossed in the text, he kept one ear on the hissing he heard coming from Caius and Odi.

It should be noted, they weren't sitting there out of choice. Caius and Odi had argued for thirty-six hours straight over whose room the spare room was. Naturally, Odi claimed the room as his own as it was full of his things. Caius didn't necessarily disagree with that, but he was clear that Odi could only have the room when Caius didn't need it for himself - Odi being younger and further down in the pecking order. Caius had tried to call the room on status alone, being a coven master, but Freyr soon put Caius in his place for that one before throwing her hands into the air and leaving to find companionship that wasn't led by testosterone.

Magnus had stood back and let Caius and Odi argue it out until it became physical. He'd been compelled to intervene when Caius attempted to remove Odi's head. The chess game had been forced on them as a punishment, with the rather odd covet being that the winner would be taking the hiding for the whole fight. It meant their game had lasted three hours and counting with only four pieces lost to Odi, and three to Caius.

"If you don't ask soon we are going to have to walk in the guard hall when it's already full," Odi pointed out. He had already learnt much about Caius during their enforced time together and he knew Caius would rather face Magnus than walk into the guard hall with everyone gawping at him. "Better to ask now and have a few drinks inside us before everyone else gets there."

"Why don't you just spit it out," Magnus asked, looking with a raised eyebrow over the top of his book to them both.

Caius looked out the window. The sun was low… the party would start at dusk. _Odi's right, I can't walk in there in front of everyone._ "Are we invited tonight?" he asked.

Magnus set his book down on his open page. He toyed with playing with them a little, but after the tensions they had all already suffered he decided against it. The last two days had been strained enough!

"Aye," he agreed. "You're invited."

 _Thank the gods!_ "Could we get there early?" Caius asked, with Odi quickly tagging on, "Please."

Magnus knew why Caius wanted to be there first. Truth was, Magnus wanted to be there before the rest of the coven for the same reason. No sooner than he had given them the nod, both Caius and Odi were at the door. Magnus chuckled to himself. _We_ _'_ _ll go now then, shall we?_

Odi turned to Magnus before they went through the double doors. "Leave me to it tonight, Dad," he pleaded. "I need to reintegrate."

Magnus bobbed his head and carried on inside. Caius left Magnus to go to the bar and went to their table, the same table the elite usually sat at. Caius' anxiety wasn't helped by being there drink-less, but he hoped Magnus would sort the first round, which he did.

"I'm going to convince Dora you are level headed enough to have back in your chambers tonight," Magnus explained, setting two tankards on the table. "Do not do anything to make me regret it."

Caius was grateful Magnus planned to help him in his marriage, again, but he had to admit he was pissed off with Dora for rejecting him in the first place. He didn't let that thought pass his lips, however. If the last few days had taught Caius anything, it was that he needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut - particularly when he was pissed off.

The guard hall gradually filled with people, first with the guards coming down from their dorms.

"Time to put your game face on, love," Freyr told her mate when Afton and Alexander nervously emerged through the doorway.

Magnus did just that and called the pair over to the side of the hall for a brief moment of privacy. He had been apprehensive about seeing Afton and Alex, unsure of what he would feel after what they did. Seeing the stiff step they walked with softened the juggernaut. They had acted foolishly, cruelly, even, but Magnus was still their master, their shepherd, their guardian, and he wanted them to be okay going forwards.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, tone sounding sterner than he had intended.

"Still a little sore," Afton admitted sheepishly. "Thank you for sending us the bloodwine."

Magnus nodded and turned the guard around. Pulling his shirt free of his britches, Magnus lifted Afton's shirt to check out the damage. Red, angry looking stripes marked the man's back, but they were healing quickly. There was no worry about infection with vampires and Volturi guards were never disciplined severely enough to be left with scars. After a night on bloodwine, which Magnus fully expected Afton to have, he would be healed by dawn.

"How about you?" he asked Alexander.

Alex turned around without being asked. Magnus did the same as he had done with Afton and checked Alexander's wounds. He hadn't healed as nicely as his partner in crime.

The guard master turned a knowing eye on Afton. "I assume Chelsea fed you then?"

Afton stumbled to explain himself until Magnus waved his apologies away. "I won't stand for any trouble from you two tonight." Magnus gave then the nod to redress themselves. "The first hint of it and you will be in the cells and you won't being coming up for air for the month. You're damn lucky I relented this time."

"It wasn't Afton's fault, master," Alexander admitted. "I convinced him to come with me. I was on edge after the mission, I missed the chance to blow off some steam and I took it out on Odi ... " Alexander trailed off. He felt like an utter cunt. He knew the reputation he held in the coven, he knew being so volatile made him a difficult member to keep in the guard. Alex also knew he only maintained that position due to Magnus and Freyr's good graces and he needed to be sure he still had a place in the Volturi after going for the master's kid.

"What's done, is done, Alex," Magnus said with finality. "Enjoy the party, keep yourselves out of trouble, and we're square. This time."

The 'this time' Magnus had tacked on hit Alex. He was being given yet another chance, but something told him if he went near Odi again, there would be no more chances. He was right, too. It's exactly what Magnus had meant. Sure that Afton and Alex were suitably warned, Magnus sent them on their way to enjoy the evening.

Caius watched the interaction play out from across the hall. He didn't have Magnus' gift for emotions, but he could tell the man had left things on a good note with Afton and Alex. It didn't feel right to Caius that Magnus could do that with the pair of bastards that had battered his kid. For the moment, Caius missed the irony that he was to blame for the attack in the first place. Having been forced to spend so much time with Odi over the past few days and having to accept he was sharing Magnus and Freyr with the young guard, Caius had already started to feel differently towards the boy. As soon as Magnus retook his seat, Caius started hissing across the table to him.

"How can you send Afton and Alex on to the bar after what they did to Odi?"

"I'm a forgiving man, Caius," Magnus replied easily. "Something you, in particular, should be grateful for."

Caius folded his arms and glowered at the pair of guards, both seemingly making peace with Odi as he helped Turk serve. Magnus cleared his throat to grab Caius' attention away for the action. Odi wanted to merge back into the guard - he had no hope of doing so with a couple of coven masters watching his interactions.

"They were punished for their violence," Magnus said. "Violence you incited over the last nine months, I will add."

Caius called over the closest guard, Renata, to bring them fresh tankards. "I have already suffered for that, thanks," he said once he was sure Renata was out of hearing distance.

Magnus clicked his tongue and tutted. "Not half as much as you should have."

Basileus' booming voice called out across the hall to Magnus. "I remember stating, not all that long ago, that we wouldn't be celebrating New Year."

The guards froze, some of them mid-swig!

"I'm putting on a free bar for the night," Magnus replied. "Fancy celebrating that?"

"You're clearly overpaid," Basileus chuckled.

"Not at all, my friend," Magnus disagreed. He lifted and gave a good jangle of the coin pouch on his hip. "I'm paying for it with my winnings."

"So, I'm paying for this?!" Basileus scowled, always the sore loser. "Turk, make mine a very large one."

Basileus joined Magnus and Caius, Freyr and Atia soon followed. Caius felt like a sore thumb as he sat with the four of them, particularly as Basileus had made a point of sitting next to him, painfully close. Caius knew attention would soon turn on him.

"So," Basileus started. "Have you sorted out your head?"

Caius nodded, hiding as much of his face with his tankard as he could.

Magnus and Freyr shared a short laugh before Basileus beckoned Odi to join them. Odi's heart sank, it was visible on his face, but he took the seat the creator offered.

"You look fully restored now," he commented on the lad's health.

"Yes, my lord." Odi looked around skittishly to see how close the guards were. Just as he thought they might, they were avoiding his eye, but all ears were on him. "Thank you for your blood, my lord," he whispered, praying he'd been quiet enough to evade the guards.

"Anytime," Basileus said, slapping a hand on the lad's shoulder. "Though let's hope it isn't needed again, eh?"

"Yes, my lord." Odi had never looked so uncomfortable in his life.

Basileus noticed, of course he did, but in his arrogance, he thought Odi's anxiety was undue, and therefore not worthy of concern, just something the kid had to get over. He was far more interested in Caius in that moment. Not that he addressed Caius, he spoke directly to Magnus, as though Caius was merely a bystander in his own life.

"Eleazar let slip that Irina has been at his place since Christmas," he said to the juggernaut with a side eye on Caius. "I assume that means Caius hasn't been?" By 'assumed' Basileus really meant, 'he better hadn't been'!

Magnus chuckled. "Caius hasn't been anywhere near Irina, don't worry about that."

 _For fuck sake! I am here!_ Caius thought murderously in his shame. _And so is fucking Odi, so watch what you're saying!_

Basileus heard him, naturally, but he kept going in his search for answers. "You kept him under lock and key … is that it?" he asked Freyr and Magnus.

"What more did we need to do?" Freyr returned.

Magnus chuckled again, the chuckle was pissing Caius off! "I can think of a few things," he told his mate, enjoying the general effect the conversation was having on Caius. Even Odi seemed to be relaxing a little.

"You should have walloped the little sod for causing so much grief," Basileus sang out, jutting his thumb in Caius' direction in case anyone missed who the 'little sod' was. "Do you want me to show you how it's done?"

"He's already worse than you," Caius hissed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Did you hear that?!" Basileus boomed, laughing his head off.

Magnus looked genuinely offended. "How am I worse than him?"

Caius' face screwed up. "Do you want the list?"

"See!" Basileus slapped his hand down hard on Caius' back, causing the coven master to jolt forward. "Far too much cheek." He gave Odi a quick wink seeing the kid was enjoying Caius treated to some scorn. "You need to teach him a little humility, my friend."

Magnus rubbed his chin as though he were actually considering what Basileus had said. He kept up the pretence just long enough for Caius to really feel the nerves rising. "I'll keep that in mind for the next time he screws up."

With Basileus and Magnus breaking into laughter, Caius sank at the creator's side to hide.

"You've had your fun, my dear," Atia told her mate with a stern eye. "Leave Caius be, please."

 _Thank the gods!_ Caius thought, flashing a grateful smile to the vampiric witch for saving him. He was a annoyed Freyr hadn't called a halt to his shaming, but then he had been picking on her baby, so what else did he expect?

Basileus had been only partially winding Caius up, and there was one thing he wanted to make crystal clear. "Just so you know," he told Caius, making sure to catch Magnus' eye, too, "Magnus has an open invitation to keep you in check, so do try not to piss him off too much."

 _What the actual fuck?!_ Caius pushed his hands into his stomach. It was the only way he could stop the bloodwine from being regurgitated onto the table. He wasn't even sure why the news had come as such a surprise. It's the state of play he had assumed anyway, even chosen. Twice! But to hear it announced by the creator in front of an audience, even a small audience, punched him in the guts.

"So," Basileus continued with a lighter tone, "how are the four of you moving forward?" Basileus asked. The question clearly involved Caius and Odi, but Basileus was only looking for Magnus and Freyr's response.

Magnus sighed to himself. He didn't have anything solid to offer Basileus in reply, he couldn't claim they would be playing a happy family they certainly wouldn't do so publicly. "Without killing each other," he offered, chuckling into his tankard as he took a swig.

Basileus' booming laughter filled the guard hall. "That will have to do for now, I expect," he said, still laughing. "You're all thinking the right way, at least."

"Stop rushing them," Atia warned her mate, jabbing her bony elbow into Basileus' side. "Look how nervous you're making Odi."

"But they are!" Basileus had to be careful how he phrased things with Atia ready to strike should he muck it up. "Some of them may be struggling with the terminology," he directed at Caius. "But you all view each other as one would hope, as a family. I'm happy with that."

Magnus could feel Caius' temper rising, and he understood why - he found the conversation Basileus was trying to have painfully embarrassing and Caius dealt with embarrassment by getting angry. _He's done well to keep himself in check so far._ Magnus wanted Caius back with his mate by the end of the night and a blow up so early in the evening would put an end to that plan.

"Caius isn't ready to for any big changes, my friend, and Odi wants things the way they were." Magnus explained. "We understand each other, don't we?"

Oh they understood alright! Odi was happy in the main - he still had his family. Bringing Caius into that was beyond weird for the kid, and he was apprehensive about how he would fit back into guard life, but on the whole, happy. Caius felt more secure. After Odi coping for a kicking off the back of his rumours, Caius assumed Magnus and Freyr were done with him. To find out they weren't had made him feel more certain of his place with them. He, too, was concerned with how to play things, though. Odi was a guard at the end of the day, Magnus and Freyr were coven masters, like Caius. How, then, was Caius supposed to play all the hidden relationship ties when they weren't in hiding? Looking to Odi, Caius could see the young guard was wondering the same as him.

"I should help Turk on the bar, my lord," Odi muttered, excusing himself.

Magnus gave him a nod to tell him he could leave, and Odi flashed to the bar to start serving drinks. It was already too late. Too many had heard Basileus had fed him, too many had seen him sitting with the elite, too many were thinking on the distinction Magnus had made about Odi.

"Oh thank fuck!" Caius had never been so pleased to see Aro arrive. He shot from his seat and joined his co-master the moment the guy came through the door.

"Still alive, then?" Aro noted, smirking. "We've all been wondering what Magnus had done to you?"

Caius made damn sure not to let Aro touch him as they spoke, so he couldn't access his thoughts. The coven king still wasn't privy to all the details of the mission. He knew that Caius had been on a drug binge and caused a stir between the guards, he knew he'd been slagging off Odi to all who'd listen, what he didn't know was _why_?

Caius explained it all away by blaming Henri and the dungeon blood. The only reason he had been out of coven life was because he'd been on a come down. Aro wasn't so sure, but Caius played convincing enough that he eventually stopped quizzing him. Seeing Dora arrive with Irina helped.

"She didn't even look at you," Aro whispered to his co-master when his mate stalked past him to the bar.

Caius' shoulders dropped. "She thinks I'm a risk," he explained. "The dungeon blood …"

He didn't have to explain any further to Aro as Aro knew well enough about the fights Caius had with his mate when he was tanked up - Aro had been in the same position as Caius on many an occasion due to the same drug.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Aro asked, seeing Caius unmoving. "You seem okay to me, you must be over the come down by now?"

Caius nodded. He was over the come down, but a million other things rattled through his brain ... all causing an equal instability in the man. "Magnus is going to talk to her for me," he said, as they both watched the juggernaut cross the room.

With Caius fixed on the conversation between his mate and the juggernaut, Aro drifted away. He wanted a good night getting wasted on Magnus' money. Caius looked a little too morose to join him and he wasn't having his buzz brought down. _It's a sad day in hell when Eleazar looks like the fun one,_ he thought, joining his elder brother.

Caius waited patiently for Magnus to work his magic. When the juggernaut strolled past, he gave Caius a wink to say job done and Caius immediately went to his mate. He moved the curls from the back of Dora's neck and bit down gently.

"Has Magnus talked to you?" he whispered into her ear.

"He has," Dora replied dreamily. "Magnus thinks you are safe to have home."

"I was never a risk," Caius insisted. "But yes, I'm safe. Will you have me back?"

"I suppose I have missed you a little," Dora replied, turning in Caius' arms to face him. "But I'm not leaving early." She knew what Caius wanted. She quite fancied a decent fuck, too, but she wasn't ending the party early for it. Their first New Year celebration, the first one at which she had friends to call her own, the first event she had ever looked forward to - Dora was staying for the whole night.

"I can show you a better time," Caius tried, bless him. "Would you really rather hang out with Irina and Carlisle than me?!"

"Felix and Renata, too," Dora added. "The 'Inbetweeners' have formed a friendship."

Caius' face fell.

Dora disentangled herself from his arms. "Go and drink with Aro, as you usually do at these events, and I will see you at home." She didn't wait for Caius to respond before re-joining her friends.

Caius dropped himself into the free chair at the elite table with a thud. "Dora would rather spend the night with the other inbetweeners than come home with me."

"Inbetweeners?!" Aro repeated. "Who the hell are the inbetweeners?"

"The lost souls in the coven, apparently." Caius gestured to the bar where Dora stood, laughing, joking, having a grand old time with Carlisle, Renata, Irina and Felix. In the few minutes since Caius had left his mate to her so-called friends, somehow Odi had managed to join the group.

"I don't like the look of that."

Aro didn't really have an opinion on guard friendships, even if those friendships were outside of the guard. He didn't, however, like the idea of those particular coven members hanging around together.

Dora had apparently softened a lot over the last few years, according to Atia. Aro hadn't spent enough time with the woman to see any proof of such claims, so Dora was a cause for concern. Carlisle floated around the coven looking for something to do - on a good day that was good things, helping out Marcus in teaching and the like. On not so good days, his boredom frustrated him to the point of self-destruction. It was no secret Renata was desperate for a mate - Aro couldn't see what Carlisle could offer a woman with her tastes, _but any port in a storm … maybe,_ he thought. And then there was his own son - Felix could cause trouble in an empty room. Odi was only marginally better, that margin, for Aro, was that Magnus had always dealt with his son's fuck ups, so he wasn't Aro's problem. Seeing them all stood together, Aro could see that might change.

"Can you do something about it, then?" Caius asked, pulling Aro from his thoughts.

"Only as much as you can," Aro shrugged. He could pull Felix out of the group, he supposed, but even Aro wouldn't do that without just cause. Beyond Felix, he had no call to disband the little pack based on simply feeling uncomfortable about them being together. "See how they get on," Aro suggested. "We'll keep an eye on them all."

Between the combined efforts of Caius, Dora, Odi, and the guard, not to mention Christmas, Magnus and Freyr hadn't managed to reconnect since he'd returned from the mission. They slipped out of the New Year party soon after midnight to spend some time _alone._

Just as Magnus was getting into his stride, Freyr called out, "Stop! Stop!"

"Now?!" Magnus asked. "I can't stop now!"

He tried to keep hold of his mate but Freyr was already off the bed and wrapping herself in the bed sheet. "The door!" she hissed at him.

 _The door?!_ Magnus hadn't heard the door. He was close to hearing angels, not doors! "Forget the door," he said making one last grab for Freyr.

She evaded capture and sped out the bedchamber. "It could be Odi," she called over her shoulder, leaving Magnus to suffer his frustrations a little longer.

"If it is I'm putting the little sod up for adoption!" he called after her.

Magnus threw himself back on the bed, narrowly missing his head on the wooden headboard, and waited for Freyr to return. He considered sorting himself out, but he'd been doing that since March. _Is it too much to ask to have one night with my wife?!_ Drumming his fingers on the bed, his annoyance grew as the time passed. Before too long, his erection withdrew, and he gave up waiting. Pulling on a pair of britches, which he held at the waist rather than doing the fastening, Magnus schlepped out to his living chamber.

It wasn't Odi who had disturbed them, it was Caius. Magnus still considered his adoption idea.

"Whats up with his face?" he asked Freyr, fixing himself a bloodwine.

"It's like a tavern for the clueless down there," Caius grunted from his seat, going on about the state of his chambers.

"Dora is throwing an after party for her new friends," Freyr explained.

"Sounds fun to me," Magnus said encouragingly. "Why don't you go and join in."

It was less of a friendly suggestion and more of a distressed plea. Freyr rolled her eyes and laughed at her mate's clear desperation.

"I have been, it's not fun. Not fun at all." Caius accepted the bloodwine Freyr offered him and looked set for staying in Magnus' chambers. "I felt like the babysitter."

"Still, it might be worth you persevering." Magnus took the barely sipped at cup from Caius and pulled the man to stand.

"If I stay down there I'm going to end up punching Odi in the face." Caius snatched his goblet back. "He's wrecked, he's _talking_."

"Who else is there?" Freyr asked, hoping Odi wasn't speaking out of turn in front of too many people, or at least, the wrong people.

"Dora, Irina, Renata, Carlisle, and Odi," Caius rattled off. "Can't you tell them they are disturbing you or something?!"

"They aren't the ones who disturbed us." Magnus scoffed looking back to Freyr.

Freyr tutted back at him. "Love, you sound desperate, it isn't a turn on."

"We haven't been _alone_ since March - I am desperate!"

"Nice," Caius sneered. "If I throw up this bloodwine you can clean it up."

"It's your apartment," Caius," Magnus said, pulling him towards the door. "If you don't want them there, throw them out."

"They are Dora's chambers, too, love," Freyr pointed out. "He can't just throw out her friends."

"Well I have even less right to throw them out, so I guess the party continues." Magnus thought he had won with that one. "Go and join in," he told Caius. "You've had tonnes of parties that Dora's had to suck up and join in with, time to repay the favour."

"Have you tried talking to Dora?"

Magnus threw his mate an incredulous look for continuing the conversation when he had Caius half way out the door. _Freyr! For the love of the gods woman!_

"Of course I have." Caius ran through the brief conversation he'd managed to have with his mate without Irina standing between them.

"Why do you need these hangers on now I'm home?!" Caius had asked rather forcefully. "You're supposed to want to be with me, not them!"

The pair of them were in his bedroom for the smidge of privacy it offered, but they had to keep their voices low if they weren't to be heard by the hopeless crew out in the living chamber.

"I gave up on you," Dora told him plainly. "Not because I don't love you, but because I've been exhausted by you."

"But I've changed now!" Caius insisted.

"You've been taking dungeon blood for the last nine months because you can't control your jealously, Caius!" Dora reminded him. "Whats changed?!"

"I know how it looks to you, but …"

"But what?!" Dora spat. She'd had her absolute fill of Caius and his broken promises. "You've done exactly what you always do - fucked up. The only difference this time is that I'm not suffering the aftermath."

Caius booted the bedchamber door, sure that Dora's inbetweener mates were listening. "There will be no fucking 'aftermath'," he raged, very much like a man still in a dungeon blood aftermath, ironically.

"I making sure of it," Dora told him, swinging the damaged door open to re-join her friends where she felt safe from Caius' mood swings.

"There you go," Magnus said, sounding hopeful after Caius' short retelling. "Simple. Prove there will be no aftermath by going down there and being social with Dora and her friends." He led Caius to the door, opened it and pushed him outside, taking the goblet once more. "Go on," he said, encouraging Caius to go back downstairs.

Freyr was pulling a face when Magnus turned around and flashed an excited smile at her. "I'm not sure that was a good idea, love."

"I'll go down in an hour and check on them," Magnus said, pulling his mate along to their bedroom.

"An hour?!" Freyr burst out laughing at the idea that Magnus could last an hour! "In my dreams, maybe."

Twenty-two minutes later, because they did it twice, Magnus strolled into the ground floor suite much more relaxed.

"Shush!" Caius hissed, rushing to the door. "They're sleeping."

Magnus shoved Caius aside and rushed to the other vampires in the room - all passed out in various states of disarray. "What have you done?!" he growled at Caius. Checking the bodies over, he couldn't see any damage. "Well you haven't hit them, so how have you … have you spiked them with dungeon blood?"

Caius couldn't hide the amusement from his face. "None of them are used to it, so it only took a couple of shots to knock them out," he said, tittering over his own genius.

Magnus wasn't sure how he felt seeing the five of them all splayed out unconscious.

"They don't even know they drank it, they will think they were just pissed," Caius insisted. "No harm done."

Magnus pointed out Irina lying on top of Carlisle, both sleeping soundly on the sofa. "Have you arranged them like this?"

"They fell where they fell," Caius shrugged. "Nothing to do with me."

Magnus started looking around for the bottle of dungeon blood. Caius still kept a bottle in his chambers, as all the masters did, but Magnus made sure to keep one eye on the level. He wanted to know what that level was now Caius had drugged up the party revellers. He didn't have to ask. Caius set the bottle on the table top and tutted at Magnus when he had the temerity to ask whether he'd drank any himself.

"I'm not stupid," he said.

"Maybe not completely," Magnus agreed. He could tell Caius was being truthful, though. Getting a good eye on the remainder of the bottle's content, Magnus set the tar back down and collected the pack of cards that lay abandoned on the table. "Let's play," he suggested, heading for the window seat. The moonlight would be enough for a pair of vampires to read the cards, there was no need to disturb the sleepers.

"You're staying?" Caius asked. He hadn't expected him to, but though Caius wouldn't say it, he really wanted to spend some time with Magnus. His head still wasn't level, neither were his emotions - Magnus could help with both of those things.

"Until they come around, yes."

Magnus would rather have spent the rest of the night with Freyr, but he knew Caius needed him. He also wanted to be there when the party goers woke up - he didn't want Basileus hearing of Caius drugging coven members, particularly not Carlisle and Irina. Hoping they would all, as Caius said, think they were only drunk, Magnus settled in for the night.

It took some hours for the revellers to start coming around. Carlisle stirred first, disturbing Irina who lay out on top of him.

"Oh fuck, my head!" she whined, wrapping her hands in her hair and rubbing at her scalp.

Hearing Irina speak and sounding so very close, Carlisle's eyes opened with a start. "What the hell happened last night?!" he asked. _Oh no!_ "Did we …?"

Irina climbed off the Volturi prince unsteadily. "I don't think so," she said, sounding uncertain.

"Oh thank God!" Uncertain or not, Carlisle had no memory of fucking the Denali girl, so if Irina said they didn't, that was enough for him. "My brother would slaughter me."

Renata sat up on the floor, shaking Odi to do the same. Dora was already awake, although the way she slumped in her chair, no one would know it.

"What time is it?" Renata asked, looking around for a clock.

"About eight in the morning."

Carlisle stood so fast he knocked Irina off the spot, Dora's head bounced up, and Renata was damn near sick. It's safe to say, hearing Magnus' voice had not been expected.

"Master, I, erm …" Renata really didn't know what to say.

Waking up from a drink (she presumed) induced coma in a master's chambers … well, it's not a normal circumstance for a Volturi guard and Renata wasn't sure what would happen. Magnus wasn't sure, either, for that matter. They didn't have a precedent for dealing with such circumstance. In theory, that meant Magnus could handle it how he liked – he chose 'dismissal and ignore'. He left his cards on the table and folded his hands behind his head, striking a confidently imposing figure and glared daggers at those in the room. Everyone shrank back from his gaze.

"Good day to you, my dear," he eventually said to Renata.

"Yes," Renata started backing out of the room, not quite believing her luck. "Good day, master."

Odi heaved himself up and went to follow. "I'll come with you …"

Magnus soon put rest to that idea. "Like hell you will," he told his boy. Odi didn't argue. He might have done privately, but not with an audience.

Irina scoffed. She had feared reprisal at first, but seeing Renata sent out without further word she found a new sense of confidence _. If Magnus isn't doing anything, no one else will._ Irina had already worked out who to watch in the coven. So far there were only three people on that list - Atia, Freyr, and Magnus. Everyone else, even the creator, and especially Eleazar, seemed almost scared of facing off with her. Irina made her way to the bloodwine barrel and found a cup.

"Bar's closed, Irina," Magnus boomed. He was so loud the girl dropped the cup in surprise.

Quickly recovering and deciding not to push Magnus into any undue action, Irina turned to Dora, her host. "Great party, Dora!" she enthused. "Great!"

With that she left in an air of light laughter, without a second glance to anyone else.

Magnus turned on Basileus' boy next. "Anything to say, Carlisle?"

Carlisle gulped. He felt nauseated. It was the dungeon blood's doing, but not knowing he'd drank any, he put the feeling down to being confronted by Magnus. "Nothing worth hearing, Magnus." He looked sheepishly over to Caius, knowing he'd been one of the rowdier members of the party the night before. "Sorry, for … you know."

Caius tutted and looked away. He wouldn't dignify Carlisle with eye contact, let alone words. Carlisle took that as his cue to flee, and so he did.

That left three. Magnus knew Caius would set in on Odi if he gave him chance, so he made sure to get in there first.

"Odi, if you cannot be trusted to hold your tongue when you are drunk, you won't be allowed to drink," he told his son.

From the corner of his eye, Odi could see Caius smirking wildly at him. It annoyed him just enough for the young guard to have a burst of pride and he started muttering about unfairness and his rights.

"Knock it off!" Magnus roared, closing the gap between them in an instant. He pulled Odi in by his shirt collar and lifted the boy's chin, so they were eye to eye. "I'm not going to say anything else about this, but I can think of a few things you want me to keep private, so in return you will keep details about Caius private."

Odi relented. "Yes, sir," he whispered.

Magnus released the boy but Odi waited until he was given the nod before flashing from the ground floor suit.

Dora felt the juggernaut's eye turn on her and fidgeted in her seat. "It was one party …"

"You can have parties, Dora." Magnus offered his hand to help her stand. He could see she was a little worse for wear. "But," he said gently, "perhaps it would be better to agree on those parties before they happen."

"He would never agree." Dora's eyes darted across to Caius. "He doesn't want me to have friends. That's not how we work. I'm supposed to be here, available to him when he wants me, and he goes off and does whatever he likes."

"That's not true!" Caius snapped in self-defence.

"It is true," Magnus told him categorically. In fact, it was so true, it had been the main topic of their conversation whilst they were waiting for the party goers to come around from the dungeon blood. "Your mate deserves a life, too," he added, not for the first time.

Caius' eyes narrowed and he his jaw clenched. "Shacking up with the hopeless is getting a life, is it?"

"They are better than the alternative," Dora replied. "It's the best I can do without leaving the coven."

 _Leaving the coven?!_ Caius repeated to himself. _Why would we leave the coven?!_ Of course, Dora wasn't talking about 'we' going anywhere, but Caius had missed that vital distinction.

"I went on a mission, love," he replied. "But I'm home now, we can do things together."

Dora looked askance to her mate. "You don't want to do things with me! You left me at Aro's on Christmas day, Caius. I didn't even want to go there, you promised to stay with me, you bailed!"

Caius tutted, still missing his mate's state of mind. "I had to bail on the party, Dora …" he drawled, as though it were meaningless incident.

 _You self-centred idiot!_ With fists clenched at her side, Dora roared, "You bailed on ME!"

"Enough," Magnus called out, getting between the two. "Enough."

Dora was angry, but more than that, she was upset. Irina had been in her ear since Caius had gone on the French mission. The Denali girl had highlighted to Dora just how fucked up her relationship with Caius really was. How much more she deserved. Irina hadn't said anything out of turn, she'd simply played to Dora's greatest fears - that Caius really didn't care about her at all.

Caius had unknowingly played into Irina's hands drinking dungeon blood for the last nine months and returning in a ball of bitter fire. Add to that, Dora was actually having fun in the coven for the first time in forever. And that fun didn't include Caius, more than that - life could be more enjoyable without him in the picture.

It was normal for Dora to retire to her bedchamber when there was trouble with her and Caius. Any disagreement and she would hide. So it came as a shock to Caius to see his mate stand tall, collect her cloak, and head out of the door.

Caius tried to follow but Magnus blocked his path. "That woman has put up with an extreme amount of stress from you, Caius." He didn't want to scare Caius and tell him what Dora was feeling, but he knew Dora felt detached from her mate, cold towards him even. She still loved him, Magnus could feel that, but her desperate need to be with him seemed to have lessened a great degree. "This is the first time in her life that Dora has some friends of her own. I'm not saying I think they are the wisest choices for playmates, but with the way you have been recently, I think it's better for her to have them than have no one."

That didn't make sense to Caius. "She has me …"

"Not really," Magnus told him carefully.

Caius didn't argue, but his furrowed brow told Magnus he'd need to explain in more depth.

"You were on a mission for nine months, you got back still in the midst of a comedown from the very drug that has nearly destroyed your marriage. And despite what you think, your head, your emotions … you're unstable."

"But I'm changing now," Caius said. He sounded like a child begging for help.

Magnus wrapped his arm around the younger master. "I know you are, but so is Dora. She can't rely on you right now, Caius, that's why she needs other people."

He heaved a heavy sigh as he absorbed Caius' emotions which had just found new reason to spike in every direction. _You both need other people,_ Magnus said to himself, wondering if he was strong enough to get the volatile pair through the storm in their relationship.


	142. 1689, February - Volatile Valentines

**AN:** Oh my god I'm so frikkin excited! I've only just noticed that we're in a community thing! One for long stories! Granted, all it proves at this point is that we've rambled on for a lot of words… but… I. Am. Stoked! How can we get in more of those things?

Sooo, new chapter set! We're going to dive into coven life at each of the coven events to see how our vampires are getting on…

* * *

 **1689, February - Volatile Valentines**

"What do you mean you aren't fucking coming?!" _Last straw, love!_

Caius had suffered his mate's desires for an independent life for two months and he had already reached peak annoyance on the matter. Putting up with Irina in his quarters on a damn near daily basis was regularly driving him out of his home. He'd end up in the guard hall, drinking his stresses away, or in the dungeon with the ever-present desire to consume dungeon blood again.

Truthfully, he had indulged a few times. Nothing too heavy, just the odd shot here and there to take the edge of his stress. Of course the dungeon blood had only alleviated his stress for a short time, and then a new stress started - would anyone find out? Although, even if someone did, even if the whole coven did, it shouldn't have mattered ... in Caius' mind. By only taking the odd shot he had proved he wasn't an addict like Aro. He could take the drug or leave the drug. And anyway, it had no effect on his personality anymore. Did it?

"Yes, you fucking are!"

Okay, so the odd shot here and there may have added a little to his response to feeling anger in high stress situations. But arguing with your wife is stress inducing - that wasn't down to the dungeon blood, it was down to Dora being an unbelievable twat and refusing to attend the Valentine's Ball.

Though her insides twisted in the face of Caius' clear rage, Dora remained as passive as possible, tending her nails to avoid looking at the man. "I have plans already," she breezed.

"Plans?! PLANS?!" Caius lobbed his cup of bloodwine to the wall, wishing he'd aimed it at Dora's head. "It's the Valentine's Ball - I can't NOT go. I can't GO alone."

Dora kept her cool, though it was difficult. She was so used to cowering from his moods, or worse, fighting him through them (which always ended disastrously for her). Being disengaged had been Irina's suggestion and it was working wonders for the woman.

"I don't like the ball, I don't want to go," she explained simply, still avoiding his eye, and therefore his conflict.

The unusual reaction from his mate stopped Caius in his tracks. It wasn't enough to end his annoyance, but it certainly took the wind out of his sails. He went from 'smash stuff up rage' to snide sarcasm, which under the circumstances, was an improvement.

"Same here, sweetheart," he sneered. "But it's non-negotiable."

Through the corner of her eye, Dora observed her husband. Caius had calmed considerably in the face of her nonchalance. It was enough for Dora to try to push him a little in a direction she would prefer.

"Actually, it is." Making her way slowly to Caius, she stopped just out of arm's reach, for safety, and continued, "Stay here with me ... come to my party instead."

Caius exploded, but Dora stayed where she was. "Are you fucking deranged or something?!" he raged. "You are coming to the Valentine's ball whether you want to or not."

 _Self-aggrandising prick. You don't have that power over me._ "Why should I?" she asked. "It will be full of your friends, none of whom talk to me - why should I go?"

Caius wasn't entirely sure what her game was. _Are you trying to goad me into hitting you so you can't go to the ball, or are you seriously questioning why you have to attend?_ Oh how badly he wanted to plant his fist in her face, just to test his hypothesis - he was a man of science after all - but he resisted the temptation. His resistance wasn't so much for Dora - he wanted to save himself the aggravation with Magnus for battering his mate more than he wanted to save his mate from said battering.

Drawing on the reserves of his patience, he explained through gritted teeth, "Because I am your husband and you should support me."

"Oh!" Dora exclaimed, with added sarcastic laughter for full effect. "Of course, how silly of me." From her tone it was clear Dora felt herself anything but 'silly'. "I tell you what, love, I'll support you when you support me."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"How many times have you socialised with my friends? How many times have you supported me in my friendships? Have you even had a conversation with any of them?!" Dora left Caius floundering for just long enough to prove her point. "The answer is no. So fuck you and fuck your friends."

He shoved her back to the wall with a heavy thud and held her there with one hand by the throat. The other raised in a fist at the side of his head and thrust with all his might. It didn't land on Dora, though. He purposely missed, smashing his knuckles into the wall with such force that not only did the stonework crack beneath the lime plaster, but his hand broke, too.

Blood dripped to the floor, splashing on the marble as he glared at his mate with jet black eyes. Caius assumed the threat would be enough, that she would give in to his whims, perhaps even that she would be appreciative of his self-restraint, as he saw it. But Dora saw something else.

 _You couldn't do it!_

Whether it was because of the omnipresent threat from the coven masters living above them, or maybe, just maybe, because somehow Caius had actually changed deep inside, all Dora saw was that he couldn't do it. As one hand levelled towards her face, the other had made sure to pull her clear of its path.

Since the return from the French mission two months before, Dora had been convinced, with a little help from Irina, that Caius was essentially beyond repair. The constant arguments whenever they were together since then had proved she was right. But right then, when he had every chance to hurt her, he'd chosen not to.

It may seem odd to see not being punched in the face by your husband as a defining positive moment, especially when still gripped tightly about the throat, but Caius and Dora had a bizarre relationship and it had always been a violent one. Everything they did was based on violence. Some of that violence was even desired, when controlled and reciprocal. Caius never showed restraint when angry, he wasn't capable of it … _but, you couldn't do it …_

"This is getting past a joke now, you selfish bitch!" Caius released his hold of her entirely to nurse his own busted hand. The bones might as well have been extracted for all the good they were doing. _How the fuck am I going to hide this tonight?!_  
"If you don't want to be married to me anymore you can fuck off and find yourself somewhere else to live. Find some other sap to fund your life. Find some other … DORA!"

Half wondering if their relationship could be saved, half bored of Caius' wittering, Dora drifted passed her mate to the bathroom, ignoring him. "You're being hysterical, I'm not listening to your whinging."

"I'm serious!" Caius bellowed out behind her, hot on her heels, thoroughly frustrated.

"This place is as much mine as yours," Dora called out. "I'm not going anywhere, if you aren't happy, you know where the door is."

"I work here," Caius said. "You're a freeloader."

"That's not how this coven works, Caius." Sifting through the cupboard, she found some older towels. When she passed Caius on her way back to the main living chamber, she added, "How do you not realise that after all these years?"

Caius caught her wrist before she could pass entirely. "Just come with me, please."

His tone wasn't quite pleading, but it was close. It took every ounce of resolve for Dora to stay on course.

"No, thank you, love," she replied. "As I said, I already have plans."

 _Irina! Fucking Irina!_ "You're more interested in hanging out with that harlot than you are in spending time with me!"

"What if I am?" Dora asked, shaking herself free and taking off again.

She dumped one towel on the floor to mop up Caius' blood, the other she used to work the crimson marks from the wall. Not that it helped much - the plaster crumbled to her touch, such was the damage, and the stonework behind had depressed somewhat.

"I have a friend, one of my own, for the first time in years, in centuries, in forever! Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"Because she's coming between us," Caius ground out. _Obviously!_

Dora stopped dead in her cleaning efforts to turn a bemused smile to Caius. "It's funny how you never stopped to wonder if Aro was coming between us when you palled up with him."

"Different, love," he said, though Caius failed to offer any example as to how or why.

"You and Aro have been happy playing toy soldiers since you met, and you never once looked over your shoulder to see if I was alright on my own." Leaving the wall, because she was only managing to move the blood around, Dora took the final towel and started to wrap it around Caius' broken hand. "You may not like being treated to your own medicine but make no mistake, that's exactly what you're swallowing."

Caius winced as his mate tended his broken bones and split knuckles, but the pain in his heart was greater. From Caius' his point of view, he had really tried to overturn everything about himself that Dora complained of. He wasn't _as_ violent, he wasn't drinking _as much_ , he wasn't on dungeon blood, _as often_. He even wanted to be home more, though Irina put an end to that good intention.

"Can't we just forgive and forget?" he asked, sounding quite pitiful.

So pitiful, in fact, that Dora's resolve broke for a moment, just long enough for her to take his face in her hands and kiss him deeply. But then it was back.

Pulling away, she said, "I am more inclined to recover and remember."

With that, she left him to prepare for her party, leaving Caius a busted hand to repair alone.

...

"Dora?" Freyr called out, searching through the ground floor suite. She found the woman in her bed chamber, searching through her dresses for something to wear. "Your party has been cancelled, my dear."

"What?!" Dora spun on her heel to face the shield maiden. "Why?!"

"Irina has to stay home with Kate and Tanya tonight, Carlisle is babysitting for his brother, Odi and Renata have agreed to serve wine to the guests at the ball."

"Caius, you really are pathetic!" Dora stomped to her bed and threw herself down.

"No, my dear one," Freyr said gently, sitting down next to her. "Caius had to explain about your argument before I would bandage his hand."

Dora smirked at that, knowing Caius would have been a nervous wreck in the face of Freyr's questioning. It helped to ease her frustrations.

"I have arranged it so you can attend the ball without losing face to either Caius or your friends," Freyr continued. "You must attend, Dora," she stressed when the young woman huffed indignantly. "These events are for the coven and the coven elite must be there, without exception. The creator will have your group of inbetweeners disbanded if he thinks your alliances are disturbing peace in his coven."

It took a few minutes contemplation, but Dora slowly rose to a seated position and nodded. "Fine," she said. She wasn't happy about the interference, but she didn't want to risk losing her new friendship group for the sake of one ball.

Freyr closed her eyes for a moment, thanking the gods for another disaster averted before moving the conversation on. "Dora, Caius loves you very much and he misses you terribly. You can make room for your new life without completely casting aside your old life."

"I'm not so sure I still want my old life at all."

 _Yes,_ Freyr thought. _I can see that well enough. But who's leading your thoughts, my dear one?_ She didn't bring up Irina's poisonous influence, because it had done her little good in their previous conversations on the matter. "Caius has made great efforts to change, to become the man you said you wanted him to be," she explained. "Can you see that?"

Dora nodded, but she looked unsure to Freyr. Irina's arrival had shown just how easily influenced Dora could be. Freyr really didn't like that - she knew Irina would only be influencing Dora for her own selfish means. Equally, if Dora really was questioning her marriage, Freyr wanted to be there to support her. That was her job, her responsibility, in her mind. _Still,_ she thought. _It doesn't hurt to be reminded of what you are giving up._

"All marriages go through peaks and troughs, my dear one. Don't be so quick to throw away all you have built because some transient interest has come along."

When Dora nodded to Freyr, she looked to genuinely be in agreement, which relieved the shield maiden somewhat.

...

The mated couples gathered in the great hall in all their finery. It wasn't long before Heidi led in the human guests, who would, of course, become the main meal.

"Good catch," Caius congratulated seeing the plentiful feast Heidi had provided for the evening.

Heidi couldn't hide the smile she had for the coven master.

"Why is she looking at you like that?" Dora hissed, flicking out her hand at her Caius.

She caught his bandaged, broken fingers and he winced. "Am I no longer worth looking at to you?" he asked through a grimace. _I should have punched you, it would have hurt me less!_

Dora scowled. "So will Heidi be my replacement?"

 _I'm not the one wishing to replace my mate._ Caius couldn't say that aloud, he worried she would confirm it. Instead, he went with, "You're not the only one considering your options, love."

She scoffed at that before an Irina-esque sarcastic chuckle escaped her lips. "Do you really think anyone else would put up with the things I have?"

"They won't have to, I've changed." Caius caught the nod from Aro to tell him to get the thrones for the address to formally begin the ball. "Shame you can't see it," he added, before he left her.

"I can," she said quietly after him.

Once the address had been taken care of and the revellers had descended into merry chatter and dancing, the elite gathered on the throne floor, Dora included, though she would rather have been anywhere else. At the bar, perhaps, with Odi and Turk. Serving drinks with Corin and Renata looked more fun than she was having. In fact, the more Dora watched them, the more she wished she could join them. The ease she had become accustomed to with her new friends, the inbetweeners, had revitalised her life. But here she was, stuck with the stuffy and egotistical elite of the Volturi where she just didn't belong.

"So, are you going to tell us about your injury, Caius?" Basileus asked, eyeing the young master carefully and gesturing to his broken hand.

"I'm sure you can take the details from my head, my lord," Caius replied tersely, feeling desperately uncomfortable in the spotlight.

Caius' answer did not help his position in the slightest. If anything, it drew more attention ... not less. They all looked to him, aghast for such impudence - Basileus and Atia, Magnus and Freyr, Aro and Sulpicia, Eleazar, even Dora was surprised!

Realising his error, Caius amended his statement quickly. "I apologise, my lord." He waved his bandaged appendage in the air. "The pain must be getting to me."

Basileus nodded curtly, but he wasn't impressed.

Magnus slid over to Caius and whispered, "Mouthing off like that will only see you suffering more pain, understood?"

Caius rolled his eyes, but he smiled and made the right noises. He was glad of Carmen's return to deflect some attention.

Eleazar offered his mate a glass of wine. He tried to appear attentive – Atia had been displeased he hadn't accompanied Camren to sort whatever disaster Kate had come complaining about.

"Is the tower still standing?" he asked.

"Just about," Carmen replied. Despite her radiant vampiric features, she looked tired. Splitting up fights between their warring wards was taking its toll on the woman. "We need to rethink our babysitter, too," she added with a shudder, and downed her cup in a most unlady like fashion.

"All those girls do is argue," Eleazar explained, as though it needed any explanation. "It's incessant!"

"Kate's great," Carmen offered quickly.

She really was doing her best not to complain too much to in Eleazar's presence about the Denali girls. Even with their faults, she wanted to keep them, though she knew Eleazar would happily dump them on the next coven that wandered through Volterra.

"Nice and quiet," Eleazar agreed. It was the quiet part he liked most about that girl.

"Tanya has a little more spirit, but she's good on the whole," Atia added, smiling encouragingly to her son, knowing Carmen's fears and joining her cause.

"But Irina?" Aro asked. Neither his brother or sister-in-law could possibly have anything positive to say about the eldest Denali sister, nor anyone else who'd met her, for that matter.

"Complete bitch."

Whilst the rest of the group laughed, Atia's eyes bulged. "Eleazar!" she hissed, smacking his arm to display her displeasure.

"She is, mom," he replied joining in the laughter. "We all know she is."

"Do we?" Dora asked.

As the lone voice, Dora's words had particular impact. The look on her face added to that impact, somewhat.

"Regardless of what we know," Atia said, quickly adding, "or otherwise," with a kind eye on Dora, "it is not a helpful thing to express."

"I tell you what would be helpful," Aro interjected. "A slap."

More laughter ensued from the group whilst Dora looked between them wondering who they were. _You're talking about my friend, you morons!_ Basileus and Atia's eyes flashed to one another briefly and Dora was sure they had heard her thoughts, not that she cared.

Aro hadn't heard, as he had no contact with the woman, so he carried on. "If Irina was one of mine …"

Eleazar wasn't having that. "You would treat her like you do Jane and look the other way."

"If Jane behaved the way Irina does, she'd have had more than a slap by now." Aro waited for his brother to attempt to refute his claims, when Eleazar merely huffed, he added a triumphant, "And you know it."

"I'm not comfortable with it," Eleazar admitted, shifting uncomfortably on the spot. Doubly so when he saw so many of the elite rolling their eyes at his words.

Basileus slapped a hand down on his son's shoulder. "You had better get comfortable with it, son."

Atia and Freyr simply guffawed back at the creator. "You are not one to talk, my dear," Atia told her mate, shaking her head.

When Basileus started blowing hot air in regard to how he would deal with Irina's bitchiness, Dora switched off. For one, she had it on good authority - that authority being Irina - that such talk was utter bullshit. For another, listening to a load of old men discussing how her best friend should be disciplined was downright uncomfortable. Looking around for distraction and drifting away a little in her step, she could see fifty or so humans, merrily dancing the night away unaware of their fate.

"Is it feeding time yet?" she asked, proving how little interest she had in the conversation going on around her.

"It's a little early," Freyr replied.

She hooked her arm through Dora's and pulled the younger woman in close to bring her back into the group. It was clear as day to anyone who could see them that Caius and Dora were having problems - Freyr did not want those rumours added to and Dora rejecting the other elite at that moment would certainly have done that.

"So much for Irina being capable of leading a coven with her sisters." Aro scoffed to himself remembering the young woman's fervent requests to leave Volterra and take her sisters with her. "Impossible," he said. "She can't even sit with them for an evening."

"I'm starting to think I'll be stuck with them forever," Eleazar muttered darkly.

"If it helps, I'll be stuck with your brother forever," Basileus offered his son. "You should have heard Carlisle this morning!" Basileus launched into his best impression of his youngest son: "'We live in a disconnected reality. The human world is real. They don't even know we exist! I want to get out there, I want to see the world!'"

Atia turned to Freyr, knowing the shield maiden had been party to a similar conversation with Odi. "He lives in wonderland, that boy," Atia said of Carlisle.

Freyr agreed, looking over to Odi working on the bar, she said, "so does that one."

"He's another one that needs a good slap," Aro told his father with a big grin.

"You're just handing them out tonight, aren't you?" Basileus replied, though he had to agree.

Magnus, too, looked to his own son. Odi seemed to be drinking more than he was serving if his observations could be counted on. "At least Carlisle has some aspirations," he said. "All Odi wants to do is get drunk on my coin."

Dora watched for Freyr to object in some way. When nothing came, Dora felt the need to defend Odi. "You won't put him on your rotas, so he hardly has any earnings."

"I won't put him on the rotas because he won't work!" Freyr tutted into the air. "Odi goes on and on about wanting to be like the other guards, but if we try and treat him that way, he complains."

"Let me guess, Aro," Magnus said turning on the coven king. "He needs a slap?"

"Desperate for one," Aro chuckled in return.

Dora scowled her clear contempt.

With half the elite now surreptitiously watching Odi from the corner of their eye, it was obvious the boy was already quite merry as he joked about with the guests he was supposed to be serving.

"He's doing okay on the bar with Turk, isn't he?" Basileus asked. It was definitely a question looking for an answer.

"Aye," Magnus nodded. "Though the guard hall doesn't really need two bar hands. It's just a way to have him earning something." Before he'd finished speaking he noticed the face Freyr was throwing him. "What's that look for?"

"You gave him the job at the bar as a peace offering," she replied flatly.

Magnus huffed, but he couldn't deny it. "Odi's still pissy about me singling him out at Christmas. It's caused problems for him in the guard."

Caius had stayed quiet throughout the elite's conversation, his mind on other things, but Magnus felt the man's anxiety spike at the mention of their last Christmas. Fortunately for Caius, no one else seemed to notice.

"Not as popular as he once was?" Basileus asked, his brow furrowed as he watched Odi a little more closely. Other than Turk (his faithful best friend), Corin and Renata, the other guards were seemingly avoiding the boy.

"Not even close," Magnus replied, guilt seeping through his tone.

"Felix has the same complaint." Aro's free hand went to the back of his neck and he rubbed out the stress he felt caused by his eldest son's whining. "He's bugging me to bring new blood into the coven to expand his social circle. I think we can all guess what that means?"

 _More young vampires?!_ Caius thought, horrified. "Can't you push him towards the Denali girls?" he asked, followed by an 'oouf' noise as all the air in his lungs expelled with Eleazar's elbow ploughing into his stomach!

"My girls are not playthings for bored, horny boys!"

Carmen smiled to herself. That may have been the first time she'd heard Eleazar defend 'his girls' and it felt like a tiny breakthrough.

"I think Felix would prefer to have Corin back on side," Sulpicia explained, putting to rest any ideas that her son would be going after his uncle's wards.

"If I could get Corin back on side for him, I would," Aro told her. Only Magnus felt the guilt behind Aro's words, though, naturally, he had no idea what caused Aro such feelings. "The tantrums that boy throws over his dwindling sex life!"

"I would have thought Demetri would be more bothered - we haven't had any newborns for a while." Caius could well remember the times he had found the boy scurrying about in his dungeons to achieve his sexual desires.

"He's still in Adrianna's good graces," Sulpicia explained. "Demetri doesn't know that we know, and Aro's been winding him up rotten over it all."

Magnus visibly shuddered. He and Freyr were perhaps the more prudish of the group. Prudish might be the wrong word, really, they simply felt sex was a private activity for mated adults only, which was somewhat prudish for most vampires. "I'm glad Odi was turned after the sex obsessed teenage stage. He's enough trouble without all that."

"So is Carlisle!" Basileus agreed. "But like Odi, he expects a level of freedom he simply isn't responsible enough to enjoy. They think they're men but act like boys."

"Carlisle is your fault, Dad," Aro told his father. "You baby him. You both do." Aro deftly avoided a slap from his mother for bringing her into it.

"Magnus expects far too much of Odi," Freyr said looking to her mate. "No babying at all."

"I expect him to be respectful and agreeable, love." Magnus replied. "Not too much, really, is it?"

A wry smile crossed Freyr's lips. "You should have learnt by now that it's more than he's capable of."

"I'll give you that," Magnus chuckled, offering his mate a kiss in congratulation.

"Odi can't be as much trouble as Felix," Sulpicia said, thinking to her earlier argument with her eldest child. "Odi's here serving drinks - if we asked Felix to do that all hell would break loose!"

"He isn't here of his own free will, Sully," Magnus explained. "It took some encouragement." With his hand laid pointedly on his belt buckle, the group understood how Magnus had encouraged Odi into working that evening.

Dora looked aghast as they all tittered and joked, some offering their own stories of recent 'encouragement' they'd given their 'children' - _my friends._ Dora tried to catch Caius' eye to tell him she needed to move on, they could have danced, or gone to the bar, or anything! But he was just as much embroiled in the conversation as the others. True, Caius didn't have children of his own, and he would hardly be offering up his own experiences, but laughing along to hearing Odi's recent 'encouragement', or Felix's or even the suggestions being offered to Eleazar to bring Irina into line - Caius was well up for that. Dora's irritation grew. _I can't take much more of this._

"It's about their development and when they were frozen," Atia explained. "Catching up to adulthood as a vampire is an eminently long process."

"These pair are a prime example," Freyr offered, pointing out Aro and Caius for good fun.

"Yes," Atia agreed. "But I'm sure they'll get there someday."

A wild shriek of pain broke through their conversation. Magnus was the first to see it's source.

"Dora!" His voice barked out.

He made a grab for Dora with one hand, and, dropping his glass to smash at the floor, pulled away the bloody human she held with the other.

"Seal the doors!" Basileus commanded, raising his voice to cut through the noise.

Humans scattered to the far corners of the rooms, men valiantly pushing their wives to imagined safely behind them.

"I couldn't resist any longer," Dora said, dabbing at the blood running down her chin. "Sorry," she added, dry tone and hair flick showing she was anything but.

Atia placed a hand on Magnus' arm to pull him back from following Dora to the bar. "I suggest we follow Athenodora's lead and indulge, my dear," she said. "There's little point crying over spilt milk … or blood."

Turk worked at refilling glasses at the bar. Now the humans were being drained they could serve bloodwine instead of wine, which the coven preferred. Renata and Corin had nothing to do until he had finished so they enjoyed the break with Odi, (who should have been helping Turk, really).

Afton came to collect a couple of drinks for him and Chelsea. He couldn't resist having a dig with Odi as he'd listened in on brief snippets of the elites' conversation. "Guess what I just heard about you?"

Odi barely looked up. The only time the guards spoke to him lately was when they wanted to test out a rumour they had heard. "You can stick a dick in your ear and fuck what you heard about me."

Afton stood back, smiling. "I might tell your old man you said that."

"Tell him what you like," Odi said, careful to only call Afton a prick in his thoughts.

"Do run along, Afton," Dora said, glaring daggers at the guard. "Before I tell your guard master that you are picking on his son. Magnus doesn't take kindly to bullying, and you should be especially careful after your performance at Christmas."

Afton swallowed his words as his mouth gaped open.

"Caius said you were crying in the dungeons when Magnus left you down there," she added, much to Odi's amusement.

Afton stalked away, thoroughly embarrassed. He wouldn't dare offer a retort to Caius' mate, even if he did think she was a bitch.

 _I bloody love you!_ Odi said to himself. Dora was proving to be a fantastic champion when occasion called for it. Which is why it unsettled the kid to see the his parents glaring daggers at her.

"They look seriously pissed with you, Dora," Odi noted seeing the scowls the elite were offering whilst they devoured their captive humans.

Dora looked back over her shoulder to assess the scorn for herself. Yes, Odi was bang on the nail - they were all looking to her with derision. _Pathetic!_ she thought.

"Shouldn't you be with them?" Renata asked. She passed Dora a glass of the now unwanted wine as she spoke, hoping the woman would stay with them for a while.

It had come as a surprise to Renata, who had only started hanging out with Dora out of boredom, to find that Caius' mate was actually a lot of fun. She was even nice - the most surprising thing of all! It was a shame that spending time with Dora seemed to come with the covet of spending time with Irina, but Renata would put up with that.

Dora knew she was supposed to be with the rest of the elite, but she couldn't stand anymore of their inane chatter. "Listening to those morons slagging off my friends isn't high on my agenda tonight."

"Be fair, Dora," Renata said quietly. "Everyone slags off Irina,"

"True." Dora knew that, and if it had just been Irina maybe she could have stomached the conversation for longer. "It's not just Irina tonight. Carlisle, Odi, Felix - all hot topics."

"Me?!" Odi burst. "What are they saying about me?"

"You don't want to know," Dora replied. If Odi knew his father was telling them all about his recent lashing, he would die of shame. Doubly so if he knew Afton had overheard some of it.

"I hate hearing the way they talk about Felix," Corin said sadly. "They make out like he's so immature, but I know another side to him … sorry ... I knew another side to him."

Dora's eyes flashed over to the young guard. "Do you miss him, Corin?"

"Felix was so much fun," she replied, wistful in thought for her long-gone relationship with the Volturi prince. "But I can't see a way back for us. He's moved on, I'm sure."

The cogs were working overtime in Dora's mind. After what she had heard about Felix from his family, the ridiculous overreactions of his father in response to the boy simply wanting something as normal as a sex life, Dora wanted to help the kid. "I'm having a party tonight, you should come."

Renata's ears perked up. "I thought your party had been cancelled?"

"The party to replace the Valentine Ball has been cancelled - no one said anything about the after party."

Corin wasn't a big drinker, never had been. She wasn't much of a partier, either. She was younger than many of the guards, but not immature. Corin paid attention to the rules and she was unsure how attending a party in a coven master's quarters could possibly be within those rules.

"She won't come," Odi explained, as if he were reading her mind. "Corin's not a rule breaker."

Corin looked shyly to Dora. What Odi said was true but she didn't want to offend Caius' mate. "I doubt I could afford to join in, my lady" she offered, hoping it would be a simple way to refuse. "But thank you for the offer."

"Don't worry about the cost," Renata told her. "We have a kitty. Put in what you can."

"Or don't put anything in," Dora tagged on quickly. "We have enough to go around." When that didn't seem to convince the girl, Dora pushed a little harder. "You won't be breaking any rules, Corin. And Felix will be there."

"Felix will be there?" Corin repeated, as though it were a ridiculous statement to utter. "Aro and Sulpicia have never liked him out after hours …"

Dora offered her a wink. "I'm sure I can arrange it." With that she left them before any more objections could be raised and sought out Aro in the crowd.

"Aro," she called gently to the coven king. Seeing the dark eyes he offered had Dora stumble for a moment in her quest before regaining her stride. "You know what you were saying earlier about Felix pining over Corin," she began. "How would you feel about helping them get back together?"

Corin watched on tenterhooks to see if Dora would be successful. _She won't,_ Corin thought, convinced Aro would never allow his son to a private after party just so they could rekindle their relationship. _No chance._ Her stomach lurched when Aro looked over to her with a quizzical expression. Soon enough, Dora returned.

"The after party is on," she whispered to the three waiting guards. "Odi, will you go and let Irina and Carlisle know. Bring Felix, Aro's okay'd it."

"Where are you going?" Odi called after her.

Dora chinked together the two glasses of bloodwine she had taken. "To convince Caius."

Dora's method of convincing her mate to agree to spending some time with her friends was offering sex. As it had been a while for the pair of them, with all their arguments, Caius was only too happy to oblige and cut out of the ball if some private time was on the table. They managed a full, frustration relieving round before Dora went in for the kill, using the 'after glow' to secure Caius' agreement to socialise with her friends in their own home. Of course he agreed. He would have agreed to anything she asked in that moment. He promised her the earth when it appeared she was willing to go again. He didn't get very far, however …

"Dora?!"

"Is that Irina?" Caius whispered, hoping the girl would bugger off if they stayed quiet. "I'm starting to think you are paying that girl to interrupt us."

"They're early!" Dora bounced off the bed and made quick work of redressing.

"You invited her?!" Caius shot out, making no move to redress himself.

Dora hooked one shoe on, and then the other. "You agreed to this, Caius."

"When?!"

"Just now," Dora replied, winking at him.

Realising he'd fallen into that oh-so-common trap women lay for their husbands, all he could think was, you conniving bitch. "Are you seriously leaving me like this?!" he asked, pointing out his rock-hard cock as though it were her responsibility to offer him resolution.

"No," Dora said, smiling. For a brief moment he thought he might at least be getting a quick blowjob or something. Caius realised he was wrong when Dora threw his shirt at him covering said appendage. "You're getting dressed and joining in."

"We could always come and join in with you, Caius?" Irina asked, opening the bedchamber door to get a good gawp at the goods. Odi stood behind, trying not to look below the waist.

Caius was a little drunk from the ball. _What the hell?_ he thought, whipping the shirt from his lap and offering himself up.

"Caius!" Dora hissed, ushering Irina out of the room. "Will you get dressed?!"

Caius caught the britches she threw in his general direction, but he wasn't happy. "So this is the kind of party where we need to be clothed?" With no response from Dora, he yelled out, "My parties are better than yours, love!"

Odi looked Caius up and down and his face broke into a playful grin. "I'll assume you're good with your hands."

"Cheeky brat!" Before Odi could leave, Caius called him back. "Odi, get in here. Shut the door."

"You're not my type, bro!"

Caius flashed to the door to close it for the kid, hoping no one had heard what Odi had called him. With a sharp slap to the back of the lad's head, he finally started to dress himself. "I know you've been drinking already …"

"I was serving, not drinking," Odi explained, as if one negated the other.

"Yeah," Caius drawled. _Dickhead._ "Like I said, I know you've been drinking. If you want to keep drinking, you need to keep your mouth shut."

"About what?" Odi asked, coy smile teasing his lips knowing exactly what Caius was talking about.

"I'm serious." Caius fixed the kid in his sights. "Call me 'bro' again and I'll make you my sister."

Odi backed up quick with a gulp, coving his crotch. "Okay, okay!"

Shirtless and shoeless, but decent, Caius pushed Odi out of the room and followed him, whispering a few more threats to seal the kid's silence.

"Erm …" Caius stalled in the doorway seeing Felix enter with Carlisle. "Does your old man know you're here?" he asked the boy. When Felix merely nodded with a goofy grin, Caius pushed, "There's no way Aro would let you out at this time of night."

Irina burst out laughing, keen to make the young prince feel as emasculated as possible, even if that hadn't been Caius' intention.

"Aro's pissed and horny," Felix replied, doing his level best to ignore the jibes coming from Irina. "He wanted me out of the way."

"Seriously, Felix?" Caius asked again. It was bad enough enduring a night with Dora's odd group of friends without copping for shit for it from Aro afterwards.

"Yes!" Felix snapped - he was more pissed off with Irina than Caius.

"And if I ask him he will say he knows you're here?"

"Caius, stop harassing him," Dora sang out, hooking one arm through her mate's and stroking his chest soothingly with her free hand. "I asked Aro if he could come, Aro agreed."

 _Shit, I can't drug them again if Felix is here! Aro wouldn't stand for that._ Caius pulled Dora to the edge of the room whilst cursing to himself. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

"You expect me to hang around with my best mate's son?" he hissed. _Surely you can see how ridiculous this is?!_

"I hung around with my best mate's parents for you," Dora hissed back, snagging her arm free. "I even had to swallow the shit they were saying about them!" she added in a louder voice.

"What were they saying?" Odi asked. He'd been wondering what Afton had planned to say to him earlier that night and now he was amongst friends, well, friends and Irina, he felt confident enough to find out.

"You really don't want to know," Dora told him, taking a seat.

"Oh, I think we do!" Felix boomed, quite unprepared for what Dora had been privy to.

Dora tried to be as gentle as possible, but with Odi and Felix both begging for the gossip she eventually buckled. "Put it this way," she said. "I know why you pair are standing up."

Odi felt like his insides had been pulled out through his throat.

Felix, however, perhaps more used to his father's attempts to publicly shame him, had much more to say. "He told you what?!" he roared. "That bastard! Well, now I feel less guilty about breaking into his happy stash." Felix dumped a cotton bag of hash on the table and pulled the pipe from his pocket. Then he remembered Caius was in the room. "Oh, erm …"

"Caius won't say anything," Dora said. She sounded confident before her guests, but Caius could hear the nerves in her tone.

 _Perfect! he thought._ He could throw them all out based on Felix stealing from his father and go back to fucking his mate in peace.

"Will you Caius?" Dora asked. She turned doleful but hopeful eyes on him, and, in a rare twist of fate, Caius faltered.

Their relationship was on the rocks, he could feel it, though neither had said it yet. Freyr had been very clear whilst she bandaged his hand that afternoon that he had to support Dora in her friendships if he expected her to support him in his. _Shit._

"Apparently not."

A cheer went up in the room and the after-party revellers started fixing their drinks, lighting their pipes, and arranging themselves in the room to suit themselves.

Caius drew himself a hefty goblet of bloodwine from the barrel, keeping his back to the room. "You could have at least invited Heidi for me," he called over his shoulder.

"She's too old," Odi called back.

Caius glowered at the kid. "She's the same age as I am."

"She's too old," Odi said again, smirking wildly.

Caius wrapped a hand around the back of his neck hearing someone - Irina he assumed - shrieking their laughter behind him. _Yup, he thought. Too old for this shit._

"What else did Magnus say about me?" Odi eventually asked, his curiosity overtaking his shame.

Dora grimaced. That face spoke a thousand words and suddenly Odi's shame shot right back up.

"Forget it," he said quickly. "I don't want to know. Bastard."

Irina, only too quick to helpfully guess at what Magnus might have said, started laying out the scene for her own amusement. She might have got away with it had she stuck to Odi. Even if she'd stuck to Felix and Carlisle. But, stupidly, she brought Caius into the mix.

"How does Magnus deal with you, Caius?" she asked, sickly sweet all innocent and light. "We all heard at Christmas that Magnus takes you to task."

Odi's drink caught in his throat and he inched away from Caius, knowing he would blow.

"You think you heard what?!" Caius roared. "Are you fucking insane?!"

"Irina, you are mistaken," Odi said quickly, backing him up. "My dad deals with me, sure, but Caius is his co-master."

Caius was so surprised that Odi came to his defence that his rage faltered again that evening. Briefly, he loved the kid.

Renata didn't want Dora's party to descend into misery so soon, either, so she tried to turn the tables.

"You should be careful, Irina," she told the Denali girl. "I caught some of that conversation in the great hall, too, and you were the hot topic from what I heard."

"Me?!" Irina scoffed. "I hardly see how I could be involved. No one would dare punish me the way they punish silly little boys. It would be improper."

 _Your confidence astounds me!_ Renata thought, hiding her glare from the girl. There were a core of guards who had been with the Volturi for many centuries, and all of them, at some time or another, had been up for coven discipline. Since Magnus and Freyr had taken over, those times were considerably less as the guard masters sought other ways to avoid conflict, but they all had experience of some kind. Renata, though not the necessarily vindictive, hoped Irina's turn would come sooner rather than later if only to teach her a little humility. For now, she would do her part.

"Basileus, Magnus, and Aro were only telling tales about dealing with their own to give Eleazar some tips on how to deal with you." She turned to Caius, willing the coven master to back her up.

Caius was only too pleased to help. "Exactly," he said, winking at Renata for a good plan well executed.

"No?!" Irina's mouth replied before she'd engaged her brain. Her 'no' came out as a question. Rather than demonstrating her usual confident, untouchable stance, she showed that there was a little fear hiding in there somewhere.

Odi and Felix, even Carlisle, started to return some of the taunts Irina had offered. It helped them feel less self-conscious over the embarrassment they felt from their parents discussing their recent discipline in all its anti-glory.

Renata smiled into her cup. _And my work is done._

Irina took it for awhile as she worked out her next move. Her sly eyes kept drifting over to Dora. She couldn't have the woman seeing her as unnecessary in their new gatherings. The only way Irina could make her enforced stay in Volterra tolerable was by having someone easily manipulated with her own quarters to use. Dora was that someone. Irina wouldn't lower herself to convincing the others to like her - too much like hard work and unnecessary, she felt if she could just concentrate on Dora keeping her in the fold. When Dora left the group to fetch another drink, Irina followed to whisper in her ear.

"Renata's a funny one, isn't she?" she said quietly. "Anyone would think she doesn't like me, which is odd, as I'm the reason she's here!"

Dora wasn't quite sure where Irina was going with that. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Irina drawled. "You've known these people for years, centuries even. But they only started hanging out with you since I came along."

It punched Dora in the guts to realise the truth Irina spoke, and Irina knew it.

"If I were to leave, you'd have to go back to waiting for Caius to notice you, and we both know he won't," she added. "I'm not staying if I'm to be the butt of their jokes …"

"I'll change the conversation," Dora offered quickly.

Irina smiled seeing how easy it was to sucker Dora into doing her dirty work for her. _Too easy, almost._ She didn't stop to consider why it was so easy, that Dora had lived through abject hell with Caius and was desperate to find her feet in the coven on her own terms. Not that Irina would have cared about using the woman's hopes, fears, and heartbreak to her own advantage - the opposite in fact. She knew Dora was broken, it's why she'd selected Dora for her selfish pursuits in the first place.

"You do that," she said, taking the glass Dora had poured for herself and walking away.

Caius had watched the short interaction. He had nothing else to do as he wasn't about to sit and chat with the bunch of reprobates littering his apartment. It was a shame he hadn't heard what Irina had said, even worse that he had no gift to call on to listen in on her thoughts or read her feelings. As it was, Caius was a sitting duck, just like his mate. All he knew was that Dora preferred to be with Irina over him and with that in mind, he planned to drown his sorrows and pray they all left soon. He knew he couldn't drug them to sleep to ease the night's misery, but it was very tempting to drug himself! _Bloodwine will have to do,_ he thought. Luckily Caius' bloodwine was the strongest the coven brewed, not the cat piss he could find in Aro's chambers, so he hoped it wouldn't take too long to get them all thoroughly drunk and hopefully home. _A simple drinking game will help,_ he supposed, grabbing a goblet for each of them and setting them out around the table. He called them all into a game of cards.

"Erm … I don't have any money to bet," Odi said shyly.

There was little need to be shy - neither did Corin or Felix, and Carlisle wasn't exactly flush living on a small allowance from his father, either.

"No cash," Caius said, dealing them all two cards for a game of black jack. "Loser downs their drink."

They were all up for that!

Dora smiled to her mate, ecstatic that he was joining in with her friends. Bless her.

Turk heard the happy voices as he passed the ground floor suite on his way to the guard masters' chambers. He nearly turned around when he heard Odi through the door. It took a lot for the barman to push ahead. He nearly turned around again when he got to the masters' door. He knocked lightly, half hoping to be ignored. Freyr soon arrived to open it, increasing Turk's anxiety.

"Masters." Turk bowed his head respectfully, waiting to be invited in. No sooner as Freyr had stepped aside, Turk was in and at the seat at Magnus' table. He had to rush ... or he would have fled.

"Do you have time for a chat?"

Magnus chuckled. "As you've already taken a seat I will make time." It was then that Magnus picked up on Turks feelings. "What's on your mind," he asked. "You feel conflicted."

"I love Odi," Turk began, psyching himself up. "You know I do. Not like _that_ ," he hastened to add. "But he's been my best mate in this coven since I arrived … Is this in confidence?"

Magnus bobbed his head, wondering where the conversation would turn. Freyr placed her hands on Turk's shoulders to comfort him.

"Of course it is," she said, encouraging Turk to go on.

Turk took a deep breath and before he could lose his nerve, blurted out, "I'd rather Odi wasn't working on the bar with me too often."

Freyr and Magnus shared worried eyes over the guard's head. Magnus didn't want to take Odi off the bar - he had nowhere else to put him.

"You're going to have to tell me why, Turk," he pushed.

"I can't afford it," Turk whispered. He was ashamed of himself for grassing on Odi, of all people, but that was the truth of the matter - he couldn't afford to work with him anymore. "Odi is being very generous on the bar. My bar. So I cover the drinks he gives away, but it's costing me every florin I earn. I've just finished balancing the till and I'm short …"

"I'll kill him!" Magnus erupted.

"No, Magnus, please," Turk held out his hands, willing the guard master to hear him out. "I don't want him to know I told you. I hardly see Odi anymore, he's always hanging out at Dora's and this will drive a wedge between us. I'm happy to cover the drinks he gives away, I just can't afford it if he's working on the bar so often."

"We will replace your wages in full," Freyr said, sounding sad and cursing their boy's utter ineptitude to steal from both the bar - their bar - and leaving his best friend to pick up the tab.

Magnus ran his hands through his long hair. He felt himself tug at the roots in exasperation. Turk filched when the man sprang from his seat and flashed out of the room. Magnus soon returned dropping a pouch of coins to the table.

"I won't tell him I know what's gone on, but I'll pull him from bar work," Magnus told Turk. He looked to Freyr, "Odi can work the bar when we have coven events only, and then hopefully I can catch him out giving drinks away, so he'll never know Turk came forward."

"Thank you, Master," Turk sighed in relief. "I'm not usually so gutless … I just don't want to lose Odi ... but I can't afford it."

"It's not for you to afford, Turk," Magnus said. He sounded very stern, but Turk hoped that was the situation rather than him.

"You've been very brave coming forward," Freyr told her guard to offer him some comfort. "I only wish it had been sooner to save yourself some stress."

Turk stood with his shoulders slumped - he still felt a complete cunt for ratting Odi out. Taking the coin pouch from the table, he knew it was too heavy. "This is too much, Magnus …"

Magnus closed his giant hand around Turk's and fixed him in his sights. "Consider the rest a thank you for your loyalty to my son."

Carlisle downed what must surely have been his twelfth goblet of bloodwine and held his hand to his mouth.

Caius leaned right back in his chair, putting as much space between him and Carlisle as he could in case he chucked up. "If you're sick in here I'll be feeding it to you."

That thought really didn't help Carlisle's stomach. "I'm out," he said once he was sure the bloodwine was staying down. "I'm done."

"Me too," Felix agreed, glad he hadn't been the first to fold out of the game. He yawned despite his desperate efforts not to. Between the late hour and the bloodwine, he was done in.

"Aww, bless, little Felix," Irina said, roughly ruffling his hair. "Is it time for a nap?"

"Fuck off," he snapped back, snatching his head away. Moving so fast flipped his stomach over.

Dora did her best to settle Felix down to avoid him from having a confrontation with Irina.

Corin had been trying to make her move on Felix all evening, but as she'd spent so many years avoiding the boy, he assumed she was drunk, or had something in her eye. Corin understood that. She had purposely pushed him away after Aro had … done what he'd done. Not because she blamed Felix in any way, as Felix believed, but because she blamed herself for ending up in that situation. Corin couldn't blame her king, she just couldn't. With enough time passed, and her self-doubt subsiding, she wanted Felix back, but she didn't have the confidence to outright say so. Felix had always been the one to take the lead in their relationship ... or whatever it was that they had.

 _Maybe if he's tired, he'll want to come to my dorm?_ she thought, seeing a way in. She could talk to him if they were alone. "Are you tired?" she asked quietly.

"No, I'm not tired," he huffed back.

Corin deflated next to him but he Felix didn't notice. He was pissed off with Irina, but also with Dora for pandering to her. Leaning over to Renata and Carlisle he whispered, "Does it count as saving someone's life if I refrain from fucking murdering them?"

Carlisle chuckled but Renata thought more on it. "You are the only one in this coven who would get away with it," she told the young prince.

"It's so tempting." Felix continued to glare at Irina as another yawn escaped his lips.

"Take him home, Carlisle," Caius suggesting pointing out Felix' state. "It's way past his bedtime."

"Fuck off!"

"Say that again," Caius dared the boy.

"He didn't mean it, Caius," Dora insisted quickly. They'd had such a fun night - Caius exploding would end the possibility of a repeat.

"I always mean what I say," Felix said cheekily. "I don't always mean for it to come out of my mouth."

He was just funny enough to calm Caius' temper. But he still wanted the kid out of his quarters.

Corin tried again, "Felix, if you're tired …"

"I'm not fucking tired!"

"We could go to my dorm so you can rest?" she added quickly.

Finally Felix caught onto Corin's intentions. "Oh!" he exclaimed. He couldn't believe his luck! Felix truly thought he had no hope of rekindling his relationship with Corin. Ever! "Yeah, I'm shattered"

His tiredness wasn't so important all of a sudden as the boy leapt from his seat to take Corin's hand, pulling her towards the door.

"Hold up!" Caius flashed passed them both to block their path. "I'm not sure about …" _What am I saying? I don't care._ "Enjoy," he said, changing tact and all but pushing the young lovers out of his chambers. He looked around the room. _Two down, four to go._ "Do you sleep, Carlisle?"

"Fuck off, Caius," Carlisle sang out. "And I did mean it."

"Being rather brave, aren't we?" Odi whispered to the man.

Caius ignored Carlisle and turned on Odi. "What about you, Odi? You're fond of your naps."

Odi blustered at such an inference. Sleeping would have him demoted to child-status before he could blink! He didn't sleep, not really. He rested. Which was the defence he frequently used if anyone ever caught him with his eyes closed.

"I don't nap," he told the coven master with a dark tone. "I rest. It's different. You know I don't sleep."

"How would he know?" Irina asked, picking up in the odd way Caius and Odi were interacting.

Caius realised his error - if he started talking about Odi, Odi would start talking about him. "He lives above me," Caius explained, pointing to the chambers above his own.

"I live above you?" Odi repeated to himself. "I like the sound of that. I might start telling people that one." He really stressed the 'telling people' in case Caius missed that he needed to keep if mouth shut if he expected the same in return.

"Tell people what you like," Caius said back, matching Odi's glare and tone. "Fuck people."

"Tell people what I like? Really?"

Dora, Irina, Renata, and Carlisle all watched their interplay, heads bouncing from one to the other. Caius seriously started to stress.

"Why are you repeating everything I say?"

Odi folded his arms and smirked knowing he'd won. "Why am I repeating everything you say?"

Caius turned away from Odi completely and looked to his mate. "It's home time for the sad and desperate now, love, I've suffered enough."

"Suffered enough?!" Dora repeated. Caius was getting annoyed with the echo to his words. "It's a party with my friends, Caius. A party you agreed to."

"I've spent time with your friends. Now it's over." Caius stormed to the door and flung it open. Looking back to his mate he had to wonder why she looked so pissed off, or was it hurt? "What do you want from me?!"

 _You're such a dick!_ Dora stood and matched his stance. "I wanted you to want to do it!"

Caius gestured around the room, still half full of her wayward friends and a damn mess from their small party (which privately Caius would admit bothered him more - he didn't like mess) "I've done it!" he shot out.

Dora stamped her foot into the floor. "But you didn't want to!"

Caius looked back, aghast. He'd kept his cool all day. He'd even broken his own hand in an effort not to hurt his mate, a triumph for the usually violent coven master, he felt. With an almighty frustrated roar, he said, "You drive me fucking crazy!"

"That got real savage, real fast," Odi said under his breath.

It was the final straw for Caius. He knew, deep down, that he was really stressed with the lack of control he had over his current situation, but he still ripped Odi from his seat and threw him towards the door. "You're going home."

It took every ounce of restraint Magnus possessed to hide what Turk had told him when he set eyes on his thieving son. Odi had been a light-fingered brat since Magnus had first clapped eyes on him. That's how they had met, in fact, with the boy stealing food from his table. He hadn't blamed the boy, then. Being only ten years old and brought home by his older boys as a waif and stray, he hadn't objected to the child taking the food he was so desperate for, nor would he again, but part of Magnus wondered if Odi would always prefer to take what he wanted rather than earn it, rather than ask for it, even. Pushing those thoughts aside, as he had promised Turk, Magnus welcomed his son inside.

"I wondered where you had got to," he said, holding the door open.

Caius appeared behind the kid, roughly pushing him forwards.

"Take him before I ram my fist down his throat," he roared.

Odi stumbled, only saved from face planting the floor by his father's hold. "What did I do?!"

Caius felt his fists clench at his sides. "You talk too much!" he yelled, before flashing back to his own quarters.

Caius re-entered his apartment in the same flurry of anger as he'd left, fully intent on tossing Carlisle, Renata, and Irina to the curb so he could have it out with his mate.

"What a nice surprise," Irina drawled. Drunk, and entirely naked in Caius' living chamber.

Caius nearly tripped over his own feet. "This is not a nice surprise," he said. "This is a very bad surprise." He ripped his own cloak from the peg and threw it at the girl.

Irina caught it but made no effort to cover herself. "Dora's still crying in the bedroom," she explained, making her way to him. "Renata and Carlisle felt like they should leave."

Caius backed up, as if to touch the Denali girl would somehow condemn him. "You should have followed them."

"We both know you want me, Caius." Irina reminded the coven leader that he'd said so himself at Christmas.

Caius was pretty sure he had refused Irina at Christmas, actually. "It's been a long time since anyone said no to you, hasn't it?"

When Caius backed up to the wall with nowhere else to go, he pulled the cloak from Irina's hands and forcibly wrapped her in it. She did her best to object, though quietly, as she didn't wish to alert Dora to her actions. Caius was past caring. _I'm not going down for you._ He hoisted the girl over his shoulder and hot footed it to the west tower.

"ELEAZAR!" Caius roared on his way to the middle floor.

"Caius?" Eleazar arrived in the stairwell, sure he must be hearing things. A man's growls and a woman's shrieks filled his ears. "What's … what are you doing with Irina?!"

"Returning her." Caius dumped Irina to the floor, though she caught her talons in his cheeks as he did so, opening up a gash on his face.

"Stupid bitch!"

Eleazar got between them before Caius could do something regrettable - Caius wasn't so sure he would regret it!

The noise alerted Carmen. Eleazar pulled them all inside before it alerted his parents, too.

"Why is she undressed?" he asked calmly.

"Because she's a stupid slut," Caius shrugged. It was the reason, in his mind. He took the cloth Carmen offered to tend his cheek. He was eminently grateful to the bloodwine he'd drank that evening as he couldn't feel any pain in his face, nor his hand, which, still broken, had taken a battering whilst he'd hauled Irina home.

Irina, back on her feet, started pushing Eleazar and Carmen away - she needed neither of them to defend her. "What did you just say to me?" she asked, daring Caius to repeat his words.

"You're a stupid slut," Caius sang out, loud and proud.

Armed with her usual overconfidence and a vicious tongue, and little else as she'd dropped her cloak, Irina launched at Caius.

Caius, for his part, just stood there. He really wanted her to hit him so he could justifiably hit her back! Sadly for Caius, Eleazar caught her mid-flight and Carmen re-robed the girl.

Neither Carmen or Eleazar were sure on what had occurred to see Irina returned by a raging coven master in a state of undress, but Eleazar, for one, wanted to be sure of something. "Caius, if you've …"

Caius laughed in his face. "No, I haven't fucked her," he assured. "I'm not interested, thanks."

Basileus swung the door open - Eleazar's efforts had been in vain. "Is this the right room for an argument?"

Surveying the scene, and of course the memories of those concerned, Basileus quickly ascertained what was going on.

"I'm not sure what's happened, Dad," Eleazar offered, hoping Basileus would illuminate on the matter.

"Well, you should know what's going on, son," Basileus replied. "Irina is your responsibility."

That put Eleazar on the back foot. "Do you think I don't know that?"

"I think you need reminding." Basileus looked down his nose at his boy. He was annoyed by Irina, hell, everyone was annoyed by Irina, but he was disappointed in his son's lack of control over the girl. _And now we have her being brought home naked by bloody Caius!_

Caius had expected all hell to break loose when Basileus rocked up, but he seemed in the clear … bonus!

Basileus caught that. _Oh, I don't think so!_ "I know what you've done tonight," he said to the man.

Caius flipped through his memories, wondering what the creator was referring to. _It could be a number of things,_ he realised.

Rather than informing Caius what issue he was raising, Basileus left the master to work it out himself. Caius was right, it could be a number of things - bringing up Odi's 'naps', organising a card game to get them all drunk, letting Felix go home with Corin, letting Felix stay with stolen hash … any number of things. Returning Irina undressed was small fry.

"Has he …" Eleazar quietened his voice. "Had Irina?"

"No," Basileus confirmed quickly before Caius could start afresh. "Not that it matters when she's giving it away."

"Giving it away?!" Irina repeated. "Why is it I'd be a slut for fucking him, but he wouldn't for fucking me?!"

"I didn't fuck you!" Caius roared.

"He'd be dead for fucking you," Eleazar told the girl.

Caius burst out laughing. "Would that be by your doing, El?" he asked, laughing more at the very idea.

"Just because I don't engage in mindless violence, like you," Eleazar said, stepping up to Caius, "Don't make the mistake of thinking me incapable."

"Tame your tempers," Basileus warned them both before anything more could happen. "Now!" With one hand he pushed Caius towards the door, with the other he pushed Eleazar back. "Son," he started. "You need to get her malicious mischief under control - that's your responsibility."

"It's not about ducking out of my responsibilities, just recognising my own limitations in the matter."

Caius heard Eleazar's reply and left. _Useless cunt!_ He knew Eleazar would fall short of offering Irina any punitive measures. But then he was 'Eleazar', the creator's eldest son, one of the anointed who could do no wrong. _Cunt._

Caius returned to his quarters thoroughly intent on telling Dora the shit show was over - normal service must resume or he was done. Two months of her shitty attitude was enough.

"Dora!" he called, storming into their home, slamming the door behind him.

He found her in their bedchamber, all her dresses splayed over the bed. The odd scene stopped him in his tracks.

"What are you doing?"

Dora turned to him with tearful eyes. "Packing."

"You're leaving me?!"

Dora heard his tone and backed away. Reaching out for something to defend herself with, she found a candlestick. It wouldn't do much damage against a vampire, but it would be better than nothing.

"You're angry because I had friends here … I don't want to fight with you."

"Seems like you do," Caius said, gesturing to the makeshift weapon she held.

Dora gulped. "Only in defence."

For a few moments, they watched each other. Caius saw the fear in her eyes and baulked. Time was, he would have enjoyed seeing that fear, but that was behind him. Or at least, he wanted it to be. Seeing the clothes laid out on their bed hit him hard, too. _I can't lose you. I can't. What am I doing?!_ Unclenching his fist, he took a steadying breath.

"I won't hurt you," he said, backing away. It felt like he'd spent more time backing away that night than walking forwards! "Stay, please stay. I won't hurt you."

Dora wasn't giving up that candlestick just yet, but she certainly felt less wary. "And my friends?" she asked.

"Keep your friends," Caius said, gulping down the heavy emotion in his voice. "But Irina just …"

"I need you to understand something, Caius. Irina …" Dora sighed and took a seat on the bed amongst her dresses. "You may not like her, I know why people here don't like her. It's the same reason they don't like me." She stopped only to wave away his objection to what she saw as fact. "I need her. I need a friend, someone who isn't connected to us, someone just for me. I need it."

Caius had been all set on telling his mate exactly what the little bitch had done. Surely telling Dora that Irina had propositioned him whilst she was left sobbing alone would be enough to break off their friendship. But he couldn't do it. He could hear how desperate his mate sounded to have the Denali bitch in her life and he just couldn't see her hurt any more than he had already hurt her. It had been a hurt centuries in the making that he had systematically conducted against his own wife and now, in an odd twist of fate when he really was trying to be the man she wanted him to be, she was so very close to being done with him. If Irina kept Dora together, then he'd accept Irina in Dora's life - so long as it meant he was still a part of it.

"Do you still need me?" he asked, begging for confirmation that she still wanted him.

"Not as much as I did," Dora admitted. "And I think that's good. It will be better if I'm not so reliant on you, it will be better for us."

"So there is still an us?"

"I'm working things out."

 _What the fuck!_ The floor seemed to move beneath him. Caius took a seat next to Dora and she flinched away. He held up his hands quickly to show he wasn't threatening her.

"Give me time," she said.

"I will."


	143. Awful Easter

**AN:** Hey guys, I'm so sorry it's been so long without an update, I've been really ill. No excuse, though. Hoping I'm through the worst of it now so will be back on form soon.

* * *

 **Awful Easter**

The Easter celebrations were delayed that year by a few hours to give Aro and Caius time to prepare – they had been landed with a boat load of rogue vampires in the early hours of the morning to sort through, and as Caius returned to private quarters doused in blood, one can imagine how the 'sorting' had ended. Calling Caius' chamber private quarters might have been a stretch at that point – they were no longer private, in his mind. Always some fucker there who shouldn't be. Caius tried to be annoyed at Odi's presence in his chambers, but truth was, he was getting quite used to having the kid around. At least Irina isn't here, he said to himself. Still, he had an image to uphold.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the kid.

Odi threw him a cheeky grin. "Your wife."

Caius laughed despite himself. "I suppose someone should."

Dora dutifully passed Caius a glass of bloodwine, as she always did when he returned home, but she barely glanced at him.

"You look sad today," he said softly, catching her hand.

"I'm sad every day," she replied. "I just couldn't be bothered to hide it today."

Odi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, catching Caius' eye. Naturally that made the kid fair game. "You're having your usual effect on women, I see."

"It isn't him," Dora snapped.

Caius took a swig of his bloodwine and shrugged back at her. "Odi's the only one here and I know you aren't trying to blame me for your shitty mood."

He'd been battling rogue vampires in the dungeons all day - extraction and execution - he was the extractor of information, Aro was the executor. It had been a long and stressful day, and then I come home to this shit.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Dora asked, grimacing at the state of him.

"How remiss of me," Caius retorted, spitting sarcasm. "I know only too well that my presence offends you."

"You're dripping blood on the floor," she explained, pointing to the pool of pale purple vampiric body fluid at his feet.

"It's my floor to drip blood on, love," Caius reminded her before heading to the bathroom.

Caius didn't make it that far, however. He decided, instead, to listen in case Dora told Odi something more illuminating than she'd told him. After Valentine's, Caius had tried to accept Dora's friends in his chambers, truly. But their inane chatter about utter bullshit, or their perceived slights from adult coven members, or getting one over on their parents in Carlisle, Felix and Odi's case - his friends - left him feeling uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that he rarely stayed long. He felt not chucking the lot of them out on their ear was good enough. For Dora, it was not. Add to that, Irina was still dripping her poison in Dora's ear and Caius was being pushed further and further away.

"Why are you being such a bitch to him?" Odi asked when he thought Caius was clear of the room.

"I'm not," Dora insisted.

"So, this is your happy face?"

Dora flopped down next to her mate's faux little brother. She liked having Odi around. He was easy going, accepting, harmless. He argued with Irina a lot, which stressed Dora out, but her bond with the kid was strong enough that Irina hadn't managed to push him out entirely.

"It's complicated, Odi," she drawled, patronisingly, in an Irina-esq fashion.

"It's Irina, Dora," Odi replied, using the same tone.

"She hasn't said anything that isn't true."

Caius furrowed his brow. What the fuck does that mean? What is she saying?

"Maybe not," Odi agreed. "But she's said enough to make you miserable with your husband. I don't think Caius deserves it, that's all. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Not recently, no."

"Oh!" Odi exclaimed. "So, you're pissed off about things he did years ago that you already forgave him for?" he nodded along to himself like a wise old sage. "That makes total sense."

Dora flicked her hand out to catch his thigh. "Dickhead," she said, softly, chuckling at the lad's appraisal. "You're only here because you're hiding from Magnus and he hasn't done anything wrong, either."

"Yes, he has!" Odi bustled and huffed. His old man was a prick of the highest order in Odi's opinion. "He's ruined my life."

Magnus had, for no good reason as far as Odi could see, ejected him from his bar job. Now he had no job, and no money. Well, he had some money - money that Magnus gave him from his own pocket - but nothing earned to call his own. If Magnus gave him more money, Odi might not have minded, but his father knew well enough that no amount would be quit his boy's whining.

"Dramatic as ever," Dora sniggered.

Odi jabbed his elbow into her ribs. "Cold as ever."

"I could throw you out, you know?" she told him, trying to sound ever so serious.

"Yeah, but you won't."

Caius doubted he would hear anything else of use, so he went to get ready for the Easter party. It was, quite frankly, the last thing he wanted to do. He knew being out with Dora would draw more attention to his shitty relationship, more gossip would spread about him. Add that to the gossip still running riot about Magnus threatening to whip Caius last Christmas and… well, Caius hardly relished the idea of adding more fuel to the fire.

It had been fifteen years since the first Easter party and, at the request of the younger Denali girls, the coven had decided to play dress up again. Caius arrived back in his living chamber ready for the ball in his Greek God get-up, consisting of his linen chiton embroidered in golden thread, and also, unbeknown to Caius, a patch of blood on his back. Dora followed him into the room and rushed to him from behind.

"You're bleeding!" she said, full of concern.

Caius tried to reach around to his shoulder. He thought he'd felt one of those Romanian rogues' rip into him but, as he'd walked-off the assault, he hadn't stopped to consider the damage.

With a flash Dora had fetched a cup of water and a washcloth to tend him properly.

"This looks deep, love," she said, wiping at the blood.

Caius didn't say anything. It was a rare moment of concern for him from his mate and he relished the affection she showed.

"What happened," Odi asked.

He'd never seen Caius with an injury - hell, no one really saw Caius with injuries! He was hard as nails and a skilled warrior.

"We had seventeen rogues in the dungeons between me and Aro. One of them managed to get to a dagger in the playroom and went for me."

Dora gasped. Caius liked that. She still cares.

"You idiot!"

Perhaps not, then? Caius said to himself.

"I'm always telling you that you take too many risks down there!" she ranted. "Seventeen between two of you?!" Suddenly her careful wiping became a little sharper. "And Aro's hardly well practiced anymore." Every time she moved the cloth, more blood came. "You could have got yourself killed, Caius."

Caius rolled his eyes but said nothing. You do care, he thought. It was an angry kind of care, but that's how they rolled.

"Why are you still bleeding?" Odi asked. Vampiric injuries, even deep ones, healed quicker than humans. Caius should have stopped bleeding by then.

"Probably all the bottles of whiskey I downed in the dungeons," Caius explained. "Thins the blood."

Dora directed Caius into a chair and had Odi hold the cloth to his shoulder blade. It needed stitching before they could leave, and she went to find supplies.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Caius said to the boy.

Odi wiggled his eyebrows. "I am ready."

"You're going in Volturi uniform?" Caius asked. "Aren't you supposed to put on your Viking garb for Easter?"

"I'm making a statement." Odi moved aside so Dora could work on Caius. "Easter is about beginnings, right? I'm not a Viking, I'm a Volturi guard."

"The only statement you're making is that you're a brat," Caius told him in return.

Odi continued smirking. "It will really annoy Dad." Which, after all, was Odi's current reason for living.

Dora and Caius sang out simultaneously, "Brat!"

Odi grinned back, full of youthful delight. Seeing Dora tending Caius, he decided to let them have some time alone (and hoped Irina wouldn't interrupt!) "See you there," he called, heading out the door.

Odi wasn't the only one using the Easter celebrations to make a statement.

Eleazar and Carmen arrived in the guard hall with the Denali girls, all dressed in their 'beginnings' outfits. Well, not all, exactly - Kate and Tanya's outfit choices had annoyed their older sister so much that Irina had refused to join in. Neither of the girls had worn anything relating to their homelands, their cultures, or their mother. Instead, they had styled themselves as modern princesses. And to make matters worse in Irina's eyes, her sisters had purposely chosen Spanish princess fashion!

Ironically, and though Irina couldn't see it, she was the biggest 'princess' of the lot!

The hall filled up quickly, only Caius and Dora missing, and Aro who had yet to arrive. Magnus hadn't said a word to Odi about his 'beginnings outfit', but Freyr had been uncharacteristically tearful when she'd seen what he was wearing. In his efforts to annoy his father Odi hadn't stopped to consider how his mother would feel. Freyr was good, she could deliver the equivalent of a whipping with just a single furrowed brow and the shake of her head. The disappointment radiated and Odi felt every ounce. It was almost bad enough for the boy to change his mind about giving free drinks to his friends.

Almost.

He'd struggled with the first he served to Irina, (though that may have been because it was Irina and he didn't like her!) but each fresh bloodwine he drew and gave away came easier. By the time Renata was at the bar, all his reticence had dissolved.

Renata took the free drink Odi offered and grinned. "I'm sooo glad you're back on the bar."

"You're telling me!" Odi pretended, with theatrical flair, to mark a bloodwine next to Renata's name. "This is the first shift I've had since Valentines."

That was only partly true - it was the first shift Odi had been given on the bar since the Valentines ball, sure, but Freyr had tried to give her son the odd shift on guard - all three had been failures. The first he 'forgot', the second he let Demetri out without his insignia for a few coins, and the third, neither him or Corin could do their duties due to the raging hangover they were suffering from.

"Magnus doesn't know about you slipping through drinks, does he?" Renata checked, one eye on the coven masters as she supped her free bloodwine. Why do free drinks always go down so much better than bought ones?

"Nah, no way," Odi said confidently. "If he knew, I'd have felt it by now." He took a drink for himself, triumphant in his deception.

"Turk," Magnus called, strolling over to the bar.

Odi and Renata started choking on their drinks hearing the man so close.

"You two need to go steady," Magnus told them, a hand on each shoulder. He could feel their guilt through his gift, but he said nothing. "How are we doing on the tally, Turk?"

"All good, Master," Turk replied, though his face told a different story.

"Have you got some numbers for me?" Magnus asked. He offered Renata a smile as she tried to slip away unnoticed, adding to the woman's guilt.

"I've been really busy, Master," Turk explained, holding up the glasses he was part way through washing.

"End of the night then, yes?" Magnus pushed. "Odi," he said, turning on his son.

Oh fuck. He knows about the freebies, he knows. How does he know?! Shit.

"You should swap over with Turk for a while - it's his bar, son."

"Of course," Odi said, visibly relieved that Magnus was only putting him on wash up rather than over his knee!

"What was that about?" Odi asked once his father was clear of the bar.

Turk passed him the empties from the bar to add to the pile. "Magnus wants to know how the takings are looking."

That saw the nerves rising in Odi's stomach along with the stolen bloodwine. "Why?"

"Because it's his bar, in his hall, and he has to sign off on the accounts."

"But… I… but…" Odi stuttered into a stop.

"I will cover the short fall, Odi," Turk told him to save his shame. "As always."

"Turk," Odi called, but the barman started walking away. "Turk, wait!" He dried his hands on his tunic and pulled Turk aside. "I didn't know you had been covering what I gave out. Why didn't you tell me?"

"What would be the point?" Turk asked. "You are more interested in impressing your new mates than doing the right thing by me." He started walking away again.

"Turk!" Odi pulled him back again. "I'll pay you back, I will."

Turk crossed his arms and looked Odi in the eye. "How?"

"Erm…"

"Exactly."

Turk softened his stance. He didn't really blame Odi for giving out free drinks to his friends. He knew how hard things were for him in the guard with many of their number distancing themselves from Odi, just to be safe. He had also heard Irina make the suggestion in the first place and just how reticent Odi had been to agree. Still, he had agreed, and now, as was usual with Odi, he was in over his head.

With a sigh, accepting his lot, Turk agreed to cover the till again and Odi gratefully agreed to put an end to the freebies. Turk put him to the test when Irina rocked up at the bar.

Dutifully, Odi served Irina to a drink and held out his hand expectantly.

"Seriously?" Irina hissed at him.

"You've had your two on Eleazar's tab," Odi replied, gesturing with his eyes to his father who had stayed frustratingly close to the bar.

Magnus looked over, "Problem?" he asked.

"No, sir," Irina spat, digging into her purse to pay for her drink.

"You don't have to call me sir," Magnus said, leaning in close to make sure Irina was paying the right amount. "It makes me feel old."

"You are old," Odi pointed out.

Magnus' eyes snapped to his son's. "Besides the point," he said. "Watch your cheek."

Satisfied that Irina was paying her way, Magnus retook his seat at the end of the bar.

"Does he know?" Irina mouthed across the bar.

Odi shrugged, though he pointed to Turk to say he knew - not that Irina cared if Turk knew and made her displeasure known by telling Odi how gutless he was.

"You're the one with all the cash anyway," Odi shot back. "I can't believe how much Eleazar gives…"

"Shush!" Irina's eyes widened dangerously and flashed between anger at Odi and concern towards Magnus in case he had heard. "Eleazar doesn't know how much he gives me, you moron," she said in hurried whispers. "Neither does Carmen, or anyone else for that matter."

A smile tugged at the corners of Odi's mouth. Finally, something he could hold over Irina. He didn't really know how to use such information, not being the conniving sort, but he was glad to have it in his back pocket, so to speak.

"If you aren't slipping drinks anymore you need to find another way to contribute or you're out."

"Out of what?" Odi asked.

"My group."

"Your group?" Odi questioned. "It isn't your group." If anyone's, it was Dora's, he felt.

Irina smirked at the bar boy. "You really are a simple little thing, aren't you?"

Eleazar had been avoiding his father as much as possible since Valentines, expecting a round of fucks for failing to bring Irina into line, but his luck ran out when, between dances with Carmen, the creator took the seat as his side.

"Who's paying for all that?" he asked. Basileus had kept an eye on the inbetweeners for the hour or so that they'd been there, all supping more than any of them could afford. "That lot have been drinking until dawn every night since new year."

Eleazar grimaced and threw a glance over his shoulder. Irina, Carlisle, Renata, Felix and Corin were a merry band, clearly drunk and drinking more. "It's not been every night," he said, a little weakly.

"Are you funding it?"

"No. I put Irina on my tab in here," Eleazar explained. "She hasn't asked for any cash so haven't given her any."

Aha! Basileus scoffed into the air as if all suddenly made sense. "Well no bloody wonder she's off her face every night if she's drinking on your tab!"

"She gets two bloodwines a day. That's it. I check."

Eleazar had assumed Irina wasn't much of a drinker. Or maybe that she was quick to become drunk. It was the first time he'd been in the guard hall at the same time as the girl since the inbetweeners had formed and he slowly realised his assumptions may have been foolhardy. She not only drank, but she drank a lot. He couldn't admit that to his father, however. With the way she's stumbling about its bloody obvious anyway!

"That is more than two bloodwines, El," Basileus helpfully crooned as Irina half danced, half fell with Carlisle.

"Your son is there, too, Dad," Eleazar pointed out. "Perhaps Carlisle is funding them all?"

Basileus threw his eldest a withering look. "Do you think I'm daft enough to give your little brother enough cash to fund a three-month long bender for him and all his friends?"

"You thought I was daft enough to just that with Irina."

"That is not an answer."

Before Basileus could push him into saying what he really thought, Eleazar tried to move the conversation on. "Why does it even matter?" he said. "They aren't causing any trouble, they are keeping to themselves. Just let them get on with it."

"They aren't causing any trouble, yet, son," Basileus replied, stressing the 'yet' and throwing in another 'yet' for good measure.

Aro joined them before Basileus could complain any further, much to Eleazar's relief. "What a day!" he exclaimed. "I've executed seventeen people today. Seventeen!"

"I heard about the Egyptians sending over a boat load of vampires," Basileus said. "Were there any problems?"

"No." Aro had thoroughly enjoyed his dungeon playtime battering the rogues with Caius. He didn't get the chance very often. "Amun flushed out a couple of covens scouting his lands. Turns out they were all working for the Romanians." Aro paused to take his goblet from the table and drank half of it in two gulps. "Vlad and Stefan are good," he said, going for another swig. "Fuckers." He went for another sip but realised he'd drank the cup empty. "They keep so much information back, they let so few inside their walls. All I get from these strays we kill is a tiny piece of the puzzle."

"Keep working at it, son, it will all come together at some point." A raucous cheer went up as Irina and Carlisle toppled to the floor, bringing Basileus' attention back to the inbetweeners. "How often are you letting Felix get involved with them?"

"A few nights a week," Aro shrugged. "Felix and Corin are back together," he explained. "He's doing really well, never had him so happy."

Basileus looked aghast to middle boy. "He's happy because he's wasted every night, Aro!"

"I said a few nights a week, Dad." Aro made eyes at his brother over their father's hyperbole. "I've told him he can only join in for as long as his behaviour is impeccable. So far it has been. I'm even getting good reports from Marcus about him with his studies."

Basileus still wasn't happy. "I don't like the idea of your sixteen-year-old drinking with a load of adults."

"They aren't adults, they're the inbetweeners - Felix fits in with them." Seeing his father continue to grumble, Aro felt the need to defend himself. "It wasn't long ago you were telling me to get off his back, I've taken your advice, it's worked."

Releasing a heavy sigh, Basileus looked over his grandson's drunken antics. That was not my advice, he thought.

"Except that Demetri is pissed off," Eleazar tagged on.

"I can't make all my kids happy in one go, where would the fun be in that?" Aro mouthed 'fuck off' to his brother before continuing, "Demetri is perfectly fine. He's hanging around with the twins…"

"And MY girls," Eleazar said.

"Demetri isn't doing anything with your precious girls, El." Aro looked over to his young son laughing with Kate and Tanya. "I'm more worried about what those little harlots will do to my boy!"

"How can he afford it?" Basileus wondered aloud.

Eleazar looked to him confused. Aro, too. "Demetri?" he asked.

"Felix!" Basileus boomed.

Aro tutted and shrugged. "I assume Carlisle is shouting Felix' drinks while he's with them. He hasn't come to me for extra any cash."

"And he's not on your tab?" Basileus checked, his eyes cutting across to Eleazar.

Good grief! Eleazar huffed. Give it a rest!

Aro smirked at his elder brother before answering his father. "Do you think I'm soft in the head?"

"Irina takes two drinks a day from the bar and I pay for them!" Eleazar vibrated for a moment, feeling so riled, before he got himself under control. "She might not be the most pleasant company for us, but she has friends in this coven, so she's clearly doing something right." With a sly look to Aro, he added, "And shes yet to cause any of the trouble your kids have caused."

"Yet, El," Aro said, sounding so very much like their father. "She's not caused any trouble, yet."

As the pair of brothers descended into yet another round of 'my kids are better than your kids', Basileus bolted from the table. It was that or crack their heads together.

"I hope you two aren't arguing again?" Atia asked her sons, taking her mate's place. Sulpicia and Carmen followed and joined their table.

Both Aro and Eleazar turned away from their mother. She wore her rather revealing outfit from the fifteen years before. They had only known Atia for eight years, then, and the outfit's first outing had been uncomfortable enough for her sons, but another fifteen years on and Atia was truly the mother they never had - her outfit now classed as painfully obscene! Atia found it quite amusing.

"Comparing, Mom," Aro lied. "Good-natured comparing, that El's losing."

"Losing?!" Eleazar repeated. He shook his head and looked out for Kate and Tanya in the crowd. They weren't dancing together, as he'd expected - Tanya sat with Jane, and seemed to be drinking yet another drink he hadn't supplied the girl, whilst Kate danced with Demetri. "I'm not keen on your Lothario being so close to my girl."

Aro cast a glance over his shoulder to the young pair, dancing harmlessly. "My Lothario is also your nephew and has been for hundreds of years."

"I love the boy, brother," Eleazar assured. "But I know him."

Aro didn't get chance to defend his son, neither did Sulpicia, Atia was straight in there was a sharp slap to his leg. "Eleazar!"

"Oh, come on!" Eleazar replied forcefully, though he instinctively moved back from his mother. "He'd give his right arm to have Kate or Tanya… or Kate and Tanya."

He received two slaps for that - one from Atia, the other from Sulpicia for casting aspersions about her baby… though she didn't disagree.

"Don't worry about Demetri," Aro said easily. "Hes happy with Adrianna."

That thought was even less palatable for Sulpicia. "I'm not keen on that woman," she said, watching Adrianna winning an arm-wrestling match against Mikhail. "She's far too aggressive for our boy. She's too old for him, as well."

"Those are the main reasons he likes her," Aro replied, wincing when Adrianna smashed Mik's hand into the table. Demetri liked them feisty - that's why he liked fucking the newborns. Adrianna was the first female they'd had in a long time who seemed to keep her newborn temperament in that regard. "I suppose we all have a type, my queen."

Eleazar folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "So long as his type isn't Kate or Tanya, we won't have a problem."

Aro scoffed at his brother's bravado. "Because the pair of them are vestal virgins?!"

"That's not fair, Aro," Atia said, holding a hand up to Eleazar's face to prevent him from replying. "You know how they lived, it wasn't their choice. They knew no better."

Aro rolled his eyes, but he couldn't deny the fact. He knew what his mother was referring to, but it would have been depressing to talk about it, so instead, he took Sulpicia's hand and whisked her away to teach the kids how to dance.

"What do you mean, Atia?" Carmen asked once Aro and Sully were clear of their table.

"Mom," Eleazar pushed. "If you know something, please tell us."

"Children of their age are entirely vulnerable to suggestion. Even suggestions that aren't explicitly made."

Eleazar and Carmen shared a confused glance to each other before turning back to Atia.

"You're being as cryptic as Marcus. Mom, please."

Atia looked around cautiously for how close Basileus was. Seeing him clear across the room engrossed in conversation with Carlisle - Oh, Carlisle! What have you done this time? - she knew she could talk freely.

"You will not tell Basileus I spoke of this," she said, waiting for expressed agreement before she continued.

It frustrated her that her mate wouldn't hear a bad word about the Denali's mother, although she understood it was his guilt for having to execute Sasha. That said, there were certain matters regarding the girls' upbringing that needed discussing regardless of Basileus' feelings.

"Sasha didn't protect her young daughters from her private affairs in the way a mother usually would," she began. "They knew she had many lovers and what they didn't find out for themselves, Irina was only too quick to fill them in."

"Is a woman not entitled to have just as many lovers as men are?"

Eleazar looked askance to his mate. You're spending too much time with my bloody mother!

"Of course," Atia said with great certainty. "There is no issue in than, in and of itself." She took the chance to have another glance at her mate - still taken up quizzing Carlisle. "But those young and impressionable girls believed for a long time that sex was the only way to gain attention, to gain favour with men. They never had a father, a brother, not even a regular partner of their mothers. Any man they met, vampiric or otherwise, would be interested in one of the Denali coven, and they worked that interest to secure what they needed from them."

"Sasha prostituted her daughters?!" An elbow in the ribs from Carmen quietened Eleazar's voice, but his tone still rang out with disgust. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Hush!" Atia's eyebrows raised above her hairline! "Do not tell your father, don't even think on it again."

Eleazar scrubbed a hand down his face. Like that's possible.

"They know better now, my dear." Atia took her son's hand and offered him a comforting squeeze. "I've only shared this with you to allay your worries," she said softly. "Enjoy them for the young girls they are, because that is who they want to be. It's who they need to be."

"Two of them, at least," Carmen muttered.

After Caius had returned Irina to their quarters without a stitch of clothing at Valentine's, Carmen feared their eldest ward would be happy to continue using her tricks for a while to come.

"If only Felix and Demetri could be fixed so easily," she added, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yes, well," Atia shuddered, thinking of how Aro had managed his children's early years in the Volturi coven.

Eleazar tutted into the air. "Those boys had a similar example to our girls."

Seeing Felix using the same 'wandering hands' on Corin as Aro used on Sulpicia, Atia had to agree. "Didn't they just!"

Finding Carlisle frustratingly honest about his contributions to the inbetweeners alcohol consumption, Basileus sent his boy back to his friends. Seeing Magnus hanging around the bar gave him somewhere to head next.

"How are your takings recently?" Basileus asked, ordering himself a drink as he spoke.

Everyone had an individual running tab on the bar, except for the coven's children… or rather, as Irina preferred to term her and her sisters' status', prisoners. Turk marked a line next to 'Creator' on the tab and delivered the bloodwine.

"Up!" Magnus replied. "Way up!" he nodded towards Irina and her not-so adoring fans. "The inbetweeners are good for business."

"So, all those drinks are being paid for by someone, then?" Basileus asked, briefly scanning the tab Turk had left on the bar for how many drinks had been taken under Eleazar's name. Not enough for the state Irina was in, that was for sure. There weren't too many next to Renata, Corin, or Carlisle, either. Somethings going on, he thought.

"Turk wouldn't dick about with the till," Magnus replied, purposefully loud enough for Odi to hear his words. "He values his position."

"Do you know who's funding them?"

"I've heard various things," Magnus said cryptically.

He didn't relish the idea of anyone else finding out that his son was a thieving little shite. How he'd managed to keep Odi's habits under wraps so far was anyone's guess, but Magnus hoped his luck lasted until he could find a way to stop his son's thievery for good. If such a thing is even possible!

"And the nightly sessions aren't causing trouble with the guards?"

Magnus hooked a hand around the back of his neck, feeling the stress rising. "I've had to ban anyone with an early start from drinking after dusk, which hasn't got down too well."

Drastic understatement there, Magnus!

The guards were seriously pissed off at such a ban, particularly as said ban only came about because Odi and Corin missed their shifts with hangovers from hell. Magnus knew he'd made the wrong decision, but he'd made it so he didn't have to single Odi out from the other guards. Of course, being the reason at least four guards a day were banned from the bottle, Odi was more singled out than ever! He only had Turk and Corin as his true friends, and Renata as his party friend, left. Odi was pissed off with Magnus for that, which was why he was hanging out with Dora so often who had been only too pleased to welcome the kid into her home. Caius was okay about it if it was just Odi. If it was Odi and anyone else, he left to save himself any potential embarrassment. With no explanation, it was confusing the hell out of the lad.

"Other than all that," Magnus said to Basileus, hoping he had been following his thoughts. "Theres no problem."

Basileus nodded curtly, he'd heard. Still, a couple of missed shifts wasn't enough to disband the inbetweeners, regardless of the ominous feeling he had when he looked at them.

"You're supposed to be serving, Odi," Magnus said, looking down his nose at the boy. "And not just your mates, either."

With Turk darting about between collecting goblets and washing glasses, quite a queue was forming whilst Odi tended solely to the inbetweeners needs. Odi had heard his father, but he did little more than roll his eyes to the heavens, serve a single drink to Richard, who had ordered two, and return to chatting with his mates.

Magnus had felt a burning rage inside him since Turk had confided about Odi's bar tricks. It had doubled that evening when he'd seen his boy wearing Volturi uniform to the Easter event. The complete disregard the boy showed him, however, proved to tip Magnus over the edge. He couldn't mention Odi stealing drinks, but the rest was fair game, and the kid was about to get both barrels.

"Turk!" Magnus bellowed. "Serve!"

He snatched Odi by his ear, dragging him around until he was clear of the bar and marched the kid into the masters' office.

Naturally, the guards found it quite funny. So did the inbetweeners, for that matter. Felix especially, being the one to usually suffer a semi-public round of fucks.

"Felix," Basileus called, breaking through the laughter. "A word."

"What did you do?" Corin hissed, as the creator moved to the side of the hall.

"Nothing?"

There was a definite hint of question in Felix' response, as the boy had usually done something, even if he wasn't sure which something his grandfather would be referring to. Apprehensively, he followed Basileus.

"How are you affording all those drinks?"

Oh, thank fuck! That was an easy question to answer. "We pay into a kitty and we drink from that."

Basileus crossed his arm, looking down at Felix a small smile crossed his lips. "And how much are you putting in?" he asked. Knowing how often the boy complained of being 'skint' he couldn't imagine Felix affording to go in rounds.

"Half my allowance."

That wasn't good enough. Basileus shook his head. "You're drinking more than half your allowance, Felix."

"I know!" Felix bounced he was so happy. "It's great! Pooling resources really works for me."

Basileus had to laugh at his grandson's enthusiasm. "So, you are all paying in what you can afford and sharing nicely, is that it?"

"Yup," Felix agreed, grinning. "Dora's loaded, don't forget."

"Hmmm." Basileus still wasn't sure.

Yes, Dora was 'loaded' as the boy had claimed - she had access to all Caius earned and until recently formed friendships, she had little to spend her great wealth on. But still… if Dora's funding them all, does Caius know? He toyed with asking Caius, or rather, asking Magnus to ask Caius, but seeing Magnus finishing up rounding out Odi, and knowing that Caius and Dora were currently travelling through troubled waters, he decided against it. It would have to wait for the time being.

With a squeeze to the boy's shoulder, Basileus sent him back to his worried girlfriend.

Odi returned to the guard hall ahead of Magnus, who steered the boy towards his mother.

"I have to do this now?!" Odi complained, glancing wistfully to his friends as he passed them. "Mom's at the elite table," he whined.

"Where else would she be?!" Magnus prodded him forwards with a finger to his back. "I'm already disappointed that you have needed to be told to consider your mother's feelings after arriving in this getup…"

"It's my uniform, I'm working…"

"Don't give me that crap!"

Odi had attempted to explain away his choice of outfit by telling Magnus he only wore the uniform because he would be working that evening. The blatant lie hadn't gone down too well. It had also rendered Odi's 'I'm a man, my own man', statement to fall flat on its arse. He'd never felt so immature. That was until he was stood before his mother making apologies for upsetting her with his… What did Dad call it? My disrespect.

"Are you rejecting us, Odi?" Freyr asked outright.

"No!" Odi rushed to say. "Of course not!"

All he'd wanted to do was stand up to his father a little, show the guards he was more them, than elite. And now I'm being publicly shamed? Great. Fucking brilliant. He'd ended up looking more elite and less guard and, naturally, he blamed Magnus for making such a show of him. The only saving grace was that Caius wasn't there, as he would definitely have ribbed him about the spectacle he was putting on once they were in private. Mind you, Aro's gurning was almost as annoying. Odi flooded with relief when Freyr released him and soon scooted back to the safety of the bar.

Finally, two hours late to the party, Caius and Dora arrived. They split up immediately as they walked through the door, much to Caius' annoyance. No sooner had Caius arrived at the elites table, Basileus turned attention onto him.

"Every time I see you lately you're sporting one injury or another."

That was enough to have everyone craning around to see what Basileus was talking about. Huffing at the indignity, Caius soon found himself being spun on the spot by the creator and the top of his chiton being moved about to expose his wound so everyone could get a good gawp.

"Why did you need stitching?" Freyr asked.

Magnus stayed quiet so he could read Caius' emotions in case he tried lying.

Caius just about stopped himself from rolling his eyes, because he knew Freyr's opinion on doing so, and replied, "We drank a lot today, thins the blood."

Freyr looked unconvinced for a moment before relaxing her gaze. "Maybe go steady tonight then," she suggested before going to run the gauntlet of the inbetweeners to greet Dora.

"What were you drinking?" Basileus asked, one eye on Aro.

"Whiskey, Dad," Aro replied for them both. "No dungeon blood, no need to panic."

"You pair would be the ones panicking if you had, son," Basileus said sternly. "Not me."

Caius felt a little nervous through Magnus' reading of him. What's more, Caius knew Magnus would be getting that reading. There were very few ways to fool a man with Magnus' gift, but misdirection occasionally worked. A tip he'd received from Odi. Caius looked over to Dora with a sad smile and then down at the floor. As Caius had intended, Magnus assumed his nerves, or whatever it was he'd picked up, were over his mate. Satisfied that Caius hadn't been drinking dungeon blood, Magnus relaxed.

"You and Dora came together," Basileus noted. "Should we take that as good news?"

Caius shrugged and took a bloodwine from the table. Leave me alone, please leave me alone!

"Well?" Magnus pushed, eager for an answer to the question.

Caius shrugged again. Their relationship was so up and down he really had no idea. They came together, yes, but Dora went to her friends as soon as she walked through the door. To be fair to Dora, Caius had done the exact same thing.

"Who knows?" he answered, watching his mate laugh along with the other inbetweeners as if she didn't have a care in the world.

When Marcus arrived, and Magnus and Basileus went to join him, Caius felt like he could breathe again. That's when he spotted Alec had been left with them. "Why are we babysitting?" he asked, pointing to the boy.

"I'm not a baby!"

"You're not old enough to be drinking that," Eleazar told his nephew seeing the boy had swapped cups with his father.

The cocky smirk on Eleazar's face riled Aro more than the boy sneaking his drink.

"Put it down, son," he hissed into Alec's ear.

Alec obliged, returning his father's strong bloodwine and retaking his own weak as piss bloodwine in its place. He was bored, so bored. Jane was off with Tanya, again, so he only had his father for company. He had tried to join in with his sister, but they set him away - girls-talk, they had told him. Alec went to his mother but Sulpicia had shooed him away, too. Apparently 'lady-talk' is not for little boys. Little boy? he thought, pouting. Now I'm stuck with him, he said to himself, looking up at his father. Alec couldn't see how listening to 'men-talk' was any more suitable, if his mother had shooed him away simply on age alone, but at least he was with the men, he had reasoned. Not that anyone was talking to him. So bored.

"You know, brother," Aro said turning on Eleazar. "Tanya and Kate look a little woozy to me."

"They wouldn't dare," Eleazar said confidently, believing his brother was simply stirring the pot.

Caius followed Aro's eyeline to the younger Denali girls just as Tanya swiped Chelsea's forgotten goblet when she'd gone to dance with Afton. "Oh really?" Caius asked the elder Volturi brother.

Damn it, Eleazar cursed to himself, before calling for Carmen to deal with the girl.

Aro and Caius burst out laughing as Eleazar, scorned, mumbled into his cup.

"Parenting hypothetical children is easier than real ones, brother," Aro explained in a tone to match any indignantly patronising school ma'am through the lands. "Try not to walk before you can crawl."

"Real ones?!" Eleazar scoffed. He pointed out his girls in the crowd. "What do you think they are, a mirage?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Aro replied, waving his finger from left to right. "Carmen is parenting those two," he said, pointing out the younger pair. "No one is parenting that one," he added pointing out Irina. "And you aren't parenting any of them."

"I'm the one stuck with Irina!" Caius complained.

Neither Caius or Eleazar had brought up the state Irina had been returned in after Valentine's, and no one else had, either. But as the girl's activities in the coven hadn't been affected, Caius assumed, correctly, that Eleazar had failed to act.

Eleazar didn't respond to Caius or Aro. Truth was, he was annoyed with himself for letting the Denali girls rule his roost, but he didn't have the confidence to deal with them in a meaningful way. Also, he was grateful Irina spent so much time with Dora because it gave him a break from at least one of them.

"How come Irina can get her own drinks and I can't?"

Eleazar spun to face Tanya. Oh hell, don't you start!

"Carmen said I can't take drinks…"

Eleazar pulled the girl in close, not that it helped with Tanya's natural volume being slightly above a dull roar!

"You can't take drinks from the guards," Eleazar explained tersely." Because they aren't your drinks."

"Put me and Kate on your tab then!" It was quite simple in Tanya's mind.

"Yeah, El," Aro encouraged. "Put the girls on your tab."

"Shut up, Aro!" Eleazar turned back to his young ward. "And you need to stop being such a princess, Tanya."

"Erm, hello!" Tanya held out her Spanish princess gown and spun on the spot. "I am an actual princess now. You're allowed to act like a princess when you're an actual princess."

Aro enjoyed his brother's annoyance too much to respond, Caius, however, found very little to be amused by - particularly coming from one of the Denali's. "Some people might be more reluctant to tell you that you're being difficult," he told the girl. "But they're just as inclined to think it."

"Princesses don't care what commoners think," Tanya replied, complete with a wrinkled-up nose and stuck out tongue in Caius' direction.

"Commoner?!" The word stuck in Caius' throat!

"That's what Irina said you are…"

Eleazar cut the girl off before she could do any more damage. But rather than reigning her in, or offering a rebuke of any kind, he gave the girl some coins for the drinks she had asked for and set her on her way.

Caius was flabbergasted. Aro, too, though he spoke up about the injustice. "If one of my lads spoke to you the way that girl speaks to us you would have knocked their teeth out."

"They're boys," Eleazar offered, knowing it was a weak response.

"Because you'd take it from Jane, would you?" Caius asked, knowing damn well he wouldn't.

"You wouldn't understand, Caius," Eleazar replied in a patronising tone. "You don't have children."

"I don't have a boat, either, but I know what it means when ones smashed up at the bottom of the ocean - someone fucked up."

Aro had tears running down his face with Caius' reply. "Brilliant!" he called out through his tittering.

"You think I'm fucking up the Denali girls?!"

When Caius shrugged and Aro continued his caterwauling, Eleazar slopped off before he twatted the pair of them.

The small win against his brother was good, but Aro wanted more. Seeing Jane stroll passed his table gave the coven king an idea.

"Jane," he hissed, bringing his girl in close. "How do you fancy helping your favourite parent win a bet?"

Jane smiled sweetly. "I'd do anything for my mother."

"Luckily for you, it's your cheek I need right now."

Aro handed over a fist ful of coins and instructed his girl to go drink for drink with Tanya - something he had expressly told her not to do before the party began.

Caius cringed from the side, shaking his head as Aro embroiled his child deeper and deeper into the not-so-friendly conflict between her father and uncle.

"…and if Eleazar says anything to you, tell him to get fucked."

Jane gasped! "I couldn't say that!"

Aro flashed his girl a knowing smile. "Let us not pretend that such things have never come from your mouth, my dear one."

"But… but…" Jane stuttered, unsure whether by agreeing she would be hanging herself or pleasing her father. "Uncle Eleazar will be angry…"

"Let me worry about him," Aro said, sending his confused daughter along to cause havoc.

Caius sighed deeply, releasing the breath he had unknowing held. "Well that was a stupid thing to do."

"I don't see why," Aro replied.

Caius downed his cup and stood to leave. "I'm sure you will before the night is out."

He decided to give Aro a wide berth for the rest of the evening to save being embroiled in the coming strife. It was an odd choice, then, that Caius chose to join his mate - a clear source of strife if ever there was one!

Steeling his nerve for a public rejection, Caius flashed behind his mate and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Shall we dance?" he crooned into her ear, pulling her into his chest.

"Not right now, love," Dora replied, wiggling free.

Caius pushed his fist into his stomach, feeling it lurch. He hadn't steeled himself quite well enough.

"We'll take a drink, though," Irina said sweetly, holding out her empty cup.

Caius glared at the Denali girl for a moment before snatching the cup from her hand. Without looking, he took Dora's too and headed to the bar.

"You don't know how to be around him, do you?" Irina said to Dora once Caius was out of the way.

Corin and Felix were far too concerned with each other, so only Renata and Odi were in listening distance. They looked to one another with worried eyes knowing Irina was about to twist the knife a little deeper into Dora's troubled relationship.

"Hes supposed to be your husband, isn't he?" Irina asked, barely suppressing the glee she felt seeing Dora's brow furrow in confusion.

"You know Caius is her husband, Irina," Renata slipped in, hoping to end the girls play.

"Then shouldn't Dora be happy around him?" Irina asked, voice dripping with poisonous nectar.

"We've been together a long time," Dora explained. "A lot of changes have happened recently… he's trying to change… I think."

"He's a coven master, you're his little wife. His life is always going to be bigger than yours no matter what he changes," Irina said, full of shrugs for the disparaging view of Dora's life she projected. "That's just the way it is."

Thankfully Dora hadn't really heard her. She watched Caius from behind ordering drinks - nine of them, so he must have been buying a round for all her friends and Dora hadn't even had to ask. Caius was known for being tight with money - Dora had suggested a few times that it would be worth feeding him a lump of coal to see if he could shit a diamond. But there he was, unasked, buying all her friends a drink.

"Maybe I wasn't unhappy with Caius," she mused. "Maybe I was just unhappy?"

"Same thing," Irina snapped.

Renata jumped in quickly. "Is it though?"

"No, it's not," Odi said, quite categorically, before Irina could say more to Dora.

Instead, Irina turned on Odi. "How would you know about adult relationships?"

"I've had relationships, thanks," Odi huffed, puffing out his chest.

"Name one," Irina scoffed, making no pains to hide her amusement at the idea. "Other than Turk, of course."

"Fuck off!" Odi snapped back, getting to his feet.

The very last thing he needed was more rumours going around the guard hall about him. Especially rumours that would put an end to his already depressing sex life.

Irina laughed at his undue bravado. "You're such a child, Odi," she said. "Is it nap time yet?"

Having cut Odi off at the balls, Irina turned back to Dora. "Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl, 'Will you marry me?' and she said 'NO'." Irina snorted midway through her own joke! "The girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, drank until dawn, always had a clean house, and had sex with whomever she pleased whenever she wanted. THE END."

Only Irina laughed, not that she noticed. Renata stared at her blank faced. "Dora does all those things anyway," she reminded the girl.

Irina didn't give Renata the respect to look at her as she replied, instead she fixed her attention on Dora. "But wouldn't it be easier if Caius weren't around to moan about it?"

Renata stood and moved between Dora and Irina. "Why are you so intent on splitting them up?!" she asked, the accusation in her tone rising her voice.

"I'm not!" Irina snapped, stepping up to Renata.

She knew no guard would dare lay a finger on her, so all she had to do with Renata was show that she wouldn't back down. It worked. Renata caught the horrified glances of her coven mates, wondering if she had lost her mind to behave in such a way with Eleazar's ward in public viewing. Realising she was on a hiding to nothing, Renata stepped aside and excused herself from the conversation, though she bitterly resented that she had to do so.

Irina sat herself down pulling Dora to her side. "I'm just asking questions, aren't I?" she said to the woman. "It's not for me to answer them." She gave Dora a jostle. "That's your job."

Turk followed Caius with a tray of drinks for the inbetweeners, though with half of them missing, Caius wished he'd saved his money.

"What happened to the rest of you?" Caius asked, handing a drink to Irina, Odi and Dora - the only ones left as Renata had stalked away, Felix and Corin were half way to fucking at the back of the hall, and Carlisle was, from what Caius could tell, arguing with his father.

"Was it your charm, Odi?" Caius wondered aloud. "Or yours, Irina?"

"Not me," Odi said, looking darkly to the Denali girl.

Irina flicked out her long blonde hair and offered a hollow laugh in response. "Not everyone gets the same version of me," she said, full of her usual over confidence. "One person might tell you I have a beautiful soul, another will tell you I'm a complete bitch - you should believe them both, I act accordingly."

"Who exactly would say you have a beautiful soul?" Caius asked, looking perplexed.

"Yeah," Odi drawled. "I can't think of a single person who would describe you that way."

Irina gave them both the dead eye. "My mother, for one."

"No one anymore, then," Odi chuckled into his cup.

Irina heard him. Her eyes flashed black as night, she slammed her glass to the floor, shards and bloodwine scattered.

Instinctively, Caius moved himself in front of Odi.

"Are you taking the piss about my dead mother?!" she roared.

Music stopped. Everything stopped. Everyone turned to watch.

"Back the fuck up!" Caius warned. He shoved the girl back a step when she tried to reach around him to scrawp at Odi. "It's not his fault Sasha got herself killed off. Grow up."

"Are you seriously… have you just… you utter cunt!"

Irina flew forwards in a blind rage. She couldn't tell who she was hitting, who she was scratching, or biting. She gave it her all to bring harm to anything she contacted. With Caius holding her down in a full body lock, that harm was mostly directed at him.

It took some time to calm the girl. Magnus stepped in and used his gift on Irina to bring her back to normality. (Though Irina's normality was hardly a desired state for anyone.) Eventually, the crowed backed away and Caius disentangled himself so Eleazar could take over.

This should be good, Caius thought, doubting the elder Volturi brother had it in him to do much of anything about… well, anything.

"We will not accept this behaviour from you, Irina," Eleazar said sternly.

Had he been speaking to almost anyone else in the coven, they would have listened. Eleazar was the eldest son of Basileus and he used to convey the creator's authority. A word from Eleazar was almost as good as a word from Basileus, certainly as good as one from the king. However, Irina felt no such thing when Eleazar spoke.

Shrugging away Carmen's mithering, Irina pulled herself up to stand tall. "Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me," she said through gritted teeth, before spitting at Eleazar's feet. Whilst everyone else stood in disbelief, Irina turned on her heel and exited the guard hall with a defying swagger.

Atia collected Sulpicia and Carmen to follow the girl. Whatever they thought of Irina, the girl had lost her mother in the most awful circumstances and she deserved whatever comfort she would be willing to accept – as the girl's foster family, Atia felt it right that they should offer support. Dora tried to join them before Freyr said she should give them space to talk things through first.

"What the hell was that about?!" Magnus hissed. He was trying to be quiet, but his hurried whispers were so damn loud he might as well have stood on a table and made an announcement!

As Caius had stood up for Odi with Irina, the boy felt it his duty to offer Caius the same in return with Magnus. You had the easier deal, he thought to Caius as he looked up to his irate father.

"Well, you see…" Odi started, stuttering. "It was like this…" he drifted of as his eyes left his father and landed on the very many coven members eagerly watching the display. No doubt waiting for me to squirm and back down. I can't back down twice in one day, for fuck sake! Odi changed tack, he pulled his shoulders back. "Once upon a time there was an insufferable bitch, it was Irina, the end."

Caius scrubbed a hand down his face. He didn't? he thought, hoping he'd misheard. With Eleazar roaring at the kid Caius knew he'd heard correctly. Idiot.

Eleazar reared up. "You want to go down for him?!" he shot to Caius.

Caius hadn't even realised he'd moved, but he had, pushing Odi behind him for a second time that evening and facing Eleazar off. Magnus stood at his side, holding a strong arm out in front of Caius.

"Who's going to take me down?!" Caius asked, laughing. "You?!" More laughing… not helping!

Magnus cleared his throat looking down on Eleazar. "No one's fighting in my hall," he said, giving Caius an elbow to the chest to end his mocking chuckles. "I will deal with Odi, as you know," he offered in assurance. "But right now, I think Irina needs you, El."

Basileus had been watching from close by. He trusted his friend to deal with matters and prevent Caius from fighting, and he knew Eleazar wouldn't really want to get into it either. He just needed a nudge to do the right thing now and again.

"Magnus is right, son," Basileus called over. "The girls need to go home, too."

Eleazar glanced away from Magnus to be met with the frightened eyes of Kate and the curious ones of Tanya. That was all the pull he needed to break away from creating further disruption in the guard hall. Calling the girls to his side, Eleazar tried to take his young wards home. Tanya had other ideas.

"I'm not going home yet!" she said with an air of confidence few fourteen-year-old orphans could dream of. Tanya and Jane were having a grand old time - she wasn't' cutting the evening short for Irina. "Odi's right, Irina is an insufferable bitch!"

Odi snorted, suddenly really liking the youngest Denali. "That's from her own sister, Dad," he whispered, none too quietly.

From the uncomfortable whispers around the hall it was clear a good few other agreed with Tanya and Odi. Eleazar wasn't debating the truth of the mater, however, he saw it as a matter of respect. The coven didn't have to like Irina - he didn't like Irina! - but they had to respect her because she was his ward. Odi's outbursts were a sign of how little respect the girl had, and it was that which offended Eleazar.

Before he could say a word in this regard, Magnus had snatched his boy from the spot and propelled him towards the door with a clout to the back of his head. He needed control of the guard hall and he knew how to get it, though it pained him that he'd be offering his own son as a sacrifice to keep order. It's your own damn fault, though, he thought, looking at his boy.

"Guess who's grounded until Midsummer?" he asked the kid, seething.

Odi spun on the spot and his mouth dropped open. He felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment. "Grounded?!" he repeated. "You mean restriction?" he said, looking to his father through dark, daring eyes.

Kids were grounded, guards were put on restriction. Granted, the outcome was the same, but the distinction was important, especially to Odi.

Magnus laughed. "I mean grounded," he replied, knowing full well the distinction he was making. Unbuckling his belt, he threw the fearsome instrument of pain to his boy's feet. "Take that with you and I'll deal with you when I get home."

Odi stayed rooted to the spot, sure he would die of shame at any moment if he stayed, but unable to move and save himself.

"Or I could tan your ass in here, if you'd prefer?"

"Dad!" Odi shot out, horrified! Why would you announce that?! How could you do that to me?! How could you even… why?! Bastard!

Magnus took a single purposeful step towards his boy and Odi's stomach lurched. Without taking his eyes off his father, he scooped the belt up, the object of his shame, and bolted from the guard hall. Magnus shook his head briefly fearing what dramas his son would create in return for the public scolding, before turning back to the room.

The guards, sensibly, kept a safe distance away, though Magnus saw their eyes dancing with excitement. Caius and Dora were apparently ripping each other to shreds in a hushed argument - Magnus headed over to help Freyr with diffusing the row.

"You wrestled her to the floor!" Dora spat at Caius, shoving him in the chest.

Caius shoved her back. "She was attacking me!"

"Because you were taking the piss about her dead mother!"

"You were doing what?!" Freyr asked, shocked.

"Both of them," Dora explained. "Him and Odi."

Magnus didn't say anything, but the thunderous expression as he rolled his tongue around his cheek was intimidating enough to force Caius to respond.

"No," Caius said quickly. "No, we weren't taking the piss." He had no desire to join in Odi in the round of hell he had coming from Magnus. Standing up for the kid was enough. "Merely making an observation."

As the four of them battled for understanding, Eleazar stood arguing with Tanya about whether they should leave or not. Kate, it seemed, would side with whoever won for an easy life. Eleazar's argument with the child had drawn in the remaining elite members, except Felix and Demetri, who had taken the opportunity to slip unnoticed to the dorm rooms with Corin and Adrianna.

"You should definitely go home," Alec said to Tanya, nodding to himself. If the Denalis were out of the way, he could have his sister back.

"Hey!" Aro cuffed the side of his boy's head. "It's got nothing to do with you."

Alec looked askance to his father and pointed out his twin who stood side by side with Tanya - arguing with Eleazar. Aro closed his eyes for a moment, knowing Jane was only arguing because he'd told his girl to copy Tanya, simply to show Eleazar up for the unjust prat he was. I need to pull her out before she says anything too…

"Get fucked!"

Oh, man! Aro scowled at the roof as though he could look right through and up to the gods. You had to let her do that, now? He questioned them. Useless bastards. This is why I don't bother with you anymore.

"Jane," he crooned, pulling his girl free of his brother's wrath. "Come with me, my princess."

"Did you hear what she said to me?!" Eleazar roared.

Aro spun on his heel to face his brother. "Jane, or Tanya?" he asked, making his point.

It was one thing leaving Magnus to deal with Eleazar versus Caius and Odi, quite another to expect him to prevent Eleazar and Aro going at one another - Basileus had to get involved.

"The two of you will drop this pointless game, right now," he said through gritted teeth.

"We're only messing around, Dad," Aro tried, stalling when Basileus filled Aro's personal space with his massive form.

"Well I'm not!" he boomed. "You need to get a grip on the twins," he told Aro, then turned to Eleazar, "And you need to keep a closer on those damn girls before I take over for the pair of you!"

Aro pulled Jane and Alec in close. "I don't think so," he said darkly, eying his father warily.

Basileus threw on a wicked smile. "Try me."

Atia returned, leading an exhausted looking Carmen and Sulpicia behind her - Irina had that sort of effect on people. "It would seem Irma would rather not see any of us," she explained.

Tanya twirled on the spot, allowing her dress to fan out around her, and walked away, delighted with her win. Eleazar followed her to their table intent on having a chat with the little darling about her attitude.

Carmen headed straight for Dora. Although she felt guilty, because Dora seemed to be lumbered with Irina a lot, she also believed Dora didn't' see it as being lumbered, and right then, Carmen needed her help.

"Irina is rather fraught…" Understatement! Carmen said to herself. "Could you come and talk to her with me, Dora? Please?"

Dora was only too happy to have a reason to leave the party and end her row with her mate, so she did, without a backwards glance for Caius.

Caius positively fumed! The golden goblet in his hand crushed to nothing as he tried to contain his rage.

"You don't want to do this, Caius," Magnus whispered. "Not here," he said. "Not. Here."

"Fucking help me then!"

Magnus sighed, but willing absorbed the younger master's ire through his gift until Caius at least looked less likely to go on a murderous rampage.

"Let's sit down and end the show, shall we?" he said, guiding Caius to the elite table which the guards usually avoided.

The closer guards sighed with the end of the entertainment. They were having a great time! They loved it when the elite brought the drama to the party.

Caius stretched out his neck as he walked feeling the tension leave his body. It gave him chance to see things with a clear head.

"I didn't do anything, Magnus," he insisted. "Don't get blaming Odi, either. It was Irina."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "You need to level things with Eleazar if you want me to go easy on Odi," he said, directing Caius into the seat next to the man in question before taking the stool opposite.

Magnus hadn't thought through his encouragement before it left his mouth. As soon as the words registered, he regretted them. Giving Caius the chance to reject Odi would only hurt Magnus more. Not that he was Odi's favourite person at that time, but the kid was his son, and he desperately wanted Caius and Odi to get on.

Caius sat where he was put and grudging turned to the Volturi prince. "I'm… erm… well…sorry, El."

Magnus smiled quietly to himself. Wow!

The whole elite table fell into silence. Almost silence. Eleazar choking on his bloodwine and that made quite a noise. He'd never heard Caius apologise before, at least not without Basileus looming over him issuing threats of some kind. Eleazar had been all for blaming the whole commotion on Caius - he was an easy target for blame - but the man's simple apology took the wind clean out of his sails.

"It's fine, Caius," he said, eyes darting about the group to see if everyone else was as shocked as he was.

Other than Magnus and Freyr, and possibly Basileus and Atia, he thought, they were all surprised.

"I'm sorry if Irina is causing trouble between you and Dora," he said, mainly because he had to say something after such a shock.

"Marriage!" Caius scoffed, clicking at a guard to send a drink his way. "Because your shitty day doesn't have to end at work."

Freyr looked down her nose, shaking her head and sighing. She reminded Caius of an annoyed horse when she did that, not that he would ever have the balls to tell the shield maiden.

"You need to grow up, Caius," she told him plainly.

"I am grown up, thanks."

It was Magnus' turn to scoff. "Not emotionally, you're not."

"When a man is fully grown, he understands the worth of a woman," Atia added.

Exactly! Freyr thought, nodding along. "He doesn't lie to her, or play games with her heart, or put her down or leaves her feeling unappreciated. Instead he cherishes her, respects her, honours her, lives for putting a smile on her face…"

"When a woman is fully grown does she do the same?" Caius asked, glowering at Freyr for saying such things before an audience. "Or is this solely about me being defective?"

"From our conversations, Dora has been doing all those for the majority of your relationship, has she not?"

Thanks, Freyr, thanks a lot, Caius thought, looking to the keen eyes of the elite all hanging on to the conversation and waiting for his response. "I suppose," he said with a shrug.

When he felt a kick in the shins, he amended his answer to a more certain, "Yes." Magnus didn't approve of 'supposing' things. It seemed to really piss him off. 'It's a yes, or a no,' he would tell Caius, 'supposing absolves you of responsibility - answer properly!'

"But I'm really trying now," Caius said, half whining.

"I know you are," Freyr agreed. "But that won't wash away years of hurt."

"It's like you think I deserve this," Caius huffed, whining again.

Most of the table made the right noises to say Caius didn't deserve the storm in his relationship. Most, not all. Magnus simply raised his eyebrows and looked away.

"Fucking hell, Magnus!"

The juggernaut held a hand up to end Caius' complaint before he could get started. "I don't wish bad upon anybody, but you reap what you sow," he explained. "You can't treat people like shit and expect to live a happy, carefree life."

"So, I do deserve it?" Caius asked, sounding wounded.

Magnus softened a little hearing Caius' hurt. "You've certainly earned it," he said gently.

Aro had watched the scene with torrid fascination. He'd counted at least three points where he'd expected Caius to tell Magnus and Freyr to get fucked. If that doesn't show Caius is a reformed character, Christ knows what will!

"I don't see what you've done that's so bad," he told his old friend.

Sulpicia scoffed at that. "You wouldn't!" she said, with similar assents coming from Atia, Basileus, Eleazar, Carmen, and just about anyone else in listening distance.

"I smashed my own hand into the wall at Valentines so I didn't smash it into Dora's face," Caius reminded them all as though it were a badge of honour. "How much more changed do you expect me to be?!"

Freyr was unimpressed. "If you have to hurt other people in order to feel powerful you are the very weakest of individuals."

"I didn't hurt her," Caius replied, growing agitated with having to defend himself so publicly. "That's my point."

"But you have hurt her, lots," Freyr reminded him. "That's my point."

Aro and Sulpicia looked to each other and then to Caius, and then to each other again. It would have been comical if the situation didn't seem to grave. Both were surprised at the scorn Caius had taken without eruption. Oh! Aro thought, seeing Caius rise to his feet. Perhaps it's coming now…

But no, Caius didn't say a word. If anything, he looked deep in thought as he began to drift away from their table.

"Where are you going?" Aro called after him.

"To see if Heidi fancies a throw down," Caius offered with a wink. "I need some stress relief."

That's more like it, Aro thought, happy to see the return of Caius as he knew him.

"I'm actually a little worried about Caius and Dora," Sulpicia said with genuine concern. "They seem close to splitting up!"

"It's just some rough waters," Aro said confidently. "Vampires mate for life."

"Vampires mate for as long as they wish to be mated," Freyr replied. "If someone would take a greater interest in one of his charges instead of pushing the girl onto Dora…" she shook her head and walked away before saying anything too damning.

If Eleazar and Carmen wouldn't help, and it was clear they would not, Freyr had an idea of her own to put into action.

"Ouch!" Aro chided his big brother. "You just got slammed by the shield maiden!"

Eleazar didn't reply. He picked up his cup to hide his face and grumbled into it as he took slow sips. He was glad of his nephew's reappearance to take the heat away from his failings.

"Are you limping, Demetri?" Sulpicia asked, pulling her boy into a chair.

"I've hurt my hip," he replied, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

Felix couldn't contain his laughter at his brother's condition, and though clearly sore, Demetri seemed to find it quite funny, too.

Sulpicia looked between her boys wondering what had gone on. "I do hope you haven't been fighting?"

Felix snorted as he tried to speak through his laughter. "That's not from fighting with me, mom," he said, looking to Adrianna pointedly.

Closing her eyes, shaking her head, Sulpicia wondered, not for the first time, exactly when they went so horribly wrong with their sons. Aro copped for a stern eye from her when he showed his amusement over his son's sexual tastes.

Alec didn't seem to understand all the inferences happening around him, but Jane cottoned on fairly quickly, aided by Tanya whispering in her ear, filling in any blanks. Jane's pretty little face screwed up like she'd sucked on a lemon.

"Please pray for my brothers," she said, or rather slurred, having stayed drink for drink with Tanya over the course of the evening. "Theres nothing wrong with them," she hastened to add. "They're just idiots."

Sulpicia's eyebrows met her hairline hearing her princess. Aro merely sighed, knowing it was his doing.

"Jane…" he began, chiding his girl gently.

"What?" Jane shot back with a defiant eye. "You said…"

"You are being incredibly rude, Jane," Sulpicia told her. Though she did wonder what her mate had told their young daughter.

Tanya threw an arm around Jane's shoulders. It helped to steady them both as they were worse for wear from the bloodwine. "People call me rude all the time. I call me direct," she said, loud and proud. "Plus, fuck people."

Eleazar slapped a hand to his own mouth in surprise. Sulpicia soon did the same.

"Yeah!" Jane agreed with an impish grin. "Fuck people!"

Aro released a guttural groan as he thought, you're going to get me hanged, drawn, and quartered at this rate! He was reminded of Caius' earlier warning that he would regret instructing his young daughter so foolishly. Yup, Aro said to himself, catching a glare from his father who had no doubt run through his every interaction with the Volturi princess that day. Definitely regret it now!

Still, Aro didn't do anything. He cringed listening to his girl explain to her mother that she couldn't be in trouble for her language, that it was approved! Aro was grateful for a moment that the girl was too tipsy to remember her conversation with her father in full. Another reason he left Jane to her own devices was due to his brother's actions, or lack of action. Eleazar sat across the table from Aro watching his brother right back, neither doing a damn thing to intervene as the rambunctious girls self-defence gained in tempo.

Atia hadn't quite caught up to what was going on through reading the minds of her sons, but she was sure of one thing - Tanya and Jane needed to go home, and Aro and Eleazar need to quit their puerile game of one-upmanship.

"Why are you sat there eyeballing each other when you should be dealing with those girls?!" she asked, voice more shrill than usual. "They are drunk, they are tired, and they are behaving inappropriately." Atia raised a hand to silence Aro before he could attempt some sort of witty deflection tactic, too annoyed to listen to such drivel. "Take them home and give yourselves a good talking to. If I see any more of this pathetic game of sibling rivalry I will be dealing with you two directly."

There was something so incredibly demeaning being issued such a warning from their mother, that both men jumped from their seats, springing into action.

"Jane!" Aro snapped, followed by a forceful, "Tanya!" from Eleazar.

Naturally both girls completely ignored the calls and continued arguing with Sulpicia. Jane kept one eye on Tanya to see how far she could go - Aro had told her to copy and she intended to do just that. In the death Aro threw the girl over his shoulder and stormed out of the guard hall. As he left, with Eleazar still fighting Tanya for control, he chuckled to himself. Another round to me, he thought childishly.

When Freyr had left the guard hall, she'd headed straight for Caius and Dora's suite, where she planned to wait for Dora to return. The long wait gave her time to solidify her plans.

"Oh!" Dora gasped, shocked to find her chambers occupied. "Hi," she said, glad it was Freyr and not Caius. She didn't want another row. "Is it just us?" she asked, listening out to hear if anyone else was home.

"It is," Freyr said, smiling and patting the free seat next to her. "Magnus and Odi are upstairs, I hope you don't mind if I stay for a while?"

Dora heard the muffled voices coming from the apartment above and though she couldn't make out the words, it sounded like Odi had taken leave of his senses and was arguing with his father over the evenings events.

"Of course not," she agreed, taking the seat Freyr had offered. Nerves struck her as she sat, wondering what Freyr's ulterior motive could be.

"Is Irina okay?" Freyr asked, taking Dora by surprise.

Dora looked to the shield maiden curiously. "Do you really care if Irina is okay?"

"I care about you," Freyr told her, taking Dora's hands in her own. "And you seem to care about Irina a great deal, so I care about her by proxy." The smile she offered broke through Dora's barriers, and Freyr watched as the young woman relaxed a little.

"She was strange, to be honest with you." Dora shrugged, though it was mainly to herself.

Irina had behaved bafflingly, and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Deciding Freyr was just about the only coven member she could talk with about things troubling her, Dora decided to be honest.

"Irina wanted to come here with me," she explained. "But when I agreed with Carmen that Irina should stay at her place, she turned on me."

Freyr gasped, full of faux surprise. Of course she did, she thought. Even if it were Caius and Odi who offended her, Irina still wanted to come here and keep her claws in you. Giving the younger woman's hands a gentle squeeze, Freyr pushed on,

"How do you feel about that."

"Fine," Dora replied quickly, clearly not fine. "Irina had a lot going on… I'm sure she didn't mean to be cruel…"

Cruel?! What has that little bitch put in your head now?! Quashing her maternal instinct to call Irina out for the bitch she was, because Freyr knew it would only see Dora batten down the hatches and fall further under the Denali girl's spell, she replied more evenly, sowing the seeds for her own manipulations.

"Maybe you should give her some space, Dora," Freyr suggested. "From what I saw today, Irina isn't connecting much with Eleazar and Carmen, and if she doesn't form a bond with them she won't be able to stay in the coven."

Dora snatched her hands back. "What do you mean?!"

"Calm down, I'm not trying to upset you," Freyr breezed, smoothing out Dora's hair with a loving touch. "All I mean is, Irina needs to bond with Eleazar and Carmen, they need to build a family. Be realistic here, sweetheart, they won't support her forever if she continues to treat them…" Freyr stalled, she wanted to say, 'so badly', 'abysmally', something like that, but it would only get Dora's back up. "Treat them as she is," she settled on.

"Irina doesn't want to spend any time with the Volturi family, though…"

"I know, sweetheart," Freyr agreed, showing her understanding, pulling Dora in a little more. "But that's because she has you to fall back on. If she didn't have access to you and these chambers at all times she would have to spend time with Carmen and Eleazar and then she would be more likely to form a bond with them and they will keep her."

"I'm not sure Irina will go for that, Freyr,"

"Then I suggest you don't tell her," Freyr stated. "You care about Irina, right?"

"Yes," Dora agreed, though she sounded unsure as to what exactly she was agreeing to.

"You want her to stay?"

"Yes." Of that Dora was certain.

"Then for her own good, you need to make yourself less available to her." Seeing Dora's mind turning over her instructions, Freyr tried to sweeten the deal by making it a temporary fix. "It will just be until she's happy with Carmen and Eleazar, my darling."

When Dora bobbed her head in agreement, Freyr had to place her own hands under her legs to prevent herself from throwing them up in the air in relief. Hearing Caius staggering drunkenly through door, Freyr quickly wrapped her arms around Dora.

"Trust me," she whispered to Dora, "This will help." Freyr hadn't said who it would help, so she wasn't lying. "It sounds quiet up there, I should go and check on Odi."

Reaching Caius at the door, she enveloped the young master in her arms, taking him by surprise. "Make some plans," she whispered into his ear. "Spend some time together, get out of the coven."

Caius wasn't entirely sure what had happened between Freyr and Dora whilst he'd been with Heidi, but he trusted Freyr completely, so he had no need to ask questions. He nodded and whispered back that he would do as she'd instructed before heading to Dora.

Freyr closed the door behind her and felt a pang of guilt for using Dora's naivety to fool her into pushing back against Irina. Does this make me as bad as Irina? she wondered. Disliking that she could even compare herself to the Denali girl, Freyr told herself that she was genuinely acting in Dora's best interest, and under the circumstances, that was the best she could do. Still, it felt rotten. She only hoped Caius would put the opportunity she had created for him to good use and reconnect with his mate before Dora, or anyone else, could realise what she'd done.


	144. Midsummer Mess - Part 1

**AN:** I'm posting Midsummer in two parts because I haven't got it all finished but I wanted to something up on time after you've all been so understanding! Hope this is okay :)

 **Midsummer Mess - Part 1**

Freyr's helpful advice to Dora had worked a treat. Caius had taken her short, whispered words to heart – he downed tools in the dungeons, taking Dora away from the coven for the whole of April. It had, he felt, been just what they needed. They reconnected, they enjoyed each other, they had the sort of fun only a vampiric couple with Caius and Dora's tastes could appreciate and appreciate it they did! But… that was April.

May, Caius had to return to work, and though Dora, still following Freyr's advice, tried to limit her time with Irina for Irina's own good, she soon fell back into the pattern of meeting with the other inbetweeners and Irina followed. Still, May was okay, overall. Caius didn't mind the inbetweeners in his chambers for Dora's parties if the two of them remained on good terms, too. He even enjoyed the odd party, here and there. With the animosity between Magnus and Odi continuing, Caius and Dora had swapped out Irina's constant presence for Odi's. But he seemed good company for Dora, and Caius had even grown fond of the kid, so Odi wasn't coming between them.

When June came around, however, things took a turn for the worse. Following a fight with Tanya, Irina fled Eleazar's apartment and sought refuge at Dora's. Dora couldn't turn her away, especially when Irina threatened to leave the coven altogether. By the Midsummer Games, Caius had suffered two weeks of Irina's presence in his chambers, and all the previous repairs to his marriage had been undone. The only thing that kept Caius from moving into the dungeons was the fact that even Dora seemed to be getting annoyed with Irina now she was living with them. That gave him some hope.

Irina knew her abrasion was wearing thin with Dora, but she seemed unable to temper her attitude. The best she could do was retreat to Eleazar and Carmen's place on occasion… which had other benefits.

Expecting her quarters to be empty, Kate was, at first, startled by the rustling coming from Carmen and Eleazar's bedchamber. They were in the guard hall preparing for the midsummer games, so she knew it wasn't them. Hearing her elder sister's self-satisfied chuckle, Kate swung open the door.

"Are you stealing money from Eleazar and Carmen?"

"Hardly classes as stealing, Kate."

Irina replaced the heavy chest lid carefully, turned the key and popped it back on the high shelf above the bed.

"I take what they leave lying around," she smirked, lifting the two small sacks of coin with a jingle. How she loved the sound of free money.

"You've stolen the key to their chest, Irina!" Kate's tone was dark and accusing. Most unlike the usually quieter of the three girls. "Hardly classes as lying around, does it?!" she continued. "How could you do that to Eleazar and Carmen after all they've done for us?"

Irina's eyes flashed black. She dropped the sacks to the floor and glared at her supposed sister. "Are you fucking serious?!" she asked with her venomous tongue. "They keep us captive here like prisoners and you are grateful to them?!"

Kate took a half-step backwards. She liked Eleazar and Carmen, both her and Tanya did. And they enjoyed their life in Volterra… until, that is, Irina reminded them of why they were there. Actually, even in those moments, Tanya still quite liked her life in Volterra, despite the reason for their stay, but Kate always wavered. She decided to go in a different direction to avoid riling her sister to anger.

"I thought you liked it here now?" she said gently. "Now you have friends…"

"Friends?" Irina scoffed. "Cash cows, more like."

Satisfied that Kate wouldn't try and stop her, Irina stooped to the floor to collect her cash as she continued her gloating.

"Dora has more money than sense, clearly. Carlisle's no better."

Irina paused to laugh again thinking of how easy it had been to convince them all to pay into a kitty for their drinking. _Even easier to skim off the top,_ she reminded herself.

"Renata, Corin, Odi… guards give up their wages so easily." _Not that Odi has much to offer,_ she huffed. _Little fucker is always in my way, too._

Kate blinked slowly as the realisation dawned on the girl. "Are you stealing from them all?"

"Not all of them, Felix has little of worth to offer. Although, he's proving useful in his own way."

Irina reached into her bag. Taking out a pouch, she loosened the tie and showed Kate the contents - hash.

"I'm just re-appropriating funds, Kate," she chuckled. "From them to me."

Kate shook her head, mouth hanging loose, unsure of what to do. She had truly thought Irina was settling into coven life. She and Tanya had talked about it - they were sure Irina was relaxing into the coven, enjoying it, even! _How can you steal from them all?_

"But they're your friends…"

"They're a means to an end." Irina gave Kate a raised eyebrow until the younger sister turned her frosty glare away. "Look at you getting all sentimental," Irina said mockingly, flicking Kates hair from her face. "You've been weak since Mother plucked you out of that village and you always will be."

With that, Irina took her cash bags and hid them inside her cloak. "I'll see you at the games," she told her bewildered little sister, before leaving the west tower.

Kate spent the rest of the morning wondering what to do. Sitting in the guard hall amongst her new family, Kate grew ever more anxious as the plans were drawn up for the afternoon game. Her mood wasn't helped by Irina cosying up to her so-called friends, buying them drinks with stolen cash. _Wrong,_ she thought. _So wrong._

Tanya wanted to stay in Volterra, of that Kate was sure. She also agreed that Volterra was the best place for them. They both believed, however, that their situation was precarious at best. Irina could ruin their chance at happiness, at stability, if her theft was discovered. Deciding against coming clean with Eleazar and Carmen, but needing to clear her own conscience, somehow, Kate felt she had only one option… Dora.

 _At least if I tell Dora to be warier, I_ _'_ _ll have done something,_ she thought. _And maybe she will kick Irina out and she_ _'_ _ll come back to the west tower? If she's with us I can convince her to… No, I can't convince Irina to do anything. Stick with telling Dora… something._ She wasn't sure what to say, exactly, but setting her mind to the task, Kate planned to find a moment with Dora, alone, during the games.

It didn't take long for a moment to present itself. Around the midway point when cannon balls were flying left, right, and centre, Kate sidled up to Dora under the pretence of passing her a spare ball.

"You shouldn't trust her," Kate hissed, getting in close.

Dora thought she'd misheard. "What did you say?"

"My sister, you can't trust her, Dora," Kate replied. "None of you…"

She broke off to catch a cannon ball being levelled at her chest and launched it towards Demetri. A satisfied smile chanced her lips as she made contact with the boy.

Dora rolled her eyes to the girl. "Have the two of you fallen out again?" The Denali girls' arguments were soon becoming the stuff of legend!

"No, but I found something out this morning and I'm telling you that cannot trust her."

Kate stopped dead on the pitch and looked at Dora. She felt so guilty. Kate was the type to absorb other people's guilt, doubly so when they, like Irina, seemed to make no attempt to take the guilt on themselves.

"I can't say anything else," Kate said, sighing sadly. "Irina's not a good person, but she's still my sister." With a final beseeching look, Kate implored, "Just don't trust her, Dora."

Dora wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't stupid – she knew Irina was a difficult customer. _Caius hates her,_ she thought. But then Caius wasn't much of a 'people person'. _So does Odi,_ she reminded herself. That was more significant. Odi was an affable kid. He was having a few problems with his father, but that was unusual. Though Freyr had tried to keep her true opinions to herself in the main, Dora was aware the shield maiden didn't trust Irina.

Even with all that in mind, Dora had carried on seeing Irina. 'She's never done anything to cross me', she had said. With Irina damn near living in the ground floor suite, the cracks were showing in the once strong friendship, however. Dora had begun to privately question certain aspects of Irina's character and behaviour. The double standards she applied to various coven members, and the vitriolic way she spoke of the Volturi family were two of the more obvious issues. But there was something else, too. Something Dora couldn't put her finger on.

Kate's warning had served to push Dora into thinking more deeply about the girl in her chambers, but Dora didn't know what to say to Kate on the matter!

A distraction came with Afton and Alexander attempting to kill each other mid-game. You could always rely on those two to have a scrap at the most inopportune moment. With the flurry of activity, there were only two vampires unmoving on the pitch - Dora and Kate. Realising they would soon draw attention, Dora gently pushed Kate aside.

"But…" Kate began to object.

"I heard you," Dora whispered in return. "I just don't want you to get caught."

With most of the coven crowding around to watch the fight – or end it, in the masters' case - Dora took the moment to slip away and head back to the north tower for some time to think things over.

…

Caius looked down at the pair of drinks on the bar.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" he asked, pushing one back.

Odi stuttered to start with. Caius had been joking about with him in the north tower that morning. They hadn't really spoken during the games, but Caius rarely did speak to him in public. He wasn't nasty to him, though. Not anymore.

"Well?!" Caius snapped, shouting in his face.

Odi gulped. "It's for your good lady, master Caius."

"Do you see her standing here?!" Caius' annoyance with his mate ditching him again was being directed at Odi in full. "Why would you serve a drink to someone that isn't here?! Do you think you're funny or something?!"

Wide eyed, Odi looked around for help. He was glad when his father flashed to the bar to intervene, but he still refused to look the man in the eye. Magnus noticed his son's ire and chose to ignore his petulance for the moment.

"Caius," Magnus smiled to the younger master, getting between Caius and Odi. "Do stop berating my staff."

It sounded like a request to anyone listening, not so much to Caius when Magnus took a tight grip on his shoulder and pushed him to the side of the hall.

"Where is she?" Magnus asked quietly.

Caius scoffed in return. "She, who?"

"Don't play dumb."

Magnus kept his voice down low even though Caius seemed intent on announcing his dysfunctional relationship to the entire hall!

"Dora," he pushed when Caius refused to answer. "She was alright at the games, what's happened?"

"Home," Caius snapped. "And fuck knows!" With a growl directed at the earwigging guards, he added, "How the fuck would I know?!"

"You need to get your mouth under control," Magnus said, still maintaining his quiet, calm demeanour.

Caius positively vibrated in front of him. _You_ _'_ _ve worked yourself right up, haven't you?_ Magnus thought with a sigh knowing he was the lucky sod who would have to bring Caius back down.

Naturally, with the mood he was in, Caius took the juggernauts quiet exhale as some sort of personal attack. "Yeah?" he drawled, full of sarcasm. "Well you need to get your staff under control!"

Odi looked over askance to the pair of coven masters, still unsure as to why his actions were deserving of such scorn.

Caius clocked him and loudly added, "Fucking moron serving drinks to people he can't fucking see."

Magnus moved himself to block Caius' eyeline to Odi. "I imagine Odi assumed Dora would be with you," he explained, patiently.

"Why would he assume that?" Caius wasn't backing down anytime soon. _Odi's a prick,_ he thought. _Are you trying to draw attention to the state of my marriage? Prick!_ "He shouldn't assume anything, anyway! Who the fuck does he think he is?!"

Even as he spoke, Caius felt regretful. Odi hadn't done anything to warrant such an explosive display, but Caius' pride was at stake with the rumours flooding the coven regarding his station, his marriage – even his sanity! - and someone had to pay for it.

With all his blustering, Caius hadn't seen Magnus and Basileus having a silent conversation conveyed through knowing nods and facial expressions. When he did notice, he found a new object for his indignation.

"Why are you making eyes at him?!" he asked Magnus through gritted teeth.

Magnus moved again, this time to block Basileus' eyeline to Caius!

"Because you are drawing a crowd with your mouth, and…"

"So, what?!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, Magnus made to direct Caius out of the guard hall with the other.

"Fuck off," Caius snarled, pulling his arm away from the juggernaut.

Magnus was copping for all of Caius' bad moods recently. He could handle them, and he would always rather Caius ended up bitching at him rather than someone else who wouldn't understand where all the anger was coming from. Nonetheless, between Caius' mood swings and Odi's petulance, Magnus found his patience wearing thin.

Leaning in close to the younger man's ear, Magnus spoke just loud enough for Caius to hear, "I don't want to work today, but I'll make an exception for you if you force me to."

Caius' eyes budged before darting about the guard hall to see if anyone had caught sight of Magnus taking hold of his belt buckle as he spoke.

"You're supposed to be on my side, you know?" Caius hissed back.

 _At least he_ _'_ _s quieter,_ Magnus said to himself. "We are on your side…"

"No," Caius cut him off sharp. "I want _you_ on _my_ side," he said, first jabbing Magnus in the chest and then himself. "Freyr's on Dora's side, can't you stand up for me?!"

"I'm trying to, Caius," Magnus replied. "You aren't making it easy raging at me all the time or picking on my son when you're in a bad mood."

"Isn't that the whole point of having a kid brother?"

 _Did I say that out loud?_ One look to Magnus' gurning smile told Caius he had. _Fuck._

"Come on." Magnus threw an easy arm around Caius' shoulders, hiding his chuckles. "Let's go and talk this through."

Having watched the interaction from across the room, Atia turned to Freyr, full of concern.

"It's alright," Freyr breezed. "Magnus will talk him down."

Basileus had every faith in Magnus, but he still wasn't happy. "Caius needs to stop kicking off in front of everyone," he said to the ladies. "Every time he's in public there is some sort of commotion."

"Caius is looking for confrontation," Freyr explained. "He's doing well not taking his frustrations out with Dora _on_ Dora."

Atia nodded along. "If I've learnt anything about Caius since I joined this coven it's that he will find a way to sabotage himself if he can."

Freyr agreed. "I swear, Caius is turning into the most emotionally complicated man in the coven!"

It was a claim neither Atia or Basileus could deny, but it came as a surprise to realise how true Freyr's words were. Especially for Basileus. Caius had been an abrasive coven member for centuries, but he was rock solid in that abrasion. He rarely wandered into other demeanours like 'nice' or 'worried' or even 'stressed'. He was just Caius. An evil cunt, as Felix and Demetri used to refer to him.

 _Now he_ _'_ _s all over the bloody place!_ Basileus mused, and once again felt the surge of guilt for being the catalyst to Caius' emotional upheaval. _Will my coven ever recover from Lucius hold?_

He was so lost in thought over his own failings that he nearly missed the little gem Freyr slipped out to Atia, "Caius said he was going to end up back on dungeon blood at the rate he's going."

"He said what?!"

"I haven't told Magnus," she told the man, meaning 'don't you dare, either'. "But I'm keeping an eye on Caius, don't worry."

"That will only compound his problems," Atia said, shaking her head at the very idea.

Caius' last bout on dungeon blood had been biblical! No one knew that he was taking the odd shot of it here and there. It was having no effect on his moods, though, of that Caius was sure. Magnus might have said differently being the one to manage the man's unpredictable temperament!

"I pointed that out," Freyr, replied. "But what would I know?"

Atia tutted into the air. "These young men think they know the world inside out."

"The older ones aren't much better." Freyr gave her mate a wink as he retook his seat.

"Are you complaining about us, again?" Magnus asked.

Freyr giggled. "It makes for a good start to the evening, love."

Magnus returned her giggle in a mildly mocking tone before kissing her cheek. "We're low on the ground tonight," he said, looking around.

The guards, once so keen on the elite bringing the drama to the party were becoming wary of Caius when he was drinking. Since Irina had taken up residence in his chambers, Caius had reverted to type, as far as the guards could see. Back to the sullen, volatile, easily angered coven master he had always been. Caius knew what the guards thought of him, which didn't help his conduct towards them one little bit!

Though the coven leader hadn't returned with Magnus - he'd gone back to his mate to apologise for their latest slanging match - many of the guards had given up on the idea of celebrating and returned to their dorms. No one had to explain, it was becoming a regular occurrence.

"Afton and Alexander are in their dorms after their display." Freyr still sounded disappointed in the pair. "Along with a few of the cheer leaders."

"Sent to their rooms on party night?!" Basileus whistled at the shield maiden. "You are a harsh task master, my dear."

"Magnus doesn't work Midsummer and I won't whip them," Freyr explained. "So, dorms it is."

"I ask for one day off a year, is that really too much?" Magnus clamped his hand over the creator's mouth before he could respond. "I wasn't asking you," he said, knowing Basileus would tell him it was far too much!

"Master!" Phillipe appeared at the foot of the stairs leading to the guard dorm, breathless, and worry etched on his face. "You're needed up here!"

Basileus delved into the man's mind. "Afton and Alex, again."

"There goes my day off!" Magnus heaved himself up from the table. "I'm ready to cancel Midsummer."

Irina slumped down at the inbetweeners table. That's what they were calling their table. Perfectly position half way between the masters' office doors, and the glazed doors leading to the grounds where the elite sat. the other inbetweeners were there, less Dora, of course.

"This party is depressing!" the Denali girl said in a huff.

Looking around the half empty guard hall, the others had to agree. Even Felix was without his usual enthusiasm. With so few in the guard hall, Odi didn't even need to be on the bar.

"I'm so bored I'm actually willing to work today," he said, wondering if his old man would still pay him for sitting around.

"Magnus is upstairs dealing with Afton and Alec," Renata told the kid, knowing what his worry would be. "You'll be alright with us for a while."

"What about when he comes back?" Odi replied. "You lot will have to start ordering drinks soon."

"You could put free drinks through whilst the overlord is away," Irina suggested. Free drinks tasted so much better than bought ones, and her drinks were always free one way or another.

Odi kept quiet. He was certain his father was suspicious after the Easter party. Odi had a habit of being a little light fingered - Odi called it light fingered, Magnus called it being a thieving little shite - so he wanted to put a few events between that suspicion and his next dip in the till.

Having already discussed his fears with Carlisle, the Volturi prince came to his rescue. "Odi doesn't need to put drinks through," Carlisle explained, dropping their kitty bag on the table.

Carlisle had been elected holder of the kitty, as the most honest amongst them. Irina had resisted with all her worth, but she had been outvoted. That was one thing Irina and Aro agreed on – democracies are for the weak. She would have much preferred a dictatorship and herself at top of the tree.

"We have enough for tonight," Carlisle told them happily.

Irina turned sly eyes on the man. "Only because of my contribution," she sneered. "You three barely put your hand in your pocket."

It was an accusation levelled at the three male members of their group and not one of them, not Felix, Odi, or Carlisle, could offer anything in their defence.

Corin took Felix' hand under the table and offered him a squeeze to tell him it was okay. "We don't mind," she said, "Do we Ren?"

Renata did mind, actually. But she loved Corin like a little sister and she was happy the girl had her boyfriend back. She wished Chelsea was about to hang around with, but as Afton had himself on lock-down, Chelsea would be spending the evening in the dorms, too, no doubt. Because of Corin, and only Corin, Renata smiled and agreed with the girl.

Scowling, Irina looked from one inbetweener to the next. It was no fun playing with the gormless if they were going to be so supportive of each other. _But what to do?_ Irina smirked as an idea came to mind. _Sure, we probably have enough to pay for drinks to night if we_ _'_ _re sensible with the kitty… but if we blow the kitty early, Renata and Corin might start looking at you three a little differently?_ All she wanted at that point was to cause some strife to keep her amuses for the evening.

"If we have enough for tonight, I say we put it too good use."

Irina scooped the bag from the table and headed off to the bar, ordering a round of the expensive whiskey usually only purchased by the coven masters.

…

A few rounds of whiskey later, and things were spicing up. Conversation had moved to parties of old, with one party in particular taking Irina's attention - the one when Lucius had convinced Carlisle and Felix to spike the bloodwine with dungeon blood.

As the others laughed, Irina schemed. Offering to go to the bar again, Irina soon returned with a round of Bloodwine A. The weakest the coven brewed, reserved for children and feeds.

"What the fuck?" Felix explained, realising what he was drinking.

"That's it," Irina shrugged. "The kitty is bust."

"No way?!" Felix groaned, Odi sounding similar.

"Already?" Carlisle asked.

It was a hefty bag of coin to begin with, but the whiskeys had wiped them out early.

"Not enough for another round," Irina said, sounding sad. She scattered the few coins left onto the table to show how unfortunate they were. "Odi, you're going to have to put some drinks through."

"Nu uh," Odi said, shaking his head. "I can't, I escaped by the skin of my arse at Easter,"

"Magnus isn't even here," Irina reminded him. The coven leader had spent the entire party stuck up in the guard dorms. "Don't be such a pussy!"

"He's checking the till totals against the barrels," Odi spat back in a similarly unpleasant tone. "I'm not risking it."

Irina soon snapped back at Odi. Within mere moments, the two of them were arguing, hissing at one another across the table. The amount of whiskey they had drank no doubt contributed to their grievances with one another. Carlisle and Felix rolled their eyes to one another but let them get on with it.

 _Yeah, it's alright for you pair,_ Renata said to herself. It was one thing the elite arguing amongst themselves, they could get away with it. Guards couldn't. Odi might have walked the line between the two, but Renata and Corin were guards, proper. I'm too drunk for this shit. _We need to get out of here for a while,_ she thought, looking to the younger girl.

"Come on," she whispered to Corin. "Let's check on Chelsea."

Corin knew the score as well as Renata did, and she didn't want to be embroiled in Irina and Odi arguing, particularly not if their argument ended the way it had at Easter. They quietly excused themselves from the table.

Irina couldn't believe her luck! _You're making this too easy for me,_ she smirked to herself. Getting the pair of guards out of the way left the easily manipulated young men to her devices. Abruptly ending her argument with Odi over his gutlessness, Irina changed tack.

"You know what you were all saying about Lucius, and the dungeon blood…"

She drifted off, hoping they would come up with the idea themselves. With Odi, Carlisle, and Felix looking cluelessly to each other, Irina huffed and planted the seed herself.

"If we added a bottle worth of dungeon blood, we could take at least four goblets of bloodwines from the barrel, for free, without Magnus knowing by weight."

Carlisle backed up in his seat. "No."

"That's a great idea!" Felix crowed.

"This is a bad idea," Carlisle told his nephew. "The wheel was a good idea - that was a notion at best!"

Odi ran the idea over in his mind. "There's a barrel of the weak bloodwine behind the bar that's on the way out…" he mused aloud. "Only a couple of gallons left in it. If a gallon is eight tankards, we have sixteen pints… or is that the other way around? A dungeon blood bottle holds two pints…"

Yes, Odi was worse for wear from the whiskey.

"Will you do it or not?!" Irina pushed. Doing the sums was boring and pointless! Doubly so when the kid could barely add up. _He'll be taking his shoes off at this rate to help him count!_

"I'll put it in the drinks," Odi agreed, though he still sounded reluctant. "But someone else is going to have to fetch the dungeon blood."

"Where would we even get it from?" Carlisle asked.

The dungeons were locked up and only Caius and Basileus held the keys. It was a pointless suggestion in his mind. _Stupid, futile idea._

"All the masters keep dungeon blood in their chambers." Irina pointed out the elite table across the hall. "And they are all here, so their chambers are empty…"

Carlisle, Felix, and Odi all gulped in unison.

"Eleazar keeps a bottle, too," Irina reminded them. "I'll fetch that one if you fetch your fathers' stores."

"Steal… from my father?" Carlisle whispered across the table. "My father who is the creator of our kind and can read my mind at will and isn't the forgiving type?" He paused to laugh at the very idea. "No chance!"

"Yeah…" Felix looked just as nervous. "I'm not really up for stealing from Aro, either. A bit of hash was one thing. Dungeon blood is heavy duty theft in my house."

"Why do you keep saying stealing?" Irina shook out her hair and rolled her eyes at the gutless wonders. "The overlords go on and on about how this coven is an 'all for one, one for all' sort of set up - we are just as entitled to use the resources as anyone else."

It may well have been the whiskey, but Odi felt a burst of pride. He had offered to put the dungeon blood in the bloodwine. Squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest, Odi felt pretty good about himself. It was a rare occasion where Odi wasn't the wimp!

"You pair are utterly gutless," he chuckled.

"Because you would take from Magnus' chambers without blinking, of course," Carlisle countered.

"I would," Odi replied with a shrug, not really thinking about the statement he was making.

"Would you fuck!" Felix shot at him. "I'll take Aro's if you take Magnus'."

"Yeah," Carlisle was quick to get in on that action. "I'll fetch the one from my father's chambers, if you get the one from yours."

Both Felix and Carlisle were confident that Odi wouldn't take Magnus' bottle, and therefore neither would they have to take their father's bottles.

Odi started backtracking quick! He couldn't steal from his father's chambers… sure, he'd been topping up his kitty contribution with the coin he found lying around at home. _But that's different,_ he told himself. And, yes, he had been giving out free drinks that his father would have to pay for eventually. _But that's different, too,_ he told himself again.

"We could just ask Dora for her bottle," Odi suggested, hoping it was a way out for him. "She'd give it us."

"She doesn't want to be disturbed," Irina told them, dashing their hopes.

"Oh dear, Irina," Odi drawled. "Is your hold over her slipping?"

"No!"

Irina cursed her initial reaction when the three of them laughed at her.

"I mean, I don't have a hold over Dora." _Shit!_ "We're friends," she insisted. "Stop trying to change the subject, Odi. Are you going to worm your way out of it being your usual, cowardly self, or are you going to take the bottle of dungeon blood from Magnus and finally contribute something to our drinking?"

 _Ouch!_ That punched Odi in the guts! Felix and Carlisle looked just as uncomfortable with their less than secure financial contributions being brought into question.

Irina leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Are you telling me I have more guts than the three of you? Really?" It was clear the lads needed more of a push. In for the kill, she thought. "No wonder you're all single."

"I'm not single, thanks," Felix reminded her.

"Single-ish," Irina qualified. "I think you could do with reminding Corin that you aren't a complete child now and again. There are a lot of other vampires knocking about that she could turn to, Felix."

 _There we go,_ Irina thought, seeing Felix' whole demeanour change. _You're up for it now._

"And what about you two?" she asked, looking to Carlisle and Odi. "You're supposed to be adults, right? Why are you acting like scared little boys?"

"Perhaps I have a stronger conscience than you?" Carlisle replied.

"Conscience?" Irina burst out into full on guffaws. "That's just a polite word for being a coward."

"I'm surprised you and Aro don't get on better with that sort of thinking." Carlisle folded his arms and grumbled into his chest.

Irina pushed her chair back sharply, causing a screech as the wooden legs reacted against the stone work. Placing her hands on the table, she leaned over, glowering at the three of them.

"Renata has paid in, Corin has paid in, I've paid in," she stated. "You three need to bring something to the table or you can go back to sitting with mommy and daddy."

Carlisle looked over to his family. He loved them all, very, very much. But they weren't as much fun as he would like. They all made him feel inadequate, one way or another. He certainly didn't want to go back to trying to keep up with their conversations for which he had little contribution. Contributing to the kitty by way of a bottle of dungeon blood seemed easier at that point…

Odi wasn't about to go and sit with the elite. That would put an end to his time in the guard, and he was already hanging on by the loosest of threads.

Felix, though. He rolled the idea over in his mind for a moment. He didn't want to steal dungeon blood. It was a category A crime in his mind. Besides, with how Aro had been on the drug, it had bad connotations for Felix. Irina had been right, however. He had to do something to keep his girl… There were just too many reminders of Felix' age in the coven and the last thing he wanted was for Corin to figure out she could have a better time with someone else, someone older, someone without the restrictions he had, someone who could contribute and buy her a drink occasionally!

"Come on," Felix huffed, dragging himself to his feet.

The other two followed, slightly bewildered, and a little unsteady with the whiskey taking over their senses. Once the four of them were in the masters' office, they solidified plans. Very simple. Fetch the bottle, meet back in the masters' office to give them to Odi. Very, very simple. So why did the lads feel sick to their stomachs whilst Irina skipped off towards the west tower?!

"Are we really doing this?" Odi asked once Irina was clear.

"What choice do we have?" Felix replied, slopping off towards home.

When the four of them regrouped. The lads were ever so pale. Foreheads glistened with the dampness of their skin. Sweating was not normal for a vampire. Extreme heat, or extreme emotional strain - they all knew which had caused the unusual response!

"Don't you look a state?!" Irina breezed, bottle-less.

"Where's Eleazar's bottle?" Carlisle asked the girl.

"Oh, I couldn't find it," Irina replied, hiding her smile behind a lock of hair she pulled across her face. "He must have moved it."

Odi felt a growl brewing. "Are you serious?!" he snapped, wishing he could rip Irina's head off.

"Three bottles are enough," she told them calmly, as though addressing small children. "That gives us a good twelve free drinks and we will get fucked off those if theres dungeon blood in it."

 _Not the fucking point!_ Felix thought after her, with a few more murderous thoughts added on. The lads watched as Irina sauntered back into the guard hall and retook her seat with Renata and Corin. _Not a care in the world,_ Felix thought as he looked on. _Bitch._

Still, they all followed, hiding bottles in their cloaks and surreptitiously giving them to Odi once he was he was seated at their table.

"I thought you were working tonight?" Magnus asked, seeing his son lounging about with his mates.

"Oh!" Odi damn near had the shock of his life! "I am, Dad. Just taking a break."

"If you want paying, I want to see you working," Magnus told him before going back to his table.

Odi nodded to his father before turning wide eyes on the inbetweeners. "Why is he back here?!"

"Whats the problem with Magnus being here?" Renata asked.

She and Corin had no idea what the lads had done. When Felix explained about the dungeon blood, the guards were quick to tell them how foolish they had been.

 _You've all taken leave of your senses!_ Renata thought in horror. "You could have put drinks on my tab and paid me back!" she told them through hurried whispers. "Or Corin's tab, or Carlisle's!"

All the guard had tabs. All adults, too, actually. It was only Aro's spawn and the Denali girls who were denied such privileges. It goes without saying that Odi had to be careful what he put on his tab with his parents running the guard hall. Likewise, Carlisle felt the need to be careful with Basileus' over protective streak.

"What could they possibly pay you back with?!" Irina fell into a fit of giggles. "This is the only way the _boys_ can contribute.

It really stung the three young guys in question when neither Corin or Renata could offer anything in their defence.

"But my Dad…" Odi tried again.

Irina worked quickly to resolve the situation. "He's only drinking ale anyway," she said, spotting the man's glass in hand. "We could slip dungeon blood into the bloodwine without him knowing."

"You want me to put dungeon blood in the bloodwine barrel with my old man sitting across the room?!" Odi spluttered his words and had to repeat them a few times to be understood. "Do you think I'm stupid?!"

"You don't want me to answer that, Odi," Irina replied.

"You were stupid to steal from Magnus," Renata told him categorically. "He's going to cut your hands off."

Odi sneered back to the coven shield. "Your implicated now," he reminded her. "If you don't tell Magnus, and we both know you won't, you're in just as much trouble as I am."

 _Oh, for fuck sake!_ Renata was done. Odi was right – she wouldn't grass on him. Guards didn't grass on each other. Guards certainly didn't grass on adult elite coven members. Renata wasn't entirely sure what Odi classed as these days, but either ay she wouldn't be running to the coven leaders with any information.

"I can't believe you took dungeon blood from Aro," Corin said quietly to her boyfriend. "He's going to find out, he always does."

Felix nodded along, looking glum. He fully expected Aro to find out at some point, he was simply hopeful that the 'some point' would be a while away in his future!

"I felt like I had to…"

"Since when were you so weak?!" Corin questioned at him.

She had never thought of Felix as weak before. Fun, lacking forward thought, sure. Even a little hot-tempered at times. But such weakness was unprecedented.

"I was trying to impress you!" Felix snapped back.

Corin threw her head back, glaring at the celling. _Knob!_ "I'll be really impressed when you're back on restriction and I can't see you for months."

 _Shit!_ Irina's plans were in danger of going up in smoke over a lover's tiff! _I think not! "_ Do you want in on this, or not, Corin?"

Corin knew they were fucked anyway now. _Stealing dungeon blood?! Idiots! But still_ _…_ _if it's going free…_ "I won't object to some being slipped in my drink."

Renata would usually have been more sensible, but, as with the other inbetweeners, the rounds of whiskey had gone to her head. That, and knowing she was done for regardless, she opted in.

"I _will_ object if I don't get some slipped in my drink," she said, steeling herself for being caught.

 _If I drink enough dungeon blood perhaps I can sleep through the round of fucks?_

 _That's it,_ Odi thought. _I_ _'_ _m doomed._ "Fine," he snapped, stalking to the bar. _Fuck._

Magnus really was the lynch pin for the midsummer celebrations. After the rowdy games of the day, most of the other coven members could happily spend the evening resting, but Magnus' enjoyment of the day was so infectious that they all joined in. The juggernaut had spent most of the party upstairs deciphering who was at fault between the minor brawls that had broken out. When he returned he wasn't his jovial self, so Basileus and Atia decided to call it a day. Marcus hadn't bothered attending the celebrations, either, so Freyr went with them, telling Magnus she would see him at home after the party had ended.

"So, I'm staying here on my own?"

Freyr kissed his cheek. "It's your guard hall, love," she reminded him with a playful smile.

It wasn't long before the younger Denali girls admitted their exhaustion. The twins soon followed. Even Demetri wanted to go home, despite Adrianna's efforts to have him stay longer.

The inbetweeners froze when the coven king strolled over. Aro did enjoy the effect he had on people!

"We're calling it a day, son," Aro told his boy. "If you're staying, you're behaving,"

"Sure thing, Dad," Felix replied, trying to keep his eyes steady and praying Aro didn't notice how drunk he was.

Aro went without word, but Sulpicia had pulled Carlisle aside before following her husband home.

"What did she want with you?" Felix asked when his uncle returned.

Carlisle smiled ruefully at his nephew. "Sulpicia asked me to look after you." He couldn't keep the smile from his face knowing it would wind Felix up rotten!

Felix scowled as the entire group joined in on Carlisle's laughter. "Cheeky cow!"

"She won't ask you again after tonight," Renata drawled, eyes rolling around as the first sips of dungeon blood took effect.

Carlisle chuckled along. Somewhere deep inside his head, he knew he should have been bothered – Renata's right, the inner voice told him. You're getting high with your nephew. This is a very bad thing. He heard it, he even agreed with it, but right then when the musicians began a fresh tune and his body tingled in delight, he simply didn't care.


	145. Midsummer Mess - Part 2

**AN:** I think this one tips us over 900,000 words! A huge thank you to all those still reading and leaving reviews/PMing me about this, means so much!

Guest, I can't reply to your review, but you are so right - it has been a while. Let me know what you think of this :)

* * *

 **Midsummer Mess - Part 2**

When the elite had called it a night, the guard hall had been in a sombre mood. Somehow, since then, the inbetweeners had managed to liven up the joint. Magnus hadn't given the matter much thought as the guards danced around the hall, falling about all over the place, with shrieks of laughter punctuating the air. He didn't mind babysitting, so long as he was left in peace with his ale.

He had called out a few times, silencing them all with a mere raised hand, to tell the odd reveller to calm down. Mainly reminding Corin and Felix that certain activities were for private quarters only. Other than that, he left them to it.

Magnus wore a face of thunder sitting alone at the elite table all evening, and though it wasn't due to the guards, the guards avoided him anyway. When Magnus was in the mood, as he usually was, he was great company. Something was clearly on the juggernauts mind and he wanted to be left alone, so alone he was left. Until Caius returned, that is.

With his head down and dragging his feet, Caius wandered back into the guard hall. The guards were making such a god-awful row with their merriment that he nearly turned back around. Seeing Magnus still in situ at the elite table pushed him forwards. He needed to talk to someone and that someone was Magnus.

"Late night for you," he said, slipping into a chair.

Magnus offered him a half smile in return. "Freyr's gone to see Atia, I wasn't ready to go home. Too much on my mind." He shook his head when Caius looked quizzical. "How did it go with Dora?"

Soon forgetting Magnus' worries, Caius groaned over his own.

"You said if I gave Dora some space, then she would come back to me." He paused to run a hand through his hair. He'd done the same thing so many times through his strained conversation with his mate that it now looked lank and greasy. "Things between us are getting worse, not better."

"You two have a lot of water under the bridge, troubled water at that," Magnus reminded him. "I know this is hard for you to hear, but…"

Magnus broke away for a moment. He had to be careful with his phrasing. Caius had asked for Magnus to be on _his_ side earlier that day, and Magnus had promised he would be. He was _! But being on your side means helping you see Dora's side, too,_ he told himself.

Clearing his throat, he began again. "But just because you have made some headway in changing certain aspects of yourself, that doesn't mean Dora is ready to fully forgive the way she has been treated over the years now she's realised the injustice."

"So, what are you saying?" Caius asked. "It's too little too late from me?"

Magnus shook his head. "More like, you're expecting too much too soon from her."

Caius sunk into his seat, shoulders drooped. He couldn't think about the state of his marriage any more. It was depressing.

"Whats on your mind?" he asked, remembering Magnus had looked quite forlorn when he'd arrived.

Magnus looked back to Caius with a pointed expression. "Other than you and Dora?" he said with a cocked eyebrow. "It doesn't matter."

Caius followed the juggernaut's eyeline to Odi at the bar. "It's him, isn't it?"

"My son has been avoiding me for six months," Magnus said, sounding terse. "He used to come to my chambers every day, now it's less than once a week. Freyr is heartbroken to have lost another child. So yes, it is Odi who is on my mind."

It was undue, but Magnus had readied himself for some complaint from Caius about him daring to consider his relationship with his son, but no complaint came. Caius had only started on Odi earlier that day as someone to take his frustrations out on. He really hadn't meant to pick on the kid.

Turning in his seat, Caius looked behind him again to get a better view of Odi. "He seems happy enough to me."

"Aye, he does," Magnus agreed. "Do you know how crushing it feels to see Dora so happy with her friends when she can't be that way with you? When you love someone so much, but they are only happy when you are out of the way?"

Caius didn't have to answer, it was clear from his grimacing expression that he understood Magnus' feelings.

"Me and Odi are getting on alright," Caius said, quickly adding 'most of the time' when Magnus gave him a withering eye. "I could talk to him for you? You've done enough for me…"

Caius' face became stricken as Magnus' gift betrayed him, gushing pride.

"Don't start that shit!"

Clearing his throat again, Magnus got himself under control.

"I appreciate it very much that you would even think to try," he said honestly. "But, no. It's not your battle to have with him, Caius. It's mine."

"How's Dora?" Irina's toxic tongue broke into the quiet conversation.

"She still wishes to be alone, Irina," Caius replied without turning to face the girl. "Give her some space."

"I know, of course," Irina said, sounding distant as she spoke. She worried her hold over the woman was slipping if Dora didn't want to see her. _Damn it!_ "I'll see her after the party."

"You could always go home, you know?" Magnus told her.

"Yeah, Odi wants _his_ room back," Caius added.

Irina backed away slowly. _Damn, damn, damn!_ She glanced back to the bar where Odi served their polluted bloodwine. _That kid has been in my way since the start of all this,_ she thought, quickly thinking of a way to have the guard brat back on lock down and out from under her feet.

She skipped back to the bar and ordered a full round of drinks. She even paid for them out of her own pocket!

Had her co-inbetweeners been less drunk, or drugged, they might have wondered where Irina got the money from to pay for the drinks as the kitty had been wiped out hours before. But alas, drunk and drugged they were. All of them, which is why Irina went gung-ho with her plan to ruin Odi without considering the consequences.

Once their small gathering was taken up in conversation, Irina slipped away again, taking two tankards of bloodwine with her.

"Whats this?" Magnus asked as the girl set the tankards down on the table.

Irina gave them a wonky, drunken smile. "Peace offering," she said, before darting back to her friends.

Magnus called after her, offering his thanks, but Irina was already clear across the room by the time he spoke.

"If I were human I'd be worried about her slipping arsenic into the cups!" Caius sniggered, collecting his free drink and bringing it to his lips.

The juggernaut agreed and went to do the same, but Caius' hand came slamming down on top of the tankard before he had chance to lift it from the table!

"Whats wrong with you?!"

"Don't get mad," Caius said quietly, pushing his own drink aside. "There's dungeon blood in the bloodwine."

"What?!"

"Not much," Caius explained. "But it's in there. I know my dungeon blood."

He watched the juggernaut as he tried to contain his rage. Magnus went from one guard to another, delving into their emotions and reading the crowd. An age seemed to pass before he spoke.

Unhooking the guard hall keys from his belt loop and sliding them across the table, he quietly growled, "Lock the doors, Caius."

"I said don't get mad," Caius hissed back, taking the keys.

"I'm perfectly calm."

Caius whistled into the air as he stood. "Your calm is scarier than your rage, you know?"

Magnus waited for Caius to lock the doors before acting. Once he was sure no one was going anywhere, he bellowed out to the guards to cease and desist. An immediate hush fell around the room with all eyes on the guard master. Magnus sat up straight in his seat and removed his belt, dropping it to the table with a heavy thud. He had everyone's attention.

"Line up, guys."

The guards did, Carlisle did, Odi did, Felix did… Irina did not.

Her plan had been for Magnus to bollock Odi and Odi alone. Maybe put the kid on lock down, get him out of Dora's spare room so she could have it. Being drunk, and drugged, Irina hadn't stop to consider that they would all be in trouble. Flashing to the double doors leading into the castle and her freedom, Irina pulled and pushed. Caius stood aside, laughing at her stress, knowing they were locked.

"You have no right to keep me here!"

Magnus offered the wretched young woman a tight smile. "My guard hall, my rules," he said, jutting his chin towards the 'Rules' above the bar.

Irina had never read the rules before, and though her vision was a little shaky, she noticed something that made her cold blood freeze.

'Regardless of perceived status, all coven members will be treated equally in the Guard Hall'.

 _Perceived status?!_ she wondered. _Equally?!_ Irina didn't have long to think on the matter, however, as Magnus gave Caius a nod.

Caius knew what Magnus wanted. He obstructed Irina's attempts to break down the doors before she could cause any damage and kept hold of her, being none too careful about the force he used to do so.

Magnus remained seated for the moment and assessed the room. "Dungeon blood?" he asked simply, reading the emotional responses.

Most were confused, if made apprehensive by the simple question. A few, however, were more reactive. Carlisle, Odi, Felix, and Irina being the main culprits. Corin and Turk seemed more nervous than they should be, Renata, too. Magnus called those three to him first.

"I'm going to assume you knew the drinks were spiked, and enjoyed the free buzz," he said quietly, judging them as he spoke.

The poor sods didn't even need to reply verbally - their emotional reactions, the ones they couldn't help, were telling their sins clear enough. Magnus nodded to himself and made to stand. Each in turn, he grabbed hold of their face and checked out their eyes. Reddening and glassy. _You must have been ingesting dungeon blood over the last few hours, at least. Fucked. You_ _'_ _re all fucked!_

"You're all on block until I say otherwise."

The women accepted it, they had expected it, even, but Turk was taken aback. He'd never been put on block before!

Early into the evening, Turk had attempted to serve Richard a goblet of bloodwine from the polluted barrel, only to be accosted by Odi and man handled out of the way. Odi had been forced to explain himself to his old friend, and Turk had, understandably, flipped out. It took some convincing, but with Odi swearing on the eyes of his mother to never commit such an atrocity against Turk again, Turk had relented. What else could he do?! He wouldn't dob Odi in again to his parents – he had felt retched for months after the last time – and he couldn't take the dungeon blood out of the bloodwine. He decided the best way forward would be to endure no one else drank the infected bloodwine and hoped no one would ever discovered what Odi had done.

"But the bar… Master?" he asked, awkwardly.

(Well you would be awkward, too, if your face was being held in a vice like grip by one of the strongest vampires on earth!)

"If you were so bothered about the bar, Turk," Magnus ground out through gritted teeth. "You would have stopped those idiots from doing this."

Turk really wished he had waited until Magnus had released his hold before he'd complained. The tight grip the guard master had on him became painful as Magnus dug his fingers into the sides of Turk's face. He'd be left with the bruising for a good day or two.

"Any more complaints?" Magnus asked, taking a step back.

Turk's hands immediately found his thumping cheeks and thought better of saying anything else. He retreated to the line of guards with Renata and Corin.

Magnus picked up his belt and used it to point out Carlisle, Odi, and Felix, and then to the spot in front of him. Before they even reached him, Magnus was certain of what they had done. The three of them were so groggily-eyed that Magnus doubted they would be awake for much longer. _Damn stupid kids!_

He pulled Felix forward first.

"You and I both know your old man is going to flip about this," he whispered into the boy's ear. "I don't want you in any more trouble than needs be, young one."

Magnus paused and looked over to Irina, still struggling fruitlessly in Caius' hold.

"I know you four spiked the drinks, I want to know whose idea it was."

 _Oh fuck! I can_ _'_ _t grass! I'm not a grass!_ Felix stayed silent.

Magnus didn't need him to talk. "Was it Irina?"

"Magnus!" Felix whined. "That's not fair!"

Magnus chortled to himself. He had his answer from the boy's emotions, but that whine was enough to condemn the Denali girl.

"Who supplied the dungeon blood?" he asked, reading emotions as he went. Odi, Carlisle, and Felix reeked of guilt, though surprisingly, not Irina.

"Felix," he said softly. "Did Irina supply dungeon blood, too?"

Felix groaned knowing he would be grassing again without so much as a blink.

Magnus thanked the stars for his gift and the ease of life it offered him in such situations. _So, she got you three goons to do the dirty work for her._ If Felix thought Magnus' laughter was a sign he would go easy on him, he was mistaken.

"Let's get on with it, shall we?"

Magnus swung Felix out in front of him by his left arm, presenting the young Volturi prince to the room. Holding the boy at arm's length ensured Magnus could deliver a full round-house smack with his belt, and, unfortunately for Felix, the guard master could put a hell of a lot of weight behind each strike!

The boy quivered in anticipation, trembling slightly with sweat beading on his forehead. Were it not for the huge crowd of onlookers, the boy would have been begging before Magnus started. As it was, Felix managed to clamp his mouth shut right up until that first strike was levelled at his behind.

"Magnus! Please! No!"

Carlisle would never admit it out loud, but he knew if Felix was up on his tiptoes roaring to the Gods from Magnus' blows, then he stood no chance! Odi knew the same, and he had far more experience facing Magnus than just about anyone else on the planet. With a particularly pained shriek from Felix, Odi quivered inside. _Oh hell!_

It suddenly struck Odi that if that was how Felix was fairing with a load of dungeon blood inside him, how would Odi cope when Magnus repeated the message once he'd sobered up?! Magnus had always been clear with his boys in their human lives that if they copped for trouble outside of his home he would repeat the message once he caught hold of them. It was a covet that had followed Odi to Volterra.

Magnus wasn't unusual. All the parents Odi had ever met had been the same. He knew Basileus and Aro would apply the same covet to Carlisle and Felix. Odi wasn't sure who had it worse - him or Carlisle. He thought Felix would be okay only facing Aro, and being a child, and all.

To be fair, Felix agreed with Odi on that score. Being one of few lucky coven members who had suffered the wrath of just about every possible punisher the Volturi offered, Magnus was the worst!

The problem with Magnus was that you couldn't fool him. The covens trained delinquents, such as Felix, had become adept at saying the right things, thinking the right things, to get Aro or Basileus to back off. It even worked with Caius! But Magnus didn't work that way - he went on feelings, and he kept up delivering strike after strike until he felt the poor sod's feelings match their mouth.

That's not to say that the juggernaut was cruel, he wasn't - he had a cut-off point like every other man in his position. The issue for those facing his wrath, like Felix in that moment, was that they had no way to manipulate Magnus into an early finish.

That said, dungeon blood, like many drugs of its nature had a depressive effect once the buzz was over. The buzz might have lasted longer on Felix were it not for the thunderous strikes being added to his hide. As it was, the boy was feeling contrite and repentant much sooner than he might otherwise have been.

Magnus ended his assault and took Felix in his arms until he'd calmed to a regular pattern of breathing.

"What you've done tonight," Magnus whispered into the boy's ear. "It wasn't just juvenile, it was very dangerous."

Felix tried to reply, he really did, but the heaving sobs he fought to control took centre stage. "I… under… under… stand…" he finally stuttered out.

Magnus sent the boy to wait at the doors where Irina was quick to call him a cunt for ratting her out. She didn't understand how Magnus worked and that Felix had no way to stop the man from finding the truth. Not that Felix really cared what Irina thought of him. He was hanging out with Carlisle and Odi and getting to spend time with Corin – Dora and Renata were okay, but Irina was just the sucker paying for it.

Seeing Felix was safe and sound, Magus moved on.

"Think carefully before you answer me, boy, because my patience for your petulance is all but exhausted." Magnus stepped up to his son, towering over the kid. "Was this just another way for you to get one over on me?"

Odi didn't look up. He couldn't. _If I look in your eyes I_ _'_ _m going to see the disappointment and I'm going to crumble._ He could feel the guards' eyes on his back and there was no way he would give them the satisfaction of seeing him bowing down to his father.

"Not everything I do is about you," Odi replied, sounding much more confident than he felt.

Magnus dragged a hand down his tired face. _Prideful little cock,_ he thought to the kid. He didn't want to punish his son in front of the guard, but what choice did he have?

With his father taking just slightly too long to act, Odi dared a glance in the man's direction. He didn't see the disappointment he had expected, no, Odi saw something else - clear determination.

As he had done with Felix, Magnus grabbed Odi's left arm tightly with his steely left hand. Except this time, he didn't swing the boy out in front, instead he twisted Odi's arm around behind his back, forcing him to bend at the waist and greet his crowd arse-on.

Carlisle gulped down the air around him, sure he was on the brink of hyperventilating. He had never seen a more compromising position in his life. _Oh, please God no!_ he prayed. _Don't let that happen to me!_

Again, Magnus wasted no time in conveying his anger and displeasure with his son's behaviour by the firm, rapid-fire repetition of his belt.

At once Odi was petrified and embarrassed - petrified of what the guards would think of him taking a strapping from his father at his age and status, and embarrassed… well, for the very same reason!

Carlisle wasn't feeling much better. With careful appraisal, the Volturi prince noticed Magnus put more force behind the strikes he offered Odi than those he offered Felix. _Maybe it's because he's Odi's Dad?_ Carlisle wondered. _Surely to God he won't hit me that hard?_ With a particularly worrisome shriek coming from Odi, Carlisle's fears took an iron grip in the pit of his stomach. _Maybe he will hit me harder?! Because I'm older than Odi?! Fuck! Please be wrong, please be wrong!_

It wasn't long before Odi begged for a reprieve, and soon after that Magnus ended his assault. Without looking at his boy, Magnus directed the kid towards Felix, leaving Carlisle for his round.

"Magnus, please," Carlisle said softly. "I'm much older than…"

Magnus scoffed. "You should have acted like it then, shouldn't you?"

Pulling the Volturi prince in close, Magnus wanted to offer Carlisle a slither of redemption.

"The only thing that will lessen what you have coming from your father, is telling me the truth now."

Carlisle felt his stomach lurch and he was forced to gulp down the bloodwine rising in his gullet.

"Who supplied the dungeon blood?"

Carlisle grimaced. "I stole a bottle from Basileus' stores."

Magnus wasn't impressed. "You lot have got through more than a bottle."

With a look back over his shoulder, Magnus fixed his sights on Felix and Odi. "You're feeling guilty again, lads," he told them. "Anything you'd like to admit?"

Felix steeled himself and admitted his part in their stupidity. "I took the bottle from the south tower."

Magnus bobbed his head, it was just as he'd suspected. "And you took one from my place?" he asked Odi.

Odi didn't answer, but as with Felix shortly before, his emotions betrayed him anyway.

"Oh dear, son," Magnus sighed. "I'll deal with you later."

Hearing the tiniest of sniggers from the guard line-up had Odi cringing so hard that his muscles ached!

"Irina?" Magnus called in question. "Did you take a bottle from Eleazar's quarters?"

Irina smirked back at the juggernaut, believing her honest answer would be her 'get out of jail free card'. "I couldn't find it."

"You got this lot to do your dirty work and kept your hands clean?" Magnus asked, with Irina reeking of self-indulgent pride for her clever scheming. "Right, I will take that as a yes, my dear."

All too soon, the question and answer part came to an end and Carlisle suddenly found himself being man handled into position. Carlisle didn't wear Volturi uniform. He fashioned himself as his brothers did, with dress coats, shirts, britches. The Volturi uniform tunics didn't get in the way of a thrashing, but a dress coat would, so Carlisle found him first being extracted from his coat before being bent over in the same way Odi had been. This is even worse! Carlisle thought, knowing how tightly his britches would be stretched across his backside in such a position.

Naturally, Magnus knew he was adding a touch of humiliation to proceedings. It wasn't accidental! It was part of the punishment. Forcing trouble makers to eat a little humble pie helped massively in reforming behaviour, in the juggernaut's opinion.

Just as the first stroke landed, Carlisle's fears were fully realised. Magnus was definitely hitting him harder than he had Odi. A pained 'fuck' escaped his lips as he reared up against the blow.

Magnus soon had him back in position and directed a bonus blow at Carlisle's legs.

"Keep your language in check, boy," he roared.

Whimpering, Carlisle forced his lips between his teeth to keep them together – he couldn't take another surprise strike like that!

Somewhere around the fourth strike, Carlisle caught sight of Felix and Odi, the latter watching in torrid fascination. _We really need to tell Odi about the code,_ Carlisle thought, gritting his teeth through Magnus' onslaught. Felix wasn't watching. He was pretending not to watch, at least, which was preferable to outright staring with a horrified expression.

"Magnus," Carlisle called out in a strangled sob. "Please," he begged. "No more!"

With a final thunderous strike, Magnus spun Carlisle around to face him. "you are much older than them," Magnus said, agreeing with Carlisle's initial plea for mercy. "So, I'll do you a deal. You bring trouble to my hall again any time soon, and I'll finish what we've started here."

That really wasn't the kind of deal Carlisle had wished to strike with the man. _Finish what we_ _'_ _ve started?!_ Carlisle repeated to himself. He hadn't kept tally of Magnus' delivery, but he was sure he counted at least ten and his backside burned!

"Are you listening to me?!" Magnus asked, shaking the young man by his arm.

"Yes, sir," Carlisle squeaked out, before hurrying over with a limped step to his partners in crime.

"Silly boys," Irina said, mocking the three humiliated guys. "I do hate to see people cry."

Felix turned to his fellow delinquents. "It reminds her of how little she cares about others."

"Isn't that the truth!" Odi chimed in, giving a rough swipe to the never-ending tears he produced.

Magnus strolled over and took Irina from Caius' hold. "Let's see how much she cares about herself, shall we?" he breezed, dragging the girl along behind him back to his table.

"Excuse me?!" Irina threw out haughtily. "I don't think so!"

Magnus barely blinked as he continued to drag her along at a human pace.

With the fear rising in her stomach, Irina tried desperately to get away from the juggernaut and whatever it was he proposed on doing to her. Even then, even right then at that point when Magnus had already belted the lads and still held the belt in his hand, even then Irina remained semi-secure in the belief that the guard master wouldn't dare to treat her in such a way.

Magnus brought the belt down sharp, but with Irina jigging about it only grazed the back of her legs. With the heavy fabric layers of her gown, she didn't even feel it. Not that it mattered. The gesture was enough to see the girl shriek and put renewed efforts into fighting for her freedom.

"What reasoning could you possibly come up with…"

Magnus cut her off sharp with a second strike, this one making its target. Irina wailed into the air like a wounded animal. If it weren't for his years of experience, Magus may well of questioned the level of strength he'd used!

"I don't need any reasoning, young one," Magnus explained patiently.

He took Irina over to the bar where the 'Rules' hung. Watching her face as she read, Magnus waited until she had completed a thorough run through of the list before speaking. When the girl was white as snow, he assumed she had come to the end, and therefore the comprehension that it really was _his_ guard hall, _his_ rules!

"I'm not a vindictive man," Magnus told her gently; a tone unbefitting of the tight grip he maintained on Irina's arm. "But I am responsible for anything that happens in this hall, and, therefore, you defer to me from the moment you step foot over the threshold."

He felt the girls anger spike as he spoke, though to be fair, it may have been the guards stifled sniggers Irina was reacting to.

"As it is," Magnus breezed, absorbing a little of the girl's tension. "Inciting strife in my hall is my reason."

"That's not fair…"

Irina found herself unable to voice any further complaint. The horror of her situation utterly consumed her. She had suggested the dungeon blood as a free high, but she'd been careful to keep her hands clean, on that Magnus was right. She would have got away with it with Eleazar and Carmen, Basileus, too, she reasoned. With another thumping strike levelled at her rear, Irina screamed her frustrations.

And it was frustration - not pain. Magnus used the same force he had used on the boys, all's fair in equality, after all, but the effect differed for Irina. She wore a dress made of many layers constructed from rich, heavy, voluptuous fabric. Magnus' belt thumped against the girl rather than slapped, as it had against the boys - who only had britches and linen braies to protect themselves.

Magnus knew what was happening - he had enough women in the guard, after all. It was a simple situation to remedy in the guard, though. The guards all wore the same uniform, for one, which had been designed for battle and consisted of britches and tunics. Though a few of the female members wore dresses on their days off, they knew to change into more appropriate clothing before Magnus arrived at their dorm if they suspected discipline and they mostly did. The odd one, younger women - girls, as Magnus thought them - chanced their luck occasionally. But in the privacy of a dorm room Magnus had no problem in putting them straight and ordering them to bare themselves. He couldn't do that to Irina in the guard hall. Hell, he wouldn't even do that to a guard, not even one of the lads. He might have not suffered the same sensibilities as Basileus regarding punishing the girls, but he had standards to maintain!

After another ear-splitting shriek from Irina, Magnus quit, unable to take the noise any longer. _I dread to think the row you_ _'_ _d make if this actually hurt!_

Once Irina realised her torment was over, she concentrated on getting herself under control. Her breathing quickly returned to a normal rhythm, and the few tears she had allowed herself to shed were wiped away.

Turning to the juggernaut, who maintained his hold on her arm, she spat in the man's face!

A gasp spread through room as everyone watched the globule of spit running down Magnus' cheek.

"Disgusting," Caius muttered, thoroughly repulsed.

Odi gulped at his side. He had a vague memory of doing that to his mother once in his human life… he never did it again, that was for damn sure!

Magnus kept his cool, bobbed his head once and wiped the offending substance away with his sleeve.

Irina went to do it again!

Magnus wasn't having that! He moved quickly, placing his hand under Irina's chin and squeezing her cheeks so tight they cut into her teeth. Holding her in place with lips puckered like a fish, he brought his own head down low and close. So close, their noses nearly touched.

"If you ever do that to me again," he said, danger in his gravely tone. "I will personally ensure you are unable to sit down for a month." With a shake, he added, "Do we understand each other, or would you like a demonstration?"

Oh, how Irina wanted to tell him to go fuck himself! Self-preservation stopped her, but only just.

Reading her emotions, because Irina couldn't talk with the position he held her in, Magnus worked out that the girl had given in to his authority. _Finally,_ he thought, releasing her face.

In a gentler tone, because he knew it had been an ordeal for the girl, he said, "Let's get you home, shall we?"

 _You bastard!_ Irina cursed. The sudden change to Magnus' demeanour pissed her off! _You can't humiliate me one minute and be nice the next! Do you think I'll fall for that shit?_

Magnus wasn't trying to lead Irina into a trap, as she thought it. Discipline had been dispensed, so it was back to business as usual. For Magnus, that was being, nice! Irina's emotional read out told Magnus she was annoyed again, but he didn't understand why. _You're giving me a head ache, girl. I know that much!_

Looking back over his shoulder, Magnus suddenly remembered his guard hall remained occupied. "You may have already guessed, but the party is over," he told his guards. "Goodnight to you all."

He had a feeling Irina would bolt if released, so Magnus kept a hold of her arm. He judged Carlisle and Felix would walk without complaint.

"Home time, young ones," he told the pair of them, before asking Caius, "Could you escort Odi to my chambers and keep him there?"

"I don't need an escort!" Odi complained, only to be ignored as Caius readily agreed, unlocking the doors to allow their release.

Before the groups divided towards the north and south tower, Magnus pulled his son back. "Odi, you know whats expected."

 _That wasn_ _'_ _t a question,_ Odi thought with a huff. "Yes, sir."

With Irina struggling in his grasp, Magnus pushed Felix and Carlisle ahead to lead the way to the south tower. The pair of them looked like they were heading for the gallows, though they might have preferred that to facing their fathers! All too soon in Felix' opinion, the foursome arrived at Aro's door.

"Go on," Magnus encouraged when Felix stalled. "You'll survive, young one."

The boy opened the door slowly, already close to tears knowing how much trouble he would be in. Magnus and Irina followed. Seeing Aro was conveniently accompanied by Basileus, Magnus smiled tightly.

"This has saved me a job," he said, calling for Carlisle to join them. "Spiking the bloodwine with dungeon blood."

That was all Magnus had to say.

Aro flashed to his son's side to read the boy's memories and from the look on Basileus' face it was safe to say that he was already doing the same from across the room.

"Explain!" Aro roared, the tight grip he had of Felix' wrist flexing with his anger.

Felix gulped down the rising venomous sick in his throat.

"It's not my fault!"

It was his go-to phrase, and as always when he muttered such words, it was a lie.

"Are you daring to stand there and lie to my face, boy?"

"No!" Felix shot back quickly. "I just meant… not…" he stumbled over his words trying to back track. Aro continued to glare at Felix as he lost his momentum until the boy slumped in defeat and said very quietly, "I'm sorry, Dad."

Basileus ignored his own troublesome boy and looked to Magnus instead. "And this happened under your nose?"

Magnus puffed out his cheeks and nodded. "I know," he said, before Basileus could ask how such a thing had come to pass. "I wasn't on the ball tonight," he admitted.

Basileus bobbed his head once. "We'll talk it through later," he promised, before gesturing to Irina. "Why do you have her?"

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you who was the mastermind." Magnus released Irina into Basileus' hold.

"That bastard just… he just… eugh!"

Irina couldn't even say the words. Her tongue was tied between shame and utter outrage over Magnus' treatment of her. She had never expected in a million years that the juggernaut would treat her the same as the guys involved. Never!

Basileus wished he had the confidence Magnus did dealing with the women in their coven. How many times had he wanted to knock that smarmy smile of Irina's face since she'd joined the Volturi? He couldn't count.

The hypocrisy of expecting Eleazar to do so when he wouldn't didn't skip Basileus by. To be fair to Irina, there were a few others Basileus wished he could knock into touch; his own daughters in law, Kate and Tanya, Athenodora, a few of the guards, even Jane on occasion. It was a mental block he would have to get over at some point, he knew that.

"Fair play to you, my friend."

"Fair fucking play?!"

Irina stamped her foot into the floor with such force that it shattered the wooden heal to her shoe. That only added to her rage! _This is Magnus' fault, too!_

Basileus heard the words forming in Irina's mind, and slapped a hand across her mouth before she could shame him further.

"If she has something to say, I can take it," Magnus said, unfazed.

Basileus winced a little feeling Irina's attempts to bite her way free. She couldn't hope to break the creator's skin, of course, but it still smarted to have the bitch chewing on him.

"She said you're a cunt, my friend," Basileus explained. "Make that, we're all cunts."

"Is that so?" Magnus bobbed his head. "Well this cunt just barred you from the guard hall, young lady."

Basileus started laughing. "Irina doesn't think you can do that." He soon started out right guffawing at the girl's thoughts. "Let's hope Eleazar will provide the follow up that sets her straight, eh?"

"Yeah right!" Aro tutted into the air. "He won't do anything and we all know it."

Aro wasn't wrong. He'd heard his brother had stepped in once or twice when the younger Denali girls were tearing a strip off each other in their usual argumentative fashion. He'd even heard that El had given Tanya a smack once, but he doubted his brother, famed for his avoidance of confrontation, would go there with Irina.

It felt particularly frustrating to the coven king knowing he would have to go through the rigmarole of belting his son when Irina, the orchestrator, would walk away unscathed. _Although_ , he thought, _it might stop my idiot from following the little bitch when he feels the injustice._

Aro looked to his son on the sofa with his uncle and was surprised to see them both out for the count.

"How hard did you hit them, Magnus?!" Aro asked, alerting his co master and father to the state of the passed-out pair.

Magnus held up his hands. "That will be the dungeon blood, Aro," he explained. "Not my doing."

Aro tried shaking Felix to wake him, and he gave his brother a slap to no effect.

"Leave them be, son," Basileus told him. "It will hurt twice as much belting them with a hangover."

"On that note," Magnus interjected. "I have Odi to deal with."

 _And as I left him with Caius, I might have Caius to deal with, too_. He truly hoped Caius hadn't been spiteful with the lad because the mood Magnus found himself in, he would rip the guy to shreds if he had.

"They are all banned from my hall until Halloween, could you pass on the message?"

"Don't worry," Basileus replied. "We'll be sure to beat the message into them."

Caius had sent Odi up to the middle floor suite, so he could pop into his own chambers and tell Dora what was going on. He was glad to hear her shock when he explained all he knew - how Irina had manipulated the situation, and purposely given him and Magnus the polluted bloodwine. In fact, Dora wasn't simply shocked, she was angry!

"She gave you dungeon blood?!" she asked. "You?! Dungeon blood?!" Dora took to pacing her living chambers at vampiric speed. "But Irina knows how you are on it, I've told her!"

"I know, love," Caius jumped in, happy with the way Dora's mind was going.

"But she knows I would leave you if you took dungeon blood again - I told her!"

 _You would what?!_ Caius felt his shirt collar becoming damp. _You would leave me over a bit of dungeon blood?!_ With a gulp, Caius thought about the dungeon blood he had been taking for several months… _Without incident,_ he told himself. _Why would you leave me over a bit of dungeon blood?!_ Caius really didn't understand what dungeon blood represented to Dora at that point.

"Why would she give it to you and Magnus?" Dora asked, pulling Caius from the horrors of his thoughts.

"Erm…" Caius had been blindsided by Dora's throw away statement. It took a moment to get himself back on track. "To get the lads in trouble with Magnus, I expect."

"But they are her friends," Dora said, poo-pooing the idea. "She must have been too drunk to know what she was doing."

Caius left it at that. Dora wasn't one for seeing the best in people, that wasn't her MO. But she usually believed the easiest explanation - a feature of her character that had served him well over the years and it wasn't something he necessarily wanted to change.

Joining Odi on the middle floor, Caius dropped Magnus' guard hall keys on the table and took to watching the kid curiously. Odi sat cross-legged at the foot of the wall - the same wall Magnus had stood Caius against to whip him after the dungeon blood fiasco at the tribune ball, in fact - where he rocked back and forth, banging his head against the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Odi's eyes cut across to Caius, looking hazy and bloodshot. "What my dad expects of me."

"Magnus expects you to bang your head against the wall?" Caius asked. It was a valid question - Caius knew the juggernaut wasn't cruel or unusual in his punishments so Odi's actions were still odd in his mind.

"Obviously not," Odi replied, yawning. "Trying to stay awake."

Caius understood that one. Dungeon blood could knock your average vampire out with a couple of shots. Drinking it throughout an entire evening as the inbetweeners had would drag out that effect, but it would still come.

"Fuck," Odi cursed quietly. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Taking a seat on the floor next to the boy, Caius pried into the kids state of mind. It was a rare opportunity for him to find out a little more about the inner workings of Magnus' family - a family Caius himself had one foot inside.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

The question came out of the blue for Odi, so he ended his head banging and looked to Caius instead. "Of what?"

"Magnus," Caius replied. _Obviously!_ "He looked furious with you."

"I'm not scared of him, he's my Dad."

Odi made it sound as though there would be no reason to fear one's father. Caius liked that. it wasn't' something he was familiar with as his own father, his human one, had terrified him at times. Aro's father could be pretty scary, too. They were the only father's he had any experience of, before Magnus took an interest in him, of course.

"But I can still dread things I'm not scared of," Odi continued.

"Dread?" Caius repeated. "What are you dreading?"

 _Aha!_ Odi rolled his eyes around. _Fishing for information, huh? Well you can jog on, brother._ "What do you think, Caius? Use your imagination."

The snippy tone to Odi's reply pissed Caius off almost as much as being shut down before he'd gathered any useful material from the kid. "You know I'm still your coven master, I assume?"

Odi smirked to Caius, "Not in here you're not."

With an almost friendly thump to the kid's arm, Caius called him a prick, but he made no effort to deny Odi's premise.

"Right back at ya!" Odi chucked. "You don't have to stay,"

"I'm not going anywhere," Caius laughed back. Folding his arms and stretching out his legs, he looked every bit set to stay. "I'm looking forward to the show,"

Odi's mouth dropped open. He hadn't even considered Caius would be around for the follow up from his father. _Oh, hell no!_

His parents weren't cruel, and they wouldn't go out of their way to embarrass him - Odi knew that. He also knew Magnus saw their home as a private space where only those he truly trusted would be allowed to enter. So, if Odi was in some sort of trouble, and he was home, he could expect to be dealt with regardless of who was around.

Odi saw it as a double standard – so you can embarrass me as much as you like in my own home?! - and had told his father exactly that only a few weeks before when Basileus sat at the table whilst Magnus gave his boy a damn good slap for mouthing off. That was Magnus' opinion on the apparent double standard.

"Please, Caius," he begged, trying to get the man on side. "Please go before Dad comes home."

"No way!" Caius scoffed. "I need to know the score," he explained. "And this is the least painful way of finding out."

Odi looked askance to his faux big brother. "For you, maybe!"

"Well, yes."

Caius couldn't say anymore, he was too busy laughing at the kid's argument for sending him away. _I'm not going anywhere,_ he thought resolutely.

"You're such a prick!" Odi called out, returning Caius' earlier playful thump in the arm with a fully meant punch of his own.

"Would you like to try that again?!" Magnus boomed, coming through the door.

He was glad Caius seemed in good spirits and not set on battering Odi for his rare brutishness.

"You had better watch your mouth, son," Magnus added, glowering down at the kid. "I already told you my patience for your petulance has long since gone."

"That's because you're a prick, too," Odi muttered.

He thought it was quiet enough to get away with… sadly not. Magnus snorted and shook his head. _Damn fool,_ he thought, whistling into the air and telling Odi he was done for.

"A prick?" Caius repeated. "He stuck his neck out to give you a job in the guard hall just so you could have some self-respect in earning your own money and you threw it in his face. You're the prick."

There was no malice in Caius' voice. He had offered a simple summary of the facts, as he saw them.

Odi shoved Caius hard, though as he was drunk, drugged, and tired, not to mention pretty weak compared to Caius, Odi's attempts to even move the coven leader at his side failed miserably.

 _Isn't having you hear for my round of fucks bad enough?! Do you have to join in?!_ Again, Odi told Caius he was a prick - although he had the sense to do so privately in his own head.

"Whats it got to do with you?!" the kid snapped. "Why are you even here?!"

"He's right," Magnus told his son. "I gave you the bar job…"

"You demoted me soon after!" Odi cut in. "I could only work coven events…"

As Odi continued his gripe, calling his father out on all the injustices in his life, Magnus grew weary. He would have to explain himself to Basileus at some point - not an event he was looking forward to.

Being best friends forever with the overseer of the entire coven had its perks, it also had its downsides. Having to explain failing in your duties to your boss, bad enough. When that boss is also your best mate? Awkward as fuck! _How am I supposed to explain away having half the young ones in the coven doped up on dungeon blood whilst I sat across the room in the only space within the coven I claim complete control over? Damn it!_

Odi continued to witter on, lamenting his life through his slurs and trying to level the blame at Magnus' feet. Magnus was done in and he needed an end to the God-awful evening.

"I pulled you from the bar," he barked. "Because you were stealing from it!"

"I was not!" Odi shot out without thinking.

"And now you are lying to my face," Magnus shot back. "You're list of trespasses grow every time you open your mouth!"

Caius got to his feet and pulled Magnus aside. "Seriously?" he asked the man. "Odi's been stealing from the bar?!"

"Aye," Magnus said, bitterly disappointed in his child. "He's always been a thieving, lying little shit."

Caius thought stealing dungeon blood was bad enough! He suddenly wasn't so sure that he wanted to stick around for the aftermath after all. Part of him wanted to flee, and possibly question his mate as to how involved she had been with the stolen drinks flowing across the bar.

"I knew at Valentines you were giving drinks to your mates," Magnus told his son, though he kept Turks admission to himself. "I didn't want to take your job from you, but I couldn't leave Turk with the full burden of your debt, so I knocked you down to coven events only."

"You left Turk to cover for you?!" Caius was loyal to his friends so Odi couldn't have done much worse in his eyes.

"Shut up!" Odi spat at his interference.

He wasn't so mad at Caius, as himself. Being reminded of what a shitty friend he had been when, ironically, he had only been trying to cement other friendships, came as a painful stab in the guts. The embarrassment over his actions gave Odi another stab.

"You found out at Valentines?" he asked his father, whispering, as if it would help to speak quietly. "I thought you were suspicious at Easter…"

"I tried to make it clear at Easter that I knew you were still giving drinks away," Magnus explained. "I thought you got the message which is why I let you serve tonight."

Dragging a hand through his hair, Magnus took to his seat, slumped in defeat. It had been a sticking point since he'd first clapped eyes on his son - the kid stole shit that wasn't his. Somehow, Odi always had a way of reasoning his theft to himself at the time, but that reasoning never stood against his father or anyone else who caught him. It didn't even stand up to Odi himself in the aftermath of being found out. Magnus found it embarrassing. _Odi does, too,_ he thought. _But not until he's caught._

Odi shuffled around on the floor leaning his back against the wall. Playing with the hem of his untucked shirt, he looked like a nervous little boy. So far removed from the typical deportment of a true Volturi guard.

Gathering together his courage, Odi asked, "Why didn't you say anything, Dad?"

Magnus chuckled, but there was no humour behind it. "I was angry about the theft, son, don't get me wrong."

Reaching around the back of his neck, Magnus paused to rub out the tension gathered there.

"I know you've had it tough in the guard recently and I was trying to do you a good turn, I was trying to avoid having to whoop you for stealing again."

Stating his intentions aloud, Magnus hung his head apprehending how foolish he had been. _Give that kid an inch and he always takes a mile. Odi isn_ _'_ _t the only slow learner around here._

"You've forced my hand," Magnus said, with a stern eye on his boy. "I hope you can see that?"

"I can, I'm sorry, Dad," Odi said solemnly. "I won't give any more drinks away, I won't do anything like this again…"

"You think you're going near the bar?" Magnus really did burst out laughing that time! "Never again!"

Okay, Odi knew he had screwed up. But an eternal ban on bar work?! _Extreme, Dad!_ Having Caius laughing with his father a foot away wasn't helping Odi's mood one little bit. He felt on edge, tired, emotional, worried about relations in the guard hall, stressed about everyone else finding out about his thievery… dungeon blood does make one rather unstable!

"That's not fair, Dad," Odi called out, dragging himself to his feet. "You can't be seriously banning from the bar forever."

"You half-filled a barrel of bloodwine with dungeon blood!" Caius reminded him.

"It wasn't half filled," Odi growled back.

"Three bottles, son," Magnus stated. "Three bottles!" Saying it out loud riled Magnus. "I should string you up by your toes, you little shit."

Caius could feel the strain between father and son, even without Magnus' gift, and he tried to offer Odi a smile of encouragement. The kid really was in it up to his neck and he felt for him. Sadly, Odi translated Caius' smile as a smirk, or maybe a mocking smile, the start of a laugh at his situation - something spiteful or cruel, at least.

Pissed off with Caius, fuming with his father, Odi muttered 'miserable cunts' to them both.

Magnus flashed to his feet. He was finished. "I was going to let you sleep off your drink," he snarled at the boy. "But if you want to do this now, we can do it now,"

Odi started back tracking, quick! During their strained conversation Odi had forgotten he had more punishment due.

"Not with him here," he spat out in disgust, jabbing an angry finger in Caius' direction. "No fucking chance!"

Odi winced when he saw his father's face tighten into resolve once more. Cursing hadn't been the kid's best idea. Magnus and Freyr didn't like to hear him swear at the best of times, let alone when he was already in trouble. _Fucking whiskey!_ Odi fumed. _Fucking dungeon blood!_ Drink and drugs had stolen his sanity!

"I should go…" Caius said, backing away to the door.

"No," Magnus held up a hand. "You're staying. Pour us some drinks. This won't take long."

"You can't let him stay when he wants to go!" Odi's words came out as a stutter as he voiced the injustice. "Can we go to my room, Dad?" he begged, tugging on the man's arm to try and move him along. "Please?" he implored again when he failed to move his father an inch.

Somewhere behind him, Magnus heard Caius chuckle as he filled a jug with bloodwine from the barrel.

"Caius, if you're staying, you're staying quiet," he called, silencing the man with his words.

When Magnus started unbuckling his belt for the second time that evening, Odi's knees almost buckled beneath him. Not that it would have mattered if they had. Magnus had already taken hold of Odi by the back of his neck, directing him to window seats at the far end of the room. Soaking up his apprehension, Magnus took a moment to run through the situation with his boy. He hooked a finger under Odi's chin, tugging his face up so he had eye contact with the kid.

"Why am I letting him stay?" Magnus asked.

"Because I'm trying to take control and I shouldn't," Odi drawled. It was a well-worn phrase for the boy to state. "I'm sorry, but please…"

Too late. Magnus already had his left foot up on the seat, presenting his thigh as a shelf of doom for Odi to throw himself over.

It was the end of the argument. Magnus' mind was made up and there would be nothing anyone could do to change it. Odi whimpered knowing he'd lost, but he just couldn't make himself comply.

"You know better than to make me wait, young one," Magnus said, folding his belt in two. "You learnt that the hard way when you were a boy."

That was enough of a reminder to have Odi flashing into action. Odi knew what to drop and dropped them. He knew what to lift and lifted it. He knew where to go and almost threw himself over his father's knee.

Magnus didn't waste any time. Straight to business. For once, Odi was grateful of his father's attitude to such things.

He toyed with asking Magnus to change his mind, that the embarrassment of having Caius there was just too much, but he kept his mouth closed. His father had told him many times that a little embarrassment was part of the punishment. _Fucker._

With Caius sitting a few feet across the room, the kid couldn't have found his dignity with a map, but he tried to save any semblance of pride by taking his punishment stoically.

Yeah… that didn't work either. Before the third strike, Odi was begging, by the tenth, his shrieks and sobs rendered his words indistinguishable. He couldn't help it.

The feeling of leather on his bare skin was different from in the guard hall when the dreaded belt had to penetrate through his clothing. The scant fabric of worn britches and linen shorts had at least offered some protection. The pain was sharper now as the strikes came. More immediate and leaving a burn in its wake. Odi's muscles reacted before he could regain control, contracting and twisting his body as he hung from his father's knee.

Mid gut-wrenching sob, Odi was deposited back on his feet. No sooner had Odi landed the right way up, he was stooping low to retrieve his lower garments and redress himself.

Magnus did it for him sometimes, if he was in too much of a state. It was a gesture Odi appreciated when it was just the two of them, or even the three of them, if Freyr was around. He didn't want Magnus trying such a thing with Caius about, however. Too embarrassing. _Who am I kidding,_ Odi asked himself _. Like anything could be more embarrassing than this?!_

Regardless of the onlooker across the room, there was one tradition Odi wanted maintained – he needed the comfort his father would offer after tearing him to pieces.

When Magnus held open his arms, he did so warily, unsure of whether Odi would want him to with Caius… Odi went straight in, soaking up his father's affections and forgiveness. It cleansed the boy's soul.

Magnus held him for until the kid's tears abated, then he pushed him back a little and took his face in two hands. Getting a good look at the state of his eyes, Magnus frowned in disapproval and shook his head.

"Look how drunk you are," he chided the boy gently, bumping his fist against Odi's chin.

Pulling his son in tight again and kissed the crown of his head and used his gift to pry into his child's emotional state. _A little bitter,_ Magnus gathered _. But that's no doubt because Caius is here,_ he correctly assumed. _There's anger there, too,_ Magnus mused, but that was frustratingly usual after he'd whipped the kid. Mostly, Odi was simply shattered!

"Get to your bed and sleep it off," he said, pushing his boy in the right direction.

Odi yelped when Magnus slapped his backside to send him on his way. He would usually have flashed from the room but being so unsteady on his feet put an end to that plan. As it was, he sloped passed Caius with his head down low, avoiding the older man's eye.

Had he looked at Caius, he wouldn't have found the amusement Odi expected. Caius was dumbfounded! The experience had been a salutary one for the young coven master and he certainly didn't think any less of Odi for his display. Not that he thought less of Magnus, either, of course. He was just… shocked.

Magnus' voice cut into Caius brooding, though the message was for Odi, not him.

"I'll need to talk to you when you wake up, son, so don't leave these chambers until I release you."

"Yeah," Odi called back. "I know the drill, Dad."

Magnus dropped his belt into his usual chair. Shedding his dress coat, he threw it on top as if to hide the implement from sight. He took the seat next to Caius on the sofa and happily indulged in the cup of bloodwine waiting for him.

Caius hadn't said a word since Magnus had told him to keep quiet. He couldn't wait any longer, he had to say something.

"That was possibly the scariest thing I have seen in my life," he said, shiver running down his spine, and not for the first time.

Magnus pinched the bridge of his nose, sure he would have a bruise there from how many times he had done so that day.

"Odi will get over it, he just has to be a brat about it first."

Caius wasn't referring to Odi in any way, shape, or form.

"I don't remember any of that loving stuff when you whipped me," he grumbled. It was one of the things he was wondering about, not the main thing, but one of them.

Magnus chuckled into his cup. "You don't want me anywhere near you after I whip you, Caius," he reminded him. "That's on you, not me."

Yes, that was true enough. It did seem to bring a nicer end to proceedings accepting the comfort, though. Caius still wasn't sure what to do with that information, but he banked it just the same.

"Why are you so worried?"

"You wouldn't try doing _that_ to me, would you?"

Before Magnus could remind Caius that he had, in fact, whipped him a couple of times already, Caius qualified his question.

"Not like _that_ , I mean…" _Not over your knee like a fucking child,_ he thought, though he couldn't say it. The words stuck in his throat.

A smile tugged at Magnus' lips realising what Caius was getting at. _Aww, bless him._

"Odi is half your age, and half your size," Caius continued. "And he's your son, so I get why you do _that_ with him, but you wouldn't try _that_ with me, right?" _Why doing I keep saying_ that _, like_ that _?_

It was no good, Magnus couldn't hide his amusement any longer. Laughing, he patted Caius on the head in the most patronising fashion.

"If those are your only reasons why I shouldn't, then you aren't coming to me with a strong case, short stuff."

 _I_ _'_ _m six foot… almost. Cheeky fucker._

"You wouldn't though, right?" Caius asked again. He wanted confirmation of some sort that _that_ wasn't in his future.

Magnus merely collected his bloodwine from the table and ignored the man.

"Magnus!" Caius huffed, jabbing the juggernaut in the ribs when the fucker started chuckling again. "I couldn't take it, you need to know that."

"So Odi is stronger than you, is that what you're saying?" Magnus asked.

Caius huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm saying my sense of pride is stronger than his, clearly."

"Don't I know it!" Magnus returned. "Listen, Caius," he started, getting serious. "The fact that you have asked whether I would or not, tells me a lot about whether I will."

"Like what, exactly?"

Magnus wasn't about to tell Caius that by his simple question, he was actually accepting that Magnus could put him over his knee if he chose to. Caius wouldn't understand how it worked, but that's exactly what he was doing. Otherwise he would have told Magnus to forget the very idea of ever doing such a thing to him, or else! But Caius hadn't made a demand, he'd made a request, one Magnus was fully intent on ignoring.

"You wouldn't, though, right?" Caius pushed with his previous question being ignored.

Magnus looked at Caius for a moment, considering the man at his side. Had he lived long enough, Magnus' eldest son, Ivar, would have been 26 years old when Magnus was turned. _Caius is only 28,_ Magnus mused. That put to rest Caius' covet of Odi being half Magnus' age. _You're half my size, too._ That sorted the second covet. _My son, though?_ Magnus played the idea over in his mind. He thought of Caius that way, and he believed Caius thought of him in a fatherly way… not quite father, but father _ly_.

A devious thought crossed the juggernaut's mind and wicked smile spread across his face. Dropping his cup on the table, Magnus got to his feet.

"Stand up," he ordered.

Caius raised an eyebrow and stayed seated, unsure of what was going on.

"Just stand up," Magnus said again, pulling Caius to his feet.

"Now what…" Caius began.

Magnus popped his foot up on the sofa and Caius' words soon strangled in his throat as he was ripped from the floor only to find himself ass-up over the juggernaut's' knee! A yelp soon followed when Magnus planted a solid strike to Caius' backside.

"There," Magnus breezed, holding a struggling and bewildered Caius in place. "Now we know you fit just fine, let's keep it in mind, shall we?"

As quickly as he had been hoisted up, Caius was deposited back in his seat and Magnus plonked back down next to him.

"You've gone ever so pale, little one," Magnus mocked the man as he refilled their cups from the jug.

"You just… you can't… you just…"

Magnus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled Caius in tight to his side. "I did," Magnus said. "So, it would seem I can."

For a full half hour, Caius went on stammering through the perplexity of the situation as he supped on his bloodwine.

Only a little time passed before Freyr returned home, looking tired and somewhat annoyed.

"Have you heard what Odi's done?" Magnus asked, assuming their wayward boy would be the reason for his mate's downcast mood.

"I've heard what _they_ have done, love, it wasn't just Odi." Freyr replied, hanging up her cloak and placing a bag in her usual chair. "Basileus has asked that I send you along when you're free. He wants a full run down of the evenings events."

 _I bet he does._ It was just about the last thing Magnus wanted to do, knowing how bloody awkward it was going to be, but he dutifully went. Caius attempted to follow and return to Dora, though he didn't get very far.

"Not so fast!" Freyr blocked Caius' path and pushed him back a step. "I need to speak with you. This business with the dungeon blood…"

"I wasn't involved, Freyr," Caius drawled out.

When Caius had flippantly told the woman that he was close to heading off on a drug binge after a particularly depressing fight with Dora, Freyr had made it clear her opinion on the idea. Caius had been drinking dungeon blood, but he hadn't been involved in the inbetweeners pranks. _I'm not going down for them._

"I know you weren't involved tonight," Freyr said, eyes never leaving the younger master. "The young ones took the bottles from Basileus' chambers, Aro's, and here."

Caius shrugged. He knew that already.

"I wondered if they had visited Dora and taken your bottle, too."

Suddenly Caius knew why Freyr wanted to speak to him. _Bollocks._

Freyr reached into the cloth bag she had discarded on the chair and revealed an empty bottle of dungeon blood, which she placed on table next to Caius.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ Caius couldn't even bring himself to look at it.

"Somehow Dora doesn't know you are back on this stuff," Freyr explained. "I suggest it stays that way, or your relationship really will be for the dust."

"I'm alright on it…"

"No, you are not!"

Freyr's words were accompanied by a hefty clout to Caius' head.

"Christ, Freyr!" Caius complained, left ear ringing from the blow.

"You will not drink another drop of this shit," Freyr growled, snatching Caius close by the front of his shirt. "Or you will be having this conversation with your father."

It's unclear what shocked Caius more - Freyr being so rough with him, or her referring to Magnus as his father! Caius would tell himself later that it was the shock that made him so agreeable, whichever shock it was, but he found himself nodding rapidly and promising to leave the dungeon blood in the dungeons from now on. He meant it, too, and that, perhaps, surprised him most of all.

Freyr relaxed her hold and smoothed out the creases to the man's shirt. "Then we'll say no more about it," she said, smiling confidently, as though nothing had occurred.

Caius took a steadying breath as he headed to the door. _Shit_ , he thought, remembering the bottle. He didn't want to leave that in Magnus' chambers!

"Erm," he stalled at the door. "What should I do about that?" he asked, pointing out the empty bottle of tar.

Freyr returned the innocuous object to her bag, out of sight. "I will be refilling the bottles the young ones stole. I will refill yours, too, if you can handle it being in your chambers?"

Caius offered a tight smile in return. "I can."

"Wonderful," Freyr sang out. Before Caius made it out of the door, she called for him one last time. "Caius," she said. "Don't you dare disappoint me again."

Gulping down the emotion he felt, Caius bowed his head and left.

…

Demetri opened his brother's bedroom door just an inch and called out softly, "Felix?"

Felix wiped a sleeve across his eyes and cleared his throat to hide his crying. Not that there was much point to it - the whole tower had heard the round of fucks the boy had been given, not to mention the sound of leather pounding against skin which reverberated through the walls.

Felix looked set to send his brother away until Demetri held up a cup. Forgetting his tear stained face for the moment, Felix beckoned his brother to join him on his bed.

"I bloody love you!" he crowed quietly.

Demetri grinned and gently closed the door behind him. "It's so much easier to sneak you blood after Dad kicks your butt since we started keeping bloodwine in the house."

Felix struggled up to his knees - he certainly couldn't sit with the state his ass was in. Taking the cup in two hands, he brought it straight to his mouth.

"Ah!" he sighed, enjoying the sweet nectar. "You even warmed it up!"

"You can thank Jane for sneaking it and heating it," Demetri explained. "She's also causing a distraction so I can bring it."

"I bloody love you both, then," Felix said, between sips.

"So…" Demetri winced a little. "How bad?"

They always asked each other that. The one doing the asking fascinated, wondering what they had escaped, whilst the one doing the answering wanted to forget it had ever happened. But they both _always_ asked!

"Dad wasn't as bad as Magnus," Felix admitted in hushed tones. "I feel sorry for Odi."

It wouldn't do the boy any good for his father to catch on that Felix got an easier ride at home than he did in the guard hall. Demetri didn't want his father to find that out, either!

Hearing footsteps, the pair of them watched the door for a moment. If their hearts had the ability to beat, they would have stopped dead when the door started opening!

Jane.

"Why are you still in here?" she shot to Demetri. "Are you trying to get caught?!"

Demetri rolled his eyes to his baby sister and said goodnight to his big brother.

"Jane…" Felix called before the girl could close the door.

"You love me?" Jane asked. "Yes, I'm aware," she added, flashing him a smile.

Felix finished his bloodwine, stashed the cup beneath his bed with an odd collection of other cups he'd forgotten about and went straight to sleep. He still had to sleep on his stomach, but the sting he'd been left with was preferable to the intense burn his father had given him.

When Felix woke the next morning with only a dull ache, he thanked the Gods for his siblings once again. They may have argued like cat and dog, but they always came through for him when he needed them.

Whilst the boy was lost in thought, thoroughly pleased with himself for getting one over on his father, who should walk through the door? Why, Aro, of course!

After a cursory knock, the man strolled in.

"Whats the point in knocking if you're just going to walk in anyway?" Felix asked, still on his stomach in his pit.

"Your mouth has recovered, then?" Aro noted. "What about your backside?"

With that he whipped the boy's woollen blanket back and landed his palm down with force.

"Dad!" Felix complained.

He hissed on impact, but it wasn't the reaction Aro had expected.

 _It should have hurt more than that,_ Aro mused, eyeing his child. He knew his little darlings occasionally brought the great lummox a small feed after a decent hiding. Often Aro felt guilty enough that he let them do it without any complaint. But slipping dungeon blood into the bloodwine was serious, and Aro felt no guilt at all that day.

With a quick ruffle of Felix's hair, Aro had all the information he needed. _Hmmm, Demetri you foolishly loyal little sod!_

"Get up," Aro told the boy, keeping the information to himself whilst he decided what to do about it. "You need to come to the library for a towers meeting. You can expect a serious dress down today," he paused whilst Felix groaned aloud. "Don't make things worse for yourself by making us late."

Felix hissed again from his father's parting shot - another swat to his backside. _Bastard,_ he thought.

At least Felix knew the drill. He knew what to expect in a towers' meeting in the library after a screw up. Odi, however, would be going in blind.

"Why do I have to go to the meeting?" he asked his parents. "You don't usually want me there."

"It's not that we don't want you there, Odi," Magnus explained. "You don't want to join us in this side of our lives, you made that choice, not us."

"Fine, I choose not to go." Odi smirked to himself, thinking he was ever so clever.

Magnus may have been big on 'choice' and free will, Freyr, though, was much more forthright.

"The creator has asked that you attend, so you're coming to this one," she told her boy, shoving him out the door. "After this, you can decide for yourself." Pausing outside the ground floor suite to wait for Caius and Dora, she added, "Until you screw up again, of course, and then you'll be pulled in again."

Odi groaned. The last thing he wanted was to have to sit for scorn from Basileus.

Magnus opened Caius' door and called them to hurry up. They soon came. Both smiling, which was something of a novelty! A few nights without Irina did wonders for the pair of them.

Odi pulled Caius back to walk a little behind the others as he tried to find out what was in store.

"Am I about to have my head ripped off by the creator?" he asked, nervously.

"The creator is your old man's best mate, so your neck is safe," Caius told him with a barely suppressed chuckle knowing he was scaring the kid.

"My neck is safe?" Odi repeated. "What isn't then?!"

"Basileus will probably cane you," Caius told him, openly laughing by that point.

"Me?!"

Odi felt his mouth go very dry. Magnus was the only coven leader who had ever punished him. He'd had the odd slap from Aro, Marcus, Caius, (though Caius rarely went there anymore), but nothing more than that. Nothing from Basileus.

"In front of everyone?" Odi asked.

Caius shrugged. "Only the elite."

"You say that like it makes all of this totally hunky dory!"

"It happens," Caius explained. "Well, not to the adults, or the girls, or Alec, or…"

Caius stopped talking when he realised Odi was no longer at his side. The kid had stopped dead in the hallway, rooted to the spot, with a look of fear on his face.

"I'll never live this down," he said, close to tears.

Caius looked up and down the hall, checking they were alone. Once he was sure he walked back to Odi, wrapped an arm around him and pulled him alone. "No one will make fun of you."

"No one, huh?" Odi asked, incredulous.

Considering Caius had done nothing but take the absolute piss about seeing Magnus put his boy over his knee, Odi doubted Caius' assertions. Caius caught on to the kids worries.

"I won't take the piss, either," he promised. "Not about Basileus."

Odi gave the man a side eye. "So, the other night's still fair game then?"

"Obviously." Caius started laughing again from the memory. "Hysterical!"

All too soon, they were in the library. Magnus and Freyr chatted with Marcus, Basileus and Atia. Caius joined Dora. The others were yet to arrive. Odi plonked himself down on Dora's free side and brooded.

Odi did nothing but bitch about Magnus making a show of him. He'd been mortified at the midsummer party when his father had belted him. Mortified. At the time he had even though how unfair it was that it was _his_ father doing the belting - _surely someone else_ _'_ _s father would be less embarrassing_ , he'd thought, feeling Felix and Carlisle hadn't been humiliated in the same way.

For all Odi's bitching about his old man, Magnus mostly dealt with his kid in private. If another master had an issue with Odi, they reported said issue to Magnus, he dealt with Odi at home.

Odi had never appreciated just how much privacy his father had offered before - the idea of going up against the creator in the bloody library sent a shiver down his spine. _Surely Dad won't let Basileus cane me? Not in front of everyone? No, he wouldn_ _'_ _t. It'll just be a round of fucks,_ he thought confidently, certain Caius had been winding him up.

They were soon joined by Aro's and Eleazar's families, Carlisle bringing up the rear. Odi broke away from Dora and Caius to sit with Carlisle, next to Felix and Demetri.

"Whats going to happen?" he asked the Volturi youth.

"No, no, no, no, and no." Felix said, straight faced. "No."

Odi wasn't sure what he was on about, but Carlisle and Demetri seemed to agree with Felix.

"We don't talk about _it_ ," Felix explained, heavy emphasis on the 'it'. "We pretend _it_ isn't even happening, or has happened, or will happen, or whatever."

"It's the code," Carlisle said, as though that explained anything.

"Right." Odi tried to sound sure, but he was simply confused. "And the code is…"

"When one of us is punished and another is around, we act like nothing is happened." Carlisle did his best to keep his voice as quiet as possible. If his brothers heard him, they would have ribbed him mercilessly! "It's the only way to preserve even a slither of pride."

Felix nudged his uncle to hush up - Basileus was ready to begin.

"I am appalled by recent events, appalled!"

Odi flinched when the creator started bellowing. The volume was deafening! He had to wonder why he'd been called to the library meeting at all - _I could have heard you just fine from the north tower,_ he thought. The kid was lucky Basileus was too busy dolling out a round of fucks to be listening in on Odi's thoughts.

Odi wasn't paying too much attention to the words being levelled at his head, but he did keep an eye on Carlisle as Basileus went on. When Carlisle nodded, Odi nodded. When Carlisle shook his head, Odi shook his head. When Carlisle said 'sorry, Dad', Odi said 'sorry, Dad'…

"Shit!" he cursed. "I meant, my lord."

Too late, cover blown.

"Oh," Basileus drawled. "Too big and clever to pay attention to me," he said to the kid. "Is that it?"

"No, no, my lord," Odi stuttered in reply, looking around to his father for back up.

Magnus looked back wearily, but he said nothing, letting Basileus continue.

Th juggernaut had taken his own round of fucks for the inbetweeners strife occurring directly under his nose and Odi had barely spoken to him since he'd woken up from his drug induced hang over. Magnus hadn't argued with Basileus on the matter. It had been awkward enough to sit through without trying to defend himself. Had the same thing happened in the library, Basileus would have been forced to speak to Marcus about it, or in the dungeons, Caius, or in the throne room, Aro. Magnus knew that. Still, it had been humbling and difficult for them both.

 _You're on your own with this one, young one,_ Magnus thought to his son.

Odi started to worry about what else his father would allow if he merely sat on the side lines whilst his best bud bawled out his kid. _Brilliant,_ Odi thought sarcastically, forcing himself to pay more attention to the creator.

"When were they punished?"

 _Oh balls!_ Odi suddenly wished he hadn't been paying attention after all.

"Two days ago," Magnus called over, regarding his son.

"He's fighting fit, even if he is still complaining like a child," Freyr added.

"Mom!" Odi snapped. "Throw a guy under the cart, why don't you?!"

Magnus stretched out his neck, the tension in the room was getting to him.

Freyr pursed her lips to her son's continued self-centeredness. "Do you have any idea what you are putting your father through?!"

"What I'm putting him through?!" Odi repeated. _You have got to be joking?!_

When Caius had informed Odi that Basileus might cane him, Odi had wondered whether he'd been unfair on his father, suddenly appreciating the privacy Magnus offered when he could. As Magnus was now leaving his boy like a lamb to the slaughter, Odi's reappraisal of his father had gone right out the window - now, not only was his old man an embarrassing bastard, so was his bloody mother!

"Leave him, love," Magnus said, placing a hand on his mate's. "He doesn't care."

Basileus whistled, getting Odi's attention, and pointed out the floor next to where he stood.

It was all Odi could do to put one step in front of the other for the achingly long six step walk towards the creator. He briefly wondered if a vampire could die from shame. _I_ _'_ _m not that lucky,_ he thought, keeping his head down low.

Basileus moved onto his grandson, next, calling Felix up to join Odi.

"I strapped him last night," Aro told his father. "But Felix has healed miraculously since then."

Felix and Demetri groaned in unison.

"Demetri supplied his brother with bloodwine," Aro added, as though it needed stating.

Basileus eyed the younger boy for a moment before pointing out the floor with his cane, again. "You can come and stand with these, then."

"Me?!" Demetri asked. "But… But…" the boy started choking on his own words when Basileus stalked towards him, ripping him from his seat and dragging him in place.

"Carlisle," Basileus called. Moving aside to make space for his son to join them.

"This is degrading," Carlisle huffed, trying to avoid Aro's eye, knowing the knob would be grinning like a loon.

"Good," Basileus replied. "What about her?" he asked Eleazar, gesturing to a very bored looking Irina at the far side of the library.

Eleazar shrugged. "I didn't know I was expected to offer anything else on top of what Magnus had already given her."

A veritable groan spread around the room. Irina hid her face behind her hand, hiding her smirk.

Basileus saw a chance for him to avoid any awkwardness with the Denali girl, and he took it with both hands.

"In that case," he said. "I will leave you to deal with Irina and then you can bring her to me if she requires more."

Neither Carlisle, Odi, or Felix were happy with that!

"Pft!"

"For God sake!"

"Typical!"

"I didn't steal anything, and I didn't put dungeon blood in the bloodwine," Irina reminded them all. "The only thing I'm guilty of is making a suggestion."

"You still drank the laced bloodwine," Magnus pointed out.

"As did a good many of your precious guards," Irina spat back. "Whats your point?"

Basileus knew he had to get the show on the road before someone tore the girl's head off, particularly because he knew that someone stood a chance of being him!

Demetri received only a round of fucks from his grandfather before being sent back to his seat, which he leapt towards as soon as he was released.

That left Carlisle, Odi, and Felix.

In much the same way as Magnus had dealt with the three young men in the guard hall, Basileus swung out each in turn by one arm before wrapping his cane around the back their legs five or six times. They were all in tears by the final stroke.

Odi had to keep the code in mind and he suddenly realised why it was so important. With a room full of watchers, having even a couple who acted like nothing was happening made the world of difference.

Waiting until they had calmed so he would have their full attention, Basileus told them, "You are ALL restricted to your private quarters until AFTER Halloween."

Basileus made sure to catch Irina's eye so she knew she was included in the 'all'.

"You're invites to the next coven event have been revoked due to your abominable behaviour at the last one. Any questions?"

"You expect me to stay in the west tower until November?!" Irina asked. "I don't think so…"

Basileus closed the gap between the two of them in an instance.

"Listen to me, little lady," he said, towering over the girl in her chair. "You can either accept the restriction or I will deliver what Eleazar should have. Choose."

Irina huffed and flicked her hair out to block Basileus from her eyeline. "The restriction, I suppose."

 _Thank the Gods for that,_ Basileus thought, unsure of what he would have done had she called his bluff!

 _So, I don_ _'_ _t have to deliver anything_? Eleazar thought to himself. _Thank God for that,_ he added, similarly to his father.

After the meeting in the library, Basileus nailed a message to his coven on the guard hall door:

Dungeon blood is hence forth BANNED

for the entire coven outside of battle or injury.

ANYONE who breaks this decree will be whipped

for their blatant disregard of MY direct order.


	146. Halloween Hell

**AN:** This one just kept growing as I was writing and there was no obvious place to split, so it's taken a little longer to post up. I need to stop waffling and write shorter chapters!

So, some of our inbetweeners get things so very, very wrong. Or, as we would say where I'm from, 'It's gone tits up!' :D

* * *

 **Halloween Hell**

The Volturi had been a quiet coven since Midsummer with almost all the inbetweeners on lock down. Odi had been allowed to roam the north tower, which meant he had access to Dora and Caius - an injustice Irina had taken against. Well, not about Caius, she wasn't bothered about having access to him. But Dora… Irina felt her hold had slipped at Midsummer with the master's wife unwilling to see her. Lock down couldn't have come at a worse time for the eldest Denali girl. Worse than losing her grip on Dora, Irina had been subjected to the Volturi family trying to include her in things. Grim.

Irina wouldn't lower herself to complaining about her restriction, however. In fact, even when Tanya did her level best to remind Irina that she was being punished, Irina remained entirely passive, explaining that she had nowhere to go anyway so it made no difference. It unnerved Eleazar how the girl seemed completely untouchable, psychologically, at least. Carmen, less affected, had done her absolute best to use Irina's restriction to get closer to her. Irina had at least grown to tolerate Carmen's presence… just about. Eleazar was being kept at arm's length, still.

That helped Carlisle's boredom, though. Eleazar had spent most of Irina's restriction in his brother's chambers to get out of the way whilst still being close should another brawl break out. It felt as though that was his only use in his home - pulling apart sparring girls. Even when they weren't fighting the girls sounded like they were. All conversations were conducted in high pitch squeals as far as Eleazar could tell. He should have been issued with auditory protection when the orphans invaded his home! Keeping Carlisle company was by far the preferable activity.

Felix had been much more vocal about the ridiculous length of his restriction. He had come off worst, to be fair to the boy. Sure, he had run of the south tower like Odi had run of the north, but as Felix's whole home consisted of the south tower, he had no escape. The only time he left the damn place was to run errands for his mother. Sulpicia was doing her best to find ways to let Felix out without braking Basileus' decree, but she was running short of excuses.

Basileus knew what she was doing, of course, but as most of the errands entailed Felix visiting his grandfather, he was keen to encourage the trips, so he could keep an eye on the boy. Basileus had thought issuing the same punishment to all the involved inbetweeners would level things out. But it had only shown the more starkly the differences between them all. To say he regretted his order may have been a stretch, but he had certainly learned from the experience - differentiated punishments were the way forward. He couldn't let Aro find out his new feelings on the matter without discounting his argument for treating his children the same. He still felt Aro was too hard on Felix whilst Alec and Jane got away with murder, which was another reason Basileus encouraged Felix to visit him during his restriction. The boy always sought the reassurance of his grandfather when he was in trouble, (even if he as in trouble with Basileus himself!) Keeping an eye on Felix's temperament was a good way to ensure Aro wouldn't issue any further, unnecessary discipline.

Somehow, despite many claims to the contrary, the boredom didn't actually kill them and they all made it to Halloween… though of course, none of them were invited. Had they been, perhaps Dora might have gone?

Caius exited his bedchamber ready for the evening events. All he needed was his cloak and he'd be off to slaughter humans. What better way to spend and evening? Seeing Dora sat bolt upright in her chair, looking to him uncomfortably, he sensed doom on the horizon. She wasn't ready, and she didn't look likely to get ready, either.

"I'm not coming tonight."

 _There it is,_ Caius huffed to himself.

"But you love Halloween," he said, though it came out as a whine. "It's the only night of the year we feed on humans these days."

"It's not the only night, love," Dora replied. "You're exaggerating massively."

"Well, it's the only night we fuck them at the same time," Caius pointed out with a playful smile. She couldn't deny that.

Dora smirked right back at him for a moment before bursting into giggles at the gestures he made.

"Love," she breezed, getting herself under control. "I'm not coming."

Things had been so much better between the two of them with Irina out of the picture. Sure, they still had Odi knocking about - virtually living with them - but Caius enjoyed the kids company. Not that he'd do something like admit that to anyone, but still. Caius had been looking forward to Halloween with his mate - the two of them had really made Halloween their own in their specifically sadistic way and he wanted to share that with Dora.

Caius shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked, looking pained.

It was most unlike Caius to show anxiety even if he was downing in it, but Magnus had taken great pains to explain to him the he shouldn't hide perfectly normal emotions from those closest to him. He still felt like a prat, though.

"No, love," Dora hurried to say, flashing towards him. "I'd rather not be with _the others_ , that's all."

 _The others being Sulpicia and Carmen,_ Caius mused. Dora would have added most of the north and west tower inhabitants into the category, also. It wasn't that anything untoward had happened between Dora and _the others_ , she simply felt uncomfortable in their presence. Awkward. As though she had nothing of worth to say to any of them. It was a feeling that had increased since Dora had taken up friendships with the inbetweeners.

Caius toyed with the idea of missing the event. Freyr had told him in no uncertain terms to make Dora his top priority with the inbetweeners on lock down. But he couldn't miss Halloween, not unless he fancied having the creator at his door dragging him into action - coven events were obligatory for the masters.

"I have to go…"

"You're welcome to go," Dora told him. "Honestly, I expect you to go. You have to."

"I'm still…"

"You're welcome to do _that_ , too," she answered before he could finish. "I expect Heidi will be only too eager to step into my shoes."

Dora slapped his chest playfully when Caius seemed to be getting a little too into the idea of Heidi serving as her replacement for the evening. As playmates went, Dora quite liked Heidi. She didn't overstep the mark like Ashanti, the current siren's predecessor.

"Enjoy yourself," she said, returning to her chair. She poured a glass of wine from the decanter and settled in. "I'm planning a little fun of my own."

Caius suddenly saw red. "Are you choosing to spend the night with Irina over me?!"

"Not Irina," she said, a hand out to silence any ranting that may follow. "She's still on restriction. Renata and Corin are coming over."

Caius calmed instantly hearing that. "I thought they were on restriction, too?"

"Guard restriction only applies to earning money and the being in the guard hall."

"No Odi?"

"He will probably pop by." Dora shrugged, unsure of his plans. "But we're aiming for a girls' night."

Caius raised an eyebrow hearing 'girls night'. "How much fun are you planning?"

Dora couldn't keep her face straight. She and Renata had discussed spicing up the evening, but it would only happen after Corin went home or Odi came to keep her amused and out of the way. Corin was a little too innocent to be considered a playmate in a sexual sense for anyone other than Felix.

 _A lot of fun, then,_ Caius guessed from his mate's facial expression.

"We could invite your precious Heidi, if you like?"

"That's very tempting!" So tempting in fact that Caius damn near forgot Halloween in its entirety and went back to his bedchamber to wait for the fun to start…

"You know you have to show your face at coven events," Dora reminded him.

Caius huffed and stomped to the door. "I'll join you on my return."

Aro was having a less enjoyable beginning to the Halloween festivities - he was arguing with Felix.

"I don't need supervising in my own home!"

"Aww, son," Aro sang out sarcastically. "I worry about leaving you inside your own head without adult supervision."

Hearing the twins laughing across the room fuelled Felix's ire. The last thing he needed in that moment was an audience, so Kate and Tanya turning up went down like a lead balloon.

"Why are they here?" he hissed to his father, pulling his wolf pelt around his shoulders to hide the fact he was only wearing shorts. Short shorts at that.

"The girls are coming for the Halloween feast with us as Eleazar and Carmen can't possibly but their dietary choices to one side for the evening."

"With us, huh?" Felix spat, feeling excluded again.

"With those who haven't been naughty," Jane called over to her brother, heavy emphasis on the naughty knowing it drove Felix crazy to be referred to in such childish terms.

Kate did the decent thing and stifled her laughter, Tanya wasn't quite so socially adept, and the amusement shamelessly danced in her eyes.

"I wasn't naughty," Felix replied, sounding bitter. "I had a night on stolen dungeon blood…" before he spoke, he thought the reason for his ridiculously long restriction would sound mature, adult, maybe even impressive! The glare coming from his father had him quietening down.

"You aren't impressing anyone, son," Aro told him in no uncertain terms. _I can read you like a book!_

"Are we ready?" Sulpicia called out descending the stairs.

Aro shook his head. "Still waiting on the baby sitter."

"Felix has to have a babysitter," Jane helpfully explained to Kate and Tanya. "Because he's too naughty to be left alone."

"Will you tell her?!" Felix shot out to his father. "She's winding me up."

Aro rolled his eyes to the heavens. Having the boy on restriction and home so much meant it had been a very long four months of Felix and Jane winding _him_ up!

"The truth seems to wind you up a lot, son," Aro replied.

Jane preened from across the room. "Who agreed to sit with the baby, Dad?"

 _Stupid little witch,_ Felix thought, glaring at the girl.

"Carlisle."

Felix soon forgot his annoyance with his little sister when his father answered. Aro noticed the immediate change in his son's attitude.

"You can wipe that look off your face right now," Aro told the boy. It was clear Felix had launched into plotting mode. "Eleazar and Carmen are staying in the coven and Carlisle is under strict orders to fetch your uncle Eleazar if you come up with any stupid plans for leaving the castle."

Kate and Tanya had to wonder how that would be much of a threat given their experience with the elder Volturi brother. Felix's experience with his uncle was wildly different to that of the Denali girls, and he knew not to fuck with Eleazar. That said…

"Yeah, but Carlisle won't," Felix said easily, relaxing back in his chair feeling like a champ. "He isn't a grass."

"Really?" Aro asked, full of his usual faux calm. "I bet he will."

It was timely that Carlisle arrived in that moment.

"Brother," Aro greeted, relishing in Felix's bad mood and seeing Carlisle looked similarly annoyed with the situation. "Are you sure you're up to this, Carlisle?"

"I'm sure he can sit here as easily as he can sit at home," Felix muttered. He added a slightly too loud 'for fuck sake' under his breath.

"You'll find it impossible to do any sitting at all if your mouth keeps up, boy," Aro told him, full of smiles.

Aro wrapped an arm around his brother and took him over to Felix. "Carlisle," he drawled. "What do you do if your charming nephew comes up with a stupid plan for leaving the castle or trying to get to the guard hall?"

"I fetch Eleazar," Carlisle replied with a roll of the eyes. It sounded rehearsed - because it was. Basileus had drilled the dam words into him before he'd left the west tower.

"And just so Felix is aware how serious we are," Aro continued. "What will happen if you don't?"

Carlisle shot his brother a pleading look, begging not to have to answer.

"Come on brother, loud enough so they can all hear you please."

Oh how Aro enjoyed winding people up!

Carlisle huffed before admitting, "I'll be moving back in with our parents and I won't see sunlight until Christmas."

The girls, naturally, found the whole situation wildly entertaining. Demetri and Alec were similarly enjoying themselves. At that point, the kids wouldn't have been disappointed to find out Halloween had been cancelled if Felix and Carlisle's suffering would be the alternative entertainment.

"Very good," Aro said, nodding along. He patted Carlisle's shoulder and threw his boy a smug 'I told you so' smile.

Sulpicia went to her eldest, slapping Aro's arm as she passed him and calling him cruel. "You'll be free tomorrow, my darling," she said, kissing his cheek.

With that they all left, leaving a fuming pair of inbetweeners behind them.

The Denali girls' bedroom looked out over the main castle gates. Perfect position for Irina to sit and watch the coven leaving for their hunt. As Carmen and Eleazar, the only adults in he coven, were on patrol around the grounds, Irina had free run of the castle. Her plan was relatively simple - watch the coven leave and see if Renata and Corin were among their number. If they weren't, she would collect them from their dorms and take them to the south tower where Carlisle was babysitting Felix. She wouldn't want to spend much time with any of the inbetweeners on their own, but as a group, they had fun. True, Irina's fun came from setting them against each other or at least taking the mocking them relentlessly, but it was fun nonetheless.

 _Here they come,_ she said to herself, seeing the coven troop out. She was glad they walked out of the coven hood-less, or she may have missed that Caius was accompanied by Heidi rather than his mate. _So Dora_ _'_ _s in the castle? Hmmm… that presents a whole new level of fun._

Ditching the idea to go and fetch Renata and Corin, Irina still swung by Aro's place to pick up Carlisle and Felix. _Felix can fetch his girlfriend later if that's what he wants._

She hadn't even made it down the west tower stair well before bumping into Carlisle.

"I thought you were babysitting," she said, confused.

"The baby won't sit, so I'm fetching Eleazar," Carlisle replied, climbing the stairs.

Irina blocked his path. _I don_ _'_ _t think so! You aren't ruining my night._ "Why don't you both come to Dora's with me and save yourself the stress."

Carlisle pulled a face at that idea. "My dad is on the warpath already…"

"Felix won't be leaving the coven," Irina quickly explained. "He'll just be in north tower instead of the south. Who could complain about that? Just make sure you're both back before the overlords and you're in the clear. I could make it worth your while."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of… something. Carlisle wasn't too sure what having only saw the neck and stopper.

"What is it?" he asked. "Where did you get it from?"

"It's a secret," Irina smirked. "Are you coming?"

Carlisle had felt like a grade A cunt when he'd told Felix he would be bringing Eleazar in to deal with him – for one, it made him clearly too weak to control his nephew himself, for another, it made him a grass, and there was nothing lower. _But if we aren_ _'_ _t leaving the coven…_ Carlisle liked that little loophole and soon agreed, following Irina to collect Felix and on to the Dora's.

They arrived to find Corin and Odi in the ground floor suite, but no Renata or Dora.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We heard you were having a party without us," Irina replied to Odi, settling herself in like she owned the place.

Felix and Corin sprang into full on kissing mode, having not seen hide nor hair of each other for months. "I'm currently unsupervised," he told her, eyebrows dancing on his forehead suggestively. "I know, it freaks me out too, but the possibilities are endless."

"Where's Dora?" Carlisle asked, trying to ignore where his nephew's hands were heading.

"I'm here," Dora called from the bedchamber, sounding tipsy and giggly. "Get yourselves a drink!"

Renata's voice followed sounding similar, "Pour one for us, we'll join you in a minute."

Carlisle and Irina looked to Odi for explanation, "Use your imagination!" he told them, mildly embarrassed after having heard Dora and Renata getting it on.

Carlisle flopped into a chair, his imagination being a vibrant place. "I wish I could get away with that."

"Who would stop you?" Odi asked. He had long believed the creators baby boy had a charmed life and could enjoy much more of immortalities offerings than he could.

"Are you joking?!" Carlisle shot back. "My parents are ancient and so are their views on my sex life!"

"Are you seriously playing that game with me?!" Odi asked. "My parents are from the dark ages - literally! My dad's morals have been strangling me since I can remember!"

"So weak," Irina tittered with a pitiful glance in their direction.

Neither Carlisle or Odi could disagree with Irina's appraisal - their sex lives were weak! Still, Carlisle felt the need to defend himself.

"It's not that easy to find suitable playmates in the coven, Irina."

"Speak for yourself, Carlisle," Dora said with a wink, coming through from the hallway with Renata following behind. "You just need to open your mind a little."

Carlisle sat bolt upright. _Was that an offer?!_

"I have an open mind," Odi huffed. "But the women in this coven think I'm a kid, or something."

"You're older than I am," Irina pointed out. "And I haven't struggled."

"It's different for women," Odi replied. "Young woman - no problem, preferable, in fact. Young guy - unwanted."

Felix and Demetri had both managed to score with half the women in the coven during their years in the Volturi, but Odi assumed their luck came down to having an old man who encouraged such action, rather than openly repressed opportunities, as Magnus had done for him. Magnus had done so such thing, of course, but Odi was blaming just about everything he could on his father at that point.

"Aww, poor little Odi!" Dora went to sit on the armrest of the kid's chair and stroked his head. "You're a good-looking guy," she told him. "Any woman would be lucky to get their hands on you."

"Any woman?" Odi asked, eyeing Dora up.

"Clearly not any woman," Irina scoffed. "His dry patch would be competition for the Sahara."

"Dora!" Renata called over from the bloodwine barrel. "We've drank you dry already."

"I brought supplies," Irina told them with a small smile. She pulled the bottle from her bag and placed it on the table.

Everyone flinched!

"We can't drink dungeon blood!" Odi said with wide eyes. He wasn't having a repeat of the library meeting ever again in his life!

"I'm not up for that," Carlisle agreed. His father knew no bounds when it came to reining in his sons and Carlisle didn't fancy pushing the man to see what he would come up with next. Four-month restriction had been torturous enough. _How long would the next one be?!_

In years gone by, Dora wouldn't have minded having a little dungeon blood. She used to enjoy the effects on a regular basis until she realised it was the cause of Caius' evil mood swings. She wasn't Caius, so she feared no such effect, particularly only taking the drug in small doses, but she wasn't up for it that night. Seeing most of her friends looking wary, Dora offered to find them something else to drink.

"We could maybe manage a barrel of bloodwine from the dungeons?" she suggested looking to Felix.

Felix shook his head. "I can manage the weight, but I need help to manage the size." He glanced at Odi and Carlisle. "They won't be enough help."

Poor Carlisle and Odi - no chance for those lads to build an ego problem with their friends and family!

"Dungeon blood it is, then," Irina said, triumphant.

"I'll sort something," Dora told her before she could pull the stopper from the bottle. She scooped up Caius' dungeon keys and stopped at the door. Looking to Renata and Irina, she said. "When I get back we need to work on their dry patch." She offered Carlisle and Odi a lopsided smirk before heading out the door.

Odi and Carlisle turned to each other. " _Our_ dry patch?" Odi repeated. "Do you think she's serious?!"

"Maybe…" Carlisle mused. "You know what her and Caius are like."

"Will Caius mind, do you think?" Odi asked, trying not to get too far ahead of himself.

"Why would Caius mind?" Irina asked, disbelief in her tone. "He'll be fucking Heidi before he comes home."

Odi looked unconvinced. "I think Caius might mind…"

Odi played the idea over in his mind. Yes, he did know what Caius and Dora were like. He had even had the misfortune of walking in on them mid flow once - an occasion that marred his day. Not only had he seen some serious animal kingdom moves, but he had had to spend the rest of the day with his dad, because there was no way he could look Caius or Dora in the eye after, well, getting an eyeful. _Caius hadn_ _'_ _t minded, though,_ he remembered. _No, he blatantly took the piss out of me for my horrified expression._ He shuddered remembering how Caius had sat him down and tortured him with a detailed chat on the birds and the bees, solely to watch the kid squirm for his own amusement. _The bastard! Maybe he wouldn't mind?_

Irina thought the idea of an impromptu orgy sounded like a perfectly nice evening. But Odi looked like he was wavering already. _Useless brat!_ "Were you born boring, or did you have to work at it?"

"He's not boring, Irina," Renata huffed at the girl. The night Dora had proposed was far preferable to the night she was ending up with. Renata would choose any night _without_ Irina as preferable, in fact.

As usual, Irina completely ignored Renata's interference. Sitting with Odi and Carlisle, she continued antagonising the kid.

"Aww, Odi," she crooned, full on pout for the boy. "Are you worried what mommy and daddy will think?"

"Fuck off!" Odi spat back.

"Oh!" Irina burst out as though an epiphany had struck. "Bless him," she said, mocking the kid, and then turning to Carlisle, asked, "Doesn't he know what to do?"

Odi glared daggers at the girl and jabbed Carlisle in the ribs for daring to laugh. Divide and conquer - that's how Irina worked. They both knew it, they ALL knew it, but somehow remained powerless to stop it.

"Fuck. Off."

Irina nodded to his words with a smile as though Odi had just whispered sweet nothings in her ear rather than telling her to do one.

"We could draw you a picture, couldn't we, guys?" Irina offered, gesturing around the gathered vampires. "Well, probably not Carlisle…"

"Hey!" Carlisle looked up in offended surprise, annoyed to find both Odi and Felix laughing at him.

"But Felix knows what he's doing, doesn't he, Corin?" Irina waited just long enough for the pair of young lovers to feel slightly empowered before bringing them back down to earth. "Or is it that neither of you know what you are doing?"

"You're on the wrong topic if you're trying to wind me up, Irina," Felix replied, pulling Corin in close. "I know how to make a woman happy."

"A woman?" Irina asked with a confused expression. "Oh! You meant her!" she said, pointing and laughing at Corin. "Of course, silly me."

Corin raised an eyebrow and had drank just enough bloodwine before the others arrived to make her a little more bolshy than usual. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you are what? Twenty?" Irina mused aloud. "And a sixteen-year-old kid is the best you can do?"

"He's an old sixteen," Corin replied. She had no issue with Felix's age. Four years wasn't a big difference in her mind and Corin fully admitted she was something of a young twenty-year-old.

That was Corin's opinion, however, not Felix's. Felix was incredibly sensitive about his age and his relatively recent demotion in coven life because of it. It was Felix Irina was trying to pick on with that nugget.

"Yeah right!" Odi burst out.

"He used to be," Carlisle said, trying to defend his nephew in a cack-handed manner.

"Maybe, possibly," Irina half-heartedly agreed with Carlisle. "But not anymore, sweetheart," she said to Corin. "He's a child and you know it."

Seeing Corin getting emotional, Renata stood up and blocked Irina's eyeline to her fellow guard. "Irina, back off."

"It's alright, Ren," Corin called from behind the woman.

Irina rolled her eyes at Renata's display. "What are you going to do about it?!"

"If you keep picking on Corin, I'm going to put you through the window," Renata replied. She was only a small woman, as most women of the time were, but Renata had been a Volturi guard for many centuries and was expertly trained.

"I'd love to see you try," Irina drawled, sounding so very unimpressed.

 _Silly little bitch,_ Renata said to herself. "I would wipe the floor with you."

Irina looked the guard up and down. _You really aren_ _'_ _t going to give up, are you? Fine, I'll play._ "Maybe, but what would happen to you afterwards? The overlords don't take kindly to guards getting uppity with the elite."

The other four were already interested when Renata stepped up to Irina, now they positively on tenterhooks!

"If you think you are elite," Renata paused to laugh at the very idea. "You are dreaming. If you think repercussion for me will save you when you're picking on her," she said, pointing to Corin behind her. "You are deluded."

Renata and Corin were close, very close. The elder guard looked out for Corin as she was somewhat naive and susceptible to suggestion. More than that, though, Renata loved Corin, and Irina was pushing the wrong button with the coven shield.

"Yeah, yeah," Irina nodded along. "And you will be dead for starting on me, so make sure you enjoy giving me a kicking."

"Renata's the only shield the Volturi has," Felix pointed out. "Aro thinks an awful lot of her."

Renata offered the boy a beaming smile before turning back to Irina. "I'm sure I would be forgiven for putting you in your place, Irina. It would be worth a whipping."

 _Shit, this is getting serious!_ Irina was a master of the cool facade, but it took every ounce of strength to remain seated under such an ominous threat.

"I'm not going to fight you on my first night out in four months," she said. "I'll leave your precious Corin be."

Renata smirked to the girl. She knew when someone was backing down. She didn't expect the likes of Irina to submit outright, but she would take her at her word when she said she would leave Corin alone. That was all Renata cared about anyway.

"You're so aggressive, Renata," Irina tutted once the guard was safely back in her seat. "It's no wonder you are single."

Renata scoffed. "There have been plenty of proposals, thanks."

"But they all turned you down?" Felix asked, easing the tension with his playful comment.

"Cheeky sod!" Renata offered him a lazy swipe with her words but laughed with the others.

An uncomfortable silence soon fell around the group, the only noise coming from Felix and Corin kissing far too passionately for polite company. It didn't take long for Irina's boredom to turn to trouble. She looked between Odi and Carlisle, working out which one's agitation would entertain her the most.

Odi won, or lost, depending on your point of view.

"Are you still wondering what mommy and daddy would say about you having a sex life," she asked the kid.

"I have a sex life," Odi muttered back. "I just don't broadcast it."

Irina patted his head - could she be more patronising?! "Neither does anyone else, which suggests you aren't worth talking about."

Carlisle smirked and saw a way in to tease Odi a little. "Turk looks happy now and again…"

"I'm not fucking Turk!" Odi boomed, thumping a chuckling Carlisle in the arm.

"Of course you aren't," Irina agreed. "Not since you got him in trouble at Midsummer. He isn't even talking to you, is he?"

Odi threw the girl a disgusted look and took to his feet, pacing the windows and glaring into the darkness.

 _Oops,_ Irina said to herself. _That might have been too close to the bone?_

"I wonder where Dora has got to?" Carlisle asked in an attempt to break the tension.

"Oooo!" Irina looked Carlisle up and down and smiled. "Are you psyching yourself up for some action?"

"I don't need to psych myself up," Carlisle replied, pulling himself up to sit taller in his seat.

"Are you going to, though?" Irina pushed. "Really?" Carlisle only shrugged in response so Irina tried to pull Odi back into he conversation. "What about you?" she called over to the kid.

"I might," Odi snapped at her. "Whats it got to do with you?!"

"I was thinking of joining in," Irina told the pair. Having suitably shocked them both, she left them and headed over to the bloodwine barrel. As Renata had already worked out, it was empty, but with help Irina reckoned she could get another glass out of the dregs. "Felix," she called. "Help me tilt this barrel."

Odi took a dive back into his seat. "I'm definitely up for it now!" he told Carlisle in hurried whispers.

"She's been taking the piss out of us all evening so far," Carlisle reminded him. "Why would you even want to fuck her?!"

"I've been alive for eight hundred years, and I've never been involved in an orgy." That was reason enough in Odi's mind. "Besides," he added. "Look at her!"

Irina was many things, many bad and nasty things, but she was smoking hot and Odi would have happily sold his own mother to fuck a girl that looked like that! And though he hated to admit it, so would Carlisle.

"Yeah, I'd fuck her, too," he quietly agreed.

"Shall we do it, then?" Odi asked, bouncing about like an excited puppy who couldn't find the newspaper. "Both of us?"

Carlisle recoiled at _that_ offer! "Not with each other!"

"No, you twat," Odi flicked out his hand to catch Carlisle's arm. Having already thumped the guy in the same place Carlisle was glad he couldn't bruise easily. "Not like that!" he said. "I'm thinking me, you, Dora, Irina… possibly Renata… not those two, though," he finished looking over to Felix and Corin.

Felix had literally put down the barrel and got straight back into position with Corin. They were so grossly involved with one another that Odi worried they would be putting on a floor show any minute!

Carlisle couldn't work out whether fucking Dora and Irina would be allowed or not. As if reading his mind, Irina retook her seat beside them with her half glass of bloodwine and tried to put his mind at ease.

"I'm _not_ a guard," she explained.

Renata tutted. _Thank god!_

"I _am_ an adult," Irina continued.

Renata tutted again. _Questionable!_

"Theres no reason your fathers could come up with to reject me as your playmate," she said, leaving out how Eleazar might feel on the matter.

Before either Carlisle or Odi could respond, Dora staggered through the door clutching three full bottles of whiskey, and a further partly drunk bottle of whiskey. "It's going to get messy!" she declared, dropping Caius dungeons keys on the floor and kicking the door shut behind her.

…

The Halloween hunters had to travel much further than they had planned that night. The first town they came to had already been decimated by Barbary pirates taking captives to sell on as slaves. Basileus didn't like having his plans changed for any reason - he always took it as a personal insult to his status. _I have to change my plans for mere mortals,_ he had muttered on the journey to their substitute destination. By the time they arrived in the sleepy village, he was thoroughly pissed off. _It's a damn outrage!_

"You'll have to speak to Tao and Xola about this, Aro," he shot to his boy. "I'm not having their slavers moving in so close to our coven."

Magnus took the chance to play with Basileus' emotions a little to help him settle down so he could enjoy the evening.

"It's nothing to do with Tao and Xola," Aro told him in return. "The Barbary pirates aren't under their control. Tao makes his fortunes from selling his countrymen to the west, but he doesn't make anything from the ones the Barbary's bring in. Amun makes a tidy packet, though, I believe."

"Tao's colluding in selling his own countrymen?!" Magnus had never considered how the other covens amassed their fortunes before, but human slavery was below the belt for vampiric interests, he felt.

"Good business, apparently." Aro shrugged. He didn't have much of an opinion on affairs in Africa - so long as Tao kept paying and kept his vampires in his lands, Aro was happy. "Didn't you hear him and Amun arguing about the ethics of it at the last ball?"

"He was humping barrels about for Henri," Basileus reminded his son.

"Amun works with the Barbary pirates, and Tao works with the chieftains in his lands." It looked like Magnus wanted more of an explanation than he had received. Aro huffed and went on, "Tao feels his trade is more honest, and doing his country a favour by keeping the human levels down to a manageable level."

"And Amun's opinion…" Magnus prompted.

"Amun thinks he's on the moral high ground because he doesn't touch his countrymen," Aro explained. "Just moves a load of Europeans around for a profit. It's not as black and white as that, but its good business."

"Don't even think about it," Basileus warned his boy. "We're not getting involved in the human slave trade."

"We don't need to," Aro drawled, placating his father's worries. "The more money Amun and Tao make, the more they have to pay us. A tenth of their earnings belong to us – that's the tithe for alliance covens."

"So we _are_ making money from slaves?" Magnus asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Only indirectly," Aro replied with a smirk. "Our hands are clean."

"Aro!" Sulpicia's voice broke through their quiet conversation. "I could use your help!"

Sulpicia had been left with the five youngest members of the coven, who had all disappeared in different directions, leaving Sully to search in the dark for her babies. _You_ _'_ _re the one who offered to bring the Denali girls,_ she fumed, glaring to her mate having a lovely old evening with plenty of time for chewing the fat whilst she, as usual, looked after the children.

"Yes, my queen," Aro forced out. He rolled his eyes to his father and Magnus before bidding them good night.

No sooner had Aro left, than Caius arrived. Though Caius wasn't there to see Basileus and Magnus, oh no! He was rolling around the floor with some poor, screaming human and taking great pains to teach Heidi how he 'enjoyed his food'.

Basileus and Magnus turned away when Caius began to strip the woman bare.

"Sick, isn't it?" Magnus commented as he and the creator walked away.

"I was just thinking it's without his usual flare," Basileus chuckled. He had been long since desensitised to Caius' ways. "How's he doing?" he asked, flicking his head back in Caius' direction. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Magnus bobbed his head. "It's difficult to go through a private struggle so publicly," he replied. "But I think things are looking up for him."

"And what about Dora?"

"Dora, too," Magnus told him confidently. "Freyr is doing her best to intervene with Dora where possible." He paused to take a quick look around. _No guards_ , he happily realised. _Safe to talk._ "It was difficult with Irina around so much, she's such a manipulative little madam but Dora can't see it. Luckily, my mate is quite manipulative too, when needs must."

Magnus went on to explain how Freyr had managed to separate Dora and Irina after the Easter party and plans to do so again should the need arise.

Basileus beamed. _That was very clever, well done Freyr!_

"It worked well after Easter for a while," Magnus explained. "Having Irina on lock down for the last four months has worked out well, too."

Basileus sucked in the air around him and avoided Magnus' eye. Truthfully, he had regretted the ridiculously long restriction imposed on the inbetweener tribe. _But if its helped someone… Not a dead loss, then?_

Magnus continued, unaware of the creator's thoughts. "I'm hoping these last few months have bonded Caius and Dora back together and they will be okay again," he said. _And judging by the row I've heard the pair of them making, I'd say they are happy enough,_ he thought with a shudder. The north tower needed better sound proofing. _It's like living above a bloody farm yard!_

Time to address the elephant in the room, Basileus said to himself. "So why didn't Dora come tonight?"

Magnus sighed. He wasn't pleased that Dora hadn't come, but he understood the woman's reasoning. "Freyr said Dora feels uncomfortable with the elite of our coven," he admitted. "We'll be working on that next." Magnus laughed tiredly into the night. "I know they say marriage takes work, but I always thought that meant for the two people in the relationship!"

Basileus had to agree with the man there! He wondered if he would be willing to put so much time and effort into someone else's relationship? Even for his sons? He couldn't honestly say he would, though part of him believed Caius and Dora would have got back on track quicker had he been involved. Magnus was too nice, too soft, Basileus felt. _He should have banged their heads together and laid the law down,_ he thought. _That's what I'd have done._ Yes, the creator and the juggernaut, thought certainly great friends, had very different styles of management.

Something else came to Basileus' mind. "Are you and Odi back on track?"

Magnus outright huffed at that one. "I ruined his life last Christmas when I told the guards to back off my kid," he said, in a fabulous rendition of his son's eyerolling and shrugging and flopping about like a dying fly.

"Would he prefer if you had left Afton and Alex to beat the crap out of him?"

"I think _he thinks_ he would have preferred it," Magnus replied, tutting at his son's audacity, before pointing out, "Best of it is, I only made announcements about Odi because of what Caius had done but Odi's all over Caius! Loves the guy!" Magnus threw his hands into the air. "How does that work?!"

Basileus couldn't help but laugh. It was nice to be on the outside of family dramas for a change. "Kids, huh?"

"Aye," Magnus agreed, although, thinking of Caius and Odi, he was grateful for one thing. "At least they are getting on."

Basileus nodded to that one. "It could always be worse, my friend."

…

It was into the early hours of the morning when the happy hunters finally returned to the castle. Freyr and Magnus walked along behind Caius and Heidi, with Magnus muttering about the inappropriateness of taking a guard to private chambers with the sole intention of having a fuck fest.

"You know how their relationship works, love," Frey said, trying to placate her mate. "If Caius and Dora are happy with it, it has nothing to do with us."

Magnus continued to mutter, but Freyr was grateful it was at least under his breath. For a man who dislikes making demands of people, there were a few topics where Magnus could really get on his soap box if allowed.

Caius and Heidi made it to the ground floor suite ahead of the older pair, but Magnus and Freyr could hear them clear as day as they caught up.

"Oh this is pathetic," they heard Caius sneer. "Are you having a playdate?"

"I don't have playdates." That was definitely Dora, and Dora was definitely smashed.

They heard Caius laugh pitifully, adding, "Do their parents know they're here?"

Magnus tipped his head back and sighed. _Another long night ahead._

"Heidi, my dear…" Freyr called to the siren as she approached.

"I should call it a night, Master," Heidi said, perfectly finishing the guard masters words.

Freyr stood aside to let the woman pass and thanked her for her understanding as she went.

 _Gutted!_ Caius cursed to himself before heading inside his home and taking a seat at the table. _You must have planned this all along,_ he thought to his mate. _The last few months have meant nothing, clearly. First chance you got you rejected me for your motley crew of misfits._ Glaring from one to the other, he was the epitome of quiet rage.

Magnus and Freyr stuck their heads inside. The inbetweeners lay around the main chamber in various states of undress and intoxication. It didn't look good. Freyr pulled her mate inside and closed the door behind them.

"Nice job babysitting, Carlisle," Caius told the Volturi prince as he eyed Felix.

"I kept him in the castle," Carlisle replied, finding himself ever so funny. "Aro wasn't too specific on where I should keep him."

Like Carlisle, and a good many of the others, Caius laughed, but there was no humour in it. "You thought my chambers would be a good idea?"

"Your wife invited us," Felix drawled, clearly aresholed on whatever he had thrown down his neck that night.

"I think you should be getting home now, young one," Magnus told the boy. "Your old man will do his nut when he finds you missing."

Dora tutted to the juggernauts words. "He doesn't have to go if he doesn't want to."

"Dora…" Freyr called, only to be quickly cut off by the woman in question.

"These are my chambers," she replied. "I can decide who's here, and when."

"Aye, you can," Magnus agreed. "But he's a child and he should be at home."

Freyr sensed her mate riling himself up and decided to intervene. "I'll take him," she said, attempting to pull Felix to his feet.

Felix stayed firm, snatching his arm away from Freyr and keeping the other wrapped around Corin. "Dora said I can stay, so I'm staying."

 _I_ _'_ _m not dealing with other people's bratty boys,_ Freyr thought. Looking at the state Odi was in, eyes rolling and barely clothed, she thought her own bratty boy would be enough to contend with. "In that case I will let your parents know where you are, so they don't worry."

Freyr had hardly made it ten steps before Felix reacted behind her.

"What a bitch," he said, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hey!" Magnus boomed across the room. "You may have a few beers inside you and that's giving you ideas above your station, but I'm warning you against speaking to my mate that way again or I'll be dealing with your ass before I turn you over to your father."

"Whatever," Felix huffed, hiding any concern he felt.

 _Oh, right!_ Magnus bobbed his head. _You want to play billy big bollox, do you?_ "Love," he called to his mate. "Send Aro for Basileus and Eleazar before he comes here."

The B word… it worked like magic with Carlisle. The Volturi prince was suddenly up, unsteadily on his feet and reaching for his nephew. "Let's just go," he said, pulling a reluctant Felix along with him.

Freyr waited. She was willing to let them take themselves home and deal with the others. Magnus, however, was not.

"No, no, no," he said with a smile. Magnus pushed the pair of them back, blocked the door and folded his arms. "You had your chance, you're going to stay right where you are."

Carlisle sensibly relented, Felix though… he made to plough into Magnus! Catching the boy by the scruff of his neck, Magnus dragged Felix back to where he'd started - his seat with Corin. "You think you can take me, young one?" he asked, landing a firm swat to the boy's backside. "You really have had a lot to drink tonight, haven't you?"

For once in his life, self-preservation kicked in and Felix kept his troublesome mouth shut. Slinking back into his seat next to Corin, he cursed ever leaving the south tower that evening.

Then, to make a bad evening worse, Magnus spotted a bottle next to the fireplace. "Oh dear me." Magnus placed a half-drunk bottle of dungeon blood on the table and looked Caius dead in the eye. "Before I go any further… have you drunk any of this?"

Caius rolled his eyes. "No."

"Has he?" Freyr asked, wanting to know from Magnus whether Caius was being truthful or not.

Caius was already on the edge coming home to a trashed house and a room full of twats. Being questioned in front of said twats was quite simply too much. He sprang up from his seat, letting the chair clatter to the floor behind him.

"I said I haven't!"

"Calm it!" Magnus boomed, shoving Caius back a step with a strong hand to his chest.

Freyr wasn't done. "Have you drunk any dungeon blood at all since Midsummer?"

"No," Caius forced through gritted teeth, annoyed with Freyr for continuing the questioning.

Magnus told his mate that Caius was telling the truth, but soon raised an eyebrow when he realised what she had asked. "Why since Midsummer?"

Caius held his breath waiting to see whether the shield maiden would reveal the truth she knew about his drinking _prior_ to Midsummer.

Freyr wouldn't do that, not if Caius had stuck to his word. "You said he tasted the dungeon blood in the bloodwine at Midsummer," she explained, softening somewhat now she knew Caius hadn't indulged.

"Oh, of course," Magnus replied. He gave Caius an odd look, but Freyr soon took his attention away, kissing him goodbye before heading off to retrieve the necessary fathers.

Getting back on track, Magnus turned to the rest of the room - a room of drunk and possibly drugged inbetweeners.

"Dora?" he asked simply, giving the bottle of tar a shake.

"Stupid cow," Caius muttered in his mate's general direction.

"A bit rich coming from you," Irina told him in return.

Dora had drunk plenty of whiskey, sure, but she hadn't and wouldn't touch dungeon blood. "Having one of us destroy our marriage on that shit is enough, don't you think?" she told her mate.

Caius wasn't convinced, and he didn't appreciate Dora bringing up his misdeeds in that moment, either.

"Carlisle?" Magnus asked next. "Felix?"

When the Volturi princes shifted uncomfortably in their seats, Magnus whistled into the air. "May the Gods help you pair when your fathers arrive."

"Yeah, yeah," Felix muttered back. He pulled Corin in a little closer knowing it unlikely he would see his girlfriend again for a while.

Magnus turned to Irina next.

"What I do is no concern of anyone else," the Denali girl replied, full of her usual self-importance.

Magnus rolled his tongue around his cheek. "We'll shall see about that, my dear." They weren't in the guard hall, so Irina wasn't his responsibility, but she had broken the creators command, so someone would be dealing with her, he was sure of it.

That said, two of their number were definitely for Magnus to officially deal with. "Renata, Corin," he called, getting their full attention. "I do believe you were both there when the creator banned the coven from drinking dungeon blood outside of battle or injury?"

"Yes, master," Renata replied, head low. Corin replied similarly from Felix's side.

"You know the punishment for breaking the ban?"

Renata didn't look up, she couldn't. "Yes, master," she replied again with a gulp.

Corin suddenly became more animated. _Whipped?!_ She remembered, horrified. "But…"

"As a coven, we don't whip women," Magnus reminded the girl. "But something will have to be done. I'm disappointed that you would put me in this position," he told his guards. "Especially you," he added, a stern eye on Corin until she settled back down.

"What about him?" Caius asked, pointing out his faux little brother, genuinely fearing for the kid.

Magnus asked Odi whether he had drunk dungeon blood. Odi didn't reply but his emotions betrayed him. "I'd make that a yes," Magnus said, shaking his head.

"You can't let the coven discipline Odi if the girls are getting away with it."

Caius had intended on supporting Odi's case, but Odi, in his intoxicated state, took it as Caius taking the piss - which to be fair to Odi, Caius often did!

"I'm sure you know only too well what will happen to me, Caius," he mumbled, glaring at the pair of coven leaders.

Caius stopped breathing again! It was lucky he was a vampire, or he would have been suffering from lack of oxygen by that point. Carlisle and Felix looked to each other curiously, as did Renata, Corin, and Irina.

Magnus flashed to his son's side, clouted the little sod around the back of his head and forced him into a chair. "Sit down and shut your damn mouth!" he boomed, daring the boy to continue.

Odi's relationship with his father was strained, at best, and he might have retaliated were it not for the fact that that his mother walked through the door wearing a glowering expression. Having the creator and the king follow behind her helped him settle, too, no doubt. Eleazar slipped in with them, looking tired. After a a very long evening on patrol, the last thing he wanted to do was mitigate one of Irina's disasters.

"Magnus, Caius," Basileus greeted, ignoring the inbetweeners for the moment. "Is he alright?" he whispered to the juggernaut, eyes on the younger master.

"Annoyed, understandably, but doing okay," Magnus replied.

Basileus frowned as he searched through the memories in the room. "That may be about to change." Placing his hand on Magnus' and transferred what he had seen in Dora's memories.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Magnus cursed and recoiled. "I don't need to see any more of that!"

Whilst everyone else was busy trying to work out what Magnus had seen, Magnus glared daggers at Dora. "What did I tell you about your deviancy?!"

"I'm hardly a deviant," Dora tutted in reply. "I'm just… broad minded."

"Broad fucking minded?!" Magnus repeated, turning away, hands on hips, breathing fire through his nose.

"What happened?" Caius asked. It took a lot in his mind to be a deviant, though, conversely, he knew how little it took for Magnus to think of someone as such.

"It's nothing these chambers haven't seen before, love," Dora breezed. She was in the clear. She'd don't nothing unusual for her mate to worry about.

"You and her?" Caius asked, looking at Irina.

"Not just her, no," Dora snapped back. She didn't appreciate that patronising little chuckle he'd added.

Caius followed Dora's eyeline. "Carlisle, too?" he asked, outright laughing and making Carlisle feel two inches tall. "Hope you enjoyed yourselves," he told them both. And then he watched where Dora looked next…

"Him?!" he snapped. "Odi?!"

Dora could see her mate's agitation growing as he vibrated on the spot. But she couldn't see the problem. "So what?" she asked, genuinely perplexed. No one was off limits as far as they were concerned… usually.

"Odi?!" Caius asked again, his voice low and dangerous.

"Yes," Dora replied. "Whats wrong with Odi?"

Caius couldn't contain himself any longer. "What do you think, you stupid bitch?!"

The table went up into the air, landing with a crash and breaking two legs. A chair or two suffered similarly. Caius was caught mid-air by Magnus whose arms wrapped around the man in a vice like grip. Holding him so tight and clamping Caius' arms at his side, the raging coven master couldn't do much but spit vitriol at the kid cowering in the corner.

Basileus flashed in front of the two of them, ready to intervene should Caius break free, whilst Freyr slowly, and open mouthed at the shock, walked towards Dora. Freyr had an inkling as to the motivation behind Caius' reaction to Odi, but it wasn't time to voice it.

"Do you want to be single?!" she hissed on reaching Dora.

Dora had been watching Caius carefully but on hearing Freyr's question, her head whipped around. "What?!" Before Freyr could ask again, Dora hurriedly answered, "No!"

A shudder passed through the woman. That was the first time she had been asked outright whether she wanted to end things with Caius, and though she had been toying with the idea in her conversations with Irina, her immediate reaction was 'no'. No, she didn't want to be single. But still, she couldn't see what she had done all that wrong. Sure, she knew Caius wouldn't be enamoured with coming home to a house full of her friends without warning. _But fucking Odi? So what?!_

Freyr heaved a sigh of relief and sat next to Dora. "Then it's time to buck your ideas up, my girl," she hissed.

Odi and Carlisle stayed huddled together across the room, hanging around the window in case they had to make a run for it. Both believed the combined efforts of Magnus and Basileus would keep Caius contained. Which was lucky, as Carlisle and Odi knew they wouldn't be long for this world if they had to fight the Caius!

"Calm down!" Magnus demanded, squeezing Caius a little tighter.

He tried using his emphatic gift to quell Caius' rage but with so many conflicting emotions in the room Magnus found he was simply feeding off Caius and feeling incredibly angry himself! If he held Caius much tighter he was in danger of crushing his ribs, but with Caius still fighting for the freedom to crucify Odi, Magnus kept on squeezing!

"Magnus," Basileus called out to him. "Calm down, my friend."

Basileus attempted to take over with Caius, but in the man's blind rage, Caius's innate vampiric self-defence took over and he saw Basileus as an attack. Leaning back into Magnus' hold, he used both legs to kick viciously at the creator - Basileus couldn't get close.

Caius wasn't thinking straight, the only thoughts in his mind - other than ripping Odi's throat out, and possibly Dora's - was to keep the creator away from him. He knew Magnus held him and he wanted to stay where he was - even if it hurt! - because Magnus was safe, and he trusted him. Caius did not feel those things about Basileus.

Reading the man's jumbled thoughts, Basileus bobbed his head. "If you don't want me to take over," he told Caius. "Then you need to calm down."

It was still a threat, sure, but it got through to Caius after it had been uttered a few times.

"I've got you," Magnus said, only for Caius' ears. "I'm not letting you go. I'm not letting you do anything you will later regret. You need to trust me, Caius."

Eventually, and after much cajoling, Magnus managed to settle the man enough to loosen his grip and man handle Caius towards the only chair still standing at the upturned table.

Caius didn't want to sit, he wanted to run, or hit something, or referable both. Aro made a wary step in his coven mates direction, only to be held back by Magnus with a hand held out behind him and a shake of his head.

"You will sit here or we're going upstairs," Magnus told him quietly with a heavy hand pushing down on his shoulder.

Caius did sit, of course, but his body continued to pulsate. Magnus could feel the initial anger had gone, however. Caius' shaking was now agitation and overwhelming emotional pain. He was close to tears, which increased his agitation somewhat. Displaying his temper in front of others was fine in Caius' mind, but crying… oh hell no! That would be weak, and he couldn't allow that to happen.

Magnus didn't agree with Caius and Dora's style of relationship, everyone knew that, but he couldn't understand how Caius had laughed hearing about Carlisle yet turned into a raging monster over Odi. That said, Magnus wasn't happy with Odi, either. And by the look on the kid's face, a mixture of embarrassment and fear, Odi knew he had a serious round of fucks coming even if Caius did let him live.

Seeing Caius was steady, Basileus moved on. "I should have asked this question a while ago, but I've been distracted." He started pacing the room, walking between the inbetweeners as they sat, bewildered, looking up at him. "No matter," he said with a shrug. "I'll ask it now. Who has been funding your drinking?"

Basileus looked from one inbetweener to the other as their thoughts told him their personal answers. Most were innocent in their additions to the kitty. One stood out.

"Did you get a reading from that?" he asked Magnus.

Glowering at the guilt radiating from Irina, Magnus raised an eyebrow to the girl.

"I believe it's been a group effort," Basileus announced.

"That's not what I'm getting," Magnus replied. Felix felt a little guilty, perhaps, but other than him Magnus would lay the blame at Irina's feet.

"No, you misunderstand me," Basileus replied. "It's been a group effort in where she has been getting the cash from."

Aro and Eleazar had stayed out of the Caius debacle, but they were getting irritated. They wanted to take their charges home and end the night. "Could you inform the rest of the room?" Aro asked his father. _And try to remember we're fucking here!_

Basileus heard his son's thoughts but ignored them. He did answer his question, though. "Irina has been stealing to provide the money for their parties."

Magnus zoned in on Renata with her spike in emotions. "I think some of them knew that already," he said, disappointed with the girl.

Renata hadn't colluded with Irina, but she had assumed Irina's contribution to their kitty had come from ill-gotten gains. Once she had the chance to explain herself, Magnus was happy.

"Aha!" Basileus smiled broadly. "But do they know who she has been stealing from?"

"Dad, could you spit it out?!" Aro snapped. It aggravated him on a good day when his father pretended Magnus was somehow above him, having the two of them conduct a half private conversation that he couldn't be part of was maddening!

"I'm nothing more than a modern-day robin hood," Irina told them all with an air of pomposity. "Taking from the rich to feed the poor."

"Very cute," Basileus replied, lacking even a slither of sincerity. "Have you got hold of him?" he asked Magnus, gesturing to Caius.

"Shes been stealing from me?!" Caius attempted to stand but soon changed his mind when Magnus dug his fingers into his shoulder, keeping him in place.

Basileus offered Caius a tight smile. "Yes. Both of you on a regular basis," he said, making sure to catch Dora's eye in the process.

Dora felt her stomach flip. It was all she could do to keep the contents contained. As Caius and Irina went back and forth, Caius telling the girl she would be dead by dawn, Irina telling him to go ahead, and that she didn't care, Dora's whole world fell around her feet. They soon both turned on Dora. Caius told her what a blind fool she had been to let the girl into their lives and cause such havoc. Irina told Caius it was his own fault - he chose a weak-willed woman to be his mate, what else did he expect?

"How could you steal from me?" Dora asked, her voice thick with emotion. "We're friends…"

"Don't be so fucking dense!" Irina snapped at her.

She knew Dora wouldn't be any use going forward, so the pretence could end. _Whats the point in playing nice with someone if you aren't going to get anything out of it? No point at all!_

"You were only too happy to have someone to bitch to, Dora," Irina reminded her. "Do you think I offer my services for free?" she laughed as Dora crumpled into tears. "You really are quite pathetic."

It was perhaps only the shock of Irina's diatribe, which went on, and on, and on, that prevented any of the others from stopping her. All of them, Basileus, Magnus and Freyr, Aro and Eleazar, all stood motionless, absolutely dumbfounded, as the girl obliterated Dora in front of them.

"I'm not alone," Irina told Dora. "We're all using you!" she said. "You've known these people for hundreds of years and they only became interested in spending time with you once I had shown them how much use you could be!"

It categorically wasn't true. But Dora couldn't take anymore. She fled the main chamber for the safety of her bedroom and bolted the door.

Renata looked between the elite members of the coven, all of them unmoving, all being useless. She just couldn't take anymore. It was a matter of honour. Renata hadn't used Dora and she didn't believe any of the others had, either. Dragging herself to her feet, she flashed to Irina and punched the girl square in the face.

The two of them went down to the floor, Renata kicking the shit out of Irina as Irina tried desperately to defend herself. Their brawl didn't last long before they were divided. Freyr dragged Renata away and held her back, leaving Irina for Eleazar to sort out. No one said it, but everyone was quite pleased with Renata. Even Eleazar to a degree. Caius offered the guard a big satisfied grin for her efforts.

Eleazar started walking a screeching Irina to the door, only to be blocked by his father. "Not yet, son," he said. "We haven't finished here."

"Who else has she been stealing from," Aro asked, as he ran through the times Irina had been in the south tower. _Never unattended,_ he realised.

"Aro, you have only provided the hash," Basileus explained. "Though it wasn't always Irina who took it."

Felix sank into his seat and hid his face behind Corin's shoulder. Aro laughed mirthlessly at his boy. Though to be fair to Felix, he didn't look too bad in comparison to Irina, and being the very youngest of the inbetweeners, Aro didn't blame him too much, either.

Basileus went on, "Irina has taken a great amount from you," he told Eleazar before turning to Carlisle. "And you."

Carlisle didn't even look up. He'd been caught drinking dungeon blood again. _One shot, maybe two,_ he thought. But something told him that even if he'd only sniffed the bottle he would be getting it in the neck from his father.

"Your neck's safe, son," Basileus told his boy, answering his thought so Carlisle knew damn well his hide would be paying the price.

"Someone may wish to speak with Odi about where his contribution came from," Basileus directed at the kid's parents.

Magnus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Freyr had more to say on the matter. "Have you stolen from us?!" she asked, voice shrill. "Have you?!"

 _Of course he bloody has,_ Magnus said to himself. He couldn't quite understand why his dear mate was surprised to find their son being a thieving little shit - that's who Odi was!

Odi hid his face behind his hand in humiliation at being called out so publicly. He wasn't used to it. He was far more comfortable facing his parents' enquiries in private. "You won't give me any work…" he managed to squeak out in his defence.

"You think that's an excuse?!" Freyr shot back at him, astonished by not only her sons embarrassing behaviour but also by the audacity of his justification.

Odi hung his head as his mother continued to berate him in front of their audience. He'd felt like cock-of-the-walk earlier that night. His first orgy! What a milestone for an eight-hundred-year-old vampire?! He was now less cock-of-the-walk, more simply, just a cock.

With Irina still spitting her venom at Renata, Magnus could feel the tension rising again. His whole body ached from the emotional turmoil as he soaked up the animosity. Halloween was hard on Magnus anyway with villages full of terrified humans battering his emphatic gift. Basileus soon appeared at his side, calling Aro and Eleazar to join them so they could work out a course of action and end the night.

"Irina's going to be the only one walking out of this unscathed and it was all her bloody orchestrating!" Aro complained. He wouldn't be letting Felix walk away scot free, but he wasn't prepared to condemn the boy alone. _They all go down or none of them do,_ he thought.

"I'm sure your brother will issue his own punishment for Irina as you will for Felix, and I for Carlisle." Basileus offered an apologetic smile to Magnus knowing the man would most likely be dealing with not only Odi, but Renata and Corin as well.

"What are we going to do about this?" Magnus asked the creator. "Your decree stated any who drink dungeon blood will be whipped."

"We don't whip women in the throne room," Aro said, shaking his head. "It's improper."

"What is it with you lot and girls?!" Magnus shot back.

"Girls aren't so much the problem," Basileus explained on behalf of himself and his sons. "Its women I find difficult to handle."

"You're not special on that score," Magnus replied with an eyeroll for good measure. "But needs must, right? I'll deal with Renata and Corin. But I'll only do as much as I feel needs to be done. I'm not whipping them, either."

Aro breathed a sigh of relief. So did Basileus come to that. It wasn't fair, but they were both glad that they wouldn't have to address the matter with Renata and Corin.

"So we deal with our own and keep it quiet?" Aro asked, just to be sure.

"Easy for you lot with one a piece," Magnus said with a scoff. "Don't worry about me with three to be getting on with."

Freyr had finished up rounding out Odi, and the tension in the room seemed to be settling. So it was a shame Eleazar made an innocuous request at that point.

"Do you fancy handling Irina, Magnus?"

"No, I don't!" Magnus snapped, as Basileus clouted his eldest around the back of the head. "You have had those girls for eighteen months and I've already done more with that one than you have!"

The 'that one' Magnus was referring to, was of course, Irina, who was thoroughly pleased with herself for the catastrophe she had engineered. From over hearing Eleazar's request, she was pretty sure she'd be getting away with it, too. There was a strong possibility that she would come to regret breaking ties with Dora - sure, she had stolen a sizable sum from the woman, but she could have talked her way around that, maybe even been apologetic, perhaps? Irina had enjoyed ripping Dora to pieces in the moment, but doubts were already setting in about who she would be able to turn to next… no one, she realised.

Basileus glowered around the group of remaining inbetweeners until he had their full attention. "For your own sakes, I suggest this little party be kept very quiet."

Irina scoffed from bedside the door. "I'm telling everyone…"

 _Good point,_ Basileus mused. _Irina will sing her song loud, I am sure._ Storming over to the girl, he took her like a rag doll by the arm and brought her in close before addressing the room. "You will ALL deny the dungeon blood with every fibre of your being unless you wish to see yourselves lined up in the great hall for the whip."

Everyone readily agreed, Irina gulped. Facing a four-month restriction with a steely demeanour was one thing, she doubted her ability to face a public whipping quite so stoically.

"Yes, my lord," she agreed, cowering to his touch.

"Agreed," Aro declared, clapping his hands together. "Felix, time to go."

Felix disentangled himself from his girlfriend and slowly slumped over to his father waiting at the door. "In my defence, Dad," he said with a playful smirk. "I _was_ left unsupervised."

"Hey!" Carlisle called out. "I supervised…" the Volturi prince drifted off seeing paired sets of raised eyebrows coming from his brothers, and a slightly more aggressive set from his father.

"This is why you can't play with the big boys and girls, son," Aro told his boy with an arm around his shoulders.

"Dad, please…" Felix whined, knowing his dad would be about to embarrass him in front of Corin.

"I'd save your begging for when your ass up over my knee,"

"Oh my god!" Felix cursed leaving Caius' chambers.

"Renata, Corin," Freyr called to her guards. "You are consigned to your dorms until further notice." She looked to her mate wondering if he would offer anything more, but he only had eyes for their son.

"Odi, go to your room," Freyr instructed.

"Your room," Magnus pointed out sharply. "Not your dorm."

Once the had schlepped out, with Eleazar and Irina following, Basileus offered to take Caius off Magnus' hands.

Caius had stayed remarkedly calm, in his own opinion. There was no need for anyone to take him anywhere. Carlisle wasn't keen on the idea of being within arm's reach of Caius, either, come to that!

"He's staying with me," Magnus told the creator. "We'll be alright, wont we Caius?"

It was difficult to say too much with Carlisle there, but Caius knew he'd have to say something if he wanted to stay in Magnus' company and not Basileus'. "I'm fine," he said, staring straight ahead.

"I'm going to speak with Dora about all of this," Freyr told her mate. "So you and Caius need to go to our chambers, love."

"Up there?!" Magnus asked, thinking his wife had clearly lost her mind! "With Odi?!"

"Yes!" Caius was delighted with that idea. "Take me up there!" _I'm going to rip the fuckers throat out!_

Basileus caught his thoughts and went to take hold of Caius. "I think you'd better come with me after all."

"I'm sure Magnus can handle them both," Freyr interceded, knowing it would end disastrously if Caius kicked off with Basileus. _Caius needs sensitive handling right now._

Magnus turned to Basileus with a sigh. "Lucky old Magnus, huh?" He assured the creator that Caius would be fine, and Odi, too, despite Caius' claims on his life. "I'm thinking about asking Henri to hire me as a guard to kick about. It would be easier than working in this damn place."

"Good night, my friend," Basileus chuckled, directing his own son home for a round of fucks.

Magnus kept a hold of Caius by the back of his neck as they walked up the stairs and into the middle floor suite. Odi hadn't gone to his room as instructed - he was far too nervous for that. He'd stayed in the main chamber waiting for (hoping for) his mother to come home and explain where he'd gone so wrong. Sure, he knew the dungeon blood was a mistake, but they'd only had a shot a piece, or thereabouts. Hardly crime of the century even with the creators ban in force. But Dora… How was he supposed to know Caius would react the way he had? Laughing about Carlisle, or rather, at Carlisle, and sneering at Irina - Odi could have coped with either of those reactions. They were the sort of reactions he expected from Caius. Possibly even that Caius would rib him about it, maybe. _The rage, though?! Where the hell did that come from?!_

Caius started fussing as soon as he set sights on Odi and attempted to go for the kid. Magnus increased his grip on the mans neck, twisting and lowering Caius to his knees.

"If I release you and you go for him, I will be finishing the fight."

At that point Caius wasn't too sure what he wanted. A part of him wanted to batter Odi, that was true enough, but he wasn't sure whether he wanted that enough to enter into a fight with Magnus. Part of him still wanted to cry, and he thoroughly hated that part of him. _Pathetic!_

"Caius, I know his behaviour is disgraceful…"

"Of course Odi's behaviour is disgraceful," Caius snapped up at the juggernaut. "You facilitated him behaving this way into his twenties, and hey presto, he's an unmanageable cunt."

 _That's a bit harsh! What have I even done wrong?!_ "You're the cunt," Odi mumbled in reply.

Magnus tried to send his son to the safety of his bedroom, but Caius' rant held Odi firm. "It's not just me you have crossed you jumped up little prick!" he shot at the kid. "You've bitten the hand that feeds you, Odi. Stealing from your own family?! You're not just an unmanageable cunt, you're a stupid unmanageable cunt."

Odi had a spike of bravery for a moment and dared to look as though he would go for Caius. The slight change in Odi's stance was all it took to see Caius lunge toward the boy. Magnus was quick, thank the gods. He slammed Caius down to the floor.

"STAY DOWN!"

With a knee in the man's back and two hands on his shoulders, Caius wasn't going anywhere.

"I had to contribute something," Odi told his father. "And the only shifts I can work these days are on the bar at big parties because of all the shit he spread about me."

"So that's your excuse for stealing from me?" Magnus asked his boy, astonished by his bullshit reasoning. "What the hell is going on in your head, boy?!" Okay, he may have been more than astonished, more like fucking apoplectic! "How dare you steal from me?! This is going to be an awakening for you, young one, I promise you that!"

Naturally, Caius cheered Magnus on, wanting the little bastard to suffer some sort of stark consequences. Not that he was too bothered about Odi stealing from his parents, but he was very bothered about the kid fucking his wife. Caius saw flashes of his early vampiric life running through his mind, taunting him. His brother, his beloved brother Helios and… Dora…

"You can forget the guard hall, you can forget shifts on the bar, you can forget your dorm," Magnus went on. "You're here and you're staying here. You will forget what the damn sun looks like by the time I let you out!"

He'd always been on Odi's side about choosing where he lived and how he conducted his life, mostly, at least. Rapidly realising that giving his boy so much choice had been the kid's downfall, Magnus sought to regain control. Odi wasn't having that!

"No way, not happening," he said, shaking his head.

"Don't argue with me!" Magnus barked back at his son, glaring at the kid. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. A couple of years ago you wouldn't have even so much as questioned me - I am your father and you will do as I say!"

It was too much. Too much. Odi felt like his head would explode any minute. The tears came, and he couldn't stop them. He didn't understand what he had done that was wrong? _I haven't done anything wrong! This is all about Caius, it's always about Caius._

Odi returned his father's stern glare. "Only when you're not too busy being his father," he said, angrily jabbing at Caius.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Magnus asked.

"Nothing," Odi said, wiping his sleeve against his eyes. "Forget it." _Whats the point in telling you? You'll only defend Caius anyway._

Magnus knew his son well. The kid had always been easy to bring to tears, so that alone wasn't too shocking. But something told him Odi wasn't simply trying to cry his way out of repercussions that time. Something more was going on with the boy, Magnus could feel it.

He tried to release Caius so he could go to his child but no sooner had he lifted his knee, Caius started snarling again. He had to stay where he was, but he needed to know what was wrong with his son.

"I am your father, Odi. If you have a problem, you can talk to me…"

"No, you're not. You're not and you never were."

Magnus heaved. It was a punch in the guts to hear his son thought that way. And Odi wasn't finished.

"The guards are giving me all kinds of crap because of the bullshit Caius spread about us and you do nothing," he said, accusingly. "You send me out there like a lamb to the slaughter while you sit in your plush masters' chambers. You don't give a fuck about me so stop pretending like you do."

 _What kind of fucked up thinking is going on in that head of yours?!_ Magnus looked curiously at his boy whilst getting a handle on the kid's emotions - one thing Magnus was sure of, Odi truly meant what he was saying.

"You're the one who wanted to stay with your mates, son," Magnus reminded him. "My door is always open to you, you know that."

"It's always open to everyone!" Odi all but screamed through his sobbing. Glancing at Caius, who seemed to have quit his attempts for freedom and was now far too interested in what should have been a private moment between father and son, Odi added, "Look at what you let in!"

"Now hang on a minute…" Magnus had to stop to push Caius back down.

Odi swiped angrily at his eyes again, wishing he had more self-control. The floodgates had opened, not only for his tears, but also for years of silent brooding. "Since the day you took me in all I have ever wanted was to be your son."

"You are!" Magnus replied.

"No, I'm not," Odi sobbed. "When you still had Ivar and Sven, I was the stray they'd brought home. When they left, and I stayed, I heard what you said, I know you blamed me."

 _Where the hell is this coming from?!_ Magnus' head whirled. "I did not blame you, Odi, never!"

"You told mom that if I had alerted you sooner then you wouldn't have lost your real sons. You said I should have gone with them, you said…"

Magnus cut him off short. "I don't remember that."

Caius looked up at the man, there was something very off about Magnus' tone, and the fact that he couldn't look at Odi as he made his claim spoke volumes.

Odi scoffed. "It's burnt into my memory, trust me, you said it."

"If I did, I'm sure it was said in the heat of the moment." Magnus felt sick to his stomach. It was a good job he hadn't been drinking that night. "You are mine, you have been since you I first clapped eyes on you…"

"Then why is he more important than me?!" Odi screamed out. "I've been with you for hundreds of years; how can Caius mean more to you already?!" _Why can't I stop fucking crying?!_ Odi pushed both hands into his eyes, begging them to stop. It was no use. He couldn't stop crying and he couldn't stay in those chambers anymore, either.

Odi flashed to the door, set on leaving and never coming back.

"Don't you dare walk out that door," Magnus told him.

Odi stopped for a moment, hand on the bolt. He looked back to his father and knew Magnus wouldn't be able to follow him without releasing Caius. Of course, Magnus was only holding Caius down in he first place to protect Odi, but in that moment, that wasn't how Odi judged it. _He's the one you want here. You don't need me anymore._

"I don't belong in here," he said quietly, his voice hoarse from the shouting and crying. "I don't belong here at all."

"Odi…" Magnus called after him as the door swung on its hinges.

Caius watched wide eyed as the kid left. _That did not give me the deliciously satisfied feeling I was going for._ He thought he'd feel happy, relieved, even, to get rid of the little bastard who had betrayed him - even if Odi had no idea that he had betrayed Caius! But Caius didn't feel happy. He felt… confused… but mostly guilty. Guilty that Magnus had seemingly just lost his son and Caius was the reason he'd gone!

Magnus appeared similarity affected. In slow motion, he climbed off Caius and headed for his chair beside the fire. Caius had the opportunity to find Odi and tear him to shreds if he wanted, but he stayed watching Magnus instead. The juggernaut looked to be a shadow of his usual self, utterly bereft.

Slowly, Caius got to his feet and approached the man, taking the nearest seat. "You were lying," he said. "When you said you didn't remember… you were lying."

"Aye," Magnus croaked out.

He he told Odi he hadn't remembered saying such a hateful when the older lads left, but he remembered. Oh boy did he remember!

"I'm not proud of it, Caius. It was a bad time." Magnus ran both hands through his hair and let them rest at the back of his neck, rubbing at the build-up of stress. "When Ivar and Sven took off, I blamed Freyr - she blamed me. I blamed Odi - Freyr blamed me. I blamed the Gods - Freyr blamed me."

"I don't see how it was your fault, Magnus," Caius said. "Your sons went in search of land."

"I was a different man back then," Magnus explained chucking lightly. "Freyr was the one to pussy foot around people's feelings. I was a 'lay the law down' type."

"You still are!" Caius shot out, rubbing his right shoulder - one of the many bruised areas of his body from Magnus' handling that night.

"Wimp!" Magnus replied with a tut. "I'm fine with enforcing rules and standards, but the grey areas stay grey," he explained. "With Ivar and Sven I laid the law down, which they rejected, and they left never to be seen again. I couldn't risk that happening again. I couldn't take the guilt. So I started taking every opinion, every feeling - every everything! - into account before I decided on anything. Not great for a Jarl."

Magnus rested his head on the back of the chair and took a few steadying breaths to level out his fraught emotions.

"Are you really going to take Odi out of the guard?" Caius asked. He couldn't see how it would work, though he knew the kid was having a nightmare of a time with one-foot in. Feeling like a pariah in your own coven wasn't nice - Caius had plenty of experience on that score.

"I know what I said," Magnus told the man. "But it must be Odi's choice, not mine."

"Because you're scared of pushing him away?"

"Aye." _Though it looks like I've already done that anyway,_ Magnus thought, the sickening feeling rising again in his stomach. "I'll speak with Odi about Dora…"

An instantaneous change in Caius' emotions occurred on being reminded of Dora and Odi.

"Whats wrong with you?" Magnus asked the man, reeling from all the emotional changes he had suffered that evening. "You laughed about Carlisle. You and Dora get up to all kinds of things with all kinds of people."

"Odi's different."

Magnus sighed. He couldn't quite face having Caius and Odi against each other again - the hellish mission to France still fresh in his memories. "He's my son, Caius..."

"Exactly!" Caius snapped.

Magnus wasn't sure what Caius meant by that, but Caius was painfully aware that Odi was Magnus' son, and that's why his heart had twisted painfully within his chest - Caius had grown fond of the kid, felt a bond with him, maybe even loved him… like a brother. Caius shook the thoughts from his mind. He couldn't think about Odi that way again and he wished he never had.

When Freyr returned home after a long conversation with Dora, she was surprised to find Magnus and Caius sitting in silence. Even more so when she realised her son wasn't there.

"Where's Odi?" she asked, breaking the quiet of the room.

Magnus looked down, but before he did, Freyr saw the mixture of shame and regret in his sad eyes. "Gone." He went on to explain in brief the scene that had led to Odi leaving their chambers.

"And you let him leave?!" Freyr asked, wondering how far her boy could have got in the time he'd had.

Magnus gestured to Caius before raising his eyes to his mate. Like he could leave Caius home alone and chase Odi down?!

Freyr understood what Magnus was getting at, but she had plans for Caius that didn't involve Magnus or Odi.

"If Magnus leaves you here with me, will you attack me?" she asked the young master, knowing full well that he wouldn't.

Magnus baulked at the idea. "He'd be getting the buckle end of my belt if he dared!"

"I wouldn't anyway, thanks," Caius told them both, recoiling from Magnus a little.

Magnus stood and rested his hand on his belt buckle, just to make sure Caius knew he was serious. "What about Odi?" he asked.

Caius refused to respond, even with Magnus looming over him.

"Do you wish to kill our son?" Freyr asked outright. "Harm him, perhaps? Would you really do that to us?"

"Erm…" Caius ran a hand through his hair and gripped tightly, tugging at the roots. Whatever he felt about Odi, and he was still working that out, he wouldn't hurt Magnus and Freyr by going after their son. "No," he said sincerely. "I won't be playing happy families with the kid anytime soon, but I won't hurt him."

Magnus and Freyr turned to each other, the latter sporting a slight grin. That was the first time Caius had ever referred to them all as a family, and though it wasn't under the greatest of circumstances, Freyr took it as a small win. Magnus wasn't so easily impressed, but he felt secure enough leaving the two of them alone so he could track down his troubled son.

Caius made to follow him only to have Freyr block his path. "Sit," she told him, pushing him back into his recently vacated seat. "I'm glad you have stuck to your word, Caius," she said, placing another log on the fire and giving it a stoke with the fire pick. It needed raking out, but the guards would take care of that at dawn. "The dungeon blood," she pushed when Caius stayed silent.

"I have, Freyr, honestly."

Caius was so grateful to her for covering for him and he wanted her to know he hadn't gone against her request. _Request? Who am I kidding, it was an order if ever there was one!_

"I know, I think there would have been a few deaths tonight if you hadn't." Seeing the fire picking up, Freyr settled herself in Magnus' old chair and put her feet up onto the footstool. "Not to mention how my chambers would look by now if you had still been indulging."

Caius couldn't deny either premise with his track record.

"I want you to take Dora away from the coven for a while. Reconnect with each other." Unlike Caius, Freyr saw the nights disastrous end as a new beginning for the couple - Irina would be out of the picture going forwards so there would be no one to come between Caius and Dora. All in all, a good night, she thought, smiling quietly. "It's time for the two of you to be happy again, my darling."

"But we're both so fucked up!"

"Yes you are," Freyr agreed. "Two damaged people trying to heal each other. That's love, Caius."

"She won't go with me," Caius said, feeling certain that Dora wouldn't risk being anywhere near him after the display he'd put on, not to mention the things he'd said to her - Caius had been almost as hurtful as Irina. "She'll fear me. Scared of what I'll do…"

Freyr gave the man a wink. "Dora's packing as we speak."

Caius knew he'd been a bit of a dick, but he wasn't ready to roll over just yet. "You're pretty sure I'm going to agree to this," he said, eyeing the shield maiden with a face full of scorn. "Maybe I don't want to go away with her after what she's done. Maybe I don't want to be happy with her…"

"Caius," Freyr called, ending the man's rant before he could wind himself up. "There comes a time when it matters not a jot who was right or who was wrong," she took his hand, offered a loving squeeze and fixed him with her eye. "It appears to me, from the outside looking in, that time has arrived."

 _Who was right and who was wrong_ _…_ Caius couldn't even answer that himself. He could get his wife back if he went away with her, he could get his life back on track. They could mend the rifts between them. Or he could refuse; blame Dora… potentially lose Dora… _No. That can_ _'_ _t happen._

"How long?"

"A month?" Freyr threw out. It sounded a reasonable amount of time to her. "I want you both back for Christmas."

Caius nodded absentmindedly, still brooding.

"I'm not trying to excuse what has happened tonight," Freyr began tentatively. "But Odi was very drunk, they all were."

"I won't hurt him, Freyr," Caius assured the woman. He doubted he would ever want to breathe the same air as the kid again, but he wouldn't hurt him. Caius wouldn't risk losing Magnus and Freyr over Odi. "I wouldn't do that to you. I was just… angry."

"Angry and hurt, I think?" Freyr wanted to ask why. She believed she knew - Dora and Odi brought up buried emotions over Dora and Helios. But she couldn't raise it too blatantly. "Bad memories?" she asked, giving Caius space to expand should he wish.

"Maybe."

 _You aren_ _'_ _t giving much away, are you?_ Freyr mused. "I don't agree with the way you and Dora conduct your relationship, but I can see it mostly works well for you both." Freyr sighed, sounding sad and tired at the same time. "If Dora being with Odi had such an effect on you, when you so easily laughed away Carlisle and Irina… well, you might wish to think about why that is."

 _I know why it is,_ Caius said to himself, though he wouldn't voice the reason, not even in his own head. The guard masters had accepted him into their lives and loved him as their own. Odi was their son. That made Caius and Odi… _whatever. Not anymore._ Caius had only allowed himself to show that he tolerated Odi, but in his heart his relationship with the kid had gone so much deeper than that. _I had a brother again… bastard!_ Caius cursed himself for honouring Odi with the title. Sure, Caius hadn't let Odi know how he felt, or Dora, for that matter. He hadn't done much more than let the kid hang around his chambers, in all honesty, so Caius knew it wasn't really Odi's fault for crossing a line he hadn't known existed. But that didn't stop it hurting. It didn't stop the fire in his heart.

"You'll be back for Christmas," Freyr said, snapping Caius back into reality.

"I guess so," Caius nodded along.

"It wasn't a question," Freyr said with force, lifting Caius' chin to gain eye contact. "I want you both back here for Christmas."

"Oh!" Caius blinked at Freyr's tone, at once stern, yet so very motherly, too. "Alright."

Freyr stroked a caring hand down Caius' cheek and wiped away the tears he'd unknowingly shed. "And you will treat your mate with love and kindness."

"Of course," Caius drawled, complete with eye roll.

With a light chuckle, Freyr tapped the man's cheek a few times, the last a little too sharp to be considered playful. "That wasn't a question, either, my darling."

…

"One of us needs to speak to her about all of this, El."

Eleazar made an odd noise, as though his words stuck in his throat.

"That would be me, then!" Carmen huffed, rolling her eyes to her weak-ass mate.

Eleazar had ranted at his mate about what the eldest Denali girls had done, about her theft, about the dungeon blood – which she had taken from their chambers, again! – and the appalling way she had destroyed Dora once caught out. Absolutely ranted and raved. It had taken all of Carmen's efforts to force Eleazar to speak with an inside voice as Kate and Tanya were in bed. But as soon as it came to stepping-up to the girl and speaking with Irina about her behaviour, he bowed out.

Carmen didn't want to come down heavy on the girl, however, believing there must be a reason behind such betrayal. Now Carmen wasn't stupid. She knew Irina thought little of her and Eleazar, but she had thought Dora meant a lot to the girl.

Knowing her sisters were sleeping, Irina had headed to the window seat in the main chamber. She would have been more comfortable sitting by the fire, perhaps, but she didn't want to be comfortable. Being cold, being bored, being uncomfortable all helped to ground Irina in her misery and that's exactly how she wanted to feel.

"The restriction was too long, Irina," Carmen said, trying to ease her way in with the girl. "Even Basileus realises that now, I think."

With no response, Carmen perched on the edge of Irina's seat. She was unsure how to proceed with the girl, so she decided on avoiding the evenings antics for the moment and concentrated instead on trying to reach Irina, somehow.

"You seem so unhappy," she said. "Haven't you enjoyed any of your time with us?"

Irina continued to ignore her. Sitting in the same room as the woman whilst her sisters slept was about as much as Irina was willing to do. _I_ _'_ _m not up for cosy chats,_ she thought, face of thunder.

"I can see that face you are pulling, young lady," Carmen chided gently.

 _Then I have to wonder why you are still speaking?_

Unperturbed, Carmen continued. "You have had fun, Irina, I know you have."

They had spent the long, drawn out, seemingly never fucking ending days playing games, reading together, sewing pointless shit. Irina hadn't complained during those activities as at least it had been something to do, but enjoyed? She wouldn't go that far.

"I made an effort for my sisters," Irina explained. _You stupid cow._

"Eleazar and I were thinking…"

Irina tittered to herself. _I expect that would have hurt._

"You girls have been cooped up in the coven for a while now…"

 _Are you releasing us? We can leave?_ Irina sat up, feeling hopeful, excited, even.

Carmen took the girls sudden enthusiasm as encouraging. "We were thinking of planning a break from the coven."

"A break would be a start," Irina replied, but reading the woman's body language, she realised that break wouldn't be her and her sisters alone. "Oh… With you? And Eleazar?" Irina slumped back against the wall. "Right… no thanks."

Carmen exhaled tersely. She would happily forget all the trouble the girl caused, all the strife she had brought to her marriage and animosity that clouded their home if only Irina would soften slightly.

"If you aren't playing nice we might as well address this evening…" Carmen didn't get any further before Irina jumped in.

"Yes, I stole money from you, I stole dungeon blood from you, I even fucked your brother in law. But listen up – I don't give a fuck what you think of me." Irina stopped for a moment to ensure she had a grip on herself, worrying she would cry at any moment. Once she was sure the tears would stay hidden, she went on, "You and your fucked-up family ripped my heart out when you slaughtered my mother. Why are you surprised that I don't care anymore?"

Carmen had to turn away, the girl's words were so hurtful. "How many lives are you prepared to ruin just to smother your own misery?"

"As many as I possibly can," Irina replied, lip curled into a cruel sneer.

Carmen hid the pain in her heart and backed away, but not before Irina offered a final stab.

"Stop trying to be our mother, Carmen," she hissed. "It's pathetic. Have some self-respect."

Eleazar may not have wanted to stand up to Irina, or even get involved with the girls beyond breaking up fist fights. But purposely hurting his wife, the woman he loved and adored? That was too much even for the affable Eleazar to take. Watching Carmen leave, tears welling in her eyes, the hairs stood up on the back of his neck.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to?!" he shot at the girl.

Irina spun around to face the man stalking into the room, but soon smirked at him, swishing her long hair around her face to block Eleazar from view. _Bless him,_ she thought. _What a prat!_

"Irina," Eleazar snapped.

"What?" Irina asked, pretending to be thoroughly engaged in the book in her lap. "I was talking to Carmen - as you know that already, your question was redundant."

Eleazar ripped the book from her hand, tossing it to the table. Towering over the girl, it was all he could do to keep his reasoned mind. "You will start treating us with the respect we are due…"

Irina's tinkling laughter cut him short. "I am!" she sneered. "You just aren't due much."

Before Eleazar could react, Irina released a bloodcurdling scream, knees brought up to her chest, arms trying desperately to protect her body and face from an invisible attack.

"What the hell…" Eleazar backed up a step, viewing the girl with serious concern.

The room soon flooded with the other members of their household; Kate and Tanya, having woken with a start and still half asleep, jostled their way in at vampiric speed, Carmen just pipping them to the post in making it to Irina first.

"What happened?!" Carmen called to her mate over the continued screaming.

"Nothing!" Eleazar replied. "I didn't touch her!"

Kate and Tanya, both bewildered, weren't sure what to think. Irina wasn't accusing Eleazar of anything, but then why was she still screaming? From their calming touch Irina's screaming subdued to be replaced with hearty sobs.

Daring to take a step closer, Eleazar called out softly to the girls…

Screaming resumed!

"Just go, El," Carmen told her mate. "Just go."

Carmen wrapped her arms around Irina's body and the girl lay her head on her shoulder, smirking to Eleazar as he backed away.

Eleazar found himself back in his baby brother's chambers, where he had spent much of the last four months! Carlisle made a joke about charging his brother rent. As you can imagine, it didn't go down well! It also gave Eleazar an opening to interrogate Carlisle about his intentions towards Irina. Carlisle denied having sex with Irina, but Eleazar wasn't so sure… still, what could he do if Carlisle denied it?

 _What difference does it make anyway?_ Carlisle thought to himself. _It's not like you care about Irina!_

Carlisle was sensible enough to keep such thoughts in his head. Eleazar didn't care about Irina, no, but he did care about the way her behaviour was reflecting on him in the coven. Being so uninvolved that his kid brother was his charge hardly presented Eleazar as the responsible man he thought himself to be.

Eventually, Eleazar let it go, mainly because he wasn't sure what he could do about it anyway. Aro turning up provided a welcome distraction. For Eleazar at least – Carlisle became immediately stressed.

"If you're here to have a go…

"I'm not. I'm not happy, brother," Aro told him, closing the door. "But I don't blame you too much, this time."

It was only a half-truth – Aro had been instructed by his mother not to blame Carlisle too much, or Felix for that matter. An excessively long restriction ending with a night in an empty coven was always going to be trouble – Aro didn't disagree with that.

"So, what are you doing here?" Carlisle asked, clearly still nervous.

Aro roughly tousled his brother's hair as Carlisle tried to duck away. "I've come to spend time with my baby brother."

"I am popular today," Carlisle said, pleased to have both brothers with him.

"I went everywhere else first, trust me."

"Why are you packing?

"He's got to go and stay with Magnus and Freyr until Dad gets back," Eleazar answered on Carlisle's behalf.

"Gets back?!" Aro shot in return. "Where's he gone?!"

"Nowhere yet." Carlisle threw his cape into his truck and sat down, bored of packing. "All he told me was to pack some things and the report to him for…" he trailed off, unwilling to tell his brothers why he had to see his father.

Naturally, they guessed, and being such lovely supportive big brothers, they soon started mocking him.

"Oh dear, baby brother," Aro drawled. "Have you got to report to daddy for a thrashing?"

"Fuck off!"

Eleazar snorted in his attempt to hide his laughter at Carlisle's response. "I'd say you're bang on the nail, Aro!"

Bastards, Carlisle cursed at the pair of them.

"Caius and Dora have gone, too," Aro told them, already bored of winding up his brother. "They need to reconnect, or something like that."

"That's why he's here," Eleazar tutted in Aro's direction. "Caius isn't about to play with."

"Will you show some sympathy for me, please?" Carlisle asked, whining. "I've got to stay with Magnus!"

"Magnus is alright, you'll be fine," Eleazar assured him. As restrictions go, spending it in the north tower was definitely the best option, in his eyes. "He'll let you see Marcus, too, so you can keep up with your studies at least?"

"I suppose," Carlisle grumbled, still feeling sorry for himself.

Aro rubbed his chin and grew a pensive expression. He understood why his father would want someone watching Carlisle if he was going away, but he wasn't pleased that someone would be Magnus. _Why not me?_ He wondered, soon answering his own question – _because I'd kill him. But why not Marcus?_

Carlisle could see Aro had something to say and called him out on his brooding. "Don't let him order you about," Aro said.

"Marcus?" Elazar asked.

"Magnus," Aro tutted. _Obviously._ "He's getting a bit above himself if you ask me."

"You're the one who gave him his station," Eleazar reminded his younger brother. "Are you regretting it?"

"Not at all!" Aro truly didn't regret raising Magnus and Freyr out of the guard, he just didn't want them getting too big for their britches where he was concerned.

"HOW DARE YOU?!

Th three brothers damn near jumped out of their skin!

"Is that Carmen?" Aro asked, wincing from the roaring argument being conducted above their heads.

"It is," Eleazar replied wearily. He complained about the Denali girls' noise, but his mate was a good match for them. _And to think she was telling me to use my inside voice earlier! The cheek of it!_

"And you are leaving her to it?" Aro pushed.

If he had heard one of his kids raging at Sulpicia, like Irina was with Carmen, he would have flown up those stairs to tan their hides. Yet Eleazar appeared entirely relaxed, lounging on Carlisle's sofa with his long legs hanging limping off the end. No tension, no motivation, no nothing. Eleazar had always been fairly placid, but he was being inactive in Aro's opinion.

"Carmen has a better chance than I do in getting through to Irina. I can't control that girl," Eleazar eventually replied.

"You aren't trying to," Aro pointed out.

"What am I supposed to do, brother?" El asked. "Do not suggest anything physical, it isn't right."

"You need to find her currency," Aro answered with a shrug, as though it should be obvious to Eleazar. "When you know what is most valuable to her, you have something to bargain with."

Eleazar looked to Aro quizzically and then to Carlisle to see if he had a clue. Nothing. "I don't even know what that means!" he admitted, wincing as he spoke from the sound of glass shattering above his head.

"Okay, an example…" Aro considered his options for a moment. "Felix!" he exclaimed. "He values his reputation most of all. The guards have all seen him whipped, belted, bawled out, but I doubt they have ever seen him really back down, they rarely see me treat him too childishly. It's his currency."

"That makes no sense to me at all," Carlisle said. Looking to Eleazar he was pretty sure his bog brother had questions, too. "You have belted Felix in front of the guard and I've seen him make public apologies…" Carlisle held his hands up, gesturing for Aro to offer more explanation.

"The guards all have to do that, too," Aro reminded them. "That's just normal discipline around here." He stopped and chuckled thinking back to when he'd got the boy home from Dora's party that evening. "Felix would much rather I beat the living daylights out of him than do something that would emasculate him, like spanking him for instance."

Felix had gone wild when they got home. After Aro had forced him to explain himself to his mother – and suffer the following lecture from the woman – Aro stripped the boy from the waist down, shredding his clothing in the process and then, without warning, tipped the boy over his knee. All whilst Sulpicia stood mere meters away. Had Magnus walked by the south tower at that time he might very well have exploded as the boy's shame hit him!

Carlisle's stomach did a flip. Luckily, he had already purged the whiskey he had drunk at Dora's or it would be on the living room floor! He found submitting for any form of punishment from his father as hugely emasculating, so he could appreciate his nephews feeling on the matter.

"So that's the threat… do as I say, or…" Carlisle felt his stomach go again. "You will humiliate him?"

"Yup," Aro replied, entirely relaxed and confident in his parenting technique.

Carlisle looked to his elder brother, hoping Eleazar would say something to Aro, tell him he was wrong, or something. But Eleazar appeared to be paying attention!

 _I'll say it then!_ Carlisle said to himself. "That's harsh, Aro. I think it's wrong."

"It's neither harsh or wrong," Aro said with a shrug. "I need to be able to control him. Felix isn't some fluffy human teenager, hes a vampire. A very strong one with no impulse control." With Eleazar nodding along, clearly understanding, Aro posed a question to his little brother. "Could you imagine what Felix would be capable of if he went around completely unchecked?"

With a shudder, because Carlisle knew about the things Felix got away with, let alone the stuff Aro pulled him up on, Carlisle could do little but quietly agree.

"He's bad enough as it is," Eleazar said, openly agreeing that Aro needed a firm handle on the kid. "How would that work with Irina, though?" he asked. "I am not going to hit her."

Aro might well have thought Irina would benefit from a slap, but he understood Eleazar's reticence – he rarely took Jane to task, though he would never admit it out loud.

"That's just Felix," Aro explained. "It wouldn't work with Irina. It doesn't work with the twins or Demetri either."

Eleazar sat up in his chair. _Now we're getting somewhere!_ "Whats the twins currency?"

"They are easy - Jane in particular." Aro wiggled his eyebrows, as though he was about to reveal some mystical secret. "They don't like disappointing me."

Not too mystical then…

"I think Alec's scared of you, too," Carlisle said, voice barley above a whisper in case took offence.

"Yes, he is," Aro said, scowling. Though not at Carlisle - that scowl was for himself. "I don't like that he is, and I'm working on it, but I can't deny it."

"Is that it? A bit of fear and disappointment?" Eleazar felt a little disappointed himself! "Irina isn't scared of me and she would be only too happy to disappoint me. Kate and Tanya too, I reckon, if it meant getting their own way."

"Of course they would,! Aro agreed with a smirk. "You are their minder, not their father, yet."

"Theres no yet about it Aro!" Eleazar took to his feet. "As soon as you find somewhere for them to go, they are gone!"

"You say that like it's so simple, El, but Carmen…"

Eleazar came to a halt in front of Aro. "Carmen is struggling as much as I am, she's just stubborn."

"I'll agree with you in relation to Irina," Aro said, holding out his hand placatingly. "But I'm not so sure with Kate and Tanya. Are you?"

Eleazar wasn't willing to answer that. "Demetri, do Demetri," he said, hoping for something more useful.

"Demetri is a little more traditional," Aro mused. "He isn't as prideful as Felix is - he accepts hes a child and you can't emasculate a child. He will happily disappoint me, too, if it means getting his own way. He doesn't do well with pain though…"

"Pain?!"

Aro wasn't sure which of his brothers had called out in shock! "Not in a 'Caius' playroom' kind of way," he said quickly. "In a 'I will belt you if you do that again', kind of way."

Seeing his brothers settle, Aro turned to his baby brother before he said anything else. "Carlisle if you tell them any of this…"

"Don't they know?" Carlisle asked, surprised.

"Of course they don't know," Aro scoffed. "I doubt they have thought about it much to be honest with you."

"I won't say anything, brother," Carlisle agreed, whilst making plans to tell his nephews the next time he had them on his own.

"Truthfully, I doubt it would matter if you did," Aro said, thinking about it a little more. "I know what our currency is with our old man I can't do anything to change it."

"You know ours?" Carlisle asked. "All of ours?" _This is useful information you have been sitting on you dick!_

"Tell us then!" Eleazar added eagerly.

"El, you are the twins," Aro repelied. "Disappointing our father has been your Achilles heel since the day he turned you."

Eleazar thought about it for a moment of two before sighing. "That's fair enough."

Carlisle was on the edge of his seat. "What about me?"

"You and I, brother, are more alike than I would care to admit. When Basileus threatens our pride, we sit up and pay attention." Aro huffed to himself realising _how_ alike he and Carlisle were. "You, like Felix, struggle with feeling emasculated, whereas I live and die by my reputation and having control over it."

"Carlisle has a little bit of Demetri's currency to him, too, don't you think, brother?" Eleazar asked Aro playfully.

"He is a pussy, I suppose," Aro agreed, chuckling.

Carlisle threw one of his unpacked books at Aro's head, (he wasn't daft enough to do it to Eleazar). "Fuck off!"

Eleazar moved quick and shoved Aro back in his seat before he could launch at Carlisle and start a fight. "Can you honestly say otherwise when Basileus is looming over you?" he asked, looking down his nose knowingly to his baby brother.

"He can't even say otherwise when Atia is looming over him!" Aro burst into his trademark tinkling laughter, as ever, finding himself hysterical.

"Damn it" Carlisle cursed, knowing they were both right.

"None of this helps me." Eleazar retook his seat, seemingly in defeat. "I'm not belting the Denali girls, but I need Irina toeing the line."

"Then what's her currency?" Aro asked, pushing his brother to think about it. "What do you know about her?"

"She hates me," Eleazar responded, feeling little in response to the realisation. "She isn't scared of me though, and she certainly doesn't respect me."

 _That's not enough to work with._ "What else?" Aro asked.

"She likes Carmen, but she doesn't respect her - she will look her dead in the eye and lie to her face." Eleazar rubbed his chin as he ran through Irina's time in the coven to date. "She's wary of Basileus and Atia, and Magnus and Freyr…"

"No brother," Aro cut him off quickly. "That isn't you controlling Irina, that would only compound the problem. Irina won't respect you if you defer to dad."

"I know…" Eleazar groaned realising he'd come to the end of his 'Irina knowledge'. "I just don't know what else to do."

"What does she like?" Aro asked. "Who does she like?"

"I think she loves her sisters, but the way she talks about them is… weird. More like she owns them." Eleazar winced when he grasped how true his words were – Irina truly did think she owned her sisters. Most unnerving. "She had a great time causing shit with Dora and the rest of the you lot," he said, turning to Carlisle. "I thought she liked you all, so I clearly don't know her at all…"

"You have already found her currency," Aro said, back to wiggling his eyebrows fanatically. "You," he said, pointing at Eleazar. "If she hates you so much, then keep her with you. If she wants to leave the house, she leaves with you. If she wants to attend classes, she attends with you. If she wants to go to the guard hall… you get the picture."

Eleazar outright grimaced at the very idea. He wasn't sure who that would be punishing – himself or Irina! _It's irrelevant anyway,_ he thought. "She won't agree to that."

"For fuck sake El! MAKE HER!" Aro shot back, growing annoyed with his brother inertia. "You are stronger than Irina and you can force her to stay with you without hurting her."

It was telling that Eleazar didn't shout at Aro in return – he knew his brother was right, he just didn't want to have to bother with the girl at all. Kate and Tanya, he liked. He hadn't admitted it to anyone, but the younger girls were really growing on him and, he in turn, was growing in confidence with looking after them… in parenting them, even.

Aro shook his head, dismayed at how his brother would ever manage Irina at the rate he was going. "You know all this would be much easier if you would just give her the thrashing she deserves."

"I'm not comfortable doing that Aro," Eleazar said, whilst thinking, _not a fucking option!_ "Irina's a young woman, it just doesn't sit right with me."

"You need to do something or Dad's going to be giving you the hiding Irina has earned," Aro shrugged. _It's your funeral!_

"You're telling me," Eleazar groaned.

The trio were startled by the front door springing into life, rebounding off the wall with the force of its opening. There stood Basileus, doubled up belt in hand, looking furious.

"Whats going on here?"

Carlisle started to stammer. "Dad, I…"

"You were told to pack a few things and then come to my chambers," Basileus reminded his youngest. "And now I find you relaxing have a grand old time?! After your recent stunts, really?!"

Carlisle jumped to his feet and threw his books into the trunk. "I'm packed, Dad…"

Basileus barely looked in Carlisle's direction. Instead, he turned to his older sons. "You pair," he barked. "Out." As Eleazar and Aro flashed to the door, Basileus caught hold of Eleazar to pull him back. "You had better have that girl sitting up and called to heel by the time I get back, son."

Eleazar dutifully bobbed his head and headed back upstairs to hell.


	147. Calming Christmas

**AN:** Nice and easy chapter to finish off this set :)

Because I'm slipping the next set in, I have some work to do making sure its weaved into the over-all story arc. Need a bit of time to get things straight, so there will be a slight delay on the getting the next set posted.

* * *

 **Calming Christmas**

Basileus and Atia didn't return to the coven until Christmas eve. After changing from their travels, they headed straight for the north tower. After first checking in with Marcus, who, disappointingly, wasn't home, they left his gift at his door and knocked on the middle floor suite.

"If they aren't available, we must check on our sons…"

Basileus winced to his wife's words. _Please be available,_ he thought to himself, beaming when Freyr opened the door.

Before they could blink, Basileus and Atia had been hauled inside, greeted, hugged, forced into comfy chairs and a pot of bloodwine set above the fire!

"It's good to have you both back," Magnus told them, one eye on the metal cabinet Basileus had carried inside.

Basileus smirked. "Merry Christmas," he said triumphantly.

Freyr eyed the ugly box with disdain. "You shouldn't have," she replied, walking around the thing. "Really, you shouldn't have."

"It's vile, isn't it?" Atia asked, face screwed up to match Freyr's. "We have one, too, and now so does Marcus."

"Is there a reason?" Magnus asked, wondering where he could hide the thing!

Basileus nodded. "This is why we've been away…"

"It is not why we've been away," Atia interrupted, taking her seat. _We_ _'_ _ve been away because you panicked you would be called in to help with Irina._

Deciding to ignore his mate's words and thoughts, Basileus pushed on. "We went away to find something for us to store those items we would rather young coven members didn't have access to." He held open his arms wide to gesture to the ugly metal cabinet. "We've now got safes to store dungeon blood, hash, opium, whatever."

He handed Freyr a pair of keys, still smiling like a loon because he was ever so impressed with himself.

"Maybe we could put it in the bedchamber?" she mused, still not entirely enamoured with her 'gift'.

"If it's got a decent lock on it we can shove it in Odi's room," Magnus suggested.

Freyr seemed happier with that. Half of their bedchamber already contained wall to wall cupboards, full of the treasures Magnus brought home from missions and a sizable amount of cash from their unspent salaries. If they were to start adding safes into the mix, they would soon have to move the bed out!

"Giving dungeon blood to all of the elite was a good idea, in principal, but we forgot what little sods the kids could be." Basileus tapped his hand on his genius present. "So, from now on, we will be the only ones to store it. And Marcus, of course."

"And the guard hall?" Freyr asked, as there was a full bottle in the safe inside the bar.

"You already keep the key for that one," Basileus shrugged. "That bottle's safe where it is." He was mildly annoyed that they didn't get his joke. "Safe?" he said… still nothing.

Magnus' mind was elsewhere. _Aro won't be happy about this,_ he thought, already dreading the jibes that would come from his king for being treated too well, or whatever it was Aro thought was happening.

Basileus picked up on Magnus' thoughts and he wasn't happy. _What have you been saying now, Aro?_ he wondered. "What have we missed?" he asked more generally, joining the others in front of the fire.

"The coven has been a bizarre place the last few months."

"Hasn't it just!" Freyr added, stirring the pot of bloodwine. "Caius and Dora gone, you two gone, Renata and Corin on lock down, Felix and Carlisle on lock down, Irina nowhere to be seen… bizarre!"

"That said," Magnus mused. "We've seen plenty of Felix. I think the boy has missed having you pair to run to, and he's been coming here instead."

"It's easy to forget how young that boy is sometimes," Freyr said, thinking fondly of Felix and how… well… _cute_ he had been seeking their affections whilst his father was angry with him.

"He hasn't been too much of a bother, I hope?" Basileus asked.

Felix, and Demetri when he was in the firing line, often sought him out when they were in trouble. Obviously Basileus didn't mind, them being his grandsons and all, but he didn't want them making a nuisance of themselves with other coven members.

"Not at all," Freyr replied quickly. "He can be a cuddly little thing when he needs some reassurance, can't he?"

Magnus agreed. Felix had been no bother. It was nice to have one of the lads liking him when his own was so distant. "Thinking about it, all four of Aro's kids can be cuddly little things when they aren't thinking of their image."

"They really can be," Atia confirmed. "Kate and Tanya, too, when Irina isn't watching." She had missed her grandchildren and felt awful about leaving without saying good bye to any of them. _That was you're doing,_ she thought, giving her mate a mild glare to go with the ear bashing he had taken during their entire trip!

"No dramas whilst I was away then?" Basileus asked, avoiding his mate's stern eye.

"Not that I've noticed," Magnus shrugged. "I sent Carlisle back to his chambers last week."

Atia smiled, but Basileus looked annoyed - which made Atia smile even more. "I told you to keep him until I came back," he said, an eyebrow raised.

Basileus had left Carlisle with the clear instruction to keep the boy locked up until his return. Marcus refused to have Carlisle - he told Basileus it was ridiculous to set Carlisle up with a babysitter at the age of twenty-three, and he refused to play a part in infantilising a grown man - Magnus had agreed, hoping it would be good for Odi to have some company, which it had been.

"Aye," Magnus bobbed his head. "But you'd been such a vicious bastard to him that I gave a week's reprieve for good behaviour."

 _Vicious?!_ Basileus repeated. Sure, he'd been a little heavy handed with his belt, but Carlisle had annoyed him by taking so long to pack a few things and then he'd found the little sod chatting shit with his brothers rather than reporting to his father's chambers as instructed - _he deserved it being laid on thick,_ Basileus thought confidently.

"You need toughening up!" he told Magnus, shaking his head over his sentimentalities. "Carlisle hasn't given you any trouble, has he?"

"He's been a pleasure to have around," Freyr told them, adding, "Honestly, he has!" when Basileus looked confused by the very idea that one of his sons could be a _pleasure._

"There was one thing when he first got here, but that was Aro's doing." Magnus could see from their expressions that he would have to give the details. "Apparently I'm getting above myself and need to be reminded of my place."

"Oh, really?!" On that note, Basileus dived into Magnus' head to see for himself what Carlisle had been up to.

Carlisle had been cooped up in Magnus chambers for less than three hours when he decided he would pay Marcus a visit. Telling Odi he would be back soon, he completely ignored Magnus and headed to the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Magnus asked.

Carlisle huffed knowing full well Magnus had heard him tell Odi where he was going and declined to answer. With his back to the room, Carlisle managed to open the door only a crack before it slammed shut with Magnus' bear-sized paw keeping it close. Remembering Aro's words, Carlisle squared his shoulders and turned to face the man. His bravado failed him when he looked up, and then kept looking up until he found Magnus' face. Magnus was such a happy guy in usual circumstances that though he was a big guy, he didn't seem scary… when he was pissed he seemed to grow another foot taller and then, yes, he did seem scary! Still, Carlisle had his brother's words ringing in his head: don't let him push you around, he's getting above himself.

"We both know my father is happy for me to visit with Marcus," he said, voice wavering a little.

"Aye," Magnus agreed. His hand remained on the door, and as he bowed down to meet Carlisle face to face, Carlisle felt his legs wobble. "But we also know you are on restriction, and any movement around this tower requires my permission."

 _Permission?!_ Carlisle heard Odi tittering from across the room. _I need to have another word with him about the code,_ he thought bitterly. "Magnus, my friend…"

"I'm not your friend."

"Erm…"

"I'm your father's friend," Magnus explained. "Which is why I agreed to babysit…"

"Babysit!" Odi burst out, unable to contain himself any longer.

 _I really need to talk to him about the code,_ Carlisle muttered to himself. "It's not babysitting, Magnus," he huffed. "I'm staying with you for a few weeks. Try not to let it go to your head. I'm a prince…"

Carlisle suddenly stopped talking as a vice-like grip cut off the circulation in his arm. "Oh really?" Magnus asked. "Please do go on."

"I'm just saying…"

"Brilliant!" Odi howled.

Magnus looked over his shoulder to his son. "You're next," he told him. That sure shut Odi up! "Please, do go on," he repeated to Carlisle.

"I'm a prince," Carlisle squeaked out.

"Aye," Magnus nodded. "And I'm the juggernaut, and a coven master, and your father's best mate."

 _When you put it like that_ _…_ _shit!_ Carlisle winced as Magnus flexed his grip. "It's just… Aro said…"

Magnus rolled his eyes. _Of course, it would be Aro,_ he thought shaking his head.

"He said I shouldn't stand for you pushing me around."

"I'm not pushing you around, Carlisle," Magnus explained, walking easily back to his chair, dragging a reluctant young prince with him. "I'm babysitting." He paused to check that Odi wasn't about to start again. Sure his son had heeded his warning, or promise, he continued, "That means the baby stays whilst I sit."

Carlisle started to struggle, though Magnus barely noticed. Following his own words, Magnus did indeed sit, and then he pulled the 'baby' over his knee, to stay.

"No, Magnus, don't!" Carlisle spluttered, ending abruptly when the man in question planted a sharp swat to his backside.

 _Jesus Christ!_ Biting into the side of his cheek, it was all Carlisle could do to keep the thoughts in his head. Tasting blood by the third swipe, he gave up trying to stay stoic and cried out in a pained yelp.

"I'll stay, I'll stay!" he promised, begging for a reprieve.

Magnus paused his assault. "So long as you're sure?" he asked, all sweetness and light. "If you still think Aro's right, we can talk some more?" He gave Carlisle another swipe as an example of how that 'talk' would go.

Funnily enough, Carlisle didn't want to 'talk' anymore. _Fucking Aro,_ he cursed. _Fucking idiot._

"I'm all talked out," he said, looking back over his shoulder in his precarious, and mildly humiliating position.

With a tight smile and nod, Magnus released him and watched 'the prince' scarper across the room.

Clocking Odi having far too good of a time, Magnus crooked his finger at the kid. "Now it's your turn."

"Cheeky brats," Basileus said aloud, thinking of both his sons. "I expect them to show you the respect you deserve," he told Magnus clearly. Then, thinking about how Aro would twist such an expectation, he added, "That _I_ feel you deserve."

Magnus smirked to himself, knowing exactly what Basileus had been thinking when he amended his statement. "Carlisle only tried his luck with me the once, so don't worry about it."

Atia looked down her nose at Basileus until he clocked her. "No, you will not," she said, hearing he was planning on giving their youngest sons a good talking to. "You will only make things worse - Magnus is perfectly capable of shutting Aro down and he already dealt with Carlisle. Leave well alone."

"Alright!" Basileus snapped, before quickly apologising. "Have you seen much of Eleazar?"

"He came here to give Carlisle a bollocking. Irina let slip that she and Carlisle had… you know… at Halloween." Magnus was glad he didn't have to explain the 'you know' any further. "Apparently El had already asked Carlisle and he had denied it," he said to explain why Eleazar was annoyed. "El didn't appreciate being lied to. The two of them are okay, though."

"You will leave _that_ alone, too," Atia told her mate before he could concoct any plans.

Freyr cocked her head to one side as she looked at Basileus. "Are you asking about El, or Irina?"

"You've got me there," he admitted with a sheepish grin. The shield maiden always seemed to know him so well. "So? Anything I should know about?"

"I've banned her from my hall, so I'm not sure what she's up to."

Magnus hadn't spent much time in the hall, either, trying to use Odi's grounding to make peace with the kid. At Halloween, when Odi fled the middle floor suite, Magnus hadn't given chase immediately. To be fair to Magnus, he had fallen into a daze with Odi's reminder of their human days, and he wanted to keep Caius from going out and killing anyone. Odi didn't understand that - he fully believed his father was making a choice (and we all know how fond Magnus is of independent choice!) and that he chose Caius over him. The rows had come thick and fast until Magnus relented and ended his son's grounding early. Shaking the memories from his mind, he got back on topic.

"Irina came here to see Carlisle once, but he sent her packing," he explained. "I believe Carmen has spoken with the girl…"

"Spoken?!" Freyr repeated. "I was outside with some guards and I could hear Carmen crystal clear."

"At least one of them has some gumption," Basileus muttered, unimpressed with his son.

"You can't complain about Eleazar," Atia said, shaking her head. "He's only perpetuating what you taught him - leave the girls to run free."

"That is not what I've taught him!"

Magnus chuckled - _it so is!_ "You did leave the coven rather than face Irina yourself"

Basileus bristled in his seat. "I was giving Eleazar the chance to step up in his own household."

"You ran away from a nineteen-year-old girl more like," Magnus replied.

Having his best mate agreeing with his wife was unfair. Basileus was sure he'd heard his grandson mentioning something about a 'bro code'. _I need to instate one of those if only for situations like this!_

"I wonder, sometimes, why I like you at all!" he said with a mock growl. "Aha," he gasped, accepting the steaming bloodwine Freyr offered. "You are why I like him," he told the shield maiden, before turning to his wife. "Why don't you heat my bloodwine?"

"Why don't you heat mine?!" Atia asked him right back.

Freyr tittered as she took her seat. The creator had been such an imposing figure, a legend, even, in their coven until Atia calm along. He still was, of course, in public, but knowing them in private sure was amusing when Atia so consistently cut the legend down to size.

Freyr had something to disclose herself, and she felt nervous of doing so. _Better now than before they see Sulpicia,_ she thought. "I wonder if you will like me less when you hear of what I've done."

"What is this?" Atia asked, resting her hand on Freyr's knee, encouraging her to go on.

Basileus felt an involuntary shudder run up his spine. He'd had cause to haul Magnus over the coals a few times for issues in the guard hall, which had been excruciatingly awkward for them both. He didn't fancy going there with Freyr of all people - his friend, his confidant, a… woman.

Freyr wasn't sure how to explain the outburst she'd had whilst they were away. "Theres no way to sugar coat it, and Magnus already knows, so please just take it from my mind."

Both Basileus and Atia obliged.

Freyr had been in the guard hall when Sulpicia and Carmen arrived at the bar, both discussing Caius and Dora's sudden disappearance from the coven.

"My mistake was that I didn't credit her with such depth of feeling," Sulpicia tittered to Carmen, clearly talking about Dora.

With all her worry about the couple in question, particularly Dora, Freyr saw red!

"No, you didn't, did you?" she snapped at the coven queen. "You much preferred to think of Athenodora as Caius' wretched wife, some hanger-on without thought or feeling."

"Excuse me, Freyr," Sulpicia replied, employing all her airs and graces. "But Dora and I have been friends for thousands of years, I think I know her better than you do…"

"Yet you were surprised to find she has feelings?" Freyr asked, cutting Sulpicia off in her stride. "How very peculiar for someone you claim to know so well. They won't thank me for saying this, but truthfully, it needs to be said. Whilst you and Aro moved onward and upward, Caius and Dora have been struggling in your shadow."

Sulpicia was clearly taken aback, unaccustomed to being pulled up in such a way. "We have all had our struggles…" she replied, her tone less haughty betraying her nerves.

"Yes," Freyr agreed. "But some have suffered their struggles almost entirely alone, whilst others are offered support at every turn," before Sulpicia could remind Freyr that she rarely accepted let alone wanted Basileus and Atia's 'support', Freyr quickly added, "Regardless of whether you take it."

Sulpicia huffed and folded her. Carmen looked away. She wouldn't say so to Sulpicia, but she wished she could receive the support that her sister-in-law so ungratefully rejected.

"I don't begrudge you your support, Sulpicia, nothing could be further from my mind," Freyr assured her. "But you might wish to think on how you would have coped with your struggles without your wider family, without your position, without guidance, without your children to focus on?" She could see Sulpicia thinking on her words. "I wonder, if after thinking on such things, you might find some feelings of your own and share them with your _friend_ of thousands of years."

Freyr didn't give either woman the chance for rebuttal, choosing instead to stalk out of the guard hall before she could say anything else she might later regret.

Believing both Basileus and Atia had seen it all, Freyr jumped in quickly to defend herself. "I tried to call on Sulpicia to offer my apologies, but I haven't been able to catch her. I think she's avoiding me."

"Do not offer your apologies!" Atia burst out, horrified at the very idea.

"Oh, erm… really? It wasn't my place…"

"No, it was ours, and we failed," Atia replied. "So, thank heavens you spoke up."

"Agreed," Basileus said, he meant it too - it was his job to manage his family, women and all, he just… failed to do so. Mostly, however, he was relieved that Freyr hadn't done anything requiring his input. Utterly relieved!

"Caius and Dora need more attention, that's for sure, and it needs to come from all corners of the coven. The very idea that Irina could cause such a disturbance in their relationships is unconscionable." _It demonstrates my complete lack of thought for either of them, too._ Which Basileus liked even less.

"Let's hope Sulpicia and Carmen take note of your words or I will be adding to them," Atia promised.

She was truly growing tired of her mate's position and, like it or not, she was going to have to take charge of the situation if he was unwilling to step up. Atia was in an awkward position, however. As much as she put her mate in his place - and my gosh did she! - going against the creator of their kind wasn't in her remit. Not that Basileus had issued an embargo on bringing the covens' girls in line, but he had set a precedent of a very light hand, so it had become a grey area.

Magnus had brought a few female coven members to task, and everyone knew it, but those instances were solely in the guard hall, or they were his guards. Both being Magnus' remit. Even that had caused a disturbance amongst the guards, who wondered if Magnus was now more than a coven master, somehow, creating gossip that had unnerved Aro the first time he heard it (and every time after!)

It was easy to forget at times who exactly Basileus was, especially in the familial set up he currently enjoyed. But openly going against him was a big fat no. If anyone could get away with it, Atia could. And as an intelligent woman, she would be careful how she did so. _With luck on my side, I can guide Carmen and Sulpicia to take a firmer stance,_ she mused. _Carmen is foundering with their girls, maybe she will be willing to listen to me? Sulpicia may even be receptive if Jane_ _'_ _s attitude has continued whilst we were away?_

"Speaking of Athenodora," Atia said aloud. "I don't mean to worry anyone, but she and Caius have yet to return."

Freyr shrugged and sipped at her cup. "I told Caius to be back for Christmas, he will be."

"I wish I had your faith," Basileus said, seeing Magnus looking similarly unsure. "It's Christmas eve…"

"Caius may be willing to go against you pair, but he wouldn't break a promise to me," Freyr replied confidently. "A mother's disappointment goes a long way."

"You should try turning some on Odi, in that case," Magnus muttered. He swung between wanting to wrap the boy in his arms and wanting to wrap those arms around the kid's neck on a daily basis.

"I'm not worried about Odi, I'm worried about Caius," Freyr told her mate in a tone that suggested Magnus had already heard Freyr say so a good many times. "Dora and Odi… it brought back memories of Helios and Dora. I hope Caius never works out that Dora slept with Helios willingly. That would be disastrous."

"Caius has always suffered with paranoia," Basileus shook his head. "It's part of his personality."

Freyr completely disagreed. "Caius isn't paranoid - the things he suspects are generally true."

"Yes," Basileus agreed on that point. "But he doesn't know they are true, so it's still paranoia at this point."

Freyr turned to Atia, and both tutted at the man's logic.

"Speaking of things Caius doesn't know… I was thinking of telling him about…"

"No!" Basileus shot out forcefully with a hand out, cutting Magnus off mid-sentence. "Don't!"

"What?" Atia asked, wondering what had made her mate so animated.

"Magnus thinks we should tell Caius the truth about Antonio," Freyr explained. "Our part in it, at least."

"Madness," Basileus shook his head in disapproval. "Don't tell him a thing."

Magnus wasn't happy with that. As a man who prided himself on his moral standing, honesty was important to him. "I don't like lying to people."

"Sometimes we lie to protect people," Basileus explained to Magnus, his eyes flickering to Freyr when he was sure the woman wasn't looking. Magnus got the hint. There were a few things he had kept from his mate over the years to protect her feelings. "There's no harm in that. One could even say there is honour in it."

The conversation might have gone on longer, and perhaps it could even have had chance to raise some interesting questions were it not for Odi coming home.

He called out for his mother as he opened the door, "Mom…" and then set eyes on his father. "Forget it," he said, turning on his heel and leaving. He didn't even bother to close the door behind him.

"Odi!" Magnus shouted after him. "Get back in here, boy. ODI!"

"So, he's still not talking to you?" Basileus asked, stating the bloody obvious!

Magnus huffed and knocked back his the last of his bloodwine. "Happy enough to drink on my tab, but that's about it."

"Cut him off," Basileus suggested. "He'll have to talk to you."

Holding his thumb and forefinger a millimetre apart, Magnus replied. "I'm this close, my friend."

"Odi has to be on our tab, love," Freyr reminded her husband. "He has no money."

"I've told him I will let him take some shifts when he starts speaking to me again."

"Aha," Basileus nodded. "Standoff." He knew that one well.

"I have no doubt it will end when Caius and Dora get back," Magnus said confidently, fixing himself and everyone else another drink. "Odi will want some protection then, won't he?"

"Caius will be fine, so will Odi," Freyr exhaled shapely, clearly annoyed. "It's your stubbornness that's prolonging the drama with our son, love."

"My stubbornness?!" Magnus repeated. "How do you work that out?"

"You give that boy too much say in things," Basileus added, agreeing with Freyr. _I'll get you back, you bastard,_ he thought, for Magnus' earlier break in the 'bro code'. "You're as bad as Eleazar."

"Kids feel safest when they have boundaries," Freyr tagged on, enjoying the back up from Basileus in what had been a two-month long argument between her and Magnus.

"I agree with you there," Magnus said, giving them their due. "But Odi's twenty years old and I expect him to act like it."

"Tough!" Basileus boomed. "He doesn't. He won't. Lay the law down…"

"You have your way," Atia jumped in. "Magnus has his."

"Here we go again," Basileus rolled his eyes. "My way is too pressured, too hard, too demanding… You can stop me any time you like, my dear."

"I'm waiting to hear something I object to," Atia replied. Basileus should have expected as such, but he still pugged like a toddler at her lack of support.

Freyr was only too happy to point out the flaws in her man's management style. "Magnus likes to give everyone a say, give everyone a chance, and another, and another, and we must take their entire history into consideration along with every feeling they have ever had."

Basileus' booming laughter filled the room. _I bloody love you!_ he thought to Freyr. He truly enjoyed having another couple his age, relatively speaking, to spend time with.

"And you think that's wrong?" Magnus drawled, as if he didn't know already.

Freyr scowled right back at him. "It can make some situations, like the one we are having with Odi, last much longer than they should."

Basileus took one look at his buddy, and then at their wives, before turning back to Magnus. "We are clearly married to the wrong women."

"Well of course I'd be happy to swap," Atia told her mate playfully, "But Freyr is too good a friend to short change in such a way."

"I best have you both, then," Magnus crowed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Freyr, surprised by her frequently pious mate acting so out of sorts, couldn't help but fall into a fit of giggles. Seeing Basileus looking so put out caused the same effect on Atia.

Basileus gave Magnus a friendly thump before his ears pricked in the direction of the front door. "I'd go through with ripping your head off, but your kids are home."

Freyr sprang to her feet and started jigging about in the middle of their seats.

"What are you doing?!" Magnus chuckled.

"This is my 'I told you so' dance."

The four of them descended the stairs, Freyr way ahead. Before Caius and Dora could get themselves inside their own chambers, Freyr was in front of them, hands on her hips, looking stern.

"Christmas eve?" she asked, clearly unimpressed.

Caius struggled to get his words out at first. "It's before Christmas, Freyr," he told her a little shyly.

"Yes, it is," Freyr's face broke, she couldn't hide her happiness at their return, and they were on time, just. "We missed you very much." Pulling them together, Freyr embraced them the two of them in one. "Both of you."

Magnus wanted to do the same, but he knew Caius wouldn't appreciate it in front of the creator, so he held back.

Atia greeted them, however, before turning to Dora, "How are you, my dear?"

Dora smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

She hadn't wanted to return to Volterra at all and begged Caius to leave the Volturi. He talked her around, eventually, but it had taken a good many promises to convince Dora that her life wouldn't go back to the way it was before Irina got her claws in.

That was the thing… Irina had broken Dora's heart, sure, obviously, that goes without saying, but Dora had been happier in the coven whilst she had Irina than she ever had in the centuries before. Not that Dora wanted to forgive and forget with the Denali girl, but she didn't want to hide in her chambers anymore, hiding from life… but what other option was there? She had no friends, again, no life, again. Irina had told Dora that she was a supporting player in Caius' life, and that his life would always be bigger than hers. It was the truth, Dora knew it, and it killed her. She didn't expect to have a leading role in coven life, but she wanted her own role, her own life.

Caius assured her he would help, he would be around more, and he'd _be there_ when he was there. He wasn't sure what he could offer in terms of a 'role' but he promised to find something.

But still, _how am I?_ she asked herself. _Lonely, lost, tense, wary, timid, pained, nervous, scared, alienated, stressed._

She couldn't say that, of course, so she went with, "I'm fine, thank you, Atia."

Freyr didn't need a gift to see behind 'fine'. Such coded language always meant anything but _fine_. "Let's get you unpacked," she said, wrapping an arm around the younger woman and guiding her inside.

Freyr threw her husband a nod in Caius' direction and followed Dora through to the bedchamber.

 _Here we go, then,_ Magnus said to himself. Once he'd said goodbye to Basileus and Atia, he closed the door and turned on Caius. "I hate to bring up the unpleasantness so soon…"

"By unpleasantness you are referring to your son bedding my wife?"

Magnus stalled at the abruptness of Caius' tone, and for a moment he truly worried about his son's safety.

Caius smirked and shook his head, knowing what Magnus would be thinking. "Don't worry, I'm not going after Odi."

Relaxing, Magnus took his comfy chair and waited for Caius to seat himself. "Have you made peace with it?" he asked, tentatively.

"With _it_ , not _him_. Not yet."

"But you will?" Magnus pushed.

Caius couldn't hold the man's eye for longer than a second before turning away. He wanted to say he would, that he and Odi would go back to how they had been before Halloween screwed it all up. But he just couldn't. For one, he wasn't 'over it'. For another, as Dora had pointed out in one of their very many long conversations on the subject, if Caius wanted to have a relationship with Odi again, he would have to be honest with the kid.

Caius wasn't ready to explain to Odi, or anyone other than Dora for that matter, why he was so bothered about the kid being with his wife. Every time he thought about it - which seemed to be every fifteen bloody minutes through day and night - Caius didn't see Odi, he saw Helios, and more poignantly, Helios's shredded body after Caius had… He couldn't think about it anymore, and he couldn't promise Magnus he would make peace with Odi, either.

"Are we invited to the south tower tomorrow?" Caius asked instead, after a painfully long silence between the two of them.

"I won't be pushing you into coming," Magnus replied, sad that Caius hadn't answered his question. Though he did understand if Caius wasn't ready.

Caius frowned. _No, that will ruin my plans!_ "I need you to push Dora into going so I can prove I won't leave her when she needs me."

Magnus raised an eyebrow at the man. "So, I'm to be the bad guy?"

Caius matched Magnus' facial expressions, though he had a smirk tugging at his lips. "Your son fucked my mate and I'm not going to kill him."

 _Fair enough,_ Magnus chuckled. "Consider it done."

Dora easily dragged her trunk into the bedchamber. It was quite the image seeing such a tiny woman pulling along a huge trunk that should have taken a man Magnus' size to move, but hey, vampiric strength was not to be sniffed at. Once inside her bedchamber, she closed the door and heaved a heavy sigh. She wasn't happy being back in the coven, but she had missed her chambers, her home for centuries. The bedroom was her safe place.

Freyr busied herself lighting the fire. Dora followed her cue and opened the window shutters, flooding the room with cool winter sunlight. It wasn't just the room that felt safe for Dora, Freyr did, too. Just being with the shield maiden made Dora secure. She wondered for a moment how she could have ever considered leaving the Volturi. Actually, she still wasn't set on staying in the Volturi, but she couldn't imagine losing Freyr and Magnus. Or Odi, of course, though she expected it would be tricky to convince Odi he was safe in her company.

Caius had no issue with Dora being friendly with Odi, he'd even said the kid was welcome in their chambers so long as he wasn't expected to speak to him. Dora knew her mate well after so many years together and if Caius was already willing to accept that Odi would be around, then his relationship with the kid could be saved. Getting Caius, or even Odi, to see that would be another matter.

Once Freyr had teased the fire to flames, she sat on the nearby sofa and waited for Dora to join her. "So," she began, patting Dora's knee. "What are we thinking now we're home?"

Dora sighed and leaned into Freyr, nudging one shoe off with her toe and then the other before curling her legs up behind her. She didn't know how to answer. _What am I thinking?_ She asked herself. _A million things and nothing at the same time._ There was one thing Dora was sure of - she wanted to be Dora. Not Caius' mate, not a lady of the coven, not anything that connected her to anything else. She wanted to just _be_ Dora.

After explaining her jumbled thoughts to Freyr, Dora huffed. "How do I do that, though?" she asked, realising she wasn't truly sure what 'being Dora' actually meant, let alone how to achieve it.

"It's quite simple, my dear one." Freyr grinned. "You need to find the confidence to be you."

Dora shook her head, tousled hair falling about her shoulders. "No one will like that. No one who knows me likes me. I don't even like me."

Freyr took a sharp intake of breath and brought her hand down hard on Dora's thigh. Dora heard it before she felt it, but she had little time to react before Freyr's verbal rebuke followed.

"I will not hear you speaking of yourself in such a way," she told the young woman. "Magnus and I know you, your friends know you, Caius knows you, we all like you. We all love you, Dora."

Tears pricked at Dora's eyes and she so wanted to believe Freyr's words. A little absentmindedly, one hand rubbed at her stinging leg, the other collected tears before they could run down her face. She was grateful to have Caius, and Freyr and Magnus, but the friends…

"I don't have friends anymore."

"Yes, you do," Freyr insisted, taking Dora's hands she said it again, trying to break through Dora's self-doubt. Seeing the young woman nodding slowly to her words, Freyr tucked a lock of hair behind Dora's ear to have clear access to her eyes. _Speaking of friends._ "That said… you will be giving Irina a wide berth, I trust?"

Dora stiffened hearing the Denali girls name. "I'd like to give her a broken neck, but if that's not suitable, then, yes, a wide berth." Freyr raised her eyebrows disapprovingly, but Dora went on. "I want revenge," she said. "Irina's cost me so much."

"Irina took you for a fool, but you let her, Dora." Freyr wasn't one for mincing words. "Learn from it. You were warned about that girl by people who love you and had your best interests at heart."

 _Harsh!_ Dora slowly sunk into the sofa, scowling a little and bringing her legs up to her chest.

"Magnus and I both warned you, Odi did, too. As did Caius," Freyr reminded her. "You need to start trusting the people who are there for you, and then people like Irina have no power."

 _Less harsh._ Dora couldn't disagree with Freyr there. She uncoiled a little and leaned back into Freyr's shoulder. _I really missed you,_ she said to herself as Freyr went on explaining where Dora had gone wrong, and how to take a better path in the future. Every interaction with Freyr was motherly for Dora. A real mother, like the one she had wished for as a girl. The rebukes were there, - often! - but they came from a place of love. They felt safe.

"Keep your new friendships," Freyr said. "There's no need to drop the relationships you have built, my darling."

"Really?" Dora asked, zoning back in.

"If Caius has said otherwise…"

"He hasn't," Dora told her quickly. "He's been very understanding about… _everything_." She wasn't lying - Caius wasn't the problem. "How can I hold my head up in the coven, Freyr?"

That was Dora's real issue. Her and Caius were on a high after a few years of lows. Whilst they were away she had forced some honest conversations from her mate. Years of hurt and confusion came to the fore. _'I'm not too sure what things you really meant,'_ she had told him, thinking of so many arguments they'd had. _'What you meant at the time but no longer mean, and what things you said just to hurt me'._

Though Caius found it painful to recall himself at his worst, he did it, for her, and answered all her questions. At the time, Caius had thought that if this was to be the end of their relationship, then it might as well end honestly. But it was his honesty that saved them, in the end.

 _But the coven?_ Dora asked herself. She just didn't see how she could move forward in the coven. _The coven all know how stupid I_ _'_ _ve been and…_ "The whole of the Volturi family hates me."

"That's not true."

Dora threw Freyr a withering expression, believing she knew better. "I got Carlisle and Felix in so much trouble, I know I did. And Odi. And Renata and Corin…"

"Odi has missed you very much, my dear." _Almost as much as I_ _'_ _m missing Odi,_ Freyr said to herself. "He's worried about Caius, but we can deal with that."

"And the others?"

Dora believed they would hate her, truly, she believed they only spoke to her in the first place because of Irina. But if anyone could convince her otherwise it was Freyr and she desperately wanted to be convinced.

Freyr offered the young woman a gentle smile. "Renata and Corin have been far more concerned with the trouble they have caused you than the other way around," she assured. "I haven't seen much of Felix, but neither he or Carlisle blame you, I am sure of that."

Tears rolled down Dora's cheeks. Not from sadness, but from relief. Freyr tucked her into her side and held her tight.

"Now, I'm not saying it would be a good idea to restart your drug-fuelled after-hours parties."

Dora chuckled at that. _No shit!_ she thought, wiping her tears away.

"But," Freyr went on. "Theres no reason for you to cast new friendships aside, either. You need to build more friendships, my darling, not less."

They stayed there for a while, enjoying companionable silence until Magnus snuck his way in sheepishly to make his demands. Telling Dora that she would be going to the south tower after the Christmas address went down as expected - Dora wasn't enamoured with the idea at all.

He took the woman by her hand and pulled her up to stand with him.

"It would be a shame if you declined and missed out on what could be a lovely afternoon with friends," Magnus said, desperately trying to ignore Freyr's wild waving behind Dora, telling him to shut up.

"Sully and Carmen aren't my friends," Dora was quick to point out.

"Carlisle and Felix are," Magnus pointed out in return. "They've missed you." He saw Dora consider his words and wrapped his huge arm around the small woman. "I know you're nervous, my dear one, but succumbing to fear can take so many opportunities away from people." Magnus paused to gently kiss her head. "You need to widen your circle, not close it back in on itself."

Dora hadn't been sure, not even when Magnus had mentioned Felix and Carlisle, but his final advice matched Freyr's moments earlier. _Widen my circle_ _…_ _how do I do that?_ They were right, though. Hiding away was not an option.

She would have liked the opportunity to build up to facing the other elite. _Perhaps a few trips to the guard hall first, or something like that?_ Dora shook her head to herself. The guard hall wasn't an option. _It_ _'_ _s Christmas, Christmas is for family._ She looked to the three others in the room. _They are my family. If they_ _'_ _re going to the south tower, I'll have to go._

…

Aro had cleared his throat three times already with no response from Caius who maintained his stance, in front of the general rabble, standing behind his mate with his arms encircling her.

"Will you be joining us?" Aro eventually asked, gesturing to Caius' throne with a face to say, 'get your ass in it!'

"No," Caius replied, squeezing his mate and nuzzling into her hair. "I can hear you from here," he called out, making sure everyone heard.

"Caius," Dora hissed over her shoulder to her mate. "You're drawing attention to us."

Caius grinned back her. "Good," he said, pecking at her neck.

Caius wasn't one for grand statements, and though it might seem insignificant to some, Dora knew he was making a stand. A stand for them. For their marriage. For her. He couldn't keep it up, of course. Dora knew that, too. Caius was a coven master and he had to perform his role. It was expected of him. She was grateful that the creator refrained from making comment, beyond telling Aro to 'get on with it'.

Throughout the Christmas address, the coven was attentive to their king and his announcements. Except for two. Renata and Corin spent Aro's entire speech inching their way across the great hall. Neither could have told you who won the Christmas honour that year, or what the political plans were for the year to come as they concentrated on moving unseen through Aro's audience. By the finish, they were mere feet away from Caius and Dora.

When the clapping began, signalling the end of formalities, coven member turned to coven member, wishing one another a Merry Christmas, and good tidings to come. Renata and Corin stood still in an ocean of movement. Waiting.

Dora saw them, she could see they wanted to speak with her, but with her confidence on the floor, she convinced herself it would only be a conversation about blame. About what she'd done wrong. About what she'd allowed to happen. Caius had spent two months saying otherwise, but she couldn't believe him. _Even if they don't blame me, I do._ And even if they didn't blame her, just looking at them caused Dora pain. She could never have a relationship with the guards again, and she already missed the two of them, particularly Renata, very much.

Caius had hung back to let Dora take the lead, mainly because he knew he'd scare the shit out of Renata and Corin if he spoke to them. But with his mate unmoving, he had to speak for her. He called them over, swinging Dora around his body as he did so to face her friends.

"Merry Christmas," he told them both, breaking the ice.

It proved tough ice to break, with not one of the three women speaking beyond stutters and awkwardly averted gazes.

 _Like blood from a stone,_ Caius thought, rolling his eyes. "Are you two off lock down?"

"Yes, Master," Renata replied for them both.

Dora shot daggers to her mate. _Speaking of punishments isn_ _'_ _t the best way to ease the tension, Caius._

"Good," Caius bobbed his head, ignoring his mate for the moment - he had a plan. "So you can come to ours tomorrow evening for drinks, maybe a game of cards?"

"Erm…" Corin looked to Renata for guidance, hoping they could.

Renata smiled, it started small for Caius but positively beamed in Dora's direction. "Yes, Master. We would like that very much."

Getting the green light from Renata, Corin burst forward and took Dora's hands. "We really would," she enthused. "We've missed you, my lady."

"I missed you too." Dora smiled. It didn't just reach her eyes, it filled her heart! "But… Dora, please," she corrected the young guard. "I am just Dora."

Renata and Corin looked vaguely wary of Dora's statement, but Caius knew what it was about. She tired of being an extension of him - 'my lady', and such formalities, signified she was Caius' mate and nothing else. She'd rather be Dora. Just Dora. Not someone's plus one.

Happy, the pair retreated.

"Ren," Caius called before the guard could leave with her friend.

Using the pet name the guards called her by startled Renata at first, but she took it as Caius intended, as a term of affection.

"Cards will be the highlight of entertainment on offer," he told her with a suggestive smile.

For all her risqué behaviour at times, Renata really couldn't take embarrassment. She shrivelled and hid her face behind her hands as Caius started chuckling to himself.

"You're such a knob!" she hissed, only just loud enough for Caius and Dora to here, who were both laughing by then. It may not have been a usual way to talk to coven master, but Caius had shown he wasn't playing that role right then and frankly – he was being a knob!

"A knob, or my knob?" Caius asked, winding the girl up further. "I just told you it's not on the table, Ren. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Your too scrawny for Ren, love," Dora told her mate, trying to embarrass him a little.

"Exactly," Renata agreed.

Caius wasn't having that! "Well, I guess she could pop up to Magnus after we've played cards…"

"Oh my God!" Renata would have been beet red if her blood were still human! As it was, her exclamation had drawn the crowd of guards to turn in their direction.

Caius was having fun! "Let's ask him if he's up for it." He tried to wave at Magnus to join them, but thankfully Dora snatched his hand out of the air.

Renata really started to panic, bless her.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Dora told her friend, jabbing her mate in the ribs. "And I'll have him under control."

Renata left them, mildly embarrassed but chuckling and glad the two of them were back in the coven. She hadn't asked whether Irina was invited, assuming the girl wouldn't get near their parties ever again. Renata was worried about Odi, though. Throwing the kid an apologetic smile where he sat in silence at the very edge of the hall, he looked lost, lonely.

A few guards, Renata included, had made great attempts to include the guard masters son in their daily lives - Odi proved resistant to their efforts. _At least he has Turk,_ Renata said to herself. The two lads were back on good terms, thanks largely to Turks passive and forgiving nature. But with Turk working all hours on the bar, Odi didn't exactly have the guy to hang out with. Not unless he sat at the bar - which he did, a lot - but the guard hall was a place of stress for Odi. Guards talk, and there was so much talk about with Odi that any other topic paled into insignificance. He didn't last long keeping Turk company before returning to his dorm, to hide away from prying eyes and cruel gossip.

"So?" Dora asked her mate. "What are you doing?"

Caius shrugged, as though he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Love," she called, pulling on his shirt collar to force eye contact. "We're having a party? With my friends? Whats going on?"

"Not a party," Caius shook his head to that. "It's a few drinks with good company."

Dora wasn't sure…

"I'm trying to prove what I promised," Caius whispered.

She looked up to him through big red irises and for the first time, she realised, she believed him. He spoke as if they were the only two in the room. He wasn't hiding his affection for her, as he usually would, believing it made him appear weak - he wasn't pushing her away or holding her at arm's length, emotionally. _You_ _'_ _re here. You're right here._

"Our life, me and you," he said, pulling her in as close as he could. "It isn't always pretty, but it does work."

"Yes, it does."

…

From the first Christmas, the Volturi leaders established that gifts would be given to the guards, but not taken from them. Aro and Sulpicia, who were the only coven members with children at the time, also requested that no one give their children gifts, besides their parents and grandparents. It wasn't a request made from spite, as Felix had claimed, but necessity - an immortality of Christmas gifts would soon require a castle of its own to house! Magnus and Freyr understood the request, of course, but as the previous Christmas coincided with giving out werewolf pelts to one and all, they had arranged gifts for the coven kids that year, too.

Irina watched from the corner of her eye as Kate and Tanya accepted their gifts from Mr and Mrs Tosser. It looked like jewellery, but it made her sisters tear up. _Although_ _…_ _they look happy about it. Happy about being sad? Weirdos._ She didn't expect anything. Didn't want anything either. Wouldn't accept anything, actually!

"Irina," Freyr called softly, pulling the girl from her thoughts.

Irina pulled her legs up to her chest making room for Freyr at the end of the window ledge, but she refused to give the woman the curtesy of eye contact. The shield maiden sat regardless and offered a small cloth package to the girl.

"We heard that you each kept a lock of your mother's hair…"

Freyr drifted off as Irina unwrapped her present and held her breath. She didn't mind if Irina didn't like her gift, or even if she simply didn't want it. She was more concerned that the girl could erupt knowing someone had tampered with something of Sasha's. Freyr had presented her gift idea for the girls to Carmen who had happily supplied the locks of hair to be bound inside silver lockets for the girls to keep.

Irina stroked a delicate finger on the glass holding a curl of her mother's hair. Swallowing hard, Irina fished out the silver chain from the cloth and put it over her head. It was long enough that the locket would rest on her chest, keeping a piece of her mother close to her heart.

Freyr bobbed her head and stood. She hadn't expected a thank you from the girl - Irina accepting the gift was a triumph.

"Merry Christmas, my dear," she said softly before leaving her to herself.

Irina followed the woman with her eyes and realised her vision was becoming blurred. _Stupid bitch made me cry_.

Freyr retook her seat with Magnus in time to hear Aro's brood complaining about their grandparents disappearing act. They had sensibly waited until they received their presents, of course.

"I can take those back, you know," Basileus playfully warned his grandchildren.

Jane clutched her silk slippered feet and leaned back into her grandmother just in case he was serious. Tanya might have done the same, but she was too busy wiggling her toes at the fire, watching the light dance on the golden thread embroidered into the silk. Basileus would have to pry those slippers off her dead body if he wanted them back.

Felix wasn't giving up so easily. Sitting to the side of his grandfather, he nudged his shoulder into the man's bicep and pouted. "You went away for two months and you didn't even say good bye."

"One of us tried insisting we said good bye," Atia told her grandchildren as she plaited Jane's hair. "And one of us insisted you wouldn't care and made us leave, with haste."

Basileus pulled Alec in close to his chest and spoke over the boy's shoulder to the rest of his young brood. "Fancy that mean old witch insisting we left without saying good bye to you all!"

"You're lucky the baby is in your lap." Atia looked down her nose to her mate, and spoke sternly, though the smile tugging at her lips was a dead giveaway.

Basileus did feel a twinge of guilt for disappearing on them all, but part of him revelled in the fact they had missed him. He used to disappear all the time, sometimes for as long as a few years, and though Aro's kids were always happy to see him on his return, he doubted that they missed him. But then, they weren't his grandchildren then, and he wasn't their grandfather. His role had changed and so had his responsibility towards the kids - he should have told them.

Keeping on arm wrapped around Alec's waist so the boy stayed secure in his lap, Basileus used the other to bring Felix into his side. "He wasn't too hard on you over that fiasco at Halloween, was he?"

Aro rolled his eyes, knowing full well that he was the 'he' in question.

"Yes!" Felix said forcefully.

Aro tutted when his father turned a stern eye on him. "I'm sure Dem helped his brother out," Aro said. "Didn't you?" He gave his middle boy at his feet a nudge with his toe to stir him into speaking.

Demetri huffed being brought into Felix' strife. "Erm…"

"Aro, you will leave my grandson alone," Atia called over. "Demetri's the good one."

"I caught the 'good one' swiping drinks last week," Magnus added, ever so helpfully.

"As its your guard hall, surely that's your fault?"

"Thanks for that, love!" Magnus shot back at his mate. He caught Demetri pulling faces out the corner of his eye as he did so. "Stick that tongue out at me, young one, and I'll soap it up for you," he warned.

Demetri wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but the grimness to Magnus' tone had him pulling his tongue back in quickly.

"I'm grounded until New Year's Eve," Felix told his grandfather, still hoping for his help. "I've hardly seen Corin at all. Couldn't you tell him that restrictions should have a maximum of three days or something like that?"

Aro scoffed at his son's request.

"I could," Basileus mused.

 _I don_ _'_ _t think so,_ Aro thought

He should have given his father more time to reply. "But that wouldn't have much effect on groundings," Basileus finished.

"Don't gloat!" Atia called out to her son before he could start. _So immature,_ she thought seeing Aro's crestfallen face over being prevented from teasing his own child.

"And don't you pout," Basileus chided Felix gently. "Seriously, Felix, he wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

"I suppose not."

"That's not what you were telling me, young one!" Magnus said, shaking his head at the boy.

As Felix had called on the juggernaut at least three times a week since Halloween, Magnus had suffered the boy's complaints about what a rigid prick his father could be.

"Whats this?" Basileus asked the boy, playing with him. "Have you replaced me? Your only grandfather?"

"My only grandfather ditched me in my hour of need," Felix reminded him, going back to his pouting. Poor little Felix.

Aro wasn't sure how to feel about what he was hearing. It was common knowledge within the family that Felix sought his grandfather's comfort when he was in trouble with his father. Demetri, too, on occasion, though he preferred Atia's comfort. Aro knew it went on and he turned a blind eye to Sulpicia's sudden need to send their boys on random errands whenever they were grounded. But to hear Felix had sought out Magnus in Basileus' absence… Aro wasn't so keen on that.

"Fair enough," Basileus agreed with the boy. "Come on then, give me an appraisal of the stand in."

"The stand in?!" Magnus shot out, nearly choking on his bloodwine.

"You always side with me," Felix told Basileus. "Magnus doesn't, he was getting me to see Dad's side." Felix didn't say so but seeing his father's side of things had helped the boy a little.

 _Okay, there could be plus points, perhaps,_ Aro thought to himself.

Then Felix remembered something else that tipped the scales in his grandfather's direction. "Magnus smacked me in the masters' office for swearing," he said, looking thoroughly disgusted. "You mostly let me get away with that."

"Only you," Demetri complained. Felix could swear like a navvy if their grandmother was out of ear shot and no one said a word. Demetri couldn't hope to get away with such language in _anyone's_ presence.

Basileus decided it best to ignore the complaining child for the moment rather than shine a light on his unequal treatment and concentrate on Magnus, instead. "I leave my grandchild, suffering, and you add to his distress?"

"You didn't hear his language!" Magnus replied in his defence.

"How about I even things up by getting him back for you?" Basileus asked Felix, grinning like a loon.

Magnus side-eyed the creator. "I don't know about that, Basileus."

Basileus ignored him, of course. Moving Alec from his lap, Basileus collected his cane from the floor and stood. "Which hand did he smack you with, Felix?"

"Right," Felix replied, unsure of what would happen next, but excited all the same.

The other kids had worked it out, with Demetri looking particularly excited as he bounced about on the floor.

"Look at how excited he is," Magnus chuckled pointing out the boy. The girls looked similarly intrigued. "Not just Demetri, all of them!"

"Come on," Basileus said, telling his friend to stand. He did, but he didn't offer his hand willingly. "Magnus, man up!" Basileus told him, eyes dancing and a playful smile on his face. "Hold it out, come on, I'm sure you know the drill."

"For issuing strikes, maybe," Magnus reminded the man. "Not receiving them."

No sooner had Magnus opened his right hand and held it out in front of the giggling kids, had Basileus brought down his cane, creating a line of fire in Magnus' palm.

"Ahh!" Magnus roared, as he'd been unprepared for the strike. "You son of a cunt!"

"Magnus!" Atia admonished, sending the kids into a fit of giggles.

"My language wasn't anywhere near that bad," Felix told his grandmother, like it was a badge of honour.

"He just…" Magnus faltered knowing he had to set a better example than that.

He apologised and gripped is wrist tightly to stop his blood getting to his hand. The fast-acting repair properties of venomous blood really was remarkable, but it stung like a bitch and Magnus didn't need to add to the discomfort.

"Does that make up for me ditching you all?" Basileus asked his grandchildren.

He purposely sought out Tanya and Kate's approval to show the girls that they were included in the group. From their thoughts, he believed it was working.

"Yes!" he heard in a chorus from his little demons.

"Vicious little bastards," Magnus playfully hissed at them all, earning himself another admonishment from Atia and round of laugher from his mate.

"Seems like I'm the better deal, but he'll do when theres no one else on offer," Basileus crowed, gesturing to the juggernaut.

"You've stoked your ego long enough, my dear," Atia told her mate. She tied off the ribbon in Jane's hair only to have Tanya immediately take the girls place for her turn. "Though," she added, looking around the children. "I have to wonder who else played up whilst we were away."

It was rare for Atia to join in with such folly, but Basileus loved it when she did.

Sulpicia had sought through Jane's trinket box to find a ribbon for Tanya. Finding one, she passed it to her mother-in-law and tried to offer up her own mate for entertainment. "You know," she said, a sly eye on Aro. "He has been quite the grump to live with, hasn't he my darlings?"

All four of Aro's devoted children turned on him. _Little bastards._

"How about you?" Magnus asked the creator before he could catch hold of Aro, who had flashed to the back of the room with his brother.

"Me?" Basileus asked, pointing at himself as though he couldn't understand the meaning.

"You did ditch them all," Magnus pointed out. "Surely you would be willing to take a whack back for that?"

"There's no point," Basileus scoffed. "No one could make it count against me - I am a god, Magnus."

"Half a god," Magnus smirked. "And I'm the juggernaut, so I'm willing to give it a good go."

"Yes!" Aro and Eleazar flashed back to the seating area, joining in with the children all asking for Magnus to take a shot at their father.

"Hand it over, my lord," Magnus said with a menacing smirk and a mock bow.

"Alright," Basileus agreed. "If you want to embarrass yourself, go right ahead."

Magnus held the cane in two hands, one at each end, testing out the suppleness. "Now, there Aro's four," he said, pacing around the chairs. "Kate and Tanya make six." He stopped and looked to the girl across the room who was trying not to appear interested in any way. "Irina," Magnus called. "I know you would usually prefer to be counted out of the kids, but if I have your permission to add you in, you'll make seven strikes for the creator."

Irina chuckled despite herself. "I'm in!" she called back, though she maintained her position, she openly turned to watch proceedings.

"Good girl," Magnus called back.

"Seven?" Basileus asked, eyebrow cocked wondering what Magnus as playing at.

"You ditched all seven of them," Magnus shrugged.

"Count me, too, Magnus."

"Right you are Carlisle." Magnus doffed his imaginary cap to the prince. "El? Aro?"

The brothers looked to each other and nodded. "Definitely," Eleazar agreed on their behalf.

Magnus turned back to the creator and beamed. "Ten."

"Fine," Basileus shrugged. "If it will make you feel better, I'll play along."

"We'll do five on each," Magnus told him, gripping the handle end of the cane. "Ready when you are."

Basileus took a bow, theatrically extending his arm as he did so. Magnus didn't hang about, "Eleazar!" he called, striking the creator for all his worth.

Unable to hide the pained yelp in response, Basileus snatched his hand back and held it to his chest, trying to work out what exactly had happened.

"Did you feel that one, Basileus?" Sulpicia asked her father-in-law, coy smile tugging at her lips. Basileus had been so cocky about Magnus' ability to hurt him, and she was pretty sure that he had.

"I'd say he did," Carmen said, feeling similarly to Sully.

"Come on, nine more to go," Magnus called out, swishing the cane back and forth through the air.

Basileus recoiled, hiding one hand with the other. "Like that?!" he asked, shaking his head.

Magnus shrugged. "You said no one could wield this little cane against you to any great affect, so why not?"

With a crowd of jeering little ones pushing him to continue, Basileus eventually held out his hand for a second blow.

"Aro!" Magnus called, as a fresh stripe of pain erupted across Basileus' hand.

"Jesus!" Basileus cursed through gritted teeth. "How are you doing… are you using your gift to ramp up the pain?" Basileus bobbed his head, knowing he'd worked it out. He was so pleased with himself, in fact, that he was completely unprepared for the third strike.

"Carlisle!" Magnus called.

Basileus yelped again, much to the amusement of his grandchildren. "You son of a bitch!"

Magnus couldn't keep a straight face any longer, he was having a grand old time. He called over to Irina, who was doing her best to try not to watch, but like everyone else, was enjoying the creator's temporary torment. "This one's yours, sweetheart," he told the girl. "Irina!"

That was the worst one! Basileus pulled his hand in, forcing it into his stomach to keep himself quiet. Whilst his darling grandchildren howled their laughter, Basileus got himself under control. Looking at his hand, he couldn't understand how it remained in one piece.

"I think you've broken my bones!" Basileus winced, flexing his fingers.

Magnus joined in with the young ones' laughter. "How could a simple juggernaut break the creators hand?"

"Simple is right!" Basileus told him.

"Well that wasn't very clever," Magnus replied with a cruel smile. "Come on, come on," he said. "Last one for this hand."

Basileus closed his eyes and held out his palm.

"Felix!"

The sound of the blow ricocheted around the room, soon followed by the creators pained cry!

"Take your damn gift off me!" he demanded. Magnus, of course, granted his wish. "That is much more reasonable," Basileus sighed, catching his breath. "Ahh!"

"What?!" Magnus asked as Basileus pummelled his arm in punches. "I gave you a break!"

"Time to switch hands, Dad," Carlisle encouraged his father.

"No way!" Basileus took his seat and was set on staying there, safe from harm's way.

"You don't want to let the little ones down, surely?" Atia lightly goaded her mate. "What kind of grandfather is he, my darlings?"

"Darlings?!" Basileus grumbled as he stood again and held out his left hand. "He was right before, you'll all vicious bastards!"

"Basileus!" Atia admonished, quickly followed by Magnus calling out, "Kate!"

Crack!

Basileus forced himself to stay in position so he could get the rest of those damn strikes over with.

"Demetri!" Crack! "Tanya!" Crack! "Jane!" Crack!

Jane tutted after 'her' blow. "I could bring him to his knees if I wanted to," she said, impish smile, daring Magnus to go further.

"Are you saying I should put some more effort in, little one?" Magnus asked the girl.

The whole crowd called out, "Yes!"

"You little shits!" Basileus directed at his grandchildren, only to realise everyone, his own mate, even, was waiting to see what damage the Juggernaut could inflict.

"Alec!" Magnus called, striking his friend for a final time. He didn't use any greater force, but he did employ the full extent of his gift. "One knee, I'll take that," he said as Basileus went down, gasping for breath.

"That is unfortunate," Marcus said. "We appear to have ran out of children."

 _Marcus?!_ Basileus glared at his old friend. Of them all, he had expected Marcus support, but the sullen old master had apparently enjoyed the show as much as everyone else!

"That's your lot!" Basileus said, pulling himself to his feet. "Give me that back!" he took a swipe at Magnus to get the cane, but Magnus saw him coming.

"I will in a minute, snatchy!" the juggernaut replied, dancing backwards around the chairs to keep out of the creator's reach.

"When I get that back I'm going to wrap it around your legs you…"

"Basileus!" Atia called out sternly before he could say the word he was thinking. "There are children present."

 _Children, my ass!_ he thought. _Little bastards!_ "May the gods help the next one of you to cross me, any of you," he told them all, though his smile told them he wasn't too serious. "I'll be waiting to get you back for this."

It took a while for everyone to settle down again. In fact, the children only settled when Sulpicia gave them all a small glass of bloodwine - the proper stuff! Once they were quiet, Aro called Magnus to join him at his desk.

"It would seem my son has been sneaking out whilst he's been grounded to see you," Aro began.

"Aye, he has been," Magnus agreed. "Felix started coming by on made up errands until I called him out on it. The boy needed some reassurance, that's all."

"He did, he usually goes to my father." Aro reached around his neck and hung his arm from his hand. He felt a little awkward - after all his recent bitching about Magnus, even _to_ Magnus on occasion, the guy had still looked out for his son. "Thank you for stepping in."

"Any time." Maybe it was the excitement from winding Basileus up, but Magnus decided to try his luck with Aro, too. "So long as you don't think I'm getting too big for my boots?"

"Huh?" Oh, that was a poor attempt at playing dumb, Aro.

"What was it you said to Carlisle?" Magnus rubbed his chin. "Overstepping the mark? Going above my station?"

"Erm…"

Magnus didn't leave him floundering for long. "I'm playing with you, short stuff," he said, bumping his fist against Aro's chin.

That fist was at least half the size of Aro's head. At least. Realising that made the coven king slightly uncomfortable! "So, what are your plans for New Year?" he asked, to distract himself.

"Huh?" it was Magnus' turn to play dumb!

"You've started a new tradition of opening up the hall and paying for the evening's festivities."

"It's only happened once!" Magnus shot out. "Hardly a tradition. I already pay for Midsummer…"

"We're having a party, I'm paying," Freyr called over, having heard the conversation.

Magnus was pretty sure that meant _he_ was paying, actually. Aro clicked on to the same message and strolled away chuckling to himself. _Smarmy brat,_ Magnus thought after him.

"Caius!" Magnus called the moment the man walked in through the door. "I need you to knock me one of these up when you get chance," he said waving the creator's cane in the air.

"Why?!" Caius shot out, fearing for his own hide if Magnus owned such an implement.

"I've been playing with this one and I like it," Magnus replied, swishing the thing in Basileus' direction.

"Caius, I forbid you to make him a cane!" Basileus responded before tackling the juggernaut to the ground.

Despite Sulpicia screeching that there was to be no wrestling in the house, Basileus continued his efforts with half of the children joining in the fray!

Caius turned to Aro, opened mouthed. "What did we miss?"

"Magnus caning Basileus," Aro explained. "Great family entertainment for Christmas day."

"My hands are still burning," Basileus called up from the floor - as he had Felix sitting on his back, it was a little breathlessly.

"What?" Magnus asked, faking surprise as he struggled under the whole lot of them. "Even with your oh-so-special Demi-God powers?"

Sulpicia stepped over various flailing limbs to join the three of them at the door. "Where have you been?" she asked, making effort to be warm and friendly to Dora.

Dora cleared her throat. "We just popped home to finish unpacking…"

Sulpicia knew that look. _Bloody liars,_ she thought, smiling knowingly. "Look at you pair of love birds!"

Caius wrapped his arm around his mate's waist and pulled her in close, neither denying what Sulpicia had insinuated.

"We could do with some time away from the coven if that's what it does," Aro told his mate, mimicking Caius' actions.

Sulpicia pulled back from Aro to get a look at his face to see if he was serious. "I'll hold you to that, my love."

 _I bet she will,_ Aro said to himself in a huff.

"Where did you go, Dora?"

"Oh!" Dora gasped, hearing Sulpicia mention her by name - she had been busy trying to suss Irina out. "Um, Sorry," she apologised. "We commandeered a boat and sailed around the Med. You know how Caius likes to sail."

"We used to do that so often," Sulpicia commented, wistfully. "Do you remember?"

"All those Greek islands," Dora nodded.

"We had such a great time," Sully took Dora's hands. "We should do something like that again."

"My queen," Aro drawled. "As I have explained," he said, sounding as though he were addressing one of their children. "It's not easy for me to simply down tools and take off on a trip with you."

"Caius managed it for his wife," Sully reminded him.

"And I would dearly love to manage it for mine." Aro took his mate's hands form Dora's and held them to his chest before hissing at Caius, "I knew your break would bring me shit." Feeling Sully snatch her hand back and slap his chest, he quickly tried to save himself. "Who would have the kids?" he asked, knowing no one would.

"I'll have them for you, brother," Caius helpfully offered.

"He'd lock them in the dungeons," Aro explained to his wife.

Seeing that Aro was correct, Sulpicia slapped Caius' chest next.

"I'd give them a cell each, Sul," Caius continued to tease the woman.

"I was talking about a trip for the four of us," the coven queen explained to them all. "Like we used to do before Volturi life took over."

Dora blinked a few times, trying to work out if she meant it.

"We used to have so much fun, didn't we?"

Dora nodded, a small smile creeping as she realised Sulpicia was being honestly friendly. So much of her earlier reticence dissipated with the coven queen's simple gesture of friendship.

"Whilst I would love to do that, my queen…"

"Yes, I know," Sully huffed at her husband. "The children, the coven, the wine that won't drink itself?"

"One day, my queen," Aro promised.

"Mom!"

Alec's beg for help took the woman away, and thankfully, Atia had also been drawn into disentangling children and men from the floor now Basileus had his cane back from the juggernaut.

"Drinks?" Aro asked Caius and Dora, thinking it was a far preferable task than spitting up his children.

He led them to his desk where the good whiskey was waiting for them.

"I hope you've secured the valuables?" Caius asked Aro under his breath, gesturing to Irina, and taking his glass.

"I have indeed. She's lucky I've let her come today, little bitch." Aro had to work to keep his growl contained. "She cleared me out, you know?! I have no herb left at all. Bitch!" he huffed again. "Be thankful you moved on from that toxic shit, Dora."

Caius felt his wife stiffen at his side and gave her a comforting squeeze. "Write to Amun, I'm sure he'd sell you more," he suggested, wanting to get the attention away from his mate.

"Of course he would, but I'm not being beholden to Amun…"

"Even though you are," Caius finished for him.

Aro rolled his eyes, though he couldn't deny it. "I've asked Marcus to visit him. He had better be bringing me a boat load of the stuff back for the amount its costing me to send him."

Marcus looked back over his shoulder, having heard Aro's continued complaints from where he sat. "If my price is too high, Aro, feel free to do the job yourself."

Aro threw the man a withering smile and waited for Marcus to turn away before hissing to Caius, "He's only saying that because he knows I can't bloody go."

Atia and Freyr appeared behind Caius with Freyr put her hand on Dora's shoulder. "Dora, my darling, do you actually want to stand through Aro having his Christmas whine, or would you rather come and tell us about your travels?"

"I'm drinking whiskey, my lady," Aro told the shield maiden, lifting his glass.

"Bless him," Freyr said, chuckling to Atia.

"She didn't mean that kind of wine, son," Atia explained, also laughing at him.

"More of a whinge," Freyr explained when Aro still hadn't caught on.

Aro gaped whilst the four of them laughed at his expense. "The cheek of it!"

Dora made to follow Freyr, only to have Caius hot on her heels. "No, it's okay," she said, pushing her mate back towards his co master. "Caius, honestly, it's okay."

"Really?" Caius asked, unsure if he was failing her already. "I will…"

"It's alright, love," she insisted, standing on tip toes to kiss his cheek before joining Freyr.

"You're being very attentive," Aro smirked at Caius once Dora was clear. "Shall we have a bet on how long it will last?"

"Fuck off," Caius hissed back, shoving his co master.

"They're being very friendly with Dora," Aro noted looking over to Caius mate sandwiched between Dora and Magnus.

 _Aren_ _'_ _t they just,_ Caius said to himself, concerned that they were about to blow his cover. Thinking on his feet, he came up with some reasoning. "Freyr wants to take Dora under her wing after… well, you know."

Aro bobbed his head, looking to the floor. He hadn't wanted to be the one to bring up any prior unpleasantness, but as Caius had, Aro felt secure enough to pry.

With an eye pointedly on the guard masters, Aro said, "I thought they might have brought Odi with them today."

"Odi doesn't belong here, Aro," Caius said sharply.

"That was cold, Caius."

"Odi said so himself," Caius replied with a shrug.

Aro was clearly unimpressed. "Really cold."

"Do you want guards infiltrating your private quarters?" Caius asked the man. "Trust me, brother, it isn't something I would recommend."

"You can't still be pissed about Dora fucking Odi?" Aro whispered, getting to the crux of the matter.

Caius thought back to the very first day he and Dora had spent out of the coven after Halloween. They had planned on finding a feed to fuck before going too far from home, but when it came down to it, Caius just couldn't do it - the fucking or the feeding. Dora, following Freyr's advice, sat her mate down on a hill, deserted for miles around, and attempted to extract some sort of explanation out of her husband to find out what she had done that was so wrong.

"I'm a jealous and possessive man," Caius told her.

"But you're not, Caius," Dora insisted. "Not when it comes to sex. It's just sex! It's always been _just sex_ for us so why are you so bothered about Odi? Why do you care? You didn't care about Carlisle. Why do you care that it was Odi…"

Caius couldn't take the questions any longer, his brain was fried, his heart was in pieces, and he was exhausted by it all, so very tired. As the questions kept coming, as Dora kept asking 'why Odi?' Caius cracked.

"Helios!" he screamed in her face.

"Oh!" Dora gasped, bringing her hands to her face and covering her open mouth. Really?!" she asked from behind her hands. "You mean… Odi… You think of Odi _that_ way?"

"Of course, I bloody did!"

"There's no 'of course' about it, Caius," Dora said, tentatively approaching her mate as he looked close to tears. "You haven't said anything. You haven't shown you care about him."

"Well I did, okay?!" Caius snapped, pulling away from the woman. "Now I don't so it doesn't matter." He turned his back so she couldn't see the traitorous tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Yes, it does matter, love." Dora wrapped her tiny arms around his waist from behind. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have told me even if you didn't want to tell anyone else. You _should_ have told me, Caius."

Caius took an angry swipe at his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Oh how he hated showing such weakness in front of anyone! Dora wasn't the worst person in the world to see him as he was - Christ knows the states she'd seen in him over the course of their marriage - but he still hated it.

"I wish I had now, obviously," he said. "But now it's too late so fuck it. And fuck him. Oh, you already have!"

"Why do you always do that? Why when you feel bad do you have to lash out at everyone else?" Dora moved around his body until they were face to face. She saw his red rimmed eyes but made no comment on them. "It's not fair. You can't punish me and Odi for doing something we had no reasonable way of knowing you would object to." With a tender touch she stroked his face, collecting the tears from his eyes and wiping them away. "That's ridiculous, love," she said gently.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Caius said, bobbing his head and doing his damnedest to act macho. "Isn't it ridiculous that I could have thought of that little snake…" the tears suddenly came thick and fast. "As anything other than… than… than the shit on my shoe?!"

"Oh, my love," Dora whispered into his ear as Caius broke down in her arms.

Of course, Caius didn't share that memory with Aro. He simply told him, "I'm not pissed with Dora, no."

"So Odi, then?" Aro pushed. "It's not like you haven't fucked half the guard. Make that _more_ than half the guard. You both have."

Caius turned his body away from Aro and stared into his whiskey glass. "Odi is different," he said quietly, voice thick with emotion.

Aro could see something was going on in Caius' head, but when he reached out to touch his brother in arms, Caius recoiled.

None the wiser, Aro pointed out, "You just said Odi is a guard."

"Stop messing with my head, Aro," Caius snapped before settling into a more reasoned tone. So reasoned, he verged on pleading! "I've had a rough couple of years and its Christmas - be nice to me."

Felix slid up to Caius' side and tutted in his father's direction. "So it's not just me he's picking on, then?"

"Felix, give it a rest, son," Aro told him tiredly. "This is his first Christmas being back in Corin's good grace and I'm not letting him out to play," he explained to Caius, before turning back to his son. "You saw her this morning in the great hall."

"For ten minutes!" Felix exclaimed. "From a distance!" He tried to soften his tone before pleading his case again. "Couldn't Corin come here? Just for an hour?"

"No, son," Aro said, for what must have been the twelfth time that morning. "No guards."

Caius chinked his glass against Aro's. "I'm glad we agree, brother."

"He is different, you know he is," Aro chinked his glass back with Caius', feeling he'd won. "You said so yourself."

"He who?!" Felix asked, annoyed they were getting off topic. "We're talking about Corin."

"Your girlfriend is not coming here unless it's to work," Aro explained to his boy. "You saw her this morning, you will see her tomorrow, IF you behave today."

"Aww Felix," Irina drawled from her self-imposed exclusion at the window. "I'm sure Corin understands that you're too young to play out on Christmas day."

Feeling his temper rising, and his concern - because Felix truly did fear Corin would one day realise he was just some spoilt brat - Felix turned on his heel and returned to the safety of his little brother. Seating himself on the rug by the fire, he was close to the elite women.

Dora leaned over to the boy and pulled him back by his shoulder. "Felix," she called softly. "Corin knows who you are, and she adores you," she told him. "You have nothing to fear. Trust me, women talk," she added with a wink at the kid.

She had broken through the boy's gloom and even made him snort with that wink. "Thanks, Dora."

As Dora released Felix and sat up, she caught Irina's eye, suddenly finding herself locked-in to a staring competition with the girl. Dora knew it was immature, but she simply didn't care. Her eyes could fall out before she would be the first to turn away.

She was just saved from herself when Tanya inadvertently blocked her path and started shouting at her sister!

"Why do you have to be like that?" she snapped at Irina. "Why are you always trying to piss everyone off?"

"Tanya," Carmen called sternly to the girl. "That's enough from you."

Tutting dramatically at the very mild rebuke, which she felt had been coming thick and fast over the last couple of months, Tanya threw up her hands and then landed them on her hips. "But she IS always pissing everyone off!"

Carmen stood and matched the girl's stance. "Once more young lady and we will be having words."

"There will be more than words if I have to get involved, Tanya," Eleazar added. He meant it too, and Tanya knew it. "Sit down, before you lose the ability."

There were quite a few in the room watching with fascination as Tanya actually shot into a chair with an apologetic glance in her guardian's direction. Carlisle, who had spent the last two months with Magnus and Freyr hadn't seen that his brother had developed some sort of control with any of the girls. Neither had Magnus and Freyr, or Caius and Dora. Basileus was damn near bowled over! Aro and Sulpicia looked less surprised, as did their children, being the ones who had witnessed the development in Eleazar and Carmen winning a few rounds against the Denali girls… well, the little two at least.

"Wow!" Caius said, turning to Aro with wide eyes. "When did that happen?"

"He's started stepping up with Tanya," Aro explained quietly. "Even Kate on occasion, though she's golden anyway." Aro called Caius in closer. "I've had my kids tell the girls about how they fared crossing paths with my brother. Increased the fear, a little." Aro shrugged seeing Caius looking less than impressed. _You're turning into such a soppy bastard_. "It's good for kids to have a little fear," he explained. "It stops them going too far."

Caius wasn't so sure. He'd been a child who lived in constant fear and even suffered similarly as an adult until Magnus took Basileus' place. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, as he was spending too much time in the past on a good day, Caius jutted his chin at Irina. "What about that one?"

Aro shrugged again, that time because he didn't have an answer. "One step at a time, brother."

They ended their conversation abruptly when Carlisle made his way over. He stayed an arm's length way for safety as he spoke to Caius.

"I… erm… didn't have chance to see you before you left…"

Caius looked quizzically between a terrified Carlisle and a vaguely amused Aro. "Why would you need to see me?" he asked the young Volturi brother.

For a moment Carlisle wished he still believed in his God so he could ask the guy for help! "Because of… what happened…"

"Because you fucked my mate?" Caius asked, without an ounce of concern.

If Carlisle had the ability to blush, he would have been ruby red in that moment! "Caius, I'm really sorry," he rushed to say. "I was really drunk, it was the dungeon blood, and the hash… I'm sorry."

Caius raised his hand to hush Carlisle. "It's fine," he told him, honestly.

"Really?" Carlisle asked, wondering if Caius was leading him into a false sense of security. "Eleazar hit the roof about Irina."

" _About_ Irina?" Caius asked. "Not _with_ Irina?"

Subconsciously rubbing the back of his head where Eleazar had clouted him after Halloween, Carlisle nodded. "Definitely about."

 _Typical,_ Caius tutted to himself. "What do you want to do about it, Carlisle? Compare notes?"

"No!" Carlisle hurried to say, backing up a step. Somehow, he doubted he would compare to Caius if the stuff Dora had expected was anything to go by!

"You know Dora and I don't have a conventional relationship…" Caius tailed off, chuckling at Carlisle's expression. "It's no big deal."

"But Odi…"

Aro shook his head quickly to his brother who promptly shut his mouth.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" Caius asked, ignoring the comment about Odi completely. "Renata and Corin are coming to mine for drinks, cards," with a smirk, he added, "No dungeon blood, though."

Carlisle's eyebrows shot up to his hair line. "I'm invited?!"

"If you want to come," Caius replied slowly, like he was talking to a child.

Stepping closer, but still unsure, Carlisle asked, "And you're not going to kill me, or anything?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Caius answered, but as Carlisle was clearly worried about the idea, he amended his answer. "No, Carlisle. I won't kill you… or anything."

"I told him you would flay him for fucking Dora," Aro sniggered, watching his brother retreat.

"You're a shit brother, Aro." Caius cursed himself and turned his attentions to refilling their cups. He hadn't meant to sound so abrupt, but brotherly relationships were a tough topic for him.

"Harsh," Aro huffed, bumping his arm into Caius once his glass had been topped up. "So how come Carlisle's no big deal, but Odi is?"

"She's my mate," Caius told him, unable to hide the growl stirring in his chest. "I decide who's a big deal, right?!"

Aro wasn't put off by Caius' warning growl or the rise in volume. "Yes, but why…"

"Just drop it!" Caius snapped, grabbing the attention of the entire room.

Basileus bounded over to the pair of them and at first, Caius feared for himself. He was relieved to see the creator bring his son to heel instead. "He's asked you," he ground out to Aro. "Now I'm telling you, push once more and there will be consequences."

Once his father had moved out of his face, Aro brushed imaginary lint from the shoulder of his coat where Basileus' had grabbed him, smoothing out the front for no other reason than to show how unmoved he was at being reprimanded in front of his entire family.

"Alright," he drawled, like it was no big deal. "Calm down."

"I'm serious, Aro," Basileus told him, no nonsense tone and lifting his cane into the air. He tapped the end against Aro's cheek.

 _Be warned?_ Aro thought to his father. _Yeah, I get it, Dad._

"So," he began, turning back to Caius and trying so hard to ignore the goon's smirk. "Am I invited to your little get together?"

"Nope." Caius' smirk turned into a bright smile seeing Aro deflate. "It's for Dora's friends, not mine. Felix is invited, if you'll allow him. Corin's coming."

"I'm not sure I want him at one of Dora's parties again."

"It won't get out of hand, I'll even bring him home at a reasonable hour." _Eugh, just agree, damnit!_ "Please," Caius added, quietly.

"Please?!" Aro repeated, high pitched and mockingly. "Fine," he said, seeing Caius becoming irritated. He turned to the room and called to his son. "Felix, you'll be seeing Corin at Caius' tomorrow," he told the boy. "Screw up, and you'll never see her again."

Whilst Felix crowed, Irina brooded…

 _So, no invite for me? Sounds about right. They were all happy to drink on the money I scored, they must have known I didn_ _'_ _t have any - where did they think I was getting it from?! Two faced tossers. They all sit in their ivory towers looking down on me. Wankers. It's not like any of them even missed the money I took. Or the hash. Or the dungeon blood. They have more than they can spend, can smoke, or drink. Of course, prince Felix walks on water so he can do whatever he likes and get away with it. Prick. And now he has…_

"Daddy setting up his play dates." Irina stopped breathing. _Shit! Did I say that out loud?_

"Fuck you!" Felix shot at the girl.

 _Yup, out loud._ Irina turned her attention back to the window and the dark night skies.

"Felix Volturi!"

Sulpicia spoke sharply to her son. Whilst Atia stormed across the room arriving before a suddenly very wary Irina. The girl backed up, pressing her body against the window behind her, eyes never leaving the Volturi's leading lady.

"No, my girl," she said, cool as ice. "There will be no more from you, do you hear me?"

Irina didn't speak, astounded by Atia's reaction to such a simple comment. Tears blurred her eyes for a second time that day, but her mouth stayed clamped shut.

"You will not ignore me, Irina. I asked you a question and I expect an answer." Hands on hips, Atia maintained her eye on the girl. "I suggest you wipe that look off your face, answer me, and apologise to Felix."

Irina averted her glare slightly, so her eyes didn't quite meet Atia's, that was as much as she could do about 'wiping that look off her face'. _Speak, damn it!_ She cursed herself, fearing consequences in a way she never had before. She'd crossed so many lines at Halloween and her position was precarious at best.

 _That loon is still brandishing his cane like a viper about to strike. Wherever the women are, their men are never far behind. Weak women. All of them so weak that they need defending._ She fingered the locket around her neck, her mother. A strong, clever woman. _The strongest and cleverest woman,_ Irina corrected herself _. Sasha would back down now and fight tomorrow._

Atia and Basileus heard every word as it ran through Irina's mind. The only thing preventing Basileus from launching for the girl was Atia's thoughts. _'No, my dear',_ she spoke to him. _'_ _It is not the time for histrionics'._

"Irina…"

"I heard," Irina squeaked out before Atia could say anymore. Glancing to the gawping crowd, she picked out Felix through her blurry eyes and managed a small 'sorry', feeling pathetic.

"Well done," Atia praised the girl, knowing it would have been painful for her. "Now come with me, please."

Irina felt herself being guided from her seat, from her self-imposed exclusion, from safety. Atia was leading her into the lion's den! Even her baby sister frowned as she passed her. Carmen moved along the sofa she'd been sharing with Atia, knowing it was perfectly adequate for three, and Irina was instructed to sit between them.

Carlisle did a sterling job of keeping Dora engaged in conversation, so they could both ignore the elephant in the room. Freyr offered Dora's leg a squeeze, feeling the tension, even if Dora did a good of hiding it. She looked back around the room for Caius, wondering why he hadn't come to his wife's aid. By the time she'd turned back, he was there with Dora, joining in her chat with Carlisle.

The time was, Caius wouldn't have bothered tending to his mate's emotions, and he certainly wouldn't have sat having a chat with Carlisle. Freyr was so proud of him in that moment and she would make sure to tell him so when they found themselves alone.

"Wonderful, Irina," Sulpicia said as the girl reluctantly took her seat, before turning to her boy expectantly. "Is there anything you would like to say?"

Felix huffed dramatically. "But mom, she…"

"If he can't back down on his own," Basileus paused to swish his cane through the air, reminding the boy of his earlier promise to get someone back that evening for his own torture. "Send him over to me."

Felix baulked and quickly put aside any feelings of resentment. "I apologise for my language,"

"Feel free to use Irina for target practice," Eleazar whispered to his father when he approached the bloodwine barrels.

"Irina backed down, El," Magnus pointed out. "She should be praised for that, not punished."

"I wouldn't go that far," Basileus said, face screwed up as though praise was a foreign concept. Still, he wouldn't cane the girl, either.

Eleazar hadn't said a word in response to Magnus. Aro had been commenting on the juggernaut moving up the scales but he had never crossed the Volturi prince before. For a moment, Eleazar simply stood staring at the man trying to work out what to do.

Magnus leaned onto the bloodwine barrel, crossing his legs at his ankles looking entirely relaxed. "If she doesn't get any attention for being good, she'll seek it out by being bad."

"Only if she doesn't fear the type of attention one receives for being bad," Basileus corrected his friend, one eye on his son.

Eleazar stooped low to fill his tankard from the barrel tap. _Every chance you get you must remind me how I_ _'_ _m failing at this. At something I never even wanted to do in the first place. You could fucking help…_

"How?" Basileus asked, following his son's thoughts. "You want me to be some sort of on call second father thing?"

"The word is grandparent," Magnus said, chuckling to himself. Other people's family dramas were so much more entertaining than his own. "Grandparents help theirs kids with the grandkids, my friend."

Eleazar returned to standing with a tankard full, agreeing with Magnus. _I don_ _'_ _t know what Aro's talking about - Magnus is fine!_

"Happily, son," Basileus smiled. "You let me know the second you start treating that girl as your daughter, and I'll be right behind you being her grandfather. I'm taking my cues from you."

He might have gone on arguing with Eleazar had he not heard Aro across the room.

"Will Odi be invited to your party?"

Caius threw his head back. "Drop it, please?!"

"Aro!" Basileus barked. "Here, now."

"That's Magnus' line," Caius whispered to his friend, then promptly cursing the whiskey for making him so loose lipped. "I've seen him do it with guards, I mean," he added. _That didn_ _'_ _t sound dodgy at all, did it?!_

"Aro!" Basileus repeated. He didn't like repeating himself.

Tutting to Caius and rolling his eyes to the heavens, Aro went to placate his father.

"You appear to be lacking the self-control to leave certain subjects for the dust to settle." Basileus stood from his perch next to Magnus and pushed his boy back a few steps. "So I'm going to offer you an incentive," he said, brandishing his trusting pain inflicting tool of choice.

"Here?!" Aro gasped.

"I warned everyone, son," Basileus shrugged. "I'm not one to suffer alone," he added, a quick glare in Magnus' direction for the 'effort' he'd put in to teaching him a lesson.

Aro had two ways to go - argue like a child or brazen it out. Oh how he wanted to stamp his foot into the floor and wail about the unfairness of his life! But no, Aro would never give in to such a base emotion as fear. At least not with an audience.

"Fairs, fair," he said holding up his palms and shrugging to everyone watching. _Of course you'd all be watching. Bastards._

Aro offered his hand, expecting his father would take a lazy swipe at it for effect and he could go back to his Christmas drink. Perhaps he'd already had a little too much whiskey? He must have done, or Aro would have remembered how Basileus hated to be thought of as predictable…

Crack!

Aro went up on his tiptoes, mortified by the surprised yelp that had escaped his lips before he'd realised what was going on. _You bastard!_ he cursed, jumping out the way before the cane could find his legs again.

"One's enough, thanks," he snapped, adding a 'fuck you' to his big brother who was taking far too much enjoyment from his misery.

"One is enough, I agree, Aro is needed here," Atia called over to her mate. "Eleazar, too."

The four men at the bloodwine barrels looked over to see both Jane and Tanya ignoring their mothers' direction to cease and desist with the teasing. They had taken over Irina's jibing at Felix who looked set to blow at the giggling girls.

"Felix, calm son," Aro called, flashing to his eldest, knowing he was the biggest risk.

"Tell them, then!" he ground out, speaking through gritted teeth.

And then he started to laugh! In fact, everyone started laughing. Hysterical laughter that they seemed incapable of restraining and with no obvious cause.

"Is that your doing, my friend?" Basileus asked the juggernaut.

"I don't want to see the young ones in trouble on Christmas Day," he shrugged, keeping up his hold on the room.

Basileus couldn't disagree with that. He quite enjoyed seeing his whole family laughing together, even Irina joined in, not that she had a choice. He wondered if there would ever be a day where they would all laugh like that by their own volition. _One day,_ he told himself.

Magnus withdrew his powers and they all returned to normalcy, Irina returned to her scowl, Felix returned to his frustration, but the ferocity had gone.

"You pair," Aro said, jabbing a finger at Jane and Tanya. "Quit your games, got it?"

Jane smiled lovingly at her father, side swiping his annoyance as usual. "Of course," she said, sweetness and light. Tanya nodded along with her.

"And you," Aro turned to his son. "If you want to go to Dora's party tomorrow, you had better get a hold of yourself."

Felix bobbed his head, scuffing his foot on the floor, trying for the sweet and innocent look Jane had used. Aro merely rolled his eyes. _You can_ _'_ _t fool me, boy,_ he thought.

No, Aro, only Jane can fool you!

Basileus turned to Magnus, clearly concerned. "I'm not sure about this party Caius has arranged."

"Neither am I," Magnus admitted. "But I'm proud of him for doing it."

 _Soft as shit,_ Basileus said to himself.

"I don't need your gift to read your mind, my friend," Magnus chuckled. "I'll keep an ear on things, don't worry."

That was as much as Basileus could ask for, he supposed. Something else was on his mind anyway. "I've been meaning to ask you," he said, creeping a little for information. "How did you get on with Renata and Corin after Halloween?"

Magnus exhaled dramatically, shaking his head as though he wished he hadn't been reminded. "Corin was fine - shes young and I'm old enough to be her father, that helps." Again, with the shaking head, but it clearly wasn't over Corin. "Besides, it wasn't our first dance. Renata, however…"

 _That's what the shaking is for,_ Basileus guessed.

"She was a struggle," Magnus finished.

"She was resistant?"

"They are all a little resistant, Basileus," Magnus told him with an eye roll. _As you would know if you if you involved yourself disciplining the women in this place!_ _"_ But no, it was awkward… because… I don't want to tell you."

 _Hmmm,_ Basileus thought, seeing the immediate difference in his friend. "Well now you have to tell me, or I'll go looking for it myself."

Magnus scrubbed a hand down his face, he really didn't want to have to talk about it. "I know how much she fancies me," he offered, hoping Basileus could use his imagination to fill in the rest.

Of course, he wouldn't do that and give Magnus a way out!

"Oh, here we go, God's gift is in the room!" Basileus boomed. It was a common playful argument between the two of them over who was most appealing. "You know I'm an actual god, right?"

"Half a god, at best," Magnus pointed out, returning the dead arm Basileus had given him. "I'm serious, though," he continued. "It was awkward… it went somewhere… very awkward."

"Huh?"

"Are you really this clueless or are you winding me up?!"

Basileus just looked confused.

 _Oh! Really that clueless!_ Magnus leaned in close and whispered - he did not want anyone else to hear what he was about to say. "She enjoyed it."

"Oh!" Basileus couldn't say any more than that, as he promptly fell about in hysterics!

"Yeah," Magnus groaned. "How funny, huh?" he added with little humour. "I'm an empath, too, don't forget so…"

"So, you felt it, too?!" Basileus spluttered out. "Oh my… erm…" more laughing, such a sympathetic friend! "How far did it go?" he asked, suggestively.

"Not that far!" Magnus told him, offering the man another punch in the arm for being a cock. "But I felt what she was feeling and I 'reacted' before I could stop myself…"

Not that it was needed - even Basileus' imagination was good enough to guess _how_ Magnus reacted - but Magnus gestured to his dick anyway which saw Basileus slip off the bloodwine barrel as he howled!

"I wanted to run out of her dorm, but I couldn't… I had to wait for… certain things to _settle down_ first."

"Brilliant!" Basileus spluttered.

"It was mortifying," Magnus hissed, pulling the man to perch back on the barrels and draw less attention to their conversation. "We haven't been able to look at each other since."

"Well you have given me a very good reason for never dealing with the women, my friend."

"Shut up, will you?!" Magnus hissed again, begging the creator to quieten down. "It's embarrassing!"

Basileus didn't care at that point, he was revelling in the moment and on he went. "I'm going to be sending them all to you from now on."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you." Magnus huffed but he couldn't help the smile spreading on his face. He hadn't laughed at the time, but he could see the funny side.

"Sully and Carmen are quite taken with you, aren't they? That's what you're always telling me."

Magnus should have known that such gloating would come back to bite him.

"I think I'll send them your way the next time one of them speak out of turn!" Basileus doubled up again, hoping he could find an excuse sometime soon.

"You aren't funny!" Magnus levelled another thump in Basileus' arm - not that he noticed.

"What a Christmas gift this is, my friend," he crowed. "Does Atia know? Surely Freyr would have told her?"

"I swore Freyr to secrecy," Magnus said confidently, before adding, because his knew his wife well, "So I would say that means Atia knows, yes."

Basileus flashed to his mate and the shield maiden, both bewildered to have the man suddenly appear before them.

"My ladies, I must steal you away. We need to leave," he said, taking the goblets from their hands and pulling them to their feet.

"Whatever is the matter with you?!" Atia asked, looking between an oddly hyperactive Basileus and less than impressed Magnus.

"Oh," Freyr said knowingly. "He told you?"

Basileus' eyes danced with glee. "Oh yes!" He turned to Marcus, beckoning the man to follow as he ushered the women out of the door. "Marcus, you're going to love this!" he called over his shoulder. "We've done the family thing, I think it's time to do our own thing - retire to my chambers for Christmas drinks and spend the evening mocking Magnus."

"Bastard. Utter bastard." Magnus followed behind, chuckling lightly to himself and ignoring the questions coming from the rest of the room. "You're the worst friends in the world!"


	148. 1690, January - Felix The Outcast

**AN:** Before we go any further, I need to apologise for the delay, but I have a good excuse - CastorLycan is completely and utterly to blame. I have recently been introduced to her wonderful writing and I've been binging on her books - Amazing! I can assure anyone reading this fic that you will bloody love the books, and you need to get your ass on Amazon and check them out. Can't put links on here, but if you go onto AO3 and search for CastorLycan, there's links waiting for you there :)

I know I told some of you that we would be going to Salem in the next chapter set, but Chrissysmiles gave me a great idea for how some of our Volturi youth could cause a stir and I just had to get that in before I wrote anything else. We'll send our vamps to sort Salem out after this chapter set, promise!

We've had the 'inbetweeners', now we have the 'outcasts'.

* * *

 **1690, January - Felix The Outcast**

Magnus had stayed true to his word, or rather, to Freyr's word, and hosted the New Year party. It had gone well, a few hangovers the next day, sure, but a success. Caius had stayed with Dora the whole way through. They divided their time between his friends and hers and things were good between them.

Irina hadn't enjoyed it quite so much, choosing to spend the entire time alone, scowling at her traitorous sisters for joining in with festivities. Odi had done similarly, blaming everyone in the coven from the creator down for his solitude. Of course, he could have joined in - a good many guards, not to mention his own parents had encouraged him to do so - but Odi saw their attempts for what they were… or what he thought they were. A bunch of two faced cunts who would use his involvement to prove he wasn't really a guard or wasn't really an elite. Just some no-mark coven member lost in no man's land. Felix, though! He was happy. He had Corin back and spent most of New Year in her dorm getting… reacquainted.

Whether because of the hangovers, or the self-imposed solitude, January 1st was a quiet day in the coven. It would be the last quiet day some would have for a while. From whatever position they began in, the three days following saw our once inbetweeners become complete and utter outcasts…

…

Demetri, in a well-rehearsed move, slipped into Felix's bedroom carrying two tankards of bloodwine. "If I catch for this off Dad you had better drag your ass out of that bed to bring me blood."

Felix shuffled across his bed to make space for his saviour. "Anytime, little brother, honestly anytime," he replied, gratefully taking his cup. "I bloody love you."

"It's much harder to do this without Jane's help," Demetri told him, sipping at his own tankard. "She's seriously pissed with you.

"It was just a joke," Felix huffed. "It was mom's fault."

Demetri's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "How do you work that out?"

"She smacked Jane for winding me up," Felix offered as explanation. "Don't you see?!" he pushed when Demetri looked back blank. "Jane flew off the handle…"

"I don't think I've ever seen Jane fly off the handle. She's more of a calculated conniver."

"I didn't mean physically go nuts," Felix huffed. He tapped his temple, saying, "But in here, she was flying off the handle." Too much movement. His backside burned, and he could feel every stripe of his father's belt still blazing. "Sure," he said, keeping himself still. "I might have laughed when mom smacked her…"

"Might?"

"Only a little, and I wasn't even in the room, so Jane wouldn't have known." Felix shrugged. He wasn't in the wrong, not even slightly - it was all Jane.

"Felix, brother," Demetri shook his head. "You aren't making any sense. That was a few days ago - how did you end up in here with your ass in the air again?"

 _Of course, you would want the full details,_ Felix tutted. "Are you certain Dad's not coming home tonight?"

"I told you already," Demetri replied, relaxing into his brother's pillows. Felix was about to spill the dirt and he was set for the night. "Dad's at Magnus' place having a card game."

 _Oh yeah, the card game. So Odi's meeting up with Carlisle and I'm stuck in here nursing my wounds. Again. I hate my life!_ "Right… from the top… three days ago… January 2nd…"

"Quit stalling," Dem said, jostling the bed just enough to cause his brother minor distress. "Get on with it!"

 **JANUARY 2ND**

"Mom…" Felix drawled, creeping up behind his mother as she worked her way through the latest excuses for improper accounting from the French coven. "I know you're busy, but you haven't given me my allowance for this month…"

"That would be because you receive your allowance at the end of the month, my darling."

 _Damn it._ Why Felix thought he could con his mother with such little effort was anyone's guess. But the boy had been grounded since Halloween, and that meant no allowance for all that time, too. Actually, as Felix had spent half of the previous year grounded, he was quite literally down to the brass buttons in his pocket.

"Could I get an advance?"

Sulpicia put down her quill and turned in her seat to face her son. Aro's seat, really, it was his desk she worked at. Felix's hopes were dashed the moment her saw her expression. It was her 'are you fucking kidding me?' face… her children knew it well.

But still, Felix really, really needed some cash. Training had been a farce that morning with Caius spending most of it kicking the shit out of Carlisle and Odi. All the guards were talking about it and the guard hall would be a buzz of excitement. Felix _had_ to be there! Having already flushed his siblings out for all they would give him - _zero, the_ _selfish little brats -_ his only hope was his mother.

"I've been really good lately," he tried, bless him.

Sulpicia's features harden. "No, Felix," she said sternly. "You have not been good - you have been grounded, which affords little opportunity to be anything but well behaved unless you would like to end up on the wrong side of your father. But I wouldn't say you had been 'good'. You've only been off your restriction for two days and already you are driving me crazy…"

Felix zoned out.

He heard mention of his sisters name a few times. His darling little sister who had been driving _him_ crazy during his captivity. _You don_ _'_ _t care about that, though, do you?_ he thought to his mother as she droned on.

"… but I will give you some pocket money to tide you over."

"Huh?" Felix was back in the room!

Sulpicia smiled at her son, knowing full well he had ignored every word she had said until she mentioned cash. "If you can answer a couple of very simple questions for me."

Felix nodded gormlessly, mind only on the money.

"Identify the correct way to dry towels," Sulpicia began to the sound of Felix groaning. "On the floor, in a crumpled heap on your bed, or on the towel rail in your bathroom?"

"Mom, come on!" Felix huffed, scowling in reply.

Sully continued unperturbed. "I would like to hear the reasoning behind your answer and a further five points can be gained in the discussion of who's responsibility it is to achieve the state of a dry towel, and why."

"It was just a fucking towel!"

The evening before, Sulpicia had collared the boy to tidy his room or at the very least to move the wet towel from his bed. But he couldn't possibly do it then as he was off to see Corin. When he returned, she reminded him about his room, and his towel, refusing to do it herself, but Felix was too tired. That morning, when Sulpicia had turfed him out of bed to attend training, she had been forced to strip the boy's damp bed - _how have you even slept in this pit, Felix?!_ \- and found a pile of washing that should have been sent to the laundry before new year.

"What did you just say to me?"

Her tone was frosty cold and were it not for the snickering coming behind him from the twins, Felix would have retreated. As it was, hearing Jane making comments just loud enough to be heard, but not quite so loud for him to make out what she was saying, Felix stayed firm.

"Mom," he began, pulling himself to stand tall and squaring his shoulders.

 _Oh,_ Sulpicia thought, eyeing him up and down. _You think you're a man, again, do you?_

"I'm sorry the towel annoyed you," - he sounded anything but sorry - "But theres no need to get hysterical, it's just a fucking towel…"

"Did you hear that, my love?" Sulpicia asked.

Felix stopped speaking and looked to her curiously. _She_ _'_ _s not talking to me… or the twins… oh fuck._

"He gets that from you, you know?"

 _Mom! Don_ _'_ _t make him angry now!_

"He'll be getting something else from me talking to you that way."

 _Yup, its Dad._ Like there was any doubt.

"Felix!" Aro snapped when the boy refused to turn and face him. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to?!"

Reluctantly, Felix spun on his heel to face his father. "She did say that I get it from you," he tried. Cheeky never worked, but it was always his first line of defence.

Jane positively beamed!

Aro slowly, and purposefully made his way over to Felix, saying, "Consider yourself grounded again, son."

Felix struggled to say anything out loud, but his thoughts rolled around easily enough. _Oh God, no!_

Sulpicia looked even more upset than Felix. "No, my love," she said, her tone verged on begging. "He is not grounded, I can't cope with him being grounded again for a while, my love. Please don't do this to me, I have so much work…"

"Okay, okay," Aro backed up a step. "He's not grounded."

Felix smiled. _Maybe the Gods are real after all?_ And then his whole world crashed around his ears when Aro pulled out the guest chair at his desk and slapped his thigh.

"Seriously?" Felix managed to squeak out. Nothing more would come, so he took to shaking his head in disgust at his father's proposition.

Aro nodded once. "I heard your argument with you mother this morning, and I let it go. I'm not letting any more go, so get over here and take whats due."

Felix chanced a look to the twins. One twin, actually, as Alec had fled the scene at some point. Jane, though - she made a show of taking a seat and noisily scraping that seat across the floor to get a better view of her brother's smack-down. _Best seat in the house!_ she chuckled, settling in for the show.

 _It's not like she doesn_ _'_ _t know this happens,_ Felix told himself, trying to put on a brave face. _Just get it over with, don_ _'_ _t give her the satisfaction of being bothered. Just move!_ It was no good. He couldn't put a foot forward.

"You are making this worse for yourself keeping me waiting," Aro warned. "You know that."

Oh yes, Felix knew that. But he still couldn't help himself. Not with his sister there gawping. The panic started to set in. Felix could feel the fight or flee response tearing at his good sense. It creeped up his back and wrapped around his neck. _Can vampires suffocate?! Fuck!_

Sulpicia was at his side in an instance. "It's alright, my darling," she whispered softly to him.

Felix had to wonder what he looked like if his mother was so concerned after the way he had spoken to her. He wanted to lean into the embrace she offered, but his foolish teenage pride wouldn't allow him such comfort, not whilst Jane sat giggling close by.

The distraction Sulpicia had offered was just enough for the fight or flight feeling to leave, but Felix still, understandably, felt horrified at the idea of his father's proposal.

Sulpicia knew how Felix felt about spankings, and though he had annoyed her, she didn't want to see her boy so distressed.

"My love…" she began, only for Aro to immediately interrupt her.

"It has to happen," Aro said, tutting at his son's puerile display. "I've gone back on the grounding for you, my queen, but I'm not relenting on anything else."

"But I…"

Felix was quickly cut off by his father, too.

"Your attitude needs knocking out of you, boy!" Aro gestured to his preening princess sitting a few feet from his side. "Jane told me about the spider yesterday, by the way," he said. "Think yourself lucky I wasn't home last night."

Felix grimaced. _Little witch!_ Yes, fair enough, he had dropped a big fat spider in her hair whilst she quietly read to herself. And yes, Jane had a particular dislike of spiders - she called it a dislike, anyone in hearing distance yesterday afternoon might have called it an acute phobia with the girl's ear-splitting shriek. Felix couldn't help himself - he turned to Jane with a sly smirk at the memory.

"Hey!" Aro snapped at his boy, knowing exactly what had made him smile in such a way. "You think scaring my princess is something to laugh about?"

Felix's face dropped as Jane's smile grew.

She had been snipping at him yesterday morning and Felix couldn't hope to get her back until his father had left the house… and then the spider was just sitting there, too good an opportunity to miss. He frowned at his sister for having Aro wrapped around her little finger, and then truly glared at her grassing on him. There was nothing lower in his mind than a grass. _A witch and a grass,_ he said to himself. The only thing that could make his darling little sister less likable would be if he discovered she was part wolf! _Bitch._

"Felix!" Aro barked at his boy. "I have better things to do than hand you your ass. If you aren't over my knee by the count of three, you'll be losing your britches. One!"

Felix all but threw himself across Aro's lap with such a warning ringing in his ears! A spanking in front of his sister was horrendous, bare was simply unimaginable.

Raising his knee a little higher and tipping Felix forward so that he had to brace his hands on the floor, Aro began. He landed his hand sharply on the back of his boy's thighs - he knew that would hurt more. Aro wasn't heartless, though. He knew how much it had taken for Felix to submit to such a punishment. That, combined with the embarrassment of having Jane so close by meant that he only gave his boy ten good smacks before hauling Felix to his feet. It was ten too many in Felix' opinion - they hadn't brought him to tears, but his frustration had.

He chanced a look at Jane, hoping to see her missing, or at least showing him an ounce of sympathy. She was there, and she wore a smug grin, too. _Little witch._ Felix didn't have time to wonder how he would have been if the roles were reversed before his father was back on his case.

"Now apologise to your mother," Aro instructed, giving his boy a nudge in the right direction.

"Sorry," he whispered. It was all he could trust his voice to say without cracking and Sulpicia accepted it graciously. "May I hu, hu, have…" _For fuck sake!_ he thought, cursing his inability to speak coherently.

Aro didn't help matters, rolling his eyes to Jane over her brother's display, making the girl giggle - all in Felix's view, of course.

He took an angry swipe at his eyes with one hand tried to fix his hair with the other. At least his mother appeared to be taking pity on him. "Steady, my dear one," she told him, gently stroking his cheek and collecting the last of his tears.

"Insignia," Felix croaked, clearing his throat and the last of his emotion. "May I have my insignia?"

"Of course." Sulpicia reached into Aro's top drawer and gave her boy his crest. "But I want you home before dark - you must tidy your room still, yes?"

Felix nodded to his mother, agreeing to her terms.

"That was the best thing I have ever seen!" Jane could contain her laughter no longer. As she watched her brother limp to the door, her cackles spew forth. "I can't wait to tell…"

"And you!" Sulpicia barked towards her daughter. "You little madam!"

Aro's head snapped back around to his princess of darkness. "What has she done?!"

"She's winding him up, Aro," Sulpicia explained tiredly.

She called to Felix to leave and enjoy his time out of the house. Felix had annoyed her, and he'd been a brat, but Jane was the one who had tipped her mother over the edge in recent days with her mission to tease her brother into doom. _It may wash with your father,_ Sully thought, shaking her head. _But it will not wash with me._

"If Felix is foolish enough to fall for her play…"

"It isn't play, Aro." Snatching the bewildered girl from her seat, Sulpicia hooked up the hem of Jane's layered dress and added them to her grasp on the girls left arm. "It's spiteful and relentless and I'm done with it."

Jane struggled, pulling away from her mother whilst looking to her father for his help. Aro merely shrugged and turned away. _You really have had a bad morning, my queen,_ he huffed to himself. _I should have gone to the guard hall instead of coming home on time._ He winced hearing the three smacks Jane received to the back of her legs. He wouldn't stop his wife from issuing her own punishments when she thought them due, but he didn't like it when her ire was directed at Jane.

"I am done," Sully told the girl. "Do you hear me? Done. The teasing ends now."

"Tell Felix that, then," Jane spat, doing her utmost to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm telling you," Sulpicia replied, adding two more stinging swats to Jane's legs. The last one really made its mark and Jane released a squeal.

Sending the girl to her room rather than her father's waiting arms, Sulpicia retook her seat at Aro's oak desk, trying to ignore the look of disdain he gave her.

"Was that entirely necessary?" Aro asked when his raised eyebrow failed to provoke a response.

Sulpicia dropped her quill and took to rubbing her temples. "Yes, it was," she said. "And much more besides, as you would know if you were home more often, or engaged more with your children…"

Aro zoned out.

Felix had listened outside the door, and his swagger returned hearing his mother was done with Princess Perfect. _Time to get my own back._

And he got his own back with a real dick move.

Felix didn't go to the guard hall that afternoon as he had originally planned to do. He couldn't face seeing anyone and them somehow guessing he had his arse smacked by his father like a frikking toddler, so he went to the woods instead. With his plan already hatched before he left the castle, Felix went loaded with bottles. He had even braved the dungeons to fetch the things. Oh yes, Felix was fully intent on teaching his darling little sister a lesson in humility.

It took hours. Literally hours. All afternoon in fact and it was dark when Felix returned to the castle, but when he did, it was clutching nine bottles - because he had dropped and smashed the tenth - all full of spiders.

He had to make three trips climbing the external walls of the tower to safely deliver his hoard to his bedchamber before he could re-enter through the front door. If Felix had any doubt about his plans, Jane set them aside for him as he set foot over the threshold.

"Dad," she called, sickly sweet. "He's home."

 _Little witch is starting already,_ Felix muttered, pulling off his muddy boots and leaving them at the door. He needed to keep his mother on side and walking dirt through her living chamber would be a sure way of pissing her off.

"Do you think Dad can't see me or something?" Felix asked his little sister. "She's saying you're old, Dad," he added, smirking to his old man.

Bad move.

"Jane is simply pointing out that you are home, as we have just had a conversation regarding when you would arrive, son." Aro turned to the window and back again. "Your mother told you to be home before dark - you are late."

"Where is Mom?" Felix asked, trying to ignore his father's point.

"She is with Marcus discussing the French coven," Aro replied, tersely. "Is there anything else you need to know before you respond to me?"

"You and Jane had a conversation," Felix shrugged. "I heard."

"You are late coming home, Felix." Aro stood from his seat, leaving his book on his chair and walked towards his son. "I've had my fill of your behaviour lately. Ever since you started hanging out with that little band of misfits, you have been hard to handle. I've tried to be sensitive because I know they make you happy, but I'm running out of patience."

Now, Felix knew his tardiness had nothing to do with the inbetweeners, but he'd much prefer for his father to think it was, so he could go through with getting one over on Jane.

"You were told to come home and clean that cesspit you call a bedroom."

"I'll do it now, Dad," Felix quickly agreed. "I'll go up now, it will be spotless." He backed away from his father and headed to the stairs. "Just give me a few hours, okay?"

"You have two and then I want you in bed, boy," Aro called after him. "You clearly need an early night."

 _In bed?_ Felix checked the clock on his way past. _I need to be in bed by ten?! That's harsh, Dad,_ he thought. But rather than arguing, Felix agreed and went upstairs.

To give Felix his due, the boy made a remarkable effort with his bedroom. Clothes that had never seen a hanger suddenly found a place in his wardrobe. The underside of his bed was free of linens waiting to be washed and dust bunnies waiting to be discovered. He even did the walk of shame bringing a collection of empty goblets and tankards downstairs. He hadn't bothered to wash them out and the congealed bloodwine had crusted in the glass, but he'd never brought his empties down before. He even took, with good grace, the ear bashing for having the cups in his room in the first place!

By the time his father went up to check on his progress, Felix's room positively sparkled.

Jane hung behind her father, thoroughly disappointed.

"Much better," Aro congratulated his boy. "I'm glad to see you've made an effort to correct yourself."

Felix smiled bashfully towards the floor. "I' know I've kind of let my friends take over," he lied. "I'm sorry about that, Dad."

Aro wasn't easily fooled, but he fell for Felix's words hook line and sinker as they agreed with his own thoughts on the matter – Aro liked nothing better than the chance to stoke his own ego.

"I expect this morning helped set you straight," he said, mainly to himself.

It was hard to keep his repentant expression with Jane giggling behind their father's legs, but somehow Felix managed it. "Sure did, Dad," he agreed.

Pulling him in close by a hand hooked around the back of his neck, Aro kissed Felix's head and told him to get in bed. "Both of you," he added, sending Jane on her way.

Thankfully Alec and Demetri had been asleep for an hour already so Aro was very almost done with the list of jobs left by his mate. There were only three jobs on the list: Make sure Felix tidies his room; get them all to bed at a reasonable hour; do not let the tease each other!

Felix changed for bed and checked the bottles in the base of his wardrobe. The grass and leaf stoppers he had fashioned had held up against the spiders. So, all he had to do was wait for Jane to fall asleep.

 _Waking up to her screams will be better than Christmas morning,_ he thought, smiling to himself.

Somewhere close to midnight, Felix crept into his sister's room with his bottles, removed the stoppers and shook the little critters free from their temporary prison. He covered her bed, even managing to get some under the covers without disturbing the sleeping princess. The rest he spread around the room, in the wardrobe, even the bathroom. And then he returned to his bedchamber taking the bottles with him and dropping them out his window to hide the evidence.

And then he got back in his bed and waited for the screaming to start. Felix wondered how long it…

Throwing his head back into the pillows, his body became rigid and he released a blood curdling scream of his own!

Jane, awakened by critters crawling all over her face, had sent out her gift to destroy whatever it was that was attacking her. The whole top floor of the south tower became engulfed in the girl's torturous gift, her three brothers screaming their agony as their bodies set alight in their minds.

It took a while for Jane to exhaust herself and for Alec's gift to take over his sister's. By the time the boy managed it, Jane had been burning her brothers for a full half hour.

Aro and Sulpicia had been fighting their way through the burn, but both had failed at the top floor landing until Alec subdued his sister. With the girl contained for the moment, they went to check on the older boys. Demetri, understandable shocked and confused, was easy convince to stay in his bed. Felix, however, insisted on seeing Jane for himself, just to check she was okay.

When Aro, Sulpicia, and Felix arrived in the girl's room, they found a macabre seen of tiny exploded bodies littering every available surface -including Jane who lay immobilised in Alec's fog. The critters Felix released had burst with the strength of Jane's gift!

"What the hell happened in here?!"

Sulpicia seemed just as confused as her mate, but she hoped he fetch Jane for her, rather than having to drag her dress through so an array of splattered bugs.

The only thing Aro cared about was his baby girl. Dusting the dead off his daughter, he gave the nod to Alec to withdraw his gift and wrapped Jane in his arms before she came around fully.

"Hush," he cooed to the girl. "You're safe."

"They were everywhere," Jane sobbed, shaking and shivering from what had clearly been a traumatic experience for the girl. "I need to get out, I need to get out."

Aro carried his daughter out of the room and handed her to her mother, sending Alec back to his own bed.

"I can't go back in there," she sobbed in her mother's arms. "Can I share with Alec again?"

Felix released the very tiniest of chuckles, and it wasn't really one of humour, either. More of nerves. He didn't find it as funny as he'd expected. He had never intended to terrify his sister… it was just a joke.

Aro spun around to face his eldest son. "Was this your doing?!"

"Huh?" Felix took a step back. "No!" he hurried to say. "Why would you think that?"

"You seem to be finding it pretty fucking funny, son!"

Sulpicia stood between the two of them before an argument could ensue. It was obvious to her that it was indeed Felix and one of his hare-brained pranks gone too far. But she'd had a long day and she needed some down time before her children started a new day of torment.

"I think Jane has punished him enough, my love."

Sulpicia laid a hand on her mate's exposed neck to talk privately to him. _'It's so late already, my love. I just want them in bed and asleep as quickly as possible'._ Aro nodded along. He couldn't argue with that. ' _Felix wouldn't be seeking his own retribution if Jane didn't get away with teasing him into self-destruction'._ Aro was less pleased with that part.

Sulpicia smiled when he didn't object, even if he wasn't happy hearing it. "I'll take Jane to our room for tonight, you can supervise Felix removing the spiders and swapping rooms."

" _I_ have to swap with Jane?!" Felix scoffed. _I don_ _'_ _t think so!_ "She just said she'll share with Alec."

"And _I_ said you are swapping rooms with Jane." Sulpicia held a finger up in Felix's face, daring him to continue.

Aro let the growl in his chest subside once Felix backed down. "Lucky me, huh?" he said to his mate as he'd been saddled with their troubled boy again.

"Felix is clearly crying out for his father's attention," Sully told him as she huddled Jane out of the room.

"Oh yeah?" Aro called after her. "I'll be giving him my undivided attention if this shit continues."

Felix cowered hearing that little gem, and soon shot up on his tip toes when Aro planted his hand across the boy's backside.

"I want these rooms swapped over before you sleep, boy," Aro thundered. "Get on with it!"

 **JANUARY 3RD**

Jane had been furious the night before, but waking up to a new room, Felix' old room, which was slightly bigger than hers, she believed, had seen her mood flip to smug joy. She would have preferred if her brother had caught more than a smack for his cruel prank, but the room was a big win.

Whilst Felix slept off his very late night, Jane and Sulpicia worked on arranging the room to the girl's desire. Whilst Sulpicia was in the bathroom, Jane heard a curious noise outside her open window. It sounded… scratchy… and… _hmmm_. Her vivid imagination created the idea of some sort of assailant coming to send her to her doom. Fixing her sights on the open window so she was ready to blast them with her gift, Jane waited in silence.

"Erm, Mom," she soon called, wicked grin plastered on her face when she saw who her would-be assassin turned out to be. "I have a visitor."

Corin nearly fell backwards off the window ledge. "Jane?" she coughed out in her surprise. There was no time to do anything else before the girl's mother arrived.

Sulpicia eyebrows rose in disappointment when she set eyes on Corin. Quickly recovering her composure, Sully said, "This isn't Felix's room anymore." Corin could probably have guessed that looking around the bedchamber to see Jane's things, and not her lover boy's. "Follow me and I will show you out," Sulpicia continued. "Once we have made your presence known to Aro, of course."

The young guard felt her insides twist as she followed Sulpicia down the winding staircase. Over the years, during her on-off-on again relationship with the queen's eldest child, Corin hadn't so much as received a terse tone from Sulpicia - something she was incredibly grateful for. Even after the year of inbetweener mishaps, Sulpicia and Aro, who could have both taken umbrage with the girl, had stayed silent on the matter in her presence and treated her as any other guard. And now here she was, following the queen to face the king for intruding on their home with the obvious objective of fucking their son in his bedchamber. Something which had been expressly forbidden when Felix first arrived in Volterra and had been reiterated many times since then.

 _Fucked,_ she thought. _I. Am. Fucked._

"My love," Sulpicia called as her foot hit the bottom step. As Corin crept down behind her, Sully gave a majestic sweep of her arm to gesture to the girl before returning to her needle work.

Aro stood from his desk and eyed the girl carefully. They only had guards in the towers to collect laundry in the mornings. They would do the occasionally sweep through and light the odd fire, but most of the tower inhabitants preferred to keep house themselves rather than having the guards traipsing through their homes. There was, quite simply, no good reason for Corin being in his house, as Aro saw it.

"What is she doing here?" he asked his mate, eyes fixed on Corin.

"Visiting Jane, through the window," Sulpicia explained simply, giving Aro all the information he needed.

Aro flashed to the foot of the stairs and pulled Corin aside, swinging the girl into the room. "FELIX!" he roared.

The boy appeared before him in moments and didn't see his girlfriend until it was too late.

"Oh crap," he cursed. "Jane and I have switched rooms," he whispered to the girl - not that there was much point to his whispering.

"Yeah," Corin huffed back at him. "No shit, dick head," she hissed, before immediately regretting her words in such a setting. The panic had clearly gone to her head, bless her. She tried squeaking out an apology to the queen but fell short when Aro increased his grip on her arm.

"Goodbye, Corin," Sulpicia said with an eyebrow raised over the girl's word choice.

Cursing aside, Sulpicia liked Corin, and thought she was a good influence on her son. But that did not mean she wanted the girl in her chambers. Sully had been alive a long time and she'd had Felix for centuries - she knew what her boy got up to. Limiting his _activities_ to outside of their home was the best she could do to hold back her teenager from over committing himself to a more adult relationship.

"Make that the last time we find you here uninvited," Aro said, throwing on his best 'I am your King so watch yourself' face. "Uninvited by _us_ ," he further explained. "Not him."

Being the 'him' in question, Felix closed his eyes and shook his head. His face couldn't flush thanks to his venomous blood, but his cheeks burned all the same. He was soon awoken by his father's hand taking a tight grip of his arm, giving him a shake.

"I'm telling you now," Aro began, voice low and dangerously serious. "If I catch that girl in my chambers again, I'll be taking my belt to you. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, sir," Felix replied.

What else could he say? Other than, perhaps, that he was going to make good use of the loop hole his father had offered - 'if I catch that girl'. _Note to self, make sure he doesn_ _'_ _t catch her._ His plan wasn't as foolish as it may have sounded - Corin had never been caught before, after all.

…

Corin slipped into the seat next to Felix and rested her head on his arm. "That was the most embarrassing conversation of my life," she complained.

Renata passed the young guard a drink. She'd over heard a little of Corin's private dress down from Freyr and felt bad for her.

"With Freyr?" Carlisle asked, clueless.

Corin nodded. "Aro told Freyr about me being caught in the south tower this morning. She's not happy."

Felix frowned at his girlfriend - he would have rather the discussion was a private one. Still, he couldn't be too annoyed as she had just taken an ear bashing from the shield maiden. "You know which room I'm in now," he offered to smooth things over. "So, nothing to worry about."

"I already told you Freyr isn't happy with me," Corin explained again. "She's gone easy on me, but she'll bring Magnus in next time."

It was ridiculous in Felix' mind that he couldn't have his girlfriend in his bed chamber, but it did make it much more fun sneaking her in. They had unfettered access to Corin's dorm, but it was as exciting as having his lover come through the window.

"It's alright for you, Felix," Renata jumped in, seeing the boy already making new plans. "Aro gives you a slap on the wrists…"

"He does not!" Before the words had left his mouth, Felix regretted them. "You can keep your mouth shut, Carlisle," he told his uncle. "I have dirt on you, too, remember."

Carlisle elbowed his nephew in the ribs but thought better of taunting him and pushing the boy into revealing anything embarrassing.

"Aro's your dad, so it's not like you have to go through the humiliation of facing the masters, is it?" Renata wanted to put the idea of any repeats out of Felix' mind for Corin's sake.

"But…"

"And you know what Magnus is like about rules," she said, hand held up to silence the boy. "You know what he'll do if he gets involved when you've broken one of the king's rules," she added to Corin, stressing to the young guard that it was the king's rules she was breaking - there was no greater crime in the coven before you reached Vampiric law.

All four of them winced, which said a lot for Magnus' reputation about rules and retribution for breaking them.

Renata left them then, thinking her work was done, only for Felix to tempt his girlfriend a final time.

"But Freyr's not going to tell Magnus and you've never been caught coming to my room before," Felix breezed, wrapping his strong arm around her tiny shoulders. "I'll have the bath ready and waiting for you in the morning - trust me," he said, knowing how much Corin enjoyed their private bathroom. "Don't worry so much."

 **JANUARY 4TH**

Aro and Sulpicia had been having some very long chats since Halloween regarding Felix's involvement with the inbetweeners. The group had dislocated somewhat anyway by new year with Odi being cast aside when Caius was near - none of the inbetweeners were willing to argue with Caius, a coven master, even though they felt bad for the kid being snubbed - but they still hung out together, and Felix was still with them.

For once, Aro and Sulpicia were on the same side regarding their eldest boy. His attitude was abysmal, he was becoming lazy in the house - or lazier, they felt - and his pranks were getting out of control. Felix didn't have too much to his critical thinking arsenal as it was - he had always struggled with predicting the most likely results of his actions rather than what he would have hoped to happen. That said, they knew Felix needed careful handling. Particularly with one of the inbetweeners. Corin made their boy happy and neither Aro or Sully wanted to take her away from him. But just lately, rather than Corin being a good influence on Felix, Felix had become a bad influence on Corin.

Sulpicia managed to convince Aro that the best way forward was to simply talk to Felix, make him aware of their concerns and put the ball in his hands. In agreement, they waited for their other children to wake, and sent them out to busy themselves around the castle so they could talk to Felix alone. When their eldest hadn't shown his face by ten in the morning, Aro sought him out. (He wasn't a patient man.)

"Felix!" he called out, opening the boy's bedroom door.

"I'm in here, Dad," Felix called back from the bathroom.

Aro thought nothing of waltzing straight in there, as he usually would have. Not that he got very far. "Why is this door locked?"

"I'm in the bath," Felix replied.

"You aren't usually so shy."

"I'm in the bath!" Felix called again, seemingly finding himself funny for some bizarre reason.

"I am aware of that." Aro listened carefully for a moment, he was sure he heard giggling. "Who's in there with you?"

"No one."

"Open the door," Aro commanded. "Right now."

"No way," Felix called back, though he sounded to be getting out of the bath. And then it sounded like someone else was doing the same.

 _Okay, son,_ Aro nodded to himself, knowing exactly what was going on. _We can all play games._ "I know Corin wouldn't be so foolish to come here after I explicitly warned her against it, so…" _Should I do this? Yeah, fuck it._ "Heidi, if I have to tell you again about being in my son's bedroom I will be telling Magnus, too."

It was very quiet, but Aro was sure he heard, "You bastard!" coming back from his boy.

 _You have no idea,_ Aro thought, leaving his son's bedchamber to inform his dear mate of recent developments.

Sulpicia was livid! She had gone out on a limb defending their son only to have her efforts thrown back in her face. There had to be severe consequences now and not only was there little she could have said to deter Aro in seeing them delivered, but she lacked the will to try.

So there they sat, both fuming and ready to tear Felix a brand-new asshole over his repeated and deliberate disregard to their rules. It was some hours later when they realised their son must have crept out of his bedroom window to safety with his conquest.

Never one to be out foxed, Aro decided it was time to call in the big guns.

"ENOUGH!" Magnus bellowed at… someone. Aro had no idea who as he stood outside the coven masters door. "OUT!"

As he sounded so busy, Aro knocked once for courtesy and let himself into the juggernauts chamber. "Afternoon," he said, appraising the room.

Caius and Odi glared at each other with Magnus between them, arms outstretched to hold the two of them back.

"Erm, Aro…" Magnus stumbled over his words trying to explain the situation.

"Trying to have them kiss and make up, huh?" Aro laughed, earning a 'fuck you' from Caius.

"Something like that," Magnus huffed. "Unsuccessfully." He turned to his son, knowing if Aro was there, Odi shouldn't be.

"I'll go to MY room and get out of your way," Odi replied, eyes dancing with his 'win' over Caius.

"Go to the guard hall and get yourself a drink," Magnus suggested. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a few coins for his boy and set them in his palm.

It was Caius' turn to smile wildly.

"You're letting him stay?" Odi asked his father, jabbing angrily in Caius' direction.

Aro shrugged at the kid. "Erm…" how could he tell Odi that he needed to kick him out of his own home, so he could have a conversation with his father about one of his friends? 'Erm' was about as much as he could come up with.

"Go," Magnus said, firm but kind. Not that Odi cared for his kindness at that point. He dropped the coins to the floor and flashed from the middle floor suite.

Magnus watched his boy leave and ran his hands through his hair with the stress he felt over the kid. "What can I do for you?" he eventually asked Aro.

"Corin's sneaking into the south tower," Aro replied, straight out.

"What?!"

 _Good,_ Aro thought. _I_ _'_ _m glad you can see the problem._ "I have spoken with Freyr about this already," he went onto explain, detailing exactly what had been going on in the south tower over the last few days. "Corin has been caught twice now, so who knows how often its happening? Felix is getting ideas above his station hanging out with the guards again so I'm pulling him back. I've spoken with the Renata already and asked her to pass it on."

Magnus had followed along, but he wasn't sure what Aro wanted him to do. He had a few ideas of his own. "So, what do you need from me?"

"I can handle Corin, if you would prefer, but as she's my sons girlfriend…"

"It's awkward?"

Aro nodded to the juggernaut. "Excessively so."

Caius had stayed out of proceedings. He'd only stayed to get one over on Odi, but he couldn't help but jump in. "And it's not just because Corin is a young woman?"

"No," Aro drawled back at him. _Partly._ "I'm not asking for anything on the record. Although, Freyr has spoken with the girl and the next day she was back in through the window… so…"

"I'll sort it out," Magnus replied as Aro trailed off. He'd much rather be the one to deal with Corin rather than throwing her to the king's mercies.

"Much appreciated, my friend," Aro said in relief. "Are we still on for cards tonight?"

Caius snorted. "If he can get a babysitter," he said, looking at Magnus and thinking of Odi.

"We're still on," Magnus confirmed. "Though Caius may be less an arm or two."

…

Magnus swept through the guard hall like a man on a mission. "We need to pay a visit to your dorm, young one," he announced, clicking his fingers at Corin as he passed her table.

Renata and Carlisle gave each other a quizzical look - Corin had been with them for half an hour at least and mentioned nothing that would be worthy of bringing the guard master's wrath upon herself.

"Why?" Corin croaked, knowing damn well why!

Magnus paused mid stride. He didn't turn, he didn't need to. The whole guard hall froze with him, waiting for Corin to sort herself out - guards did not question the masters. Guards obeyed without delay, without objection and without question.

Sensing the impending doom, Corin jumped to her feet. "I mean, yes, Master," she called, following the man who thankfully starting walking again.

He threw open her guard dorm door and shook his head. "Why is this room always such a bloody mess?!"

Corin rolled her eyes behind the master's back. He always said the same thing when he came to her dorm room, and he always acted surprised. _It's my fucking room,_ she thought, childishly sticking her tongue out for good measure.

Once they were behind closed doors, Magnus cleared some space on the bed, shoving aside a worn uniform, a couple of books, and possibly some sort of plant life. He wouldn't have wanted to sit on it, let alone sleep in it as Corin had to. Or rest, rather, as she and Odi like to call it. He only needed enough space to put foot up, and that could wait for the moment.

"I believe Freyr has already spoken with you about visiting the king's chambers without his express invitation." From the sullen expression on the young guard's face, it was safe to say Magnus was correct, as he knew he was. "You chose to ignore the friendly warning you were offered."

"There was nothing friendly about it," Corin muttered to herself, scowling at the floor.

"I didn't catch that, young one," Magnus said, giving the girl chance to correct herself.

"You weren't supposed to." Another mutter.

Magnus wasn't in the mood for taking shit from Corin. "If that's how you're going to be, we can skip the chat." He put his foot up on the bed where he had made room and looked to the girl expectantly.

"Drop them," he prompted, pointing to her britches when Corin stood frozen on the spot.

He was glad his guards all wore the same uniform – britches were only worn by guys in the human world, but as Volturi guards had to be battle ready at any time, they all, male and female alike wore the same shirts, tunics and britches. It made Magnus' job easier when he had cause to tan their hides. No complicated dress layers to get in the way.

Corin wasn't quite so pleased. "But, but…"

"Drop them now and get up here or I'm taking my belt off."

There was something so degrading about stripping yourself down and then attempting to hoist yourself up and over the knee of doom with your britches tying your knees together. Seeing she was struggling, Magnus grabbed hold of the back of Corin's guard tunic and helped her up. Just as Corin got her bearings, feeling secure, she was suddenly tipped further forward. From her new position, she saw her legs dangling fruitless behind her, her head level with her knees. The only thing worse for Corin than the view she had, was knowing the view Magnus had - her bare arse presented for his attention.

 _How will I ever look you in the eye again?!_ she thought, horrified. She always thought that, though. This wasn't their first dance, but every time felt like the worst time.

And then it began. There was no warm up - there never was. Each smack landed firm and hard. At least being a girl, Corin felt no need to hide her reaction to the sting, then burn than came with every strike. Hell, half the guys didn't bother hiding their reactions when Magnus had hold of them, let alone the women! The guys had more reason to be bitter, of course, as their punishments were rarely private affairs. But Magnus felt it improper to expose his female guards in front of the male cohort, so they were always dealt with in the dorms, or a spare room before the dorms had been built. Magnus had been keeping Corin on the straight and narrow since they arrived in Volterra, occasionally taking the girl to the woods for the minuscule privacy it afforded them. Not that Corin wanted, or indeed could focus, on a trip down memory lane at that point. She had Magnus bear sized paw raining down on her backside and his words ringing in her ears.

She felt particularly annoyed that he broke down every word into syllables and then punctuated those syllables with a smack:

"Don't. You. Dare. Step. Foot. In. The. Tow. Ers. Un. In. Vite. Ed. A. Gain."

 _Fifteen when it could have been ten_ _…_ _how unfair is that?!_

She didn't even notice when he stopped, having long since gone limp across his knee.

"Corin, love," Magnus called gently, checking she was alright.

"I'm okay," she eventually whimpered through snot and tears.

He lifted her up and gently set the girl back on her feet, wobbly legs nearly giving way before he steadied her. Magnus averted his gaze and gave her the nod to redress.

"You're confined to your dorm for a few days," he said, offering a distraction. "Which should give you time to straighten it out."

"Yes, sir," she groaned, looking around her room. _Half of this mess is from Felix._

Magnus bobbed his head and checked she had redressed. Corin left her britches undone. Pulling them up had been painful enough. Still, she was decent at least so he could turn back around. He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her face up to look him in the eye.

"I expect you to make a point of apologising to Aro and Sulpicia once you are released."

Corin rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?!" Magnus barked at the girl, pinching her chin a little.

 _Idiot! I_ _'_ _m spending too much time with Felix pulling shit like that,_ she cursed herself. "Of course, Master."

Happy that she had corrected herself with haste, Magnus sighed and wrapped his arms around the young guard.

"I hate doing this with you, so don't go giving me any more cause for a while."

 _For a while,_ Corin repeated to herself. There was no doubt in Magnus' mind that they would repeat the event, and to be fair to him, there was little doubt in Corin's, either. But she made him the same promise she always did as she soaked up his comfort, "I won't give you cause ever again."

With a chuckle and a final squeeze, he made to leave her, kicking a woollen blanket clear of the door so he could open the thing fully. Renata stood, head bowed, waiting for the all clear to check on her young friend.

"I haven't killed her off yet, Ren," Magnus told the guard, bumping his fist on her chin as he spoke.

Renata rolled her tongue around her cheek. "My ear drums would beg to differ, master."

"Oh!" Magnus replied, feigning offence. "Do we need to pay a visit to your dorm…" a sudden flash of memory hit Magnus between the eyes. Halloween. Renata's dorm. Certain… _reactions._ "Forget I said anything," he bustled, walking quickly down the corridor, mortified! _Never again._

He was greeted at the foot of the stairs by Felix, about to go up, no doubt seeking his long-lost lover.

"Do not step foot on these stairs, young one."

"Any reason why I shouldn't?" Felix asked, being a cocky know-it-all brat with his foot hovering above the first step.

 _Oh, that's how you want to play it, is it?_ Magnus thought, bobbing his head and going for his belt buckle.

"No, no, it's okay!" Felix rushed. Backing away from the stairs with his hands held up in front of him. "I heard you!"

"You shouldn't even be in here," Magnus told him, though he looked less annoyed, he didn't sound it. "Get your ass home," he added before returning to the masters' office.

Odi waited for his father to fully retreat before leaving Irina and Kate at their table and flashing to Felix. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea!"

Renata placed her hand on the boy's shoulder from behind. Corin was okay, but she hadn't wanted company.

"Corin asked me to pass a message on," she whispered into his ear. "Aro told Magnus about the bathroom."

"Oh, shit!"

Renata gave him a disapproving 'hmmm'. "Corin's on restriction for a while," she explained. "Don't make things worse by sneaking into her dorm."

Renata widened her eyes as a small smile started to creep onto Felix's face.

"I'm serious, Felix," she hissed. Renata wouldn't humiliate her friend by telling Felix and Odi that Magnus had punished Corin for her repeated misuse of the king's chambers, but she wouldn't give Felix the chance to get any stupid ideas that would see Corin suffer again, either. "Corin is in serious trouble with Magnus over all of this. Be fair to her and give time for the dust to settle, okay?"

Felix nodded his understanding - serious trouble with Magnus meant only one thing. Felix hated knowing that Corin was suffering in her dorm and he couldn't go to her, but he suddenly understood why Magnus was so pissed with him.

"You can't follow me, either," Renata told the boy. Carlisle, Dora and Caius were at the bar, which was where she was heading, but Felix was no longer welcome there. "Aro has asked us to give you a break for a while," she explained. "He said… he said your behaviour has shown your immaturity and it's inappropriate for you to hang around with us."

"He's done what?!" Felix felt a fury over taking his concerns. "That utter bastard!"

"Aro hasn't spoken to me about him," Odi said, clearly questioning why he had been excluded.

"Well…" Renata didn't really want to spell it out to Odi, but it was clear he was going to force her to. "You aren't really hanging around with us anymore, are you?" she said gently. "And you're younger anyway, I guess…" she broke away seeing Odi looking so crushed. "If it helps, you aren't missing too much. We're having a girls' night at Dora's tonight, so you wouldn't have been going to that anyway."

"That doesn't help," Odi said, looking like a puppy who'd just taken a boot to the ribs.

Renata tried to wrap arm around his shoulders, but he pulled away too quickly. "Theres a card game tonight," she said, revealing some inside info. "Your Dad's hosting it for Basileus and Aro, Eleazar and Caius, but not Carlisle. Why don't you arrange to see him tonight?"

That sounded like a minor sweetener to Odi. He offered a half smile to her attempts to help him out, but he still felt like the coven pariah.

With that, Renata left them to their brooding.

Felix knew he wouldn't be able to get out of the house to meet up with Carlisle and Odi after hours, so he was truly cast aside.

"So that's it?!" he turned and spat out to Odi. "I'm an outcast. Just like that I'm a fucking outcast!"

Odi shrugged at the boy and looked over to what was left of the inbetweeners. Carlisle and Renata gave him a quick wave before returning to their conversation. Renata was working on Odi's behalf setting him up on a play date with Carlisle, but Odi didn't know that, so he scowled. Then he caught the contemptuous expression on Caius' face. He'd been giving Odi the same look since his return to the coven after Halloween. _Cunt. You weren_ _'_ _t even an inbetweener in the first place._

Seeing Afton and Chelsea joining the ranks came as a bitter pill to swallow. Not only had Caius taken Odi's place in _his_ group, but Caius - _the miserablestist fucker in the Volturi_ (and no, Odi didn't care a jot that miserablestist wasn't a real word) - had even brought new friends into it. Older friends, making sure Odi could never return to the inbetweeners because now the group wasn't in between anymore. They were the grown-ups and Odi was an outcast.

Worse than all of that, was the fact that Odi missed Caius most of all. For all the horrible things the kid had been thinking about the coven master, his heart ached for the friend he had made in the man, and he missed him.

"Odi?!" Felix gave the kid a jab in the chest to get his attention.

Forgetting his troubles for the moment, Odi gestured to the table where Irina sat with her sister, waiting for him to return. "Join the club, buddy."

"With her?" Felix asked Odi from the corner of his mouth.

Odi shrugged again. He wasn't particularly happy about hanging out with Irina, either, but she was all he had, depressingly. "It seems the three of us are all outcasts. At least we can be outcasts together. Kate's okay."

"Felix!" Magnus bellowed into the guard hall. "Home, now. I'll take you myself if I have you, young one."

That was enough to see Felix scooting out of the guard hall, narrowly missing the swipe Magnus took at him as he passed.

No sooner had Felix walked through the door, Aro set in on him. "You have some nerve going out after what you've done."

"I've got some nerve?!" Felix shot back "What about you?!"

If Aro wanted to go at it, Felix was ready. It had only taken the short walk back from the guard hall for Felix to wind himself up nice and tight like a coiled spring. Felix released all his energy at his father.

"Why did you do that today?!" he asked. "You knew it was Corin so why pretend it was Heidi and embarrass us both that way?! And now you've set Magnus on her?! Any need?!"

"You and Corin both know not to use my home as a knocking shop." Aro had feared his boy would return a volatile mess, and he did his best to keep himself calm under the circumstances. "Corin has her own quarters, use them."

Felix laughed, but there was no humour there. "I won't be using anywhere after what you did. You and Magnus."

Aro matched his boy's sarcastic chuckle with a sardonic comment of his own. "Would you like me to have a word?" he asked, patronising his boy.

"No!" Felix had to force himself to unclench his fists. He would have loved to punch Aro in that moment, but he knew if his father even caught sight of a clenched fist Felix would be paying for it with his hide. "I would like you never to speak to either of us again. You are so embarrassing."

Dragging both hands down his face Felix knew the news would be around the guard hall soon. They would all be jeering about Felix breaking the rules, and Felix being a child who needs rules in the first place, about Felix being a child who needs rule and gets his ass handed to him for breaking them. _Gah!_

"Well, we need to speak to you," Sulpicia explained, patting the chair at her side. "Take a seat, my darling."

"He's made my friends un-friend me," Felix directed at his mother with an angry stab of his finger in his father's direction. "Did you know about that?" he asked, assuming his mother wouldn't have known about such cruelty and that she would take his side in such a matter.

"Yes, my darling." Sulpicia offered her mate a pair of narrowed eyes momentarily before returning to her son. "I know, and I understand why your father has pulled you out of the group. They are too old for you…"

 _Stupid bitch!_ Felix had just enough clarity to keep that thought in his mind.

"Sit down, Felix," Sulpicia tried again.

He couldn't. Felix was too angry. Angry and embarrassed and frustrated. Not a great mix! He paced around the chairs, shaking his head and huffing as he went. "I'm not sitting with you pair, and I'm not talking, either."

"I'd sit down now if I were you." Aro didn't wait for Felix to oblige. Instead he grabbed hold of his son and forced the boy into a chair. "You know what I promised if I found that girl in these chambers again."

Aro removed his belt and dropped the implement in his boy's lap. _That should focus your thoughts through this conversation,_ he said to himself, pleased with the effect such a simple gesture had generated - Felix's anger suddenly, and visibly dissipated to be replaced with clear dread. Seeing his son turn to his mother in the hope of her defence, Aro quickly set the boy straight on that score, too.

"Don't even try it!" he growled. "We're on the same page with this one."

Felix still tried. "But, Mom…"

"I'm sorry, my darling," Sulpicia said, resting her hand on Felix' leg. "You've gone too far. There is only so much disobedience we can take before some sort of punishment is called for."

Felix paused before diving into the gory details that had seen Demetri bringing him bloodwine that night. He looked over his shoulder to his little brother. The boy had clearly bored of his brother's story some time ago and slept soundly, cuddling into the pillows whilst his tankard spilt the last sips of bloodwine onto the bed sheet. _My bedsheets, you dick,_ Felix huffed, taking the tankard and dropping it off the side of the bed - with no thought to _his_ floor.

Looking back at his brother, Felix realised how little time he had spent with Demetri over the last year or so. He'd been so wrapped up in the inbetweeners that he'd forgotten about his partner in crime.

"Tomorrow, Dem, you're joining the outcasts," he whispered, settling himself down to sleep.

He never did explain why it was Jane's fault that Aro had belted him that night… but Felix was sure it was, somehow.

* * *

 **AN:** Odi the Outcast next…


	149. Odi the Outcast - Part 1

**AN:** I know I haven't posted as quickly as I promised, but I was asked to present at a conference and my research specialism rarely gets much air time so I had to do… and come up with a new a paper from scratch! Its a good job I love my subject because its caused me some serious stress the last few weeks. Anyway, enough of my moaning :D Poor Odi is on an emotional roller coaster through the same four days as Felix…

(Odi's chapter was getting a bit long, so I'm posting half the first two days now, January 4th will follow in a couple of days!)

* * *

 **Odi The Outcast - Part 1**

 **JANUARY 2ND**

Turk swished a cloth around the inside of the last tankard he'd washed and set it on the bar. There would be little point in putting them away with guard training ending any moment. The current stock of Volturi guards had all been with the coven for the a very long time, centuries, most of them, so they only trained once a week. Caius ran the weekly training sessions with Magnus helping out when big groups turned up. There were a few who preferred Magnus to stay out of training - the likes of Alex and Afton used training as an unofficial way to settle disputes. Magnus didn't stand for it, Caius positively encouraged it!

As far as Turk could tell, Magnus hadn't been involved in training that day. The guard master had spent most of the morning humping heavy barrels of bloodwine about the coven, grumbling about his everlasting hangover from New Year. He hadn't even seemed that drunk to Turk on party night, but Magnus and Basileus had continued their session well into the next day, even ending up on Marcus' opium pipe before the death. _Never again,_ Magnus had muttered on his way through the guard hall with the bloodwine barrel. _I_ _'m too old for this shit!_

Turk kept his head down and busied himself tidying up the guard hall. He was lost in his sweeping when Odi limped through the doors. Alerted by the sound of someone arriving, Turk glanced over, and his ever-present smile suddenly disappeared.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

Rushing to Odi's side, Turk help the kid into the chair beside the bar. It was Magnus' chair, and none of the guard sat in it. Magnus hadn't made that request, of course, it was avoided out of respect.

"Caius is a prick," Odi grunted, wincing at the effort of speaking. "That's what happened to me."

Turk hushed him quickly and drew a full tankard of bloodwine from the fresh barrel.

"I don't have any money," Odi said, waving away the drink. "And I refuse to put them on my Dad's tab."

"I know," Turk replied to both statements, fixing the tankard into Odi's hand.

Just about every drink Odi had supped in the last month had been paid for by Turk because Odi was too proud to drink on his father's coin. He only managed a few sips before having Turk take it back. Not because he didn't want or need the bloodwine, but because drinking hurt too much.

Before Turk could pry any details out of Odi, guards began filing into the guard hall bringing a buzz of excited chatter with them. Turk soon got his 'details'. Caius had alternated using Carlisle and Odi as his demonstration dummies and quite literally kicked them around the training grounds all morning.

It looked like Afton and Richard had settled their score over the New Year's Day card game, and Turk would guess that Phillipe had been involved at some point as Afton looked almost as bashed up as Odi. Even with twenty guards wanting served at the same time, Turk was glad of his job behind the bar - one that kept him out of such trouble as card games and extreme training.

It wasn't long before Magnus returned to the hall. When he entered, all noise ceased. The odd guard looked from Magnus to Odi and back again, but other than that, an eerie stillness fell about the room.

Magnus couldn't work out what had happened. Odi wasn't in his eye line so he hadn't seen the state of his son. All he had to go on was the peculiar behaviour of the guards.

"Well?" he asked, when nothing was forthcoming.

Lev, perhaps being the bravest of the guards - or rather, a stickler for the rules, and what he had seen in training that morning wasn't training at all and hadn't sat right with him - stepped forward and informed the guard master that Caius had been, quite simply, a cunt. Once Lev got the ball rolling, the other guards fell over themselves to add details.

Magnus listened saying very little. His efforts were concentrated on keeping himself contained until he knew what had gone on that morning. When the guards ran out of steam, he looked around the guard hall and asked, "Where are Odi and Carlisle?"

The sea of guards parted to reveal the guard master's son and the sorry state he was in. Odi hadn't moved from the chair Turk had put him in. He'd quite enjoyed hearing the guards come to his defence. It felt like they were on his side, even against Caius. _I'm one of them,_ he thought, enjoying the warm feeling it gave him. It was almost enough to make the busted rib cage worth it!

Magnus was angry, but he was careful, too. He knew how much Odi wanted to be accepted as one of the guards again - despite the kid's clear pain, having his father swoop in to make it all better would be the very last thing Odi needed. From a distance, Magnus appraised the damage whilst Odi willed the man to play it down with beseeching eyes.

And then the fucking creator ruined everything.

"Magnus!" the man bellowed, storming into the guard hall. "Have you heard…"

Cutting himself short as he set eyes on Odi, Basileus stalked to the bar and snatched a tankard of bloodwine. Downing the contents in one, he sunk his fangs into his own wrist and refilled the vessel to the brim.

Odi's heart sank when he was offered the tankard. The simple gesture quashed any hope Odi had of ever being a proper guard again - the creator didn't feed guards his blood. At least, not that the guards knew. Odi knew Basileus had fed Turk after Felix' vicious attack, but that wasn't the same thing. He had only done so because it was his grandson who had caused harm in the first place.

"Take this home," Basileus instructed the kid. "But don't drink it yet. Get yourself back to the training grounds."

"Yes, my lord," Odi dutifully replied, heaving himself out of his father's chair.

As he limped through the guards, Odi heard them whispering about his status and then, to make matters worse, Magnus and Basileus started to discuss the inappropriateness of Caius' training session which centred, in Basileus' view, on using a pair of elite 'defence' coven members for practice. Defence wasn't exactly an insult, but it was the term applied to those coven members who were identified as lacking the ability or the nerve of attack vampires. Few _wanted_ to be considered defence coven members. Odi certainly didn't! Even less did he want the elite status Basileus had bestowed on him.

Odi may have been young, but he wasn't stupid - he couldn't think ill of Basileus in the man's presence. Instead, he levelled dark, unforgiving eyes in his father's direction before heading for home.

It wasn't long before Magnus also headed back to the north tower. After he'd been rounded out by Basileus for Caius' lack of control, of course. Magnus took it on the chin, though it galled him to be in the shit with his best mate because Caius was being a self-centred asshole.

Basileus' point was that Magnus held the power with Caius, and he could end the animosity between Caius and Odi if he would just lay the law down with the younger master. Magnus knew he could get the creator to back off as soon as he could speak to Atia, or Marcus. Either of them would explain to the man that Magnus simply had a different management style and he wasn't one to force others into action just because he wanted a certain outcome. It wasn't his right, in Magnus' opinion.

That said the ongoing animosity between Caius and Odi, or rather, _from_ Caius _towards_ Odi, was seriously getting him down. _I_ _'m the one taking all the flack from Caius - sulky little sod. And Odi - good god that boy! And Freyr - how can she agree with Basileus on this?! And now Basileus himself. Great. Just great._

He didn't even bother to knock on Caius' door, he just let himself inside and slumped into his comfy chair, laying his head on the back rest.

Caius, detester of the cold, had pulled his sofa so close to the fire he was in danger of going up in flames. He had to sit himself up straight to see Magnus over the backrest.

"Can I help you?"

He did a good job of playing it cool, but Caius' stomach had done a double flip as soon as he heard Magnus' heavy footsteps in the north tower hallway.

The only thing that stopped Magnus from hauling him over that sofa and leathering his behind was the fact that he could read Caius' emotional state and knew he was a bag of nerves and regret. But still, it took every ounce of restraint Magnus possessed.

"I've had some complaints about you today," Magnus began.

"About me?!" Caius erupted in self-defence. "Who the hell has the right to complain about me anyway?! I'm a master of this coven…"

It was his go to move when he was in the wrong - create a disturbance to move the focus. To be fair to Caius, it worked with the likes of Basileus who was only too happy to have a reason to give him a round of fucks. Caius had learnt long ago that it was much better to receive a round of fucks for a bad attitude than for whatever he had done to bring himself attention in the first place.

That was in the past, however. Caius hadn't been answering to Basileus for his misdeeds since the Tribune Ball of '78, some twelve years ago. Magnus didn't go straight to the bollocking like Basileus did, so Caius' default mode failed to impress.

Magnus eyeballed the younger master until his rant ran out of steam. "Calm down," he said in a low voice, so Caius had to shut up if he were to hear. "No one is questioning your status, just that you've been a bit rough in training this morning. From that smirk I would say you know exactly what I am referring to."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Caius tried to wipe the look off his face, but the memory of getting Odi back for fucking his mate… actually, no. That's not what Caius was getting Odi back for at all. It was for _upsetting_ him. For causing such a weak ass emotion in an otherwise steadfast man. Odi deserved to suffer for that.

"If you want to release some pent-up aggression, I'm your man." Magnus glared straight ahead as he spoke, fuming. "Not my guards," he added. "Not my son."

"It was training," Caius huffed, lying through his fangs. "Do you think an attacker would hold back because they are your pets?"

"Pets?!"

Caius flinched at the man's tone, but he pushed on. "They choose to come for training with me because they know it will see them right in a fight."

"That's why you spent the morning kicking Carlisle and Odi around the grounds, then, is it?"

"Is that what they said?" Caius asked, still feigning ignorance. "Pair of pussies."

"No, it's not what they said. It's what the guards said." Magnus hoped that might cause some kind of reaction in his co master, but all Caius did was shrug. "The whole lot of them think you were out of order this morning."

 _Who cares what the staff think?!_ Caius didn't say it aloud, though, because it was blatantly clear Magnus cared very much 'what the staff think'. Side eyeing the man to judge how the rest of the conversation would go, and if there would be anything more physical to come, Caius realised just how pissed off Magnus really was. He sat bolt upright, rigid in his seat, his knuckles bright white from his grip on the arm rests.

 _Oh shit!_ Caius cursed. _He_ _'s going to kill me!_

He had known Magnus wouldn't accept it if he'd given Odi a kicking when he returned at Christmas. Caius hadn't even dared a sly punch in the kid's direction. But he thought, somehow in that twisted psyche of his, that giving Odi a kicking in training would fly under the radar. Yes, he may have taken things a little far, and he probably shouldn't have involved Carlisle in it, too, but he had a right to retribution… didn't he? Readying himself for a battle with the juggernaut, it completely sideswiped Caius when Magnus brought the creator into it.

"Basileus would like to speak to you."

Caius damn near choked on his own venom! "What?!"

"You heard."

"But… but…" Caius cut himself short of asking Magnus to intervene. His pride wouldn't let him.

Turning and looking Caius dead in the eye, Magnus explained, "The creator thinks I'm incapable of moderating your behaviour, so he wishes to speak to you directly." _Aye, theres the real regret,_ Magnus thought to himself. _But only now you know you_ _'ve got it coming. Gutless brat._ "I've had my round of fucks off him already," he added, just so Caius knew he was on his own in facing Basileus - it had been his request that Magnus didn't involve himself.

Clapping his hands on his thighs with a resounding bang to make Caius flinched, Magnus stood and flashed to the door. "Off you go," he said, holding it wide open.

Caius didn't hurry to oblige at first. Magnus clearing his throat saw him hastening his step.

"Will you…" Caius stuttered to a stop. "Listen, I'm sorry about what I did to Odi," he said, levelling with the guy. "I took things too far, and I'm sorry."

"And you will say that to Odi?" Magnus asked. He wasn't giving up his position too easily.

Caius glared at his feet for a moment before he could meet Magnus' eye with more restraint. "Yes," he agreed. _I_ _'ll apologise to the little bastard if that's what it takes._ "Will you come with me to face Basileus?"

Even though Basileus had expressly told him not to attend, and even though he was very angry with Caius, Magnus wouldn't leave him to the creator's mercies. _I_ _'m going to get another round of fucks for this,_ he thought bitterly.

"Aye," he agreed. "I'll come." He shoved Caius out the door ahead of himself and started walking them to the back of the castle.

Caius had expected to go to the west tower, but Magnus was leading them in the opposite direction. _This isn_ _'t good._ "Where are we coming?" _That didn_ _'t sound right!_ "I mean going. Where are we going." _Fuck._

Magnus didn't comment on it, but he quite liked that Caius' anxiety was rising as they walked. "The training grounds," he said, leading them outside.

 _Proper fuck._

"Ah, Caius!" Basileus boomed across the grounds causing the whole coven to turn in his direction.

And it really was the whole coven from what Caius could make out. All the guards, at least, and Basileus' household. He couldn't see Freyr and deliberated over whether that was a good thing or not. He hadn't stopped to think about Freyr when he was bringing harm to her son that morning. Spiteful retribution had been his only thoughts, then.

Aro, who complained long and loud about the intensity of his royal duties, had somehow cleared space in his day to join the throngs of ill-wishers. Caius caught his eye for a moment and was taken aback to see the stern expression on his co master's face. _It's not like you have much time for Carlisle, let alone Odi,_ Caius huffily said to himself. _Why be so pissy about this?! We_ _'ve both used training to right wrongs, you aren't morally superior to me._

Truthfully, Aro was only there to grab a break from the joys of his home life. Felix had been his cocky, gobby self that morning and he'd already put the boy over his knee for it. Flexing his right hand, he could still feel the sting in his palm. _This is why I use a belt,_ he reminded himself.

"Quick as you like, Caius," Basileus called out seeing the coven master taking his sweet-ass time.

He made a show of shedding his dress coat, quickly followed by his shirt. What little sun existed in the gloomy January day bounced off Basileus' skin and dazzled the crowd. He truly looked the God of legend as he waited for Caius _._

 _Fuck._ Caius dropped his head as he walked along beside Magnus. _I am going to die,_ he thought. _No, not die_ _… but it's amazing what a vampire can live through._

Reaching the crowd, Magnus gave Caius a shove towards the creator and took a seat on the grass beside his son.

"How are you doing," he asked, nudging the kid gently with his elbow.

"Fine," Odi grunted in reply. "No thanks to you."

Magnus wasn't sure what he meant by that. "What have I done this time?" he asked, sounding tired. Odi's ire had been directed at him since Halloween, and Magnus could feel he would likely lose his cool if it continued much longer.

"You let them all think I'm one of you," Odi explained, jutting his head towards the guards - they guard he wasn't part of. "They were all sticking up for me, I was one of them again, and you and that idiot ruined it all."

Magnus hushed his boy quickly. "Watch your mouth!" he hissed. "That's the creator you're talking about." _And he's I'm already in his bad books without you mouthing off._

 _He_ _'s a prick,_ Odi thought. _Just like you. He_ _'s an interfering prick and you're a useless one._

Caius chanced a nervous smile at the interfering prick in question once he was close enough.

"My son has told me of the new techniques you were trying to teach him."

 _Please stop shouting,_ Caius begged through his mind. _Everyone knows what I_ _'ve done, they can see what I have coming._

If Basileus heard Caius' silent pleas, he ignored them. "I thought I should try them out for size," he continued to boom across the grounds. "So now you can give me a demonstration."

 _Oh hell,_ Caius cursed as Basileus started stripping him of his coat and shirt. Caius was an impressive vampire. Like all vampires, his body was ripped and ready for action, frozen forever as the very best version of himself. Just shy of six foot and athletically built - skinny, in Renata's opinion - much of Caius' prowess came from his particular talents on the battle field. He truly was a talented warrior. Being giftless, he had ensured he had skills that other vampires couldn't hope to match.

But his skills wouldn't stand up to the demi Gods, and he wasn't much to look at stood next to Basileus, either. At least a foot taller and twice as broad - Caius shrank in the mans shadow.

"We have quite the audience," Basileus quipped, clapping a heavy hand on the young master's shoulder. "Let's put on a good show."

Basileus had a simple enough plan in mind - have Caius show him the same moves he had used on Carlisle and Odi. That was all. Naturally, Basileus knew every trick in the book, and though Caius gave it his all - because what else could he do under the circumstances? - he went down hard and often.

Magnus kept a keen eye on his guards through proceedings. He told himself it was to keep check off their emotions, and that was partly true. But mostly, he just couldn't bear to see Basileus beating the crap out of Caius.

 _'You're going too far, my friend',_ he had called through his mind a few times, only to have Basileus turn a wicked smile on him and reply aloud, "I hope we are all learning lessons today."

Magnus knew what he meant. _'If I'd sorted Caius out your way this never would have happened? Yes, I get it'._

A pain shriek from Caius and a crunch of bone had Magnus spinning around to face the fight. Caius had attempted to get around the back of the creator and, from what Magnus could judge, had tried to get Basileus in a head lock. Rather than manoeuvring out of the hold, Basileus had snapped Caius' arm and thrown him off with such force that Caius continued to roll until he landed at the crowds' feet.

Instinctively, Magnus stood and blocked Basileus' path to Caius. _'That is enough',_ he though to the creator, praying the man was listening in. _'I get it',_ he added. _'I'll sort Caius and Odi out, I'll make sure Carlisle isn't involved again'._ Magnus didn't know what else to say as the man continued his approach. He realised he would happily promise the earth and make good on that promise if Basileus would agree to leave Caius be.

Basileus came to a halt barely a foot in front of Magnus – uncomfortably close, but he made a better match for the demi God than Caius did.

"This is why I told you not to come out here," he said, loud enough for them to hear him in the cheap seats. "Stand aside."

"I can't do that, my lord."

"Magnus…"

Magnus shook his head and stood firm. _You want me to say it, don_ _'t you?_ he thought with a gulp.

"I've decided to take your advice on…" Magnus wasn't sure what to call it? "The situation we were discussing," he went with, hoping that was detailed enough for Basileus without naming and shaming himself and Caius. "You've shown me why I need to push things along. Thank you for that, I'll see it done."

Basileus tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow as he assessed his friend. "So long as you do see it done," he said, telling Magnus his time was up on giving Caius time to sort his head out. "I'm not having… the situation causing a disturbance in my coven."

"Of course, my lord," Magnus replied, relieved to see Basileus backing away to collect his discarded clothing. _Now all I need to do is get Caius to forgive Odi and make a family out of this misery._ He wasn't sure how he would manage it, but manage it, he would.

Looking first to Caius, still lying on the floor in a bloodied heap, and then to his dumbstruck guard, Magnus knew he had to get things moving. He didn't want the guards watching when Caius dragged his ass back to the castle, so dismissing them was top priority.

"I know you all have better things to do," he called over, his voice carrying across the crowd in much the way the creator's had. "And if you don't, I can start assigning you better things to do."

One and all scattered!

Aro and Carlisle came to join Magnus and Odi, all looking down at the sorry state Caius was in. The man made no effort to move and certainly none to stand. Lying flat on his back, four faces towered over him.

"That'll teach you, brother," Aro said, full of smiles.

After the way the coven king had looked at him on his arrival, Caius was glad to see the return of those smiles. "Are we alright, Aro?"

"After that, we are," Aro told him, nudging his busted arm with the toe of his boot. "But don't pick on my little brother again," he warned, adding with a wink, "That's my job."

He had been annoyed hearing of Caius' behaviour, but it wasn't entirely unexpected for the coven king. Aro had privately expressed his concerns to his father regarding Caius' mental state. He didn't quite understand the whole business of Odi and Dora or why it was such a problem for Caius, but Aro _did_ understand his co master.

"He's bottling it up, Dad," Aro had told his father. "Caius will end up exploding – that's what Caius does."

Aro was trying to circumvent Caius creating a disaster of some kind and he needed his father's help in controlling the most volatile of their coven members. It infuriated him when Basileus refused to be involved.

Basileus hadn't disagreed with his son on that point. What he had disagreed with was how involved he should be on a personal level. It wasn't Basileus' place anymore, he felt, and he didn't want to step on Magnus' toes with the young coven master. What he really wanted was for Magnus to take a big step forward, perhaps bang Caius and Odi's heads together and force them into a happily ever after family situation.

As Aro knew nothing of Magnus' relationship with Caius, Basileus couldn't explain that he would be pushing the juggernaut to control Caius' temper tantrums.

For Basileus, Caius' disastrous training session couldn't have come at a better time. It had given Basileus the opportunity to show Aro that he was taking an interest in Caius' affairs, and at the same time forced Magnus into agreeing to a different style of management. Lose-lose for Magnus, lose-lose for Caius, lose-lose for Odi. But win-win for Basileus, so he was happy, and as the egotistical ass believed his way forward was the only way forward, he was sure as could be that everyone involved would be happier with Magnus taking a firmer stand. They would even thank him for it, in time. Oh, the ego!

Aro and Carlisle left together with the latter telling his big brother what a knob he was.

Once they were out of the way, Magnus bent at the waist, took hold of Caius' good arm and pulled the guy to his feet. "Anything you would like to say?" he asked, eyes flicking to Odi and back again.

"Now?!" Caius spat. "After what I've just suffered?"

Magnus dragged a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Where have all your promises gone?" He hoped reminding Caius of his words pre-Basileus might help push the man into action. "I'm waiting!" he barked when Caius remained mute.

"Fuck off."

It was quiet, so quiet. But Magnus heard him. He flexed his grip around Caius' good arm until Caius wondered if that one would snap, too.

"I didn't catch that?" the juggernaut ground out. "I thought I heard you offering your apologies, but I think you'll have to say it again."

"Odi…" Caius stalled. He felt like a cunt. None of it was Odi's fault, none of it. But Caius was hurt, and he had been turning hurt into anger for longer than he cared to remember. He hissed when Magnus added a twist to his overly firm grip. "My apologies for, you know."

Odi bobbed his head once. "Yeah, thanks." To be fair to them all, Caius' weak ass apology was more than anyone expected to hear.

"Home," Magnus said, heading in the direction of the castle.

Odi followed close behind his father, walking side by side with Caius. Despite the burning in his side from his broken rib cage repairing, he felt on top of the world! _He actually apologised to me,_ he thought, risking a look at the coven leader. Caius wore quite the scowl, but Odi chose to believe it was from the pain. _We_ _'re going to get back to normal,_ he thought. The good-natured soul even wondered that if Caius was on his side again, he could perhaps find a place in with the elite after all. He would rather things were different, and he had a place in the guard _and_ at the elite table, but that ship had sailed long ago. Before Caius had apologised, Odi had nothing, no options, either. Now he had an option. _A whole option!_ He wouldn't need the guards who didn't want him anyway. _Fuck them! I don_ _'t want to be one of them, either._

When they trouped into the north tower hallway, Magnus called inside Caius' suite to tell Dora to meet them upstairs with bandages and directed Caius up. He only agreed because he lacked the energy to argue.

Once inside, Odi bounced about like a puppy waiting to be offered a treat. _This is it,_ he thought. _Dad will do one of his moralistic lectures, me and Caius will be back on good terms and all the unpleasantness will be put behind us. And I can tell the guards to get fucked with teasing me. Afton and Alexander are going to have a shock. I can get my friends back, too!_ Odi realised. _I_ _'ll be an inbetweener again…_

"Did you hear me, son?" Magnus asked.

Odi looked back blankly. He hadn't heard a word his father had said what with being so wrapped up in his plans for the future.

"Go to bed and drink the blood Basileus gave you," Magnus repeated. "We'll be here when you wake up."

 _Oh._ Well, that was a bit deflating for the kid, but Odi smiled and headed to his bedchamber anyway, assuming his father just wanted him to be fully repaired so he could enjoy the repatriation of his family.

Once the brat was out of the way, Caius pulled out a chair at the table and carefully lowered himself down. He was as certain as could be that he'd broken his hip. _Basileus broke my hip,_ he corrected himself.

Dora soon arrived armed with supplies to set Caius' arm straight to aid healing. With a feed or two he would heal quickly, so it was important to get the bones lined up before that could happen. Caius barely said two words to the woman.

Magnus explained what had happened that day - the training that had gone too far and Basileus' attempt at rectifying the situation. Dora read between the lines to work out what a vindictive bastard her mate had been. 'Pathetic', she told him. 'Absolutely pathetic'.

"Why am I vindictive for wanting to right some wrongs?" Caius had asked. "Basileus did the same thing, but that's okay. No one thought to stop him and tell him he was being vindictive."

"I did stop him, Caius," Magnus reminded the man.

"Whilst we're talking about it," Caius continued. Dora had finished with his arm, so he headed to the longest sofa Magnus owned and lay himself out on his front, hissing and gasping as he did so. "How did you call him off?"

"I assume you heard," Magnus replied, ladling three goblets of bloodwine from the simmering pot above the fire place. "Basileus has demonstrated why I need to push things along, and I have agreed to do it."

"You're talking in riddles," Caius huffed, reaching for the bloodwine Magnus offered. "What things? What pushing? What agreement?" he paused for long enough to greedily gulp down the bloodwine and passed back an empty goblet. "What situation were you talking about?"

Dora coked her head and looked at her mate, wondering if Basileus had in fact knocked common sense out of him. "You're the situation, love," she told him. "Well, you and Odi. Basileus wants Magnus to take a firmer stance with you and the animosity you are causing, and Magnus has finally agreed to do it.

"Finally, huh?" Magnus replied with a sly grin. "You're spending too much time with Freyr."

Dora offered him her own sly smile in return.

Caius found nothing to amuse him, however. He had listened with slack jawed horror! "What?!" he finally snapped, coming to his senses. "He wants you to do what?"

Magnus turned his back on Caius and focused on the bloodwine cauldron, stirring the contents and ladling two fresh cups - as, like Caius, he had downed his own.

"Basileus wants me to get you and Odi on track."

"Or else what?" Caius asked. "Or else what?!"

"Or else…" Magnus wasn't entirely sure, actually. Basileus hadn't stated an 'or else what', but Magnus had an outcome in the back of his mind should he fail the task at hand. "Or else, I guess, I lose you."

"You'll turn your back on me if I don't roll over on this shit with Odi and my wife?" Caius asked. "Is that it?"

Seeing Magnus was hurting, Dora explained what she thought she knew. "No, love," she said gently. "If you won't allow yourself to be guided by Magnus, you will have to fall under Basileus, again."

"Fuck that!" Caius huffed and puffed. He would have liked to do some pacing about, but his hip hurt too much. "Basileus can get fucked if he thinks that's happening."

Magnus felt a glimmer of hope that maybe Caius would be agreeable to playing nicely with others if he wanted to avoid becoming Basileus' victim.

Caius attempted to roll over onto his side, but the shooting pains in his hip soon forced him back onto his front. "This is all Odi's fault," he muttered. It was mainly said to himself, but he wasn't hiding his complaints from anyone.

Dora and Magnus rolled their eyes to one another, the former tiredly replying to her mate, "Oh, just let it go." Not waiting for a reply, no sooner had she spoke, she had left, leaving the door swinging on its hinges in her wake.

Magnus sighed and closed the door before turning back to Caius. "You've had a kicking because you gave one to Carlisle and Odi," he explained. "It's _your_ fault."

"I only gave Odi a kicking because he deserved one. Carlisle's his bosom buddy, so he deserved it, too."

"If you conducted your marriage in a normal way this situation would never have occurred in the first place." Magnus hadn't fully intended on saying that out loud, but once it was said, it was said.

"Normal?!" Caius parroted back. "You aren't morally superior, Magnus. You are deluded and conformist."

 _Here we go again._ Magnus retook his seat and rested his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. "Odi is my son, Caius." That was the long and short of it for Magnus. Whatever the kid had done, Odi was his son, and he needed Caius to find a way to get passed the bitterness and let it go.

"I am aware of that. It's the only reason he's still breathing." Caius turned his face into the sofa and mumbled, "It's also why it hurt so fucking much."

Magnus caught the mumbled words. _Kids never grow up,_ he thought looking at the back of Caius' head. He remembered well his human children frequently pushing him to the brink, and just before he could send them out to cut a switch, they would do _something_ ; say something to redeem themselves, or imbued pity, or understanding. It was always in those last few minutes which decided between their father's eruption or his restraint that they pulled the 'little boy lost' card. Magnus could hear how hurt Caius was by Odi's betrayal, as he saw it. He could feel that Caius was truly suffering it still.

They stayed that way until Odi woke from his rest.

Odi walked right passed his father's chair and headed for Caius, tapping the guy on the shoulder. "I saved you some of Basileus' blood, if you want it?"

Caius soon snatched the tankard from the kid's hand, guzzling down the half that was left and hoping it went straight to healing his hip. It made him dizzy for a moment, but he soon shook it off. Caius' tolerance for such things ran high with his years on dungeon blood.

Going to his boy, Magnus pulled Odi's shirt up high to get a look at his ribs. Pressing lightly, Magnus could tell they were already on the way to being healed thanks to the creator's blood offering, but some bruising remained _. You could have done with drinking all the blood,_ he thought, though he felt proud of Odi's peace making gesture.

"That was nice of him, wasn't it, Caius?" Magnus prompted.

"Huh?" Caius wiped the back of his hand across his mouth - supping blood whilst lying down was messy. "Oh," he said, looking back at Odi, all smiles for the coven master. "I suppose so."

Magnus cleared his throat and Caius immediately corrected himself - Magnus hated supposing! "Yes," he said. "It was nice of him."

"Then you will want to thank him."

Caius rolled his eyes at the juggernaut but slipped out a quiet thank you in Odi's direction.

"What hurt more, I wonder," Magnus posed, chucking. "Basileus giving you the kicking you gave Odi and Carlisle, or saying thank you?"

"Fuck off," Caius muttered. "You're not funny."

"That's the second time you have told me to fuck off today," Magnus took hold of Caius' head by his hair and gave a short tug to have the man give him eye contact. "Make it a third and I'll be washing your mouth out, boy."

Having never had his mouth washed out, and not wishing to start that day, Caius grumbled an apology of sorts. And then he noticed Odi's quiet smile. "What the fuck are you smirking at?!"

"Huh?!" Odi really was pleased to get his life back on track, to have place and purpose again. He wouldn't have ruined the moment by taking the piss out of Caius. "Nothing, I wasn't," he insisted. "I was just thinking… it doesn't matter."

"Go on," Caius dared him. "What did you think?" he asked, resting up on his arms, still laid out on his front but struggling less now Basileus' blood was doing its job. "Did you think that slate had been wiped clean, or something? No chance. I'm old, not senile. I won't forgive you until I can forget what you did, you traitorous little snake."

Magnus' heart broke for his boy when he saw Odi's shoulders had dropped, as had his bottom lip.

"Do you want me to deliver you to Basileus?" he asked, getting to his feet and towering over Caius. "Because that's your other option."

Caius shrank a little being reminded of the creator.

 _Basileus? Basileus is the other option?_ Odi rolled the words over in his mind. "Hang on," Odi pushed his father back a step. "You won't do anything about the way he's treating me, but Basileus will?"

It was a question Odi wanted answering. Magnus hadn't stood up for him with Caius giving him the silent treatment. He hadn't stood up for him when Caius had kicked his rib cage in. And now he wasn't going to stand up for him with Caius treating him like dirt in his own home.

"Magnus agrees with me on your immoral behaviour, Odi."

Magnus' eyebrows shot up his forehead. "I never said that…"

"You said it was immoral to sleep around." Caius was extrapolating, somewhat, but it wasn't far from the truth and certainly fell within Magnus' moral stand point on such matters. "Is that not what he was doing when he bedded my mate in my own home?"

Magnus and Caius started arguing back and forth, neither noticing Odi as the kid's future plans crashed around his ears. He'd only been out of the room an hour and in that time the family life he thought he would be waking to had dissolved. _No, it hasn_ _'t dissolved, it never was anything in the first place. I don't belong here, and I don't belong in the guard…_

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt naive, and stupid and like he'd been played for a fool by Caius and his father. His father… Magnus was the worst one of the lot. He made big claims to love him, to want to help him, to want him to be happy, but what did he do in the face of his son's unhappiness? Side with the instigator of his misery!

One minute, Odi was listening to the row between Magnus and Caius, the next, in a moment of pure pent up frustration, he was aiming his fist squarely at his father's head! It was a good one, too! Having not been expecting such an attack from his otherwise affable son, Magnus had no time to prepare before his boy's fist made contact and split his lip in two.

For a moment, nobody said anything. The only noise between the three of them came from the drops of blood that dripped from Magnus' lip before it healed over.

Odi's eyes switched between Magnus - who looked bewildered - to Caius - who seemed to be enjoying the kid's squirming. He wasn't sure what to do next. _Should I hit him again?_ he wondered, not really wanting to. _But what else?_

"Son…"

 _Oh God, he_ _'s going to kill me!_

 **JANUARY 3RD**

"So?" Dora pushed, waiting for more details from Odi.

He had told her of his frustrations, his annoyance that bubbled to anger, and his swing at his father. But the kid seemed to be sitting easily enough in her chambers, which she found odd under the circumstances.

"So… nothing." Odi scrubbed his damp hands back and forth on his britches. Even thinking about his behaviour induced a sweat. "I punched him in the face and then jumped out an open window."

"Are you crazy?!"

"It's only two stories," he shrugged. "And it was more of a scramble down the wall than a jump." With a nervous smile, he admitted, "I've been hiding since yesterday, so I haven't seen my Dad. Or my Mom."

The idea of facing Freyr made the boy's stomach twist into a knot. Freyr had a way of making him feel wretched without raising a voice or a hand to him - she always had. Not to say that his mother never raised a voice or a hand to him, of course, merely that she didn't have to.

"I think you should talk to Magnus."

"Are you crazy?" Odi shot back, in much the way Dora had only moments before.

"Whats the worst that could happen?"

 _He could knock me into next week,_ Odi thought. _Obviously_. There was something else he feared, actually. Magnus had made a long-standing promise to his sons in their human life that if any of them ever laid a finger on Freyr, they would suffer the buckle end of his belt in return. It had sent a shiver through his soul the first time Magnus had warned him, and every time thereafter. _Would that include laying a finger on him, though,_ Odi wondered. Deciding that he'd rather never find out, he planned to hide for the rest of his life, or at least until Magnus took a bump to the head and lost his memory. _Can that happen to vampires?_

"Out." Caius hadn't even closed the door behind him as he'd entered his suite, leaving it open for the kid to use - preferably with some haste.

"Caius," Dora sighed. "He's only just arrived."

"I have no issue with you seeing him, I have no issue with him being here. But I'm not sharing the same air as him."

That wasn't entirely true. Caius had quite a few issues with all the above. After Odi, gripped by fear, had flew out the window the day before, Magnus had forced some concessions out of Caius for them to move forward. Caius refused to budge at first, but Magnus peppered his drawn-out requests with the creator's name and the younger master came around to his terms.

"I'm not being nice to Odi," Caius had said. "But I'll stop seeking him out to be nasty to him."

"You could always hold your breath, love?" Dora helpfully suggested.

Caius threw his mate a withering look and opened the door a little wider. "Out!" he snapped again at Odi.

Hurrying a good bye to Dora, Odi scooted, wincing when the door hit him in the ass as Caius slammed it shut.

"He didn't know it would hurt you." Dora crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Caius' waist, resting her head on his chest. "I didn't know, either," she whispered. "If I'd known how you felt about him I never would have…"

Caius shoved her back sharply. "Don't." He couldn't stand to hear what she was about to say. "My imagination is more than adequate, thanks."

Like everyone else in the coven, Dora found herself losing patience with her man. "Even eternal life is too short to hold a grudge."

"That's interesting." Caius rubbed his chin in mock consideration. "Because I was just thinking life's too short to let people get away with pissing me off."

Dora balled her hands into fists and squealed, stamping one foot to the floor. If it wasn't for knowing how Magnus and Freyr felt about their domestic violence, she would have put her mate through a wall… or at least given it a good go. Instead, she left, running straight into Freyr and Odi in the hall.

Seeing the young woman looking frazzled, Freyr gave her boy a kiss on his cheek and encouraged him out of the hall way. "Now, Odi," she said, sending him to the guard hall to find Magnus. Focusing on Dora, she asked, "Whats the matter?"

"That bloody man!" Dora explained pounding her fist against her front door. "Self-righteous, stubborn, vindictive and utterly unforgiving."

"We know this," Freyr said, adding with a smile, "But I'm sure he has some shortcomings, too." After satisfying herself that Dora's hand was okay (because it was quite the thump she had given the door) Freyr sent her on to the guard hall, too. _Its time I talked to Caius._

Odi had been avoiding his mother after punching his father, but Caius had been avoiding the woman since New Year's Eve. Freyr hadn't appreciated the young master's attitude towards her boy at the coven party and Caius knew exactly what her opinion of more recent events would be. However, despite all the jokes about Freyr having her mate's balls on a shelf, she rarely went against Magnus' stance on things, so Caius thought he would be alright if he kept out of her way…. And then she walked through his front door.

They locked eyes when she entered his chambers and Caius shrivelled up inside. _Ah fuck!_ His luck had run out.

"I know you are hurting, still." Freyr approached, never once breaking her eye contact. Caius wanted to look away, but he wouldn't disrespect her like that. "I understand where that pain is coming from…"

"You _think_ you know," Caius told her with an angry snort.

Freyr sighed and shook her head. "Oh really? I think you're upset because you had started to see Odi as your brother. So, when you found out about him and Dora, it reminded you of Helios and how you murdered him."

Caius turned away. "Please, stop."

She didn't, of course. "And you see it that Odi betrayed you, somehow, in the way Helios did, even though he had no idea how you felt because, let's face it, you would rather chop off your own hands than let anyone think you have feelings. In fact, you'd rather pretend even to yourself that you don't have feelings. Aside from anger, of course, which is much more palatable to you than being upset."

With the slightest of smiles, Caius looked to the shield maiden and shrugged, conveying that she did indeed know exactly where his pain was coming from.

Freyr ran a hand down Caius cheek and he found himself leaning into her touch.

"I'm loyal to you…"

Caius tutted and pulled away, though quickly cursed himself for doing so. He knew damn well that Freyr was loyal to him, but he was still upset, and therefore, as she had already worked out, behaving objectionably to everything.

"I am," Freyr insisted. "But I have my limits. I will not stand by and watch as you torment my son." She knew where his mind would be heading, what conclusions that broken psyche of his would be making and quickly set Caius' fears to rest. "I'm not saying I would turn on you, Caius. I would never do that. But I will go to great lengths to make your life very uncomfortable."

Caius sucked in the air around him. He hadn't even realised he was holding his breath until Freyr assured him she wouldn't turn her back on him. He knew he didn't deserve her love, but as ever, he was grateful for it.

"If you aren't ready to build a bridge with Odi, that's fine. But you will not start picking on him again." Freyr pulled on Caius' collar and looked softly into his eyes. "Do we understand each other?" she asked.

Nodding, Caius replied, "Yes, my lady."

Done with Caius, Freyr thoughts went straight to her baby boy.

Odi went along to the guard hall as his mother had instructed, but he found himself unable to go in. His father seemed annoyed about something, and judging by the look on Alex's face, that something was him. _Brilliant_ , Odi thought, scowling at the brawler of the coven. _You piss him off right before he gets his hands on me._

Magnus must have felt his boy's eyes on him, because the next thing Odi knew, his father was heading his way.

"You're still alive, then?" he whispered, placing a hand on Odi's shoulder, leading his boy to his desk in the master's office. Magnus took his seat and started fishing through the pile of papers on his desk.

Odi continued his awkward hovering, he had simply moved place. "For now, I guess," he muttered, feeling the end was nigh.

"For now, huh?" Magnus chuckled. "Are you going to try jumping from the roof next?"

Odi tutted back, annoyed by his father's attempts to joke with him. "No, sir," he spat. His earlier trepidation already being replaced by indignation.

Feeling he was doing well to hold on to his cool, Magnus didn't appreciate his boy's abrasion one little bit. "Sit down," he ordered, pushing out the chair opposite by his foot under the desk.

Odi flopped into the seat but said nothing. He couldn't even meet his father's eye - something else Magnus didn't appreciate under the circumstance. He clicked his fingers and then pointed to his own eyes. Odi knew the score - give me eye contact, or else.

"Anything you'd like to say to me?"

Odi swallowed down the venom pooling in his mouth, the trepidation coming back in force. He had just enough petulance left to give his father a shrug and reply with, "Sorry?"

"Sounds like it," Magnus scoffed, shaking his head and signing his name to one of the many scrolls requiring his attention.

"Have you told anyone, Dad?"

"Have I told anyone, what?"

"About…" _You know what,_ Odi thought in annoyance. "About what I did."

"About you taking a swing at me?" Magnus asked. "No, son. I haven't told anyone. Not even Mom, I just told her that I needed to speak to you. There's nothing to tell and no one needs to know."

 _What does that mean?_ Odi wondered. _Nothing to tell? Like I didn_ _'t do anything, or you don't care that I punched you? Or you don't care that it was me punching you?_ Odi's questioned barrelled through his mind growing ever more confused as they travelled.

Magnus went back to his paper work for a moment, and then called a guard through from the hall by hammering on the wooden divide between the two rooms. Bard appeared within a blink of an eye. Magnus handed over a selection of scrolls with some questions for Sulpicia and sent him off.

"I'm not spending enough time with you," he said, getting back to Odi. Magnus gestured to the pile of work on his desk and added, "I'm a little busy right now, but we will change that soon, okay?"

 _Whatever,_ the kid shrugged back, keeping his thoughts to himself.

The shrugging was annoying Magnus - Odi knew damn well he didn't like it. _He's nervous, that's all,_ Magnus told himself. It was fortunate for Odi that his father was an empath and knew the real feelings behind his petulant expression.

"I want you to check in at home more," he added, suggesting, "A few times a day?" Another shrug from his boy that saw Magnus tap the kid with his foot. "You aren't sleeping enough, and I don't think that's helping things."

Odi's scowl became murderous for a moment and he spun about in his seat, checking whether anyone could have heard his father's words. "I don't sleep," he hissed, once he was sure no one was about.

"Odi…"

"Is that it, then?" Odi shot out before Magnus could go on. "I punch you in the face and you want me to check in at home more?"

"You didn't do any damage, I know you didn't mean it…"

Odi jumped in again. "Didn't I?"

Magnus took his boy's anger and levelled him with stern expression. Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms and glared. "Would you like to make more of it?" he asked, daring the kid to let his emotions get the better of him. "I wouldn't recommend you try it again."

Magnus was trying to be kind. He knew Odi was having a tough time with Caius and in the guard. He was a lost little soul in the coven and Magnus wanted nothing more than to run around the castle smashing each and every fucker who sought to cause his boy grief. But he had lived long enough to know that such measures would make things immeasurably worse for Odi in the long run. The boy needed to find his own way and Magnus needed to let him do it. He couldn't help Odi in the way he wanted to, so he was doing his best to help the boy in other ways - by giving him a break where he could.

So yes, Odi had punched him in the face, but Magnus knew he was stressed out with Caius blowing hot and cold on him. _Let it go,_ he had told himself. _Let it go and make sure no one finds out about it even happening._ Those he wanted to keep it from, primarily, were Basileus and Freyr - both of whom objected to his gentle approach in such matters.

Sadly, Odi completely misread his father's attempted kindness. He simply saw it as more proof that Magnus was rejecting him. Odi knew he didn't fit with the guards - Caius' fault. And he knew he didn't really fit with the elite, either - at least partially Caius' fault. But now he didn't even fit with his own parents - definitely Caius' fault! _And now you can_ _'t even be bothered to whip me anymore, huh? That's how little I mean to you? Well fuck you!_ The thoughts of an utterly rejected kid.

"Are we done?" he asked sharply, scraping his chair back against the floor as he hurried to stand.

Magnus toyed for a moment with telling the kid straight. _No, we are not done you cocky little brat and we won't be done until I have hauled your ass home and_ … but he didn't. Sticking to his plan of ignore the bad, praise the good, Magnus smiled sadly and nodded. "If you're going in there," he said, pointing to the guard hall. "Put your drinks on my tab. It's not fair on Turk and I'm not having it look like I don't provide for you."

 _Over my dead body,_ Odi said to himself, stalking into the guard hall. A pin dropping to the floor would have deafened the kid as he stood in the door way - every single guard in attendance had left their idle chatter to turn and stare at Odi. _Brilliant_ , he thought, looking down so he wouldn't have to make contact with their questioning eyes.

Before he had the chance to move further into the room, and ideally head to Renata and Carlisle, Caius swept passed him and took his place at the 'inbetweeners' table. Odi watched dumbfounded as Caius bought Carlisle a drink, a peace offering, it seemed and one for Renata, too.

The guards slowly started their twattling again, gossiping frivolously about things beyond their business. Odi knew damn well he was the subject, though. And the longer he stood there, the worse it got. Just as the tears threatened to spill over his eyes, he felt a sharp kick in the shins, which came as a welcomed distraction.

"Join us," Irina said, nodding at the free chair by her sister. "We can be outcasts together."

Odi wavered on the spot for a moment. The choice was standing in the middle of the hall completely alone, watching his friends continue without him like nothing had happened, or, sitting with Irina. _Kate_ _'s alright,_ he shrugged, consoling himself and taking the chair.

Kate did her best to engage Odi in conversation at first, but it soon became clear that the guard master's son was fighting back tears. He couldn't hope to answer her gentle questions without opening the floodgates, so Kate left him be.

Odi listened at the sisters chatted instead, though he couldn't tell you what either of them said. He didn't know whether he was coming or going - a few months before Caius had been his friend, kind of. A friend who was too quick to ridicule him at times but a friend none the less. Odi enjoyed his company and he had felt welcome in the master's chambers most of the time. _How have I gone from that to this?!_

A glance towards the inbetweeners table saw Odi catching a curious look from Caius. _How have I pissed him off now?_ Odi wondered. He soon shrugged the questions away. He wouldn't get an answer anyway so what was the point in wondering? Something else was taking over Odi's senses… blood.

Vampires, as a rule of thumb, need a full body of blood every month to be sated. Since most of the Volturi coven survived on bloodwine in more recent years, that worked out to around a goblet of bloodwine a day. Odi hadn't had that for a while. He hadn't drunk more than a sip since New Year, (other than the creator's offering, of course, but Basileus' blood hadn't filled him up - it had fixed his damaged body instead).

He looked at the empty goblets in front of the Denali sisters and cursed. There was no way on earth that Odi would put a drink on Magnus' tab. _No fucking way._ _He only told me to do it to make himself look good, anyway. Still providing for the urchin he got lumbered with. What a marvellous man. Fucker. Turk will shout me a drink._ Odi felt bad about putting more pressure on his best mate for feeding him, but he didn't have any other options. He didn't really fancy braving the bar, though. Not with the inbetweeners - the new inbetweeners which didn't include him, or Irina - sitting so close to the damn thing.

 _Brain wave! I can send one of you,_ he thought, looking at the girls. "Have you two had your drinks for today?"

"Oh!" Irina exclaimed. "He speaks?!"

Kate rolled her eyes at his sister's sarcasm and answered Odi properly, "We've both had two," she explained. "El won't let us put more than that on the tab."

 _Damn it._ Odi bobbed his head and summoned his courage to brave the bar himself. _Concentrate on Turk,_ he told himself. _Forget everyone else._

"Do you think you could…" Odi hoped Turk would get the rest of his request without him having to actually ask.

"I can't," Turk whispered back over the bar. "Magnus said I can't buy you a drink. You have to put them on his tab."

"He said what?!" Odi winced and flexed his hands quickly - he hadn't realised he had clenched his fists until his nails pierced his palms. "This is just a power trip for him -" the 'him' being his father "- he's trying to show me who's boss."

"Surely he _is_ boss?" Afton questioned, nudging Alex at his side knowing they could wind the kid up a little.

Alex had received one verbal warning that day, and he knew he wouldn't get another without a taste of Magnus' belt, so he kept himself quiet, laughing along with Afton.

Odi tutted. "Like fuck is he."

"If you're a guard, he's your boss," Afton pointed out, knowing that Odi wasn't a guard. _Only in your imagination_ , he thought to the kid. But still, he knew how much Odi wanted to be considered one of their number – that's what made playing with him so much fun!

"Make your mind up, Odi," Alex whispered, then walked away from the bar with his buddy, both chuckling.

"Serve him."

Odi spun around coming face to face with the voice - Caius. _Crap_.

"Serve him and put it on my tab."

"I don't want a drink from you, I'm not a scrounger."

Despite Odi's assertions, he was a scrounger and Turk, being the barman, knew how little blood Odi had drank recently so he served the drink. Not even a goblet, a full tankard.

"I said I didn't want it," Odi hissed at his buddy.

Turk shrugged. "He's a coven master - I have to do as he says." As he spoke, he willed Odi with his eyes to just take the drink, if only to save him some grief from Caius. Grudgingly, Odi collected the tankard from the bar.

Caius gave a curt nod, and Odi thought he was free to return to the Denali girls… not quite. Caius had something to ask before he could get away.

"What are you playing at hanging around with Irina after what she did?"

Odi hadn't expected such a question and answered with one of his own. "Why would you care who I hang around with?"

 _Of course I care, idiot._ Caius didn't say it, though - far too much like 'wearing his heart' on his sleeve and Caius was more of a 'keep your heart in an iron safe' kind of guy. "She's going to drag you into trouble, Odi." It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't his main concern. _You_ _'re too nice to be hanging around with that bitch unchaperoned. She will eat you alive._

"Again, why would you care?" Odi asked. "Why would anyone care?"

 _Sulking brat._ (How ironic, Caius?!) "Grow up," he sneered, again, missing the irony.

"Are you going to invite me to join you?" Odi posed, gesturing to the many seats at Caius' table. _My fucking table where I sat with my friends and now I_ _'m on the outcast table because you have taken my place._

Caius failed to answer, naturally. Perhaps if the guard hall had been completely empty, he may have allowed Odi to sit with him… in silence. Not exactly the friendly relationship Odi was after.

"Thought not," Odi shrugged, turning to leave.

Caius pulled him back and a gasp spread through the hall. He hadn't been rough with the kid, but after training the day before the whole Caius/Odi dynamic was under scrutiny. Caius pulled his hand back sharpish.

"Just watch yourself with that girl," he whispered. "She's poison."

"So are you," Odi reminded him and fled to the outcast table. Before he sat down, he made a grand show of emptying his fresh tankard into the girls' goblets.

"Don't you want it?" Kate asked before taking her cup.

"I don't want a drink off him." Odi looked back over his shoulder to see Caius shaking his head at the kid's petulance. "He's a complete cunt."

Irina took a good swig of her bloodwine and was pleased to find Turk had served Odi the good stuff, not the kids' stuff she was forced to drink. "Nah, Caius is only a useless cunt. He doesn't have the depth or capacity to give pleasure."

And just like that, the last year of trouble washed away and Odi suddenly really liked Irina!


	150. Odi the Outcast - Part 2

**Odi The Outcast - Part 2**

 **JANUARY 4TH**

Following along behind Magnus, Caius trudged into the middle floor suite. Still hungover from the night before, he wished to spend the morning doing some of that resting young vampires enjoyed. He knew he had a bollocking coming from Magnus for kicking off in the guard hall. He probably should have quit drinking when he'd been sent home, but whiskey seemed such company for a man down in the dumps… Caius regretted that company now his head pounded with every footstep.

"What's he doing here?" he asked as soon as he set eyes on Odi.

Odi scowled at the knob invading his living space. "I live here."

"You live in the dorms," Caius sneered, reminding Odi of his words in the guard hall the evening before: 'I'm not leaving - I'm a guard, guards belong in the guard hall!' _Prat._

"You live downstairs in your precious private chambers that I'm not allowed to breathe in."

That earned Caius a sharp look from Magnus as the juggernaut wondered what arguments he had missed between the two as he hadn't heard that nugget before.

"Well I'm here now," Caius told Odi, avoiding Magnus. "You can go."

Odi scoffed and settled into his seat, plumping his cushion for effect. "I don't think so, pal."

"Pal?" Caius repeated, stalking towards the kid. "Fucking pal?!"

Magnus had to act fast to get between the two, pushing Caius back a step and Odi back into his chair. "That had better end as quickly as it started," he warned.

"Chuck him out and its done with," Caius suggested.

"Chuck _him_ out and its done with," Odi corrected, getting back to his feet.

And so they descended again into fresh argument. Or not so fresh, as they seemed to be repeating the same shit they had the night before to Magnus' ears. The same shit that had earned him another round of fucks from the creator over the continued disturbance in his coven. Disturbance that Magnus had assured Basileus he would contain.

Slowly, to give them time to react, Magnus unbuckled his belt. No reaction – bitching back and forth continued. He pulled it through the loops. Still no reaction. Taking hold of the buckle end, Magnus allowed the other to slap against the floor but with their arguing, Caius and Odi failed to notice. _Right, that's it._

Whipping the belt around behind him, Magnus cracked it sharp, first for Caius and then for Odi.

"Why did you do that?!" Caius asked, backing up. Odi concentrated on rubbing the sting out of his thigh - Caius wished to do the same but he wouldn't lower himself to such a childish display.

"You are too busy arguing to listen to me," Magnus explained, nice and calm. "I don't like shouting, so let's see if you can hear this," he said, and whipped out his belt a second time for Odi.

"Ow!" Odi gasped, hopping out of the way from a third strike aimed at his legs. "Dad!"

Caius' turn came next. "Magnus, no…" the rest of his words strangled in his throat as Magnus wrapped his belt across Caius' backside.

"Tell me no again, I dare you," Magnus replied, going for a third strike. "Do I have your attention?"

He was rewarded with a pleasing 'yes sir' in duel reply.

Magnus bobbed his head and took to his chair. He kept the belt in hand, just in case. "Last night, I spent half of my time telling you to cool off, I'm not doing that again."

It had been a shit show. Magnus had alternated between telling Odi to cool down his sneering and jeering and telling Caius to back off with his death threats.

Caius thought he'd done well offering Odi a drink at the beginning of the evening as a kind gesture. Which, of course, the little cretin rejected by giving it Irina and Kate. After that, and a few whiskeys, he wasn't feeling so giving towards the kid. Worse than that, he actively wanted to hurt Odi.

"I was only trying to be nice to you because your mother asked me to," he told Odi, quite cruelly (and stupidly, as he'd said so in front of Freyr!)

Odi. Was. Livid.

"You're running around telling people to be nice to me?!" he asked his mother, accusing her of babying him.

"It's just because we love you," Freyr said to her baby boy. She wasn't babying him – she was trying to protect him.

Odi shoved passed his mother to flee the piercing eyes of every Volturi guard in the damn coven. "Love me less!" he called over his shoulder without looking back.

Freyr fixed her sights on her husband, calling on him to do something, to take a stand, to sort it out! But nothing. Magnus made some wishy-washy statement to Caius to remind him that he should avoid displaying personal problems in the guard hall. "Such things require your private attention not public opinion," he had said.

"Is that it?!" Freyr fumed.

When Magnus said he would talk to them both later, in private, Freyr took off for the west tower. She called on Basileus, begging him to do something before things could get worse. She didn't like going against Magnus. Freyr was a 'stand by your man' type. But her fear of losing Odi, or Caius for that matter, forced her to intervene and pull in the big guns. Of course, it was Magnus' fear of losing Odi or Caius that was holding him back from taking a firmer stand in the first place. The guard masters shared the same goals and the same worries, they simply had different ideas for achieving those goals and placating their concerns.

Basileus arrived in the guard hall not long after. He made a show of chucking Caius out and he was none to quiet with the round of fucks he gave Magnus in the masters' office, either.

Shaking that wretched memory from his mind, Magnus got back on track with his sons… or whatever the hell they were to him.

"You know the score, Caius," he began. "You keep your animosity behind closed doors or Basileus will be involving himself in this… situation."

"Like in the training fields?" Odi suddenly had a fantastic idea. _I want to go to the guard hall and have a fight with Caius!_

Magnus arched an eyebrow at his boy's growing smile. _I know what you_ _'_ _re thinking, son._ "How do you think you would fair against the creator?"

Odi gulped. _Forget the fight._

"Sit down," Magnus requested, eyes full of understanding and fruitless hope. "Let's work this out together."

Well that didn't work - for one, Magnus was the only one willing to talk civilly, and Caius and Odi's grunts to each other soon turned to sharp words and then all out arguing again.

"Right!" Magnus jumped to his feet. "That's enough!"

Caius and Odi's eyes simultaneously flew to the belt in Magnus' hand. _No_ , he said to himself. _I don_ _'_ _t care what Basileus thinks, or what Freyr thinks, come to that. I can't beat you into liking each other!_

He threw his belt to the floor and pointed at the door. "Both of you out, now!

"Me?!" Caius asked.

"Obviously!" Odi shot at him. "This is my home, not yours."

Magnus scrubbed his hands through his hair, holding his hands at the back of his neck and took a moment to breathe through his frustrations.

"Listen, I understand why you are pissed with him," he said to Caius. "And I understand why you didn't think you were doing anything to cross him," he said to Odi. "I'm not choosing sides on this, so you can go to the dorms, you can go downstairs."

"You're chucking me out?!" Odi asked, wishing his mother was there. _She wouldn_ _'_ _t chuck me out,_ he thought. Then he remembered what Freyr had done the evening before. _She goes around the coven telling people to be nice to me. Fucking humiliating._

"What you did was immoral, Odi," Caius sang out. He didn't mind being sent away so long as he was getting one over on the kid.

"Being called immoral by the male slag of the castle?" Odi asked, laughing. "A bit rich!"

"ENOUGH!" Magnus bellowed at them both. "OUT!"

The door sprang to life with a curt knock before swinging open. Aro entered with a curios smile. "Afternoon," he said, appraising the room.

Caius and Odi continued to glare at each other with Magnus between them, "Erm, Aro…" Magnus stumbled over his words trying to explain the situation.

"Trying to have them kiss and make up, huh?" Aro laughed, earning a 'fuck you' from Caius.

"Something like that," Magnus huffed. "Unsuccessfully." He turned to his son, knowing if Aro was there, Odi shouldn't be.

"I'll go to MY room and get out of your way," Odi replied, eyes dancing with his 'win' over Caius.

"Go to the guard hall and get yourself a drink," Magnus suggested. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a few coins for his boy and set them in his palm.

It was Caius' turn to smile wildly.

"You're letting him stay?" Odi asked his father, jabbing angrily in Caius' direction.

"Go," Magnus said, firm but kind. Not that Odi cared for his kindness at that point. He dropped the coins to the floor and flashed from the middle floor suite.

Odi drifted through the coven in slow motion. He ended up in the guard hall, of course, as he had nowhere else to go. He would rather not have been there with all the bloodwine floating about. _I should have taken the money,_ he thought thinking of the coins in his living chamber. He wouldn't lower himself to go back and ask for them. And as he was seriously pissed with his mom, too, he wouldn't ask her for money, either.

 _Turk_ _…_ _no._ He couldn't ask Turk again. He loved the guy too much to put him in such an awkward position. It was bad enough that Turk had been buying his drinks in the first place. _Good of him, very good of him._ But Odi couldn't ask him to go against the coven masters. Magnus had told Turk not to serve his son drinks unless they went on his tab, so Odi couldn't drink, period.

When Odi walked in to the guard hall, he rolled his eyes to the heavens and waited for the sudden turn in his direction. And then the whispers. Rather than backing away and hiding, or shrivelling up inside, Odi brazened it out. "Fuck you all," he sang out. When you're bottom of the pile with no hope to climb higher, there's not much point in playing nice anymore.

 _Oh, thank the gods!_ Irina and Kate were there at the outcast table. That's what it was in Odi's mind, and he was happy to have a place at their table. At least it was a place _somewhere_. Even better, Corin was with them! _The outcasts are growing in number, brilliant!_

Corin regaled them all with the horrors of her day. Caught in the king's chambers twice in two days was bad luck, horrible luck, but Odi sure was glad to have someone else's dramas to concentrate on for a while. She didn't give them many details, though, as when Renata and Carlisle arrived in the guard hall and sat at the inbetweeners table, Corin joined them.

Odi kind of wanted to follow, but he didn't want to be there when Caius arrived. Doing the walk of shame away from his friends because Caius had rocked up would have been too painful for the kid to bear. Still, it had been nice to have Corin with the outcasts for a while at least. _Maybe we could find more outcasts?_

Magnus swept through the guard hall like a man on a mission. "We need to pay a visit to your dorm, young one," he announced, clicking his fingers at Corin as he passed her table.

"Why?" Corin croaked, knowing damn well why!

Magnus paused mid stride. He didn't turn, he didn't need to. The whole guard hall froze with him, waiting for Corin to sort herself out - guards did not question the masters. Guards obeyed without delay, without objection and without question.

Irina and Kate started whispering about Corin could have done. Sure, being caught in Aro's chambers uninvited wasn't great, but Magnus wasn't one to make a show of people as a general rule. Odi had to explain that guards were not permitted in the master's chamber without invite, and that Felix' invite wasn't enough of an invite anyway.

Irina was glad she'd only enjoyed the male guards in their own dorms. _Although_ _…_ _hmmm._ She banked the information for future use in case there was ever a guard she would like to cause some trouble for.

"I'm not sure whether questioning the miserable old bastard was brave or stupid," Odi mumbled. "But bless her for trying." He tutted to himself realising Corin was braver than him. _Or stupider?_ He wasn't sure.

Sensing her impending doom, Corin jumped to her feet. "I mean, yes, Master," she called, following Magnus who thankfully starting walking again.

Sometime later, Felix strolled into the guard hall seeking his lover. He was treated to Odi's usual reception in the guard hall – muffled whispers and questioning eyes. Odi noticed that Felix wasn't as affected by the reception as he was, presumably because the Volturi price had his father's ego. Odi fancied getting the dirt from his young friend, but before he could, Felix was already at the foot of the guard dorm stairs being cut off by Magnus.

"Do not step foot on these stairs, young one."

Odi winced at his father's tone. _I_ _'_ _m good to wait,_ he thought. Like everyone else in the guard hall, Odi hung onto every word watching as Felix became more confused and more uncomfortable.

"This doesn't look good," Kate hissed across the table to Odi. "Why is Corin in so much trouble?"

Irina wanted an answer to Kate's question, too. After her solitary brush with the juggernaut at Midsummer, she found herself feeling slightly sorry for Corin. She much preferred dealing with Eleazar, or even Basileus. Both of whom seemed too scared to try anything so awkward as discipline with her. Well, there was that smack from El when he split up her fight with Tanya, but Irina was hoping that would be a one-time thing. _He looked more bothered than me by it,_ she reminded herself with a smile.

"I'm not sure," Odi replied to Kate. "But I'll find out."

He waited for his father to fully retreat before leaving Irina and Kate at their table and flashing to Felix. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea!"

Renata placed her hand on the Felix's shoulder from behind having just left Corin in her dorm.

"Corin asked me to pass a message on," she whispered into Felix's ear. "Aro told Magnus about the bathroom."

"Oh, shit!" Felix cursed, dropping his head to his chest.

Renata gave him a disapproving 'hmmm'. "Corin's on restriction for a while," she explained. "Don't make things worse by sneaking into her dorm."

Renata widened her eyes as a small smile started to creep onto Felix's face.

"I'm serious, Felix," she hissed.

Renata wouldn't humiliate her friend by telling Felix and Odi that Magnus had punished Corin for her repeated misuse of the king's chambers, but she wouldn't give Felix the chance to get any stupid ideas that would see Corin suffer again, either.

"Corin is in serious trouble with Magnus over all of this. Be fair to her and give time for the dust to settle, okay?"

Putting together the scant information Corin had provided, and the details from Renata, Odi worked out what had gone on. _They are both braver than me,_ he thought of Corin and Felix. _Brilliant._ Odi's parents had lived in their own chambers for decades, and he'd had a room there with them for his personal use during all that time, but he'd never dared taken someone there for a throw down. _Pft!_ He tutted at himself. _Who do you think you_ _'_ _ll be taking, Odi?! Damn it, I am actually talking to myself now. Am I really this lonely?"_

"You can't follow me, either," Renata told the boy. Carlisle, Dora and Caius were at the bar, which was where she was heading, but Felix was no longer welcome there. "Aro has asked us to give you a break for a while," she explained. "He said… he said your behaviour has shown your immaturity and it's inappropriate for you to hang around with us."

"He's done what?!" Felix felt a fury over taking his concerns. "That utter bastard!"

"Aro hasn't spoken to me about him," Odi said, clearly questioning why he had been excluded. Particularly as he had seen Aro only an hour or so earlier. _He might have told me if Dad hadn_ _'_ _t thrown me out?_

"Well…" Renata didn't really want to spell it out to Odi, but it was clear he was going to force her to. "You aren't really hanging around with us anymore, are you?" she said gently. "And you're younger anyway, I guess…" she broke away seeing Odi looking so crushed. "If it helps, you aren't missing too much. Chelsea and I are having a girls' night at Dora's tonight, so you wouldn't have been going to that anyway."

"That doesn't help," Odi said, looking like a puppy who'd just taken a boot to the ribs. He felt like one, too.

Renata tried to wrap arm around his shoulders, but he pulled away too quickly. "There's a card game tonight," she said, revealing some inside info. "Your Dad's hosting it for Basileus and Aro, Eleazar and Caius, but not Carlisle. Why don't you arrange to see him tonight?"

That sounded like a minor sweetener to Odi. He offered a half smile to her attempts to help him out, but he still felt like the coven pariah.

With that, Renata left them to their brooding.

"So that's it?!" Felix turned and spat out to Odi. "I'm an outcast. Just like that I'm a fucking outcast!"

Odi shrugged at the boy and looked over to what was left of the inbetweeners. Carlisle and Renata gave him a quick wave before returning to their conversation. Renata was working on Odi's behalf setting him up on a play date with Carlisle, but Odi didn't know that, so he scowled. Then he caught the contemptuous expression on Caius' face. He'd been giving Odi the same look since his return to the coven after Halloween. _Cunt. You weren't even an inbetweener in the first place._

Seeing Afton and Chelsea joining the ranks came as a bitter pill to swallow. Not only had Caius taken Odi's place in _his_ group, but Caius - _the miserablestist fucker in the Volturi_ (and no, Odi didn't care a jot that miserablestist wasn't a real word) - had even brought new friends into it. Older friends, making sure Odi could never return to the inbetweeners because now the group wasn't 'in between' anymore. They were the grown-ups and Odi was an outcast.

Worse than all of that, was the fact that Odi missed Caius most of all. For all the horrible things the kid had been thinking about the coven master, his heart ached for the friend he had made in the man, and he missed him.

"Odi?!" Felix gave the kid a jab in the chest to get his attention.

Forgetting his troubles for the moment, Odi gestured to the table where Irina sat with her sister, waiting for him to return. "Join the club, buddy."

"With her?" Felix asked Odi from the corner of his mouth.

Odi shrugged again. He wasn't particularly happy about hanging out with Irina, either, but she was all he had, depressingly. "It seems the three of us are all outcasts. At least we can be outcasts together. Kate's okay."

"Felix!" Magnus bellowed into the guard hall. "Home, now. I'll take you myself if I have to, young one."

That was enough to see Felix scooting out of the guard hall, narrowly missing the swipe Magnus took at him as he passed.

Odi would have liked for Felix to join them to increase their numbers. He and Irina had talked about it briefly - the outcasts in the coven could easily outnumber the inbetweeners if they weren't too choosy about who they allowed to join. That had made Odi laugh - as if he had a right to be choosy! _I don't even have a right to feeds these days, let alone friends._

He started a new conversation with Irina and Kate, wanting to firm up some plans for gaining more followers. Odi just about managed to stop himself from saying 'getting more friends', because that would have been too pathetic for words. He had a feeling Irina and Kate knew that's what he meant anyway.

Soon enough, Magnus arrived at the outcast table and appraised the scene. The girls had been well behaved, which gave Magnus cause for concern. Irina was only well behaved when she was plotting, in Magnus' opinion. Still, he couldn't chuck them out for behaving. Odi, though. He needed to go home.

"Remember what we said yesterday?" he asked his boy.

"I don't remember saying much at all," Odi replied, refusing to look at the man.

Magnus sighed. "I told you to check in at home a little more. And after last night…"

"You chucked me out of _home,_ " Odi sneered. "Are you chucking me out of here, too?"

"Aye, I am." He hadn't meant to sound so sharp, but the pressures of his job and home life combined were getting Magnus down. Softening, he squatted down on his knees and turned Odi's chair a little to see him better.

 _Oh my fucking God!_ Odi silently cursed at the gesture. _Could you be any more embarrassing?!_

"Ren said she's fixed you up with Carlisle tonight."

 _Fixed me up?! Dad!_ Odi heard Irina snigger beside him. He might have called the girl a bitch if he hadn't heard Kate do it, too. Kate wasn't a bitch, she was genuinely nice, so if she found it funny it must have been. _You_ _'_ _re treating me like a fucking toddler!_

"You'll want to feed before you go out, won't you?" Magnus asked. "I know you don't want to put drinks on my tab. That's fine. Get some bloodwine at home so you're ready for tonight. Have a re…"

Magnus so very nearly said 'rest', so very nearly. Odi's wide, panicking, angry eyes cut him off just in time.

Without warning, Odi stood up and nearly knocked his father off his feet in the process. He hadn't meant to do that, but the result didn't necessarily displease him either. Still, he wasn't about to hang about in case his father decided to do anything else to embarrass him. _What else could he do?!_ Odi asked himself. He supposed the guy giving him a swat in the guard hall would have been worse and high tailed it out of there before Magnus had chance.

Arriving home (though it didn't feel much like home to him at that point) Odi slammed the door behind him and was annoyed that it didn't splinter, or break its hinge, or do anything but swing back open at him. Like it was mocking him! _I_ _'_ _m not strong enough to break a fucking door and the fucking thing won't even close?!_ He booted the bastard as hard as he dared, and then promptly fell on his ass grabbing his probably broken toes. The main doors to the elite chambers were solid oak. He might as well have kicked a tree trunk. Vampires were strong, but they had limits. From his floor level position Odi could see a boot sized indent - he was happy with that. His foot hurt, though.

Shuffling across the floor, he was glad to be alone so no one could mock him. He ended up in front of the fire where he pulled off his boot and peeled off his woollen sock. No bleeding, thankfully. But his toes looked bruised. _At least they aren_ _'_ _t broken. How could I explain breaking my toes against an inanimate object? I'm so pathetic I bet everyone would understand if I had._

Concentrating on his pounding toes at least distracted him from the smell of bloodwine in his chambers. His mother kept a contestant supply of bloodwine simmering in the fire place so the whole middle floor always smelt of warm, luscious, sustenance.

Odi refused to drink any, though. Magnus had told him drink it, so there was no way he would. No matter how much his throat burned for it. _Carlisle will buy me a few drinks. I_ _'_ _ll just tell him I've forgotten my money. No big deal. He won't mind. His father actually provides for him, so he always has cash. Not like mine._ Having Carlisle buy him bloodwine would really stick it to his old man, too, he decided with glee.

Hearing someone coming up the stairs, Odi quickly grabbed his sock and boot and limped to his bed chamber. He wasn't in the mood for company.

 _Dora and Mom._

Slightly better than anyone else it could be, he realised, but he still didn't fancy breaking bread with them. _No. Fuck them._ Odi opened his wardrobe and decided to change. He was still wearing his guard uniform every day but when he clocked himself in the mirror he realised how stupid that was. _I_ _'_ _m not a guard. A guard is part of team. I'm not in a team._ He idly wondered whether the outcasts could come up with a uniform of their own. _Peasant cloth would be appropriate,_ he mused.

He pulled off his tunic and threw it to the corner of his room. Usually it would be hung, if clean, to be worn again. But he didn't plan on wearing it again. His shirt was creased to high heaven from wearing the heavy tunic all day, so he stripped that off, too. Taking out a new shirt, a slightly more stylish one - _where did this come from?_ He seemed to have a few in the same style. _Mom must have made them for me_ \- he redressed and checked himself out. It was a little big on him, but only a little. _I look_ _…_ _good._

Most of the elite men had a great selection of fashionable wear to choose from, but Odi had always rejected their dress as being above him and something he didn't wish to associate with. He was a guard. _But I_ _'_ _m not a guard,_ he thought, searching through his wardrobe. _Not anymore._ He seemed to have a lot more in there than he remembered from the last time he looked.

Freyr took care of his clothes. Odi quite literally dumped clothes that needed laundering in a pile on his floor and they magically reappeared, clean and pressed, on a chair in his room a few days later. It was a marvellous system. He rarely bothered with his wardrobe at all. Simply wore and re-wore the same linens, tunics and britches that appeared on his chair.

 _Wow!_ He came across a few full suits. Those long fancy coats Aro and Eleazar wore - and Caius, the primped prick - and the other guys. Three of them. Each with matching waist coats and britches. He wasn't quite ready to jump up to such modern fashions by wearing the full kit, but he decided he wouldn't feel too daft in a coat. He took out the plainer of the three, mostly black with silver stitched trimming, and slipped it on.

Back to the mirror.

He felt a bit of a dork. The coat came to his knees, as it was supposed to - that was the fashion after all - but he felt like a dork. _I look like I_ _'_ _ve raided my Dad's wardrobe! No, then it would reach the floor._

Could he go out like that, really? Could he go to the guard hall and walk in there, face all the stares and sit at the bar in his elite get up and have a drink with a Volturi prince? _Fuck it, why not?_ With that thought, Odi braved the living chamber.

Freyr and Dora clocked his new look immediately - it was hard to miss when the kid usually only wore guard tunics, scruffy ones at that as he wasn't particularly bothered by his appearance, and therefore not all too careful with his clothes.

Odi waited for them to say something to him, but they didn't. They merely turned to each other with small smirks and Dora telling Freyr, "I told you they would fit him."

 _Well that was weird,_ Odi thought. _But it could have been worse._

Feeling bolstered by his new decisions, to embrace being an outcast, to reject guard life, to scrounge a drink out of Carlisle and stick two fingers up at his father in the process… actually, that last part sounded a bit weak. Scrounging drinks isn't elite at all. _Is it outcast?_ he wondered. Okay, so that still worked. Having a little cash would help his confidence, though.

"Mom," he began, subconsciously deepening his voice. "I need some money for tonight."

"Just put your drinks on your father's tab, love," Freyr told him as she ladled out fresh goblets for her and Dora.

"I'd rather starve," Odi snorted with an air of self-surety one shouldn't possess when asking mommy for pocket money.

"Then you won't want my money, either," Freyr told him with a shrug. "Your father may be willing to play these games with you, but I am not."

"Get told," Dora whispered, giving him a nudge with her shoulder.

She was only playing with him in the way they usually played with each other, but Odi wasn't in the right frame of mind for it and shoved his shoulder into her much harder causing Dora to drop her goblet of bloodwine.

"Hey!" Freyr burst, giving the kid a good slap in the process. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"It's fine, it's fine," Dora answered for him, flashing to the bathroom to fetch a wash cloth.

When she returned, Fryer took it from her and gave it to her son. "Clean this up," she said, pointing to the floor. "And check your attitude, Odi…"

Freyr went on but Odi didn't hear her. He was doing all he could to shut her out. He wasn't listening to her ranting and he wasn't cleaning the floor either. _Dora dropped it,_ he thought.

It didn't take long for Freyr to notice she was being ignored. "Odi," she called. "I told you to clean up the bloodwine. And take that coat off before you start, roll up your sleeves."

Odi didn't move. He simply glared back at his mother and offered her a one shouldered shrug. It was like a red rag to a bull for Freyr. Flashing to her boy, she was mere moments from giving him the tongue lashing of his life when she noticed his eyes.

 _Oh, my darling,_ she thought, softening immediately. "Your eyes are black, you need to sleep."

"I don't sleep." Odi was starting to wonder how many times he would have to explain that to his nearest and dearest who should already bloody know!

"Rest," Freyr corrected. "You need to rest."

"No, I don't," Odi insisted. "I need to earn some money so I can buy my own drinks…"

"Your eyes…" Freyr started again.

"My eyes are black because you've taken me off every shift going, and I can't afford to fucking feed."

"Forget your eyes," Dora huffed, snatching the washcloth from Odi's hands and throwing it to the bloodwine on the floor. "Your attitude is abysmal."

"Who's asking you?!"

"Odi!" Freyr admonished.

"It's fine, I'm going down now anyway." Dora had made quick work of cleaning up Odi's mess and planted the sodden cloth back in the boy's hand.

"For your special Girls Night?" Odi sneered, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect. "Are you sure you should be mixing with the guards? I don't think your husband will approve."

Dora didn't dignify the kid with an answer. Saying good night to Freyr, she headed for her own chambers.

Freyr shook her head and went back to the bloodwine pot. One side of her wanted to give her boy a slap, another wanted to wrap him in her arms and promise him everything would be okay in the end. The side that wanted to slap him was stronger, she had to admit.

"Starving yourself to prove a point?" she mumbled, pouring out a goblet for the boy. "Drink," she instructed, passing over the cup. "If it is simply a lack of blood, your eyes will return to normal and your attitude will disappear."

"Mom!" Odi whined as his mother walked him to the sofa and forcibly sat him down.

"I'll give you an hour," she said. "If there's no change, you're going to bed."

"I'm meeting Carlisle in less than that at the guard hall!"

"Not in your current state you're not."

Freyr knew she would have to supervise the boy if he were to stay in her chambers, so she busied herself tidying the room and set up the guys poker game. Odi watched her flashing about as he muttered over the unfairness of his life. He didn't drink the bloodwine, though. _Fuck that._ He wasn't being commanded to feed like a child. _Not on your life, woman!_ He wouldn't have dared say that out loud, but it felt good telling his mother where to go in his head.

And then came the fateful sound of Magnus and Caius heading up the stairwell. Odi cursed and dropped his chin to his chest.

"Has it been an hour yet?" he mumbled to his mother.

Freyr merely tutted in response - he knew damn well it hadn't been.

Magnus saw his boy sitting crossed legged on the sofa with a face like a slapped arse. He really didn't want to have ask his kid to leave again, but he couldn't afford to have Caius and Odi kicking off in front of guests. He'd convinced Basileus that the animosity had ended between the two in public viewing and he wasn't sure whether he could keep the Caius and Odi from brawling in his chambers. _Would my chambers count as public animosity_? Basileus would take it as public if there were witnesses, he realised. _Aro and Eleazar will surely count as witnesses. Damn it._

"I thought you were going out tonight?" he asked the boy, trying to keep things breezy.

"So did I," Odi replied in clipped tone. "Ask her."

"Her?!" Caius repeated. _Kid has a death wish._

Magnus wasn't having that! "Do you want to try that again, son?"

"He's doesn't want to be here so he's being a whiny little brat," Freyr explained.

"Being here isn't the problem," Odi muttered. "Being with you lot is the problem."

All three turned on him, none sure what he'd said but all guessing it was nothing good.

"I'm fine," Odi said a little louder, standing. "May I go now?"

"Caius, love," Freyr called, collecting the young master and pulling him close to Odi. "Give me your reading of his eyes."

"Forget his eyes," Caius pulled back to get a better view of the kid now he was standing up in all his finery. "Where did his clothes come from?"

Odi tried to push his way through, but between his mother and Caius it was a no go. Caius actually pushed him back a step instead and then walked around him. That's when it struck him.

"Is that my coat?!" Jerking the coat to one side to get a better view, he added, "And my shirt?!"

"No," Odi spat back, sorting his coat out. "They were in my wardrobe."

"Only if you took them out of mine!"

"Caius," Freyr said calmly. "Dora passed them on to Odi as you have never liked the fit," she explained. "She said you knew. She said it was your idea."

Caius scowled. He remembered Dora going through his wardrobe with him after his new clobber had arrived fresh from the tailor. A pile had grown between them in the middle of their bed of all the items Caius no longer wanted which Dora could refashion into something else. There was another pile of brand new, unworn items that he simple hadn't cared for. Caius had forgot about that. Of course, when he had suggested the pile of suits and shirts be given to Odi, he was on good terms with the kid. More than that – if Caius was going to take Odi out with him he wanted him looking better than some castle scrubber in his grotty guard uniform.

Perhaps it was the memory of how he had felt about Odi then, or perhaps it was having Freyr giving him the 'don't you dare screw this up' look, Caius wasn't sure, but he softened his stance and forced a smile for the kid.

Caius straightened out the lapels of the coat for him. "You look good," he complimented the boy. "Might need taking in on the shoulders a little."

Freyr breathed a sigh of relief, though naturally, Magnus assumed it was his 'chat' that had convinced Caius to behave. Bless him.

"It certainly will need taking in if he keeps refusing to feed," Freyr added, joining Caius in inspecting her boy's new look.

"Vampires can't lose weight mom," Odi quipped, hoping his father didn't pick up on what she had said.

"Refusing?" Magnus asked. "I told you to drink your fill here if you were going to keep being pissy about putting drinks on my tab."

"I don't need to drink!" Odi snapped at him.

"His eyes, Caius," Freyr prompted. She wanted her boy to drink some blood and go to bed. That's what he needed, and she was pretty sure Caius' verdict would prove it to Odi, too.

Caius took Odi's face by his chin and twisted the boy into the glow of the fire light. The kid begged with his eyes for Caius to give him the all clear, but Caius couldn't do that – Magnus would know he was lying.

"Tired and emotional," Caius appraised. "And starving."

 _Well that is a damning verdict,_ Freyr thought. Worse than she'd expected, actually.

"I'm a little hungry," _Starving?!_ Odi repeated to himself. _Dramatic much?!_ "I'm neither tired or emotional."

"You feel it to me, son," Magnus added, taking his boy from Caius and twisting him back towards the fire light.

"Hungry?" Odi asked with hope.

Magnus shook his head.

"You're not going to the guard hall like this, Odi," Freyr said before Magnus could suggest anything else. "It will end in tears."

Odi smiled at his father. Magnus wasn't his favourite person right then, but he was a better bet than his mother if he wanted to continue his plans for the night.

Magnus looked between his wife and son and back again. He and Freyr had already had a row about the whole situation with Caius and Odi and he didn't fancy another one with his mates on their way round. _Be sensible and back up the missus,_ he told himself.

"Rest up tonight and you can go to the hall tomorrow."

Satisfied, or rather, relieved, Freyr went off to get changed for her evening. The guys were holding their card game as her place, so she was heading to Atia's.

Once his mother was out of the room, Odi tried his father again. "I don't need to rest, Dad…"

"Sounds like he needs a nap to me," Caius chuckled at the boy's insistence.

 _How can you be so nice one minute and a complete jerk the next?!_ Caius' allegiances gave Odi whiplash. "Who the fuck asked you?!"

"Bed, Odi," Magnus ordered. Just as he feared, Odi would be staying home and he and Caius would do their best to land him in the shit with the creator. _Marvellous!_

Odi resisted when his father tried to steer him towards the hall to the bed chambers. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because its nearly midnight already," Magnus explained. "You are clearly tired, hungry, and you have a bad attitude."

"I don't have a bad attitude, I have a shit family."

"Do you indeed?" Magnus huffed, trying again to steer Odi in the right direction. The little sod kept dancing out of his hands.

"Time to put the baby to bed, Magnus," Caius sang out, taking a seat at the table Freyr had prepared. "Its guys night in."

"Don't start," Magnus warned the man whilst wondering where the hell the other guy had gone who had been so nice only minutes earlier.

"Guys night in?!" Odi sneered back. "What the fuck do you think I am?"

"A cretin? A jerk? A two-faced snake? A bit of a prick?" Caius shrugged. "I could go on."

Magnus released the growl building in his chest, scaring the crap out of both Caius and Odi. "Knock it off!" he roared in frustration.

What a perfect moment for the creator to stroll in, followed by Aro and Eleazar.

"Sounds like you're having fun without us, Magnus," Basileus said, lips twisted into a wry, knowing smile.

"Something like that," Freyr replied, re-entering the main chamber ready to leave.

"Freyr, my dear," Basileus greeted, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Atia will be hunting you down if you aren't in my chambers soon."

"Don't worry, Basileus," she said, collecting her cloak. "I'm not hanging around to disturb your night."

Having worked out it was his wife's charms that was working with Caius, Magnus kind of wished she would stay and help him keep the kids under control.

"Are you joining us, Odi?" Eleazar asked, unaware of the level of animosity between Caius and the master's boy. Irina had told him a little, but she didn't know much herself. "I'll fetch Carlisle…"

"No, he's not," Caius slipped in before Eleazar could go any further.

"Why not?" Odi asked. "I might want to."

"You've already been told why not," Caius reminded him "It's time for you to…"

Magnus flashed between the pair and cut Caius off at the quick. "Go to your room, son" he said to his boy, thinking it sounded better than the 'go to sleep' that Caius would surely have said.

"Fine." Odi collected his own cloak from his space on the rack. "I'll go to my dorm room."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Magnus asked, snatching the boy's cloak from his hands.

"Do you want me to answer that?"

Aro whistled into the air hearing Odi's retort. Basileus simply waited for Magnus to act. Caius was quite keen on seeing some juggernaut versus Odi action, too. Ever the peace maker, Eleazar went for distraction.

"What are we drinking tonight, Magnus?"

Aro was much more interested in alcohol than one of the coven brats being handed his ass and soon joined Eleazar searching through the bottles Freyr had left out for them.

"Why do you lot always rock up empty handed?" Magnus asked. He busied himself with refilling the bloodwine pot above the fire. "Did your parents not teach you to bring a gift for your hosts?"

"What can I tell you? My parents set such a bad example," Aro quipped, one eye on his father should he take a swipe at him for the comment.

"You had better mean those human things you had," Basileus replied, settling himself into the chair next to Caius at the table. he told Aro to take the seat to his right, so he would be close by should he need reminding how to behave.

No sooner than Aro had sat down, his father clocked him across the head for his cheek. It was relatively good natured for Basileus, though.

"We can't bring gifts, Magnus," Aro explained. "Never trust a gift from a Greek."

Basileus looked incredulously to his son. "The phrase is 'beware of Greeks bearing gifts', you Philistine."

"I'm the Philistine?!" Aro shot back. "You wrote that about our own people!"

Aro had him there. "I was pissed with my vampiric stock when I wrote that. It may have been a mistake in hindsight."

Coming back to the table, Magnus told them, "There's bloodwine, as always. Whiskey, as always," then his eyes landed on the bottle in the centre of the table. "Oh, try this," he said, popping the stopper and pouring some into each glass.

"Nothing in that special little safe of yours?" Aro asked as Magnus poured.

"Aye, there's plenty of dungeon blood in there," Magnus replied, rolling his eyes to Basileus - Aro hadn't been pleased to discover that only the octogenarian members of the elite would be keeping dungeon blood in future. In special little safes, no less!

"That's me, you, and El sorted then," Basileus said to Magnus with a wink. "What about the immature brats who can't handle it?"

"Any need, Dad?" Aro scowled. "Any need?"

Basileus smiled back at him. "Any need for you to keep bringing up the safes?"

"There would be no need at all if I had one."

"If you were mature enough to possess the contents I might have considered getting you one." Basileus was quick to throw Caius to the flame, too. "I'm not sure why you're laughing, Caius? You're in the same position as him."

"Whoa!" Eleazar exclaimed having taken a swing of Magnus' new wine, and again deflecting a crisis at their table. "This is good!"

"It's nice, isn't it," Magnus said proudly. "I brought it back from France a few years ago."

Basileus went next, equally impressed as his eldest son. "You've been holding out on us, my friend." It was like nothing he had tasted before. No wine, at least. It fizzed on the tongue and tasted sweet! "Are you saving it?"

"Not particularly…" before the words had left his mouth, there was a table scrum for the bottle. "I have three more bottles up here, and more in the dungeons."

Aro gestured for the man to bugger off down to the dungeons and fetch the rest.

"You think we'll need more than three?" Magnus asked. He was planning a night on the whiskey.

"Aro will need more than three," Caius said, nodding at the door also.

"Because Caius is a saint who doesn't drink a drop." Odi tittered to himself from the sofas. "Unless its dungeon blood, of course."

Magnus had completely forgot the kid was still there.

"I'll fetch more wine," he told the group and then gave Odi a good shove into the bedroom hallway. "You will go to your room."

"Bet I don't," Odi said, rooted to the spot.

"Bet he does," Basileus told Magnus with a nod.

Magnus wouldn't have been against Basileus involving himself in his family affairs usually. He firmly believed that it took a village to raise a child. With the unfriendliness of the last few days, however, Magnus felt nervous leaving Odi in the creator's care. That said, if Basileus could get Odi to his bed chamber, then the opportunity for hostility between Caius and Odi would lessen immeasurably – which would be better for everyone.

Once Magnus had gone, Basileus clicked his fingers for the boy to join him. "Whats wrong with you, Odi?" he asked when he was in grabbing distance.

"Tired and emotional," Caius explained. "And starving."

"I am not," Odi insisted.

Basileus could hear Caius' thought and he knew the man wasn't simply trying to wind up the kid.

"Look at his eyes," Caius suggested.

"How would you even know from my eyes?" Odi asked. "It's not like you have a gift - you _are_ completely gift-less, right?"

"It's not a gift," Basileus explained. "It's a talent."

From all his years raising newborns in the dungeons, Caius has the talent down to a fine art. He could tell between the briefest of shades what a vampire needed. Basileus always trusted his word on such matters.

"Does he sleep?" Eleazar asked. Tired had been thrown around a few times and he wasn't aware of Odi sleeping.

"Not really," Aro said, waving his hand for a refill when Caius picked up the bottle. "More like Irina."

"I'm nothing like Irina, thanks."

Aro wondered briefly if Felix was in the room hearing such abrasion. "I was referring to the fact that you need to sleep occasionally."

"I don't fucking sleep!"

"He likes to call it resting," Caius explained. Smirking, he added, "He thinks it sounds more grown up."

Aro laughed along with Caius. "Aww, bless him."

"I wish you pair would try sounding grown up," Basileus boomed disapprovingly. "Odi, we know why you wish to keep it from the coven that you sl… rest."

That near slip cost Basileus a warning growl from the angry young vampire. Odi was lucky Basileus could hear the kid's thoughts and how stressed he was, or he might well have taken the boy over his knee at the table! _I_ _'_ _m getting soft,_ he thought. _That_ _'_ _s Magnus' doing!_

"No one here will tell anyone else," Aro assured the boy. "You have nothing to worry about. Get yourself to bed before you land yourself in trouble." He hadn't left his brood at home only to suffer someone else's.

"No," Odi replied. He walked back to his sofa and returned to his cross-legged position, glaring out the window into the night skies.

"Excuse me?!" Aro started to stand until Basileus settled him back down and when to sort out the kid himself.

Standing in front of Odi, or rather, towering over him, he asked, "Who do you think you're talking to, boy?"

Odi didn't reply verbally – he let his face do the talking.

"Wipe that look off your face, or I will."

Continuing to glare out of the window, Odi kept his smirk right where it was. "I can't be held responsible for what my face does when you talk."

Seeing Basileus raising his hand, Caius felt compelled to act.

"He's starving, Basileus," he called over. "He's refusing to feed. That's what's wrong with him."

"Why's he doing that?" Eleazar asked.

He had lived for three hundred years and spent much of that time with Aro's kids, but he was still finding out how young vampires worked. Having the Denali girls had taken him by surprise and he was doing his best to learn about all issues pertaining to the care of young vampires. Refusing to feed was a new one on him.

"I am not refusing to feed." Odi tutted and looked away. "I am simply refusing to be forced to feed."

The adults in the room all gave each other a look. Odi knew what look it was. The look that said, 'aww, bless the stupid immature child and his irrational logic'. Considering he knew the look so well, one might have thought that he would take notice of it. But no. It simply made Odi dig his heels in further. That said, his nerve was failing him as the creator towered over him. So much so that he was glad when his father returned to break the tension.

"What a very loud silence," Magnus remarked. He set the bottles down on the sideboard and placed his hands on his hips. "Would you rather go to your room?" he asked his boy. "Or stay here and explain yourself to me?"

Odi watched in dismay as his father moved one hand from his hip to place it on the buckle of his belt. _What am I doing?!_ the boy asked himself. _I_ _'_ _m making myself look such a fool._ To preserve the last of his pride, Odi flashed passed Basileus and stamped down the hallway, entered his room and slammed the door. Okay, so that didn't really help the looking like a fool thing, but it had felt good at the time. What felt _less_ good, however, was listening to the fuckers discussing him from the next room!

"Why is he starving himself?" Basileus asked Magnus.

"Pride," Magnus replied, to a chorus of pity laughs. "I know, I know," Magnus continued. "I've insisted he feeds, but he's trying to show me who's boss."

"I've had Felix trying to show me who's boss," Aro jutted in, and then regaled them all with the horrors of living with a teenage boy who snuck his girlfriend in through the window. "He came home playing the big shot," Aro went on. "Until the belt came off."

 _Aren_ _'_ _t you all so funny?_ Odi fumed from behind his door hearing them all laughing along. There were even the odd congratulatory chinks of wine glasses telling Aro what a good dad he was, and how you can't let kids get away with breaking the rules. _Arseholes._

"I get the same with Odi," Magnus jumped back in. "That boy can listen, ignore, and forget at the same time, which is quite an achievement for a vampire."

More condescending laughter as Odi fumed. _The absolutely bastards!_

"You'll have to get this feeding thing under control, my friend," Basileus said, getting serious. "We can't have him developing a blood lust for the sake of his pride."

To Odi's surprise, his father readily agreed! "If he doesn't drink soon, I'll force feed him."

"Give me a shout if you want someone to hold him down."

"I think that had better be me, Caius," Basileus said, knowing the young master would enjoy the job far too much.

In the midst of all the laughter and mocking conversation, Carlisle turned up looking for Odi.

"He can't come out tonight, Carlisle," Magnus explained awkwardly. "I'm sure he'll be out tomorrow."

"If he feeds," Basileus added with raised eyebrows to Magnus.

"Aye," Magnus agreed. "If he feeds."

"Can I see him, at least?" Carlisle asked.

Magnus looked back to the hallway and then to Carlisle again. "Best not, he's not in a very good mood."

"He's sulking, gobbing off, and has been sent of bed."

"Very helpful, Caius," Magnus said shaking his head. "Thank you."

"Stay and join the game, brother," Eleazar suggested. They were beginning a fresh round so it was no hard ship to deal him in.

It was a better offer than going home alone, so Carlisle took the seat his brother had offered.

"Don't you have plans?" Aro asked, clearly unhappy about having his baby brother tagging along.

"None that I need to honour," Carlisle told him, picking up his cards.

Caius wasn't doing so great being nice to Odi, but with Basileus there he thought it would be a good idea to show he held no ill will against Carlisle. "Aro, don't be such a dick," he said, tutting at his co-master's immaturity. "Let him play."

"Bit rich coming from you!" Magnus thought it, Basileus said it. They both cracked up realising they were effectively speaking as one.

Things had been tense between the two for a few days and it was nice to kick back and relax without Magnus feeling on the verge of another bollocking, or Basileus feeling on

the verge of being forced to issue one.

Magnus and Basileus may have felt better, but Odi felt ten times worse. Especially now Carlisle was there, too. It just wasn't fair! And he knew that was a childish thought, but he didn't care. His life sucked!

He stood in his room shaking with rage as the conversation started up again, still on troublesome kids, only this time his mate was there to hear it. And they didn't even hold back. Aro filled Carlisle in on what had happened with Felix and Corin – Odi was sure that story hadn't been quite so embellished the first time around – and then Eleazar added in his own stresses dealing with the warring Denali girls. _Aha_ , Odi thought. _That explains why Irina and Kate are so pally now. Irina must be trying to make amends with her sisters_ _…_ _she can't be all bad, then,_ he mused.

And then conversation turned back to Odi.

 _No, Dad!_ Odi whined, banging his head against the door.

Magnus had either forgot his son could be awake and listening, or he simply didn't feel the need to hide the details of correcting his child. Odi knew it was likely the latter. Magnus had always aimed to praise in public, and punished in private, which Odi was grateful for. But this same issue had been a sticking point for Odi since as far back as he could remember – Magnus' idea of 'private' was quite different to Odi's. When it came to discipline, Odi's private consisted of him, his father, and only very grudgingly his mother. Magnus cast a wider net with his idea of private. He included the same three, but also his close friends and family. Always had, even back in their human days. In more modern times, that meant Caius and Dora were in on the private, as were Basileus and Atia and Marcus. And now it seemed, Aro, Eleazar and Carlisle! Basically, for Magnus, if you were close enough to be invited into his private chambers, you were part of his inner circle.

 _Carlisle is my friend,_ Odi thought to his old man. _Not yours._

Odi didn't even care that Carlisle was being subjected to the same treatment by Basileus. Even Aro had a few details revealed by the creator as the merry group played cards and drank their stress away. Quite frankly, Odi didn't give a shit if they were suffering some _mild_ embarrassment - he was suffering extreme! He did notice that Carlisle and Aro appeared to be laughing along, however. _It would be better to be out there doing the same than sat in here like some sort of dysfunctional child in shame._

"Dad," he called, cracking the door open. "Dad!"

Caius gave a dramatic sigh - loud enough for Odi to hear him. "Isn't he meant to be 'resting'?"

"DAD!" Odi tried again. "Could you come here, please."

"No," Magnus called back. "I'm winning, and I can't trust these bastards not to swap the cards."

"As if we would!" Aro barely got the words out for laughing - he so would!

"Please, Dad."

"You'll have to wait for the round to end."

 _Okay,_ Odi said to himself. He could use the time to calm himself down. Prove he's level headed. _Not tired and emotional._ He suddenly wished he'd drank the bloodwine his mother offered earlier. Siting on the edge of his bed, Odi concentrated on his breathing. Nice and slow, in and out. _Shit, that's making me tired._ Quick slaps to his cheeks to wake him up a bit.

"What now?" Magnus asked from the door way, watching his boy with amused eyes.

"May I… I mean… Carlisle's here…" Odi gave his father his very best puppy dog eyes and added. "I've calmed down."

Magnus folded his arms. "You're still tired and your emotions are fraught," he said, reading the boy's current state.

"I'm calmer though, aren't I?"

"Aye, a little." Magnus sighed, knowing he would surely regret what he was about to do. "You've already offended the creator and embarrassed yourself. Any more cheek, and I'll be embarrassing you."

 _More, you mean?_ Odi thought, though he kept the sullen thoughts from his face.

"Do you understand me?" Magnus asked, eyeing his boy.

Odi bounced to his feet. "Yes, sir."

Magnus followed his boy back to the table. _I must be mad._

"Seriously?" Caius asked when the kid came into view.

"Deal him in," Magnus replied, pulling a chair over for Odi and planting the kid in it.

"Caius, don't be such a dick, let him play," Aro sang out in much the way Caius had to him when Carlisle took a seat.

"It's different."

"I don't see how," Aro shrugged. "Deal the kid in." He didn't understand Caius' issue with Odi and he was bored of the guy's bad mood. He also quite liked getting Caius back for having Carlisle join them.

"Carlisle is your brother," Caius shot back to Aro, eyes flickering to Magnus and Basileus as they both knew how he felt about Odi (or _had_ felt). "That's the difference."

"Carlisle is my son, Odi is Magnus'," Basileus pointed out. "There's no difference."

"Aro has three sons," Caius reminded the man. His annoyance taking over good sense. "Should we go and round up all the coven brats?"

"Caius, I won't tell you again." Basileus rested one arm on the back of his chair so his whole upper body turned in Caius' direction. "Deal. Him. In."

 _I_ _'_ _m not getting another kicking for Odi,_ Caius thought under the creator's oppressive glower, and made to pick up the pack of cards.

"Yeah, Caius, deal me in," Odi sang out, smug smile plastered on his face.

 _Nope. Can_ _'_ _t do it._ Caius shot to his feet. "I'm going home."

"You can't go home," Magnus reminded him. "Dora's having a girls' night."

"I'm sure they'll be happy to have me join in."

Caius was nearly out the door when he heard Odi say, "Maybe me and Carlisle should come, too?"

With so little warning between thought and action, Basileus didn't have chance to intercept Caius. Like a bird taking flight, the aggrieved coven master dove into the air, over the table, and took Odi down to the floor.

It took the combined efforts of Basileus and Magnus to drag Caius away from the kid, luckily before he'd done too much damage. Magnus concentrated his gift on Caius to bring the man's emotions down to an even keel, and just when he had, Odi, unrestrained and in an unexpected act of vengeance, booted Caius in the head!

Magnus caught hold of his boy and dragged him to the opposite side of the room, but Caius and Odi continued to rip into each other verbally. Most of their words were thankfully muffled with Magnus squeezing the air out of Odi in a bear hug and Basileus squashing Caius into the floor.

"Lads," Magnus called out over the din to the Volturi brothers. "I think we should call it a night."

Aro picked up the bottle of wine from the floor, somehow unbroken. "Do you mind if I take this bottle?"

"Take two," Magnus replied, jutting his chin in the direction of the sideboard where the other bottles were safely stored. He just wanted them out of the way before either Caius or Odi said something too damning.

Aro beamed.

"Bring it to mine," Carlisle suggested. "We can finish the game."

Basileus told them to shut the door, and then he levelled his disappointment at Magnus.

"I told you to sort this out," he said, disgusted at the display he had witnessed.

"Not everything can just be sorted out at your whim." Magnus paused, fixed Odi into one arm and clouted the little sod with his free hand. "Some things take time."

"Fuck time!" Basileus bellowed back, also pausing to give Caius a slap. "Look at the pair of them!"

Neither Odi or Caius had paid any attention to strikes they had received, and neither had noticed the others had gone. Their full focus was concentrated on telling the other what a prick he was.

"I've made it clear I'm not choosing sides…"

 _Not choosing sides?!_ Basileus. Was. Done. He lifted Caius slightly from the floor and then slammed him back down, knocking the wind right out of him. Leaning down close to his ear whilst he was recovering from the shock, Basileus told him, "You calm yourself now, or I'll call for your…"

He didn't have to finish his sentence. Caius immediately stilled. He didn't even breathe. _'I'm calm,'_ he replied through his thoughts. _'_ _I'm calm'._

Odi couldn't possibly have heard what Basileus had said to Caius, but his curiosity took over his anger and he calmed, too. (It wasn't actually his curiosity - it was his father's emphatic gift, but Odi didn't need to know that.)

Dragging Caius to his feet, Basileus next shoved him in the direction of the upturned table and chairs. "Sort that mess out!" he commanded.

Magnus felt his temper flare hearing the creator ordering Caius about in his own chambers. It had been galling to watch Caius being kicked about in the training fields two days before - Magnus hadn't agreed with it happening, but he had reasoned it away. There was no good reason for Basileus staying and commanding Caius when he was in the same room! That said, there were two sides to Magnus and Basileus' relationship - their friendship, and their roles in the coven. Something told Magnus Basileus would be leaving their friendship out of whatever he had planned.

Clicking his fingers at Odi, Basileus told the kid to start helping with the clean-up, too.

 _Yup,_ Magnus sighed. _This is the creator, not my mate._

After issuing a few threats to the pair, Basileus took Magnus aside. "They think you're choosing between them anyway," he explained. "They both think you are choosing the others side by _not_ choosing theirs. Pick one and tell the other to suck it up.

Magnus shook his head. "I can't do that."

"For fuck sake, Magnus!" Basileus boomed and balled his hand into a fist. He didn't punch him, but he really wanted to. Simply to stop himself going through with it, Basileus moved back a few paces. Jabbing angrily in Caius and Odi's direction, he ground out, "They are causing a shit storm in my coven and neither of them care who knows about it so long as their precious secrets are kept! I'm done."

"What do you mean?" Magnus suddenly felt more anxious than angry.

Caius, too, felt a flash of fear. _Oh fuck_. Wide eyes on Basileus, he tried to work out what then man was going to do. _Is he going to tell everyone?_ He fretted. Revealing the secret relationships going on in the north tower was right up there with Caius' greatest fears. Then another fear crossed his mind, one perhaps even scarier than having his cover blown… Magnus' 'or else' had been that Caius would have to fall back under Basileus if he refused to listen to reason. _Please, not that. Anything but that!_

Basileus dragged a hand down his face as he firmed up his plans then gave a curt nod to Magnus. "I'll leave you to sort out their relationship, but I'm sorting out their behaviour as you are clearly unwilling to step up and deal with them."

"Huh?! What?!" Magnus took a moment to work out what that mean. _I_ _'_ _m not turning them over to you!_ "No… wait…"

Basileus shook off the juggernaut's hand on his arm. "Leave," he told him.

"These are my chambers, Basileus, and they are my… sons."

"Fine. I'll take them to my place and drag them kicking and screaming through the castle to get there." Hearing Caius' thoughts, he added, "Yes, you will be screaming, Caius, I'll make sure of it."

"I won't let you take him from me."

Basileus barrelled around and glared at Magnus for daring to speak against him so openly. "You can't stop me," he warned, voice low and dangerous. "If you want to preserve his pride, you'll need to leave."

Magnus cursed himself. _I_ _'_ _m as bad as the kids letting my emotions get the better of me like this._ He couldn't object to the creator's decision, not with how final he seemed. At least if he could stay he could be there for his sons in some way. _Better than abandoning them to your mercies_.

"Let me stay," he asked, in a more sombre tone. "I won't interfere, my lord. Please allow me to stay."

Basileus' mouth dropped open. "I'm not your lord."

Magnus was glad he'd taken it as an insult - friends don't lord it over one another, but that's exactly what Basileus was doing to him. Magnus offered a sad smile and bowed his head. "Oh, but I think you are."

"If that's what you really think then you know better than to question my authority."

"I'm not questioning your authority, my lord," Magnus replied, his head still bowed. "I'm merely making a request."

"Fine. Stay. Just stay out of my way."

Magnus muttered his thanks and took himself to the front door to wait where he worked on keeping himself in check. It was the furthest away he could get without leaving, so seemed appropriate.

Basileus scowled at the deferential display Magnus was putting on, seriously unimpressed. Actually, he might have been scowling at his guilt over causing said display… but he couldn't think on that - he had Caius and Odi to deal with. He was already regretting saying he would do it, but as he had, the only way forward was to get it over with as quickly as possible.

 _Atia will have my balls if I_ _'_ _ve fucked things up with Magnus._

With that depressing thought in mind, Basileus collected his cane from the table where one of the lads had placed it and fixed his sights on Caius.

"Get over here."

 _In here?_ Caius groaned. _With Odi present?_ Hoping Magnus might suggest something more appropriate, he chanced a glace in man's direction - Basileus wasn't standing for that. "Don't you dare look for him now. You had you're chance to follow Magnus' advice and you ignored him, so now you're answering to me."

Caius hung his head as Basileus continued to rant at him.

"I gave you a kicking two days ago for your viciousness against your peers…" Basileus heard Caius' thoughts as he repeated 'peers' in a disgusted tone. "Carlisle is my son. Odi is Magnus'. That makes the pair of them your peers. Any arguments?!"

"No, my lord."

"Prepare yourself," Basileus told the young master. "You are wearing far too much for what I have planned."

"He's always wearing too much. He looks like a priest." Odi started tittering. "Or a girl."

"It's called fashion, you prick, and any one with their own money around here wears the same." Caius looked Odi up and down who still wore his gifted coat in a similar style. With a sly grin he added, "Even the scroungers like you."

Magnus lost control of his barely suppressed growl for a moment which saw Basileus, Caius and Odi all turn to him in surprise. "Please give Caius a slap for that last comment."

"Happy to oblige," Basileus said with a small bow of his head. And then he cracked Caius good and proper across his. "Don't be cruel!" he warned, repeating what he'd heard in Magnus' mind.

Caius sucked in his breath at the sting. Basileus slapped him right where Odi had booted him! He soon jumped back a step when the creator threatened another one if he didn't start stripping.

Stalling for time, Caius slowly slid his coat from his shoulders and placed it carefully on the table, smoothing out imaginary creases.

"It's just a coat," Odi tutted, rolling his eyes at Caius display.

Caius cut across the kid with his eyes. "It's called a justacorps, you cretin."

Odi gave a snort. "Justacoat," he said, mangling the term.

Before he could stop himself, Caius took half a step towards the boy, only to have Basileus appear in front of him, tapping the end of his cane on the floor.

"You really are begging for this, aren't you?"

Caius felt his stomach flip. Any questions he'd had about what Basileus would be wielding against him disappeared, along with his nerve. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

He went back to undressing, unbuttoning his waistcoat next and adding the garment to his coat.

"Do you know what this is?" he hissed to Odi. "Or don't they wear waistcoats in the slums?"

"Prick."

Basileus gave Caius and Odi a growl for those comments.

"Keep it up, Caius," Basileus sang out, reminding everyone of Aro with his tone. "You'll regret it before anyone else does."

Cursing his own inability to keep his trap shut, Caius set to methodically untucking his shirt, making sure it was entirely free before moving on to his cuffs and unfastening his cuff links. He dared a look up at that point, still hoping Magnus would rescue him from Basileus' mercies before it was too late.

In that moment, Caius finally clicked on this whole performance was as much a punishment for Magnus as it was for him and Odi. The man looked bereft. Leaning with his back against the closed door and his arms folded across his chest, Magnus kept a firm hold of his own biceps to keep his hands from forming fists and thumping the creator.

Setting the cuff links on the table, Caius noticed Odi still glaring at him, with the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face. _Doesn_ _'_ _t even have the sense to be scared,_ Caius tutted to himself before forcing himself to turn away.

Basileus answered the young master's thoughts with a mirthless chuckle. "He has more sense than you." Pulling out a chair, Basileus took a seat and laughed again, that time with humour. "You know, Caius, you are usually much more contrite when you face me. Should I assume this display is for Magnus? Are you trying to fool him into believing you are always objectionable to correction as you have been so often with him?"

"No, my lord."

"Spit my title like that again and you'll be spitting your fangs out next, boy."

Caius baulked, but quickly apologised.

"He isn't objectionable with me," Magnus spoke up. _He knows I_ _'_ _m fair._

Basileus caught his silent comment, of course. "Yes, he is, my friend. I have seen," he added, tapping his temple. "You're too soft, you're also not interfering in this."

Now fully understanding that Magnus wouldn't, make that _couldn't_ come to his rescue, and Odi would watching whatever happened with demented glee, Caius took to grumbling his annoyance under his breath and undid the three buttons on his high collar. After that, there was nothing left but to pull his shirt over his head and drop it on the table.

Basileus was right on one score - Caius never dared voice his objections in the creator's presence during their previous dances with 'correction'. But all those times seemed so long ago, and Caius wasn't that man anymore. Regardless of the crime back then, whether justified or not, Caius had seen himself as a victim of the creator's discipline… which usually amounted to the creator's anger, as opposed to correction. Caius had no hope of a fair trial, and certainly not of a fair punishment. It was a simple case of 'you're getting what you get', so keep your head down and your mouth shut and you _might_ save yourself a strike or two. Magnus didn't work that way. He would have Caius convinced of his need for correction long before he took the man to task, so Caius had no argument to offer.

Caius could see the difference between the two men - it was glaring, after all - but he didn't think much on it. Basileus was the creator of vampiric kind - a busy man with a full family of his own. If Caius had brought himself to the attention of the demi God, it was his own damn fault and he'd take what was due. There was no bitterness there anymore, merely a pragmatic appraisal of the score.

Odi, though… having the kid standing across the room whilst he took what was due, whatever that would be, _that_ was getting to Caius.

"Aha!" Basileus called out. "Odi, my boy. _You_ are bothering him."

"He doesn't like me breathing."

Caius heard Odi sharing a laugh with the creator and something inside him clicked. "No!"

"No, what?" Basileus asked, cocking his head to one side.

Caius ignored the man and turned to Odi, though he was careful not to make it look like he was approaching the kid. "Don't laugh with him, Odi. He's reeling you in, and he'll turn on you as quickly as he hooked you." Caius looked back at Basileus with disgust in his eyes before turning back to Odi. "It's how he plays with people. Don't let him play with you. You're a good kid - do not let him change you."

Having a limited knowledge of the creator worked, Odi wasn't entirely sure what Caius meant. But he knew Caius was trying to help him, sticking up for him for somehow. Even after all the hurt Caius had inflicted on the kid, Odi still smiled, grateful for the scrap of care the man offered.

Magnus couldn't hide the smile from his face, either. He had never been prouder: Proud of Odi for always being so willing to forgive; proud of Caius for putting aside his anger (if only for the moment) to protect Odi; and a little proud of himself, too, knowing that, despite what Basileus claimed, he wasn't doing a bad job of bringing them all together as a family under trying circumstances.

Basileus stood up very slowly, very purposefully, hoping to intimidate Caius for his insult. "What did you just say?" he ground out, all good humour gone, however fake it may have been.

Caius held his ground, but he couldn't find his voice.

"Lost for words, huh?" Stepping forward, Basileus pushed Caius back a step by a jab to the chest. "Or come to your senses?"

His shoulder swung back, but Caius kept his mouth shut. He'd said all he dared, and he was glad he had, but he wouldn't say more. Not until Basileus collected his cane, at least - he soon whispered a meaningless sorry when he saw that damn thing in the creator's hand.

"You're not using that on my sons, my friend."

Basileus looked back to Magnus with a raised eyebrow in question. "So, I'm your friend again now?"

"If you are, you won't use that on my sons," Magnus replied, relaxing his stance. "You can't do that to them."

"You've done this to them both."

Magnus grimaced, but agreed. ' _I know that you would like to see me conduct things differently, but there are times I would like to see you conduct affairs in your family differently, too. We_ _'_ _re different, my friend. But I don't necessarily think either of us are wrong. Don't take your annoyance with me out on them. I fear it will affect our friendship'._

Caius and Odi looked between the two men. It was clear Magnus was speaking to Basileus through thought alone, but both wished they could have caught the audio version to see where their hopes lay. Whatever Magnus was saying, they could both see it had put Basileus on the back foot.

For the longest time, no one spoke. It slowly dawned on Basileus what a cunt he was being. _An evil cunt,_ he thought, using the same term for himself that his grandsons once used for Caius. He didn't like that one little bit. _Magnus is right, we are different, and that needs to be okay._

He could still feel the tension in his bones. That's when he realised what his real problem was - he was upset. Upset that Magnus hadn't whipped the little sods into complete obedience in the first place (though he now regretted ordering that anyway), upset that his best friend in the world had called him 'my lord' the way he had, and upset with Caius for laying open the very worst part of his character so brazenly when he came to Odi's defence. _Damn it!_

There was one thought he couldn't voice even in the privacy of his own mind, but Basileus showed Magnus that he was putting their friendship over his need to be right, over his own ego, by placing his cane on the table next to Caius' clothes.

Magnus released a shaky breath. ' _Thank you'._

Basileus bobbed his head and crossed the room to the man. "I still need to do something," he breathed, barely above a whisper.

"I know that," Magnus replied. "One of us needs to whip them so it might as well be you now you've calmed down," he added with a cocky smirk.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Basileus snorted. "Take all the time you need with mending their relationship, but I want any future animosity dealt with before it affects other coven members."

Magnus could see his own softly-softly approach had made things worse, not better. He should have learnt that two days before when Caius kicked Odi around the training fields, or at least when Odi had taken a swing at him. Letting things go was making everything worse. That would change.

"You can still be fair whilst being firm, brother."

Magnus looked like a drowning fish for a moment hearing the term of endearment coming from the creator. Basileus, too, looked perplexed with his word choice… but it had slipped off his tongue so easily!

"Right," he said, pulling himself together and returning to Caius and Odi. "Let's get on with this, shall we?"

Caius looked to Magnus again with a renewed hope for help, or at least a clue. Magnus shrugged back at him.

"If it's not him, it's me," he said, as though that would offer any solace to his sons.

Basileus started laughing reading their thoughts and told Magnus, "They choose you."

"Tough," Magnus replied, laughing back.

 _Bollocks,_ Caius and Odi thought combined, assuming they were getting the cane after all. Caius huffed and walked to the wall, placing his hands at shoulder height and spreading his legs a little. Odi was quite impressed - he would need to be dragged to that wall and held in place if the creator wanted to wallop him with his cane!

"No, I don't think we'll do it like that after all."

Caius looked back nervously, wondering what the hell Basileus was on about. "Oh no. Not that. Anything but that!" he turned back to the wall and fixed himself in position. He would need to be dragged to that chair and held in place if the creator wanted to wallop him over his knee!

Basileus waited with his foot up on the chair he had previously sat in, smiling calmly to Caius and patting his knee.

 _Fuck no. Just no._ "I'm sorry, okay?" Caius rushed, still facing the wall. "Odi, I'm sorry. I'll back off. We're not alright yet. But we will be. I'm not there yet so I'll back off until I am."

Basileus and Magnus smiled at him with genuine warmth. "Nicely done," Basileus said. "Now get over here."

 _Oh hell!_ "Please, my lord…" Caius couldn't do it. He couldn't beg.

He knew he had it coming, and he knew nothing he could say would stop Basileus when he had set his mind to the task. _Though Magnus apparently has that power,_ he thought bitterly. Admitting defeat, Caius made his way to the creator. Putting both hands on the mans' shelf-like thigh, he went to hoist himself up and over, only to have Basileus push him off.

"Drop them," he said, pointing at Caius' britches.

Caius laughed at first, then the horror dawned on him. _You_ _'_ _re serious?!_ "If I drop my britches I won't be wearing anything," he pointed out. "Could I at least put my shirt back on?"

That got a snigger from Magnus, Basileus, and Odi! They weren't teasing his discomfort, it was just quite the surprise to hear Caius cared about such things! He rarely wore more than shorts in his own home, and often not even those unless expecting company. In fact, Basileus could well remember the time of the early Olympics back in Greece when he had allowed Aro and Caius to join the games and compete as 'Gods' for the mortals - both stripped naked, as was customary. Nakedness just wasn't an issue for most men of their time.

Naturally, Basileus shared this with Magnus and Odi, with Magnus soon adding his own thoughts. Mainly that Caius' chambers were kept so stiflingly hot with every damn fire lit at all times - rain or shine - that juggernaut frequently stripped down to his britches in the ground floor suite whilst wishing Dora would bugger off so that he could lose those as well!

"This is different!" Caius insisted, reaching for his shirt.

Basileus slapped his hand away. "I've spent enough of my time here this evening as it is. You've dragged this out long enough, Caius." He set to work himself unbuttoning the man's britches. "Freyr will be back before we get started at this rate…"

That was all Caius needed to be reminded of for good sense to kick in. He ripped the final button clean off and dropped his britches, along with the last shreds of his dignity, and threw himself over Basileus' knee.

Crack! "Good lad," Basileus said, adding another solid smack to the man's upended rear.

 _A good lad?!_ Caius repeated to himself. _Is there anything more demeaning?!_

"Other than the position you're in, you mean?" Basileus asked, replying to Caius' thoughts and never once breaking his stride.

Before long, Basileus had Caius panting through the building burn, and with only a few more forceful smacks, Caius was grunting and even gave the odd yelp in response.

Magnus widened his eyes to Basileus, conveying that was enough. _If you bring him to tears in front of Odi, Caius will never make peace with him,_ he warned. He was right, too, and Basileus knew it.

Pausing, but holding Caius in place, he asked Magnus, "How does he feel to you?"

"Mortified, mostly." Magnus hid his smile behind his hand as he amended his statement. "Make that almost entirely now we are discussing him."

Caius whimpered - he had been aiming for a groan but it definitely came off as a whimper.

"There's some regret there, too," Magnus offered to bring an end to Caius' torture.

"Then I'd say we're done for the animosity and the brawl." Before Caius could remove himself entirely, Basileus tipped him back over. "Not so fast," he said followed by a rapid-fire set of slaps to the back of Caius' legs. They came so think and so fast, and not to mention unexpectedly, that Caius released a pained gasp before getting himself under control.

Whilst he was still catching his breath, Basileus set him on his feet and clicked his fingers for Caius to pay him attention.

"That was for messing me about," he explained. "You know better."

Caius remembered learning that lesson early in the creator's coven. "You snapped my wrist for it once," he said, eyes flickering to Magnus knowing he wouldn't approve and would hopefully give his buddy shit for it.

Basileus sighed and rolled his eyes knowing exactly what Caius was doing. "Take your brat back before I'm tempted to do it again." He shoved the young master in Magnus' direction, but it was good natured.

Caius wasted no time in whipping his britches back up. It burned all over again as he did so but standing between two of the greatest men in their world was not the time to have your bruised backside on show. Not for any longer than necessary, at least.

"You okay?" Magnus asked, passing over Caius' shirt.

 _Oh yeah, absolutely fine and fucking dandy._ "You didn't have to stand so fucking close." No sooner had the words left his mouth, Caius had regretted saying them. They were all for his head, really.

"Sounds like he wants to you have a go, too, my friend."

Magnus placed a comforting hand on Caius' shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze whilst silently absorbing a little of his over-wrought emotions. He flicked his free hand out to catch Basileus. "Stop scaring my kid, you mean old bastard."

Caius took his time pulling his head out of his shirt so he could hide the faint smile he wore. The last few days had sucked. Really sucked. He'd had a kicking from the creator in front of half the coven - _more than half the coven_ \- and he'd gone toe to toe with Magnus a few times. Not to mention how shitty he felt for the way he had treated Odi… _really shitty._ But a few times that night Magnus had nailed his flag to the mast and called Caius _his._ 'Mine'. 'My son'. 'My kid'.

Magnus had even tried to hold Basileus off to begin with. _And Christ knows what he said to get the guy to put that cane down?!_ Though Caius wasn't sure whether that was something to be grateful for after ending up over the creator's knee with an audience so close by! Still, he appreciated Magnus' intentions would have been good - they always were. _All in all, an horrendous night, but somehow it was an improvement on the last few days, which I hadn_ _'_ _t thought were that bad… until tonight._ Caius wasn't a big thinker, so that made absolutely no sense to him whatsoever!

Odi was much simpler to deal with - he learnt from Caius' mistake of dragging things out and preferred the option of going over Basileus' knee for a spanking rather than grappled to the wall for a canning. Preferred wasn't quite the right word, there - Odi would have preferred a goblet of bloodwine to settle his nerves and being sent for a rest. He presented himself at the creator's side, but then his bottle went, so he dropped his chin to his chest and waited to be instructed.

"Are you waiting for an invitation, son?" Magnus asked, prompting his kid to get his arse in gear.

Basileus quirked a smirk at Magnus and hauled Odi over his knee in one swift movement. "You clearly don't wail these lads enough if they need prompting for every action."

"I didn't realise there was a target to aim for," Magnus chuckled back.

Crack! "This is the target," Basileus rather empathetically explained.

Odi had thought Caius' turn was excruciating with the protracted time from beginning to end, and the near naked state of undress, but he definitely found his own turn worse. Having his old man and the creator continue their mild jibes at one another over this head - or ass, actually - whilst Basileus warmed him up through his britches was beyond bizarre.

Caius stayed out the way, doing his best not to watch, or at least not to be caught watching. _How come he gets to stay fully clothed when I had to be ripped of every shred of my dignity?!_ Caius quickly took a look at Basileus and shook his head. _I don_ _'_ _t need an answer, thank you, my lord._

Basileus closed his mouth as he was about to offer a reply, as he had been doing with Caius' thoughts for much of the night. _Fair enough,_ he thought.

Odi knew he should have been paying attention to whoever was taking the time to correct his behaviour - he was sure he'd heard his parents tell him something like that a few times over the years. But he couldn't. He blamed Basileus and his father for conducting a conversation around him far too distracting, and Basileus wasn't' putting all that much effort it, anyway. Besides, Caius had given the kid more to think about than either the creator or the juggernaut that night. _He said he was sorry,_ Odi told himself. _He said he would forgive me. Not yet, sure, but he would. He said we_ _'_ _ll be okay._

Without any warning, Basileus hauled the kid up and plonked him down to sit on the table top. Odi gave a loud yelp, reacting properly for the first time during his punishment when his backside made contact with the hard wood. Paying the reaction little attention, Basileus brought his face in close to Odi's.

"When a man is down, and you are no longer under attack," he said, Odi already wincing because he knew what the man was referring to. "You do not kick them in the head. Its uncivilized."

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Basileus stood back and gestured to a now partially dressed Caius. He had attempted to put on the waistcoat and justacorps, or justacoat as Caius now thought of it, but quickly changed his mind. Both garments were rich, thick, heavy material and grazed the back of his knees, as was the fashion, which was just too much contact after being spanked by a vampiric demi god.

Odi looked to the man shyly and offered his apology to the right person.

Caius bobbed his head, accepted, and flashed from the middle floor suite.

With a clap of his hands, Basileus declared the unpleasantness over with and started pulling Magnus to the door. "Come to mine and collect your mate or she'll never leave."

Magnus paused to grab his cloak. "I'll tell Freyr you said that, shall I?"

"Good God no!" Basileus choked out. "She'll kill me off!"

"I might tell her," they heard Odi call from across the room where he stood rubbing the sting out of his backside.

Magnus swung his cloak around his shoulders and fixed the clasp at his neck as he made his way back to his youngest. Wrapping his arms around the kid, he kissed the boy's head and told him, "You had better be in bed when I get home, son."

Odi groaned but nodded along. He _had_ been tired before, _now I_ _'_ _m shattered!_ He didn't go to bed, though. Waiting just enough time for Basileus and Magnus to be clear of the north tower, he crept down to the bottom floor.

"Caius," Odi called, opening the door a smidge. Dora still had Chelsea and Renata there, but he couldn't wait. "Are we okay now?" he asked. "Well, not right now, but we will be, right? Like you said?"

Caius wanted to say yes. He really did. It would have been so simple to do and he _wanted_ to. But when his eyes fell on the guards in his chambers he just couldn't do it. Renata knew about Odi and Dora. Worse than that, she knew about his reaction to Odi and Dora. His reaction shamed him most of all and Renata was there watching, waiting to see what Caius would do. So, true to form, Caius embodied the bastard persona he was so well known for.

"Fuck off, Odi."

He hoped the kid had seen the sad smile he offered as the door slammed in his face, but even if he had Caius doubted it would make up for so cruelly dashing Odi's hopes of a repatriated family.

When he turned back around, Caius came face to face with a triple death glare from three angry young women. Renata and Chelsea wouldn't have dared look at him that way out in the coven but bolstered by Dora's insistence that in her chambers they were her equals, even if she couldn't make that apply anywhere else, they felt perfectly confident in offering Caius their scorn.

 _None of you are fucking me tonight, are you?_ Taking a step towards the bloodwine, Caius felt the searing sting in his backside and shrugged. _Well I_ _'_ _m in no state to fuck you anyway._ Just before the bloodwine touched his lips, he realised the mistake he was making. Basileus hadn't told him he couldn't drink blood, but Magnus expected him to wait after any kind of punishment until he had expressly received permission to feed. He silently set the goblet back down and started limping towards his bed chamber.

Dora flashed in front of him before he could leave. "Why did you do that to Odi?" she asked, sensing a sadness in her husband's tired eyes.

"Because I'm a prick."

Odi went back upstairs, into his room, collapsed onto his bed and cried himself to sleep in utterly confused frustration. The only thing he felt for certain was that he would always be an outcast. _Not an outcast - THE outcast._


End file.
